Having an accurate, unbiased view of your own company is really tough.
The classic saying 'I can't see the wood for the trees' is never more relevant than when trying to look at your business objectively...
Challenge after challenge changing your priorities, workload and direction adds a level of pressure that's often overwhelming as well as downright stressful!
Sound familiar? It is, for thousands of business owners up to their neck in trying to get things right. We are often too close to the decisions, too close to the emotion and there's always that little voice in our heads saying...
'but what if this (insert any number of worrying outcomes) happens?'
What's the solution?
Well, there's no one size fits all solution, but there are a few, ideas, support and options that can help when you are lost in that 'wood' we are talking about.
- Your business needs to be able to 'stand alone' when it's operating; no one person and especially you should stop it functioning. It's the only way you will enter a 'growth phase'.
- Don't assume anything! Everything you do and think within and about your business needs a periodic check to make sure it's working and relevant. It's the only way to achieve continued 'efficiency' and 'effectiveness'.
- Understand what is the truly important information to have access to. Yes it's cash, yes it's customers, but it's also systems that make you productive as a business. It's the only way to achieve good 'economy' and 'ethics' within your business.
How do we achieve those outcomes; efficiency, effectiveness, economy and ethics?
Probably easier than you think. You already have all the data in your business you need to access, what's needed is a method of accessing and making sense of it. This will alleviate the need to make decisions based on assumptions. When you have planning based on data and less assumption you are ready to grow and your business is already starting to really stand on it's own. I.e. it doesn't stop when you need to take your eye off every decision or action.
What's needed to start the move towards this outcomes?
It starts with an alternative view that takes in not only the trees but the whole wood too! A non-subjective (i.e. no agendas, pressure or stress about the business) look at the reality of how you're operating, a look at aims, goals, activity and capabilities.
All that information is then aligned with the systems within your business, to provide just the data you need to move your business to a truly stand alone position, that's ready to grow.
The secondary affect of a business that runs well is that you will have time to look at growth! Rather than fighting fires all day and having the business 'run you' rather than 'you running it'.
If you want that 'objective alternative view' of your business and the support to align it to those critical outcomes of economy, efficiency, effectiveness and ethics.
Drop me a message, I can help, guaranteed.
If you know someone that could really benefit from this kind of 'view', send them this article.
Mark Lloyd
Coach, Trainer, Consultant.