Page 48 - Never Fly Solo

CHAIR FLYING | 21
the work before you strap into your jet to fly? What goes on
behind the scenes before your performance on the job? This
is the stuff that your coworkers, managers, and customers
don’t see. It’s the extra hours polishing up a PowerPoint pre-
sentation for a key meeting and fielding every tough question
you can come up with. It’s the double- and triple-checking of
the projectors and sound systems to make sure your presenta-
tion goes off without a hitch. It’s the additional research into
your customer’s portfolio and press releases that can give you
an advantage and set you apart from your competitors. Suc-
cess is never an accident, and making it look easy takes a lot
of hard work.
The best place to prepare is on the job. Develop a contin-
gency plan with a wingman and base it on a realistic scenario.
Start with small challenges and raise the stakes from there.
Ask your wingmen to monitor your performance and give
feedback. Be willing to make mistakes, and keep a positive
attitude. Practice until the actions flow effortlessly. You may
be astonished at how effective this strategy is.
Before your next sales call or business presentation, do
fifteen minutes of focused chair flying. I guarantee you and
your wingmen will notice a major difference in your confi-
dence and performance.

And Finally, Focus

Thrust is your effort; vector is your direction. Here’s a key:
don’t be all thrust and no vector. People who are all thrust fly
by the seat of their pants. They’re fired up and excited to do
battle, but they have no real plan or even a target to hit. They
are easily blown off course by the winds of change, challenge,
and adversity.