If you are a business performer or leader, you know that confidence is your secret weapon. There is no sweeter feeling than knowing that, no matter the situation or degree of pressure, you or your team have what it takes to get the results you envisioned. You deliver when it counts.
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But, times are changing. The rate of change in business today and shifts in values between generations is creating uncertainty. Having the opportunity to work with organizations in a variety of industries, it is our experience that this uncertainty is leading business performers and organizations to struggle with their confidence. Because confidence is emerging in so many conversations, we might even go so far to say that the changing landscape is creating a crisis in confidence. Individuals and organizations are often operating out of fear and not getting the results they planned for.
Are you confident?
As a quick check-in on your own confidence, here are a few questions to ask yourself about you, your team and organization:
If you find yourself having difficulty answering yes to these questions, it might be time to evaluate confidence and look for solutions that will help you comfortably say yes to these important questions.
Take Action
What is the answer to confidence in crisis? Four key actions you can take to put you back in the driver’s seat:
- 1Clearly define your organization’s purpose. Your purpose should be bigger than a specific product offering or service. It should reflect future goals, historical values, and current day inspiration. It should be a rally cry that motivates the team to achieve a common objective.
- 2Take time to work ON the business and not just IN the business. We know that business success is threatened when we spend 100% of our time working IN the business...you know, making customer calls, shipping products out, solving freight issues, approving vacation time, etc. Dedicating time to work ‘ON’ the business is part of creating a sustainable approach. Dedicating 10-20% of your time thinking about the bigger questions, trends, and edge knowledge will ensure you aren’t missing opportunities that require extra attention.
- 3Fall in love with the process and the results will follow. Full focus on the process and little focus on results is critical to performing at an elite level. Why is it so powerful? We don’t control the outcome, but we do control our ability to stick with the process and execute to the best of our ability. If we’ve defined a powerful vision and spent time working ON the business, our process will reflect that. Perseverance to stay the course will ultimately get us the wins we’re looking for. You can have confidence in that.
- 4Invest in skill and behavior development to keep up with the rate of change. Ask yourself, what behaviors do we need our employees doing differently than they are today to stay ahead of the competition and overdeliver for customers? Invest there.
#2 is so important to producing great results. The business can run you and easily get your eyes off the horizon and focused on the car in front of you. Thanks for the reminder and great article.
Thanks for your comment Michael! Love the horizon analogy – both views are equally important!