Have you ever read a book that profoundly changed the way you think? Has got you to confront reality and ask difficult questions of yourself and maybe other people? Has given you a framework for being able to become a better business owner, a better leader and a better friend?
Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott is in my opinion one of those books.
I first read Fierce Conversations many years ago and was taken by the gentleness, yet rigour with which she went through asking tough questions that forced people to confront reality and move to a higher level.
Fierce Conversations and its methodology forms the basis of a lot of the questioning we do with clients.
One such example occurred the other day.
We had a “Two heads are better than one” consultation with a business owner struggling with a number of different issues concerning three different businesses and the direction that he needed to go in each.
He was basically running around in circles and not knowing where to put his focus.
After a 1 hour conversation he gained in his own words “a significant amount of clarity and a mechanism to move forward”.
This is what he said to me:
“Your call to me yesterday was confronting and incredibly helpful. I had worked it all through before, not always with solutions, so the tough questions were needed again. Thanks for being so integrous and straight shooting.”
It got me thinking that it’s very easy to fool ourselves.
We run around getting bogged in the mire and have no way of getting above whatever’s going on and it takes an external party to go, “Hang on. Why are you doing that?”
“Because I’ve always done it…” Well that’s not a good enough reason.
By having an external party ask difficult questions in a structured way and the emphasis is on structure, it is much easier for you to rise above whatever’s happening and gain clarity and move forward.
So if you’re stuck in the mud in some form and alligators are snapping at your heels, don’t try and outrun the alligator. Drain the swamp.
That’s something that we help our clients routinely do.
Bogged down? Give us a call on 0414 913 334 and set up a “Two Heads Conversation”.
With a short, sharp intervention, I guarantee you will get clarity and direction. Every one of the business owners who’s done so has and you will to. If you genuinely feel the time spent wasn’t worth it, we’ll refund your money.
