Suit pressed, shoes shined, in tune, on time.
For a musician gigging around town in the 50s and 60s, those were bare bones essentials. If you couldn’t show up ready to go, they’d find someone who would.
Suit pressed, shoes shined, in tune, on time.
It’s what I’ve advocated for with my own team. When they head out the door to see a client, I never wished them good luck, that would be cliche. My expectations were much lower.
I’d call out across the office, “don’t blow it.”
I must have said it hundreds of times and I wasn’t trying to be rude. Maybe a little snarky but not to rattle them or give them a hard time. I genuinely believed that was all it took to close deals. Simply show up and don’t blow it.
Suit pressed, shoes shined, in tune, on time.
Show up.
Look the part.
Be a professional.
Do some preparation, sure.
But mostly just show up.
Woody Allen was a creep, but he had his moments. He said that “eighty percent of success is showing up” and he is about eighty percent right. But let’s talk about the other twenty percent for a moment and how attainable that part is. You might be surprised.
Because at some point you’ll want to level up just a smidge. Your clients and coworkers will too.
If you want that last twenty percent, you’ll need to say something smart.
If you want that last twenty percent, you’ll want to give something of yourself, something authentic. Authenticity is pretty simple, right? You do you.
If you want that last twenty percent, you’ll need something that sets you apart. The other guy may be capable of ‘not blowing it’ as well you know. They know all their lines and where to stand too. If you can set yourself apart, you will be successful.
When you work for someone, clocking in, clocking out, meeting the dress code might be good enough.
But if you are the owner, if you’re taking ownership, or if you simply want to contribute, it takes more.
Awareness to understand what is needed and the bravery to take action.
And don’t take my word for it. Apparently, Tom Hanks had the same epiphany along his path to stardom.
“I don’t know what movie it was where I figured out, there was something more important than showing up on time and knowing the lines. At some point you have to show up on time, and know the lines, and have an idea that is unique to yourself. That you either talk about or demonstrate. And it has to be inclusive. It has to be additive to the process. Meaning that you can’t show up and say, ‘you know, I think I’ll jump out the window in this scene.’ You can’t jump out the window in this scene, because [if you do] you’re not in the rest of the scene, and they can’t replace the window that fast.”
Tom Hanks, on the Bill Simmons Podcast
Unique ideas you are willing to demonstrate means we’re doing more than daydreaming and journaling. You’ve got to be creative and brave. Sorry, one or the other won’t do.
Inclusive and additive means we’re not adding sails on submarines. This skill takes awareness and understanding and empathy. That’s heavy but it’s true.
Tom doesn’t know what movie it was where that clicked for him, but can we just assume it fell somewhere between Bachelor Party and Philadelphia?
And can we assume you are somewhere between your Bachelor Party and your Philadelphia?
I think we all are.
We start out just learning the scales, just trying not to screw something up, and then we grow, learn, and hopefully share.
Because on time, with the lines, right there on that X, only takes us so far.
That’s a vocation. A job. That’s an order taker. A few ‘no call – no shows‘ and they’ll send you packing.
The big upgrade comes when you bring something to the party that makes things better than how you found them.
“Have an idea that is unique to yourself. That you either talk about or demonstrate. And it has to be inclusive. It has to be additive to the process.”
Suit pressed, shoes shined, in tune, on time, is not quite enough.
At some point you’ve got to be additive.
