Maybe you’re not familiar with the Bee Gees, a music trio from Australia. If not, you probably don’t know about their younger brother, Andy Gibb. But he had a hit, back in 1978, called “Shadow Dancing.” The lyrics have nothing to do with business. Well, some monkey business maybe. But not actual business. But I heard a little bit of the song as I scanned my radio on the way to a client meeting. And it reminded me of something I shared a while back.
It was a frustration “shadow dancing” story from “Lorrie.”
And that’s not her actual name. But here’s what caused her frustration…
Lorrie suddenly quit her job. Because enough was enough. She’d given it “the ol’ college try.” But after multiple weeks of frustration at her new job, she threw in the towel. And it wasn’t because the job was too much for her. Her anxiety and frustration were due to the disorganized lack of training. The person assigned to train her used the old “shadow me” method of job training. And, as predictable as it almost always is, that went over like a lead balloon.
So, what’s wrong with that training method?
As a new worker, you need to be willing to be lead, because you need guidance. So, that’s not the problem. But most people (probably including YOU) wanna work with people, and follow people, who make them feel confident.
And how much confidence do you get by shadow dancing? How much does it actually help just to watch somebody else do the work all day? Especially when the person you follow spends most of the time “putting out fires” that come up in business. Right?
BUT…
Shadowing someone else to learn how to do a job is NOT the same as following in the footsteps of someone more successful. And it’s not same as following the steps of a proven System.
In business (and life), you’re the hiker.
And a System is the well-groomed trail. You can either take the trail and save time, OR you can try to hack your way through the forest or jungle. Sure, you can still get there. Eventually. But why take a lot more time when you don’t have to?
That’s why I’m always talking about my RondaReady YOUniversity. Because it’s a System to help you figure out who you are and where you wanna go in your life. AND how to get there faster.
I’d love to tell you more about it and find out how it could help you reach your goals. Book a free call with me. Find a time that works, in the calendar below. I look forward to a conversation and to helping you…
Stay Ready,
Ronda