Lunch Logic: Building your Business Ecosystem, Part 4: Evolve

All systems change over time; some may take longer than others but they all do, and so too will your business ecosystem. How it changes is largely up to you and the others in the system you have created; having a plan for change is a key factor for long-term success and avoiding problematic change.

This planned evolution will most likely include the addition, substitution or subtraction of some components based on the changing needs and goals the industry, specific clients, or of the participants. There comes a point where it makes more sense for competitors or partners of very disparate sizes to be less interdependent.

As with all good relationships, the best mechanism and approach is proactive and specific communication in as far in advance as possible. Better yet; initiate the ecosystem with everyone knowing change will occur and build that into the selection, training and tools along the way.

One clear milestone is the marking of financial goals. For example, if only one of the participants is achieving their numbers, then that is an indication of an imbalance in the system. Progress in the system can also be measured in other ways, however, based on the tools in use: access to connections, leveraging of resources, mutual promotions, and so on. Each participant in the ecosystem defines for themselves what is important to them and then all agree on how to measure that and what to do to improve.

You'd be correct to say these 4 parts are obvious and based on common sense. Yet, this notion is so daunting in execution, largely because of the trust and accountability that it necessitates. This is beyond a team, it's an interdependent connection, it's an ecosystem.

There you have it, contact me if you'd like to learn more!