A lot has been said lately about focus and how many projects you
should take on at once. What is said, mostly by the experts, is
that you should only focus on one at a time for maximum returns.
Well, I’ve done a lot of thinking about that. In fact, WAY too
much thinking about that. Let me tell you what I think…
I worked in a customer service job that serviced the pharmaceutical
industry for many years. And the very nature of this job was
such that if you DIDN’T focus on multiple projects at the same
time, it meant losing contracts, customers and dollars.
At times, I had as many as four major projects running all at
once and had tight timelines to go with them. And you know what?
They always got completed. Usually on time and within budget.
What does that mean? To me, that means the CORRECT thing to say
would be more like “Only work on the number of projects that you
can effectively move forward and complete on schedule”. Stay
within your own capabilities.
For me, that can be four. For you, maybe 2. Or maybe 7. That’s
something only you can answer.
I was recently talking to a very successful marketer who told me
that I should be focusing on one project at a time. He was the
second or third one that told me that.
But the funny thing here is, NO successful marketer that I know
works on just ONE project at a time. Including the marketers
that told me to focus on one at a time.
The major difference here is resources. When you hit a certain
level of success, you have more resources at your disposal. Money,
people, tools, etc.
So, what if you are NOT one of those who have those resources
at your disposal? What can you do?
Tha answer is really very simple and when I tell you, you’re
going to smack yourself on the forehead and say, “DOH! I knew
that!”
The answer: Strategic Partner(s)
Look, you don’t need to be a wildly successful marketer to have
your own team around you. In fact, when you get the right
partners, you will see your own productivity, ideas, and success
really start to flourish.
Why do I call them Strategic Partners?
Your partners should have the skills or components that you lack.
And conversely, you need to have the skills or components that
THEY lack. You need to compliment each other. This also means
tht you need to “take an inventory” of your skills. You need to
know what you can bring to the table.
One of my strategic partners is a programmer. Another writes
ebooks and other content. Still another partner brings a level
of creativity that I don’t posess. He’s an idea factory!
And I have certain skills that THEY lack, such as the “back end”
knowledge of setting up and running websites, marketing, networking
and customer service skills. We compliment each other greatly.
You can do the very same thing. It’s not that hard. But the
FIRST thing you need to realize is that it will take an effort
from you to make contact with people. OFF the computer.
My first partner I met at a lunch. My second at a seminar. They
both started from a simple conversation. We quickly determined
that we each had something to bring to the table that would
fill the gaps.
Now, working on multiple projects at once is not so daunting a
task as doing them by yourself.
The process is really very simple. Look for or organize a lunch
in your local area for people who work on line. Start by going
to a few of the marketing forums and simply ask who lives in
your area. (Heck, it’s how I met Mike Filsaime…)
Meeting face to face is recommended because this enables you to
“size each other up” to determine if you have similar goals and
value systems. That’s very important. That’s where the trust
begins.
Once you understand the power of strategic partnerships, you will
not look at your on line business the same ever again. The days
of “Lone Wolf” marketing are largely over. Time to roll with
the changes.
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Michael Ambrosio - Developer and Internet Entreprenuer
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to do so, just as long as this resource box remains with it.
Copyright 2006 Michael Ambrosio http://www.mikeambrosio.com
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November 14th, 2006 at 4:52 am
Michael,
I tend to agree with you about projects. However, I think many who advise focus misunderstand the word. Much like the difference between strategy and tactics, there is project focus and there is task focus.
These concepts seem to be frequently mis-represented. For instance, you might advise me to focus on a broad project, but I understand you to mean focus on specific tasks. In truth, focusing upon tasks within a project without maintaining an overall project focus will predispose that project to failure, even though the tasks were all performed correctly.
It strikes me from reading many ebooks, newsletters, & pre-launch documents, that these marketers tend to look at one large, all-encompassing project (product launch, say), then at sub-projects (e.g., build & establish a specific Web site), then at specific tasks within a given sub-project.
It also strikes me, from that same reading, that they do not always recognize when thier focus changes - hey, they’re still focused, right. By not recognizing the shift they’ve made, they’re unable to verbalize it. May be wrong, of course, but I’ve seen a lot of this in my corporate-world careers.
For example, your project is to drive from Dallas, TX to Alameda, CA in the US. Several sub-projects devolve, e.g., making certain the vehicle is fit and equipped, establishing a route, making certain you stay on that route while in transit, establishing where to acquire materials - food, lodging, fuel - and what is to be done at the end of the trip. Many tasks fall out of these sub-projects, and it’s sometimes difficult to separate the tasks from the sub-projects.
For instance, planning and maintaining a route might seem a task from the umbrella project viewpoint. But when you start working on it, you find it has become a sub-projcet with tasks of its own. What was a task when you were driving to the theatre has become a project when driving cross-country, due the the increase in magnitude.
But if you are familiar with all this, say as an over-the-road truck driver, some of it becomes so natural that you don’t even think about it. You just focus upon a task ’til it’s done, then move on to the next. Nevertheless, focus on the primary purpose was never far from your thoughts.
Does that make sense?
Anyway, that’s the feeling I get from a lot of the more successful marketers, and your article reinforces it. They’ve had success for so long and on such a scale that they really have trouble communicating their meanings, scaling them back to a tyro’s level.
Sorry to be so wordy … I’ll get out of here.
Make a good day …
… barn
November 14th, 2006 at 5:45 am
I’m with you 100% on this one. Reaching out to other Internet Marketers, and developing strategic alliances, is the key to online success. Without having the leverage of other people, it is almost impossible to move your business forward. PPC is getting more expensive. SEO is always changing. Human nature will always stay the same. It doesn’t matter if you are online or off, we are in the people business. Start building relationships, and watch your income multiply.
November 14th, 2006 at 10:59 am
Im totally in agreement too, I think you can learn so many things from other Internet Marketers, sure we all have a big bunch of ebooks sitting on our hard drives but the information is sometimes hard to digest. Working with other ebook sellers, one to one, has helped me more than I ever dreamed.
Nice post Michael, thanks Sally
November 14th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
To reach a goal you must have focus. Most people have the goal of independence, the reality is that it usually requires multiple relationships to get there. You focus on every part of the process…just not at the same time. Your team mates bring their knowlege to the table and with them a new project becomes a reality. As stated by others, relationships are the engines that power our society. Without people there is no business. Frome team mates to customers to friends who make a suggestion that opens up new vistas it takes people helping people to succeed.
Glen
November 14th, 2006 at 4:52 pm
Very true Mike. You hit it on the spot. It’s almost impossible to work on a big project alone.
However, strategic partnerships is not only about complementing each other’s skills, but having a similar vision and goal.
Whether to work on 1 project, or 3 or even 5 or more is irrelevant. As long as one is able to cope and focus on the project at hand.
When the gurus tell us to focus, it means to focus on our project and not jump into every new opportunity that comes along, doesn’t mean to literally focus on 1 project only.
November 15th, 2006 at 12:20 am
Hi Melvin,
Excellent comments! But I want to point out one thing… In your last sentence, this has not been the case. I recently was interiewed by a well-known marketer and when I said I had three projects going on, he said I should focus on one project until completion then move to the next.
They actually DO mean focus on one at a time… this was also covered by Mike F. during a seminar he did.
But the DO also mean not to jump around at every opportunity as well. What I think it SHOULD be is work only on as many things as you are capable. I actually CAN work on several projects at once and move them all forward…
Mike