Accepting vs. Solving Problems: Scale Lessons in Innovation
As a business owner, it’s highly likely that you’re already the type of person who decides to solve problems, instead of accepting them. After all, most entrepreneur’s set-up a business in the first place for this very reason.
But innovation (like Leadership) may not necessarily come naturally to you.
And chances are, you’re often distracted by seeking out that next innovation, and you get side-tracked from your end goal.
But innovation doesn’t need to be “Elon Musk World Changing”.
Where your business is right now, may mean you’re limited by size, and you’re getting bogged down in the menial day-to-day operational tasks of running the business rather than working ON the business.
(Feels like having an underpaid, full-time job?)
What I’ve found in business is that most people cannot accept that simple works. We live in a world dominated by innovation and inspired thinking, but often what is already there works better.
Our simple Scale Philosophy to help with this is:
1). Listen to the people that are already doing the job …
2). If it works then measure it, improve it, and learn from it …
3). If a better way appears or a stand-out performer – then bring everything else in line with that then measure it, improve it and learn from it
There will always be new, but new does not always mean better.
I can guarantee there’s many processes in your business right now that are disjointed, stuck in your head, inefficient or are broken somewhere along the line but you’re just not sure where.
Imagine solving those rather than accepting that’s the way things are done around here? Or excusing it because you don’t want to let go, or you’ve let go too soon.
Imagine how fixing this, innovating what’s already there into something better, can save you money and time, and release you to focus on the bigger picture…
BW,
Martin
PS – Here’s how we helped a few business owners over the years make innovative changes to what’s already in place:
“Over the last two years, Martin’s tools and tips have helped increase productivity in my business by more than 50%. We’ve moved from ‘firefighting’ into a position where I have been able to grow my business thanks to a focused goal, new services, and of course, increases in efficiencies.” – Keith
“Martin’s skills lie in seeing what works, what can be replicated, and what can be “up-scaled” in a way that enables capacity to be increased or decreased as required, and the work dealt with more smoothly and possibly with less specialist staff, thus keeping the costs down with no reduction in the quality of the work.” – Michael
BW,
Martin
Martin Norbury
Investor | Business Mentor at Advocate | Author of I don’t work Fridays
Image by sergei akulich from Pixabay