It seems as if business requires systematic thinking 24/7. Planning, planning, planning. My friend Carroll Emerson (motivation and success speaker) quizzed me about what traits I had to offer other businesses. He asked, "What can you offer that makes them want and need your services?" I named off several "typical" answers like education and experience, but he kept saying "no." I began feeling down as if I did not have the traits necessary to make my business dream work.
Maybe he realized I was not making the connection, so he reframed the question. He instead asked, "What makes a teacher a successful teacher?" Being a part-time psychology teacher at a local technical college I quickly answered, "Being knowledgeable enough about a topic to be able to make it easy to learn." He agreed saying, "A great student makes a good teacher, but an AWESOME student makes a GREAT teacher." I think he realized that with my passion for learning and teaching I would definitely understand this example. He said, "You are knowledgeable about your topic, and you can make is SIMPLE for your students." I got the point. I am an awesome student (I do love to learn and analyze), so I am able to take what I have learned about the subject matter and teach it in a simple way for those I am consulting.
Now when asked about my professional passion, I can quickly respond "learning and teaching." Learning and teaching are VERY relevant to business. They are fundamental to the success of any team. Having the knowledge of the clients and industry you are serving is imperative, but adding passion to the mix can make you unstoppable!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
FOCUS
No--not the car. Sometimes, I feel that is the only thing I know about focus, too. I have learned a thing or two about regaining focus. One thing I have learned is it seems to always feel like a major event. When I feel unfocused, it feels like my whole world is out of focus. I feel "out of sorts" and have a difficult time getting my head back on what I need to be thinking about.
Something else I have learned about focus is that sometimes you need someone else to help you regain focus. There is no shame in that. I have a friend who knows my passion for consulting. I was "out of focus," and it had become obvious to him. He started telling me that he was having problems with his business, and I kicked into high gear to help. When I did, it was like everything else came back to me. I can just picture myself as a manual transmission car that we were pushing, and when he gave me the "scenario," it was like me "popping the clutch." I was running again!
You need to have someone who knows your professional passion. They need to know what helps you get back into gear. Talk to them and let them know that you may need them occasionally. Tell them what they can do to help you. This is you giving them permission to get involved when they see you may not be performing at your full potential. When you regain focus, look back on the experience. What did you learn from it? What caused you to lose focus? Were you spending too much time away from your passion? Were you spending too much time ON your passion? There should be a healthy balance between focus on professional passion and your personal life. We must have down time. Just as when a camera will not focus because there is too much in the focus zone for it to determine what you want to focus on, we need to give our bodies an opportunity to focus on what it needs to be focusing on. Step away and be sure you are giving enough time to yourself. There is no value in an out of focus picture, so be sure your personal and professional life is "in focus."
Something else I have learned about focus is that sometimes you need someone else to help you regain focus. There is no shame in that. I have a friend who knows my passion for consulting. I was "out of focus," and it had become obvious to him. He started telling me that he was having problems with his business, and I kicked into high gear to help. When I did, it was like everything else came back to me. I can just picture myself as a manual transmission car that we were pushing, and when he gave me the "scenario," it was like me "popping the clutch." I was running again!
You need to have someone who knows your professional passion. They need to know what helps you get back into gear. Talk to them and let them know that you may need them occasionally. Tell them what they can do to help you. This is you giving them permission to get involved when they see you may not be performing at your full potential. When you regain focus, look back on the experience. What did you learn from it? What caused you to lose focus? Were you spending too much time away from your passion? Were you spending too much time ON your passion? There should be a healthy balance between focus on professional passion and your personal life. We must have down time. Just as when a camera will not focus because there is too much in the focus zone for it to determine what you want to focus on, we need to give our bodies an opportunity to focus on what it needs to be focusing on. Step away and be sure you are giving enough time to yourself. There is no value in an out of focus picture, so be sure your personal and professional life is "in focus."
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