Practice?

Who remembers this quote? "Practice? We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the Franchise player and you're asking me about practice?" Although I may not have quoted it perfectly, these were the words of Allen Iverson during the 2001 season. 

The truth is that we all need an element of practice in our daily lives and careers. In my new role as Regional Director, I am responsible for promoting a smooth flow of business for my advisors. The best way I can influence business flow in my team is to go through the skills and training they are provided, enough times to make the task at hand become second nature. That's called Practice! 

As we wind down another season of professional baseball, I am happy to say that my Toronto Blue Jays have won their division and hopefully will lock down #1 in the American League. As I reflect back to my earlier post in March, I was not as optimistic as our start pitcher, Marcus Stroman, went down with an innocent knee injury that cost him the majority of the season. I am happy to see him back on the mound and being a key contributor in leading our team into the playoffs. Territory we haven't seen in 22 years. Even championship teams need to practice every day. 

But what does this have to do with the idea of practice? Practice makes perfect!...Actually, let me rephrase that; "Perfect practice makes perfect" When in comes to insurance, whether it is life insurance, disability insurance, critical illness insurance, travel insurance, home and/or auto insurance, helping our clients requires the ability to confidently and carefully help them uncover their insurance needs. Taking time to treat each client like gold requires patience and significant practice to get the right information, in the right context, into the clients field of vision so they can make an informed decision about their own personal security measures. 

So why do I have a picture of Canadian Geese as the heading of this post? 

This is probably the clearest picture of practice in action that I could share with you. We all know that Canadian Geese migrate and are known to travel very long distances and I've often wondered, "In the Fall, why do we see small and large flocks gathering in open fields and flying back and forth?" And it dawned on me today as I witnessed a few of these similar flocks out my window, that they are practicing. Much like a marathon runner simply doesn't just sign up for the Boston Marathon after buying his/her first pair of running shoes, they have to build up to running that distance. Likewise, Canadian Geese need to build up their stamina for the eventual long flight they will take in the months ahead. Building up strength in their wings to sustain a long journey and learning how to fly in the V formation for better aerodynamics makes a lot of sense, not to mention the coaching they give themselves and each other with the consistent honking you hear as they fly overhead. It's nature's way and should be our way!

The next time your business coach says "Let's role play this scenario.", jump at the opportunity to make your presentation better. To my advisors and you, the reader, if you hear me "honking", know that I am routing for your success and encouraging you to practice your skills so you can be excellent at what you do. Practice takes a lot of hard work and as Derek Jeter once said "There may be people with more talent than you, but there is no excuse for anyone to work harder than you."

Perfect practice makes perfect! Go Jays Go!