Ever had the feeling that you weren't doing the right things during a portion of the day? You know...the stuff that really needed to get done? I mean, sure, helping customers is always a good thing...and then there's the paperwork. Or worse, how about when you need to be focused on something in particular but you get drawn into something personal? Obviously, this isn't an unusual thing. There are times when our attention and time get drawn certain ways. You might even call this a 'perpetual hat party'. What hat are you wearing now?
The reason I bring this up is that I believe we're successful to the degree that we're wearing the hats that we should be wearing during the day. Not unlike time management, knowing your different "parts" and controlling them is essential to success. We naturally wear a number of hats throughout the day. In the business sense, we go in and out of the following "parts"- manager, salesperson, team player, organizer, delegator, administrator, speaker, customer service rep, human resource manager, president, negotiator, and the list goes on. And then there are many other parts outside of the business world that are equally if not more important- husband/wife, father/mother, son/daughter, friend, acquaintance, accountant, personal finance manager, athlete, and the list goes on. The first step is to understand that this dynamic goes on...and that sometimes "parts" are in conflict. Through understanding, we can better gauge then correct when we need to.
Another reason I bring this up is because there's a business hat that tends to get discarded constantly. But it's a hat that I believe will need to be worn more and more not only to survive, but to flourish in the new world. Of course I'm referring to the marketing hat. The truth is that the world is changing. I wrote below of the "marketing revolution". I think a number of tactics that were successful in the past won't be that successful in the future. The great thing is that there's a good opportunity now to learn about the new tools and to take advantage of them. But to do so requires time and attention. So other hats are going to have to be put aside for the marketing "hat". What are your thoughts?
