You’ve heard it said a million times: When opportunity knocks, you have to answer. The problem is, sometimes Opportunity knocks with his best friend, Unreasonable Turnaround Time, in tow. At LMD, we know that to thrive in our industry, you have to be nimble. Here’s how to become more nimble so that you can take advantage of every opportunity to do great work and grow your business.
Start from a place of “yes.”
We know, it’s so easy to say no--especially when you know there’s not enough time to complete the request. But 9 times out of 10, there is a road to “yes” even if it seems impossible. Keep an open mind and resist the urge to say “no” right away, before you have a chance to consider your options.
Negotiate and compromise.
You’re the expert--you know what is and isn’t possible. Typically, when you review a project’s requirements, there’s only a small part of it that’s unrealistic and triggers the “no, that’s impossible” response. Propose a solution that pares back the impossible part while enabling you to deliver on the rest of the project’s requirements. For example: Your boss wants to create a 3D virtual reality video game--and put it in market in 60 days. Can you negotiate creating a video with a 360° experience, which can be delivered in 60 days? If you’re able to negotiate--and others involved are willing to compromise--there’s always a solution.
Have good partners.
LMD has partners with whom we’ve built trusting relationships over many years. As a result, we’re able to work together to complete even the most challenging projects at the highest quality possible within the time and cost constraints we outline. We often call our partners to strategize how to fulfill our client’s requests quickly and efficiently without sacrificing the quality of our work. By getting another expert’s opinion and perspective--as well as access to their expertise and skills--we can develop solutions that meet or exceed our client’s expectations.
So now that you have all the secrets to becoming more nimble, watch out for these side effects: Being relied upon with greater frequency, having a reputation as a go-to problem-solver, an increase in emails praising your work, more opportunities to grow your business, and an all-around feeling of accomplishment. Thanks to our talented employees, great clients, and awesome partners, the LMD team suffers these side effects on an almost daily basis. :)
