Change is here, and the difference is great!
Bring on 2022!
Change is here,
and the difference is great!
Bring on 2022!
By Global IT GPOD
If you haven’t guessed by the cooler weather and the changing leaves, it’s already November, and this year is quickly coming to an end. Many companies and business owners are concurrently reviewing the year’s numbers and targets and analyzing what is and isn’t working. They are also considering changes and what to focus on for the remaining two months. Depending on the outcome of their analyses, business owners are waking up each day with different levels of anxiety with the prospect of how 2021 will end up.
As a serial entrepreneur, I am no stranger to these challenges, and I continue to wake up with questions and anxieties. However, my feelings and questions center around anticipation and curiosity about what 2022 will bring. I honestly believe the coming year will bring positive changes and advancements in business and society, and I am looking forward to getting back to some kind of routine as we knew it.
Believe me when I say, “Change is here, and the difference is great!”
Along with providing multiple opportunities for businesses and individuals, the pandemic has also made everyone take a much-needed step back and look at the current situations and predicaments the world and individuals face. It has given us all a new way of looking at things and has forced us to re-figure things out. And in some way or form, we have all needed to change our businesses, lives, and relationships.
Looking at this from a business point of view and considering changes for my own business, I have found a few tools and concepts which have helped me with “change” and “Figuring things out.” I have implemented these tools in my business, helping me sleep better at night and feel excited about what the future holds. And in this month’s Director’s Voice, I would like to share a couple of these with you.
Several months ago, I came across these tools when I first read the book ‘Traction – Get a Grip on Your Business’ by Gino Wickman. Since then, I have read his other books, and I am working on further introducing his ideas and philosophies into the daily operation of my businesses. The first of which is The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
EOS is a comprehensive business system, integrating a holistic business model with a complete set of simple business tools. Within this “operating system,’ which I highly recommend for all SME owners and entrepreneurs, are numerous tools that will support your company in making the necessary changes to take your business to the next level, both in terms of the organization and success.
The one tool that is possibly the most difficult to implement is the People Analyzer. However, this tool holds the highest potential for growth and success. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins writes that making sure that you have the ‘Right People’ (values) in the ‘Right Seats’ (roles) is fundamental to the success of and any company. This statement is in line with EOS’ GWC™ tool. GWC™ stand for:
Do they GET IT? Do they WANT IT? Do they have the CAPACITY TO DO IT?
These are the three questions each employee or member of your team needs to answer with commitment! These questions will help you get the “right people” in the “right seats,” and will potentially energize your business. For more information on EOS and GWC™, click on the links below.
The second tool I would like to introduce is SOP (not to be mistaken for SOB) and stands for Standard Operating Procedure(s). SOPs are not a new concept, but many businesses, especially SMEs, fail to implement them. Many larger organizations also struggle to implement SOPs. Still, according to Toyota Motors Corporation, SOPs (or, in Toyota’s words, Standardization) are the foundation of the Toyota Production System (TPS), which many companies try to emulate. Standardized Operating Procedures are also the foundation for operational stability.
Without SOPs, it is impossible to know what is working and what is not. People work with different processes and have different outcomes. With this non-standard work style, one cannot visualize the process and, consequently, find what needs improvement. Creating a clear and concise set of SOPs for your business will significantly assist in the scalability and success of your business.
Furthermore, when a company has and uses SOPs, it is usually a sign they have defined a clear business strategy and can articulate how they want their business to evolve and grow. It also indicates the level of sophistication, or at a minimum, working towards becoming a more sophisticated company. As with clear and constant values, which are the basis for company decision-making, SOPs act like the keel and rudder of a boat, which keeps the ship sailing in the desired direction. If you would like to learn more about SOPs, click the link below.
I hope the EOS and its different tools (GWC™ and SOPs) enable you and your team to move to the next level of success and that it allows you to wake up feeling excited at what the future holds!
James