Hello Outperformer,
What do you do?
It’s a simple question with a not-so-simple answer.
If you’re like most people, you’ll respond by listing your products, programs or services.
For example, a couple months ago I was doing a training for a dental office and I asked them this question. They responded with teeth cleanings, fillings, crowns, etc. None of those things are wrong, but they are a list of the services the office provides.
Is that really what they DO?
Last week I spoke at a fantastic National Leadership Development Conference in Hinckley, MN…
Both of my presentations were on Tuesday morning but I stayed that night to attend other sessions at the conference and mingle with some of the sponsors, speakers and attendees.
Because I was done speaking, I didn't self-impose a curfew and I ended up socializing late, late into the night (hey, I get to have fun too!). Between bowling and singing, I found myself in a conversation with an external auditor who readily admitted that he had built up some "liquid courage" and was asking me things that he never would have asked me after my session. We'll call him "Bill."
Bill said that it must be great to be me because there's such purpose to my profession and he wasn't finding a lot in his.
I said:
"Bill, there's a powerful purpose in EVERY profession. You just need to connect to it."
And when I asked him what he did, Bill responded: "I do external auditing."
"Yep, I get that, Bill. But what do you DO?"
"Well, I audit systems and operations for clients...and recommend improvements."
We're getting warmer.
"Got it, Bill. So, what do you really DO??? Meaning, if you don't show up and perform auditing with excellence, what happens to your clients?"
The best case scenario is his clients don't perform to their fullest potential. Worst case scenario, they go to jail.
What Bill DOES is give his clients safety and security, and peace of mind knowing they're performing at their organizational peak.
They NEED Bill. He's a VITAL part of their process. He has PURPOSE.
To come back to the beginning, if a dental office doesn't perform with excellence, their patients won't smile as much. Based on facial feedback, this means they'll be less happy and probably less healthy, too. They may even be in pain.
If I show up as a speaker and don't perform with excellence, at best I have less impact. At worst, I get food thrown at me and booed off stage 🙂
Thinking on this level is what psychologists call "Raising Necessity," and it's a key component to motivation, employee engagement and peak performance. And if you've ever struggled to confidently command your price point and value, it will also help.
Please take some time to think about it. If you lead/manage people, perhaps spend some time talking with your team about what it is you really DO. Uncover the not-so-simple answer to a simple question.
If you would like me to speak to your team, let's make it happen.
Keep Outperforming,
