The Old Man is Gone
OK- he was not that old, because I am about the same age. I just felt weird when I looked at the home page and he was staring at me like "should you really be looking at this site?" I replaced his mug with an enlarged CMP logo. Since most of the page is a template that is really the only branding I have so I pumped it up a bit. Besides the header on this page is huge.
So above you see a typical thought process for me. I will spend hours or days agonizing over the smallest details of how the site looks. The truth is that no one really cares. Unless the site is really crappy, people are just looking for the info they need. Two lessons here:
1. Don't get in the way of your viewers. They are more interested in finding relevant information quickly than looking at your web design or reading about your company history.
2. Don't spend all your time on low leverage activities in the name of "perfectionism." Trying to be perfect is impossible, and is usually an excuse not to move forward due to fear. At least that has been my history.
When I prayed about launching CMP the only thing I heard God say to me was "launch it before it is perfect." Not how many people to recruit, how to design the logo, or what hosting company to use. It was a brilliant statement- especially for me. I have been tinkiering with creating an online class for over 8 years! My MBA thesis back in 1999 was the creation of an online class. I had everything written out including the lessons, but I never felt it was the right time to do it.
What is holding you back? If you are like me, it is yourself. My negativity took the form of being perfect and making everything just right. This time- with God's advice, I set a date of July 1st to have the site done and July 7th to launch to the public. Amazingly in about 30 days I created what I could not do in 8 years by saying I am doing it no matter what- even if it is not perfect.
I hope that you can learn from my mistakes and move forward with your dreams. If you are in CMP University please do not write a plan you never use. Use your plan to set a goal, and then start to make it happen. Be like my friend Catherine (Fisher & Company Real Estate 314-771-6235) who set her sights high and now owns her own realty company. She not only supports her family, she employs other people and helps them provide for their families too.
The Old Man is gone- but it is not the guy from the website, it's me!
So above you see a typical thought process for me. I will spend hours or days agonizing over the smallest details of how the site looks. The truth is that no one really cares. Unless the site is really crappy, people are just looking for the info they need. Two lessons here:
1. Don't get in the way of your viewers. They are more interested in finding relevant information quickly than looking at your web design or reading about your company history.
2. Don't spend all your time on low leverage activities in the name of "perfectionism." Trying to be perfect is impossible, and is usually an excuse not to move forward due to fear. At least that has been my history.
When I prayed about launching CMP the only thing I heard God say to me was "launch it before it is perfect." Not how many people to recruit, how to design the logo, or what hosting company to use. It was a brilliant statement- especially for me. I have been tinkiering with creating an online class for over 8 years! My MBA thesis back in 1999 was the creation of an online class. I had everything written out including the lessons, but I never felt it was the right time to do it.
What is holding you back? If you are like me, it is yourself. My negativity took the form of being perfect and making everything just right. This time- with God's advice, I set a date of July 1st to have the site done and July 7th to launch to the public. Amazingly in about 30 days I created what I could not do in 8 years by saying I am doing it no matter what- even if it is not perfect.
I hope that you can learn from my mistakes and move forward with your dreams. If you are in CMP University please do not write a plan you never use. Use your plan to set a goal, and then start to make it happen. Be like my friend Catherine (Fisher & Company Real Estate 314-771-6235) who set her sights high and now owns her own realty company. She not only supports her family, she employs other people and helps them provide for their families too.
The Old Man is gone- but it is not the guy from the website, it's me!
posted by Michael Daehn at 7/07/2006 09:05:00 AM
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