| On September 4, 2006, Tiger Woods won his | | | | and minimize his weaknesses. (Check out, |
| fifth straight golf tournament. Just two | | | | "First Break All the Rules: What the World's |
| weeks earlier, he won his twelfth major golf | | | | Greatest Managers Do Differently" by Marcus |
| title, the PGA Championship. Both are amazing | | | | Buckingham and Curt Coffman.) This is an |
| accomplishments for someone who's only 30. | | | | excellent strategy if you have team members |
| Some say that his current domination of the | | | | with complimentary talents at your disposal |
| sport means he has nothing to fear and that | | | | and you are comfortable delegating those |
| his career has nowhere to go but up. | | | | areas of your business where you don't shine. |
| | | | |
| How would you like to be at the top of your | | | | But what if your weakness is essential to the |
| game and the undisputed leader in your | | | | survival of your business? Not only that, |
| industry? | | | | what if your active participation is |
| | | | non-negotiable? After all, it's not as if |
| You would think that Woods could afford to | | | | Woods can simply rely on his skills down the |
| coast a little bit and simply maintain his | | | | driving range and opt out of putting |
| position. As the saying goes, "If it ain't | | | | altogether. |
| broke, don't fix it," right? | | | | |
| | | | So what's the solution? |
| Wrong. | | | | |
| | | | First, CHOOSE to do whatever it takes to |
| If you ask any expert, and even Tiger | | | | master the key to succeeding in your |
| himself, to identify his greatest weakness, | | | | business. Next, use the following 4 steps to |
| they will undoubtedly tell you it's his | | | | help you minimize your risks: |
| putting. Although he currently ranks #1 | | | | |
| overall in the Official World Golf Ranking, | | | | "The 4 Keys to Conquering Your Weakness" |
| for putting he lags far behind at #38. | | | | |
| | | | 1. Identify Your Achilles' Heel: You probably |
| Let me tell you a story. | | | | already have a nagging suspicion of where you |
| | | | could use some improvement. Write it down. |
| Just before beginning the final round of the | | | | And by the way, you're not alone if you |
| PGA Championship, Woods placed two golf tees | | | | discover that your weakness lies in the areas |
| about 13 centimeters apart, nearly one meter | | | | of effective networking, customer follow-up, |
| away from the hole on the putting green. He | | | | prospecting, or cold calling! |
| then began practicing putts by swinging the | | | | |
| blade of his putter through the tees to hit | | | | 2. Don't Reinvent the Wheel: Look for and |
| the ball into the hole. He usually performs | | | | consult with others who struggled with and |
| this drill until he makes 100 consecutive | | | | overcame similar challenges. Chances are |
| shots. | | | | there are multiple books, programs, and |
| | | | solutions out there that someone else has |
| Read that again...100 consecutive shots. | | | | created. You can slash the learning curve if |
| | | | you find the one that fits you best. |
| Because Woods knows that he is vulnerable on | | | | |
| the putting green, he makes it a priority to | | | | 3. Practice Makes Perfect: Just like Woods, |
| find a way to master the art of putting. He | | | | devise a drill or system that allows you to |
| is not interested in making excuses or simply | | | | develop good habits and dedicate yourself to |
| maintaining his skill level. He constantly | | | | an unwavering determination to get the job |
| strives for improvement. | | | | done. After a while, it becomes a sheer |
| | | | numbers game. The more you practice, the |
| How does this apply to you and your business? | | | | better you get until you wake up one day and |
| | | | realize that your execution is effortless. |
| Let's face it. You probably have an Achilles' | | | | |
| heel, some particular area of business that | | | | 4. Take Your Ego Out of It: It's not really |
| you avoid because you either lack confidence | | | | about you...it's about your business. You'll |
| and/or proficiency. And yet you suspect | | | | probably be lousy at first. It will feel |
| having expertise in that area would skyrocket | | | | uncomfortable and you'll make mistakes. |
| the growth of your business. | | | | That's a given. Keep your eye on the big |
| | | | picture and get comfortable with discomfort. |
| There's a school of thought in management | | | | It's a short term pain that will yield long |
| that you should focus on a person's strengths | | | | term rewards. |