We’ve all been there. Sitting with a group in the break room, the boardroom or over lunch when the conversation shifts to what’s wrong with our team, our business, our community or our lives.
It’s so easy to point out what is wrong. Words fly. The passion is inspiring. Each idea builds on another . Then, oops, you look at the clock. Time’s up and you go back to work and keep on doing things the same way you have always done them before.Continue reading
Watching the Massachusetts Senatorial election results yesterday, started me thinking back to the Presidential campaign of not so long ago… back in the days when BOTH candidates campaigned on themes of CHANGE.Continue reading
You’ve probably had the experience where through the diverse objectives and perspectives of the people on your team, what you set out to create and what you got where not exactly the same. As concessions are made to reach a point of consensus, a completely different animal begins to takes shape.Continue reading
In today’s economy, wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a magic recipe for growth? Just pull out your business cook book, follow the instructions, pop it in the oven and enjoy success. Unfortunately it’s not quite that easy. If it was, we would all master the recipe early and reap the benefits.
![j0402524[1]](http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04025241.jpg)
But in reality it is not that simple. Business success requires a unique mix of ingredients and process that fluctuates with changes in our internal and external business environment.
I remember, when I was a kid, my Grandmother telling me, “If you want to eat, you need to learn to cook.” Well, in the world of business – the same can be said.
You have a physical or mental picture of what your desired result will be whether it is scrambled eggs, a mushroom quiche, or chocolate chip cookies.
If I am making my favorite, warm, gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies – there are some basic foundational ingredients – butter, sugar, flour, eggs.
I need a leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder to make my batter rise.
Flavoring – like vanilla or almond extract
And differentiators like chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, or raisins to make my cookies stand out.
I also need to focus on the quality of my ingredients to ensure a great result. Lot’s of people may have the same recipe – but the quality of the ingredients I use can make my cookies better than the rest.
And then I need to apply just the right amount of energy to make it all blend together. Plus a different kind of energy to bake it into a finished product.
Only when the cookies are out of the oven, cooled, and in my mouth will I know if I have obtained the desired results. If it’s not perfect – I can always try again.
When it comes to our businesses the processes are not that different. We need…
A goal – that clear picture of what we are trying to achieve.
The right base ingredients – a product, a service, a market to serve and people to do the work.
A leavening agent – No baking soda here – this the the values that you and your people employ as you follow the plan.
Flavoring – your marketing and communications strategy
Differentiators – the unique aspects or innovations that you bring to the equation and to your customers.
To Add Energy – in the right proportions at the right time – and that’s where leadership comes in. Not enough energy and your result is half baked. Too much and your result is burned to a crisp.
Don’t forget to focus on the quality of your ingredients to ensure a great result. Lot’s of people may have the same recipe – but the quality of the ingredients you use can make YOUR BUSINESS better than the rest.
You just have to keep experimenting until you find yours.
So, what are you going to mix up and pop in the oven?
Thanks for stopping by. Stay Tuned…
Joan Koerber-Walker
I remember my grandmother quoting the poem “For the Want of a Nail…” to me as a child. Her message to me – all things great and small can have tremendous impact on the success or failure of what we are trying to achieve”
For want of a nail,
the shoe was lost.
For want of the shoe,
the horse was lost.
For want of the horse,
the rider was lost.
For want of the rider,
the battle was lost.
For want of the battle,
the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail!”
Anonymous
Grandma looked at life as a series of chapters, each full of choices, opportunities, goals and challenges. When one chapter ended, another commenced. You might not have control of all the twists and turns of the plot, but you could make a huge impact on how the story turned out.
So, why write an article about business – and that’s what this is – with old proverbs and messages learned at Grandma’s knee? Because we often make business and business decisions much more complicated than they need to be!
Many of the lessons we learned early on in our lives – when things were simple – can have a significant impact on business success. Simple lessons like –
Our lives and our businesses are made of a continuous series of little things – some that may seem important at the time but have little impact in the grand scheme and others that seem insignificant but can have a long and lasting affect. The trouble is that we lack perfect intuition or the crystal ball to determine what the important things are right now.
There may be some pretty big questions that you are be facing in your life or business in today’s economy. It pays to keep in mind that the simplest answers are often the right ones and, as in the case of the nail, one small thing can make a big difference.
Thanks for stopping by. Stay Tuned…
Joan Koerber-Walker
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When you view the world news on The Economy, its pretty dismal as recounted in the attached report from the Associated Press. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rib6oprOsuo]
The important thing to remember is that WE are the economy. And while the Federal Government, Wall Street, and the Big Banks clean up their act, it will be up to all of us, the entrepreneurs and small business owners to innovate, expand, create jobs, and save jobs.
As I make my way around the valley and talk to companies across the country and around the world. I am seeing some incredible things. Small businesses and entrepreneurs are creating innovative products and services – the kinds that can pull us out of this economy the old fashioned way – with American spirit and entrepreneurial ingenuity.
Here are just a few:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDNW7GzWNXA]
So don’t let all the doomsday news from The Economy keep you from being innovative, reaching out, working with others, and continuing to build up Your Economy. The opportunities are out there!
Are you ready for Change? 2009 will be full of it. From politicians, to business owners… from consumers to sellers – January 2009 brings a who new year filled with opportunities.
Now is the time to take stock of what you have to work with, lay some plans, and get energized for the change you will make in 2009. Don’t let all the negative media steal your energy. Make your changes positive – act on your plans – find new resources – make a difference in your business, your community, your life.
Working together anything is possible and opportunites will be what we make them.