Andy Lykens

Innovating and operating through growth

Expertise

Little things

by

In marketing, there’s a concept called ‘positioning’ which is how consumers perceive a brand. It also informs how the brand is marketed by the company. It’s the difference in your mind between BMW and Mercedes, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, Nike and Golden Goose. Each of those brands holds some position in your mind, and those brands work hard to make sure they maintain that position.

Positioning can also apply to how we’re perceived in relation to others. Are we trusted and judicious? Speedy and efficient? Methodical and engaged?

Whether you like it or not, everything little thing you do builds on how you’re positioned in the minds of those you interact with. Taking the call, making the time, sharing the win. Even choosing not to interact with people affects your positioning.

I’m not suggesting you be everything to everyone – what kind of position would that be anyway? But if everything we do can make a difference in how we’re perceived by others, it’s worth being judicious with even the little things.

Building trust

by

It isn’t that your idea is bad. It isn’t that your personality is wrong. It’s not your clothes.

If people don’t know you, they don’t know where you’re coming from. They haven’t experienced working with you. They’re not familiar with your expertise and they don’t know why they need it.

So when you see an opportunity to make a connection, don’t squander it. Attention is rare and valuable and when you treat it as such, people respond positively. That doesn’t mean it’ll be an instant win. An instant win shouldn’t be your goal anyway.

Your goal should be making a small but meaningful connection. It may not seem like much, but it’s a first step on the path to building trust, and that path can lead to great things.

Emergencies and habits

by

Spending time at the dentist isn’t a fun past-time; you don’t go if you don’t have to and if you could avoid it, you would. But when your tooth hurts, the only thing on your mind is how soon you can get to your dentist’s office. Luckily, most of us have learned that habitual attention can help us avoid emergencies.

If people aren’t paying attention to you, it isn’t because you’re not important — it’s because you’re not important to them right now. Hopefully you’ve done the hard work of helping them instill good habits when you’re not top of mind.

Speed or mastery?

by

“Wow, that is fast,” people say, marveling at the effortless ability to solve a problem.

“That took me 20 years,” thinks the master, who has spent her whole career learning, growing, and caring enough to be good at this thing.

When you see someone who makes something difficult look easy, that’s mastery. When you see someone acting fast and then dealing with the consequences, that’s speed.

It’s easy to confuse the two, but it’s critical that you don’t.