One reason why your strategy and tactics might not be working

Ron Wilder here with a quick story for you.

I hosted an intensive recently for five small business owners where we guided them to the next level of growth and profitability.

While preparing for the event, I remembered an episode from my martial arts training that is particularly relevant, so I thought I’d share it with you.

About five years ago, I was a brown belt (just below black belt) in a mixed martial art called Ki Bon Sool – before I started training in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

One night in class, my teacher showed a technique that was super cool. As the attacker approached, my teacher launched a front kick right to the attacker’s upper torso, knocking him flat.

It was a dazzling display of technical mastery and efficiency.

Except there was one big problem.

As I watched him teach it, I realized that this technique would never work for me.

Why?

Body type and flexibility.

My teacher: 6’2″ with a tremendous reach advantage and kicking flexibility.

Me: 5’7″ with short stocky legs and limited hip flexibility. No way I could get my leg up that high to land that kick — without seriously compromising my posture and position.

So while the technique was awesome, I concluded that I would not likely ever use it in a real scenario against a larger opponent. As a student of the art, I practiced the technique, understood its principles and application, but then put it on a shelf.

I realized in that moment that I had to determine for myself which approaches would work for me — and then focus on mastering those specific techniques so that I could use them reliably and efficiently.

As I look at the landscape of business today, there are many offerings on the market to learn strategies and tactics.

You can go learn new strategies — new business models, pricing models, delivery methods and approaches. Which one is right for YOU?

You can learn new tactics — like webinars, LinkedIn, Facebook advertising, books, sales methodologies, etc. Which one is right for YOU?

If you know yourself and the direction you are heading, then adopting and mastering the right new strategies for you can turbocharge your business results.

But if you do not know yourself and where you are headed, or are choosing based on old patterns or mindsets, then new strategies and tactics are like bright shiny objects. Alluring, but ultimately disappointing.

The problem here is that if you cannot use a strategy or tactic with total CONVICTION, then it’s value to you is not just zero, it is NEGATIVE.

For example, if you are not suited to be using webinars, — as in the tactic does not match your body type — you waste time, money, and energy on a tactic that will likely NEVER WORK FOR YOU — because you will never have CONVICTION behind it. Yes, you do have to practice to build that conviction. But if the tactic is mismatched to you, then the conviction will not truly develop.

I can tell you this from personal experience. I tried doing webinars for a while. I totally understand their value. I know other people who rock at webinars, and I’ve studied the principles of how to construct a good webinar. But for me, webinars are missing the live energetic exchange that I thrive on and where I do my best work. Recognizing this about myself, I doubled-down on live teaching experiences where I can maximize my contribution. In the time I could spend crafting and producing a webinar, I can just get a few people in a room live and get to work. Now for you, the exact opposite may be true. And that is the point.

As an individual, you are completely unique — and your business contribution reflects that uniqueness. Your contribution is unique and your best way of selling and delivering your value will be unique to you.

Perhaps you do want to learn a new strategy or tactic. Fantastic. Just make sure that you can INTEGRATE it into who you are and how you will specifically apply it. Be wary of any formula that likely works extremely well for the person teaching it — but may not be suitable for you without adaptation.

My commitment to my clients is to help them know themselves at a deeper level than they ever have before and to allow them permission to choose a direction that is true for them as individuals.

Then, and only then, is the choice of strategy and tactics appropriate — and then the process of integration and growth can truly occur to enable growth to the next level.

If you are finding that your strategy or tactics aren’t working as well as you’d like, then give yourself permission to consider whether they really are suited to you.