willie jackson

Month: January 2012

  • Do you really want my opinion?

    Having access to different schools of thought can be helpful as you shape your persecutive on different topics.

    And while it’s easy to ask someone what they think, it’s not easy to be in a genuinely receptive posture for their opinion. We often look for opinions that support our assumptions, which is what makes true and unbiased research so valuable.

    You probably know a lot of really smart people, but you do their experience (and your relationship with them) a disservice if you lean on them to support your assumptions, rather than endeavoring to consider their input with an unbiased mind.

  • Revolutionary execution

    I’m sure you know people who say things like this:

    “I’m going to learn PHP this year.”

    “I really need to lose some weight.”

    “My new goal is $20,000 in revenue per month.”

    (Not your friends of course, but perhaps people who look like your friends.)

    The truth is that most people completely avoid the hard work of making changes by talking about the changes they’d like to make.

    When I quit my job (as I told my friends I wanted to do) and started freelancing, one of my mentees acted as if I had called an audible and joined the circus.

    When pressed (since my intention to quit was clear for months), he replied, “I know you said you were going to do it, but most people don’t do the things they say they’ll do.”

    In an age of hype, over-promising, and under-delivering, simply following through on the things you say you’ll do becomes revolutionary.

  • Fixes vs. solutions

    A fix involves addressing the symptom, a solution involves addressing the root of the issue.

    To “fix” your sore tooth problem, apply Anbesol as frequently as the directions allow. The solution, however, might involve a root canal.

    To fix a slow leak in a tire, you only need to keep your supply of fix-a-flat stocked. The solution, of course, is a new tire.

    Fixes are tempting because they’re easy and make problems disappear quickly. Clients understand fixes, and it makes us look good to implement them rapidly. They are almost never worth the trouble in the long term, though.

    That five minute email turnaround with good news is much less commendable when you can’t send the same email two days later (but need to)…

  • Acting accordingly

    This is something I’m learning from my CEO right now, and I’ve found it to be helpful. The idea behind it isn’t complicated.

    Instead of hashing out an optimized gameplan for peak productivity that’s disturbed every time your schedule is interrupted, why not determine what the essential items are in your operation and complete them, no matter what?

    If you have a meeting that takes place at 6am ET every week and your speaking engagement in California requires you to get up at 3am, just act accordingly.

    If your team’s project won’t be completed in time unless you spend an extra hour in the office without pay or recognition, just act accordingly.

    If there are things that must be done for which you have no training, and that terrify you: 1) congratulations! 2) just act accordingly.

  • Practical honesty

    Extremes often come to mind when being radically honest (someone spouse is cheating or you know fraud taking place within your company), but telling a stranger that they have toilet paper stuck to their shoe or declining an invitation because of a lack of interest (rather than a fabricated conflict) would serve everyone more frequently.

  • Big difference

    I’m currently in Mexico with some friends celebrating my birthday, not being in Manhattan during winter, and any other excuse we can tack onto that last item.

    We’re literally in the middle of the jungle, renting what is essentially a vacation compound that was originally designed for the owner’s family to escape the city (Playa del Carmen). Today, we got to meet him and learned about the history of the place.

    The onsite staff is comprised of native Mayans who have been working with the owner for, in some cases, 20 years. The owner values loyalty, the plight of the Mayans, and creating memorable experiences for customers.

    When we (a group of people who make our living on the Internet, most of whom live in NYC) shared how much we enjoyed being there, the owner got emotional, nearing the point of tears twice. It means a lot to him that people are enjoying what he’s built and the property obviously has significant sentimental value to him.

    This stands in stark contrast to the ruthlessly profit-driven focus that characterizes the NYC entrepreneur stereotype, and it was refreshing.

  • Uncertainty and setbacks

    I’m more convinced than ever that how a person deals with (and prepares for) uncertainty and setback is an indicator of how effective they will be at their art and craft.

    Some of us are naturally resilient and laid back, but this doesn’t mean that people who are naturally anxious and easily flustered can’t thrive under adverse circumstances — they just have to work harder at preparation and prevention.

  • There’s more to you

    I attended a workshop this past weekend that involved several small public speaking opportunities. On one of my last turns, I performed a poem I wrote back in 2005. It’s a special piece to me, and one that I’m proud of.

    The response was overwhelmingly positive, and it felt great sharing it with those who know me just for my marketing and engineering sorcery. (The attendees of the workshop were all friends of mine, but none of them knew about my quasi-artistic past/interest.)

    It doesn’t mean that I’ll be publishing poems on the blog every week or that I’m rebranding myself, but being in a posture of facing fears is always the right answer (despite knowing I wasn’t going to be booed off stage, the fear of embarrassment was real).

  • Underestimating your influence

    I’ve been writing every day for a few months now. Despite my (very) small readership, I’m constantly amused when I hear of friends (and strangers) reading and sharing posts. I don’t write long posts, nor are the topics I deal with particularly complex or original.

    But what I’m learning is that none of that matters.

    We project meaning and context onto ideas based on the lens through which we view the world. So if something I say — however simplistic — moves someone closer to their goals or provides the push needed in their life, I’d be doing them a disservice by discounting the impact of what I share.

    This of course applies to you, too.

    So share.

  • The obvious unexpected

    When dressing for the cold, it’s not the ambient temperature that gets you — it’s the wind. When making projections on your company’s growth (or simply your personal income), it’s not your monthly nut that gets you — it’s needing a new transmission.

    When we go into situations looking to be reassured by the best-case scenario, we undermine the very perspective needed to ensure our long-term success. Michael Jordan never prepared for Championship game based on how the Triangle Offense works in the absence of tenacious defenders…