Tuesday, December 29, 2009

nine for 2009

As we reach the end of 2009, I am both thrilled to see it go and eager to appreciate its (sometimes painful) lessons. A year ago, two of us seethed over a particularly egregious act of corporate stupidity, knew there was more to life than what we had; and virtualwirks was born. As the year closes, I can’t help but share 9 lessons it has given in 2009. No doubt there are others, and even more to come.

1. If it weren’t for the rocks, the stream couldn’t sing. Living in Colorado, we’re graced with the magical sound of flowing water in mountain streams and rivers. That beautiful sound is there only because the rocks are barriers to the water flow. Rocks in our path can trip us, or makes us sing. This year’s rocks left me singing, even if I had to fall on a couple before figuring that out.
2. You need less than you think to thrive. When money forces you to make hard choices, you quickly discover how much waste and profligacy really exists in your life. Having to do without leads to self discovery, a better evaluation of what’s really important and a greater empathy for those who have even less. And those are good things to have.
3. You get gifts when you aren’t looking for them. We never seem to know a fundamental event until after it happens. Forced unemployment became redeployment, reconnecting with people – many I haven’t talked to in 20+ years – became more than social networking, and throughout the year things mysteriously happened that taught, contributed, and helped. 
4. Luck helps. Never assume there’s no luck in business. It’s there and worth appreciating. Our first deal came through an astonishing bit of fortuitousness. Luckily, it changed everything.
5. The difference between mediocrity and excellence is always something small. One of our clients told us that the reason we got the deal was not just because of ability, or price, or the offering but the real decision came because of a phone call 2 years ago when he needed help. That call – which I had forgotten about – took less than 10 seconds to dial, less than 5 minutes to conclude, yet made a lasting difference. 
6. Giving up is easy, but why do the easy thing? If starting a business was easy, anyone could do it. The entrepreneurial cycle naturally weeds out most of its entrants. Don’t ever let that which wakes you up in the night make every decision for you. And take a little satisfaction in mentally saying “I told you so” to those who called you crazy to launch in a down economy. But only a little, there’s still a long way to go.
7. People matter, and they’ll surprise you. Success is more about relationships that almost anything else. Cultivate them, leverage them, and be ready to pay them back. The single most surprising lesson was how many people said they’d be there to help and weren’t and how many we never expected to be there who were.
8. Figure out what makes you unique. At a time when so many people and businesses are trying to recover, you have to figure out what makes you special. We’re fortunate to be early in an emerging market. Don’t assume that “good leadership” or “great experience” means uniqueness. There’s many more like you in that regard. Think hard about what truly sets you apart because your success depends on it.
9. Give yourself permission – and go for it. Once your head and your heart tell you to do something, tell yourself you will. Breaking free is painful, nauseating, nerve-wracking, self-doubting, terrifying and many other things. But it’s also liberating, fun, and worth every second of it. 

Sincere, humble and unreserved thanks and appreciation to each of our friends, clients, supporters, and cynics in 2009. We appreciate you all and look forward to what’s next. Happy New Year!

– Jim

Monday, December 21, 2009

time to move ahead

With the holidays drawing near and 2010 staring down on us, it is time to reflect upon the year that was and prepare for what we will make of the new one to come. Some – if not most – will look back on 2009 as a year plagued with adversity and despair – at least as relates to the economy and the impact that it has had on our own lives, as well as others around us. 

As I look back at the year, I am filled with mixed emotions recalling the events that unfolded as the year went along for me personally. If I had to sum my year up in one word it would be "uncertainty". As soon as the year began, I could sense that there were bitter days to be seen ahead. The economy was hitting record declines on a daily basis and many employers – including my former – had already started talking about large layoffs. At that point my uncertainty had well set in. I watched as my friends and colleagues were pushed out into a flood of an unemployed workforce. Good leaders were being let go for the wrong reasons, and poor leaders were left with jobs because they were less expensive. Morale was hitting lows that I had never seen before and you could just see the fear and stress upon the faces of all of those that were fortunate enough to still have a job. 

This world that I was living in was starting to take its toll on me. I was not the person that I wanted to be on both a personal and professional level. When the mid-point of 2009 was drawing near, I knew that I had to make a decision. I had to make a change. I made the decision that life is just too short to be consumed by the misery of doubt and uncertainty around the things that I cannot control. I decided to take a step into a world of uncertainty that I had never experienced before, and I did what some people told me was crazy. I willing left my job during one of the biggest economic downturns that my generation has ever seen to start a business of my own. But rather than being consumed by this new feeling of uncertainty, I embraced it for what it was… Hope and endless possibilities. 

So here we are looking at the face of 2010 and by no means has the uncertainty been erased. In some ways it is even greater. However, the uncertainty that remains is not the kind that breeds fear or doubt – it is the kind that fuels excitement and anticipation of what the next year will bring. 2010 is going to be a flagship year for virtualwirks. We are excited to look at 2009 through the rear view mirror for a lot of reasons, however, it will not be one that we will ever forget for a lot of different reasons. With all of that said, we are now focused on what is in front of us. We understand the importance of getting out of the starting blocks on the right foot and hitting stride as quickly as possible. We carry that same sense of urgency over to our clients to help elevate them and their remote employee models to the levels that will make 2010 a flagship year for them too. 

Good bye, 2009. Bring it on, 2010 – we are ready to make it everything that it can be. 

Cheers!

–Tadd 

Sunday, December 13, 2009

questions…and answers

This week I have spent a fair bit of time working on a handbook for at home workers. It covers the many things that are necessary to succeed when working virtually. But what comes to mind as I write it is the question of why people want to work from home in the first place. It is a worthy question, given that the real value behind virtual work is that it taps into superior people. When you do that, you get superior results. As always, once I get questioning things I can’t rest until I come up with what I think is the answer. Over the years doing this, I have talked with many virtual workers about exactly why they want to do it. Some jumped at the chance thinking it would be profoundly better than working in an office only to find that it wasn’t; as the strain of not having colleagues nearby overtook them. Some have discovered that their best business fit came through it, as they found that the intensity of being individually responsible while adding to the strength of their team was more powerful than they imagined. Still others have found virtual working to be the salve that soothes the pain of disability, infirmity or inconformity and thereby makes their lives better. 

There is a special recipe for virtual work. It is a few parts uniqueness, a few parts resoluteness, a few parts commitment and all of those – plus other parts – add up to excellence. No matter who writes or talks about virtual work models, the unequivocal conclusion is that it produces high quality and astonishingly good people. Part of this is the value of choosing people from across a wide geography. Part of this is that virtual work naturally separates those who can thrive from those who are better suited for a traditional environment. There are nearly as many reasons for being a virtual worker as there are virtual workers themselves. So as I thought about it, I realized it is a question without one answer. Virtual work makes sense for so many because it is makes their vocation a good bit about them. When that happens, it becomes all about their customer too. That is why it works, and that is motivating. My questions about why we’re doing this always seem to reinforce the fact that we are to begin with. And lessons from people become my own handbook for success.

– Jim