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Have you experienced this?
Your company’s exciting innovation is almost ready to introduce to your clients. You and your team are totally jazzed about the benefits it offers. You know it will be a home run and anticipate the rollout announcement any moment! Or, so you thought.
Just down the hall, another team is agonizing over extensive process definition and associated documentation to cover every possible circumstance that might arise before launching the product or service. “It has to be perfect!!” they say. Maddening, Right?!
On which side of this common conundrum do you most often land? While in leadership with global organizations, frustration over the tedious bureaucracy and paperwork required to take a project to the finish line was a regular occurrence.
It is now evident that sitting on the other side of that equation is an instinctive fit for me. I have an innate tendency to ask lots of “What if...” and “If, then…” questions, especially about the impact of decisions on the stakeholders of stakeholders of stakeholders. My business partner, Shari Strong would tell you, quite accurately, that I am not truly satisfied that “it is perfect”, until the level of impact includes world peace and all the documentation and pretty fliers to prove it.
“Perfection”, like “Paralysis by Analysis”, can impede progress toward business growth. How many times do we get caught up in the minutia of details that wouldn’t be a blip on most anyone else’s radar screen? I am fortunate to have a business partner who balances my propensity to dot every “I” and cross every “t” before moving forward and is also equipped with a natural compulsion to complete things. Because we have a mutual understanding and appreciation for what comes as naturally as breathing to each of us, we more quickly come to consensus on an approach that honors both of our Unique Genius.
When it comes to the product/service rollout scenario, we are easily able to arrive on the aspects of the product or service that will most serve our clients and move swiftly to get that in their hands. We then engage our clients in the refinement process. This approach allows both of us to play to our strengths while leveraging each other’s.
Lessons Learned:
1. The investment made in identifying, accessing and applying my Top 5 Talent Themes via the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment produces an ever-increasing ROI.
2. My Top 5 serve me flawlessly most of the time, however, there are circumstances when they can impede progress and frustrate others.
3. Leveraging the strengths of a partner, colleague or family member’s can amplify success.
Celebrating Your Unique Genius,
Lori Weir, CEO
Strong Communities®
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