The Obstacle
If you think about the story, the problem with the obstacle was not that it was in the middle of the road, or that it was an obstacle in and of itself, but rather that upon seeing the obstacle, certain decisions had to be made. The wealthiest merchants chose to avoid the obstacle altogether. That could be like more mature businesses avoiding technological changes or cutting lower staff in order to maintain high salaries and bonuses.
The poorest merchant decided to address the problem head on. This could be likened to business leaders that are looking for the “silver lining” in the economy by doing things like creating new business models, developing products or services aimed at a new need, or taking advantage of unique purchasing opportunities.
The Reality
Right now, it doesn’t feel good, no matter what the obstacle is. Keep in mind, everyone who reaches success, however they define it, has traveled that same road you are currently on. While that thought does not necessarily matter – your situation is the one that needs to be addressed. It also means is that there needs to be something that will make the difference for you…something that will move you down the road.
Consider this…if you aren’t moving…you’re stuck. If your obstacles are stopping you, you are stuck.
There is no Try
If you are a Star Wars fan, you’ll know that Master Yoda said the powerful, “Do or do not; there is no try.” What does this mean? It means that you need to do something. You don’t try to do something about the obstacle; you just do it. You get committed to working it – either working with it or working against it. You do your research, you discover the possibilities, you determine the risk, and if the level of risk is appropriate for you, and don’t try it…DO IT. Too many opportunities are missed by half-hearted attempts and quitting before seeing the results.
Stiffneck Anyone?
What’s a Stiffneck? A Stiffneck is a business leader that has all of the information to make good decisions, but gets mired down making the wrong decisions for their business, often distracted by “a new shiny thing,” or what everyone else is doing.
Your business is probably very unique. The way you run your business is unique. You could probably go work for someone else that does the exact same thing you do and help them get further in their business. Everyone else’s solutions won’t necessarily work for you. There’s no formula that works for every business to make it successful. There’s no methodology that works for all of the people, all of the time. As a business leader, it is your responsibility to make the best decisions when approaching your obstacle. While every decision you make might not be 100% right, making stiffneck decisions could have devastating consequences.
Working it Out
Now…the obstacle is still there, however, you’re getting unstuck. Being in the right mental space to deal with the obstacle is the first thing a savvy business leader has to do. From my experience, I’ve found it helpful to do the following:
See the obstacle for what it is: For example: Is the problem the economy itself or is it that you have fewer customers? Have your costs gone up? Has your main vendor has gone out of business?
Consider some possibilities: Is it possible to purchase your vendor’s company? Are you interested in repositioning your product? Have you expanded your customer base?
Identify potential opportunities and threats: There’s nothing like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, just to find out you have a backpack full of dirty laundry instead of a parachute. Consider what could go right or wrong. In addition, consider the investment versus the outcome of missed opportunities.
Choose your top three: Of the possibilities, which of the three seem to have the greatest likelihood of success? Consider this thought, you might fail. Make sure there are three contingent possibilities you can live with in success of failure.
Make a plan: Trust me…in most cases, you won’t just show up. Moving “fairly forward and roughly right” will not work when so many business leaders are taking the time to do things the right way. Making a plan will also need to an “exit strategy” – the circumstances under which you need to abandon a particular possibility and pursue a “lower level” possibility.
Execute: Don’t get stuck in the planning stages and don’t let planning make you miss the opportunity.
See it through: Talk the talk and walk the walk. If you become known as a leader that bails when things get rough, you will find that you have no followers. A leader without followers is no leader at all.
The Obstacle in Our Path
In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers simply came by and walked around it.
Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.
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About the Author: Rick Meekins is passionate about helping business leaders start, run and grow extraordinary businesses. Mr. Meekins is the Founder & Principal at Aepiphanni: The Business Strategy People, a boutique consulting firm based in Metro Atlanta, Ga. Aepiphanni is a Business Strategy Consulting Firm dedicated to providing leadership and direction in the areas of operations, communications, branding, leadership and marketing. Their work has helped business owners expand their businesses, increase revenues, reduce costs and pursue sustainable futures.
Mr. Meekins is a strong believer in alignment between people, purpose, passion and pursuit. He believes that people working in alignment with their individual purposes is the foundation for successful businesses and successful communities. For further information, please contact Aepiphanni directly, at 678-265-3908, email them at info@aepiphanni.com, or visit their website at http://www.aepiphanni.com.
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