As one grows in their career and life, it’s important to develop an expertise in one or more areas. Most successful people make their living by doing something well. Whether that be someone who works with their mind or one who works in the trades, people who are particularly skilled at something are usually in high demand. That said, no one is an expert in everything so it’s important to know what you don’t know as well and when to ask for help.
On Christmas day I decided to take my son and nephew on a little ride on my father-in-law’s property in my Jeep to show them the deer stands. I walked it earlier in the day so I’m not sure what made me decide to get in the Jeep, but I did. Everything was fine until I decided to turn back. Obviously, I had no idea that just a few yards down the hill the ground was a bit muddier than next to the deer stands. OK, a whole lot muddier. When I felt the wheels slipping, I slowed down, put the vehicle into the sand/mud setting and then tried to back up. That wasn’t working. I was stuck with two ten-year-old boys. I grew up in Pittsburgh. I don’t think twice about venturing out in ice and snow even in a rear wheel drive car. But wheels half buried in the mud even in a Trail Rated Jeep, that’s another thing. For a fraction of a second, I thought about pulling out the manual and reading about the proper setting for such a situation. Instead, I swallowed my pride and called a brother-in-law. I knew that he was a lot more skilled than me at something like this and figured anything I tried on my own was likely going to just make a bad situation even worse.
A few minutes later I could hear a tractor and gator on their way with not one, but three brothers-in-law to the rescue. Mostly they wanted to be helpful but I suspect they also came out in force for a good laugh. I put the Jeep into 4-wheel low, and with some extra assist from a tow strap and the gator backed out in less than a minute. My nephew and I drove back to the house; my son had abandoned us and already walked back (I’m not going to forget that!).
Other than to provide my readers a good laugh, the point is that it’s important to know your limits. Know where your expertise lies but also recognize your limitations and knowledge gaps. Think about what is missing to make your business more successful and find people with expertise in those areas to round out your team. No one can be an expert in everything and it takes a variety of skills to deal with all of the situations you face in both life and business.
Whether your business is stuck or you are literally stuck in the mud, finding someone with the proper expertise to help can make a world of difference.
Wishing you a happy, healthy and profitable 2019!
If your business could benefit from fractional CFO services, I would welcome the chance to speak with you. Please give me a call at (314) 863-6637 or send an email to [email protected]
The archive of these monthly newsletters is posted at the Resources section of homza.com
your cash is flowing. know where.®
Ken Homza
Copyright @ 2018 Homza Consulting, Inc.