Every now and then when I’m between meetings I’ll pull open my file cabinet and clean out old files.  Today I purged some old stuff.  I also found something that I can’t throw away.  Something I’ll treasure forever perhaps.  This past year one of my business associates passed away quickly from a deadly cancer.

Bob Morris was my friend.  He was  my professor in college.  He was  my business partner.  He was also my client.  He was everything I look for in a consultant.  Brilliant, caring, passionate, dedicated, professional…I could go on and on.  In fact I haven’t been able to process my feelings since Bob passed last year.  The healing process never ends.  But when we lose someone close to us, we try to heal a little bit at a time.  Writing helps me process these feelings of loss.  Here are the notes from my meeting with him back in 2008 when I was starting my company.  These notes are written on a “Speed Memo”.

1.  Cost contain

2.  Don’t blink or you’ll be gone

3.  Predictions are even more problematic in consulting; always be ready to be surprised

4.  Cost contain

He was doing his best to sheperd me away from failure.  He said, “are you sufficiently focused to maximize your resources?”  “Do you have the level of collaboration and interaction to produce the results you are trying to achieve or do you have too many silos in conflict?”  “Do you have sufficient bench strength when you reach the next level?”  Bob was well respected and commanded significant consulting fees for his sage advice.  I’ll keep these notes and file them back away so the next time I go to clean out my file drawers I’ll find his kind words of wisdom.  I’ll read them again and again and will always cherish his words.  They continue to guide me today.