Hunting with a fishing pole?
Many people are falling for hunting with a fishing pole. Let’s say you’ve gotten this far in life with your average fishing skills. But now the waters are all fished out and hunters are bringing home the big dinners. Do you get advice, read all you can about hunting, find a guide or partner to lead you? Or do you just head off into the woods with your fishing pole and tackle?
Of course not. If you are with me at this point, you recognize the absurdity here. And yet we all do this in some aspects of our lives. It’s so hard to keep track of what we know and impossible to learn the names and categories of all the things we don’t know.
Knowing is just the first step: accepting is another thing entirely. Deciding what to do about it is a third. A fatal flaw could be the inability to judge character and quality in people. This will dog you no matter what you do. You are going to want to address this problem directly as quickly and energetically as you can. Getting the best help is vital; otherwise it is like driving with the emergency break on – it not only slows you down, but it also stinks.
Work as hard as you can to learn what you don’t know. If it’s marketing, find someone you can trust. Of course, you can check with other advisors, but you will want to develop trust and a good relationship with a key individual. Look for proof and measures of success that make sense, and then delegate real responsibility and authority. Create a true partnership and let it flower.