Title: “Confronting and Taking Advantage of the Discomfort of Selling with Mark Wainwright”
Episode Summary:
On this week’s episode, BJ sits down with Mark Wainwright, a part-time sales manager that manages and coaches sales teams of independent firms. Mark breaks down why firms shy away from using the word “sales”, discusses the root of empowering sales teams, and breaks down how to understand the client’s needs in order to effectively offer services that are unique.
“Mistakes are great, the more I make the smarter I get.” –Buckminster Fuller
Have you ever totally underestimated the amount of time and resources a project would take? Maybe it’s a new recipe, maybe it’s a DIY home renovation project – they make it look so easy on Food Network and HGTV! Maybe it’s a new role or a new initiative at work. You took on the assignment, the project, the mission, and you made mistakes. Painful mistakes. How did I not think of that?! mistakes.
We learn by reading, we learn by seeing, we learn by teaching, but we also learn by doing and failing and getting back up.
In the professional services world – accountants, engineers, lawyers, etc. – we are hired for our “expertise”. We can’t risk not looking like an expert. We can’t risk not having the answer. And while there are plenty of areas that really require the subject matter expert, we have to create a leadership environment where “risk taking” and “mistake making” are OK. Because without making mistakes, we never learn, and we never get smarter.
So, how do you respond to yourself when you make a mistake? How do you respond to others around you when they make a mistake?
Title: “How to Start Up & Follow Through with Colin Mottola”
Episode Summary:
In today’s interview, BJ talks with Colin Mottola, a Penn State Grad and Civil Engineer at MCFA. Colin discusses his internship at MCFA, how that landed him a job as the first-ever intern to be officially hired, and the lessons he’s learned along the way, ranging from self-management to finding what you love to do. Together, BJ and Colin discuss a wide range of topics surrounding the AEC industry.
Let us know what you think of today’s episode by messaging BJ on LinkedIn here.
“If mistakes happen, effective leaders don’t place blame on others. They take ownership of the mistakes, determine what went wrong, develop solutions to correct those mistakes and prevent them from happening again as they move forward.” -Jocko Willink
This week we welcomed an 8-week-old black boxer, “Knight” (Beat Navy), to the Kraemer & MCFA family.
Yes, just as our youngest gets out of diapers, we decided to get back in the weeds of nipping, potty training, and 1 AM wake-up calls. I’ve read up on and reminded myself about training techniques and positive/negative reinforcement for dog training. We’ve got a plan of attack for crate training and a battle rhythm for potty breaks, walks and feedings. Just as I’m feeling confident that “we got this,” BAM! I turn my head for a second and he is doing his business on the carpet.
Frustrating.
Didn’t we just walk him? Didn’t he just go? When did he eat last?
Training isn’t instant. Training takes patience.
Whether potty training a dog, teaching a kid to ride a bike or training our teams – patience and persistence are key!
Patience…are you nuts? We have to win TODAY! We have to accomplish the mission NOW!
How as leaders do we know when to create a sense of urgency vs having patience and persisting? When do we inspire greatness vs hold someone accountable for falling short of the standard? How do we balance mentorship with management?
Jocko Willink says, “As a leader, you have to balance the dichotomy, to be resolute where it matters but never inflexible and uncompromising on matters of little importance to the overall good of the team and the strategic mission.”
Leadership is part Art and part Science. Patience goes a long way. And if you don’t have patience? Get a puppy.
