A case study in fear.
We worked with a business owner struggling through the fallout of COVID, who had come to the stark realization that his company was merely surviving not only because of the impact COVID had on the industry but rather because he failed to put purpose before profit.
During our initial conversations, the business owner was very forthcoming in sharing examples of where he identified breakdowns in quality, culture, and communication, and how these fundamentals were crippling his ability to move past survival mode and grow the company to where he could double revenue and create a succession plan. Thanks to COVID, these deficiencies were magnified and could no longer be ignored.
We were hired to assess his company’s untapped strengths and the sources of deficiencies, create a plan to tackle the identified challenges, craft a strong revised brand story to support future growth, and produce the required assets.
As we began probing into the inner workings of the company and speaking with key staff members, we quickly discovered that missing infrastructure, methodology inconsistent with the stated ‘client-focused’ mandate, and a lack of leadership were all contributing to a restricted industry reputation and a weakened business foundation.
It was clear that the sole focus of the business had actually been on making a sale at any cost, by being the cheapest option in the industry. The problem is this mandate creates situations where corners are cut and standards are lowered to meet small budgets, which eats into profits, undermines your reputation, and ultimately, leaves you in a perpetual scramble.
On the way to profit, a company first needs purpose – what will you be known for, who your ideal customer is, what value do you offer to your customers, staff, suppliers, contractors, and shareholders, and what is the true cost of doing business at your established standards of quality?
We created an action plan and timeline to ease the business owner and his team into a new strategy for industry success that included support for the company’s challenges and the opportunities where the company’s newly defined purpose could be communicated clearly and loudly for all to hear, understand, and adopt. Along with established core values, the purpose would act as the guiding North Star to inform all decisions as the company took on the progressive work of change.
We were prepared to work with the business owner and his team to get them where they wanted to be.
Unfortunately, the business owner was unprepared to accept the assessment of the current state of his company. Even though he acknowledged the challenges and desperately wanted to change the industry’s perception of his company in order to attract new opportunities and be well on his way to achieving his stated goal of doubling his revenues, he resisted the deep meaningful work it would take. He ultimately rejected the feedback from his clients, his key team members, and our strategic team.
Although we offered him exactly what he asked for – a path to a thriving business and support at every step along the way, his fear of change stopped him from moving forward. Adopting new thinking, taking brave action, and opening himself to unknown possibilities were deemed too uncomfortable and not worth the awkwardness of learning to do business in a different way.
His company and his daily grind remain unchanged, and he is no closer to achieving his objectives. He remains in the comfort of the predictable scramble and grind - the devil he knows so well.
We understand how unsettling change can be and that it usually requires a great deal of work and confidence to travel a new road into the unknown.
Set yourself up for success by understanding that if the work is satisfying because it is driven by purpose, and if you have the support of your staff and an engaged and seasoned team to guide you, then stepping forward into unknown possibilities will feel far less daunting.
Our team is ready and waiting to support you.