Improving Your Feel For The Waters

Content may be king, but without context you have little more than click-bait. Let’s get an improved feel for the water.

Yeah, I’m being clever, but that’s the point of this post — and a big piece of what we help our clients accomplish. Every day, you feel your way through the business changes all around, and unless you get an improved feel for the water you’re going to have a problem. A big one. You’ll be splashing around in circles, not ever really getting anywhere.

Not the kind of business change you’re after.

Improved feel for the water is about really understanding your customers

You know I’m not talking about literal water, of course. Nor are we looking for Band-Aids here. The context behind this improved feel for the water is about really understanding your customers.

I’m still good with the idea that occasionally context doesn’t matter. But generally, if you aren’t both transparent and authentic you’re on the way to building a problem.

If you’ve read my musings on business change and life for any appreciable period you get where I’m going. Lots of this is fine-line stuff. On one hand you shouldn’t ever swear in writing, but on the other, Fuck You Anthony Bourdain. On one hand, business is a holistic pursuit, but on the other, sometimes you need a pure geek. You know … to get geek things done.

Improved Feel For The Water

Think of business and business change like romance (and it is!)

Think of business and business change like romance (and it is!). I once dated a woman for about a year who, several years later, told me no-one else had ever “gotten her” the way I did. I wasn’t sure exactly what her goal was revealing that, so let’s go with “being authentic” as a practice. Or maybe she was trying to get me back (I’m a catch, right!??!). Or something else entirely was going on.

But “getting her” — getting your clients and prospects — matters, whatever the reason is for someone caring that you do. And you’ll never get that improved feel for the water unless you care — and work at it.

Which, speaking of practice, is the point. I’ve long said I don’t want doctors “practicing medicine” on me; I want them to know what they’re doing. But without continuing practice you become stagnant. So please: keep practicing.

Keep feeling that water. And if you aren’t sure which toe to stick where … start by feeling this.