“Sudesh I am an open book. With me what you see is what you get” I have heard the statement above countless times. It is often used when someone is describing themselves as being transparent and honest. But sometimes life can get complicated and wearisome to guarantee getting what you see.
In the early days of my Coaching Career, I walked into the office of a Managing Director who needed Sales Training for their team. Having been a Marketing and Sales Manager whilst at Leather Industries Uganda this was a no-brainer. I saw an opportunity but instead, I got lots of opposition. What I had seen wasn’t what I was getting.
“Sudesh you’re young and inexperienced compared to the Business School Professors I just talked to”, Sam (not real names) asserted.
“Sam look I may look like I don’t have the experience but I respectfully disagree with what you’re saying. If experience is about head knowledge, I am not your guy but if it’s about being in the trenches and getting work done then I am the man for the job”, I countered.
Swinging in his expensive leather recliner, Sam had a lot to think about. For close to a minute, he didn’t say much except looking at me and signing documents on his desk. Without looking at me he said, “One more thing, my General Manager doesn’t like you. He thinks you’re a young man testing the waters with us”
“Sam I am making an offer which I want you to think about. Give me the project to train your salespeople. If you talk to them after one session and they don’t value my input I will refund the total amount of the three days of training. Put it in my contract.
It did not take Sam long before he offered me the training project. I aced the training. The Sales team activities astronomically increased and subsequently the revenue in the months that followed. To date Sam and I are great friends.
If I had believed in the principle of open books, I would never have had that opportunity come to fruition.
Over the years I have learned that things are not what they seem to be. The sky is not blue. Some great people walk around with masked insecurities. Someone saying “NO” does not stop me from making a pursuit. Happy marriages are not automatically happy-it takes work. Jobs were not designed to make you comfortable as they are portrayed in the adverts.
What you see is not what you get. What you get is what you decide to get.
In the words of Chester L. Karrass, “In Business As In Life- You Don’t Get What You Deserve, You Get What You Negotiate”
Happy new year
