I See You

That’s the line from Avatar, which I saw recently (and, yes, I’m something of a late adopter). I see you. I can’t get it out of my head because I think it has important implications for all of us who work with humans.

Regular readers and clients know I have used thousands of words talking about gratitude, helping business people understand its importance to morale and, ultimately, profitability. But I have learned that there is something more important and more profound than gratitude, and that is recognition.

To recognize that another person exists in your world is one of the greatest gifts you can offer. In today’s overworked, hyper-connected world, authentic recognition is woefully absent. Plaques and Facebook posts and end-of-year bonuses are wonderful, but they are superficial, mere tokens of authentic recognition.

Truly seeing another human is easier than you might think. It’s as simple as stopping what you’re doing to look up and make eye contact at the person in your presence. It’s asking someone how they’re doing and then listening to the answer: offering congratulations, help, laughter, or maybe just a nod, but acknowledging that you see him or her. It is including someone who has approached your group in your conversation. It is taking a breath before you respond to a request or hit “send”. There are hundreds of other examples, but essentially, it is nothing more or less than opening your eyes to see another human being fully.

I wonder who among us has not experienced the pain of not being seen. I’m betting a lack of recognition has caused more than one disruption in your office, and maybe in your personal life. From a profitability perspective alone, seeing others – truly seeing them – has value. From a personal perspective, the rewards are incalculable.

I see you.

Business Development Training: Think Before You Spend

People in my line of work seem to think that growth strategies will be a focal point for professional services firms in the near future. Any effective growth strategy requires that at least some professionals know how to bring in clients. This involves education, whether you provide it internally or through a consultant.

Either way, it is prudent to analyze your motives for spending money and time on training or coaching. Ask your partner group the following:

1. Does your culture support consistent, long-range marketing and business development learning and efforts, as opposed to sporadic and reactive demands from individual partners?
2. If so, how?
3. If not, what are you and your partners willing to change?
4. What, exactly, will be your carrot and stick approach when it comes to business development efforts and results?
5. Will business development efforts or results affect compensation?  HINT: If business development does not at some point affect compensation, training is a waste of resources.
6. How will you handle the inevitable question: “Hmmm. Peter Partner seems to be doing fine here, and he doesn’t develop business. Why should I?”
7. How will the firm create a system of accountability for the time and expenses that go with increased business development efforts?
8. What does a successful outcome for a training or coaching program look like to you and your partners?

Finally, be sure your firm’s growth strategy is in place and known by every team member. Spending money and time to teach anyone to develop business when there is no carefully crafted or well communicated plan for the firm’s future is like shaving with a dull razor blade: often painful and rarely effective. The crucial difference, of course, is that razor blades are a whole lot cheaper.