I like to get attention with provocative statements. Hard work, though it is important, is not the key to success. Think about it. There are many hardworking people who fail.
Nose to the grindstone perseverance won’t make it happen. Many people are working too hard to succeed. They are in a hypnotic trance of strenuous activity, sweat, and labor and missing the other essential components of success.
If you are a working hard and failing, the key to overcoming is not to just work harder. A person trying to escape from a pit who digs harder and faster just goes deeper in the pit. Increasing sales when you are operating at negative margin only makes you go broke faster.
It’s time to STOP……… and get some help. Find a competent person to help you look at your organization and current system differently. Be curious, open minded and teachable. Be ready to stop working hard at what is not working and begin testing and measuring other ways of doing things.
Doing the same thing over and over that doesn’t work is like the proverbial fly that continues to hit the window trying to get out of the house. Quit buzzing and banging the glass and take a break. Step back from the situation and get a trusted advisor to help you take a fresh look at your situation and then create better ways of working.
Often success is created just by stopping certain activities. A key principle of effectiveness is that less is more. Start today by stopping what you are currently doing that isn't working and try something else. Find someone you can trust to help you take a new look at things. Give up that proud, rugged individualistic approach, and get someone to teach you how to work smarter, not harder. If you need a first step to get started, give me a call.
