I have often said, ‘by the time a creative figures out what should be done, there is typically no time left to do it.’ When you set out to accomplish anything, there are no shortages of things that can be done. Typically you won’t have horrible ideas, you’ll usually have solid ideas but lack a strategic approach of when specific ideas should be implemented. www.incubatoronline.com/gps
Each of us need outside objectivity and accountability if we’re going to change the results we’re creating. Now if we want to simply keep having what we have, it’s easy. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing. But if we want something more, something will need to change. If we honestly look at what our efforts are producing and we want something different we need to reach out to someone with more experience with success in our given area.
Longevity is one of the most unbiased measuring sticks for success. If we want to benefit from someone else’s experience, look at the experience base from a very practical standpoint. Scams come and go in every industry. When an organization, company or non-profit has been around a long time, you can be usually be confident they are successful. You also know there are people committed to the values of the entity through good and bad times because there will have been both. Longevity cannot be faked or created through marketing and promotion.
At this point in my career I’ve logged over 60K hours. I don’t say this to impress anyone. In fact, I’m shocked at how many hours I’ve poured myself into caring for creative people who want to use their lives to impact the Kingdom. But truth is truth. I don’t have 60K plus hours creating number one singles or managing a Wallmart. My largest experience base is working with creative people. I cannot begin to fathom how many people I’ve spoken with and encouraged to keep pressing on,using their talents and life to impact the Kingdom. One thing I’m confident of is God has given me the opportunity to interface with so many people I’ve learned a couple of things along the way.
When markets change some experience may no longer have demand and value. This happens all too frequently in the ever-changing music industry but is certainly not limited to just the music business. With the implosion of our industry (because of declining record sales) many people who held prominent roles in our industry have been left jobless because of the radical changes. These folks had loads of experience helping the very gifted artist find success on a much bigger platform. We now have many of these individuals trying to advise the emerging artist on how to create success. It’s mind-boggling. These folks don’t have a record of success working with emerging artists and their sector of the market imploded yet they feel qualified to give irrelevant advice.
We can also become enamored with someone’s success but we need to evaluate if their success is relevant to our goals. Although we can all learn something from just about everyone. I think we need wisdom and discernment and we determine how much we will let another speak into our situation based on their experience. Experience is what leads the way when we’re looking at where we’re going to be lead.
If we are looking for a leader, we must believe the other person knows much more then we do otherwise we won’t be willing to follow. We must also be on the same page when it comes to values. Involving others requires we get to know the other person. So often we can be so hurried we don’t spend time really getting to know where the other person is coming from. Their experience is vital however the values they implemented along the way are also critical.
If we’re going to be committed to getting different results objectivity and someone with more experience then us, we need to reach out. Relationships will always bring different ways of thinking. I love the quote by Albert Einstein,‘problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.’Ouch, we need to be willing to get beyond our own way of thinking and involve others but we need to be able to articulate our values.
If we cannot identify what’s important to us,how can we spot it in someone else? We can’t. We need to do the hard work of searching out what we really value. Our values guide each of us whether we full understand them or not. We should not just assume we know what we value we should try to articulate them. It will take some time, but the process will help you spot someone who values what you value and isn't that the kind of person you want to work with? Something to think about...Tami
