Bypass roadblocks for success
This past year has provided ample opportunity to see firsthand some of the most prominent roadblocks to business success. Here are the top five, and some recommendations on how steer clear of them.
Number 5 – Reaction mode
Also known as “fire-fighting”. This is something almost everyone can identify with. People will tell me they spend their whole day dealing with emergencies, crises, and putting out fires. They are so busy dealing with these situations that performance and productivity suffer. Let’s face it, situations and emergencies arise in business. However, one way to set yourself up for success is to make sure you have a strategic plan that translates into tasks, and action items. When you have a plan, you know what success looks like and you know what you need to be working on. The plan puts you in the driver’s seat. When emergencies arise you can address them and then get back to your plan and moving the business forward.
Number 4 – Fear of Failure
People within organizations can be hamstrung by fear. They don’t want to commit and do what needs to be done. They are paralyzed by the “what if it fails?” mentality. They don’t want to look bad in front of their boss or their colleagues, so, they just don’t do what they know will lead to business success because of fear. As Adriana Girdler points out in her book, Opening the Doors to Empowerment, “we can be our own worst enemies. We may clearly see the door in front of us, yet we are desperately afraid of turning the handle and peeking through.”
How can we conquer a fear of failure? Commit to doing two things. Accept that failure is going to happen and embrace it as a learning tool. And stay focused on the goal, even when things don’t go smoothly, do whatever needs to be done to keep moving towards your goal.
Number 3 – Hiring the wrong people.
The roadblock here occurs when a manager hires people who are less skilled and/or experienced than he or she. This can be due to a need to control, fear of being challenged, being outshined, etc. The bottom line, it is a detriment to the organization. What I have found is that successful leaders hire people that are more qualified than them. They are not worried about appearing superior to those in their workforce. They understand for the organization to be successful, they need to check their ego and let the most capable people do their job. This quote from Lee Iacocca says it all, “I hire people brighter than me and I get out of their way.”
Number 2 – Lack of self-discipline
In order to be successful sometimes you just have to suck it up and do whatever it is you need to do. The second roadblock is people don’t have the self-discipline to do what they know needs to be done. Don’t like doing admin work, don’t like attending networking events, or don’t like writing proposals late in the day? In order to be successful, you need to develop self-discipline. Experiment and find the times during the day and motivations that will allow you to attend to the things you need to reach your strategic goals and become successful.
Number 1 – No clear vision
This roadblock impacts every aspect of the business. Organizations have no concrete vision, and subsequently, no vision statement. Without a vision, and vision statement for the organization, it’s impossible to plan properly, it’s impossible to make decisions to help you reach your vision, and it’s impossible to make sure the work and the projects you’re doing are moving you forward to the realization of the vision.
As Adriana Girdler points out in her book, The Value of Vision, “the vision statement is what we do and why we do it.” To bypass this roadblock, the key is to make sure your organization has a vision and vision statement. A vision statement that is not just buzz words, but is something that reflects and connects to the true purpose of the organization, and everyone – employees, customers, stakeholders, everyone knows what it is.
