Finishers wanted

A few weeks ago I got a surprising email from longtime Inner Circle member Robin McElhatton. It began like this:

Dear Michael,

Since I am retiring next week, I need to cancel my membership.

Why was this so surprising? People retire, that’s normal.

But Robin? She was one of our most engaged members. Just one week before, she joined one of our small group virtual meetings to get advice on a pressing issue at work.

This really hit me – If you were retiring in 14 days, would you still be logging in to your PR membership program to seek out the best answers for your employer?

I hope so, but still . . . kudos to Robin!

Her “diligence to the end” reminded me of the story about a man walking past an antique furniture store. He saw a sign hanging that read:

Finishers wanted

Of course, in that context, the store owner was looking for someone to refinish furniture. But the phrase sticks in your mind.

Ultimately, that’s what any boss or client wants – someone who gets things done. Who finishes.

Someone like Robin, who goes hard until the end.

Counterintuitively, this trait applies just as much earlier in your career, even in a job you don’t love.

I was talking with a different Inner Circle member who has some good reasons to stay in a job she has some other good reasons for disliking. She asked for tips on how to proceed without just punching the clock.

I urged her to find satisfaction in achieving excellence at what she can control. If your bosses ignore your creative ideas for a TikTok campaign and instead task you with writing employee profiles for the company newsletter . . .

Take pride in writing the best darn profiles that the (few dozen or so) readers of that newsletter have ever seen.

This keeps you sane, hones your craft and hones your “finishing muscles.” Doing this regularly builds on itself, and someday you’ll have the skills and attributes that will attract your dream job.

And then someday after that, you’ll look up from your fulfilling and stimulating work and realize retirement is just a week away.

P.S. In Robin’s email, she also paid me what I consider the highest compliment. Yes, it’s a humblebrag to include it here, but I want to amplify the message she called out:

I appreciate more than just the training, Michael. You have always put family first, and eager professionals, young in their careers, need to be reminded of that and made to feel that it is okay. I applaud you for your ability to be a successful entrepreneur, improve the lives of others, and prioritize your family life.