You can easily choose which domino to start with when setting them up to topple in a line. But where to start when you want to improve your business? hmmm.....
The beginning of the year is the time people feel fresher and ready to go again, review goals and progress in building their business. But where to start?
I love the idea of identifying your lead domino.
Because of the laws of gravity and physics, and the way the dominoes are set out, a great deal of energy is released with just a small amount of energy to start the first domino falling. The lead domino.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could find the one place to work on in your business to unlock a whole lot of energy and growth?
4 Million Dominoes - everyone has seen the world record attempts with thousands of dominoes, like this one… link
Running in circles working on various initiatives without knowing with certainty what will deliver tangible improvements is draining at best and destructive at worst.
How much more time, energy and focus would you be able to bring to your work and your team if you knew with certainty how to get your business humming.
Understand Your Business as a System
- map the value stream - for a restaurant: menu design, interior design, marketing, ordering, cooking, serving, billing and dealing with feedback
- identify your lead domino - get honest, realistic feedback. Obtain an objective opinion about what your business capability is compared to other operators - the weakest is your lead domino!
- think, plan and act - seek and decide on some advice and an action plan to address the deficiencies
- observe how the improvement in one area will eventually translate into benefits across the business
Understand Your Work as a Leader
- repeat (or run in parallel) the same process for your own personal management skills:- planning, organising, staffing, delegating, supervising, measuring, reporting and improving
Which one of these is letting you down? How much better would your delegation be if your were better at planning? How much more can you charge for food if your service was good?
We all have flaws. One reason we have them is because our ignorance of them keeps us blind to them in a vicious circle. Left unidentified we can be left in a state of denial and ignorance about our true abilities for years, or perhaps our whole life.
Your biggest personal or business weakness also presents the biggest opportunity. This year have the guts to find what they are and attack them first up.
You will reap the rewards.