Consultants have bad days
Yes, a chorus of “amen” just came from the weathered consultants reading this blog. If you want an example of this, take a look at this blog post (in blue color) from 2015.
Today was a rough day. Client disengaged. Technology not working. Long trips with weather delays. Lots of effort to be in a meeting. Not the glamour I expect when consulting. In blackjack terms, today was a 16 on a dealer 10.
Want to client to be successful. Don’t get me wrong. I am 70% heart, 15% head, and 15% hand. The heart goes a long way. I am a big believer in the WHY and client service is all about – no surprise here. . . the client
People are people. So, everyone at the client site is not a saint. People are people, and we can’t control all the variables. As I like to remind myself, “can’t fix adults”.
Not hard on myself or my team because we did good work on the project. The fact that the world (i.e., the client) does not fully appreciate it now, is not my fault. As Seth Godin says, “ship art”. Yes, we shipped art. If they can’t appreciate it, or work with it, on some level they don’t deserve it. So be it.
Forgive yourself and your team. If you do good work and are proud of what you do, give yourself some grace. Have a good meal. Take a walk. Smile, have a beer. Live to fight another day. People remember how you work when you are under pressure.
FYI, I always hit on 16 on a dealer 10. Pull the 5.
Oye-Vey
Reading those words in blue, many year later, it’s clear that I had a bad week in May 2015. Clearly, assuaging my frustration and “not so great today, Tommy boy.” However, seven years later the sentiment is still right.
1. Be proud of your work
What we can control is the quality of our work and our attitude. I know that sounds very rah-rah, Tony Robbins. You are not WonderWoman or Superman. We are hired to do good work, and if you did good work, be satisfied.
2. Focus on decision quality, not just outcomes
Great video interview with Annie Duke here, ex-professional poker player, who’s written multiple books on decision-making. She often talks about “resulting” when people see a good outcome and often (falsely) assume that it was good decision making. As an example, just because someone doesn’t die from running a traffic (red) light doesn’t make it a good decision. Separately, Google prides itself on making data-driven decisions, even if the results aren’t great.
3. Strategy = good decisions and luck
Luck makes my MBA-brain uncomfortable. I like to put things into excel spreadsheets and MECE buckets. Don’t like to think that random will affect my life. Yet, luck is real. The best candidate doesn’t always get the interview slot. The best product doesn’t always succeed. The most promising entrepreneur doesn’t always get the loan.
4. give yourself some grace
People are beautiful (and messy). Can’t guarantee that every client will be your advocate. Can’t avoid all the naysayers. There are all kinds of people – some people you wouldn’t want to invite to dinner. People whose “momma didn’t raise them right.” You cannot control that. Do great work, and feel good about that.
5. Focus on stuff that lasts
This is advice for myself. I need to focus more on my professionalism, craft, experiences, friends, assets, and writing.