Your Assumptions About Job Descriptions Can Harm You

One of the worst things you can do is get in a “box” and this applies to job descriptions—or rather, what you assume someone else is capable of doing because of your misconceptions about their job description. Compounding this is the current thrust toward “niches.”

BROADEN YOUR THINKING: YOU MIGHT MISS SOMETHING

When I’m marketing for clients, I work in a quality network. The person I turn to for web design is Nancy Fenn (http://www.geocities.com/idesignwebpages). She is also an Intuition Coach (www.bemyguide.net). She refers clients to me for the overall marketing strategy and management, and I do the ezines. I refer my marketing clients back to her for web design because I don’t know anyone who does better work.

Recently, in working with one of Nancy’s referrals, we talked about how excellent Nancy was at web design, and the client, who had initially gone to Nancy for personal life coaching, said to me, “Nancy has many hidden talents.”

Nails on the blackboard here!

IS THIS A HIDDEN TALENT: YOU BE THE JUDGE

Here’s an example of Nancy’s work: http://www.thecoachingmuse.com. I don’t see anything “hidden” about Nancy’s web design talents, do you?

If you can’t see the thread that would make someone both an excellent coach and an excellent web designer, I can supply it, but I want you to realize it’s always there.

Most people who are entrepreneurs are multi-talented. Be willing to accept this and make use of it. Corporations and businesses ‘pigeonhole’ people. A person working on their own is free to soar, and most do!

THE THREAD, THE CONNECTION

The thread is Nancy’s intuition. This allows her to coach well, and also to ‘get’ the person and put this across on the Internet which is, after all, the essence of branding.

We have been trained to make fun of “the bait shop and beauty shop” approach. Why, I don’t know, but it’s time to let it go and move on.

For many years here in San Antonio there was a store that sold firearms and liquor—scary thought, isn’t it? However it’s a natural connection and the store did well. Furthermore, it sat in our premier shopping center, right beside the designer clothing store. (Now where might you park your husband while you buy your $500 dress?)

You see the “bait shop and beauty parlor” in small towns. Small towns are close to the people who live in them. Our big chains are finally getting in to this concept – why should you NOT be able to do the family grocery shopping when you’re out looking for a new set of sheets or a dress for your daughter? What took so long?

Why should your personal life coach NOT be able to design a web site for you? Why shouldn’t your attorney also design and sell needlepoint? Why shouldn’t your cosmetic surgeon be an artist as well? More importantly, why would you consider something else a person does well “a hidden talent.”

Many of us who are in search of a balanced and meaningful life enjoy developing multiple talents.

KEEP YOUR MIND OPEN

Don’t automatically ‘shut down’ when the man who comes to paint your house tells you you need a product to make your practice grow and then tells you what it is. It happened to me because I was willing to listen. Tony the Painter gave me the idea for my Don’t Die at 50 Weekly Organizational Calendar© (www.susandunn.cc).

Tony the Painter, I eventually found out – after all he ‘lived with me’ for a solid week – set up 3 of the most successful beauty salons in our town and then sold them, patented an invention for painters and sold it to 3M, and owns a huge piece of property he’s developing into a housing development. In addition, he’s the owner of the painting company, and contracts with 15 other painters.

I work at home and he overheard my conversation on the phone and jumped in with a suggestion that helped me produce a product that sells.

What would have happened if I’d said, as many of us do, “What could Tony the painter know about anything besides painting walls?’

OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE WHAT YOU’RE SEEING

My first clue to open up to this man was when he told me I should paint the DR mauve, with faux, and put in deep green carpeting to bring out the colors of the seat covers. I realized I was listening to an artist.

Tony the painter, by the way, is living his passion. He has several businesses going (that I know of), is an artist and entrepreneur, owns the painting company, and chooses to go out and paint walls himself. I asked him why.

“I like to paint,” he said. “My wife runs the businesses. I can’t stand that stuff.”

Tony the painter would be a good coach, too.

Get rid of your preconceived notions!

Also, be willing and open to developing other talents you may have that could bring you satisfaction and help clients.