One of Many Lessons Learned From The Shark

There are books and then there are books that every person serious about business ought to have in their library. I call those books, hallmark books. This has nothing to do with the card and gift store Hallmark. One of those hallmark books is by a man that I have been fortunate to meet on a couple of occasions, his name is Harvey MacKay. Harvey’s first book was “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive”. I’ll admit it’s a pretty ominous title but it really has nothing to do with actual sharks from the ocean it’s more about the nature or legend of the sharks nature that Harvey plays upon.

One of the big take away’s (and there are many) from the book is the power of the Rolodex. (Some of you probably don’t even know what a Rolodex is… Since the introduction of computer databases and last month’s topic CRMs. Rolodex is actually a brand name of a simple Rotary Card File.) Harvey tells about his father who was a reporter and kept a Rolodex of all his contacts with cryptic notes on the back of each and every card. When someone needed a favor, they called Harvey’s father and Mr. MacKay always came through for them.

This lesson is about who you and I have access too. Who we can rely on and who can rely on us. You should have a list, albeit a short list, of people you can count on to take of your clients, friends and family. I have such a list. It’s a list that is difficult to get on and easy to get off of in the event a ball is dropped. When you need something ask. I will access my Rolodex (even though mine is electronic) and I might be able to provide the perfect solution you need. You should do the same!