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	Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Putting the Right Pressure on the Right Places ( on business) The other evening, I decided to drop by the spa to get a massage on the way home, a little indulgence I give myself  now and then. The attendant assigned to me was young, eager, and ... new.  It was pretty obvious from the start that he was doing his best, and  not quite mastering the art yet , he was compensating it by trying harder, ...  or rather pressing harder. Now,  firm pressure can be soothing and relaxing, but only coupled with the right technique and in the right places. Unfortunately pressing heavily on the wrong places can be painful, and he did it more than once. Which makes me think that doing a massage right is not much different from managing a business right. If you know where to press, you don't have to work very hard or press very hard to deliver results. And just like the massage, pressing hard on the wrong places can deliver bad results, just as focusing too hard or working hard on the wrong places can equally be problematic in business. Now, I would be the first to say that working hard is very important, but learning the proper way to do it still is the key.  As you may well know, sometimes, in our eagerness to deliver results, we or our people may, without meaning to, work too hard on the wrong things which can still be similarly disastrous. Managing and properly growing a business, just like managing a family  ( or doing the massage)  is still the right combination of two things. Effectiveness  - doing the right thing. Efficiency - doing the thing right. Take time to learn the trade, NOT JUST THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE. And you will know when to apply pressure, where to apply pressure, and when to loosen up, and not waste your strength. 7:42:07 PM     comment []   trackback []