subject: Are You Operating Your Business In A Vacuum? [print this page] As a business owner running the many different facets of your business, its not uncommon for you to feel as though youre operating everything out of your own head. So when the answers you are seeking wont appear youll often reach out to others around you for a fresh perspective.
You can be positively (or negatively) influenced by talking through a variety of areas of your business with your business friends, networking contacts and other professional connections you meet along the way. There are many entrepreneurs who choose to discuss certain aspects of their business with their staff, vendors or even independent contractors. In my experience with many entrepreneurs, some may even talk through various challenges of their business with their spouse.
In these situations, the result of talking through important - and even critical - issues regarding the nature of your company falls on ears of well-meaning, but seriously unqualified individuals.
Sometimes (ok, most times), the nature of the problem usually involves your employees, your partner, your vendor or even problems at home with your spouse. Its hard to get impartial advice that gets you unstuck and moving proactively in the right direction from the very people who may be at the root of the problem!
So what do you do?
Do you merely check out your local Borders bookstore, Barnes & Noble or jump online to seek out answers to internal business dilemmas? Often the information and solutions offered through publications online and offline can have exactly opposing solutions for the same problem which is really frustrating!
Theres nothing worse than feeling like youre alone in your business even if youre surrounded by people!
This even affects executives. Many times the C.O.O., for example, cant go up the chain for advice because theyre already supposed to know what needs to be done and how to fix problems thats why they were hired! They cant go down the chain either because theyre the boss."
Most times the problem entrepreneurs have is not properly diagnosing the issue - much like an individual finally going to the doctor. Maybe the problem is fear of failure, or even fear of success. There are many instances where a hard-working entrepreneur is unorganized, unfocused, distracted with problems at home, incompetent in a critical area or maybe even not as good with people as they thought they were.
The fact is nobody has it all together - and the most successful have help and accountability.
Operating a growing, dynamic, ever-changing and complex organism like a profitable business is not a one-seat journeyespecially when it is supposed to sustain the financial livelihood of your family and be a source of joy in your life.
Successful business owners, including myself, always reach out for professional assistance. Just imagine how much faster you could expedite your business growth by short-cutting roadblocks, problem areas, easily avoidable obstacles and the dangerous curves ahead? More often than not, the anchors that are holding us down are personal (and certainly private) in nature. Most times the problem with operating a business in a vacuum is that you dont see the internal conflicts within yourself but boy, do you feel the effects!
The difference between operating your business in a vacuum, and having a dedicated support professional or team is clearits clarity of vision and purpose; clarity of problems to be addressed; clarity of the steps to the solution; and clarity to the what, the when, the where and the how".
I encourage you to pop that vacuum bubble, and find that expert counterpart that can help you make large strides forward in your business and personal life. Its time to take control (or re-take control) of your situation, and you cant do that in a vacuum by yourself!
Take time this week to have a conversation with someone who is an expert in helping business owners achieve their goals. Trust me, the time you spend determining how to move forward will make all the difference in how much success you can experience throughout your lifetime, personally and professionally.
