I remember talking to a business mentor about how intimidated I felt in when providing my services. I was focused on feeling intimidated by a specific person and I was perplexed.
My mentor asked me, “What does that person represent for you? You’re not intimidated simply by that person. There’s more going on.” He is personable, approachable, and I can count him as a friend. I definitely wasn’t intimidated by him.
I thought about it. This individual is 15-20 years older than I am. He is a company vice president.
“He represents experience, expertise, age, and time in the field.” I found myself wondering, “with all that he knows, what can I bring to the table?”
My mentor told me, “You bring your experiences and your thought processes — your application of the research.”
Konrad Adenauer said, “We all live under the same sky, but don’t all have the same horizon.” That difference in horizon is what can bring the difference to an organization.
Yes, this individual who “intimidated” me has access to the same literature and research. He and I see eye to eye on a lot of things. Even still, my experiences are different from his. Just as I learn from him when we interact, he also learns from me. Not everybody reads the same article and gets the same message or applicable action.
I’m no longer intimidated.
I’m now empowered knowing that I have a valuable contribution to offer.
To my clients, I bring my enthusiasm, my passion, my positive energy, my experiences, my mind open to their situation, my problem-solving skills, my questions to help them discover their needs, and my angle on the research. Even if a company “has tried” something before, my experiences and my angle can make the difference.
Just like adjusting an airplane’s course by one degree takes an airplane to a completely different destination from where it was meant to go, a small tweak learned from someone else’s experiences and angle can make the difference in an organization.
How does your background help shape your organization’s future? What do you bring to the table? What is your unique talent, viewpoint, or application?
I want to combine my experiences and understanding with your experiences and understanding to help your organization reach its next level of excellence.
Call me at 5506 or e-mail me at catherine@profitablealignment.com to discuss how your background and your excellence can help your organization increase retention, increase engagement, and increase profits.