Sure, I like to have the right answer.
But, I care a lot less about the right answer than I do about seeing the work.
It really is true that so many of the most important lessons we ever learn we learn in elementary school.
SHOW YOUR WORK!
In mathematics,
In physics,
In engineering...
Showing your work is more tangible and expected. If you take those classes, it is understood and expected.
But what about if your are in sales, marketing, management, strategy, LIFE?
I often feel like I tell people at work to "SHOW THEIR WORK"at work just as often as I tell my 6th grader at home...
Who cares if you grew your business 20% in the past year, if you can't explain how you did it? How do you know you can do it again?
Who cares if you closed a million dollar deal, if you don't know how to do it again?
When sales grow, most sales organizations take credit for it. When sales don't grow, we blame the market, competition, etc.
When business grows, executives take credit based on their uniquely valuable strategy. When businesses don't grow, executives blame the organization, the market, or someone else.
It's not whether you are PRO-LIFE or PRO-CHOICE, Why you believe what you believe and how you come to that conclusion is what ultimately matters and where we are more likely to find common ground, agreement and understanding!
DON'T BE LAZY - SHOW YOUR WORK!
A fellow exec from another company asked me about one of his sales people.
"They are always engaged and doing exactly what I ask. They follow up with the cold calls I ask for. They are organized and thorough. They are professional and the clients really like him. But his numbers have been down for two years in a row. Typically, I fire people that have two years of shrinking sales, but it feels wrong this time."
OF COURSE...
Maybe the value proposition no longer works?
Maybe the competitive market has shifted?
Who knows... but if you are doing the work right... look for other issues.
Of course the "right" answer, or the "desired" results are always exciting. They should always be celebrated. But, I simply don't get excited if people don't show their work.
My job as a leader and as an executive is to make our success repeatable, scalable, expandable.
My job is not to have a really good month, or even a really good year.
My job as an executive is to create an engine for sustainable and predictable profitability and growth that gives us the fuel to verify, modify and execute our strategy to fulfill our purpose as a company and make our vision a reality.
One closed deal...
One good month...
One right answer...
Is a moment in time...
SHOW YOUR WORK!
I want to know the way you think.
I want to see the criteria you are using, the rationality, the logic...
THAT IS WHERE YOUR POWER IS....
Because the strength of your logic is EVERYTHING.
Your ability to test your logic and modify your logic is EVERYTHING.
People who speak in generalities, who try to reassure you through "we've done this before", people who dismiss rationality with "our process/business/product/service is different"....
PEOPLE who want to constantly want to show you their answer, who want to over celebrate the right answer, and who dismiss wrong answers are DANGEROUS.
SHOW YOUR WORK...
In problems that require numbers, and even moreso on issues that require thought, require words, require logic...
How are you going to get people to follow you? SHOW YOUR WORK.
How are you going to overcome the obstacles? SHOW YOUR WORK.
How are you going to change culture? SHOW YOUR WORK.
How may you possibly get people to agree with you? SHOW YOUR WORK
SHOW YOUR WORK because
that
SHOWS YOUR MIND...
It's how you SHOW YOUR VALUES.
And that sets the expectation for those around you, those you influence, those who follow you...
And, its what scares so many so very much... to show their criteria is to expose their intellect... or their hesitation, or their uncertainty...
That is more vulnerable,
That is more real,
That is more scary,
AND also more compelling!
AND, BECAUSE IF YOU SHOW YOUR WORK you have the POSSIBILITY of GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER WHEN IT REALLY MATTERS...
THINK about the hot topics right now...
GUN CONTROL
RACISM
GOVERNMENT SPENDING
ABORTION
ETC...
What if we, instead of YELLING OUT OUR ANSWERS at each other,
SHOWED EACH OTHER OUR WORK...
Made time to show each other why we believe what we believe...
Show your work. Show your values. Explain your logic. Explain your truth.
THEN...
IF YOUR WORK, YOUR LOGIC, YOUR THINKING is RIGHT...
Then, you will likely get the right answer, and a better answer, with every new problem that you solve... And, others will more likely follow, or at least be able to challenge your work, or question your work without it being a "TASTE GREAT, LESS FILLING" type of argument.
SHOW your work.
SHOW your heart.
SHOW your mind.
And the right answers will start presenting themselves, more and more frequently.
I want to BE right... because it feels GOOD.
But, I want to THINK right... because that is POWERFUL.
And, I want to SHOW truth... because that is INSPIRING.
And I will take inspiring and powerful everyday over good!
Powerful in and inspired by harmony...
This is my WORK... and here I am,
SHOWING it to YOU!
Nestor