The more common approach is to do just the opposite ā be so consumed with the day-to-day transactions and the ebb and flow of the business that you donāt invest quality time in the systems and people necessary to develop a
better business. You find yourself so invested in the trees that you donāt recognize the forest.
Iām reminded of something a mentor once said to me. Ned, the best manager I ever worked for, commented to me:
āIām at my best, having the greatest impact on my organization, when I am not needed on a day to day basis.ā
His point was that when the business ran on a day-to-day basis totally without him, he was then free to use his unique combination of experience, skills and motivation to apply to the task of creating a better business.
That time that he spent working āon the businessā didnāt happen by chance. It took a concentrated effort to gradually withdraw himself from the ebb and flow of transactions so that he could carve out the time to focus on the big picture.
Unfortunately, for many executives, the āworking on the businessā time comes in an unpredictable fashion, typically as a reaction to some crises. For example, you decide to put some time into the development of a new position, only after the person who was doing that job gives notice. This reactive response to major events and crises leads to a jagged, hit-or-miss approach to developing the strategies, systems
and processes that lead to efficient and effective business.
With the world changing as rapidly as it is today, reacting to anything is often too late. Not so long ago executive prided themselves on being āquick to react.ā However, in our rapidly changing environment, reacting is often too late. By the time you notice the event and react to it, it may be too late to respond...[Read More]
