It's been kind of like holding your breath under water for too long and then finally coming to the surface and gulping a huge, life-giving breath of oxygen. Air. Oh, yeah, it can be nice to breathe.
For about 7 months we were almost entirely (but not by choice) "administrative support-free" for the business for a variety of reasons. Anyway, our wonderful Leah left us in November to go start her new life as a CPA, first-time home-owner, and life partner with who sounds like her soon-to-be husband. No problem. Go ahead and live the life of your dreams, Leah. We support it. Really we do. Sniff, sniff. (We actually do support her with our whole hearts but DANG it's hard to lose someone so utterly fabulous AND who brings you homemade treats nearly every Friday. It was a double hit, to be sure).
Back to the story. She moved on the very day last fall when I first injured my back and spent a month in bed. Tough time to hire and train. Then there was the whole "recover from the economic downturn right after you built your home" issue. Tough time to hire and train. Then there was the whole "we're (thankfully) booked solid for about four months thing. Tough time to hire and train. Oh, and there's my "nearly impossibly high standards for finding the right person" factor, too. Sensing a pattern?
On that final remark, it's true that I have high standards...I'm a "skills plus soul" elitist, you might say. I want the near-perfect combo of someone who is:
- passionate about their life and their work
- utterly self-sufficient as well as fiercely team-oriented
- extremely brilliant at their job
- a pleasure to work with
- committed to always going above and beyond
- confident and compassionate
- full of great ideas and powerful insights
- able to recover from inevitable errors and setbacks with grace and new plans for "next time"
- at home in her/his great sense of humor and appreciative of ours
- always looking for ways to learn and grow (personally, professionally, and on behalf of our business)
- nice...and I mean really nice...to our clients, customers, kids, and colleagues...oh, and us
- open to new ideas and win-win outcomes
- blessed with a fantastic personality
- clear about the extraordinary strengths and gifts they bring to us, especially in the areas where I'm, how to put this, less proficient
- willing to consider bringing treats to us on a regular basis (which I will gladly reciprocate)
IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK? I think not. Because I got to thinking that I am now, mostly by design and honestly a little by serendipity, surrounded my my very own A-Team (aka "Amen Team"). "I pity the fool who misses those opportunities."
Sometimes you do need a little patience and it's best to WAIT for the right timing, but sometimes you have to just find a way to MAKE the timing happen to build a great team. Sometimes you need to seek out what you want and need, and sometimes (and I really love this part) the ideal person simply shows up unannounced and ready to help. But mark my words you have to be ready to recognize her/him when this happens and be prepared to seize the perfect opportunity to hire the perfect person, even if it's not the ideal time...or financial landscape...or whatever.
I sit here this morning realizing that I am now actually able to spend a large--I mean REALLY large--percentage of my time doing what I do best and using my gifts in the most powerful ways for our company, which I haven't done for a very long time. Because I've also been the bill payer. And sales person. And marketing executive. And tech guru (heaven forbid). And event coordinator. And transcriptionist. And...and...and...
Now, with Katie and Karen staffing business development and operations, and our partners contributing expertise in brilliant ways to our various efforts, I actually spend most of my time writing books, speaking to audiences, creating new products, coaching and consulting for clients, and meeting with the people who can support our vision and whose vision we, too, can support.
AND I WAKE UP EVERY FREAKIN' DAY ENERGIZED AND EXCITED, PASSIONATE AND PRODUCTIVE.
Oh, man, it feels good. The A-Team is a turning point for me personally and for our business. I didn't realize how the weight of doing everything I'm either not good at or not interested in was weighing me down like an anchor in a sea of water. But now the anchor's gone and I'm at the surface, thrilled to not be gasping for air during perhaps the busiest and most important time of our business.
I'm just breathing steadily, peacefully treading water with my A-team for a few minutes while we get our bearings. And then we're getting ready to swim like heck toward a really nice looking beach. On your marks...get set...GO!
