From the beginning of times, we have used stories to convey messages and pass-on wisdom to those who cared to listen. Those stories such as fables, myths and other folklore are delivered by troubadours, actors, nannies and the like. Somehow, the messenger has to take distance, set the stage in some mythical and far off country and use fictitious names for its characters in order to protect the guilty.
I want to tell you a little story but forgive me for stripping away all elaborations that serve the purpose of dressing it up and making it more palpable than it actually is. So, here we go.
Once upon a time a family of five was living in a nice and comfortable house in the suburbs. After many years of great service to the family, the house started to leak and now, every time it rains, unexpected things start to happen. No, not only the obvious such as wet carpets, furniture and beds, but wall paper peeling off the wall; plaster falling from the ceiling over the diner table, landing right in your soup splashing your clean shirt. Doors are buckling and getting jammed. As a result, you have to yank the door open and kick it shut. The more it aggravates you, the harder you kick it shut and the harder you must now yank the door handle to open that damn door. Eventually the door handle comes off and the bottom part of the door collects scuff marks. Water is seeping in between the walls and the moisture causes the wood to rot, damaging the structural integrity of the house. Floors are sagging which puts pressure on the window frames that cause the pane to crack or shatter. Mould forms which undermine the immunity of everyone living in the house. This sets off a chain reaction in its own right. Electrical systems fail because the moisture corrodes the wires and causes shorts. So, every time it rains the lights go and you live in the dark. As a result, no one really feels secure inside that house; you simply don’t know what’s going to happen next and when it will strike. Well, that’s not true because Murphy’s Law says that it will happen when you least expect it and when you are most defenseless.
So one day you wake up and realize that its time for action. You re-apply wall paper but now with water resistant glue; repaint the door with mould resistant paint; buy water tight bed-spreads; replace the electric ceiling lights with oil lamps and you tile the downstairs floor. This is progress, because every time it rains, your bed stays dry, the light stays on and the floor does not absorb moisture and is easy to clean with a mop! Doing something has made you feel good.
The moral of the story is that what you spent over time on many small-ticket items ends up costing you more than spending money on fixing just one big-ticket item such as the roof. Furthermore, fixing the roof once and for all gives peace of mind to everyone; no more surprises. All you needed to do was go to the source of your trouble, in this story a bad roof due to poor construction, poor maintenance or simply age. Don’t blame the climate for your trouble and misfortune.
As with most stories, they seem so unreal. This does not happen in real life, or does it? The economic climate produces a lot of rain and we keep fixing symptoms; the wet furniture, the stuck door, etc. We use empty slogans such as “We need to do More with Less”. Well that’s fine and dandy but don’t expect your clients to remain loyal. Don’t expect your employees to be inspired and engaged and thus loyal. If you cannot hold on to your clients, you need to attract new clients all the time for every sale you make. You need to lure them away from rivaling offerings and give them incentives to try your products and services at least once. That costs money which comes straight out of your profit margin. But hey, “touch times require touch measures” and so we cut again; making the product and service experience for buyers less appealing while expecting to sell it for the same price. Who are we kidding? Certainly not your employees. By now you have undermined moral and lost your loyal key talent because they don’t agree with your policies. Once those few people that were holding your business together have left, you are receiving one surprise after the other when you least expect it and are most vulnerable. In other words, the structural integrity of your business is gone and collapse becomes inevitable. Do you recognize the pattern? Just like in the story!
We live in pivotal times that require CHANGE and all we seem to focus on is plugging the holes and yes, many businesses are more than happy to sell you anything to cover-up those symptoms more efficiently than before and at a lower cost than overhauling the business system. These are the penny-wise and pound-foolish policies that cost you your key talents.
Remember this: these chains of events are not the cause of failure but the symptoms of a failing business system. Your problems are produced by your current business system and not by anything else. Yes, I know that people make mistakes but instead of trying to change the human condition, why not change the conditions under which humans work?
You’re absolutely right that this level of thinking is not mainstream and in this rainy economic climate, you don’t even want to be in the mainstream where everyone is facing the same trouble because they are holding on to the same faulty lines of reasoning that are still sold by most business educators today. Don’t blame them either because as long as you demand their services they will cater to your needs!
You were taught how to grow a business but not how to enhance your power to adjust and change in order to cope with new and unexpected circumstances. If you are befuddled and bewildered by unexpected events that keep taking you by surprise, then now is the time to learn how to cope with those new and unexpected events by empowering yourself to adjust and change! Ask me HOW today by calling (858) 344-1137