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The danger of going ‘green’
by Lindsay Sukornyk, B.Comm, CPCC
Executive Leadership Coach
Founder of North Star Coaches
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“Ask for 100% of what you want, 100% of the time and be available to negotiate the difference.”
- author unknown
A fundamental principle of Marketing 101 involves customer segmentation, and divides people into two different groups – the ‘blue’ group and the ‘yellow’ group. A classic mistake that marketers fall into is attempting to please everyone by going ‘green’ – a little blue and a little yellow – and ultimately pleasing no-one.
Recently, the importance of this fundamental lesson was highlighted by one of my great teachers – my three-year-old daughter. Nestled in for our Friday movie night with carefully selected movies, a family movie I picked that the adults would also enjoy and a foreign film for after the kids were asleep.
Thirty minutes into the family movie, it was quite clear that my daughter wasn’t remotely interested in ‘her’ movie. We agreed to take it out and watch another. As I started to put in the foreign film, she declared, “But mommy, I want to watch ‘my’ movie.” As I explained that the last movie was ‘her’ movie, a fierce negotiation ensued. I’m both proud and embarrassed to admit she won, hands down. Our debate reminded me that I had ‘gone green’ by selecting a movie that was only mildly interesting to both of us. She wanted to watch Dora the Explorer which I find irritating, and my foreign film was uninteresting for her. In attempting to please all of us, I pleased no one and wasted time and energy. |
Do you sell out?
How often do we sell out on what we want, choosing instead what we think will please others, both at home and work? Instead of staying in the awkwardness of negotiation, we jump to a half-solution that compromises what each party really wants. This can lead to frustration and wasted resources. Although the immediate solution may not always be obvious, stay in conversation long enough to resolve the outstanding issue. By continuing to ask questions, listening attentively and communicating needs, you often discover options that weren’t immediately apparent. There’s an infinite number of possible solutions to any situation and often the best immediate solution takes the form of, “Yes, but not now,” or “I’ve decided to not make a decision.” As difficult as short-term external conflicts might be, your internal conflict could be much worse in the long term. Ultimately you only have to live with yourself.
So, the next time you find yourself in a healthy debate, resist the temptation to jump to a compromise. Stay in the conversation long enough to satisfy the question, “What do I really want?”
H&L
If you have a burning life question please email
lifecoach@healthandlifestyle.ca |
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