I have been working with a client (actually a few clients) on developing the content and rehearsing the delivery of the content for an annual meeting. This is not the first time I have done this with this group and previous times have met with success. At first there was a bit of eye rolling and protesting about the need to use up precious time on such matters but the proof is in the results and the presentations have gone very well.

Well, a new guy entered the mix and he demonstrated the same “been there, done that” approach that others have shown in the past. When I asked the objective of his presentation he couldn’t tell me. I said to him that if he didn’t know what his point was it would be difficult for the audience to know. I asked how long the presentation would take to which he replied that he was allocated X minutes and it would take that long. I asked how he knew it would take that long and he said he “just knew.”

I then asked if him “winging it” was his standard mode of going thru life. He didn’t like that. I didn’t care.

We all, (well, maybe not this guy), know the right way to do certain things. Sometimes we dont and we get coaching on it and we learn the right way. Somtimes though after we have been doing something awhile we skip steps. We don’t do all the things we are supposed to do because it usually turns out fine and we are pretty busy anyway. I know I fall victim to this mentality.

Winging it is for amateurs. The pros who make it, whatever it is, look so easy practice MORE than everyone else. Are you acting as an amateur or a pro these days?

This entry was posted on Friday, August 26th, 2011 at 1:53 pm and is filed under Excellence, Leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.