Want vs. Works

One of the areas that is often the stimulus for excitable conversations (aka BIG, LOUD arguments) is the topic of WANT vs. WORKS. All too often, I run into prospective clients who are very adamant about telling me what they WANT to do, rather than asking me what they should do.

In reality, what someone WANTS to do – usually wins over what they should do. When someone begins a new venture, they want it to be a reflection of themselves, and only a reflection of themselves. The WANT is very personal, and as such – is built on a platform of pure emotion. Unfortunately, the fallout from that kind of UNstrategy becomes more and more apparent with each passing week, month, and year.

Where  people have the greatest difficulty is when the WANT is – in every way, shape, and form, light years apart from what WORKS.

EXAMPLE:

A few years back, a small marketing firm brought me in to help one of their clients who we will simply refer to as Judy. Judy liked the color taupe. Correction: Judy LOVED the color taupe. As a result, she decided to paint the walls of her brand new business her favorite color. Judy asked me what I thought about her selection. I told her that her color selection for her particular business was entirely incorrect. Without even taking a breath, Judy responded by telling me how WRONG I was and how much her friends agreed with her selection.

MANY of Judy’s selections were inappropriate for her particular business, but as I have said many times over, you cannot tell someone who is ALWAYS RIGHT that he or she is wrong. Jump ahead to present day, and let’s just say that Judy’s business isn’t doing so great.

I am not going to tell you that all of her difficulties were and are related to the implementation of Judy’s WANTS. What I will say is this; it stands to reason that ALL factors are important in business. So even if the procedures and processes are on point, everything else being off point DOES impact the results.

Judy never acknowledged to me that she was wrong. Instead, she hired a firm that hired a competitor of mine – who did help her, but not to the degree that she needed to be truly successful.

Like anything else in life, you don’t realize how wrong your WANTS were until you actually experience what WORKS. Unfortunately, most folks never get to the point where they are able to enjoy that realization. In fact, most people DON’T WANT to get to that point of realization. That’s too painful a pill to swallow.

If you are an artist, then you should paint what you WANT for the simple reason that art is completely personal expression. On the other hand, if you are going into a business that sells a product or service, and that product or service is not art (real art), then my advice is simple; research what WORKS – and then do exactly that.

Have A GREAT Day!

…Dr. Marc & The Mind Virus Team