Whenever you’re learning something new, including running a new business and learning how to work with customers, you’re going to make a mistake.
At least one mistake.
And if you’re anything like me, you’re so excited in the beginning. You start with a swing set (your simple service), and you quickly turn it into a theme park, an uncontrollable juggernaut of ideas (a multi-faceted business).
Of course you know that you can only focus effectively on one thing at a time. Any more than that is spreading yourself too thin, and that can affect the quality of your work.
But you’re excited! Even so, the last thing you want to do is make a costly mistake in your business, like letting down a customer, or having an epic public crash.
So how do you avoid this?
My husband inadvertently gave me the answer.
He is an avid remote control aircraft fanatic. He is constantly in his man-cave, building scale model planes and helicopters, testing out new wing designs and adding and removing parts for looks, speed and performance.
One day, while testing out his latest model jet at a local airfield, his plane came down hard and shattered into smithereens. Tiny pieces of foam lay all over the grass.
His friend came over and said, “Ah, you were only flying one mistake high – too close to the ground. You should have been at least three mistakes high”.
In other words, when you’re testing out a new concept, service or product, it’s important to:
- Keep it simple enough to control easily
- Tread carefully, anticipating worst-case disasters
- Allow enough space and time to manage any mistakes.
Fly your craft high enough to test it safely, do short flights, and temper your bravado. It could save you some costly reputation or financial business mistakes.
