You’re a service business,
not a fire department!
Most of us think … a lot!
We’re
driving to work and we’re thinking (well, maybe dreading it). We’re bombarded
by staff questions and customer interactions so we’re thinking of answers to
the problems and challenges hurled our way. We’re at our desk or working in the
field so we’re thinking and problem-solving as we go through our work day.
We’re
headed home from work (whenever that is!) and we’re thinking about what’s left
to do and what tomorrow will bring. Maybe we’re dreading it again. We’re trying
to sleep but the thoughts come flooding in like water raging over the shores of
a swollen river. So, we’re really not sleeping. Maybe we’re waiting for our
phone to ring in the middle of the night. Or, we’re just dreading the thought
of starting the process all over again tomorrow.
And so
it goes. Only the calendar is changing and little more.
The
famous quote attributed to Albert Einstein is, “Insanity: doing the same thing over
and over again and expecting different results.”
But,
that’s what we do. Isn’t it?
If you
want to break the “Chain of Insanity” you need to expand your thinking beyond the
latest fire you’re dealing with and you need to spend time thinking and
implementing the changes that move you into the “fire prevention” business.
The
trick in business is figuring out what you must do to keep fires from ever
breaking out in the first place. Or, at least, making them break out less often
and in a more manageable way.
If you are thinking about what you must do right now
to solve a problem and what you must do going forward to fix the problem so you
stop falling in the same hole, you’re already on the right track to breaking
the endless cycle of “Fire Fighting”.
The key is to create policies and procedures that
attack what happens 80% of the time and treat everything else as an exception.
Then, the next step is to train your staff on these policies and procedures and
hold them accountable to the written guidelines.
But the only way you can ensure buy-in from your
staff versus a revolt is to give them a voice in helping shape and change policy
and procedures whenever a faster, cheaper or better way is discovered. It’s
only by their having a voice can you ever hope to achieve anything lasting when
it comes to owning and operating a company that can consistently deliver on
your promises.
Change your ways of thinking about only today’s
problems into thinking about today’s problem
and how you’re
going to commit to the changes needed so you don’t have to live the “Definition
of Insanity” anymore.
Give Me 60 Minutes And I'll Show You The Secrets To Running
A Profitable Service Business ... Even During A Recession!
Al Levi is a consultant and a contributing editor to
PM
magazine and blogs for many other BNP trade magazines. He is now presenting a free
online video event called the “60-Minute Recession Solution Online Video
Seminar”.
For the first time ever, you’ll hear from him and
just a few of the many contractors who have engaged the power of his Power!
Programs. They’re happy to share how this dynamic program worked for them and
how it is still working for them - especially in these tough economic times.
“This
program has helped dozens of business owners I’ve worked with one-on-one,” says
Al. “The Power! Plans have also helped. But now, thanks to new technology, I’ll
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customizable Operating Power! manuals.
These programs have
been working for Al in his family business for years and in his clients’
businesses. Now they are reaping the results. Click on the following link to
see and hear for yourself:
www.60MinuteRecessionSolution.com.
