A fresh start.
That is what most of us look forward to at the beginning of a new year. The opportunity to reflect back, glean the good, discard the bad, and formulate a new plan that will get us closer to GREAT.
Henry Cloud, in his book Necessary Endings (click here to view a brief overview of the book), uses a metaphor of pruning to help the reader understand that change is good in three particular situations:
- When something is dead and the alive elements are being obstructed or hindered from growing.
- When something is sick and does not appear to be getting better. At these times not only do the sick elements obstruct and hinder, but they divert limited resources away from the alive elements that need those resources for growth.
- When there is too much good and not enough great. Resources are always limited and need to be applied to where they can have their greatest impact. A farmer knows that to get great fruit they at times need to thin the crop so the resources can be focused on the best fruit. Only then can a great crop be harvested.
As you start a new year, take some time to reflect and then ask yourself:
- Which portions of my business (products, services, systems, processes, procedures, staff, etc) are no longer working and need to be pruned? Sometimes less is more. Be courageous and prune away the dead elements.
- Which portions of my business (products, services, systems, processes, procedures, staff, and even customers) are sucking important resources away from the part of the business we consider core? Be courageous and prune away the sick elements [once you have given them sufficient opportunity to get healthy].
- What is the ideal growth for the next year? Growth for the sake of growth is not always better, especially if it is simply top line growth with no commensurate increase in gross and bottom line profit and especially if it is depleting your human element. Human capital is hard to acquire. Don’t squander it on frivolous growth—remember that good is the enemy of great.
Make it a great year…with intentionality!
Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Business Consultant. He would love to assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented above. He is confident that in the process you will enjoy a 10X ROI.
Click here to schedule a free no-obligation introductory consultation.