Last week I caught up with an ex-employer. I worked for him about 20 years ago and we have had very little contact in the years between – I would occasionally hear news of him, and once or twice emailed him to get some advice or source a contact.
But it had been some 20 years since we had last seen each other.
Wendy Harmer and Angela Catterns, in their podcast “Is It Just Me”, described the phenomenon of seeing the veneer of age fall away from the face of an old mate you haven’t seen in a while – after the initial shock of seeing them 20 years older (and knowing that they are gazing back on a 20 year older you).
In this case the 40 year old very stylish always well Suited-and-Tied CEO slowly started to appear through the veil of the 60 year old semi-retired be-jeaned gent (both Sean Connery – just that one was the early years as James Bond - and the other the more recent version as Indiana Jones’ father).
With each minute another line or grey hair vanished (Mine too I hope!) until all I could see was the guy that I had always been a little in awe of... For young readers you need to know that back in those days however friendly and personable the Boss was, he was still The Boss and on another far superior planet from mere 20 something whipper-snappers.
So we chatted about what we had been doing since, in that disjointed non-lineal way, throwing out the facts of your life in no particular order, interspersed with gossip and admissions about ex-co-workers. As he said in his email before we met up, we had the opportunity to: “...tell glorious fibs about our successes”. But as he had cancer too (his now 6 years ago, so officially in remission, and mine with another 4 years to go until ‘cured’) we did a lot of comparing treatment and hospitals and how we had faced it all.
Yet the visual transformation from a relative stranger to colleague wasn’t complete until, while discussing how he had approached a business challenge back in the old days, he said: “I always started with Yes – and then worked it out from there”.
I thought: “Is that where I learnt that? Is this who I learnt that from?” And in that instance he was My Boss again.
Starting with Yes is something that I have felt that I had always believed. It has been a guiding principle of how I have approached my roles. It has been an expectation that I have had of employers and colleagues and staff – a basic tenant of the business culture that I expected. And it forms the basis of my own business.
And I had forgotten that I learnt it from him.
How many of our suppliers do we wish would Start with Yes? How often do you Start with Yes – and then work it out from there? And do you remember the folk from your past who taught you your guiding principles?
I will be 50 in what feels like a few minutes. I spend most of my time teaching people things I know. As well as Gareth who taught me to Start with Yes (and my mother who was a little miffed recently that I had forgotten that SHE taught me to put the salad dressing in the bowl before the salad, not a TV chef) I wander what other lessons I consider to be a part of me....but for whom I have forgotten to thank the teacher?
So, just in case: Thanks for the lessons – All of you.
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Comments
This is an amazing post> You drew me in with the story of an old colleague and have inspired me to think about my own business lessons. You've told a story, shared information and motivated me all in one short piece. It's an achievement all too many bloggers don't realise in 3 separate posts.
In a weird way, I had the same advice from a a big-brained sales guy when I was just starting out. I was complaining about a difficult sale and he said "Salesmanship doesn't start until the customer says 'No'."
His point was that if the customer already wants what you have, you're simply taking orders. But, if you bother to research a company, learn what their pain is, discover their purchasing cycles, develop a marketing plan specific to the company and build effective internal relationships, then you're doing the job you've actually been employed to do. He was one of the most positive people I've ever worked with and that one sentence informed how I've approached my business ever since.
Thanks, again, for sharing your wisdom and giving us another glimpse at your success strategy.
I love your site and your marketing approach. I agree with the fact that a 'little bit' of clever, innovative marketing can go a long way! Ruby Slipper Consultants (my own baby business) is testiment to this notion. I look forward to working with you in the future. Also, I love your logo. It is eye catching!
Iolanthe