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July 22, 2011

“I feel like my head is in the oven and my feet are in the icebox, yet somehow I’m supposed to think that on average I’m fine.”

My partner Joe is a veritable quote machine.  I sometimes think that following him around all day would give me enough fodder to keep “They Said It” going for years to come.  He really does produce great material.

One such quote I heard for the first time many years ago.  We were in the middle of pursuing a large number of new business opportunities.  Like all good organizations, we prided ourselves in going after deals we felt carried a high win probability.  We were also under a very aggressive growth rate plan (doubling an already large company in three years strictly through new business).  The pressure was on.

As we discussed our past win rates and the revenue targets ahead of us, there was momentary comfort in the realization that if we merely won 50% (well below our historical track record) of the deals currently in the pipeline, we would achieve our goals. 

Toward the end of our conversation, Joe delivered the quote that has stayed with me any time someone talks about averages.  It hits home particularly strong when the average is calculated with a small data set.  Said Joe, “I feel like my head is in the oven and my feet are in the icebox, yet somehow I’m supposed to think that on average I’m fine.”

We laughed at the visual.  Later, Joe shared that this was a quote that originated with his father-in-law. 

Next time you start talking averages, remember that having your head in the oven and your feet in the icebox would be a “mean” situation. 

Craig Halsey

They Said It

July 22, 2011