Cold Open And The Big Question

Ty Cobb Backer 0:00

Episode 339. When the plan changes, we have a kind of a belief system that either we're gonna push you up, we're gonna push you out. I don't want to be around five other people that aren't pushing themselves to succeed. Success isn't about taking, but giving value first.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Compensation follows contribution always. This is true. Authenticity, it's the true every week. This is our story. We share with you our journey, we share with you our scars. Please welcome your host, Tycombacker.

Ty Cobb Backer 0:32

Welcome back to another episode of Behind a Tool Belt. This is episode 339, and I'm glad you're here. Whether you're listening in the truck on your way to a job site in the office, shit, at the gym, or maybe you're just listening to this sitting at your desk. I do appreciate you spending time with us. So today I want to talk about something that I feel like every single one of us deals with. It doesn't matter if you're a business owner, a manager, a salesperson, a crew leader, a parent, a spouse, or just someone wanting to get better in life. You know, at some point in time, I think Jim Bob's calling me. Jimbooie. What's up, Jim? Don't you know we're live right now?

When Plans Get Punched

Ty Cobb Backer 1:34

You know, but anyhow, at some point in time, if plans change, you know, you can have the best plans in the world. You can write them down, you can build out a schedule, you can communicate it to your team, you can prepare, you can forecast, you can think through all of the details, and then you get punched right in the mouth. I think Mike Tyson said it best. He said, everybody's got a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Let's face it, life happens. The weather changes, materials don't show up, customers change their mind, a team member calls off, project runs too long, market shifts, right? Lead sources dry up. The person you were counting on doesn't follow through. The thing you thought was going to happen on Monday doesn't happen until Thursday. And suddenly the plan you were so confident in is no longer the plan. So the question is not, will the plan change? The question is, who do you become? Who do you become when the plan changes? That's what I want to talk about today. Because in business, in leadership, in life, the people who win are not always the people with the perfect plan. And I trust me, I freaking wrote the book on that. I've read the book on behaving poorly, becoming something not so pleasant to be around, still do sometimes tied, whatever the case might be. But I've learned that they're the people who know how to adapt when things change, overcome and pivot. And that's something I've I've worked on for a long time. Was learning how to adapt to the situation, overcome obstacles and pivot, come up with a new plan. Okay. When things change and they're gonna change. You know, but those that that can stay focused on the solution, those are those people, those are the people who who trust the process. Okay. But I also want to talk, and I'll talk a little bit about it later, but but verify. Okay. I'll I'll explain what verify means. Okay. You know, and I and I've come to find too, you also need to have a backup plan. Okay. And then something else that I talked about a couple weeks ago was, you know, trying to understand that that motion creates momentum, okay, instead of being stuck. And and there are people who who that, you know, we don't need a perfect plan to get started. We just need, we just need a direction. We need to take ownership. We need to take action. And and we need we need the mindset to keep moving when things don't go the way that we expected them to go. So today I want to unpack that a little bit. I want to talk about what it means to lead when when plans change, how to think when when pressure hits, and and how to keep yourself and your team moving forward when when everything around you seems like it's just crashing down and shifting. Because here's the truth anybody can lead when everything is going according to plan. That's easy. Okay. The real test of leadership is what happens when when that plan falls apart. Okay. The the plan, this is the reality. Plans are gonna change, right? And I know that sounds simple, but a lot, but a lot of frustration in life comes from refusing to accept that reality. We make a plan, and then when things change, we act surprised. We act irritated, we get emotional, we start to blame, we start saying things like this always happened. And I know you can think of somebody that probably always says that. And and why can't things go right? Or or this wasn't supposed to happen. Listen, I get it. I've been there. Okay, it's easy to start pointing the finger. But when you're when you're building a company, leading people, whether it be your household, your family, running a job, managing crews, taking care of customers, dealing with vendors, and trying to keep all the wheels turning.

Changed Plan Not Failed Plan

Ty Cobb Backer 7:15

It is easy to get frustrated when things don't go according to plan. But but over time, the one thing that I've learned, I've learned a changed plan is not always a failed plan. Okay, I feel like we've been talking about this a lot, at least around here. Maybe not necessarily on the podcast here, but but sometimes a changed plan is is just the next version of the plan. Sometimes it's it's a small adjustment, sometimes it's a test, sometimes it's it's redirection. Shit. And sometimes it's even protection, you know, because sometimes the things that didn't go the way that we wanted them actually saves us from something worse later down the road. And I don't know how many, I can't even count on both hands how many times I've been saved by by things changing, plans changing, going different direction and learning how to pivot. But but you won't you won't see that if if you're too if you're too busy angry, okay, about the first plan not working. You know, that and and that's why I believe mindset matters so

Lead Yourself Before Leading Others

Ty Cobb Backer 8:32

much. When when the plan changes, the first thing you you have to manage is is is not the schedule or the crew or the customer or the project. The first thing you have to manage is yourself, okay, your reaction, your attitude, your tone, your energy. Because as a leader, people people are watching how you respond. Okay. If you panic, your team panics. If you complain, your team's going to complain. If if you blame, the team is going to blame. Okay. But if we if we can just pause, think, adjust, and move forward, the team learns to do the same thing. That doesn't mean you pretend everything is fine. Okay. That doesn't mean you ignore the problem. That doesn't mean you don't hold people accountable. It means you choose to be solution focused instead of problem obsessed. And listen, I'm speaking from experience. I've I've got to experience it on both sides where I've become so obsessed over the issue, and it's just one small issue. Okay. 99% of everything else can be going right. And I get hemmed up on the 1%. And I and I just I can't think. And I'm basing my decisions off of my short-term emotions and that affect our long-term goals. And and it's something that I have to really pay attention to and pay close attention to, you know, because there's a huge difference between problem, obsessed, people keeping, you know, keep keep circling the issue. Okay. They keep talking about like what went wrong. Okay. They keep reliving the mistake. They keep pointing fingers. They keep looking backward, backwards. Okay. And where I try to stay focused is in the solution. Okay. Because I get I can get stuck in that circle. Okay. But if it, if and when I can acknowledge the issue, identify the next move, and get back into motion, that seems to make a difference. And I and I and I I I snap out of it quicker. Okay. But if I just stay stuck in my shit, you know, close the door, not talk about it, don't bounce it off somebody, get it out of my head, write it down, and start executing a plan. That's when things get worse. And in business, especially in the trades, okay, we can't afford to stay stuck for very long. It it it there's way too much at stake. Okay, customers are waiting, crews are waiting, people are waiting for answers. Meanwhile, the the schedule is moving, you know, that affects cash flow. Our reputation can be affected. The the team, the team's confident, confidence, you know, becomes weak. Okay. So so yes, feel the frustration, okay, for a minute. Okay, take a deep breath, step outside, say a prayer, okay, go for a walk around the building. I don't know how many times I've done that. I don't know how many times I've seen Vic do that. Okay. I've seen people out there, you know, but we can't live in it. All right. The plan changed. So now what? Now what? And we we gotta ask ourselves that question. Like, now what? And and that's a simple, short, but very powerful question. Now what? Not not, you know, and I've done this, I've reheared replayed this. Why me? Who can I blame? Why does this always happen? But now what? That question, that question moves me from emotion to action. Like my brain kicks in and starts seeking solutions. Okay, and action is where the momentum starts.

Adapt Overcome And Pivot

Ty Cobb Backer 12:52

Okay. One of the biggest skills we can develop as a leader is the ability to adapt. Okay. Adapting does not mean lowering the standard, it doesn't mean giving up on the goal. Okay. It doesn't mean letting chaos run the company. Adapting means you stay committed to the destination while being flexible with the route. And that's important. Okay. Adapting means you stay committed to the destination while being flexible with the route. Okay, the destination may stay the same, but the route might change. Okay. We can get to the same place. We don't always have to take the same route to get there. Okay. We may still be committed to growing the company, which we are, but the way that you get there might change for sure. There's no doubt about it. You may still be committed to serving the customer, but the schedule might need adjusted. Okay. You may still be committed to developing the team, but the training might need modified. Okay. You may still be committed to hitting the goals, right? But the strategy might need might might need to to change or evolve. Okay. That's adapting. Okay. And then there's overcoming. Okay. Overcoming means you don't let the obstacle become the excuse. And I thought long and hard about this. Okay. Because each and every single one of us has obstacles. Every person has challenges. Every freaking team has setbacks. The companies that grow are not the ones without the problems. They are the ones that get better at solving problems. Okay. And I I've said this before, and I truly believe it. Business is problem solving. That's what we do. Customers call us because they have a problem. The roof is leaking, the siding is damaged, the gutters aren't working, the lawn needs attention. The home needs protected. They need some type of home improvement. They they have a problem and they they are trusting us to solve it. Okay. But inside the company, we're solving problems too. Okay. Scheduling conflicts, communication problems, training, training issues, cash flow problems, sale problems, leadership problems, culture problems. Okay. And if we think success means we'll eventually get to a place where there are no problems, we're going to be disappointed because there's always going to be issues. Success doesn't remove problems. Success gives you bigger problems to solve. That's it. Mo money, mo problems. Okay. That's why the ability to adapt and overcome is so valuable. Okay. And and then and then there's pivoting. Okay. Pivoting is a word I think people people use it a lot, but but I want, I want to make it sound, I want it to feel practical. Okay. Pivoting means you were willing to change the move without the mission. Okay. We all know what the mission is. Okay. But sometimes we have to pivot to get there. That doesn't mean that doesn't mean we quit. It doesn't mean we throw away the vision. It doesn't mean that we abandon the standard. Just simply means we pivot. Okay. We we adjust our foot positioning. Okay. So we can keep moving in the right direction. Right. So in basketball, when a player pivots one foot, the other foot stays planted, right? And the other foot moves. So I feel like that's like a great analogy or a great picture for us for us to imagine that, like, yeah, the one foot stays planted, but the other foot is pivoting. Okay. So when the plan changes, what stays planted? Our values, our standards, our mission, our commitment, our integrity, our responsibility to each other, our responsibility to our customers, our responsibility to our team. Those things stay planted. Okay. But what might move, right? The schedule, the method, our approach to how we're going to get there, the conversations, our strategy might change, the assignment, the process. That's pivoting. Okay. You keep one foot planted in who you are and and and what you stand for, but move the other foot so you can respond to reality. Okay. And in a nutshell, that's true leadership. You know, I think I think too many people either refuse to move at all or they move everything. Some people are so rigid that they break, literally break when the plan changes. And others are so flexible that they lose their standards. I've been on both sides of the spectrum, but the goal, the goal is to be anchored and adaptable. Okay. Anchored in principles and adaptable in methods. That's where growth happens. Okay. The pivoting mindset starts within within that belief. Okay. And you have to believe when shit's hitting the fan, okay, that there is going to be a solution, that there is a solution. But maybe we just don't see it yet. Maybe, and the chances are it's not going to be easy. It's most definitely not going to be convenient. And maybe, maybe it's not the solution we wanted. Okay. And that's where acceptance comes in. But there is going to be a solution. May not be the one we wanted or the one that we thought, because the plan changed, right? That belief, I feel, matters because your brain looks for what you tell it to look for. So if I'm looking for solutions, you're there's like a there's like a channel that opens. At least for me, it does. I start looking for the solution and start removing myself from the problem. So if you believe there's no way forward, your mind will collect evidence that proves you right. You'll see every single freaking obstacle, every delay, every reason why it won't work. Every person who has done that, it it just failure. That's where true failure comes into play. That's where the excuses, you'll you'll find every excuse available. But if you believe there is a solution, your mind starts looking for options. I've tested this theory, I've done it to myself. I have mentally masturbated over issues and solutions and thought there was no way out. But then, like within a brief conversation with somebody, all of a sudden, all of these solutions started coming out of nowhere because both of our minds started looking for solutions. And you know what? The problem was no longer an issue. And it actually created a different system or a process that we didn't even know we needed at that time. Right? So when I'm in that, I need to start looking for like who who can I call? Okay, that that can help pull me out of this. What can we move? What needs adjusted? What is the next best step? What can we learn from this? I don't know how many times I've said that. Almost immediately when something bad went wrong. Okay. And what can we do right to fix it? And that in itself, in a in a nutshell, excuse me, that's the pivoting mindset. You have to pivot and sometimes on a freaking dime. You know, this is the other thing, too. It's not blind optimism. It and it's not pretending everything is easy, it's disciplined thinking. Under pressure. And for whatever reason, I must have put myself under a lot of pressure over the years because almost instantaneously I start thinking about why is this happening for us? Almost instantly anymore. I would say 95% of the time my mind goes right to why, okay, why is this happening for us? What safeguard did we not put up? You know, what why didn't we have a backup plan? What can we do next time in case this happens? Like instantaneously, you know, and I and I believe that's the one most important thing a leader can bring to the team, okay, is is knowing how to pivot and have solutions. Okay. And it's I believe that's that's disciplined thinking under pressure because pressure reveals patterns. Okay. When things go wrong, you find out how people think, okay. Some people freeze, some people blame, some will hide, some will exaggerate, some people create more chaos. And I've done every single one of those things. That's why I'm mentioning them. And that's not who I want to be today. I want to be that guy that's sitting inside the house that's burning all around him, sitting there in the middle of it, completely cool and calm. Okay. Am I perfect at it? Absolutely not. But I am not anywhere near the raving lunatic that I used to be. I think, I think, you know, maturing and experiencing things and and being able to watch how poorly other people seeing myself, let me let me word it this way: seeing myself, too much of myself and other people has really helped me grow in that pivoting mindset. But and the other thing I had to learn to do too was I had to learn how to slow things down in the moment. Okay. And then I had I had to learn how to ask better questions that that could bring me clarity to to the situation where where I had to actually separate facts from feelings. Okay. And then I could, then it would be easy, it's easier for me to like identify the next move. Okay. And I kind of touched on that earlier.

Ask Better Questions Under Pressure

Ty Cobb Backer 24:30

And here's a few questions I think every every person should have ready when the plan changes. Okay. What do we know for sure? And I don't know how many times I've asked that question. Like, what do we know for sure? Okay. And maybe not necessarily in this order. What is the actual problem? Who needs to know? What are our options? What is the fastest, fastest, responsible action we can take? What can wait? What cannot wait? And what is the lesson here? Okay, and like I said, that's not that's not in any specific order, but that shit's gold right there. And if you can slow down for a minute and ask yourself those questions, okay, that because those questions will help you lead instead of react. Okay, and I noticed and and notice that I said fastest responsible action. Okay, not fastest emotional reaction, not fastest blame, not fastest shortcut that creates bigger problems later, fastest responsible action. Because sometimes speed matters, okay, usually, okay, but responsibility always matters. We have a responsible responsibility to others, especially in the trade. When the plan changes, there is usually a temptation to rush into a decision just to make the discomfort go away. Guilty of that. But leadership is not about, and it's never usually about making yourself comfortable. It's it's about making the best decision you can with the information that you have and then owning the result, no matter how it turns out, good or bad. And that's why I love this phrase focus on the solution. Okay. It's simple, but it's powerful. Focus on the solution. Shit hits the fan. What's the solution? Not stay in the problem, not make the problem worse, not become the problem, but focus on the solution. Okay. It's powerful. Focusing on the solution doesn't mean ignoring it either, because I've done that too. It means reality does not get the final word. The problem is real, okay, but so is our ability to respond. If if we delay, sometimes it's going to make the problem worse. But but so is our ability if we don't adjust, okay. So we the ability, we need to find the ability to to move forward and move past it and find the solution as soon as we possibly can. You know, and when you have that mindset, that can change everything. It can change the the entire culture of your company because when your team sees that the problems don't scare you, okay, they begin to trust you faster. I've seen that happen. I've seen it happen on both sides, and that's super important, especially if you're building a team or you have a team, okay? Because if your team thinks every change plan is going to create an explosion, they'll hide things from you. Okay. They'll delay telling you. They'll try to fix it in secret. They'll they'll make assumptions. And by the time you find out, the problem is even bigger. And I think we still struggle with that sometimes, but it's not because they're afraid. I think, I just don't think people want to be wrong. And it's hard for them to admit that they were wrong or they made a mistake. I don't think it's because they think there's going to be an explosion. I just think their ego and their pride get in the way. And that's a that's a them issue. That's not necessarily a culture thing, and that's not necessarily the way that I think our leadership leads people. You know, and that's something that that that they may need to work on. But as long as we're setting up the atmosphere of, you know, where people can take ownership in their mistakes, and it's it's going to be okay. And we we ask what those questions that I asked earlier, what did we learn from it? What's the solution here? And what safety net can we put in later? That's the best part of this job, I think, is you not necessarily having people make mistakes, but what we learn from them, you know, and hopefully they're not very costly mistakes. But, you know, if our team knows that we're going to respond with, you know, clarity and accountability and solution-focused leadership, then they'll they'll they should bring things to us sooner. And and earlier information gives us more options, right? The sooner we know about it. And realistically, at the end of the day, that's that's freaking leadership. So I've heard some people, man, my phone is freaking blowing up. Why does it blow up every time? Every freaking time. Um it just blows up all day long, and it's just like now that I've noticed it because I'm sitting here. Yeah, all right. So some people hear, yeah, oh yeah, I want to talk about the verified

Trust But Verify Without Micromanaging

Ty Cobb Backer 30:27

thing. Okay. That I talked about earlier. I think the word verified gets misunderstood when I say something like trusting by verifying. Some people hear verify and they think it means you don't trust people. Okay. And I don't necessarily see it that way. Verification is not the enemy of trust. Verification protects trust. Trusting by verifying means you believe in people, but you also respect the process enough to confirm the details. Okay. It means you don't build your company on assumptions. It means you don't say, I hope that got done, and then act surprised when it didn't. It means you create systems where accountability is normal and not necessarily personal. Personal. Personal. And that's big. Accountability should not feel like an attack. It should feel like a part of the standard. You know, and in construction, roofing, sales, production, whatever, measurements matter. I talk about matrix all the freaking time. If I don't have them, I can't make intelligent decisions. You know, so measurements matter, permits matter, materials matter, customers' expectations matter, dates matter, communication, billing, follow-up. That all matters. Okay. And one missed detail can create a chain reaction. So when we verify something, we are not being negative, we're being responsible. Okay. If a salesperson says the paperwork is complete, verify. If production says materials are ordered, verify. If the schedule says the job is ready, verify it. And so on and so forth. Not because people are bad or they're lazy and not because we're micromanaging them. It's because clarity prevents chaos. And when the plan changes, clear information becomes even more important at that time. You cannot pivot well with bad information. You cannot solve the right problem if you don't know what the problem actually is. You cannot even make a strong decision from weak details. Okay, so trusting by verifying gives you a stronger foundation. It also helps your team grow because when people know their work will be checked, they get sharper. When they know the details matter, they pay closer attention. When they know accountability is part of the culture, they start holding themselves accountable. But here's the key. How you verify matters. If you verify with accusations, people get defensive. If you verify with ego ego, people shut down. If you verify only when something goes wrong, people feel attacked. But verification is part of the normal rhythm of the business. It becomes healthy. You can say, let's double check this before we move forward. You can say things like, I trust you, and I want, I want to make sure that that our thought process aligns. We can say things like, let's verify the details so we don't create a problem for the customer. Walk me through this. Okay, so so I know I understand. You know, and and really at the end of the day, that's that's true leadership. That's that's trust the person, that's verify the process, that's support the person, inspect the standard. Okay, that's that's what that is. And that's how you build a company that can handle changes. I feel like there should be music in the background. It's quite a shit or something. I don't know. Because plans are gonna change, and when they do, okay, the leaders who have already built a verification into their culture, have better information, can make faster decisions, and we have fewer surprises, and fewer surprises mean fewer fires, and that's what I'm aiming towards. Having fewer fires means more focus, and I want to focus, okay.

Backup Plans And Systems

Ty Cobb Backer 35:04

So now I want to talk about backup plans. Okay, I touched on that a little bit earlier because we should always have a backup plan, okay. That doesn't mean that we have to live in fear, okay? It means we we have to lead with wisdom and vision. A backup plan is not not negative thinking. It's it it backup plan is actually responsible thinking. Okay. There's a big difference between expecting failure and preparing preparing for reality. Okay. Like we don't have a spare tire because we're hoping to get a flat tire. We have a spare tire because we know flat tires happen. So we don't have to use them very often, but it's there in case we need it. Like, we don't carry car insurance because we want something bad to happen. We carry insurance because we know we understand the risk if we don't carry, right? So you don't check the weather because we want rain, even though we were just checking the weather, right? Right before we got on here. We check the weather because we know how that could affect our job. Okay. So in business, a backup plan gives us options. Okay. Vic and I talked about options for the pop-up food drive today. Like, what if it rains? Vic's like, well, maybe I'll deliver the stuff the night before and store it so it's there so we don't have to pull it out of the back of the truck and everything gets wet. It'll already be undercover and we can just pull it where we need to pull it so it doesn't get wet. It's not because we want it to rain, we just need an option. We we need to, we need to, you know, and options create confidence. We feel very confident. We were both like, we got this. Why? Because we reviewed our options, okay. So when you only have one plan and that plan breaks, okay, people tend to panic. Panic starts setting in. But when when you have, you know, thought when you when you think through the alternatives, we can move a lot faster. Okay. So if the materials on a job site don't don't arrive, what's our next option? If if this crew gets delayed, who who can we call? And these are all things that we discuss and review, and everybody should already have a plan B on most of these things. And this is one for Vic here. Like, so if our lead source slows down, where else are we going to create options? Okay. If if an employee is out, who is cross-trained? If this customer isn't ready, what's the next best use of our time? Okay, like we've we've had that happen before where like they're not ready. We have the crew, everybody's there. Okay. Do we have a plan B? Do we have another job that's stocked that we can move them to? So we're not wasting a whole entire day. I mean, now that I brought this to everyone's attention, it's like, yeah, we've always had plan B's. We just never identified it that way. Backup plans are are not just about emergencies. They're, they're, they're about leadership capacity. They're more, the more prepared we are, the less emotional we have to be. Okay. We can just hop to it. So think about that. Preparation lowers emotions. Okay. When you're unprepared, everything feels like a freaking crisis. But when you're prepared, problems are the they're still frustrating, but they're manageable. Okay. And that's why systems matter. I harp on systems and processes. Okay. That's why training matters. That's why communication matters. That's why having the right people in the right seats matter. Okay. And this is another one. That's why documenting the process matters. Okay. Because a backup plan is not always a separate plan sitting in a drawer. Sometimes your backup plan is a trained person. Sometimes it's a checklist. Sometimes it's a vendor relationship, a second crew, a strong office team, cash reserves, leadership bench. Right? Do we have somebody to back this person up? And sometimes it it's it's it's it's a culture where people step up instead of wait, waiting to be told what to do. Okay. And let me say this the the the bigger the company gets, and this is from my experience, the more important backup plans become. When you're small, you can sometimes muscle through everything. And I did that on my own. I could I could remember everything. I could I could personally fix everything. I could I could jump in and and save the day. But but as we have grown, that approach breaks down. I don't have all the answers. I don't have all the solutions. I don't even have all the skills. Okay. That's why we need systems. That's why we have leaders here besides myself. We have a leadership bench. Okay. That's why communication matters, accountability. You need people who can make decisions. There's people in this building making decisions without my blessings all day, every day. That's why we have backup plans. They're my backup plan. Because growth adds complexity, and complexity without preparation creates chaos, uncontrollable chaos. But I never did that. So if you're listening to this and you're leading a team, leading a family doesn't matter. Okay. Ask yourself this. Where are we too dependent on one person? Where do we not? Where do we not have a backup plan? Where are we assuming instead of verifying? Where would one change in the plan create the biggest problem? Where do we need cross-train? Where do we need a checklist? Where do we need a second option? Those are leadership questions that we should be asking ourselves on a day-to-day basis or at least a week, weekly or monthly basis. Okay. People tend to get a little freaked out when you start asking those questions. But but they're questions that that will protect us. A backup plan might not feel urgent, okay, when everything is going well. And this is the thing I've learned. Okay. But when the plan changes, I know I'm grateful when I have one. Okay. I may not see what the plan B is yet, but there's normally one sitting there. I just have to open my eyes and look for the solution. So let's talk about one of my favorite ideas.

Motion Creates Momentum

Ty Cobb Backer 42:36

And we've talked about this a couple, a couple podcasts ago. Motion creates momentum. And sometimes when the plan changes, people stop moving. You know, and I got to experience this. Okay. Sometimes we'll freeze, sometimes we'll we'll we'll wait. Sometimes we'll overthink. And that's probably one of my biggest downfalls where I'll have, and we talked about this on Saturday a little bit, where we have an overactive mind and an underactive ass. Sometimes we just got to get off our dead ass and do something, right? But but they but we want the answers, before before we take the next step. And I think that's where I get hemmed up, where it's like, but I need clarity. I need to understand. Okay. And there are times when when we need to just, there will be times where you know we need to just pause and think. And then there will be times when we need to gather information. And there will be times when rushing creates even more problems. And that's something else I had to learn too. But there but there's a difference between a wise pause and being stuck. A wise pause creates, for me, anyhow, clarity, right? But being stuck, and I have to differentiate. To two. Is it wise thinking or am I being stuck? Because being stuck creates disorganization or decay, I guess. And when things are uncertain, the next right action matters. You know, not the perfect action. And I think that's where that's probably where I get hemmed up because I think I need the perfect or the next right action. Okay. And sometimes it's just as simple as calling the homeowner and letting them know that we're going to be late, or being proactive and checking the material, or talking to the crew and telling them, hey, we can't start this job today, but I have another one ready for you. Right. Or being proactive on reviewing this the schedule, keeping up with the updates, just simply as making a decision. Because motion, like I had mentioned earlier, creates momentum. And when you move, whether it's the right direction or not, we're going to learn. Okay. And when we learn, we can adjust. And when we adjust, we are going to improve. And honestly, that's how this whole thing has been built. And when we improve, my confidence grows. Okay. And not only does my confidence grow, but so does the team's confidence grow. But if we just sit there waiting for the perfect plan, right? Nothing happens. I've done that. I've stayed stuck for days, hours, minutes. Okay. And here's something that I've learned. Clarity often comes after movement, not before. Okay. We want full clarity before we move. I know that. I understand that. But many times movement creates the clarity. Like I just need to get off my dead ass and do something. I need to take that next step. And then the next step. Okay. I need to make that uncomfortable call. All right. But then that reveals more information. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Okay. I have to try sometimes try new ideas. You know, and it doesn't work, but then I have to adjust. Okay. But when we start that conversation, okay, and now and now the path becomes clearer. And sometimes it just requires picking up the phone. And right there, my friend, that's how momentum works. Not staying stuck, but doing something. And I've said this a million times. Let's do something even if it's wrong. And I think people look at me like I got a third eyeball. What's the boss want? I don't know what he wants us to do, but let's do something even if it's wrong. Right. And then we'll deal with the consequences later. Right. Whether I was right, wrong. And if I was wrong, I'll learn something from it. But if I was right, we're already ahead of schedule. Right. And in leadership, momentum is so freaking powerful. We talk about that all the time because it builds belief, it builds energy, it builds confidence, it gives the team something to follow. But momentum does not happen by accident. It doesn't happen by astmosis. Okay. Someone has to move first. Someone has to say, here's what we're doing next. Someone has to say, we're not staying stuck here. Someone has to say, this changed, but the mission hasn't changed. And it's hard to see that. Because we think if if we have to pivot, that means the goal changed. No, the goal's the same, but how we're going to approach that goal, the direction of it has changed. The route has changed. You know, and sometimes we have to be that person that brings the energy to the room, even when it's the hardest, most difficult thing to do. We have to be the ones that bring the energy, even when, even when the house is on fire. Okay. And that someone is usually a leader. That doesn't mean the leader has to have every answer. Okay. It doesn't mean the leader is willing to take responsibility for the next move necessarily. There's a difference between knowing every step and owning the next step. Okay. You don't need to know every step. You don't need to own the next step. That's how you build momentum. You just got to take the step. You have to take the leap. You have to dig down deep. And it's hard. I know it's hard. But that's how momentum gets built. And momentum matters because it changes for me, anyhow, my emotional state. And if I know I'm banging an all-eight cylinder, so is the team. And when the team is stuck, frustration grows. Okay. And when, but when the team is moving, right? Because I'm moving, belief grows. Even small progress can change the atmosphere, right? That one call, that one decision, that one updated schedule, the clarified expectations, the solved issue, the completed task,

Small Steps Beat Perfection

Ty Cobb Backer 49:22

right? Was it Monday? Monday, I was feeling off. I haven't had an off Monday for a minute. Okay. I started to feel a little overwhelmed, and I was like, why? And but there was all these little things that were just not even necessarily irritating me. Okay. But it was almost overwhelming where I didn't know quite where to start. So I just started with the one thing. I had I knew I had to go through, it seems like all of our credit cards for the company are expiring at the end of the month. And there's, I don't want to say there's a huge stack, but it's it's more than one. And it's a couple different, so it's not like one call, I can take care of two cards. It's probably five different calls that I have to make. And I know I know how long that can take sometimes, especially if you can't get through to somebody or if they don't speak very good English or whatever the case might be. Okay. Oh no, that the the issue is that we there's two lost cards. And there's no place on the website to just simply actually three lost cards. And like five getting ready to expire. Anyhow, so in itself, that can become very overwhelming. But then my calendar was kind of getting a little goofed up, too, where I was kind of like, you know, when am I going to work out? I'm doing this challenge and I know my schedule's getting jam-packed. And it's like, where can I find like an hour, an hour and 30 minutes? Like if I'm at work, because it's going to take me eight minutes to drive home, work out for an hour, and eight minutes to drive back. But but I'd like to take a shower, too, before I like if it is in the middle of the day. So it was like that was starting to over. There was a few things, but like I must have been putting things off last week that were just these little things that I kept saying to myself that that I'll get to them. So, you know what I did? I started one thing at a time. I took care of the one credit card. I took care of this week's calendar. I didn't do the whole month. And we've talked about this before. You know what I mean? I I feel like I got to take care of the whole freaking year on my calendar. I'm going to dial this shit in like nobody's business. Right. And it just completely, completely overwhelmed me. And I was like, dude, I'll just do the week. Let's just do the week. And then I did like Monday and Tuesday of next week because those days kind of mirrored each other this Monday and Tuesday, and next Monday and Tuesday. I thought, all right, I got this. I got this. It's cool. So then I could slowly start to feel like the anxiety to the dissipating, right? Because I didn't tackle the whole rest of the challenge where day 24, you know, I got 20 days left. And so, you know, I didn't, I didn't get crazy because we got the holiday coming up. And, you know, there's there's some schedule changes in there that are kind of out of my control. And we're we're closed here on Friday. So that kind of like, okay, where am I gonna be on Friday? At what time? When am I gonna squeeze them on? Like, and I started the scroll cage just started rolling. But I just started one little thing. And like I said, I could feel, you know what I mean? I I needed to make a call. I did that. I I updated my schedule. I, you know, I started to do these things, and then the momentum came. Next thing you know, I was kind of in the groove, man. Like I was just knocking shit out, but like I was almost paralyzed. Like we all go through it. And I guess that was half of my point of like, I still go through this shit. Mondays still feel a little overwhelming to me sometimes, even no matter how prepared I got myself Sunday morning for the week. It's I still there were still some things that I I don't know if I forgot. I didn't bring my notebook home to review my stuff. Yeah, and I didn't. I didn't, I didn't, I could have came back in. I drove probably by here, and I probably came in here twice, still didn't grab my notebook for Sunday morning. It just happens, I'm human, right? But I know I gotta just start with the smallest thing and then take care of the next smallest thing sometimes, you know, and and creating that that flywheel, like we talked about a couple weeks ago. So we're all human, you know what I mean? But but what it did was it it created, I I I started movement, which created momentum and and movement create created that momentum. And and so when I guess getting back on topic here, so when the plan changes, I can't wait for perfect. You know what I mean? And I think that's what I do sometimes too. It's like, I or I won't do it if it's not going to be perfect. Like I can't do the whole year on my calendar, I'm not gonna do it, I'm not gonna do it at all. You know what I mean? Because I don't have an hour and a half to review the whole year on my calendar or or whatever stupid nonsense that that I tell myself, but I gotta get moving. I gotta take the next step and then the next step. And and that's how I overcame that anxiety of of the Monday morning, whatever the hell you want to call that. That do you still feel Monday morning a little weird sometimes? Not as much as you used to, I'm sure, but but sometimes you just kind of get like that. I want to call it anxiety, and I think stems from fear of something, right? Like you're not prepared enough, I'm not, I'm I'm inadequate, I'm not enough, I'm not doing I didn't do enough last week, or like all this crazy stuff. And you want to know why you feel that way? Because you're a high performer and you're your own worst critic. And sometimes we just need to give ourselves a break. You know what I mean? It's really not that important. Who gave a shit?

SPEAKER_02 55:04

We put we play time traveler too much, yeah. We want to try and go into the future for sure.

Ty Cobb Backer 55:12

So that brings me to an important point here, right? We don't need we don't need a perfect plan. Okay, and let me be clear about that. I believe in planning, I believe in preparation and having goals and writing things down and systems and processes and and meetings that matter and accountability and and and measuring progress. Okay, I'll try to wrap this up. I know I've been on here for a minute. So so when I say you don't need a perfect plan, I'm not saying you should wing it. Okay, and I'm not saying you should be sloppy or you know, I'm not saying you should ignore the details. What I am saying is that perfection can become procrastination. And that's what I was alluding to that I started to procrastinate. And sometimes people use I'm still planning as a way to avoid action. They they keep tweaking, they keep waiting, they keep researching, they keep talking, and they keep delaying. And and the real reason is fear, right? Fear of being wrong, failing, criticized, looking unprepared. I hate that when I look unprepared, yeah. Or just fear of making the wrong decision. Just make the freaking decision and learn from it. You know, because here's the truth you can plan the job, but the job site may reveal something different, okay? You can plan the sales strategy, but the market may respond differently, okay? And you can plan the meeting, but but the conversation may go in a direction that you didn't prepare for. You know, and you can plan the entire freaking year, but life may throw something unexpected at you. That doesn't mean planning is useless. It means planning is is a starting point, not guaranteed. A good plan gives you direction, action gives you feedback, and feedback gives you adjustment, and it and an adjustment gives you that growth. Okay. So don't worship the freaking plan. Use the plan. Use the plan as a tool, okay? The mission is the point. And sometimes leaders, you know, especially myself, fall in love with the plan and forget the whole entire purpose. And the the purpose is not to prove that the original plan was right, the purpose is to move the mission forward. That we that and you know, that in itself requires humility because sometimes the plan changes because we missed something. And sometimes we made a bad assumption, sometimes we we didn't communicate clearly, and sometimes we didn't verify, like I mentioned earlier, or the training wasn't enough, or I moved too fast, or I waited too long. Okay. And when that happens, we we have a choice. We can defend the old plan, or we can learn and build a better one. Okay, that's leadership maturity, right? Be willing to say we need to adjust. That didn't work. Here's what I learned. Let's move forward. A perfect plan is not required. A committed team is, a clear mission is, a solution-focused mindset is, a willingness to act is a willingness to learn and pivot. That's what moves things forward. Okay.

Leading Through Change In Life

Ty Cobb Backer 58:57

So you think life is going to go one way, and then it goes another. You think the timeline is gonna look a certain way, and then it doesn't. You think a relationship, a season, a goal, a dream, or a situation is gonna unfold one way and then something changes, and then that happens. It can be hard. I get it. It can be painful, confusing, unfamiliar, but the same principles apply, okay, in your in your personal life. Okay. We have to learn how to, for me, manage my response, stay focused on a solution, stay anchored in our values, pivot our approach, trust, but but verify. Okay, have a backup plan where where we can, but keep moving. And by all means, don't wait for perfect. You know, I think a lot of people get stuck because they believe a change plan means they failed. Thought that before. But sometimes a change plan means we're growing. Okay. And sometimes it means you're you're being stretched, sometimes it means you're being prepared. Sometimes it means a door closed because it wasn't the right door, you know, and sometimes it means you need to develop a new skill. I have to do that all the time. And sometimes it means you need you need to become a different version of yourself to handle the next season, right? And that is so true. So freaking true. And it requires a lot of work. It's not easy, and it's not always comfortable. But growth, and this is the this is reality, growth is rarely comfortable. So the question is can you stay faithful when the plan changes? Can can you keep showing up? Can you keep leading? Will you keep learning? Will you keep serving? Okay. Can you keep your attitude right? Can you keep your integrity? Right? And just keep moving because the people who make the biggest impact are the people whose lives went perfectly according to the plan. Okay, that didn't go perfectly according to the plan. They're the people who who who got knocked off course, adjusted, learned, grew, and kept going. That's where that's where character is built. That's where wisdom is built. And that's that's where freaking leadership is built. You know, that's that's it in a nutshell. So put the freaking bat down. All right. How long have we been on here? For a minute? Okay. All right, well, let's um let's uh let's uh let's challenge ourselves today.

Final Challenge And Closing

Ty Cobb Backer 1:02:22

Let's uh let's look at an area of our business or our life where the plan has changed recently. Okay. Maybe it's a project, a goal, maybe it's a team member, a customer situation, schedule, finances, leadership structure, or something personal. Okay. And instead of asking why did this happen, I want you to ask a better question. Okay. What is the next right move? That's it. What is the next right move? Then ask, what do I need to verify? Who do I need to communicate with? Who do I need to bounce this off of? Do I have a backup plan that I need to create? Do I have one in place? Where do I need to stop waiting for perfect? What action can I take today to create the momentum? What have I been procrastinating about? Because you don't have to fix everything today, but you do need to move. Motion creates momentum, and momentum creates belief. Belief in yourself, and belief creates the energy, and the energy helps carry you through the changes and your team and your family. As leaders, we have to become good at leading through change, not just talking about change, not just reacting to change, but leading through it. There's a huge freaking difference. That means we don't fall apart every time the plan changes, we adapt, we overcome, we pivot, we focus on the solution, we trust, but verify, prepare backup plans. We move before everything is perfect, and we keep the mission in front of us. So as we wrap up this episode, episode 330 freaking nine of Behind Tool Belt next week's 340. I want you to remember this. The plan is going to change. That's not the problem. The problem, the problem is when we refuse to change with it. The problem is when we get stuck in frustration, the problem is when we keep staring at the closed door instead of looking for the next move. The problem is when we let a changed plan become an excuse and stop. But that's not who, that's not who we were called to be. Okay, we are called to lead, to grow, to serve, solve problems, become better through the challenges and not bitter. Somebody said that to me. I got burnt. And they said, Don't let this make you bitter. I haven't heard that word for a while. Bitter. I think I was feeling bitter. Must have been acting bitter. Anyhow, don't don't let it make you better and not bitter. Okay, so when the plan changes, take a breath, get the facts, focus on the solution, verify the details, communicate clearly, use the backup plan, take the next step, and keep freaking moving. Because you don't need a perfect plan, you need the right mindset, you need the courage to act. And it takes a lot of courage. You need the humility to adjust and you need the discipline to keep going. That's how you build momentum, that's how you build trust. That's how you build a team in a freaking business. And honestly, that's how you build a life. So thanks for listening to episode 339 of Behind a Tool Belt. If this episode helped you, share it with someone who is in the middle of a changed plan right now. Maybe they need the reminder that they're not stuck. They just need the they need to pivot and always, and always keep leading, keep growing, keep serving, and keep building something worth being proud of. We will see you next time on Behind the Tool Belt.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:59

Thanks to our sponsors, TC Backer Construction, Hook Roofing Marketing, Rufal, and Project Map It. And thank you for watching. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook. We are streaming on all major platforms. See you next week for another episode of Behind the Tool Belt.