I feel so fortunate to be able to spend my summers on Cape Cod. It’s truly a magical place filled with gifts from Mother Nature, including business lessons. Here are some of my takeaways after spending a misty morning clamming.
The early bird gets the clams. As I walked out into the flats with my clamming rake in hand, I could see a sea of clam shells left by the birds who happened to get out before I did. The lesson I took away from this is that sometimes it’s not the most skilled who get the lion’s share of the profits, but those who get there before everyone else. Keep this in mind the next time you delay a product launch another day in your quest for perfection.
Sometimes you have to go with the tides. Sure, it would have been great to sleep in another hour. After all, how far were those clams really going to go in an hour? That might be true, but I’d have to work twice as hard if I were raking in water up to my waist. Instead, I checked the tide charts and got out there during low tide. The result was a bountiful of clams in my basket. A lot of times in business I see people who are always going against the tide. They look exhausted. What if instead you decide to go with the tide? I can tell you from my own experience that it’s a lot easier to work with what you’ve got than to constantly be working against nature.
Persistence pays. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of clamming then you know that it often takes more than five minutes to score your first clam. I’ve seen many people depart the flats soon after they arrive for this very same reason. Me? Well I’ve learned that there is a direct correlation in regards to the amount of time I devote to this task and my final haul. The same is true in business. If you give up after making one call to a prospect then you can pretty much guarantee that you will return to your office empty handed. When it comes to business, stay the course. I promise you it will pay off.
Take time to enjoy the view. What I love most about Cape Cod are the views. Everywhere I turn there seems to be a water view. That’s all fine and good, but if I don’t remind myself to stop and enjoy the view, I may actually miss what I come here for. Those of you who have risen to the top of your organization have a great view. Take time to enjoy it. And for those of you who are on your way up to the top, make sure you get out of your office every now and again so that you can enjoy all that is around you.
Did you know that I’m also a keynote speaker and that I work with organizations that are looking to maximize talent? Contact me at Roberta@matusonconsulting.com. Sign up for a complimentary subscription to my monthly newsletter, The Talent Maximizer®
