The Whack-A-Mole Philosophy

You're familiar with the Whack-A-Mole game, right? This is where you get the hammer out and as a mole pops up, you whack it down, only to find another one popping up from another hole. The idea is to stay ahead of the moles with your trusty hammer.

This is such a great analogy for the way I've been running my business. Well, maybe it's not the most effective analogy, but it is pretty familiar. And since this is my blog and I get to write whatever I want to, I am going to come clean. I'm tired of whacking moles.

I have a master's degree in business management, but I earned that degree while still holding a W-2. It was great and valuable information, but at the time, it was theory. It wouldn't be another three years before I actually left the security of a full-time job that I would have been able to use that valuable information and, pure and simple: I didn't think about all that when I left.

I would never suggest that anyone do what I did when leaving a corporate job. In fact, I'm not even suggesting that anyone do what I did. Corporate jobs are fantastic - and we need fantastic people working there (this is why I created the company I created: to help superstars stay in organizations).

What I know now, five years after creating Bock's Office Transformational Consulting, is that there is no such thing as a solo venture. Or at least not a solo venture that is wildly successful. Even if an organization remains a sole proprietorship in design, there are still many, many people helping, supporting, and applauding.

But what I've noticed for myself is that I've been doing things that are essentially ineffective for the health, vitality and growth of my business. I've been whacking moles.

How has that been working? Why would I think that moles need to be whacked anyway? Maybe the moles need some TLC. Maybe they want to be invited into some dialogue. Maybe they are really just trying to help. Maybe they are reminding me that they need some attention.

So I've taken the first step to getting out of this mole-whacking mentality: I've contacted a virtual assistant who I anticipate will be able to help me organize the moles.

This is a big step. Insight without action makes no difference and, in my experience, lots of insight without lots of action makes for many more moles.

So I'll keep you posted. Stay tuned to hear about the mole updates and also my experience with Sheryl, the VA.

I plan to have lots to share!