bounc·er
“a person employed by a nightclub or similar establishment to prevent troublemakers from entering or to eject them from the premises.”
If you’ve ever been to a club, you’ve probably seen a large, intimidating man whose purpose is to kick people out who start fights, or otherwise cause a disruption.
Before you even get into the club, there’s usually a doorman. This person checks IDs and, in more exclusive establishments, decides who to admit into the club.
As time goes on and I settle deeper into my career, I’ve noticed that growth for the sake of growth isn’t always the smartest move.
Over the course of my company’s existence, we’ve had a lot of clients. For the most part, we’ve worked with great people for great companies and we’ve had a handful of extraordinary clients that we simply LOVE working with. But sometimes we’ve let the wrong people in. And looking back, every time we’ve parted ways with those people, our lives have gotten better.
Sometimes, in the pursuit of growth, I’ve let the wrong people into the club, and then, because of fear, I haven’t ejected them from the premises.
If clubs can be discerning in who they let in and who they let stay, so too should consulting practices and service businesses.
What if as businesses we collectively decided to be fanatical about who we chose to work with?