PERSISTENCE IN FOLLOW-THROUGH

“Success occurs if there is repeated practice in perfecting one’s skills and abilities

        “I get by with a little help from my friends” signifies much more than a great song by the Beatles. It suggests—no, promises—that people close to you will always be there for you. These people are so important in business. The two-way street of being there for others and others being there for you greatly enhances the possibility of success and the general quality of life you are striving to achieve, not only for yourself, but for others, too. The good intentions and energy of others complement and feed your good intentions and energy, encouraging follow-through and persistence.

 Persistence is both an overused and a forgotten word. Everyone claims to know what it means and likes to think that he or she is persistent, yet many take persistence for granted. Many have only a hazy understanding of the word’s deep meaning.

As an entrepreneur, one cannot be successful unless one is persistent, and so it is always a good idea to find the word and the concept it represents in the words of widely admired individuals. Here are some quotes about persistence that have inspired people all over the world and, I hope, will inspire you, too.

        “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” –Benjamin Franklin

        “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” –#NapoleonHill

        “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” –#MayaAngelou

        “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” –#BillBradley

        “Paralyze resistance with persistence.” –#WoodyHayes

        “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” –#BillieJeanKing

        “If you’re going through Hell, keep going.” –#WinstonChurchill

        “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” –#MartinLutherKingJr.

        “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” –John Wood

        Do you recognize a pattern in these famous words? Each of these individuals, and many (famous and not so famous) like them, have discovered that success lies less in genius than in persistence. Think of it as showing up, showing up every single day, no matter how you feel. If you don’t show up, you can’t do anything. There’s a reason that presence and persistence begin with the same letter and sound and feel so similar.

In his famous book #Outliers, #MalcolmGladwell writes that “10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness.” Gladwell uses examples like the years the Beatles spent in Hamburg, Germany, playing ten hours a day, every day, honing their skills as musicians, writers, and performers before bursting onto the world’s stage. The group’s success was often described as meteoric, an overnight sensation. In reality, it was the product of endless grueling hours of practice, practice, practice.

Professional baseball players provide another great example of the fruits of endless preparation. When you watch a major league game, the players make fielding the ball look so easy! Nothing could be less true. What they’re doing on the field is incredibly difficult, as anyone who has ever tried to play the game knows. That they usually make it look so easy is a testament to their preparation.

Gladwell meant just this: that it takes at least ten thousand hours to master a skill, any skill, be it juggling, playing the piano, building a tower out of stone, computer programming, baking, dancing ballet, or any other endeavor. He also said, “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”

Persistence in practice is one of the primary habits of successful entrepreneurs. Nobody follows a quitter. A good leader must be skilled in deep listening, in organizing and planning, in persistence and follow-through.

I knew someone who ran his own start-up—right into the ground. He made many mistakes on his way to oblivion, and a big one was the way in which he treated stakeholders. He talked a great game while courting investors, and investors indeed came on board. But once he had their money in the bank, he more or less forgot about them. He justified his neglect by saying he was too busy running operations day to day. Of course, that went over like a lead balloon, as far as his investors were concerned. Not surprisingly, when in need he went to the well again, but soon he was pulling up one empty bucket after another. Investors fled.

This failing entrepreneur had violated the rule of persistence in follow-through. You can’t tell an investor she is like family to you, and say that her investment in you will enrich her life in so many ways, then not speak to her again until you need more money. In what universe did he think that would work?

Another entrepreneur gradually lost the support, even the hearts, of his employees because he did not follow through on simple promises. He hinted at large raises and more paid time off in exchange for them working longer hours during a particular crisis. Trouble was, after that crisis came another, then another. It got to the point where working long hours became the standard. There were no raises and no paid time off. Even worse, the employer stopped communicating about the situation with his staff, and even seemed to get to the point where he considered their extra efforts commonplace—the new norm. Bleary-eyed staffers noted all of this over their morning coffee. There were unhappy discussions in the break room. It didn’t take long for people to begin to quit. Soon there was a shortage of staff, which made the organization’s problems even worse. Within eighteen months, the company closed its doors. The entrepreneur had abandoned persistence and follow-through in dealing with his staff, and, in practically no time at all, the staff abandoned him.

Yet another entrepreneur presided over a highly successful start-up. Business was consistently good. In fact, business was better than the entrepreneur had imagined or adequately planned for.

This development can be as bad for a business as a lack of customer interest. This company took pride in its customer relations and social network specials. But as sales increased and the social network specials also grew, things began to spiral out of control. Gradually at first, then rapidly, responsiveness to customers suffered. With increasing frequency, the terms of the social network specials weren’t met by the company. It wasn’t long before customers took their business elsewhere. It would take a monumental effort to lure even a percentage of them back. Entrepreneurs sacrifice persistent follow-through with customers at their peril.

Lack of persistent follow-through in planning and reporting is equally destructive. You need to apply persistence to planning because planning goes on for as long as you are in business. Not long ago, research suggested that only 3 percent to 5 percent of people in business actually followed through on a consistent basis. Just by following through regularly, you will stand out as an entrepreneur.

Just be sure not to overreach. Say what you mean, and back up what you say with performance. Entrepreneurs put themselves in hot water all the time by making grand promises and then being unable or unwilling to follow through. What do customers and shareholders think of them then? Not much! They tend to fall away from businesspeople who don’t back up their talk with persistent performance. They learn to distrust the big-talking, small-acting entrepreneur and look elsewhere for their business match.

You can avoid this situation by remembering some simple things. Persistently follow up with customers, distributors, and stakeholders, the kinds of people who often fail to return phone calls and emails. Work hard to connect with people you have identified as good matches, and stay connected with them over time. Don’t be a fair-weather business buddy! When you do establish contact, have a plan or project ready to discuss with them. This will suggest that you are dynamic and progressive. If they put you off, ask if you can get back to them in a couple of weeks or a month. If they agree, be sure that you follow up at the designated time.

It can’t be said too often that if you tell someone who is already a customer that you will do something for her, make sure you do it. This builds trust. Keeping your word will make you stand out, not only in the customer’s mind, but in the business world in general. Your reputation always precedes you, so put in the effort to become known as a straight shooter who is always tactfully persistent.

Being persistent does not mean being bullheaded. You will encounter difficulties from time to time. A staff member’s performance will be disappointing; your energy will sag; you’ll suddenly lose customers for no apparent reason; trusted stakeholders will leave for any number of reasons (often their own reasons that have little to do with you and your business). 

When these things happen, it will be your passion for your purpose that will save you. It is persistent application of purpose that will guide you through difficulties and help you constantly discover new opportunities. Not all opportunities are the right ones, but if you persistently press on, you will find the right ones. Work and mingle with other persistent people: In business, especially, you reflect your peers, so choose them wisely.

Along the way, be persistent about celebrating your success. When you close a deal or sign a new partner or release a new social network project, take a little time to celebrate the occasion. Too often, entrepreneurs forget to smile, laugh, and have a good time. Your body needs to be fed in part on laughter and happiness, and so does your business.

Persistence Exercise #1:

I once knew an author of romance novels who, when she got great news or felt terrific about her writing, would pause and write herself a letter. Not a letter to herself on that day: a letter to herself to be read on some future day. And when that day would come, when the sky was dark, the room cold, the bills piling up, sales slacking, and not a word of good news in the morning emails, when by noon the right words would not come and her head ached, she would pull that letter from her desk drawer, tear open the envelope, and read it. And what do you suppose would happen? Think back on the John Wooden quote from earlier: “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” She would read the letter and smile. She would chuckle.

None of the things that had darkened her mood would have changed; she changed, merely by reading her own words.

The next time you are having a really great day, take a few minutes to write yourself a letter describing why you are feeling so fine. Be sure to include lots of detail—the more the merrier. Your future glum self will thank you for it!

Persistence Exercise #2

This exercise involves keeping a list, a list that is ongoing and changeable. Begin on a day when you’re in a reflective mood. Ask yourself this simple question: What do I want to be remembered for? That’s it. Ask yourself this question, then jot down what comes to your mind and heart.

There is no right or wrong answer. Like most people, you will, over the course of time and reflection, probably think of a lot of things for which you would like to be remembered. All of them should be included on your posterity list. Some of the things you write down will be replaced along the way by other things that seem more important. That’s normal.

You should revisit your list every now and then. I’m not suggesting that you need to check it every other day, but it will improve your outlook (and therefore your work performance) to refer to it perhaps a couple of times a month. Like the letter to your future self, your posterity list will make you feel better about yourself and refocus you on becoming your best self. And when those really tough, awful days hit, it’s an especially good time to visit your posterity list.

The goal is to keep working, keep moving. Stay open to opportunity and don’t allow setbacks or dark days to claim larger portions of your reality than they should. Bad news will come and go. The successful entrepreneur remains open to opportunity and maintains a healthy balance. The successful entrepreneur follows through.

How well would a baseball hitter do if he or she did not follow through on a swing of the bat? Think of what would happen to a performance if dancers suddenly stopped mid-turn instead of following through. The result would be arresting and awful. Following through means that you have enough self-confidence to trust the process. Following through means that you have overcome your fears, whatever they may be.

It will help if you develop habits and systems that encourage following through in every area of your life, especially in business. Many writers, for instance, create a system to help them (and motivate them to) send out their work to editors and publishers. The system is pretty simple, usually consisting of a list of places work has been sent to, the date that the work was sent, and places to send work in the future. There is also a date representing when you expect to hear back from the editor or publisher. If that date passes, you may wait another week, then contact the editor or publisher with a gentle reminder. In doing so, you must be persistent but not pushy! You simply have to communicate by feel. Trust your instincts and move forward. As with so many other areas of business, following through with your habits and systems is a matter of practice and more practice. The more you work your systems and good habits, the more comfortable you’ll feel with them. Remember: Every interaction is a learning experience. No matter what happens, you can always change course. And often, you will find that changing course is exactly what you need to do.

As an entrepreneur, draw on your experiences of being on the job market, desperate to find work. Yes, just about everyone has been through that on many occasions. Do you remember how you went about it? For instance, did you apply for jobs simply by turning in applications and then waiting by the phone for someone to call? You probably waited a long, long time. This passive method of applying for a job rarely leads to work. What if after a week or so you had begun to look into the company for a possible personal contact? There might be one! If you had contacted such a person, she or he might have had some excellent advice to help you catch the attention of the boss or interviewer. This is an active approach. This is a good example of following through on your job application.

Or was there a time when you applied for a job, got an interview, and was told that you might be called back for a second interview? How did you handle that? Did you decide to sit back and wait for the next call (the passive approach), or did you use the time to research two other companies and apply to both of them while you waited? This is the persistent approach. This is learning the habit of following through.

Did you use social networks in your job search? A lot of people find jobs by using LinkedIn, an alumni directory, Reddit, Facebook, or some other platform. Did you find good contacts and their phone numbers, and did you have the courage to place calls to them? If you did, once again you were being persistent and following through as you should have. This persistence, this following through, in your own early job searches is essentially the same process you need to follow as a successful entrepreneur.

This is a good point at which to recall our entrepreneurial focus on relationships, because relationships require persistence and follow-through, too. In business, as in life, we are the sum of our contacts. It’s not enough simply to make contact; one must follow up with and cultivate contacts. Cultivation of contacts will lead to an increase in collaborative opportunities, stakeholders, and revenue. Increased revenue may not materialize as quickly as you would like it to, but it will come if you are patient and persistent.

It is so difficult to combine these two attributes! At least, it appears that way at first. Taking care of yourself physically helps. Think of it as cultivating your primary relationship—the relationship with yourself. A meditation practice will benefit you in every way. It will calm you down and work wonders with your effort to achieve balance. Meditation is terrific for helping you to keep things in perspective. It also rewards calm persistence. In fact, a meditation practice instills a greater degree of balance in your day-to-day life and work. Now, you don’t have to become a Buddhist to meditate. Jesus meditated! You don’t have to assume the lotus position and stay perfectly still for an hour to meditate. It’s OK to sit comfortably in your favorite chair, keeping your eyes open or closed. It’s even OK to lie down, if health issues make it difficult for you to sit. How long should you meditate? It depends. Many people derive noticeable benefits from just five minutes. Some meditate once or twice a day for ten to twenty minutes. There is no right time or method. Let your thoughts race without attempting to control them and then watch them slow down. As your racing mind slows down, you slow down. Then your mind becomes open to new insights, new visions, which you can take with you back into the workday world. You can even get results from meditating while walking! A walking meditation combines movement in nature with all the contemplative benefits. It’s a lovely way to exercise your body and your consciousness. A meditation practice is a boon to your immune system, to your overall health. Its benefits will also show up in your business. I guarantee it.

Your relationship with yourself is so important! The old adage “You are what you eat (and drink)” is true, especially in this age of responsibility and risk. #Entrepreneurs must guard against burnout, and watching what you eat and drink is a great place to start. In a country like the United States where obesity is rampant, train yourself to eat less and eat smaller portions. If you eat meat, that’s fine, but do so in moderation. Eat a diet rich in dark-green, leafy vegetables, fruit, and omega-3s. Your immune system will thank you! Also, drink lots of water, eight to ten glasses every day. I’m guessing you already know that sodas, sugars, and processed foods are ticking time bombs that will sap your entrepreneurial energy and compromise both your performance and your health. You must eat wisely and well to succeed. You might even consider cultivating relationships with some successful chefs and restaurant owners. These are good friends to have!

In addition to a healthy diet, entrepreneurs also need to get quality sleep. This doesn’t mean lying in bed grinding your teeth and worrying about the budget. It means seven to eight hours of unencumbered, restful sleep. Stress-free sleep extends life and restores the body with healing energy. Successful entrepreneurs know that there is nothing better than waking up feeling refreshed and ready to leap into the day with an attitude that embraces the inevitable challenges and knows everything will work out just as it’s supposed to.

Cooperation and collaboration naturally inspire persistence. It’s wise to be close to at least a few people, people who will nudge you to be persistent, to follow through, but also will let you know if you’re coming on too strong. For example, you might be giving in to the tendency to call too often. Someone close to you and the situation or negotiation might suggest that email could be more appropriate of a method of following through. Why? Because the printed word allows for space to breathe. The printed word allows for, even encourages, slower consideration than the instant back-and-forth of conversation. A close collaborator can make that suggestion to you in a way that will allow you to hear it. That kind of feedback and support is priceless and will advance your efforts.

The engineer and inventor #CharlesKettering said, “It is the follow through that makes the great difference between ultimate success and failure, because it is so easy to stop.” Every entrepreneur will experience moments when quitting seems like the wisest option. Usually, it isn’t. Break down the wall standing in your way! Business executive #StedmanGraham said, “I’ve found that often, just when you think you’ve hit the wall, you experience a breakthrough that takes you to new heights of accomplishment.” Then there is this lovely Japanese proverb: “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” And the amazing inventor and businessman Thomas Edison reminds us that “our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” All you need to do is stand up one more time than you have fallen down. To stay in the game is the secret of the game itself.

Dr. Marilyn Carroll, lives in Dallas, Texas Author and Published Research: Positive Leadership Behavior and Employees Psychological Capital, Dissertation; Professional Freedom in the Midst of Chaos;Reflexivity and Positivity; Disruptive Leadership; Building Winning Strategies, (2018); Whole Person Model of Learning (2017); Grab the Coffee, “It’s Time for School, (2018); LEAP SEVEN, Launching Entrepreneurship Avenues of Possibilities, (2018).