Clarity Takes Time

For someone who goes on and on about clarity, it sure has taken a while for me to get there myself.?

I remember being slightly embarrassed when on a “get to know you” sort of call with a LinkedIn connection (neither of us was a prospective client for the other, we were just chatting to learn about each other) he asked what my business model was.?

Ummm…errr… “Is ‘just say yes to whatever sounds fun and a little bit scary’ a model? Because I think that’s the one I’m doing.”?

I’ve bumbled along doing what appeals to me. Maybe this is just a reflection of the stage of life I’m at; I’m finally figuring out what I want to be when I grow up. And I think I’m doing it. Finally.? I’m 58….on the outside. I’m somewhere between 6 and 25 on the inside - except I’m not as good at technology as most 6-year-olds.

You know how those weird extrovert types brag about how they get their energy from other people, while the rest of us have to rest and recover for a few weeks after leaving the house for an afternoon, wondering if we even like people at all? Well, I think I can say that I now relate to that “energy” thing. (I’m still an introvert though, don’t panic). I just mean that “energy” thing is? exactly how I feel after coaching. It literally fuels me. I think this is it. I’ve found my thing. Yahoo!?

Anyway, along with this clarity about finally figuring out what I love to do, I’ve gotten more and more clarity about how to find those people who are a good fit for the kind of support I can give them.?

Obviously, it starts with writing a ton of stuff on LinkedIn (and on Substack too) and getting into the comments of things that interest me and on posts of people I respect and admire. And if there’s a prize for consistency, I think I’m in contention.?

The whole Quality Culture thing seems to be following me around and honestly, I’m not even sure how that happened. I feel like I mainly write about common sense. Quality Culture is just common sense, in my view. One day I wrote about it. And now it sort of just keeps coming up in my writing.

It’s obviously a struggle for a lot of Quality people so I created some resources that I thought might help - here's my Quality Culture Gap Analysis if you want it; I’ve done webinars all over the place (mainly ASQ) on the topic and now I run a Masterclass on Building a Quality Culture as a regular part of my repertoire.?

Am I a Quality Culture expert? What is an expert? Is anyone really an expert? At anything? I know enough about it to talk about it moderately intelligently and I’m always dedicated to learning as much as I can. We learn when we write. So I keep writing. I believe in sharing my knowledge and learning from others. If I know more than you and you learn from me, great. If you know more than me and I learn from you, also great. Why do we have to toot our horns about being experts? Who cares? Whatevs.

Anyway, what I’m good at is helping people think. And I’m good at coaching people. And I’m good at helping people consider things they haven’t yet before. I think I’m pretty good at explaining my ideas. I know I’m good at empowering people. (I think that comes naturally when you're a parent. That’s the entire point of parenting, isn’t it? “Off you go. You can do it. Get back up. Use your head.”)

My stuff isn’t particularly technical. (Nor are my words, obvs). It’s mainly just practical. You guys don’t need technical help. You are strong on that front…and besides there are a million places you can go for that.

I COACH PEOPLE

Most of my clients come to me for more practical help. Here’s what it might look like:

• I need to do a 90-day plan for my new role
• I need help with this presentation
• I need help preparing for a high-stakes meeting
• How do I deal with this jerk at work?
• I don’t get no respect (Grammar police, chill. If you’re freaking out right now or wondering about my writing ability, you ain’t my people; move along.)
• Influence my boss? Are you kidding me? He works on another continent! (literally) And lives on another planet! (figuratively)
• I’m totally tongue-tied and never end up contributing the way I want to
• How do I coach my direct report?
• OMG, I’m so direct, and everyone thinks I’m a b**ch; how do I make myself a bit softer?
• I’ve got a problem case on my team and I’m at my wits’ end. I can’t seem to motivate him at all and he’s bringing everyone down.
• I'm overwhelmed. I've got too much to do. I can't think straight. I want my mommy! Waaah!

No two clients have the same challenge or goals. Oh…maybe that’s why I like it. I don’t get bored. Everything, every day, is always new.?

I RUN MASTERCLASSES

In addition to having the honour of working one-on-one with clients who put their trust in me, I also do masterclasses on a couple of topics that seem to be on some sort of a vague rotation, with these as my mainstays:

• Building a Quality Culture
• Creating Effective QMS Awareness Training
• Writing Procedures (that are easy to read…duh!)

I DO SMALL GROUP COACHING

I occasionally do small group coaching. I’m talking SMALL - 6 to 8 people max. My latest programme is called Influence Mastery for Quality Professionals. Six-weeks long; next session will be running in the new year. If you’re interested in knowing more about this, leave your name here.

I RUN A MEMBERSHIP

And I also have my membership, The Quality Network.?

Speaking of which, I’m making some changes, so let me fill you in and tell you a bit about what this membership is all about:

Upcoming Changes to The Quality Network

I’m always thinking of ways to improve my products and services - I’m a quality person, what can I say??

I’ve decided that I can serve my members better if I switch to a closed-door model for The Quality Network membership. This means, rather than being open all the time and accepting new members at any point all willy-nilly, I’m going to open enrollment to new members only a few times a year.

Why??

There are a number of reasons. Most have to do with the fact that I’m solo and the open model requires constant promotion, marketing, and onboarding. I’m tired and I’m spreading myself too thinly and not able to dedicate the time I want to serving my members.?

I do a lot of work inside the membership:

• supporting my members
• office hours
• private coaching for members (yes, private coaching is included as part of the membership - Wow, right?! That’s literally “not done” in any membership I’ve ever encountered)
• creating and curating new content and resources
• preparing and delivering a new webinar every month

I want to do a good job, and having one eye on promotion and marketing is not allowing me to put the focus where I want it to be.

So…on November 8 I’ll be closing The Quality Network to new members for a couple of months.?

If you want in, now’s your chance. CLICK HERE TO JOIN NOW.

Once it’s closed, I’ll create a waitlist for those who want to join in once it opens up again.?

Wait…what is The Quality Network, anyway?

The Quality Network is an online membership that started off? (in October 2023) as a way to deliver a monthly live webinar to members. The members are Quality folks at all levels, from all continents, from many industries. And not even all Quality folks, come to think of it; a few regulatory folks thrown in; and quite a few consultants. The common denominator is that they are all working on themselves.?

What’s included:

• new webinars every month (plus access to all recordings)
• a self-paced Leadership Development Course - for all things leadership from managing time and overwhelm, to changing habits and perceptions, to empowering teams, to managing up, to influencing like a pro. You can work on whatever skills you need to work better, lead well, and move up in your career.?
• Office Hours twice a month for advice, coaching, or support in whatever way you need
• Private Coaching - one day a month (This is the part where my coach shakes his head in wonder at why I’m giving away so much for so little.) Can’t help myself; the coaching part is my favourite part.
• Tons of resources and tools - some created by me, but lots curated as I constantly scour the world for things I think “my people” would like
• A draw each month for a free coaching session

Who is it for?

Anyone who has a niggly feeling that their soft skills, people skills, communication skills, or relationship-y skills are standing in the way of them truly soaring and reaching their full potential.?

I looked and looked and looked and couldn’t find a place for Quality types to work on their soft skills. So I made one.?

What makes me the right person to run this thing?

I don’t know if I am. It’s all an experiment. My whole business is an experiment, truth be told. But I do know people are happy with it. And happy with me. They tell me so and a few have written recommendations. You can read them yourself if you want to know how people feel about me. (Scroll to the bottom of my profile; that’s where recommendations hang out.) So far, the overwhelming majority of annual members have renewed when their membership came up for renewal. Big phew!?

People like that I’ve got a Quality background. I worked for 20 years in medical devices in Canada - in both start ups and big companies - so at least I know the basics and know the jargon and the general gist.?

Also, a psychology degree makes me seem like I might know a bit about how people work - and I feel like that might be handy when I’m helping people with their “people skills”.?

A law degree (that’s what JD - Juris Doctor - is) gives people hope that I’m smarter than I sometimes seem. Having a law degree and not using it is a bit confusing for people though. “Yuck…so wait…hold on…law degree? Or lawyer?…hmmm…maybe I’ll reserve judgment.” To be honest, in my real life I let people get to know me (usually for a decade or two) before slipping that little tidbit about my past into the conversation; I don’t want to risk ruining everything. Some people are impressed by that sort of thing; some people are repulsed. Most people are just confused. “Wait. What? Are you sure?” - “Yes, I think I vaguely remember getting an entire degree and articling and being called to the bar and then working as a lawyer for a time. I’m pretty sure.”

I’m even qualified as an English as a Second Language teacher which also comes in handy because at least half of my members are not native English speakers.?

And probably the most helpful thing about my skill set, experience, and qualifications is that I’ve been trained and certified as an Executive Coach by an ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited organization and have additional specialized training in the following disciplines:

• Communication Impact
• Power and Influence
• Culture Change
• Change Leadership
• Strategic Planning and Execution
• Time and Productivity
• Perceptual Shift

I’m going to use the F word now. After all of this endless fiddling around with webinars and classes and small products and free things and a membership, I am starting to have some serious clarity about my sales funnel (the F word).

Ready?

→ I write stuff; lots of stuff.?

→ And then I say “do you want this free thing”, that sneakily forces you to give me your email address.?

→ And then you either take the free thing and unsubscribe pronto or you take the free thing and look forward with gleeful anticipation to my weekly emails.?Want to see me in every week in your inbox? Put your name here.

→ And then if you’re suitably impressed you take a chance on a webinar or a masterclass where you actually pay a tiny bit of money.?

→ And then when you fall in love with me and decide you want me in your life more regularly you decide the membership sounds worth trying.?

→ And then when you’re there and experience the coaching I do in the office hours or private coaching for members you go “oh man, I could use more of this”.?

→ And then you and I work together.???????

So that’s my business.

I never remember to do sensible sales things like “upsell” when I’m doing a webinar or a masterclass. I might try to do it in an email afterwards but as my coach tells me, that’s not the smartest move. I’ve read a million sales and marketing books. And I don’t care what the “experts” say. I do not pressure. I let people know what I do and I figure if you don’t come to me it’s because you don’t like me, you don’t need me, or you’re not convinced I can help you. So be it.?

This newsletter is my small effort to keep you in the loop so that you know who I am and what I do, and so that you know I’m here if you need me.?

I feel like through some strange meandering journey of life I’ve picked up the education, experience, training, and skills to have the perfect assortment of knowledge and talents to serve the people I serve. How lucky is that?

I have occasional moments where I have a flicker of regret and think, Why didn’t I do this sooner? Why did I start so late? But then I think…no, you couldn’t have. Everything you’ve done led you to here and without doing all of those other things when you did, you would never have arrived here at all.?

So there you have it…Hopefully this wandering newsletter has helped you understand how I can help you, gives you a flavour for who I am, and either made you turn away in disgust or has enamoured me to you in some way. Either way is fine with me. I’m not for everyone and I don’t want to be.?

I’ll just keep putting myself out there in the hopes that if I do it enough the people who need to find me will.