Are You Winging It In Your Business?
All businesses need a leg up to be successful. Some people call that edge luck. Others might say that it’s just good timing. And some just ignore the fact that they’re winging it in their business and hope for the best.
I’m not talking about luck. I’m not talking about timing. And you can’t ignore the possibility that winging it in your business might be affecting your success, because it’s more common than you think.
Wingin’ It Defined
The dictionary defines “wing” as a verb meaning to do something without planning ahead; improvising; making do with whatever is convenient or available. An adjective definition of “winging” includes appearing unprepared, haphazardly conceived, and/or done casually or without much thought. There are no official definitions for “winging it”, but Merriam-Webster contributes a couple of thoughts: 1) to make a move without a plan and 2) to bob and weave around a task or situation.
Wingin’, is a very common practice for new business owners. When you first begin, there’s a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it. New businesses have so much to learn that they sometimes forget some of the fundamentals. This practice can seem harmless at first, but as your business grows, winging it will become more evident as a problem area holding you back from success. But don’t fret – if you recognize this issue now and change your mindset about how you approach things, then you’re already on the right track.
Success Requires Planning
So what does all this mean? Success requires planning – and by that I mean creating and following (and adapting) an action plan that gets you where you want to go. So if you’re not sure how to get from point A to point B, then maybe it’s time for a road map with directions.
Don’t wing it in your business just because that’s what everyone else is doing. Have the vision of where you want to go and what needs to happen when in order for you to get there. Then make the necessary steps to ensure success instead of hoping things will work out on their own. To find this path, start by listening more than talking, concentrating on specific results, eliminating distractions, becoming aware of your thoughts/habits/actions, and identifying your end goal.
It can be hard, but knowing when you need help is important to growing your business and increasing revenue. Not sure if you or your company is where it needs to be? Take this simple quiz:
1) Do you have clear goals for your company?
2) Are you meeting those goals? If so, awesome! But if not, what’s stopping you from achieving them?
3) Is everyone on board with these goals and do they know how best to contribute to them?
4) If you’re not achieving your goals, are you just going to hope that things change, or are you going to do something about it?
5) How often are you able to take a step back and see how far along your business has come?
6) Do you have a plan in place for when adversity strikes? Or is it every man for himself in the company?
7) Is everyone on board with this plan or does anyone feel left out of the loop?
8) Do teammates trust one another enough to know that their contribution is valuable even if they’re not making sales calls all day long?
9) When something goes wrong, do employees rally together to fix it, or are they quick to point fingers at one another?
10) Do you have a strategy in place for when an emergency hits or is it just utter chaos?
11) What does success look like for your company in the next 3 months? 6 months? Year? Is that vision clear enough to be achieved with just business as usual, or is outside help needed to get there faster?
12) How long do you think it will take before your team or company gets where you need them to go with this plan in place?
13) If you answered yes to questions 1 – 12, congratulations! You’re on the right path and only making minor adjustments along the way. But if you answered no, don’t worry. Every company starts somewhere. It’s not too late to pick up a strategy or two that will push your business in the right direction. Now is the time, but you’ve got to be willing to make a few changes in order to get there.
All businesses need a leg up to be successful. Some people call that edge luck. Others might say that it’s just good timing. And some just ignore the fact that they’re winging it in their business and hope for the best. I’m not talking about luck. I’m not talking about timing. And you can’t ignore…