Yearly Archives: 2020
Don’t Wait for Others… Just Do It…
As a board member at an HOA (homeowners association) one of the residents kept asking me, “Why can’t you do this? Why don’t you do that?”
Finally, in polite desperation, I said, “Why don’t YOU do it?” If you feel strongly about it, take the ball and run. If you wait for others, it may never happen. Just do it!
So it is with consulting. Waiting for others to act will not solve a problem, nor will it make things better.
Here is an example from my consulting practice 20+ years ago. At the time, there was a dearth of information on electromagnetic field levels in hospitals. So when I saw a session on the topic at a conference, I high tailed it to the meeting room.
But instead of learning something new, the meeting consisted of a bunch of researchers asking each other if they had any information to share. Furthermore, they complained about a lack of funding to do field research.
Annoyed, I discussed this with my business partner who had been at a different session. Over a beer (highly recommended in the engineering world) we devised a study to get the answers, which we would fund ourselves. “Let’s just do it,” we said.
Upon return from the conference, we contacted some past clients at two prominent hospitals (one a world famous clinic) about doing a quick survey of various locations within their hospitals. We would supply the equipment (which we already owned), record the data, write a report, and share the results. No cost to anyone.
We spent two days over the Christmas holidays, when the hospitals were not busy. We got solid data, and had fun doing it. In one case, we had to dress in scrubs while making measurements in a surgical suite. It was the closest I came to becoming a brain surgeon 🙂
Kimmel & Gerke performing surgery on a lap-top computer.
We shared the data, but it did not stop there. We offered it to a leading magazine in the medical device community. We had been writing a technical column for them as part of our long term marketing strategy.
The loved it, and with our help, turned it into a technical report they offered for sale. The money earned from the report was minuscule, but the publicity was priceless! It further established our firm as a world-class leader in our niche. Not too bad for a couple of goof ball engineers out in Minnesota.
The report was well received, as it provided needed timely information. Meanwhile, the researchers were still twiddling their thumbs, while we gained visibility & credibility critical to our success as consultants.
We just did it! And you can too, but YOU need to take the initiative. Not only in consulting, but in life itself.
Cheers — Uncle Daryl
Ideas are good, but “ideas + action” are what get results.
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Afraid to make the Jump? Overcoming the fear…
Do you want to make your JumpToConsulting, but the voices in your head hold you back? Yes, I often felt the way 32 year ago. But I jumped anyway, and am I glad I did!
So lets talk about overcoming those fears. The catalyst for this post was the book Mastering Fear. Written by former Navy SEAL Brandon Webb, the author shared his journey through fear to success. I could well identify with his fears on my journey to consulting.
Webb identified five steps in overcoming fears. I’ll elaborate on my experiences and offer suggestions based on the lessons I learned. Perhaps they will help you.
The five steps are decision, rehersal, letting go, jumping off (I particularly liked that stage), and finally, knowing what matters.
Decision – Mine was based on a layoff and later a firing. Disturbed by the lack of corporate integrity – I did not want to become a corporate pimp (as in having to fire good people) nor be a the mercy of corporate ineptitude.
Rehersal – Started by moonlighting, and later working from home. Wanted to see if I could handle not being part of a big organization. No problem — loved the freedom.
Letting Go – Decided to let go of the current career direction, and started making concrete plans for the future (including loading up the savings.)
Jumping Off – The first day in business (October 1987) the stock market crashed — but I jumped anyway. Scary? Yes, but I never looked back.
Knowing What Matters – To me, it was making a difference. Do some good, have some fun, make some money. Met all three objectives!
In closing, remember those famous words of Franklin Roosevelt, spoken in the depths of the depression at his first inaugural address in 1933 — “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” True then, true today!
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A letter to my teenage son… 30 years ago…
On cleaning out some old files, I ran across this letter to my teen age son in 1990. I though the sentiments might be a good way to start a new decade.
Dear Son,
Ask almost any adult, and they will admit they would not want to suddenly become a teenager again. We all remember our confusion, insecurities, and uncertainties. We all remember facing those important “decisions” about our lives.
In spite of all this, it is a very exciting time. You are stepping into society as an adult, leaving childhood behind. Rest assured, you’ll do fine… we all had to make that change.
In the meantime, here are some thoughts and ideas for you to consider and ponder.
Options… I’m a big believer in having options in life. The more skills, knowledge, and education you have, the more options you have. You are very fortunate, for you have much native intelligence. You have already begun developing that into sound knowledge.
I suggest you keep at it, and continue to develop your knowledge. You definitely have a gift for learning, and you should pursue it will all vigor. I suggest you also continue to add to your skills… speaking, writing, debating… for knowledge alone, without the skills to communicate to convince and lead, is of little use.
Decisions… I’m also a big believer in making decisions, and then acting on them. I’m not suggesting snap decisions — first gather information — then assess it — and then act on it. This last part — acting — is where most people fail. Don’t be afraid of the “wrong” decision — you can always change you mind later, and it is still much better than no decision at all.
Here is a quick trick I’ve used for those important career decisions. First, ask yourself, “Could I do it?” Then, ask yourself, “Should I”. The first requires assessing your skills/strengths/weaknesses, while the second asks if it is really right for you.
Goals… This is tough one. Some people advocate well defined 1-2-5 year plans, but I’ve never found that to work for me. Nevertheless, I had broader goals that helped guide me thus far. These include interesting work, reasonable income, a good education for you and your brother, owning a home, travel, etc.
Give some thought to what you want out of life, and then go after it. If you don’t it, it probably won’t come to you. Just be sure what you seek is what you really want out of life.
Here are some additional quick thoughts from your mother and me:
Be honest… to others, and to yourself. That happiest and most satisfied people we know are very honest with everyone.
Work hard… intelligence and knowledge are not enough. It takes dedication and hard work to be a success.
Don’t seek security… too many people try to eliminate all risk from their lives. Most don’t succeed at it and even this who appear to be “secure” live pretty bland lives.
Think big… reach for the stars. Yes, you could become president or win a Nobel Prize,or ??? But it won’t happen if you don’t try. Just be sure it is worthwhile to you.
Be thankful… for friends, opportunities, health, and for life itself.
Enjoy life… both good days and bad days. Make the best of both.
Love,
Mom and Dad
Some good advice for aspiring consultants too. Happy New Year — Uncle Daryl!
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