I just returned from our national conference in Tucson and experienced flight delay after flight delay. It took me two days to get home.
*Shoutout to anyone who travels for a living…please call me if you’re tired of the grind. Constant business travel is not for the faint of heart!
The most positive thing that came from all the delays is that I had the privilege of sitting next to one of the main leaders in the Oakland Raiders organization on my last flight. We immediately hit it off and enjoyed the time learning from each other. He had spent 30 years with the Dallas Cowboys and has been with the Raiders the last few years. He also had a very interesting and successful family. I had the opportunity to learn about them as well. His father was a veterinarian, who owned his own practice in Texas and employed many of the best veterinarians. When his father was thinking of hiring a new vet, he would interview them by putting them through a two-part test:
- He would ask them their hobby and dive deep into it.
- For example, if they golfed, he would golf with them and see how they handled winning or losing. Are they patient & gracious, or are they irritated, rushing and a sore loser? If they lose, do they shake hands and laugh or throw their golf club and sulk? You can learn a lot from someone when they’re not in their element.
- For example, if they golfed, he would golf with them and see how they handled winning or losing. Are they patient & gracious, or are they irritated, rushing and a sore loser? If they lose, do they shake hands and laugh or throw their golf club and sulk? You can learn a lot from someone when they’re not in their element.
- He would then invite him/her and spouse to dinner where he’d look for two things.
- If they are married, how did they treat their spouse? Respectful & loving, arrogant, or controlling? This showed their true nature to other veterinarians, customers, and employees.
- How long did it take them to order dinner? Did it take them twenty seconds or twenty minutes to order? Are they decisive or indecisive?
The last part of that interview got my attention. These are people who need to make quick decisions who need to make the best plan for their patients. You want a decisive leader who is confident in his knowledge and abilities to lead his team. Quick decision making is a skill that is imperative for any type of doctor.
Isn’t it the same for business owners? At our national conference last week, a leading franchisor stood up and said, “The top franchisees in our system go through our research process and make a decision in 4-6 weeks.”
While you don’t want to rush through the process, the best business owners are capable and confident of making a decision once they have gathered most or all of the facts and research. When you become a business owner, you are faced daily with decisions that need to be made quickly. So, the more you practice making decisions in a timely manner, the more successful you will be in business AND in life.
If you are tired of travel or want to start the next year on your terms, call me. There are so many amazing franchise opportunities that can help you build the life of your dreams. (And Walter, if you’re reading this, thanks for the time and the advice. Good luck in Vegas! Until our next flight together…)
“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
