To Win In Business, You Must Stay ‘Positively Depressed’!
To Win In Business, You Must Stay ‘Positively Depressed’!
On the business front I have discovered that the most successful people are those who actually go looking for problems. I know that sounds neurotic but when you think about it, it’s not. Take the case of Mr A and Mr B: Mr A regularly goes for a health check and Mr B chooses not to; question, who will find the most health problems? Mr A of course. Next question, who is in control of his health? Mr A, again.
That’s how people take control of their health and the same principle applies to business control. You either go looking for problems or you don’t, and it is much wiser for us to look for problems than for the problems to come looking for us!
I am not suggesting that we should like finding problems, after all we are human and most of us hate encountering any form of problem. However, when we look for problems and find them, we gain control of our business. And when you look for and find problems, you become ‘positively depressed’. It is depressing to find problems, however when you go looking for problems and find them, the positive side is that you have time to fix the problems. To be ‘negatively depressed’ is to have problems and not know what they are, and so the problems fix you!
The greatest problem any business could have is not to know what its greatest problem is! And every business has problems, however most of them are not on show. Problems with staff are not likely to be presented to you, and neither are problems with customers. Suppliers might have problems too that affect your business, but again the problems will usually be kept under wraps. The reason for the secrecy is of course that most people don’t like telling other people about problems they are experiencing. Telling people about problems can often lead to arguments and conflict, so why bother. And this reality is enlarged if you happen to be a member of staff or a supplier, for to tell the boss/buyer about perceived problems is a dangerous practice! And the main reason customers don’t tell businesses about service problems is that they would rather go somewhere else than engage in a confrontation, and let’s face it there are no shortages of products these days.
So the challenge, and indeed the obligation, is to look for problems and then look even further for solutions. However, when talking to staff, don’t tell them you are looking for problems, tell them you need to know if they can see any ways to improve any aspect of the business. Explain that it would be helpful to you if they could find ways to improve teamwork, staff motivation, working conditions, customer service, sales, supplier relationships, etc. And this kind of activity must be organised, so that the staff are invited to write down their thoughts and to then explain their views to you. In this manner, ‘problems’ will be identified and discussed as opportunities to improve the business in future, rather than as difficulties associated with the past.
The same formula works with customers and suppliers: on a random basis, take customers on one side and ask them if they could help you to plan for improved service, by telling you what they feel could be improved in your business - in any area at all! This will force ‘ideas’ to be discussed that were previously seen as problems.
Ask your suppliers if they could help you to identify ways to improve sales or profits of their products in your pharmacy, and whatever they say will be a reflection of what they used to think of as ‘problems’.
In the final analysis, the only people who don’t have problems are those who have passed on from this world to a better life. This means that if you have problems, it’s a sign of life! I’m so ‘alive’ at the moment I can hardly stand it. Only yesterday morning as I was driving to a meeting in Sydney, my wife called me on the mobile phone to say that a news story had broken about an idiot driving the wrong way on the Harbour Bridge. I said ‘I’m on the bridge now and that story’s not really accurate, there are in fact hundreds of motorists driving the wrong way!
To Win In Business You Must Stay Positively Depressed - To learn more about this author, visit John Lees's Website.
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Business and life are full of problems and sometimes when you try to find a way out of a problem, things get worse. For instance, I had some problems recently and I knew I should aim to solve them myself, so I asked the assistant at a bookstore where the self-help section was. She said ‘If I told you that it would defeat the purpose!’
On the business front I have discovered that the most successful people are those who actually go looking for problems. I know that sounds neurotic but when you think about it, it’s not. Take the case of Mr A and Mr B: Mr A regularly goes for a health check and Mr B chooses not to; question, who will find the most health problems? Mr A of course. Next question, who is in control of his health? Mr A, again.
That’s how people take control of their health and the same principle applies to business control. You either go looking for problems or you don’t, and it is much wiser for us to look for problems than for the problems to come looking for us!
I am not suggesting that we should like finding problems, after all we are human and most of us hate encountering any form of problem. However, when we look for problems and find them, we gain control of our business. And when you look for and find problems, you become ‘positively depressed’. It is depressing to find problems, however when you go looking for problems and find them, the positive side is that you have time to fix the problems. To be ‘negatively depressed’ is to have problems and not know what they are, and so the problems fix you!
The greatest problem any business could have is not to know what its greatest problem is! And every business has problems, however most of them are not on show. Problems with staff are not likely to be presented to you, and neither are problems with customers. Suppliers might have problems too that affect your business, but again the problems will usually be kept under wraps. The reason for the secrecy is of course that most people don’t like telling other people about problems they are experiencing. Telling people about problems can often lead to arguments and conflict, so why bother. And this reality is enlarged if you happen to be a member of staff or a supplier, for to tell the boss/buyer about perceived problems is a dangerous practice! And the main reason customers don’t tell businesses about service problems is that they would rather go somewhere else than engage in a confrontation, and let’s face it there are no shortages of products these days.
So the challenge, and indeed the obligation, is to look for problems and then look even further for solutions. However, when talking to staff, don’t tell them you are looking for problems, tell them you need to know if they can see any ways to improve any aspect of the business. Explain that it would be helpful to you if they could find ways to improve teamwork, staff motivation, working conditions, customer service, sales, supplier relationships, etc. And this kind of activity must be organised, so that the staff are invited to write down their thoughts and to then explain their views to you. In this manner, ‘problems’ will be identified and discussed as opportunities to improve the business in future, rather than as difficulties associated with the past.
The same formula works with customers and suppliers: on a random basis, take customers on one side and ask them if they could help you to plan for improved service, by telling you what they feel could be improved in your business - in any area at all! This will force ‘ideas’ to be discussed that were previously seen as problems.
Ask your suppliers if they could help you to identify ways to improve sales or profits of their products in your pharmacy, and whatever they say will be a reflection of what they used to think of as ‘problems’.
In the final analysis, the only people who don’t have problems are those who have passed on from this world to a better life. This means that if you have problems, it’s a sign of life! I’m so ‘alive’ at the moment I can hardly stand it. Only yesterday morning as I was driving to a meeting in Sydney, my wife called me on the mobile phone to say that a news story had broken about an idiot driving the wrong way on the Harbour Bridge. I said ‘I’m on the bridge now and that story’s not really accurate, there are in fact hundreds of motorists driving the wrong way!
To Win In Business You Must Stay Positively Depressed - To learn more about this author, visit John Lees's Website.
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David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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