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It’s been a call-in day today – back to back calls with my clients – 15 minute catch ups. Again I am tired but inspired by their stories and amused by some of the dafter events of the day. Dafter event winners today were:
the orthodontic practice owner who couldn’t be found in the building when I made the call – but was discovered underneath the toilets trying to fix a leak – and he then told me that he couldn’t make next week’s marketing workshop because his practice were staying at work to catch up on UOA targets;
the principal who confessed that he had written all of his staff a resignation letter – announcing that he was no longer prepared to tolerate their performance and behaviour and HE was leaving. Letter was withdrawn when his practice manager respectfully pointed out that he couldn’t leave his own business.
Although these are true (and funny) stories, they do highlight some of the fundamental issues that we have to deal with on a day to day basis – overwork, overwhelm, control freakery, ridiculous Government targets, exasperation with low performing teams – all the stuff of self-employment. What I’ve realised is that when somebody else is pissing on your chips – it’s usually because they are relieving themselves. Sometimes it is necessary to make an announcement that you aren’t tolerating that any more. My orthodontist is consolling himself with the fact that he will leave the NHS and “go private” very soon. In the meantime he is getting more and more tired and frustrated. My other client just had his team laughing at his antics – and cleverly used humour as a means to make his feelings understood. It’s hard enough work running one’s own business. I’ve had a lovely day though – and after my 6.00pm conference call I’ll be meeting with Ashley Latter, who has made the 359 mile journey from Manchester to the wilds of Cornwall, where he is presenting his excellent 2-day sales course to members of the Cornwall IPG at the nearby Falmouth Hotel. I’m taking Ash for a pizza and then inviting him round to my place to watch his beloved Man Utd play Dynamo Kiev. No doubt we will regail each other with even more stories about clients we love.