As England football fans went to bed last night, many, including the players and management (hopefully), will have been reflecting on what might have been.
Another 4 years of builld-up to the 2010 World Cup, promises of success, and fanatical support, came to nothing on a field in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Crushing disappointment, coupled with the knowledge that even if England had scraped a win, Argentina await in the next round, enveloped all those with more than a passing interest in the game.
The good news is that it was only a game of football. Nobody got hurt and we all live to fight another day. I have sympathy for those that paid large sums of money to see a team underperform on the world stage but as with all things, there really are no guarantees. You pay your money and you take your chance, as the saying goes.
Speaking of sayings, one of my favourites, and one extremely annoying to the few burdened people that I play golf with, is 'Coulda, woulda, shoulda'. I could have played a better shot. I would have made the green. I should have used a more appropriate club. They come thick and fast after every dud shot. Never after a great one! As a relatively new player, I still hit my fair share of bad shots, but my mind set has changed. I realise I can only affect the the shot I am playing right now. Not the ones I've already played. They are history and I have to learn from what I did wrong. Not the ones I'm going to play. Other than having the correct kit such as waterproofs if it rains (it is truly miserable playing golf whilst soaked to the skin) and some fluids or a snack, there's not much you can you do.
No, it's just that one shot. Right here, right now....
As I view the position of the ball, the distance ahead and take into account wind strength and direction, it is this shot and this shot only that I am able to influence. My club selection done, I approach the ball and, stopping short, I take a couple of practice swings. I then address the ball, assuming my stance, softening my knees, moving my weight onto the balls of my feet whilst keeping my heels grounded. Club head square to the ball, breathing regular, I start my backswing, keeping my head still and looking at the ball and only the ball. I bring the club head through the ball at an even tempo, still continuing to look only at the ball. Only as I complete the follow through with the club do I move my eyes away from where the ball once stood....
Great shot or terrible, that shot is now consigned to history and the next one demands my undivided attention. There's nothing that a 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' will do to help.
And so it is in life and business. We can say 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' all day long about everything and everyone. But it won't matter. Excuses and recriminations won't help you. Learn from the past, be better prepared for the future, but give your here and now the courtesy of your complete attention.
Today can close the door on the failures of yesterday and open the doors that lead to the success of tomorrow. Today wants all of you to itself, and rightly so. Get out there, make the most of it. Not everything will go to plan, but hey, that really is life!
Thanks for stopping by.
PS - If you find your plans consistently come to nothing, maybe take a look at your plans. Go through them with a friend to get a different perspective. It's a good thing to have a plan but give yourself a fighting chance to start with :)
Showing posts with label executive coaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label executive coaching. Show all posts
Monday, 28 June 2010
Monday, 21 June 2010
Winning Takes More Than Merely Turning Up
So an interesting few days have passed. On Friday I watched with increasing gloom the England Vs Algeria football match. As is always the case when England play (football, rugby, cricket etc.), whether justified or not, there is always an enormous expectation of victory. In fact a rout would be preferable!
It's indicative of the England performance, or lack thereof, that my 2 young sons, whom for both this is the first World Cup that's been of interest, first complained of it being boring and then took themselves off to bed before the match limped to a close.
So what went wrong? Did the England players turn up to the World Cup Finals expecting to walk through their group opposition? Where was the hunger, the determination to succeed? Have they forgotten that it's an honour to represent ones country? It certainly looked to be the case.
We could be forgiven for thinking that they turned up for the game expecting to casually thrash Algeria. No effort, physical or mental, just turn up, win and go home. Put like that it sounds pretty stupid doesn't it?
This happens a lot in business. We have a great idea or product. Or we're naturally talented and our skills are in demand for a while. We're surprised when an orderly queue for our product or services doesn't form.
It takes concerted effort to not only achieve initial success but to stay successful. Look at Coca Cola. It's been the number one soft drink for how many years? And yet it advertises all year round to ensure it stays in our minds and more importantly our wallets. I still love the Christmas ads. What can I say?
Very little in life it seems, unless you're incredibly lucky, is a 'gimme'. We have to work not only hard but smart too. Consistently. Back to the sprint vs marathon analogy.
Sometimes we can't see the wood for the trees and that's where it can help to have an objective pair of eyes take a look.
I'm always happy to help. Thanks for stopping by.
It's indicative of the England performance, or lack thereof, that my 2 young sons, whom for both this is the first World Cup that's been of interest, first complained of it being boring and then took themselves off to bed before the match limped to a close.
So what went wrong? Did the England players turn up to the World Cup Finals expecting to walk through their group opposition? Where was the hunger, the determination to succeed? Have they forgotten that it's an honour to represent ones country? It certainly looked to be the case.
We could be forgiven for thinking that they turned up for the game expecting to casually thrash Algeria. No effort, physical or mental, just turn up, win and go home. Put like that it sounds pretty stupid doesn't it?
This happens a lot in business. We have a great idea or product. Or we're naturally talented and our skills are in demand for a while. We're surprised when an orderly queue for our product or services doesn't form.
It takes concerted effort to not only achieve initial success but to stay successful. Look at Coca Cola. It's been the number one soft drink for how many years? And yet it advertises all year round to ensure it stays in our minds and more importantly our wallets. I still love the Christmas ads. What can I say?
Very little in life it seems, unless you're incredibly lucky, is a 'gimme'. We have to work not only hard but smart too. Consistently. Back to the sprint vs marathon analogy.
Sometimes we can't see the wood for the trees and that's where it can help to have an objective pair of eyes take a look.
I'm always happy to help. Thanks for stopping by.
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Change Requires Change
Albert Einstein said that the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
He had, and still has, a very good point!
More and more I speak to people who aren't happy with where they are professionally, and occasionally personally. Few of us are lucky enough to live a utopian existence so this shouldn't come as a huge surprise. What has struck me though, and has been further reinforced in various conversations recently, is that even if the issues are realised and a better option is placed for the taking, people often ignore it.
Would many people rather perpetually moan rather than seek a better way? It would seem so.
Just yesterday I spoke with a good friend of mine whom we shall call 'Bob'. Bob is in an unenviable position professionally. He works for a US supplier of IT, although not a major player. And neither is it niche. Therein lies the rub. Without a niche claim and no tangible marketing to drive leads, Bob is reduced to cold calling to drive his leads. Subsequently he can't build a pipeline which means he can't close enough business to earn more than his base salary.
This situation is ongoing even though his boss, who runs Europe, Middle East and Africa for the company acknowledges the issues as a global concern for the organisation. From this we can deduce that Bob's situation isn't going to change any time soon.
Now it just so happens that I can utilise Bob's skills to our mutual benefit. I am a partner in a training company which is ramping up it's UK operations. Due to this increase in activity I am looking to take on sales people and freelance trainers.
Bob's selling skills are exactly what I need. And whilst I'm not in a position to throw huge sums of money at him, I can afford to be very generous in a profit-share. The best bit of all? Bob can work for me a few hours per week without impacting his existing job, thereby maintaining the security of a handsome base salary and corporate perks, whilst having the ability to earn a significant income from other sources.
Bob has seen the literature and collateral and read the case studies. He understands the differentiators and USP's in a crowded market. He sees the value. He knows that this would be a clear case of win/win.
And guess what?
Bob's given me a variety of reasons why he might not be able to do it, whilst continuing to whine about his current situation. This is just one in a long line of examples but the same thing comes up again and again.
If you are locked in a repeating cycle you must CHANGE SOMETHING to get a better outcome!
In Bob's case, the issue is now one of confidence, which is lacking having strived and failed to gain results over an extended period of time. I'm working with Bob to overcome this issue.
What's your reason? What's your excuse?
PS - I am not immune to these things. None of us are. But once we understand that something needs to change in order to improve a situation, we can analyse what needs to be done and plan accordingly. I'm not advocating knee-jerk responses as I'm not a fan of frying pan to fire experiences either :)
He had, and still has, a very good point!
More and more I speak to people who aren't happy with where they are professionally, and occasionally personally. Few of us are lucky enough to live a utopian existence so this shouldn't come as a huge surprise. What has struck me though, and has been further reinforced in various conversations recently, is that even if the issues are realised and a better option is placed for the taking, people often ignore it.
Would many people rather perpetually moan rather than seek a better way? It would seem so.
Just yesterday I spoke with a good friend of mine whom we shall call 'Bob'. Bob is in an unenviable position professionally. He works for a US supplier of IT, although not a major player. And neither is it niche. Therein lies the rub. Without a niche claim and no tangible marketing to drive leads, Bob is reduced to cold calling to drive his leads. Subsequently he can't build a pipeline which means he can't close enough business to earn more than his base salary.
This situation is ongoing even though his boss, who runs Europe, Middle East and Africa for the company acknowledges the issues as a global concern for the organisation. From this we can deduce that Bob's situation isn't going to change any time soon.
Now it just so happens that I can utilise Bob's skills to our mutual benefit. I am a partner in a training company which is ramping up it's UK operations. Due to this increase in activity I am looking to take on sales people and freelance trainers.
Bob's selling skills are exactly what I need. And whilst I'm not in a position to throw huge sums of money at him, I can afford to be very generous in a profit-share. The best bit of all? Bob can work for me a few hours per week without impacting his existing job, thereby maintaining the security of a handsome base salary and corporate perks, whilst having the ability to earn a significant income from other sources.
Bob has seen the literature and collateral and read the case studies. He understands the differentiators and USP's in a crowded market. He sees the value. He knows that this would be a clear case of win/win.
And guess what?
Bob's given me a variety of reasons why he might not be able to do it, whilst continuing to whine about his current situation. This is just one in a long line of examples but the same thing comes up again and again.
If you are locked in a repeating cycle you must CHANGE SOMETHING to get a better outcome!
In Bob's case, the issue is now one of confidence, which is lacking having strived and failed to gain results over an extended period of time. I'm working with Bob to overcome this issue.
What's your reason? What's your excuse?
PS - I am not immune to these things. None of us are. But once we understand that something needs to change in order to improve a situation, we can analyse what needs to be done and plan accordingly. I'm not advocating knee-jerk responses as I'm not a fan of frying pan to fire experiences either :)
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