Solo Offsites, Intentions, and Being Bad to Be Good
🏖️ Go to Barbados To Solve All Your Problems
Okay, I’m kidding.
…sort of.
Every year, executive teams at bigger companies fly-off to some sexy destination to have “an offsite”.
Truthfully, you need your own version of this, even if you swap Barbados for [insert name of your favourite home-city hotel, friend’s backyard, or rented board room.]
While the corporate versions might be a bit ‘clunky’, they do have merit in that they force you to escape your usual surroundings, consider the business at a more holistic level, and really ‘lock-in’ on bigger picture stuff without the day to day distractions.
What does a solo offsite look like?
- Schedule a full day off in your calendar, 2–3 months from now
- Place yourself in a distraction free environment
- Create an agenda: refresh on company vision, dive into problems and opportunities, review financials, make a to-do list of new growth ideas
- For more ideas, just ask and I’ll share some!
🧑🔬 Your Rubric for Assessing Others Might Be Outdated
Isn’t it convenient that when we do something that someone else dislikes, we defend it with our noble intentions (“Hey, I meant well!”), but, when someone else messes up, we focus on, well…what they’ve messed up?
We often judge others by their actions, but judge ourselves by our intentions.
If you’re running your own business, you’re dealing with a lot of difficult social interactions. The next time your business partner critiques your idea, or your client abruptly reschedules, take a breath and first consider what they might be intendingwith their words or actions.
💭 A Powerful Quote on The Necessity of Being Bad
I came across this quote recently, and I absolutely love it! It’s a very real take on being bad, and how you must be bad before you can be good. This is pragmatic vulnerability, my friends.
“You’re only as good as you’re willing to be bad. The fact that you’re not going to be good at something or that you’re going to fail at something — that’s OK. Because you’re never going to get good unless you’re willing to be bad.”
— Randall Stutman
👋 for now, and keep an eye out an email next week!
Best,
Jeffrey
