Find a Way | FOW #13

Respond to every situation by looking for how we can do it, rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Take personal responsibility. Be innovative, assertive, and take initiative. 

 One of the challenges of doing the work we do here at Momentum is that we each have a commitment to live the work we deliver. It makes sense to walk the talk but rarely is it easy.When we do practice what we preach it makes a difference in how we hold our clients to account for their commitments and for the results they achieve. In a client conversation recently on “Results vs. Reasons,” it became clear no one in his company cares about reasons. Only results matter. This week’s fundamental, Find a Way is about committing to a possibility and taking the necessary steps to fulfill on it, no matter how much it takes you out of your comfort zone. When there are obstacles in the way, people still count on us to deliver. When we do, we benefit in three ways:

1. We get asked to contribute again and again.
2. We get acknowledged as someone who can deliver.
3. The bigger the obstacles we overcome, the bigger we know ourselves to be.

 Years ago I delivered an important sales presentation. I spent weeks setting it up. I gathered the potential customers, practiced the close and set up the facility. In order to get the promotion, I needed to sell to at least 25% of the attendees. Four were coming and they were all friends of mine, so it was a lock. All the preparation paid off as I made sales to 2 out of the 4. It was a success! Only … it wasn’t. One of the friends who bought also reported that they perceived pressure. That mark against me invalidated the promotion, and to make things worse I received the news on the last day I could get this promotion. I was beyond disappointed. My energy and motivation were totally deflated. My sales coach was the one who delivered the news to me and was very understanding of my situation. He also told me he knew I could do another presentation, today! He had confidence that I could accomplish in just a few hours what had previously taken me weeks.I mostly wanted to crawl into bed and sleep off my disappointment, but I was so encouraged by my coach I told him I would do it. I had no idea how, but I would Find a Way to make it happen. (By the way I also had to work that day AND fulfill on a volunteering commitment.) I dug into my resources, got on the phone, rearranged my life, leveraged contacts, practiced a new presentation, got cleared by the boss and I did it!One out of three customers bought, and there was no pressure. I found a way. The challenge was uncomfortable and difficult to say the least, but by employing find a way I knew myself as someone bigger. I was someone that could make stuff happen. All the skills, training and experience were helpful, but what made the difference was responding to the situation by looking for how I could do it, rather than explaining why I couldn’t. I’d like to know about a time when you found a way. Please share!Best,Brett