You’re probably won’t like what I say next, but here goes.
The Bad News
Your problems in your business, such as:
- systems and processes not working well
- sales performance not good enough
- cash flow challenges
- staff turnover too high
- recruiting people who aren’t quite right
- culture not right
- productivity too low
are all caused by you, the business owner/leader, and your fears, bad habits and ignorance.
The biggest issue will be your fear of having the crucial, confronting, constructive conversations with the right people (could even be with yourself) at the right time.
People design and operate systems, and if the people have dysfunction so too will be their design and operation. You chose them and are one of them.
Sales performance deficiency will be about the fear of rejection, bad sales habits, or not knowing how to sell the product or service in today’s market – all easily learned.
Cash flow usually depends on revenue from sales, timely payment by customers, and well managed expenditure. Fear, bad habits and ignorance cause poor sales, allowing slow payers and overspending.
Staff retention depends mainly upon your consistent competent and caring leadership, staff feeling valued at work, and having interesting work. You are responsible for that.
Recruiting the right people today is one of the under-rated key roles of leaders and should not be outsourced. Getting the right person, for the right role at the right time, and then onboarding them properly, is one of the most important roles a leader can undertake. Keep the position open rather than fill it with mediocrity and leaving them to it.
Culture is the sum of the attitudes of the people in the business, which dictates their decisions and behaviours. Culture becomes what the leaders’ model, tolerate or don’t know about. The culture is a direct reflection of the leadership.
Productivity is a result of performance, which in turn is a result of culture.
The problems listed above are all down to your fears, your habits, and your ignorance.
The Good News
The good news is that to overcome all of them is easy:
- Your courage
- Your better practice
- Your constant learning
The Solution
Your smartest and fastest solution for all the above is to rapidly develop the skill of conducting crucial confronting constructive conversations!
That’s because the right conversation has the most immediate impact on attitude, behaviours and performance. There are many types of conversations needed.
However, the right conversation is dependent upon the skills of
- becoming calm and centred
- asking and listening
- using open-ended respectful questions
Then there is the primary most crucial conversation to have and keep having – that of your shared values and vision.
Without having that conversation, gaining and keeping shared ownership of the values and vision, then the other conversations will be ineffective.
If this solution interests you, email me with the subject line Send Me the Primary Conversation Script, and within 24 hours I’ll send you a script that you can adapt to your situation.
There’s no catch or hidden ‘sell’. I’m helping business get better – it’s important for our economy, and that’s at risk right now, not only from the external, but also from internal issues.
I recommend you draft your conversation from the script, and practice it before having it
If you’d like me to review your plan, email it to me and I’ll give you feedback within 48 hours.
This offer has no strings attached whatsoever.
Nothing to lose and lots to gain, so go ahead and ask for the script.
