Getting from here to there safely: the path to transforming your business can feel like a daunting journey. The trail is riddled with potholes, whether you’re a healthy company trying to get to that next level, or a business that is stuck, and can’t seem to get past where they are today. The challenge is real, regardless of where you start from.
Whether you’re a printer, a mailer, or assigned company, chances are there are market opportunities that you haven’t fully explored. And while your results may be satisfactory, you’ve likely hit that growth ceiling, that ceiling of complexity – were things just feel stagnant, no matter what you try, no matter what you do nothing seems to change. I see this all the time. In my experience helping companies transform their business, I look at three levers that the leadership team can pull to make the trip safely. I refer to them as the Three P’s: People, Plan and Perseverance.
People
This is the core of your business. Do you have the right people in the right seats, for the right reasons? Or have you been tolerating marginal performance because it feels easier than actually making the change? Remember that saying: you get what you tolerate. Great companies find ways to attract, coach and inspire the people they need to achieve their goals. These things don’t happen by chance, it’s part of their values, their culture. It takes intentional leadership and a willingness to hold the bar quite high, and even then, it’s difficult.
Plan
Is your competitive advantage in the marketplace trying to be all things to all people? Really? If so, you’re probably not making a significant impact on any one sector. A solid plan works to identify and leverage your unique abilities in a way that makes a genuine difference in your client’s business. It shows in the way you solve problems; it shows in the passion that you have, and it shows in the way that you execute day and day out. Telling your team to “try harder and do better” isn’t a strategy – it’s noise. Beyond the plan itself, do you make it easy for your customers to say yes? Your clients should answer that with a resounding yes.
Perseverance
This is where I see most teams fall apart. Transformation isn’t a one-day excursion or a seat of the pants adventure. It’s about execution, review, adjustment and re-execution. The lack of discipline and accountability and following through and project completion are to the biggest impediments of any initiatives I’ve seen. The companies that win don’t always have the best ideas; they’re the ones that have developed the process and procedures that create a repeatable, predictable experience. They have the tenacity necessary to be there at the finish line.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: working on your business is not a luxury. It’s a requirement. If you’re not sure where to find the time to work on this, start by taking a hard look at how you’re spending your day. Which non-critical issues can you delegate or just stop doing? If you’re not sure, take a hard look at your calendar for those “non-value-added activities or meetings. Another way is to record how you spend your time for the next two – three weeks. It’ll be enlightening, and I’m certain that you’ll find the time to be the CEO that your company deserves.
Transformation doesn’t just happen to a business by accident. It’s driven by those who are willing to ask to hard questions, make the tough calls and stay the course. Good luck. Let me know how you’re doing. Oh, and have fun with this.
Mike Philie helps owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry validate what’s working, identify what needs to change, and create a practical path forward.
PhilieGroup | mphilie@philiegroup.com | LinkedIn
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