When a problem comes along....

When a problem comes along, you must whip it!

Besides being a sweet song (which you can watch on youtube by clicking HERE) this simple statement is a truth that I hold to as a twenty-something business owner.

Problems can wreck a business if not handled swiftly and correctly.

Truth #1a - Every business will encounter problems and conflicts
Truth #1b - It's how you handle said problems and conflicts that matters.

My personal philosophy on this is take it head on.
Head on does not mean without careful thought and consideration however.
No one lives a perfect life and can perfectly avoid conflict with others. Simply because of human nature - we are bound to bump into other people and have problems.

By the way, conflict is generated by one or more people having unmet expectations. 
Sounds so simple doesn't it?

As my business, Rhino Media, has been growing faster and faster lately, new challenges present themselves - almost daily. More and more often, the old systems of doing projects just don't work anymore. We need to have more frequent and clear communication with our clients throughout the entire video production process. We need to manage workflows faster and more efficiently. We need to have secure backup of all media (which is becoming a ginormous task in itself). Most video projects we take on now entail over 200GB of data. Crazy stuff. And Bill Gates said no one would ever need a gigabyte of data.

ANYWAY
Start eating the ugly frog first.

If you're unclear of what an ugly frog is, I like to define it as whatever you're least looking forward to doing that day.

Don't put off problems, they only get worse. You can not avoid them. This is Rhino Media philosophy 101 as I think of it. Rhinos crash ahead fearlessly, they don't run and hide from conflict. They meet it head on and move past.

And, you guessed it, this goes with every other area of our lives as well... when a problem comes along, you must whip it!

If you think I've got a point here, follow me on twitter. I'll make more points.

This is me, deep in thought about how to whip a problem. Or right after eating an ugly frog. Whichever you prefer.

Rhino Media's Core Values

I'm into core values. As long as they are true and living and breathing and evident in everyday functions of a company, I love them.

But if they just live in the organizational documents or on a plaque somewhere collecting dust, then they, of course, lose relevance.

My company, Rhino Media, has developed a set of core values that I feel rock. Let me know what you think.  I'm actually still in the process of tweaking this list, bare with me.

Humility - We do not portray ourselves as cocky or arrogant in house or to our clients.

Hard Work - We don't sit around and talk, we do. 

Competency - We are learners. We expect all Rhino's to know their craft well. BUT - not be afraid to admit they don't know something. 

Personal Accountability - We don't blame others for our mistakes. 

Purpose - We live our lives personally and professionally with a sense of purpose. We are SUPPOSED to be doing this.

Intentionality - A lot like purpose.  Setting my direction every day. 

Respect - We respect each other, respect our clients and their timelines and their communication styles, respect other producers work and creativity.

Honesty - There is absolutely no room for lying of any kind at Rhino Media. 

Greatness - We are not satisfied with mediocracy. We are always striving to become great, as our friend Greg Jennings would say - Every day is a great day to be great. 

That's my working list. 

Let me know yours!

-KR

This is me, the bear.