The Company You Keep

The Company You Keep

Yes, this title is the lazy version of Proverbs 13:20 “Walk with wise men and you will become wise. . .” and it sums up how I felt this weekend after spending 3 days with a group of 200 successful consultants from around the world as we gathered under the tutelage of Alan Weiss, PhD. We descended on Atlanta’s Hyatt Regency hotel ballroom (where President Obama held a reported $33,000 per plate dinner just the night before) to be exposed to new trends and divergent thinking.

It blew me away.

I walked away with pages of ideas for clients and a new appreciation for the talents of my fellow human beings. Let me share a few takeaways. 

Focus on the Results, not the Actions

Admittedly, it’s not a new thought to anyone who has heard me parrot “don’t confuse effort with results,” but when presented as Strategic Planning and coupled with the question, “What do you want?” it opens up a straight line of visibility back to your current state. This thought came up in the Mergers & Acquisitions session (Dr. Constance Dierickx), the Keys to Success keynote (Dr. Alan Weiss), and the SME Wealth Building session (Phil Symchych). Start with a clear understanding of your “why.” (By the way, I met the guy who helped Simon Sinek get to his “why.” Like I said, fascinating group of people.)

Build on your Strengths

Those of us in the shadow on the Gallup building will recognize the general sentiment and it’s power. Dr. Martin Seligman, (yep, the University of Pennsylvania professor and author of Learned Optimism and most recently, Flourish) introduced me to the PERMA model for well-being; Phil Symchych reminded me to help my SME’s build on their strengths; and Dr. Alan Weiss drew a powerful distinction between being Unique and being Different. There is a limit to the improvement that comes from fixing weaknesses and it pales in comparison to the results that come from maximizing strengths.

Perception is Reality

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right,” said Henry Ford. The conference reinforced this message. From finding time for marketing (Alex Goldfayn’s 15 minutes a day, “just do something” session), to Dr. Alan Weiss reminder of how important perspective is (“nobody’s shooting at you”), to Dr. Linda Henman’s reminder that “Value comes from the Buyer.” Before taking action, check the evidence. How do we know we’re right? Perceptions are powerful and need to be challenged in order for firms to reach their potential.

There are pages and pages of notes, piles of business cards and excellent stories that I will be compiling into a Special Report for my clients and colleagues later this month. Ideas that can be profited from no matter what space you’re in.

It was an excellent week. Good stuff.