How is your business doing in Q1 2023? Are you experiencing growth – seeing high turnover – or does it feel sluggish and stagnant wherever you look? Even if things appear to be going well, do you have sustainable success locked down in a foolproof formula? Every business owner can agree on one thing – we want success now, this year, and for the future life of our company.
If you’ve been doing what you’ve been doing, and don’t understand why results aren’t getting any better, let’s agree that in order for new and better results to come about, we need to introduce new and better things. Looking at each facet of your company or organization, there may be one or more areas that could use a jumpstart to ensure success. Take an objective view of what’s not working to your expectations. Then we can strive to understand why.
Doing What’s In Our Control
While it’s easy to blame the outside world – the economy, new trends, etc.—let’s admit that success will only come as a result of change. If the economy is different now, we have to adjust our operations accordingly to navigate these fluctuations. Remaining still and waiting for it all to blow over is not an option; the competition is looking at what improvements they can make right now.
Beginning To Consider Change
As a seasoned coach/consultant, I partner with my clients to create a new plan, but I can’t launch it into action on my own. For most business owners, the challenge to implement your plan is buried deeper than the resolutions on paper. Think about other aspects of your life –
“I want to lose weight but I don’t want to eat differently.”
“I want to be healthy and fit but I don’t want to start exercising.”
“I can’t find anything, but I don’t want anyone moving my piles of paper.”
We want a new, better, more rewarding outcome without the hassle of changing our ways. The bad news is, without that discomfort, there can be no growth; the good news is: you have the power.
Why Change Feels Uncomfortable
For some, changing the way you make choices or handle situations or develop habits comes with a feeling of admitting you were wrong to begin with, and no one feels great about being proven wrong.
As you strive to bring about necessary and positive change in your business and in your life, past conditioning will tug at your mind. You may feel trapped between proposed solutions, new trends, and the way you have always done things because they used to work. As humans, that need to be right may actually be working against what you now know to be right for your personal and professional growth.
Is Change Enough?
For many, the reason changing our business can be so uncomfortable is because it doesn’t come with guarantees. We want something we can feel certain about, especially in uncertain times. However, the only constant - and what we can count on is - change. Some may want to sell you on a “foolproof plan” – just follow these instructions, and success is 100% guaranteed! Regardless of these irrational claims, we know this will never be the reality. What is within our power and our control is the ability to embrace change as a new way of looking at how your company can succeed. It is opportunity. With this new mindset intact, we can work both with our team and a coach/consultant to forge new possible paths. We can call on our resources, do our best, measure the results, and tweak our plan to fit the outcomes.
Change is an integral and powerful part of life and a critical part of your personal and business success. If you find it difficult to make changes, if your ego flares up its need to be right, remember to focus intensely on your goals. Your success today is determined by your ability to positively respond to change. The future of your company is counting on it.