If your business isn’t growing, it’s your fault. What are you going to do about it?
If you’re not stopping at least once a month and looking at some key success indicators on a regular basis – no one else is and where does that get you in the long run – snake eyes! This isn’t just financials statements and reports – although that’s the first of 4 places to start. Give yourself at least a 1/2 day every month to stop and see where you are and make sure you’re headed in the right direction.
Don’t just stop at the financials, dig into your operations. Make sure you’re doing not just the right things, but the right things the right way. There is waaaaay tooooo much redundancy and inefficiency in our business practice today to be productive, yet “we’ve always done it this way” and your’e dying! What’s going on with your staff? Do you know who’s doing a good job and why. What about those staffers who could be great, but haven’t had enough attention to be developed. Don’t forget the “black holes” – they’re literally sucking the life out of organizations every day, yet the “fog a mirror” annual review process allows them to continue to kill your company. How about the marketplace? What’s going on in your own backyard that could present an opportunity for business? Any idea what could be the death nail to your organization that’s lurking around the next corner in the industry? If not, trust me no one else is looking out for your best interest so you better be. If you’re not asking yourself the tough questions at least once a month and then being prepared to answer them, you might as well hang out the “for sale” sign and save yourself the misery. |