Eden Sunshine's BLOG

Getting Your People to Buy Into Your Business

Sometimes we spend so much energy marketing our products and services externally in an effort to generate new business, we overlook another critical aspect of marketing. Specifically, marketing your company values and culture internally.

 

I am going to make an assumption that you deem intentionally threading a solid, definable and vibrant culture in your business is important to you. Some very successful organizations, I believe, might deem this THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

 

The Level 7 Principle of Threading Culture is all about building a strong, self sustaining set of values and beliefs in the organization that drive or influence every decision in the business from the bottom up or top down.

 

Assuming we are considering these things (most businesses don't by the way) we often think of threading culture by means of traditional approaches of internal communication and training.

 

What if we thought of internal communication and training more like we think of marketing our products or services. Aren't we interested in selling our ideas, or in this case, our core values to the people within our business? Don't we want them to buy in and take ownership of them?

 

As you devise your Threading Culture Systems, perhaps a subtle shift in your thinking from conducting training and traditional communication to marketing and internal brand building might increase your effectiveness.

Running business on a wing and a prayer...

There are still a few spots left for tomorrow's Level 7 Experience Teleconference. Click here >>.

 

Taking the risk to start and get into business takes courage, guts and confidence. I admire that about business people. I admire their aspirations to make things better. That's what business owners do. They take an idea, a situation, a condition and look and find a way to improve upon it.

 

To me, that's admirable.

 

However, that same confidence could also lead to their demise. Over confidence could result in an unwillingness to admit or recognize our short comings.

 

Over confidence could lead us to believe we have it all together. The reality is that most businesses are just "wingin it". What does that mean?

 

When it comes right down to it most are just trying to figure out how to make their business work. Some will spend a life time, granted with some or even above average success, to ultimately reach a level of accomplishment only to get stuck. Not knowing how to get to the next level.

 

In other words, they don't really have a formula. A system. A method. A philosophy that could be replicated time and time again. In any business, at any size. It looks more like survival rather than certainty.

 

Perhaps its the thrill of the unknown that we enjoy. Maybe we really like the idea, deep down, that we don't know how our efforts are going to play out. Although, I don't buy it. Most the people I know that own businesses want some certainty of success beyond their confidence in themselves or a prayer (Prayer can be powerful however).

 

If you want to stop relying on a wing and a prayer then...

 

...here are seven things every business must do to ensure continued and replicable success.

 

1- Set goals like crazy. Be intentional about everything the business does.

 

2- Measure your goals objectively. That which gets measured gets done.

 

3- Create systems so that every goal you have has a consistent, predictable way of accomplishing it no matter who is operating it.

 

4- Thread your culture on purpose. Most problems in business stem from people not knowing and understanding the key beliefs and values of the business. Businesses must be intentional about building a self sustaining culture. Otherwise the culture is dependent on the owner.

 

5- Ensure accountability. The business must be absolutely certain that people will do what they say they are going to do. EVERY TIME Period.

 

6- Make sure your business communicates effectively. This included communication from leadership through the organization, communication from employees to management, communication from employee to employee and even communication from the business to it's clients. Quality communication demystifies expectations.

 

7- Be intentional about innovation and improving performance. Don't over innovate or under innovate. Great businesses innovate and improve in areas when its relevant to do so.

 

If you want to better understand these 7 Core Business Principles - Read The Level 7 Manifesto: A Simple, Common Sense and Proven Approach to Businesses Most Complex Problems and Frustrations. Get it now >>

A Great Idea Gone Bad

According to  Ed Catmull, President of Pixar Pictures, it is better to have quality, talented people over a great idea any day. If you have a great idea and the wrong people, they will screw it up. Nurture your talent, he says.

I agree. But what does it mean to have the right people in a systems driven environment? The right people doesn't necessarily require that you hire super expensive people with years of experience and background. Although that could be useful during the start up and innovation phase in a business. (More on that tomorrow). You are really looking for, first and foremost, people that fit the culture and personality of the business.

Obviously the personality and culture of businesses vary from organization to organization. Every business has its own personality or character. Pixar, I suspect, looks for people with a certain creative and collaborative bend in their personalities.

Nordstrom's looks for people who have a personality oriented toward exceedingly high levels of customer service.

GE looks for people who can get results independently.

Southwest looks for people who like to have fun.

Inflection HR looks for people who know how to think.

Lavidge and Internet Marketing Agency (IMA) look for people who work smart and are creative.

Aquatic Environmental Systems finds people with low egos and will work at a team.

The point is that attempting to execute good ideas without people that really get the culture and values of your business might not get executed and implemented properly.

Great business then begins with getting the right people.

You Better Get Your People Together or Your Business is Toast!

"United we stand; divided we fall.” 
    Aesop

Here is a modern day spin on an old saying, "United you grow, divided you fail". In business particularly, and perhaps more than ever, we need collaborative, focused and purposeful efforts from all our people to grow and thrive.

Did you know that it is the responsibility of the leader to set the stage for unity and cooperation in a business? Or course you did.

What happens if you don't get your people on the same page? Very simply, you're toast. A business that desires to be scalable, replicatable and capable of breaking through growth ceilings while serving the lives of people within it must have people working together for a common goal.

The leader must make it known that the standard for the business is working together. They must then be a walking and acting role model for the standard.

The leader then must intentionally foster a culture that will support the standard so it will sustain and replicate itself even if the leader is not present.

So what are you going to do about it? Begin by doing the Implementation Step of the Day.

Implementation Step of the Day -

1- Come up with a definition for unity as it relates to your business.

2- Cite at least three examples where you have seen people demonstrate unity in your company.

3- Develop a strategy to integrate and regularly communicate that definition into your business.

Your Business is Fat and Out of Shape

Anyone who has successfully lost a significant amount weight and improved their fitness level, and stayed that way for a period of time, know that diets and quick fixes don't work.

 

They know that they had to make a lifestyle change. The lifestyle change not only required a change in behavior but also a change in thinking.

 

Interestingly, most business are on a continual quick fix diet routine. They are always looking for the latest, greatest new tactic, program, software.

 

Granted, they may improve their condition, short term, but they almost always go back to their unfit condition.

 

Successful businesses make a lifestyle, or let's say, a cultural change and approach to doing business which includes a more productive way of thinking which leads to more productive action. Ultimately, that leads to a more fit or healthy business.

 

A friend of mine, Allan Starr, owner of Marketing Partners describes The Level 7 System as an approach that overlays productive thinking and action into companies that enables them to replicate the successful thoughts and actions of the best companies in the world.

 

Well said Allan. Thanks.

You Must Own It to Change It

Had a great meeting with a long time friend the other day. I would consider him an expert or authority on personal change and human behavior.

 

I was truly inspired and, most importantly, reminded of a few things that are critical to our living the most rewarding and successful life. It's not an exhaustive list yet vitally important none the less.

 

1- Change begins with ourselves. If we don't like the conditions of our life or business look at what you need to change first. Harvard did a study years ago and determined that when a person or organization reaches a plateau, they need to re-invent themselves. Reinventing requires introspection and looking inward.

 

I have worked with companies that are flat out stuck and simply won't grow or change. Ironically, it is because the people, including the leadership, won't or take personal responsibility. "It's always someone else’s fault." They say.

 

Keep thinking and acting that way and nothing will improve. I promise.

 

Change begins with taking personal ownership.

Begin by asking the question, “How am I responsible in my thinking, attitude or beliefs that are impacting the situation?”

2- As individuals and organizations we need to make sure that our actions are always congruent with our values. In Level 7 terms we call this Threading Culture. In life we call it integrity.

My friend suggested, and I agree, that we all have an internal barometer that intuitively tells us when our actions are not congruent with our values.

 

I suggested you know when you in integrity personally and professionally when you are at peace and experience joy in your life and business. He agreed.

 

So if you are not experiencing peace within your organization, I would suggest that there is a disconnect between the actions of the company and the company core values.

So if you are not experiencing peace within yourself, I would suggest that there is a disconnect between your actions and your core values.

Start by asking the question, “Are the core values of our organization imbedded in every fiber of what we do here? Do all our people including leadership really get it?”

Personally ask the question, “Do I know my core values and are my actions congruent with them?” 

Simple Business According to One of the Richest Men in the World

"The business schools reward difficult, complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective."

                Warren Buffett

 

There are seven simple behaviors that work and will transform the results you get in your business and your life if you apply them.

 

Be very clear on goals and expectations in every area of the business.

Be objective when you evaluate performance.

Be intentional when it comes to developing your company culture.

Develop great systems that produce optimal results.

Establish appropriate intervals to innovate your systems and business.

Make sure you have great communication throughout your business.

Create an environment where you and your people can trust, are accountable and can count on each other.

 

Take a moment and think about these for a moment. If you consider every piece of "business advice" you have every heard or seen, they all fall under one or more of these catagories.

 

Example. I see tons of folks out there promoting "how to get more business or touting cleaver or innovative marketing techniques".

 

What are they really saying? See the list above. They are really pointing to developing and innovating better systems.

 

Another Example. You are having a difficult time dealing with some of the people in your business. How do you solve a complex problem like this one?

 

It's actually rather simple. Take the list of Level 7 Core Principles above and ask yourself the question, "Which of these areas haven't we applied effectively?"

 

It's possible you haven't established clear expections. Or you haven't developed a good company culture. Perhaps you need to work on your accountability standards.

 

Business growth and problem resolution is quiet simple when you process them through The Level 7 Core Principles.

Be Your Own Man (Woman)!

I am amazed at the constant barrage of messaging, advertising and attempts to influence our ideas of what is really important. Very often, myself included, we get caught up in wanting and desiring those things that aren’t consistent with what WE really want or need.

 

“Be your own man,” a friend would remind me from time to time.”You have to define what success means to you. Don’t worry about what the WORLD defines as success. And certainly be careful not to get caught up in chasing someone else’s neon rainbow.”

 

Good advice I think.

 

Getting back into personal integrity requires asking ourselves the question, “What does success, personally and professionally really mean to you?” The go to work ON that.