Friday, July 27, 2012

When To Call It Quits


Often a hand goes up and asks me, “have you ever and how do you fire a client?” 

Yes, and let me explain how.  

When I get this question, I often know it is coming from someone who is generally a nice person who is not sure how to deliver tough news.  Kudos to them for this quality.  It is also coming from someone who likely has some “dead weight” on their client list.  So what they are really saying is, “I am getting sucked into spending time on business and/or a relationship I really don’t think will pay off and hasn’t paid off.”  More often than not, the client has more awareness around this challenge than we realize.  

A few suggestions below: 

Manage expectations:  On the front end of the relationship, be clear about your expectations for the relationship and how you see it evolving.  Communicate it in an early meeting.  Set mutually agreed up milestones that both of you can use as a measure when evaluating the relationship.  This allows you to create a foundation that you can refer back to as the relationship evolves.       

Anticipate: Anticipation is key so that you can be prepared when a relationship changes and know how to respond.  Respond when you first see the relationship change—whether it’s the client’s needs changing, their world changing or your world changing.    

Understand the implications: Who does this relationship touch and what impact does terminating this relationship have on those people? Are my company and I prepared to deal with this?

Be them:  Ask yourself a few questions: “What else is going on in their world?” “How can I best time this transition and/or conversation with them?”

Communicate: Not all things, but most things, can be solved through communication.  Hopefully you have a built a relationship based on trust and mutual respect.  So when you communicate, they hear you and you connect.  Periodically have the guts to be vulnerable and ask, “how’s this going?” 

If you think you might need to “trim the fat,” odds are you do.  So, do it.  It’s like the 22 year old who breaks up with someone he isn’t going to marry.  Often better for both parties, because if you truly aren’t committed, the relationship won’t develop to greater levels of mutual support.

Friday, July 13, 2012

The Definite Dozen


Whether or not you are a sports fan, Pat Summitt's journey will inspire you and her legacy will leave a lasting impact.  The winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, Summitt stepped down as head coach of the Lady Vols in April, eight months after revealing her diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's.  After 38 years at the helm, she walked away from the game she had changed.   

For those doing the math, that means Summitt started her career as a head coach at Tennessee at the ripe age of 22.  That was eight years before the NCAA recognized women's basketball as a sport.  Perhaps more impressive than the 1,0098 wins, 8 national titles and 16 SEC championships is the fact that in 38 years of coaching, every single one of her players earned their degree.  

If you didn't watch the ESPYs, you missed a touching tribute to a woman who has impacted generations of players and who now faces a tougher opponent with the same grit and resolve that defined her on court success.  Watch the video below.



Pat has always been the face of her sport.  Now she is the face of something even greater.    For years, we admired her from afar-- the coach with the icy glare who dominated opponents and demanded the best from herself and everyone around her.  In the last year, we witnessed a vulnerability as she chose to fight her battle on a public stage.  Perhaps this is where we learn the greatest lessons on courage and grace.

In honor of Pat, here is a reminder of "The Definite Dozen," the principles that were the foundation of her program for decades.  Keep a copy at your desk, in your wallet or on your bulletin board, but keep them present in your life!

The Definite Dozen
1.   Respect yourself and others
2.   Take full responsibility
3.   Develop and demonstrate loyalty
4.   Learn to be a great communicator
5.   Discipline yourself so no one else has to
6.   Make hard work your passion
7.   Don’t just work hard, work smart
8.   Put the team before yourself
9.   Make winning an attitude
10.  Be a competitor
11.  Change is a must
12.  Handle success like you handle failure

Which principle speaks the most to you and why? Send us your comments on Twitter @MollyFletcher.