Help Comes to Those Who…

Yesterday, Melissa and I visited a camp, set deep in the woods of the Missouri Ozarks, operated by the secondary school we attended back in the dark ages.

(Yeah, Melissa and I met in high school. Stay tuned for the Hallmark movie ).

The camp, called “Drey Land,” hasn’t changed much since the 1970s when Melissa and I first visited as 7th-graders.

Every October, the school shuttles all 7th-graders to the woods for a few days of wilderness adventure, self-discovery, and team-building.

One of the team-building exercises: The wall-climb.

Yesterday, we stood in front of the latest version of the wall as the camp director, John, described how the exercise works:

12-foot wall with no hand- or foot-holds. 12 people on the team start at the foot of the wall. All 12 must climb over the top of the wall. All 12 must successfully climb back down.

On the backside of the wall, there’s a platform where people can stand and reach over the front to pull others up.

Getting 12 people up the wall and back down takes a ton of teamwork and coordination.

The real exercise, John said, is not the actual wall-climb; it’s the discussion group members have as they plan how to conduct the wall-climb.

Team members learn how to listen, negotiate, compromise, and problem-solve.

And most importantly, they learn to acknowledge and confront what they cannot do.

If you can’t do a pull-up, you shouldn’t be the first person up the wall. No one is at the top to pull you up.

Acknowledging and admitting the holes in your game is hard for 7th-graders. It’s nearly impossible for adults.

John has run this exercise for young students and adult businesspeople. Businesspeople are proud, he said. Many won’t admit they can’t do it. Many are slow to ask help.

That syncs with my experience. I stand accused. I used to be that guy who would never admit, “I can’t do a pull-up” or “I need help with this aspect of my business.”

Every week, I meet businesspeople who spin their wheels. They’re stuck and frustrated. But they keep flying alone, more comfortable spinning their wheels than asking for help.

Those 7th-graders who try to climb that wall learn quickly: It’s OK to ask for help. In fact, it’s critical. You’ll climb higher and achieve more that way.

Help comes to those who seek it.

If you seek help…

…to attract high-quality leads, land clients who love you, and skyrocket profits — without tech headaches, reserve a spot at the online training I’m hosting on Thursday.

The training is called The Tech-to-Profit Formula. Click the button below to learn more and save your seat.