"Almost, But Not Quite"

What happens when you almost make something happen but not quite? How do you get over and through not making it across the finish line when you are right there and you can see it but you run out of time and resources before you can get it done? Having just gone through the closing of a business in which I was a partner, I have it clearly in the forefront of my mind. We had a great game plan. We had great support and acceptance in the marketplace. I had a great working partner. We had good people working for us. We were recognized and celebrated for our achievements. It was all right there but we ran out of money and time. Now what?

Maybe you experience it in your job as a manager or even in something you are trying to get accomplished on a more personal level. Wherever and whenever the disappointment of apparent failure comes, what do you do? To begin with, you don't accept the finality of thought that the word failure suggests. You continue to stay in process. Maybe a business venture cannot continue, or maybe you have to readjust your expectations on a production level, or maybe you have to reshape plans you have for yourself personally. The key is to stay in the game. Don't quit. The game is not over while you are still above ground.

Further, be sure to maximize your investment of time and money in whatever your situation is by taking the time to learn as much as you possibly can from your disappointment. We have learned that this is not the economy or time to be under capitalized and/or undermanned. At the same time, we have been validated on so many levels about what went well. It seems important to me, even vital, to gain as much insight as you can from wherever you have been in order to be better prepared for wherever you are going.

It is also important for you to reconfirm and possibly reframe your team. We all work with and mutually depend upon others for our success. Who is still standing with you? Who still believes in who you are and in what you represent? Unfortunately, there may be those who won't choose to stay with you. Let them choose. Accept and respect their choices. They have their own lives to live and their own dreams to pursue. But, recognize and celebrate those who stand with you. Refining and redefining is a big part of the process of achievement and success.

Staying humble is a constant in learning and growing. If you don't learn it here, you will be forced to learn it there. When something doesn't work the way you have planned then accept the fact that maybe your plan was flawed. I don't mean give up on what you know to be true. I simply mean to stay open to the reality that being human carries the baggage of fallibility. You might not have it right or maybe what you know to be right needs a different context, time or environment.

There is so much more to be said and, over time, I will take the time to say it either through this vehicle or others. But, for now, don't give up. Don't ever, ever, ever, give up! It was powerful when it was first said and it remains powerful today. Keep your head up. Keep moving forward. Listen and learn. Stay humble. Do well, my friends.