Honesty
I was at an event recently in which we were all discussing living a better life and how to go about that. The discussion started with finding the gap between where you are and where you want to be and figuring out how to get from here to there mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
I found it very interesting that I could relate all of what they were saying into building a system or process in a business. I’ve heard it said from many sources that “how you do one thing is how you do everything.”
Your Vision
We all have our own filters through which we view the world, our own glasses that are prescribed to us. Our vision is not necessarily for others to see, but we can lay it out piece by piece for folks to follow and get to the big picture. This is where systems and processes can help.
Processes are not a “draconian” way to keep your “automatons” in order. They are a method to show the direction you want to go and the way in which you want to get there. They are the roadmap of your business, and you get to say whether you want to walk, bike, drive, or fly…or maybe you want to go by horse and buggy!
Being Honest
One of the notes I took from the event was “All things start with being honest with yourself”. When documenting your systems and processes, this is the AS IS view of your business (or life). What are you ACTUALLY doing? Good, bad, or indifferent.
By assessing where you are and being HONEST about it (sometimes brutally) then taking a look at where you want to be, you can begin to see where the gaps are. Pull back out of the forest and get a star’s view of the landscape.
You will see the walls, rocks, mountains, and rivers you will have to traverse to get to your destination and be able to better prepare for those eventualities. You can come back down into the forest and “make the positive point” in the direction you and your team will be heading.
Honesty can be a hard thing, because one has to admit shortcomings and/or failings and as entrepreneurs and business owners, aren’t we supposed to have our act together?
The honest answer is NO! Just like with kids, you have created this entity with intention and now it’s about muddling through and finding out what works and what doesn’t. There is no ONE WAY FITS ALL (for kids OR business). It’s about what works in this instance.
Honestly, Where Are You Now?
If you’re willing to take this first step and admit that you may have some things that aren’t working so well, that you can’t do it all yourself, you open yourself up to finding solutions.
Start with honesty. Begin to rise above the day-to-day to see what’s actually happening. Download the 3 Easy Steps To Identify Your First Process and start to see the path, roadblocks, and possible insights on how to improve.