If you are similar to
the many business owners with which I work, you strive to keep your operations running
as efficiently, smoothly and with as few interruptions to the flow of business
as possible. As you do, there are a number of key variables to keep in mind as
you endeavor to prevent or remove any blockages that limit your happiness and
success as an entrepreneur.
The different bottlenecks
or barriers to business success create blockages that come in many forms: ineffective
systems and procedures; poor affiliate, vendor and customer relationships; team
members who lack the skills, and behaviors, necessary to communicate
effectively; and team members whose lack of desire and a positive attitude
prevent them from performing at consistently high levels. These are just a few
of the common blockages I work with owners to identify and eliminate in order
to drive business performance and success.
Are you aware of the current
internal variables that may be limiting your operations? If the answer is yes,
then you have positioned yourself to take the critical next step of understanding
what they are, where and why they exist, and how
much they are costing you in real terms. If you are not mindful of your
company’s blockages, your lack of awareness will prevent you from addressing
them at all. Is this really a viable option if you want your business to stand out
in the marketplace?
To make more sense of how you can identify and eliminate potential
blockages that will keep you from optimal levels of performance and success,
let’s look at a few common culprits:
Communication:
Ineffective communication is a primary, and often times leading, barrier in many
businesses. For this reason, effective communication - communication that accurately
conveys information, images, feelings and desires so that all parties are on a similar,
if not the same, page must be highly valued and strongly encouraged. Clear and
specific communication allows people and systems to work together seamlessly
for superior results.
Talents
& Skills: All members of a professional working
team need to possess the basic skills required to perform their jobs. If not,
they will only take away from, the smooth and efficient operations of the
business. While a person lacking the necessary skills to do the job potentially
could constitute a good hire, they must compensate for that with a strong desire
to learn and grow. Otherwise, it is a waste of time, effort and money to bring
them on.
Attitude:
While
skills can be taught to individuals
who want to learn, attitude is a different beast all together. Although
many are hired for their talents, it is their attitudes and resulting behaviors
that determine in the long run if they are a blockage in your business. Team
members may be qualified to perform their job at a high level. But, if they
bring a consistently negative attitude to the workplace, their performance will
be poor and, invariably, they will disrupt your operations in more ways than
one. Negativity and bad attitudes are a deadly virus you cannot allow to be spread
throughout your company.
Desire:
A lack of desire means team members won’t care enough to deliver superior job
performance. When people don’t care, they also lack commitment and loyalty, and
are often less efficient and productive. These team members will consistently
produce poor quality products and services resulting in unsatisfied customers. Just
one team member can negatively affect the overall positive efforts of an entire
team. They have a dampening effect on team moral and damage the work
environment. When an owner or manager tolerates this type of attitude, they
lose credibility with the rest of the team.
Think of blockages
within your business in terms of an artery around your heart that is blocked
with fatty deposits. It’s hard not to see that these interruptions to effective
flow must be paid attention to, addressed in a timely manner and cleared out.
Inaction in addressing
the blockages to the flow of your business will only compound the situations
curtailing your company’s overall performance.
I’ll explore in my next
column the options for addressing the barriers I mentioned above. Until then,
see what blockages to the smooth and efficient flow of your business operations
you can discover. Write them down and then focus on eliminating them for good.
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