On one of my favorite podcast, On Being with Krista Tippet, the writer Adam Gopnik commented on how at a family reunion, he realized that some people were growing, and others were aging. He mentioned that those under 35 seemed to be growing, and those over were aging.
I wondered if this is true of businesses too?
Signs that your business is aging (not growing)
- You are so married to your budget process that you do exactly the same thing year after year.
- You ignore the realities of the marketplace choosing instead to believe your own bullshit.
- You know it all so well that you don’t develop products that solve problems. Instead, you create products that you believe are best for your customer’s needs.
- You no longer invest in education or training for your employees.
- Instead of upgrading equipment, you use “virtual” duct tape to hold things together.
- Your business still acts like its 1990.
- You have the same organizational structure as you did ten years ago, even though your customer base has changed.
- From a supply chain perspective, you don’t invest in building relationships anymore so that every conversation is around price instead of sustainable value.
- You keep adding services or new markets to your business, diluting your focus on your core.
- Great talent is slowly leaving the business.
Signs that your business is growing (not aging)
- There is an energy that is palpable in your office and factory.
- Employees are empowered to take risks, and not be fearful of failure, within reasonable limits.
- You celebrate both the victories and the failures because it strengthens your corporate muscle.
- Talented employees are always trying to come to work for your business.
- Alignment reigns. Everyone in the company has a clear vision – and they believe it.
- There is a powerful WHY that everyone understands. It goes deeper than making money or selling more stuff, and it motivates your organization.
- The business is always running small experiments to test new ideas and see if a different structure might improve results.
- The business has an aggressive approach to the digital realities of the Internet age and doesn’t feel stuck in an analog world.
- No one minds working extra hours on a critical project because they feel they can balance their work schedules.
- You notice more smiles than closed doors in your office.
Is your business growing or aging?
Does it feel like the mission of the business can be felt in the bones of its employees or does it feel like a bad suit, that you are forced to wear? Do meetings feel purposeful or more like an obligation?
Maybe it is time to grow up not old.
Could you use water, soil, seeds and fertilizer to help you grow your business? Let’s grow. Call if you’d like to pick my brain.
