A new frame of reference – Second Key

In my last article, about developing a new frame of reference, the first of four keys was that we should Develop the owner, not the business. The second key follows:

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Influence at cause not effect

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Imagine you’re cutting a fine course under sail. The ship is ploughing through the swell, the sound of the bow wave establishing with that constant swoosh, then suddenly, all momentum is lost. There is no sudden jolt or crash. You have just stopped sailing!?What is your reaction? Panic? Add more sail? Break out the oars? NO,?look?to the sails. Observe the ship. Have you run aground? So many possible answers. You don’t just hoist more sail in an attempt to keep going. There are more effective remediations you can employ. Understand?why! Understand what is happening and address the cause not the effect.

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We used to have a saying in the Navy, “Don’t run, it panics the troops” I have no idea where that came from but it is so true. Remaining calm in the midst of upheaval is the source of strength that your crew draws upon.?That said, it’s important to have an understanding of the influence that your staff have. Your vitally important staff. They need to be ‘on board’ with what you’re trying to achieve. Have that conversation. Expand the analogy. Get them enthused about goals here.

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If your business is running along really well and all of a sudden something goes awry, you can pour money down the drain in terms of marketing or increase production. I say Stop! Take a good hard look at what just happened and plan your next move. What you need to do is actually understand?why?this sudden and frightening loss of momentum occurred. You need to observe and assess. And you need to address the?cause,?not the effect.

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There are just so many possibilities. You may be thinking that you don’t have enough sail up, or that the crew is unable to cope with the sail in the current conditions or I’m not protecting my ship against potential invaders or... or...–there are any number of things you could consider. You feel the ship is slowly falling apart because you’re not maintaining it–the same applies to your business.

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You know, you’ve felt it like this before. These trepidations hold in terms of business too. If you haven't got the right people on board, you need to ramp up your business so that more people do things with you and for you, and always in the most productive and beneficial way. You can't keep doing everything yourself–unless of course, you’re happy to remain on a small vessel that’s simply trading in coastal waters.

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Ultimately, you need to ensure that you have enough people on board so that you can actually influence the cause, and not keep promoting the effect. This means you’re not reacting; you're actually responding to what's going on.

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Do you find yourself always addressing the effect or are you able to focus your efforts on the cause? This is where having a business coach it so helpful.