February is consistently my most challenging month. The days are short, and the nights long. Life seems to hibernate in February. And for me, this year is an additional challenge. I expect March to bring me to nearly full recovery from an end-of-year 2023 Achilles rupture. February 2024, therefore, offers me four weeks of progressing through my current Penguin waddle to revisit my Toddler phase. Four to eight more weeks today looks like an eternity. Still, I find solace in my journey’s progression since the injury, even if limited.
I share this partially as an opportunity to whine. Mostly, however, I see a valuable object lesson for Eagles Wings Business Coaching. Perhaps you, too, can benefit from both the encouragement and the challenge. Following are a few of my observations.
It’s not the weather.
February is cold and offers few opportunities to spend time on my porch or patio. There is also precious little color outside my windows. However, I am convinced that these are secondary contributors to my perineal February malaise. I find the most significant challenge in the darkness provided by a late sunrise and early sunset. Compound this with the number of grey, overcast days. I like the sunshine.
It’s the light!
I see a parallel. Eagles Wings Business Coaching flourishes in the light and wilts in the darkness. The more I can bring our plans to daylight, the faster they actualize. Your leadership team serves or can serve as a focus group for your new strategies.
Publish or protect?
A common question and concern is what does one broadcast, and what do you protect and share with a select few? I once heard a psychologist explain that for personal goals, we are wise to share downward goals publicly but keep upward goals with a trusted set of advisors. He illustrated that publicly sharing a goal to lose weight builds additional incentive, but publicly announcing an intent to advance professionally will energize competitors who can thwart your intentions.
There are different rules for sharing publicly with markets and competitors, but you can and should engage your entire team’s plans to increase revenues, market share, profit margins, etc. Keep discussions of decreasing goals like expense or staff reductions to the select team charged with the specific implementation. This focused team can work with you to craft your public communications.
It’s a short month.
I am thankful that February is the shortest month of the year. Even in Leap Years, there are barely four weeks in this month.
I start early in February, imagining what joys March and Spring are preparing to unfold. Allow yourself similar encouragement as you plow through this month, literally and figuratively.
You’ve got this.
Gather and shepherd your focus groups. Implement and inspect your strategic plans for this year. Certify that you have and are communicating your plans and programs effectively.
Don’t go this alone. We exist to assist. Let’s chat if you haven’t built or developed your focus teams or if you don’t have prospects to fill your team. Use the below buttons to schedule a 60-minute Complimentary Coaching Session (to work through a known concern) or a 30-minute Complimentary Strategy Session (to define or clarify a concern) as your needs dictate. You’ve got this; we are in your corner.