The Siren Call of Shiny Objects
If you drive through a wine region on a summer day, you’ll see threads of tinsel twinkling in the vines. Why? Shiny things frighten away birds who come to eat the grapes.
Good thing I’m not a bird because I love shiny things. In fact, I find them almost irresistible.
The shiny things that catch my eye aren’t tinsel, however, they’re new ideas, new opportunities and new activities. You might think it’s smart to grasp every shiny new idea, opportunity and activity that presents itself. Isn’t that how new businesses are born?
Well, yes it is…but equally, it’s how other businesses...the ones that need the most care and attention…can be left by the wayside as we dash off to the next opportunity. I’ve made that mistake in the past, and I hope it’s one I won’t make again. The reality is that there are only so many hours in a day, no matter how much we might wish that we could multiply them. We need to focus on the most important projects and discipline ourselves to let a few of those shiny possibilities wait for another day.
Focus on your passion activities
Focus. It’s one of my greatest challenges – on a daily basis – not because there’s any lack of passion for what I’m doing, but rather, because I have too much. The shiny things that can lure me off track are often elements of the business at hand. Because I’ve been a hands-on developer of our business from the very beginning, I’ve had a chance to do every task imaginable, from packaging the product, to driving the delivery truck, to repairing the machinery in the factory, to searching the city for postage stamps for mailing our envelopes of Tru Earth strips! I like doing all those jobs, so when I see something that needs to be done – in any area of our business – I’m always eager to roll up my sleeves and dive in.
And what’s wrong with that? Isn’t it a strength to have in-depth capability and spontaneous involvement at every level of the company?
Yes…and no.
Rise above and stay strategic
The problem with my willingness to dive in to handle a shiny task that catches my eye is that the jobs I’m supposed to be doing, the strategic tasks that will move our critical cause forward, get waylaid. There is no job within our company that is intrinsically more important than any other – but every job is different and each piece of the puzzle contributes to the whole. To mix my metaphors a bit, a company is a team, with each member playing a role that contributes to and supports all others as we strive to reach a shared goal. If I do someone else’s job, I neglect mine and while my intentions are good, the end result won’t be.
That brings me back to the need for focus. A daily review of our shared goal and the specific tasks we’re tackling to move us closer to it is vital. Shiny objects will pop up at the most unexpected moments to tantalize us. Just as, in ancient Greek mythology, Jason and the Argonauts had to cover their ears to block out the sirens’ songs that would have lured them onto the rocks, we entrepreneurs have to resist the siren call of shiny objects that would distract us from our critical cause.
My question to you for today is this: Keep your eyes on the prize and ask yourself – what is the most important, high-payoff activity you can focus on today?
I’ll love to connect with you so send me a message with your answer.
To purchase one of Brad’s books, select the links below:
https://www.amazon.ca/Sales-Refresher-Brad-J-Liski/dp/0987819453