Back to the drawing board. Great!

Posted by HorrieM

The presentation didn’t land.

The proposal was not accepted.

The boss said it needs more work.

The client said “no”.

You are now authorised to make it better.

(In case you were unsure before.)

You have an opportunity.

To take stock.

To step back.

To improve.

You now know what doesn’t work.

You are one step closer.

Great!

Now it’s back to the drawing board.

But you’re not starting from scratch.

 

“Isn’t the drawing board the place where all the best work happens? It’s not a bad thing to go back there. It’s the entire point.” – Seth Godin

“When the inventor of the drawing board messed things up, what did he go back to?” – Bob Monkhouse

 

It’s your move …

Posted by HorrieM

The pieces on the playing board are still moving.

Though that doesn’t really matter.

Because even the board has not settled yet.

So, what can you do?

You can go play on a separate board you know.

One you have played with before and understand.

With all the known pieces.

You can wait for the board to settle.

If it does, then you can see what pieces are left to play with.

If it doesn’t, then this is now the new evolving playing board.

You’ll have to find the pieces and work with what you’ve got.

You can assist with settling the board.

Working with the pieces and (re-)establishing the rules of the game.

Or, you can design your own totally new playing board.

With any many, or as few, pieces as you like.

It’s your move.

 

“Business is like a giant game of chess: you have to make strategic moves, and learn quickly from your mistakes.” – Richard Branson

“Don’t try to beat the competitors at their own game. You have to invent a new game – and master it.” – Reid Hoffman

 

It’s the simple things …

Posted by HorrieM

There is value in doing the simple things well.

Being extraordinary at doing the ordinary.

We tend to know what they are.

Arriving early.

Actively listening.

Using someone’s name.

Spelling someone’s name correctly.

Returning a call.

Cleaning up after yourself.

These may not seem like much at all.

Until they are not there.

Arriving late.

Being interrupted.

Forgetting someone’s name.

Spelling someone’s name incorrectly.

(You know when your name was last spelled incorrectly.)

(And you probably remember who it was.)

Unreturned calls.

Leaving a mess for others.

(Which inevitably leads to those office kitchen signs.)

If the simple and ordinary are not done well …

… what do we suppose for the complex and difficult?

 

“What is easy to do is also easy not to do.” – Jim Rohn

“Success is doing ordinary things, extraordinarily well.” – Jim Rohn

 

Have you gone to the source?

Posted by HorrieM

They think that is how it happens now.

There is an assumption it is done this way.

They presume this is what was said.

There is pure speculation.

They guess it was done correctly.

It may have been implied.

They suppose that’s right.

There is an inkling.

There is gossip and innuendo.

They suspect it is done like that still.

It was insinuated.

There is conjecture.

It has been based on hearsay.

So, before going any further.

Stop and find out.

Go find the source.

 

“Assumptions are made, and most assumptions are wrong.” — Albert Einstein

“Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed, and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit.” – William Pollard