Who are they?
All businesses reach turning points where things turn slightly sour even if the results may still be good. Where leaders sense that all is not well and spend time with perplexed brows wondering what to do next.
Some time ago, you started-up, forged an identity, a purpose, and spent much effort laying down foundations. From this you built good business and were successful in the ways that mattered to you. You added staff, process, product, services and experiences which fuelled that success. Margin and profit came and these new layers added needed resilience.
The experience of others brought different perspectives, your role evolved to leadership and you empowered the team to help build this beautiful beast. And so they did. With you.
And then this feeling wells up inside you. A feeling that’s hard to define, where perhaps a few non-core indicators start to plateau. When you discuss this with your esteemed team you hear re-assuring strength, wisdom and experience at best, defensive detail at worst and none of it really explains what’s going on.
So consider this, is your business like an avocado? Yes, really. Bear with me (not ‘bare’ because that would be a bit weird)…
Successful businesses develop assurance, self-confidence and resilience; an armour to fend off interlopers, just like the tough outer skin on the avocado. It’s there to protect the internal performance engine from environmental interference; this rich, nutrient filled flesh is delicate , bruises easily and needs to be nurtured. And there, deep within, safely insulated, lies the stone. The DNA, the core, the fundamentals upon which all is founded.
And just like the avocado, as companies grow, their armour often becomes thicker and thicker, protecting and perpetuating perceived success.
And here’s the but…
But leave it too long and from the outside that armour, that shiny outer shell will still look the same, yet beneath the flesh is darkening and souring, it doesn’t look or feel as appealing as before. Shelf life is over, you’re destined for the discount sticker.
It’s human nature to defend what’s working. However, when attention almost solely passes to reinforcing that armour, adding layers of defence, it’s all too easy to forget why you were doing this in the first place and spend too little time and effort working on your core – what you really stand for, your purpose, your ‘why’.
In nature, the avocado will fall from the tree, be split open, the flesh consumed and the stone nestled-in to once more grow again. This thought starter isn’t (necessarily) to shed the skin and flesh and grow from the core again. It is to keep your armour light and your flesh firm by keeping your core front of mind. Change in tomorrow’s world is ever present, generational change cycles are gone. Stay fresh.
Indicators:
- When was the last time your core purpose, mission or however you describe what you believe in and stand for, was discussed, referred to or its language used in meetings?
- How much of your time is spent in defence of your current way of doing things?
- Do you always run out of time to discuss strategy, innovation and trends because finance, sales, HR and operations is always first on the agenda?