Humans. We are imperfect. We make mistakes. Some of us, though, make lots more than others. It’s a continuum, really. Unfortunately for me, I have been rating pretty high on the half-ass scale lately.
I’m sure you are saying to yourself, “No, Kelly! It’ can’t be!” But you would be wrong.
I have missed deadlines. I have not done things I said I would do. Generally, if I was going to give myself a letter grade for the last quarter, it would be a solid C-. And that is not sustainable for me. I am not a C- person. So, something has got to give.
It’s time to turn this ship around. And here’s how I’m going to do it, and how you can too, if you have ever found yourself feeling this way, or if your boss/spouse/pet has indicated a less than stellar performance has been turned in BY YOU.
1. Own it. You screwed up. You know it, and the other person knows it. So, no denial, no trying to blame someone or something or some interplanetary imbalance or anything else. Just admit it.
2. Apologize for it. Repeat after me: I AM SORRY. Once is enough. No need to grovel. Just say it and mean it. And really mean it. And make sure you SOUND like you really mean it.
3. Learn from it. I don’t know about you, but my life is so chaotic, that it is to the point that if it is not on my calendar it does not exist. So, my learning is that if I say I will do something, I must put it on my calendar on my phone with a date and even sometimes a time associated with it. You need me to write an article for your upcoming issue? Sure. I will get that to you by Wednesday at 10.
4. Move on. Forgive yourself and assume the other party has forgiven you. Don’t dwell on, don’t bring it up in subsequent conversations. If the other party wants to continue to punish you for your misdeed, decide how you will respond. “I can tell this still really bothers you and I am so sorry. Can we move on now?” Might work. But you have your own style and your own way with words.
5. Examine the future. This one is really clutch in the whole “not being a half ass forever” kind of way. Are you overcommitting? Are you extending yourself past your capacity or capabilities? So many of us out there are people pleasers. ESPECIALLY sales people. So please make sure that you really take the time to examine a situation from all angles to make sure that you can fulfill your commitments in a way that gets you the proverbial A instead of looking like a dunce. I don’t want you looking like a dunce, sunshine. You’re better than that.
What you do in your life, you should do to the best of your abilities. It’s a whole one of the agreements in the Four Agreements. It’s basically the entire plot of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Be a WHOLE ASS. No more half-assery for any of us!
As a sales and marketing coach and consultant at Success In Print, Kelly Mallozzi advocates for graphic arts companies to start a revolution and fight to keep print relevant. She may be irreverent, but what she lacks in convention, she makes up for in smart-assery.
Connect With Kelly: Twitter @SuccessInPrint and check out her weekly blog on Printing Impressions.
Listen to Kelly’s Podcasts From The Printerverse: Achieving Success In Print and Sales with Kelly Mallozzi / Strategies for Sales Success with Bill Farquharson and Kelly Mallozzi
Check out her book, co-authored by Bill Farquharson: Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How
