Star Trek and its relevance to today’s business owners

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Terry Sage of Trades Coaching New Zealand

By Terry Sage, Trades Coaching NZ

 

Here we are, the end of another year. And how many times have you heard that it’s gone so quickly — or it was only yesterday we were celebrating the new year, or that time goes so fast these days?

So where has it gone and why does it go so fast? What a stupid question. It doesn’t go any faster now than it did 40 years ago, and it only goes to one place — the past. And there isn’t anything we can do about it, so get over it and move on.

If 2018 was a good year then, fantastic, do it all again next year and add some extras to it.

If it was an average or way below average year then don’t sit there and complain or wallow in your well-earned misery — wake up and face up to the main responsibility you have as a business owner.

Okay, there are quite a few main responsibilities, but the one I am alluding to here is that you have the responsibility to make your company work.

It’s that simple, you have to make it work. What “work” looks like, you of course, have some influence over.

For some, it is world dominance, for others it’s the so-called Kiwi “lifestyle” dream.

Whatever level of “work” constitutes your dream, it doesn’t matter — as long as the company survives, makes money and pays its creditors.

Sounds a bit mundane and boring really, but there are an awful lot of company owners out there that can’t even do mundane and boring.

Which is why 2018 and probably 17, 16, and 15 blah blah blah were below average for them.

So here’s the elephant in the room question: Do they deserve to be company owners?

Of course they do, they have as much right to the good life as everybody else. But if they can’t make it “work”, then what?

 

Captain Kirk Syndrome

I had the privilege of attending the Registered Master Builders 2018 House of the Year awards gala dinner a few weeks ago, and virtually all the worthy winners had it right — they knew the secret of Captain Kirk Syndrome.

So you remember Kirk right? He’s the geezer on Star Trek that boldly went where nobody had gone before.

Was he a great captain? He wasn’t the smartest dude on the bridge — that was the odd fellow with the pointy ears. He didn’t know what a screwdriver or a spanner was — that was the chap from Scotland, wee Scotty. And he couldn’t even put on a band aid — Doc had to do that.

He even had the young guy driving the thing. So what the heck was he good at? He knew his boundaries — well, most of them anyway, apart from the ones where he got lost for an hour each week.

Rather than overstepping his boundaries, he surrounded himself with people better than him. People who could help him achieve his goal of returning from his five-year mission to seek out stuff and things.

The top House of the Year builders all said thanks to their teams, the subbies, and one even thanked his wives!

Truth is, whether or not you know how to make it work, surround yourself with the best team possible, and never be scared that some or even all of them are better, smarter or more skilled than you are.

If 2018 was average, then boldly go where you should have gone a long time ago, ask for some bloody help mate, and get what you deserve — a great working company.

Have a fantastic holiday, which you all greatly deserve. And if it is help you seek, drop me a line and I will try and point you in the right direction.

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