by Kirby Hasseman
Earlier this year, when talking about weekly goals with my team, I had an epiphany about big goals.
Let me set the stage. I had recently read “The 4 Disciplines of Execution” and wanted to institute some of the principles. (If you want to learn about the book, I wrote about it here). In doing so, I had instituted a weekly meeting and we discussed what we were going to do to move the company toward that goal. The goal of this meeting is to keep people accountable and to keep everyone rowing in the same direction toward a goal.
But I noticed a pattern of language that I didn’t like.
If someone had set a goal for the week and didn’t make it, they said something very specific. “Well I wanted to make 5 cold calls this week. I only got 4, so I failed.” Or they might say “I wanted to get 10 face to face meetings and I only had 7, so I failed this week.”
Then it hit me.
Many people believe that GOALS are Pass/Fail. That’s one of the problems some people have with stretch goals. They think if they don’t reach them, they have failed. I don’t agree. I love the idea of creating goals that stretch you. My attitude has always been, “If I shoot for a crazy high sales goal, and almost make it, that’s amazing. That will be much better than shooting for a low goal and making it.”
But that’s not everyone’s take. Many people get discouraged.
So in that meeting I came up with another way of looking at a big/stretch goal. I told the team, “Let’s stop looking at these as Pass/Fail. Let’s start grading our success more like we did in school. If the goal was 10 meetings and you only got 8, you didn’t reach the goal. But you did get an 80%. That’s a B!” This is not about letting people off the hook. There is still accountability. You want to get 100%. But when it comes to most goals, progress (any progress) still counts. So as you create goals for your coming year, don’t be afraid to think big. This new grading system might give you a bit of encouragement to “make the grade.”
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by Kirby Hasseman
It’s hard to believe it’s been over a half a year! For better than 6 months, I have been writing a blog post here each and every day. It’s Saturday morning, as I write this, and here I am, typing away. The experience has been enlightening in many ways, and it has forced me to stretch myself. Ed Mylett talks about being successful starts with “keeping promises to yourself,” and this has been that for me.
But one thing it has truly taught me is what I DON’T know. I don’t know what it going to work or resonate. I don’t know what is going to help people. Here is an example from this week. On Monday I posted a blog that I wrote a few years ago. It was 5 Business Lessons you can learn from Garth Brooks. I was watching a concert with him at Notre Dame Stadium and that seemed appropriate. It was a blog post that did very well.
Then on Friday I posted 5 Business Lessons you can Learn from Adam Sandler. (I had seen him on the sideline of an NBA highlight). I enjoyed writing this and thought it would really take off. I linked to outside sources. I referenced movies. This post was viewed 8 times LESS than the one above.
Was it because Garth is better than Adam?
Is one better written than the other?
Was it the time of day? Could it be the day?
What was the reason that one of them took off…and the other did not? The honest answer–after 6 months of doing this every day–is I have no idea. I think this is a strange little mind game that holds people back. They just don’t know what is going to work. So they think about it. Then they think about it some more. Then they talk about it and plan about it…and do nothing. This question of whether it is going to work creates a “paralysis by analysis.”
They literally “think” themselves out of taking action.
What I have learned from this exercise of writing every day is we need to do just the opposite. We need to lean into action, precisely because we don’t know what is going to work! That consistency of taking action is what will create the outcome we are looking for. It’s not the one action. It’s the many.
*In sales, we don’t make the sales call because it’s not the right time of day, week, year, etc. But you don’t know. So you might as well make the call.
*In fitness, we don’t start working out because we are going to wait for the next new workout plan. Just get on the treadmill.
You get the idea. Will it work? Will it fail? Will this be the magic video that goes viral? The answer, if we are honest, is we don’t know. Will this be the blog that has an impact and creates a mindset of change for you? I don’t know. So I will hit publish to find out.
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by Kirby Hasseman
If you had told me, when I was first watching Billy Madison, that I was watching one of the most bankable movie stars of the next 20 years, I would not have believed you. Adam Sandler was silly, obnoxious, absurd and, well, funny. But I did not see this as an act someone could ride for more than one movie or two.
I would have been wrong. Way wrong.
For years, Adam Sandler has made movies and money at the box office. He has had some really fun movies (Happy Gilmore, Waterboy and Grown ups) and he has made some bad ones (think Grown ups 2). But whether you like Sandler or not, I think he has several things to teach us about business.
Do What You Do: Sandlers first movies were obviously not Academy Award winners. But he found a formula that worked, and he stuck to it. He was the goofy underdog that overcomes in the end. Then, obviously a sports lover, he started making silly movies about sports. He found his niche, and did not try to be something he was not.
Lesson: Find your niche. Be authentic.
Have A Crew: One thing that always catches my eye with Sandler movies, is he has a consistent group of friends that he works with. Sure, he is obviously buddies with Chris Rock, David Spade and Kevin James. But his other cast of characters comes with him on nearly every project too. When you have a crew you enjoy working with (and trust), keep working with them!
Lesson: Find a team you trust…and stick with them.
Be Willing To Fail: Though I enjoy some of Sandler’s movies, he has certainly has had some stinkers (Jack and Jill and Little Nicky come to mind). But each of these has involved him trying something and taking some creative risks. The fact is, once people hit a certain level of success, many people don’t want to try something new. They don’t want to fail. I love that Sandler is willing to try some off the wall things. They either work, or they don’t. But he is already off to something new.
Lesson: Take creative risks. Failure is not the end of the world.
Let Others Shine: As I mentioned, Sandler clearly likes working with friends. He has even created a production company that produces movies that he is not even in! He lets some of his other friends take the lead and showcase their talents whether he is involved on screen or not.
Lesson: You don’t always have to be center stage. Let others have the spotlight.
Be Willing to Branch Out: Once he established himself in Hollywood, I like that Sandler did do some more family friendly movies. Though he still has his core characters, he has done some movies that the whole family can enjoy.
Lesson: Once you have a track of success, continue to grow. The most successful people, in any arenas, can teach us lessons we can emulate. Adam Sandler has created an amazing career that nearly anyone could envy. And best of all, it seems like he enjoys it too. Bravo.
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by Kirby Hasseman
Tis the season for holiday parties!
Your reaction to that statement probably reflects a few factors. First, it might depend on how you feel about getting together in public. It also might depend on how you feel about the holidays. But maybe the most powerful indicator about how you feel about holiday parties is what kind of festivities you have been to in the past.
Last night I attended one that was great. And it got me to thinking…what makes a great holiday event? Here is a quick (and likely incomplete) list.
1. Socialization: I love it when I get the opportunity to meet and greet with great people. The holidays can be a time when you are so caught up getting ready for them, that you don’t take time to enjoy them. The best parties allow the time for you to connect with good people.
2. Food And Drink: Whether it’s finger foods or a full meal, then best holiday gatherings offer the chance to enjoy something good to eat and drink.
3. Laughter: For me, I love any event when I get a chance to laugh. Whether you create that opportunity for your guests, or it happens naturally, laughter is the best holiday song. Create an atmosphere where everyone can have some fun.
4. Appreciation: The holiday season is a great time to show your gratitude. Whether it’s for your team or for your customers (or both), a cool holiday party gives you the chance to say “thank you.” Last night I attended a party where the leaders got up and personally expressed gratitude over the microphone, then they gave each attendee a gift on the way out. It was simple and classy. So if you are planning a holiday event, those are a few simple keys to keep in mind. But as I said, this list is likely woefully incomplete. What makes holiday events for you? Let us know!
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by Kirby Hasseman
My awesome wife (yes my wife is the best) bought me tickets to go see Garth Brooks in concert for Christmas. So I was lucky enough to be among the thousands of fans to see him in Pittsburgh recently. The show was truly outstanding. Whether you are a fan of his music or not, Garth puts on a show to remember. What an entertainer!
But it got me thinking, “What can I take away from this? What can I learn?” So here is what I came up with…5 Lessons to Learn from a Garth Brooks Concert!
The Power of the Wink: Gary Vaynerchuk actually talks about this concept. Garth understands that there is a huge amount of power in making each person in the stadium feel special. He runs around the stage so he spends time really singing and engaging with each section. He waves at individuals, slaps hands, and spends real moments that will create raging fans for life.
Lesson: Each customer matters…do you make them feel special?
Do More: The show was amazing. At the end of the event, I was tired! We had gone on a journey and stood and sang along. We had laughed and cried and screamed. And all I could think was, “He is going to do this again…tonight!” Garth scheduled two shows at 6:30pm and 10:30pm. Now that is ambitious.
Lesson: Want to grow your business? Do more than most people think is reasonable.
Bring The Energy: The reason I was so amazed that he was going to do this twice was, the level of energy he brought to the show was off the charts! He ran around and sang and screamed and (it seemed) had a great time. The audience responded to his passion by screaming louder (which I am sure fed his energy again).
Lesson: Your energy can really be contagious…is yours worth catching?
Play The Favorites: Garth actually talked about this during the show. He said when you come to see your favorite entertainer, it’s okay to hear the “new stuff.” But you bought the ticket to hear the old favorites. He’s right. The same is true for your customers. If you won them over with fantastic service, don’t change that model if you grow. Do what you do best!
Lesson: Don’t lose sight of what makes you special.
Let Your Team Shine: Around the middle of the show, Garth brought out his wife Trisha Yearwood to the stage. She is a talented entertainer in her own right and she did several great tunes from her career. In addition, both Trisha and Garth took the backseat as they welcomed one of their back-up singers to to front of the stage. She had written one of the songs Trisha was performing so they let her sing lead (and she was awesome). It was a cool moment for her and it made you like Garth and Trisha even more.
Lesson: Don’t be afraid to let your team members take the spotlight sometimes! It makes you look good.
What a show! If you get the chance to see it, I recommend it. And if you do (or if you have already seen him) let me know what lessons I missed! Remember…Sail Your Vessel!
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by Kirby Hasseman
One of my favorite quotes is, “The greatest distance in the world is the distance between “I know” and “I do.”
It’s a quote I use all of the time. Why? Because most of the problems or challenges in our lives have simple answers.
They are simple…not easy.
We know that if we want to lose weight we need to eat less and work out more. Simple. We know if we want to write a book we need to write one page a day. We know if we want to make more sales, we need to make more sales calls. Yep…still simple We “know” the answer to all of these. We just don’t “do” them.
On the other hand, most long-term changes in our lives don’t come from sweeping, huge, wholesale changes. Often, they come from making small changes that we are able to maintain. I see people all of the time make huge dietary changes in their life. They might even successfully lose a bunch of weight in a short period of time. It’s exciting and it’s impressive. It takes a huge amount of energy and discipline. Then they stop. The choices become too big. They become too hard. So make one “slip up” and they slide back into old habits. They gain the weight back and are incredibly frustrated with themselves that they could not keep up the “diet.”
That’s why I often advocate for small changes. You don’t have to start training for a marathon. Start by taking a daily walk. Create a routine that you can maintain and maybe (God forbid) enjoy! You can create a foundation of success that you are excited to build upon.
The same is true in sales and business. So often we think we need to make sweeping changes to improve. They are great…but can you maintain them? What if you just: Made one more sales call per day? Answered the phone one ring faster? Sent out one thank you per week? Wrote one helpful blog post?
Create small changes in your business and they can make a big difference down the road. Then you can decrease the distance between “I know” and “I do” just a little bit each day.
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