Disclaimer: This is going to be a ‘Counterpunch’ and it is written by a reforming perfectionist.
I can’t count how many times I have said ‘action before systems’ to the owners of service firms in the last year. The irony is that I am ALL about creating better systems and doing things that create more value with less time, in smarter ways.
So let me be clear, there is no point thinking about how to make something better before you have actually done it…. for real.
I recently made some time to speak with an adviser that had started his new firm 4 months prior. He was seeking help with things like refining his proposed business model and looking for input on his business branding.
I asked him to explain simply his ideas for how it would work and how he would propose it to a client. I then asked him to explain his thoughts on his branding and so on.
At this point, I could have been the kind of adviser who gives someone the answers they want instead of the ones they need, so instead, I asked him a different question…
How many clients does your business have?
His answer was 3.
How many of those have you taken on with the model you explained to me?
His answer was none.
How many people have you presented your model to?
His answer was none.
So why are you asking me for my input? Why are you worrying about branding and logos?
His answer to both was ‘because I want to get them right before I take on a real client’.
To which I replied, ‘I have had more than 20,000 Adviser/Client meetings for hundreds of service models and across thousands of clients and if I was waiting to get it right I still wouldn’t have a had a single client.’
I also said if you want my input, go and find ten good people to run your idea past and don’t be hesitant about telling them why you created it and what you believe the value is. After that come back to me and we will have something to work with and more importantly, you will be able to pay your kids school fees while you make improvements.
In case you have not guessed I also told him to shelve his branding until he actually had some real clients.
The truth was, this was an experienced adviser with a good idea and his own way of explaining things. Everything else from there is a luxury afforded to those who have clients.
In this next example, I was talking with the owner of a planning business who we have worked with for about 18 months and she was sharing with me how she gets hung up with the technical aspects of making a video.
She was asking lots of questions about things like green screen backdrops and editing together different footage to increase production value. She was also worried about creating a good background for the video and finding the right space in her office. I said to her…
Why are you worrying about things like that when you have not even put your first video out in public?
Her answer was ‘because I want to get this right before I start putting myself out there’.
To which I replied ‘I have filmed more than 50,000 videos over the last 20 years and if I waited until I had it right no one would have seen any of them.’
I then pulled out my phone, recorded a video that needed no editing, lacked sexy backdrops, used no camera gear or time to plan or think about it, and roughly two minutes later Mary had her first video ‘out there’.
My point in all of this?
Is that we all need to stop letting our fear of taking action express itself with a need to have all the answers before we act. Just get on with accepting that we are never going to have it all right so trust yourself and give your best value to the world NOW, not when you reach the mythical ‘when I have enough’.
You will find that the only outcome is creating more value, faster learning, and as a nice byproduct: being more successful in business.
After that? Create systems and think about how to make them better. (Did I mention I love systems?)