Trust your gut

This summer on our trip to Nova Scotia, we rented a car plus a GPS.  Past experience told us that this was a good move for the sake of our marriage. 

I always remember our first romantic getaway without children when we had to rely on my navigational skills to reach our destination.  We were barely speaking to each other by the time we got there.

Let’s just say that map reading is not my forte!

So armed with our GPS I thought we’d be safe.  Wrong. This navigational tool wasn’t always accurate.  We unwittingly drove down dead end roads, and her slight left turns were really full-blown left turns.  And as for getting to the airport, she clearly was asleep at the wheel, as she neglected to say take a right turn.  

Fortunately by this time, we knew not to rely on her whimsical directions, and were watching out for where we needed to turn.  In the absence of any direction from our automated friend, we used our common sense and made the right move.

The other quirky foible with this GPS was that when she wasn’t sure of the best route, she’d issue a disclaimer saying we were in unknown territory and then proceed to tell us exactly how to get there.  It was almost as if she was hedging her bets.

Truth is I am a nervous driver, so I’ve found having a GPS takes away some of my fear of driving into new territories.   My trusted friend has broadened my horizons, giving me the confidence to drive and travel to places I would have previously avoided.  

I have often compared having a GPS with having a coach, as like the GPS, a coach helps guide you and lends her insights and expertise to help you reach your destination.

Personally I’ve found having a business coach gave me the confidence to move forward.  She would push me outside my comfort zone and helped me realize my goals.  Yet, as we found on our trip, at the end of the day, you have to rely on your own intuition and rather than second-guessing which way to turn, follow your gut.

My advice? Make the most of your GPS/coach, utilize the expertise and knowledge available to you, always remembering that it is YOUR business and YOUR life, and whatever direction you go in, it has to fit with your vision, values and goals.  

And making a wrong turn isn’t the end of the road, literally.  You can reverse and redirect.

Are you an expert?

These days it pays to be an expert, in fact it is advised that you have to find your niche, hone your skills and put out your expert shingle if you want to succeed.

But what are you an expert in?  One way to find out, suggests Fay Chapple, CEO of The Clarity Centre, is to think about what people thank you for – is it for marketing, financial advice, or in the case of one woman in the group – compassion and kindness.

No sooner had she said that, she questioned how useful those skills would be and how do you use them?  Immediately I thought of customer service, of building trust and perhaps working with people who are hurting in some way.  Dealing with someone who seems to care, can make all the difference and in the case of the health industry (where this person worked) a patient would feel less isolated as she went through a procedure.

But when I turned this question on myself, I had a hard time answering it too.  What do I do that people appreciate.  I guess I am a connector, a match maker and a small business start up coach.    I like to think I can see the potential in people and look beyond the immediate and obvious at what they would be good at.

I started my career in the UK in human resources, so I guess I was on the right track, even back then. Slotting people into the right positions was something I had to do. But what if your expertise is not that obvious to you?  Or you haven’t found it yet.  Here’s eight steps to help get you on the right track.   

1.         Ask around.  Talk to friends.  Find out what strengths they see you possessing.  It’s actually quite a rewarding exercise and you can get to see yourself as others see you.

2.         Take an inventory of what you like to do.  Look at previous positions and pull out the common denominators of what you enjoyed doing. For example, I found a common thread of writing and translating complex issues into simple language – be it fundraising proposals, government reports or magazine articles, so clearly whatever I do, it should draw on my communication skills.

3.         Study the marketplace.  Where are the gaps?  What do your customers seem to want and need?  Is there a way you can fulfill and provide solutions to their issues?  Can you develop your tools to do this?

4.         Use social media.  Actively participate in discussion groups in your industry.  Find and/or write articles to share which help build your reputation as someone in the know. Start a blog.

5.         Get connected.  Move in the right circles.  Build relationships with leaders in your industry.  Ask for their support and advice, but be respectful of their time.

6.         Make presentations.  Give talks on your topic.  Set up seminars to provide information to your potential clients/customers.

7.         Write a book.  It gives you a platform to launch yourself as an expert in your field, and often the sales of books are higher, when you’ve given a presentation.

8.         Volunteer.  Get involved with your industry association or a non profit organization within your sector.

None of this happens overnight.  It takes time, experience and patience.  

You have to earnyour reputation as an expert and most of us are a work in progress because the 

learning never ends.