I had an uncomfortable personal experience this week, and it made me reflect on some past business experiences and see them in a whole different light.
I was waiting for “that” phone call—you know, the one where you either get good or bad news about a loved ones’ health.
I was trying to go about business as usual, but worry was in the back of my mind. I began to feel butterflies in my stomach, and my heart rate, breath, and energy level increased so that I had to go outside and take in some fresh air.
That experience got me thinking about the health of our businesses. As entrepreneurs, we often acquire “symptoms” that, if left untreated, can make our businesses “sick”—such as funky clients, bad processes and crappy colleagues or teammates. If we don’t identify these issues and take care of them quickly, they can kill our business like a cancer.
At first these business cancers are hard to identify and diagnose. As a kind, optimistic person (I was the senior prom queen and voted friendliest in the class of 1988 LOL), I used to think I was doing something wrong when funky clients, bad processes or crappy colleagues would crop up.
Challenges and issues would continue and I tried to resolve them the way any former prom queen would, by saying things like:
“What more can I do for you?”
“Sure, we can add that to your project.”
Yes, we can work like that if that’s how you prefer to work, dear client who’s never built a website before.”
I wanted to please the person—even if it was at my expense—because there was a tiny seed in my brain that thought that what was lacking in the situation might be me.
Yet each and every time I tried to please them, the situation got worse, the “cancer” expanded, energy on the team shifted and the result was a hit to my bottom line and stress. I realized that in order to treat these problems I had to identify them early on, address them head-on, and get comfortable either saying “no” or “yes AND.”
But most importantly…I had to realize it wasn’t me.
I’ve gotten much better at seeing these issues and diagnosing/addressing them as soon as possible, and because of that, issues have been nipped in the bud quickly and resolved before they can become full-blown problems.
Instead of the draining way that I use to lead within my business, I now feel amazingly energized.
Because here’s the thing: when you keep your finger on the pulse of your business and consistently check its’ health, you’ll know when things crop up that needed to be treated to keep it in tip-top shape.
When you keep your finger on the pulse of your business and consistently check its’ health, you’ll know when things crop up that needed to be treated to keep it in tip-top shape. Find out more: Share on XNot only will your business be better for it, but you’ll feel so much more energized and alive as it’s owner, which will help you keep it running well for many years to come.
Give It a Try:
What are some things in your business that might be making it “sick”? (Tip: Is there any aspect of your business that makes your stomach sink or feels out of alignment with how you want to run it? If so, focus there.)
About The Author
Rachel Gogos is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for people, the web, and creating strong personal brands. She started her career at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where she helped create the look and feel for the organization’s first website. Today, in her current role running brandiD, Rachel channels over 15 years of marketing and communications experience into each and every website for brandiD’s clients. Find out more!
