Giving up Good for Better
by Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, CMC327 words
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
"It works for me, so why should I change?"
"Better is the enemy of good."You've got this great opening for your presentation. It works every time. It always gets a laugh. Why should you mess with a sure thing?
But maybe only half of your audience laughs. "Yes, but that half laughs loudly," you say. "It works. It's good."Sure it's good, but is it the best you can do? Could you create an opening that would make 3/4 of the audience laugh? Can you create a funnier, more powerful, more poignant, more original opening? Probably. But to do that we have to be willing to give up good in order to be better.
I have an opening story that's good. It's unique to me, it's funny, it sets the tone. But women laugh more than men do. Do I use that story every time? No. Hardly ever anymore. Only with predominantly female audiences. "Why give it up?" you ask. "It works."Because I knew I could do better.
Is giving up good easy? No. Half an audience laughing loudly is satisfying to us. The hardest part of giving up good is recognizing that it's only good, and that we can do better. Then we must play and tweak, or begin all over again, until we replace it with better.
Working to improve is the sign of a true professional. When we become satisfied with good, we become stagnant and lose our freshness, creativity, and zest. We're just going through the motions. The professionals in all vocations whom I most admire are those who are continually mastering their craft. Does a surgeon stop attending conferences or reading medical journals because her appendectomies are good? Not if she wants to get better. Does a top chef stop experimenting and trying new recipes? Never!
What do you need to give up that's good in order to make it even better?
© 1996 Morgan Seminar Group
_______________________Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, is a dynamic speaker and seminarist. She is the author of four books, TurboTime: Maximizing Your Results Through Technology, Calming Upset Customers, Life's Lessons: Insights and Information for a Richer Life, and Professional Selling. For information on her speaking services, books, and tapes contact her at 1440 Newport Ave., San Jose, CA 95125, 408/998-7977, 800/247-9662, fax: 408/998-1742, rebecca@RebeccaMorgan.com, www.RebeccaMorgan.com. Please contact Rebecca for permission to reprint or repost this item.
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