“I’m curious why you do it that way.”
“We’ve always done it that way.”
And there it is. The phrase that predicts a decline that will eventually result in the business going out of business. The reality of business requires constant tweaking and change to delight customers and stay relevant.
If you are hearing “We’ve always done it that way” in your business, it is time to make a change. You’ll be glad you did.
I bent over to pick up my gym bag and felt a sharp pain. Hobbling in to see the chiropractor, she said it wasn’t a one off event, it was the last straw. Apparently my hips were different heights and my pelvis was twisted. And somehow I didn’t know.
That’s what happens when things start slipping out of alignment. They are gradual, so you don’t notice them. And then you get to the point where things no longer work. And it feels like it came out of the blue.
Business is like that too. That’s why you need warning systems to make sure you aren’t getting out of alignment. Business reviews and a structured approach to make sure you aren’t getting complacent are critical to making sure you stay in alignment.
My book, Leading the High-Performing Company, has tools you can use to stay aligned and lead your organization to new heights.
For some time, I’ve been confused about how long it takes to get my hair done. Until recently. She explained that the salon blocks 30 minutes for something that takes 10. And it can’t be adjusted. As a result, she stalls for 20 minutes and begins working in the last 10 minutes of the time block. This approach allows her to end in line with the time blocks.
This type of approach can be found in many organizations. Meetings are scheduled for an hour, so they take an hour. People fill up the time given, rather than taking what is required. Imagine how much time you would free up in your organization if you focused on what is needed rather than the time scheduled.
The sign said accident five miles ahead, left and center lanes blocked. Surely there would be a significant backup with only one lane open. So, I turned on GPS to find the best way around the situation. The detour was fantastic. I was able to bypass the traffic and get back on the freeway. All the while I was watching the backup grow on the freeway from the side streets.
There are signs all around us about what is going on with the economy, our customers and our business. If you watch for the signs you can easily navigate varying situations. But if you don’t, you will find yourself in a mess at some point. Are you missing the signs? If so, it is time to start watching.
Over the weekend, I stopped by Ace Hardware to pick up one item. Many times, that is how my shopping at the hardware store goes. I’m working on something need one item, grab it and go. That’s why they caught my attention with something a little different. When the doors opened, I was greeted by the smell of freshly popped popcorn. What a clever way of slowing people down and getting them to spend more time in their store! I was pressed for time and didn’t ask if their sales went up after they started serving popcorn, but I’d guess they did.
What are you doing in your business to create a friendly environment that drives customers to want to spend their time and money with you?
It was a stunning day. Clear blue skies and not a cloud anywhere. I went outside with my dog to enjoy a few minutes of the day. My large cedar tree was a brilliant green against the backdrop of the blue sky. The birds were chirping and frogs croaking. I couldn’t see them, but their chorus indicated they were many. Then my dog let out a few loud barks and the chorus stopped.
That’s the thing about a loud voice. It can drown out or silence the group. Creating balance in your organization so all the voices can be heard is an art. How are you doing at creating the conditions for all the voices to be heard?
A few weeks ago, it was snowing nearly every day. And if you’ve ever driven in the snow, you know how dirty your car gets. Finally, the snow went away and the sun came out. So, I went to the car wash. As did everyone else. The line was around the corner and down the street. That length of line was likely to take 30 minutes to get through. I drove off and planned to come back later. I did come back later that day and over the next few days. It was the fifth time that the line was reasonable and I was able to get my car washed.
In business and in life, things don’t always work out the first time. Commitment and persistence is necessary to get what you want. Are you persisting?
I used to work a business that built things. Sometimes they built facilities that had a new technology or process. They would build a small facility to test new technology or process. Once it worked, they would build the facility at scale. Many times building the exact same thing only bigger didn’t work. Some things always had to be adjusted.
And that is true in business. When growing a company, you can’t just do the same thing with more people. Things will start to break. You need to make changes as you scale to be successful. You need technology and leaders to get people focused on the right thing. Successful companies figure this out and make adjustments. Those that don’t don’t make it.
Have you thought about what you need to do differently to grow your business?
There is a store in town that has succeeded in driving away many of its customers. Rather than getting to know its customers, it would make assumptions about their ability to purchase. The thing is, these customers made significant purchases from other stores. And at times when customers made significant purchases from this store, a portion of their purchase would be stripped away to give to another customer. Over time, customers shared their stories and stopped shopping there.
It’s a pretty extreme case. But there are lessons for everyone:
Have you taken time recently to assess how well you know what your customers want and their experience? If not, it is time to take a look!
Every two years, I head over to the emissions testing center to get tested before I can register my car. It has never failed the test. Last time, I asked the person doing my test if people ever failed. The answer was not a surprise. She said rarely. With the advances in emissions equipment and gasoline formulating, emissions are way down. And the State of Washington recognized this. A very environmentally focused state, Washington decided that the test was no longer needed. So, starting next year, they will no longer require emissions tests.
It was a good lesson in revisiting what is being done and whether it still makes sense in the current environment. Do you look at what you do in your business and stop doing things that are no longer needed? If not, it is time to take a look!