Avoiding Complacency: The # 1 Silent killer of Businesses
Whether you own a business or you’re just a leader in business, it can tend to become repetitive and we tend to get complacent into thinking we have accomplished it all. You know, such thought as; “been there, done that!” or “I’ve got this all figured out”. Due to the fact that we may be laid-back because we’ve achieved the original goals that we’ve set for ourselves. At times we find that due to the invisible limitations we’ve placed on ourselves; the creativity, fire and passion we had at the beginning seem to disappear because we’ve become content at our current level. We start to believe such sayings as “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. Sometimes as business owners we become too prideful believing that there is no need for us to do anything more than we are currently doing and this can be very dangerous for our businesses. That is why I believe the description is an accurate description, complacency is a silent killer. We sometimes fail to think about how our actions or our inactions due to that feeling or “knowledge” that we have within ourselves can impact our move forward or lack of moving forward. So here are 3 tips on this topic.
Strive to be better because someone else is right now
Particularly in business but also your scholastic or personal life, the question that I also ask is; why be adequate when you can be exceptional? There is always someone out there who is asking themselves what can I do now, how can I be greater or how can this be better, how can I improve, what is the next step? Therefore, this is the mindset that we need to have; always asking ourselves how we can improve. We should go back to the creativity, hunger, ideas, the excitement, the passion and the thrill we first had when we started our businesses. When ideas were just pinging off the wall, “ping, ping, ping”. Ask yourself the question, “I’m here but what can I do to be there”. This mindset will allow us to better provide for our clients and customers as well as help in our personal growth and self-satisfaction.
2. Be open to fresh ideas
It amazes me how I can be having a conversation with someone: a colleague, an accountability group, a relative, a stranger in the grocery store, about business or general topics and they say something and you have that AHA moment! There is nothing wrong with being open to a new prospective or new ideas. You still need to be true to yourself but being open to new ideas can sometimes be beneficial. Consider these opportunities, access to your own personal test groups. Lots of times that audience can be helpful because they can give us a true view into how our idea is going to land or resonate with others. Be open to it, and not only to experts or mentors. There have been times I’ve had AHA moments from something my children have said. You will be amazed at what can open up for you. Ultimately, it is what we do with the idea that matters.
3. Surround yourself with people who will challenge you
Earlier I spoke of my accountability group. When we are together one of the first things that we do is go around the room and ask what three things each one of us needs to do to get accomplished before wrapping up our meeting. Whatever our answers, the other person holds us to it. That is what is needed! Surround yourself with people who will let you know you’re capable of doing more than you think you can do. Ensure that people that you associate with will challenge you to move to a higher level. To get back to one of my original questions, why be adequate when you can be exceptional?
Ronette Clarke Williams
CEO, Optimum Productivity
