WHAT KEEPS US STUCK IN THE RUT OF MEDIOCRE RESULTS? BY TERRY KELLER
Early in my career as a shop owner, I made so many mistakes that led to poor results, I found myself on a mental and emotional rollercoaster which led to anger and decision-making paralysis.
Have You Ever Felt Like This?
I felt very inadequate in many ways but I could not let my employees or my family know it. I felt betrayed by the so-called experts I hired, by vendors I thought I could trust, and by my own poor judgment and inconsistency. This led to a startling discovery. In many ways, I was in fear.
The Causes of My Fear
From my position now I can see that I did not know what to do or how to do it and I did not know why I should or should not do it. This destroyed my self-confidence. I lived in constant fear that someone would find out I didn’t know.
I felt out of control. I had little control over anything in my life. This killed my ability or desire to become consistent in my actions and behavior. This insured haphazard results that were not predictable.
Fear of the unknown and of failure dominated me at times. Because I did not understand or follow the steps to success I saw myself as undeserving of success.
I even sabotaged myself at times when I was on the right path because I kept stepping on landmines of doubt that I had placed in my own path. When they would go off, I was back to feeling undeserving again.
Early on I was in denial about all of this. Later on, when I suspected that fear was a problem I did everything I could to keep others from finding out. The results were not good. Fear causes people to do things they would not otherwise do.
I cycled between being angry and confrontational on one hand and avoiding responsibility and blaming others on the other. The interesting thing was that in either case, the results were the same – paralysis. I would not make a decision. In those rare moments when I made decisions, I could not make it stick.
I was stuck with mediocre systems, employees, and results. Many times I was in so much fear, so angry, or so jaded, I robbed myself of any chance for success. I had little self-confidence which paralyzed my ability to behave consistently. This always manifested itself as poor results.
How Did I Overcome This Self-defeating Cycle?
I was not wise enough to devise a plan and then work my way out of it. It happened a little at a time. I started with measuring a few numbers in the shop that I knew could be controlled.
As I put systems in place to train my people and hold them accountable, I could see the results. If a system was working the number improved. If it was not working the number remained stagnant.
This knowledge led to greater confidence that I was on the right track. Trial and error were the teachers. Good results led to taking action on other numbers and issues in the shop. As we practiced again and again to perfect a number, consistent behavior replaced chaos.
Once my key people could see this working we began to control results. This led to success and enthusiasm. When we hit a new goal everyone benefitted through incentives, rewards, and recognition. Most importantly, we all achieved a level of gratification that we had never known before.
Why Am I Telling You This?
A while back I was at the gym and saw a young man shooting some baskets on the basketball court by himself. There was no one around watching him. I was on the second level looking down and he did not see me watching.
I noticed that every time he hit a shot he stood up tall, pushed his chest out and kind of strutted over to the ball, picked it up, and dribbled back out on the floor to take another shot.
I also noticed that when he missed he ran to get the ball, moved quickly back out to the top of the key, and then shot again.
He had the same body language each time in each scenario. It struck me that even though no one was around for him to show off for, he felt gratification each time he made a basket – he strutted to show his self-satisfaction.
His success and gratification about making a shot gave him increased knowledge that he could do it again and again. The more shots he made in a row, the more his self-confidence grew, and the further out he took the next shot.
He was not afraid to take the next shot. His behavior became consistent which led to controlled results. If he missed he moved in a little closer – narrowed his focus – to regain his self-confidence.
He was using the same steps it took me a lifetime to understand and use to predict success and realize a level of reward and gratification that I used to only dream about.
What Does This Mean To You?
As David Rogers and I developed the RPM ToolKit and training program we took our many failures and successes and put in place the RPM Roadmap.
This process will help you overcome the things that have held you back from the success and the gratification you deserve.
The process is a simple set of steps. Each step leads to the next:
- Gain Knowledge
- Grow Self-confidence
- Take Action
- Sustain Consistent Behavior
- Control Results
- Achieve Success
- Experience Gratification
These are the antidotes to fear and paralysis. The RPM Roadmap leads you through this process and gives YOU the ability to become the person who acts and controls outcomes. If you do not step up and do this, who will? I am telling you that I know it can be done. I have done it. Our clients have done it.
If you want to be part of our exclusive family, be on the inside, dominate the competition and enjoy the success you have always dreamed about you must engage in these steps.
You must honestly work through the RPM Roadmap, and lead your people to do the same. As you do, anger and fear will be replaced by confidence and gratification. Your life will change.
Let’s get started!