Tweet

The Power of a Blank Whiteboard

Written by: Rebel Brown

Article Overview: Unfortunately for many companies, people don't usually respond well to change. Anything but. I wish we could embrace the opportunity to evolve processes and thinking and behaviors - but often we don't. Especially in tough times - when the company environment is probably already tense and constricted. When things get tense, people tend to hang on to what they know, as a touchstone for the status quo - which is known and safe, even if it does mean a downhill slide. Hanging onto 'the way we've always done it' is one of the most common challenges I encounter in my clients.

The Power of a Blank Whiteboard

There's nothing like a strategic consultant showing up to stir the pot and bring all the tough 'stuff' to the surface. As I tell my CEO clients - I am the lightening rod for people's reactions to impending change.

Unfortunately for many companies, people don't usually respond well to change. Anything but. I wish we could embrace the opportunity to evolve processes and thinking and behaviors - but often we don't. Especially in tough times - when the company environment is probably already tense and constricted.

When things get tense, people tend to hang on to what they know, as a touchstone for the status quo - which is known and safe, even if it does mean a downhill slide. Being a true risk taker, it eludes me as to why hanging onto a boat anchor is safer than letting go and striking out for dry land - even if that land is a blur in the distance.

Hanging onto 'the way we've always done it' is one of the most common challenges I encounter in my clients. That's one of the reasons I question everything. I always ask about the logic, the 'why' behind the thoughts and processes.

The Inevitable Answer? Because we've always done it that way.

Those seven little words contribute heavily to companies' declines. They will trip you up even as you are scrambling to reinvent yourself in the marketplace, with the best intentions and focus.

You can't optimize your business and continue to hang onto the ‘knowns' of your business. If you're having a rough spot, some of those very ‘knowns' an become an even bigger part of the reason you're in the position you're in.

Hopefully you're beginning to wonder if it's time to chuck the ideas you've held near and dear to your heart about markets, products and customers, right into the fire.

So do the same thing with key processes, assumptions and execution patterns. Question ‘why' you do things the way you do. Every time you hear that answer, "Because that's the way we've always done it," - take another look.

Chances are you'll find an opportunity for innovation and a new way of thinking. And isn't that why we're all here in the first place?



Start with a Blank Whiteboard One of the first things I recommend to a new client entering the Phoenix Process is an old fashioned brainstorming meeting. With true out-of-the-box thinking. No ideas are wrong, everything is accepted as a potential and the more ideas the better.

• Start with a blank whiteboard - and I do mean blank. Nothing is a given, nothing is held as fact - everything is in play as part of the process of reinvention.

• Include everything in your evaluation: Markets, target profiles, value propositions, SWOTs, products, materials, messages, everything that matters to your customer effort.

• Challenge everything, ask questions, debate everything - there are no Sacred Cows in business.

• include your customers AND prospects as part of your process. Customer beliefs are the ultimate test. In the end - when revenues and profits are the bottom line definition of success or failure, nothing else matters but what your customers think - and how they spend their dollars.

By the way, some of your 'facts' and beliefs will indeed be true . But when you hold all of your beliefs in the fires of scrutiny - you'll find that some aren't.

Beginning the process, seeing your company and its 'truths' thrown into the fire, is a painful, difficult but very necessary step toward reinvention and rebirth. Objective truth is one of the keys to redefinition.

It is one of the biggest challenges my clients face as part of their continued growth. I like to call the brainstorm meetings 'love in's. Not because they are easy and light, but because of the emotions and passions that arise as part of the process.

Passion is great - but direct it to the future, and not to clinging to ''the way we've always done it'.

Taking a hard look at your business - and perhaps the very foundation of your own passion - is tough. But you must commit to finding the truth, focusing on your customers' insights and not on your own beliefs. And you must release all 'knowns' to the fire.

The assets that stand on the other side, the things you learn along the way and the new ideas that are born as part of the process will form the foundation of your future.

Before you know it, you'll be flying.

Related Articles
  Are Your Whiteboards Helping Or Hurting?
  The Key To Successful Whiteboard Presentations
  Selling More With Whiteboard Displays
  The Little Secret To Close 57% More Sales
  Don’t Miss Out On The Whiteboard Sales Presenting Craze

Article Tags: assumptions, best intentions, blur, boat anchor, ceo clients, company environment, declines, downhill slide, execution, impending change, inevitable answer, pot, risk taker, rough spot, seven little words, status quo, strategic consultant, touchstone, tough stuff, tough times



Related Forum Posts
Women Entrepreneur Tips - Thank you LeoOliveros, I found #4 particularly true in my case: 4. The Enterprise Must Include the Power of Power Networks. As a conductor of your own enterprise, you can not see yourself as a one-woman-show. You must choose to utilize the power people in your life, by asking for help when you need it, and effectively delegating in order to capitalize on your strengths and that of your power network. When certain experts are not represented in your power network, you must actively seek advisors or mentors and develop a team of specialists, so the benefits are received by everyone involved in the power network - the true Power of Power Networks.
Success Strategies - How to get the results you want now? Success Strategies and Action Steps I have used are: The Power of Choice Where you are at this present moment, is exactly perfect from the choices you have made. If you want to be somewhere else, you have to decide clearly what that is (your goal/outcome) and create action steps to achieve this. The Power of Focus The book "The Power of Focus" by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt, is one of my treasures in my Entrepreneur Library. If you focus on what you want versus what you do not want, your conscious and sub-conscious mind will direct attention to this. The movie, What the Bleep, Down the Rabbit Hole, explains this in detail about quantum physics and what we create in our lives. The Power of Commitment This is not about commitment to others. The first step is the commitment, your word, you make to yourself. Accountability and responsibility are additional success strategies and ingredients to creating the success, defined by you, that you want. The commitment to others reflects your integrity, your word and the team you work with. Co-workers, clients, yoru family, friends and community. My Success Acronyn in Success Breakthroughs(c) is: S pecific & self-directed U nlimited opportunities & possibilities C reate powerful outcomes C onsistent measureable results E xperience pwoerful transformation S olution and action-oriented S uccessful habits and outcomes Break Through to Powerful LIfestyle & Performance Choices Moira
The Power of Ten - Do you want to save money and time? Make the most of your marketing efforts? The Power of Ten™ is about taking the concepts of repurposing and leveraging “to the max”. It allows you to innovate and discover new possibilities for any marketing you already have in place. Here’s how it works: Make a list of the most recent 10 marketing items you’ve created or paid to have created. If you don’t have any materials, you can simply list the pieces you plan on creating. Now pick one. It could be an article, ad, poster, anything you have used recently as a marketing tool. Take a fresh look at it. Brainstorm and free write until you find at least 10 different ways to use that piece. You can do this with as many pieces as you want, but for now start with just one. It’s amazing how much time, effort and money you can save using The Power of Ten™. Below is an example using The Power of Ten™ with this very article. Even a very short piece, such as this, can benefit from The Power of Ten™. Here are some ways I can use this tip: 1) It’s part of a new marketing program I’m creating that may be called Marketing Full Circle. 2) It’s on my blog. 3) I can tweet it (knowing that it will show up on LinkedIn and many other sites which display tweets). 4) I can go over to LinkedIn and post it to a group. 5) I can it to my ezine subscribers. 6) I will send it to my clients. 7) If it is a longer article, I can try submitting it to an Article Bank, or two, or three. It started out as part of an answer on Focus.com 9) Eventually it will be part of an eBook on marketing tips. 10) I mention the concept often at speaking engagements. (c)2010 Elevating Your Business What would you add to the list? How about your own? Give it a try and comment below.
Wills, Power of Attorneys personal, bank, health - These four items are important even if you don't have a business. You don't have to have a Will because the law has procedures that are in place just incase someone dies without a Will. It is call dieing intestate. However, it can be an expensive process for your beneficiaries and your estate may not go to who you want it to go to. A Will - helps you set up where you want your assets to go to and who they go to. They set out your wishes for the business as well. In Ontario, you do not have to have a Will prepared by a lawyer but sometimes it is in your best interest to do so. There is a lot of info on the internet and kits that are available but they key to this are the witnesses to your signature. You may want to write it yourself and then have a lawyer witness the signing of the Will. If you handwrite you’re Will then you don't need to have it witnessed. But the entire document must be in your handwriting no typing allowed. The Power of Attorneys - Personal or Health Personal - This gives someone consent to act on your behalf if you can't due to physical or mental disabilities. The Power of Attorney goes into effect only when you are incapacitated or you authorize it. So it can be signed and ready to be used but only takes effect when you are ready to use it. You don't need a lawyer to prepare these - there are kits on the internet, there are kits that the government have where you can fill in the blanks. But if you have an extensive estate I would take it to the lawyer because their could be other issues that need to be dealt with. Health – This Power of Attorney outlines what you want to happen in case of medical emergency, for example, do you want to be revived if there is no hope of recovery, is the most common reason, maybe the type of treatment that you want to receive for the particular illness you have. This Power of Attorney protects your health rights when you can't speak for yourself and it gives someone else the right to speak for you. In the Power of Attorney you would outline your request and designate someone to carry them out. Bank - This one designates someone to look after your finances if you aren't able to do them. The banks have special procedures and these forms are completed at the bank. So if you became ill then your designated person can take care of your finances until you are ready to resume doing them. The Power of Attorneys and the Wills are legal documents and they can be revoked or changed at any time. If your estate is very large then I would suggest that you have a lawyer prepare these documents to protect your interest. Again, the law does not have the same rules as a married spouse so this would protect the surviving partner in a common-law relationship. I realize that most of the subjects that are discussed on this site are concerning growing your business but I deal with the hidden aspect of the business as well and these could affect your business as much as if you can't find that next client. Happy and Prosperous New Year Everyone
Re: Traffic! How do you get it? - Hi Mal, Thanks for pointing out that Linkdirectorysubmitter is included in the Affiliate Power Group membership package. It's very easy to overlook freebies, even the useful ones. I'll go and check it out.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

12 Principles to Spark Innovation

Too Many Sales Reps Are Wimps

Stress: What Causes It and How To Deal With It

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.