Every company owner or President that I work with has a quirk. There is something that they just refuse to pay for, despite attempts at logical persuasion by their team. Let me share some of them:
Valet parking (I need the walk)
New equipment (Used was good enough for my Daddy)
Document review by an attorney (I know enough)
Outside consultants (They just take what you say and spit it back in a report)
A good haircut (Ask Donald Trump)
Succession planning (We will get to it)
You probably could identify quirks that you can’t justify, just like these CEO’s. Hopefully, you laugh when your quirks are pointed out just like they do.
The circumstances clearly affect the best choice for each of these situations. If you are late for an important meeting, it is crazy to circle the block for 15 minutes We all get that. Why don’t we see our own stubbornness in light of bigger decisions? Why don’t we get input from experts when the stakes are high?
My guess is there are little pieces of each of us that we don’t want to admit, especially to ourselves. Let’s say I’m really good at fixing up old equipment, so if I buy new, am I admitting that I can’t keep up with new technology? Am I admitting that I am a has-been? Am I losing my value to the company or to the world?
Or, am I doing things this way just because I always did them that way? Is it really serving me?
Look at how much time we all spend on email and social media. That didn’t even exist 15 years ago. We have had to change and adapt to new technology. And, we have new bad habits as a result.
We can change here, too. This week, let’s each give up one old bad habit, and severely restrict one new bad habit. Cut down on Facebook, anyone? Or reading every email the second it comes through? I’ll valet park once this week if you read your email only once an hour…..deal?
photo courtesy of redpointcoaching.wordpress.com