Don't underestimate yourself and overestimate others

I wrote this post a few years ago but the principles still apply

It's easy to underestimate the value of experience sometimes.

I took for granted recently the fact that I have many resources available, especially when things go wrong.

I have built many contacts over the years ranging from chemical suppliers, Facility equipment suppliers, water slide manufacturers, Aquatic consultants and local vendors.

What I think I took for granted was that just because I built a list of contacts over the years, I just assumed everybody else had too. This wasn't the case, as I as surprised that a lot of leaders didn't know who to turn to when things go wrong or when they were looking for a certain piece of equipment or part.

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For example, a water slide pump motor burned out last year. I contacted a vendor from a previous job that had done repairs for me. When I notified the owners of the motor failure they started calling around contacts which resulted in them asking me to follow up with several names they had been given and NOT call mine.

It was like Americas most wanted, some names didn't exist anymore and the two I did get hold of both told me they don't do that kind of work and referred me to, you guessed it, the company I had contacted in the first place.

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Please keep in mind the following,

1. It's not about having all the answers, it's about asking the right questions.

2. It's not who you know or what you know, but rather what you DO with who you know and what you know.

Don't underestimate the experience you have built or building