1 min readAverage is Over
by Guy Gage | December 24, 2011 | Business
called “Average is Over.” He contends that what used to be good yesterday is
average today and will be even less so tomorrow.
Since no professional sets out to be average, how do you
get there? What are you doing today that makes you average? Answer: anything
that you’ve done the last 3 years is suspect. Regardless of how great it was 3
years ago, it isn’t today.
It’s so easy to slide into average, like the proverbial
frog in a pot. How do you boil a frog? You put it in a pot of comfortable
water, then slowly turn up the heat so the frog is unaware it is being boiled.
How do you become average? By doing the same thing you’ve
done year after year. It worked well in the beginning, you’ve become comfortable
with it, and you assume it has the same effect now. It doesn’t. It’s grown
stale. It’s not good enough anymore. Now you’re just average.
Look at when you interact with your clients. Do you contact
them only when you’re doing their work? When you want something from them? Are
you still using the excuse that you don’t want to bother them or that there are
more pressing things to do? After all, if they want something, they’ll call,
right? AVERAGE.
Examine your workflow—where does it leak? What technology
should you use or use more of but don’t because your way is “good enough?” You’re
comfortable with how you do it and it would take effort to learn a more
efficient way. Since you don’t have the time to relearn something, you’d rather
waste more time in your current way. AVERAGE.
How about the way you give feedback to others. Are you
still excusing and avoiding the hard and difficult conversations? What do you
allow to continue because you refuse to face it and deal with it? Others see
what you tolerate and wonder why. AVERAGE.
As the new year comes upon you, look at how you practice,
your professionalism and your professional stature. What do you need to do
differently to prevent yourself from sliding into average?
Read Related Blogs:
You Can’t Motivate Your People
Leaders Motivate Everyone knows that leaders have to motivate their people. So they do whatever they can to make it happen. Some yell and threaten. Some are cheerleaders. Some try to be best friends. Some use incentives and rewards. All in the hopes that their people...
Leaders Get Used To It
Leaders Create Motivation Firm leaders report that their people are exhausted and becoming unmotivated. This has been my experience also in my coaching calls the last few months. While I'm a believer in self-motivation, I'm also aware of the leader responsibility to...
Update Your Personal Owner’s Manual
Your Owner’s Manual You didn't come with an owner's manual. You learned about yourself over the years through instruction, experience and feedback, in order to make sense of it all. In effect, you have written your personal owner's manual. With it, you steer yourself...
