One of the earliest lessons we learn as we make our way into the world is to “look both ways before we cross the street.” We heard it as children and have said it to our own. From a business perspective,– looking both ways translates more broadly to knowing that before you head out in a new direction, you must pay attention to the world around you.
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Understanding Environment
“Looking both ways” reminds us of the importance of taking a look at our environment. As we prepare to cross our first street, we are leaving the comfort of what we know with a goal of moving to a new location – the other side of the street.
As business people and businesses – to be successful and achieve our goal safely – we need to know:
Where we are…
Where our customers are…
Where our competition is…
Where our competition is going…
Where WE are going…
What resources we need to get there…
&
Where do we get them?
Why say we need to know where we are? It’s obvious, right?
Not always. Often we are so busy trying to achieve the next objective or goal that we forget to step back and assess where we are today. If we do not take the time to really look at where we are today, we may miss those important “little things” that can have a major impact on to where we want to go.
As we look at where we are, there are some important questions to ask. Some are based on what the organization looks like inside while others are external, how others see you. Both are critically important.
So take the time to look both ways, it can make all the difference in your journey.
Thanks for stopping by. Stay Tuned…
Joan Koerber-Walker