‘I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.’
Steve Jobs
Sometimes it’s just as important to know what we don’t or can’t do as it is to know the opposite.
If we don’t recognise our limits then we run the risk of taking on things outside our area of expertise and gambling that that at best we do mediocrely and at worst, badly.
The difficulty is, when we’re running a business and want to deliver and overdeliver to clients and customers, it’s hard not simply to say ‘yes’ to a request, then worry about how we’re going to fulfil it later.
To be fair, there may be a place for this reaction as it’s possible that we might excel in delivering the added or new requirement but realistically, it’s more likely that we fulfil it to a satisfactory – or reasonable – level. The problem then is that delivery at a satisfactory or even reasonable level still reduces the average, meaning that the service you excel in doesn’t look quite so good as it would by itself.
Sometimes, less is more.
It’s a bit like watching a longer film that’s pretty good with some brilliant bits, in contrast to a shorter film that’s brilliant from start to finish. Ask yourself which of the two you’d recommend to a friend.
Initially, when a client’s needs perfectly align with what we can deliver it’s the optimum point of mutual benefit in the business relationship. But it’s when we say yes to things that don’t align perfectly with what we can deliver that the relationship runs the risk of becoming unstuck. If the client begins to question our ability to deliver, confidence can be difficult to regain.
So, know your strengths and weaknesses and be willing to acknowledge them openly to your client. That way, you don’t overpromise, under deliver, and subsequently lose their trust.
In business, as in most things, authenticity and honest self-awareness count a great deal more than some might think.
The best restaurants tend to offer quite limited menus.