Yoda had it right.
When I was in high school, I remember watching “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back.” In that movie, the Jedi master tells a skeptical and resigned Luke Skywalker, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” That’s stuck with me ever since.
I don’t like the word “try.” Although it may sound like the right answer, that’s only superficially true. Try does imply effort. As kids, we were all told to “try our best” and everything would be OK. Effort was the standard by which we were measured.
It takes effort, and more
And, of course, it’s important to try. Nothing happens without effort, but merely making an effort isn’t enough. The problem with saying, “I’ll try” is that it acknowledges the high probability of failure in advance and even treats it as a likely and acceptable outcome.
Does hearing a contractor say he’ll try to get the job finished by the end of the day fill you with confidence? No. That contractor is not emotionally and mentally committed to getting the work done on time. That contractor is just telling you what you want to hear. He’s using “try” as an excuse for not getting the job done.
A good try might be OK in Little League games and piano recitals, but not in business. Business does not reward effort; it rewards results. “Good Effort” trophies are not handed out in boardrooms.
Succeeding is the key
You know what’s better than trying? Doing. Accomplishing. Succeeding.
New team members at my company quickly learn not to say “I’ll try.” They replace it with “I will,” a promise that makes clear what is expected and commits them to a successful outcome.
When I started my company 10 years ago, we wanted to be the largest volume Mercedes-Benz dealership in the Midwest. That meant going from 72nd place out of 97 to No. 1.
By simply not allowing ourselves to think of anything else other than “we will do it” and by eliminating “we will try,” we made it happen in our first month in business.
When you get rid of all of the excuses you make to yourself, you can accomplish any goal you set!
Naturally, not every initiative succeeds. Failure is not always avoidable. What is avoidable is becoming resigned to failure, accepting it as an outcome and learning to live with it.
Every initiative should be launched with the expectation that it will succeed and the necessary commitment and effort to ensure it does. It comes back to just doing it!
Just ask Yoda.
Bernie Moreno
President
Collection Auto Group
Bernie purchased his first auto dealership in 2005 and now has 25 dealerships in the Collection Auto Group.
(440) 716-2700
www.thecag.com
