This Growth Coach business coaching blog deals with a recent family vacation, pelicans, and business coaching lessons.  You see, my family and I took a very relaxing and memorable Easter vacation to Captiva Island in Florida.  We just returned.  Luckily, we planned for and paid for the vacation nearly a year ago and it provided a timely break from our dreary and cold Cincinnati winter and spring.  We had wonderful family time with no agendas, no schedule, and no hustle and bustle.  Just lots of good weather, good times and great memories.  And it never fails on vacation...my kids get me thinking and playing like a kid again.

Each day we pretty much hung out at the beach and did one special quick-hit water activity. Over the course of 5 days, we went fishing, kayaking, parasailing, and jet skiing.  While kayaking was peaceful and parasailing 400-feet above the ocean was a true adventure, it was ordinary jet skiing that became extraordinary.  While the four of us (tandem on the jet skis) were on the choppy ocean, we were literally surrounded by a large pod of dolphins for 20 minutes or so.  There were about 12 dolphins in total, 3 of them quite young. The young ones were especially friendly, playful, and unafraid.  They seemed to be as amused with us as we were with them.  My 10-year old boy was in heaven.  Looking a dolphin in the eye up close is quite special and memorable. 

Now, contrast the beauty and grace of a dolphin with something that looks awkward and prehistoric...a pelican.  While hanging out at the beach, we tossed baseball, read books and played in the surf.  But while simply lounging around in our chairs or walking the beach, we especially enjoyed watching the odd-looking pelicans hunt for fish.  They would bob on the ocean surface for a few minutes before taking flight to hover 50-150 feet above the water.  They continually left the surface of the ocean to get a better hunting perspective...literally a bird's-eye view.  It was fascinating to watch.

Our pelican friends would glide above and look for fish near the surface of the water.  When the target was locked on, the pelican would rapidly and violently dive bomb, bill first, into the ocean.  Occasionally, as they surfaced, a fish would be in their huge flap and you could see them take a big satisfying swallow.  Most times (4 out of 5), however, they simply caught a mouth full of salt water.  Undeterred, they would take flight again and dive bomb again...repeating this strange hunting ritual.  Best yet, while doing all this hunting, these pelicans would conserve precious energy by riding the air currents as they searched for prey...seldom flapping their wings. 

Watching these pelicans hunt provided this business coach with some valuable reminders and lessons relevant to all business owners, myself included: 

1. To be an effective owner, you can't be up to your butt all day in water (details).  Like a pelican, you need to lift yourself out of the business details and hover over your business to get a bird's-eye view...to gain a better perspective, more clarity, and see the big picture.  If you are too close to the water (details), you only see water...not the prize.  As an owner, how can you get away from the endless minutia to be more strategic and effective?  Sign up for The Growth Coach quarterly coaching process!  Once a quarter, along with other entrepreneurs, your business coach will help you get free from drowning in the details of your business and ownership role.  Your business coach will help elevate you to a better vantage point in which to see, think and plan.  Every quarter, you will gain greater clarity about where you are now and want to go, possess a strategic and focused plan to get there, and receive on-going accountability and support to make adjustments to stay on track.  Click here to learn more about our group business coaching services.

2. To be an effective owner, the pelicans remind us that we can't worry about temporary failures, setbacks or mistakes.  These pelicans were effective hunters because they kept hunting.  They didn't over-plan or over-analyze each fishing attempt.  And when no fish was caught, they didn't wallow in pity or beat themselves up.  They didn't waste time.  They simply bobbed on the water a minute or so, regained their energy, and took off to get a better view of their prey.  They went back to hunting.  Don't you wish your sales professionals spent more time selling?  You as a leader spent more time leading?  Stop wasting time dwelling on setbacks, mistakes and temporary failures.  Elevate your mindset and get back to what you should be doing...selling, marketing, leading, problem solving, etc.

3. To be at our best, business owners need to learn to conserve energy.  You can't continually flap your wings on a non-stop basis.  Too exhausting.  Learn to pace yourself and glide.  Yes, it's perfectly fine to glide every now and then. Flap hard only when absolutely necessary.

This business coach suggests you function more like a pelican...hang out at the beach, bob in the ocean, get a bird's-eye view when necessary, go after your goal hard, forget about your setbacks, stop flapping your wings so much, learn to glide, and eat more fish. 

Daniel M. Murphy
President, Founder & Business Coach
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System