Question for you, do you regularly assess the what if’s? Yes, the what if’s!
The majority of us “do” something in our lives to generate cash flow! We trade time for money in a job, for a company or working for ourselves. It is the link between work-related activity and cash generation that is a common thread between all of us.
Consider this barrage of terms: leverage, scale, innovation, technology, risk assessment, ROI, productivity, mission, vision, values, efficiency, customer satisfaction, results, strategy, products, excellence, systems, operations, research & development, acquisition, sustainability, measurement and improvement.
Throw in company culture, relevance, interaction, care, communication, skills, training, well-being and mindfulness and we have a potpourri of “focus points” in any given day! Yes, there a lot of words, all associated with “what ” we do and “how we do it” to generate the cash flow for business and ourselves!
When we are working “in” business, how often is time allocated to work “on” the business? This is the concept of today’s post. Combining the “what” with the “how”, bringing to light the potential blindspots faced when we’re moving at the “speed of sound”!
For a moment consider if you were away for a week, a month, a quarter, a year or forever. How do you convey what you do and how you do it to others? In other words, could the business sustain itself without you?
This applies to everyone: solo-workers, workers in a team, department heads and leadership! When was the last time you evaluated your processes, financial responsibilities, information and systems access, information sharing, customer outreach, and overall impact to your business? When was the last time you compiled and relayed this information to a designated person or location to ensure business continuity?
If the answer is one year+/- working “on” the business is not part of your business process. The risks associated with inaction include loss of resources: people – internal and external customers / vendors; and financial.
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker
Let’s consider this philosophy – “expect the best and plan for the worst”.
The sheer magnitude of issues businesses face daily forces priorities and often more reactive decisions take precedence. After years in the business realm, it has been my experience how often we overlook considering the “what if’s” as a regular part of business.
Positioning for excellence is a decision. Determining the “right things” for you are determined by you. Making the time to consider working “on” the business is yours to make.
Businesses seek differentiation, a “unique selling proposition”, anything to separate themselves from the crowd. What if you established “assessing the what if’s” as a standard to achieve and measure quarterly? Investment of time up front to protect your business resources and assets?
Think about this and when you’re ready, contact me to craft a specialized approach for you, your team, your leadership, your business. Learn more about what we do Email or check out the website @ The Living Planner #LifeAndBusinessIntersect #CareForPeopleCareForBusiness #StepUpStepIn