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Is it all “inline” with itself, or are there little subconscious conflicts leading to unrealized tensions and undue stress. Whatever do I mean by that? Well, is one of your goals to spend a lot more time with the family this year while another goal is to commit yourself to 25% more structured time, focused on work in the office? Yikes…. I sense a migraine headache on its way in the near future here!
I’m “gonna” say something right now that will have all the “So Called” Business Gurus screaming at the top of their lungs, but I don’t care, let them scream! Goals that work against each other are far more destructive than having “NO” goals at all.
Uhhhhggg, Larry, how can you say that? Well, because it’s True! Unconventional? Sure, but fact!
We all will naturally, without any organized plan, stumble and bumble our way into the general direction of where we eventually want to go. It’s instinct to focus on what you really want and just naturally sway towards the light, even without a map, or dare I say, “A Coach.”
But conflicting goals create tremendous amounts of powerful energy, working head-on against each other like a Southbound locomotive greeting the Northbound train on the same stretch of track. They may both have the best of intentions, but the outcome “ain’t gonna” be pretty!
Let’s switch metaphors shall we, from trains to planes, and even rockets. I used to work in the aerospace industry. I was even blessed with the opportunity to be asked to work in NASA’s Space Shuttle program. That was pretty cool, to be one of the very few, lucky people who’ve actually been inside the shuttle.
More importantly, I grew up as a kid being totally obsessed with the space program and flight in general, as my Grandfather was a test pilot for the Navy. All my life I heard the stories, read the gruesome details, saw the horrific pictures and sadly lost that grandfather, who I never even had the chance to meet, to the tragedy of undue stress created by conflicting forces working against the integrity of an “in flight” vessel.
Wow, now I’m sad… let’s move on to ships. The integrity of a ship; is its ability to hold itself together under adverse conditions, thrown violently upon it by the raging seas that it must transverse to complete its pre-determined voyage, intact.
No “Captain of Industry” ever dreams of going down with the ship, but we all know the statistics about the survival of new businesses, don’t we?
So, it seems it might be time wisely spent to chart those courses, inspect the hull, tighten the bolts, batten down the hatches, and make sure that the First Mate, the Navigator and the Captain are all reading off the same page. If you’re setting sail for China and the Navigator’s planning a route to San Diego, you’re in for a long, hard ride!
Integrity must be planned for in advance, constantly practiced and always put to the test, or it’s likely to be missing in those vital moments when it is most needed.
Learn to think of all your marketing strategies as individual chapters in a Novel. It’s the story of YOU and your business, and how you can solve the problems of your potential customers and clients. This drama may have many characters, but it must always remain “ONE”, unified tale, or the readers will get confused, lose interest, or just miss the point completely, and you and your long set of organized but competing goals will quickly be forgotten.
A book can be long, with many surprise twists and sub-plots, there can be surprises and “rabbit trails” along the wandering path, but it always must come together at the very end, in a singular organized fashion, making a focused and clear point. Otherwise, the audience will judge it to be a mere childish fable, or worse yet, an un-interesting and un-believably grim fairy-tale. (I know, I know, use a “PUN”, go to jail!)
Integrity: It’s Rule #1 and integral to your company’s very survival.
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Copyright © 2003 Larry L. Nichols
Ventura, CA
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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