I’ve been around the business block for a while and I’ve seen business owners come and go. I’ve seen businesses succeed and I’ve seen businesses fold. There are many reasons for success and failure, but one reason that I see repeatedly is lack of commitment. Let’s break that down and understand what commitment looks like.
- Commitment to planning and strategy – Planning and strategy may not be your forte, but without it your business will not succeed. Without a plan you cannot measure success and you can never tell how far away you are from achieving. Being committed to your business vision and ensuring your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly tasks are aligned to your initial plan is good business practice. Everyday we have a hundred and one things to action, and we can get lost in the details, preventing us from reaching our end goals. Being committed to your plans and priorities keeps you focused and on track. It keeps your head above water during busy periods and helps you to make good decisions and to move quickly through daily distractions and time-wasting tasks.
- Commitment to being accountable – As a business owner, the buck stops with you. Every decision, every action is your responsibility. Playing the blame game and taking on the victim role is a dangerous mindset for any business owner/operator. By playing the victim, you give your power and control away. You allow others to dictate to you and you take on a passive role. A victim mindset guarantees that every barrier you face, you will be knocked down, you will waste time and energy on complaining about your situation and you will take time to get back on track. You will lose. However, by being accountable and in control you can turn the passive approach into a proactive, positive approach. You admit your failures, learn from them, construct a new path and keep moving forward.
- Commitment to the team – No matter how big or small your business is, there will always be people that you need to help you reach your goals. However, if you are not committed to your team then expecting assistance from them to achieve anything will be extremely difficult. What does team commitment mean? This is all about looking after your people. Training and developing them. Communicating regularly with them so that they understand their roles and responsibilities and they understand their strengths and weaknesses. Rewarding and recognising them. Showing respect and building a strong business culture. People are the most important asset in your business. Make sure you nurture and care for your team. Be committed to them and they will return the favour.
- Commitment to stepping outside of your comfort zone – We all have tasks and actions that we avoid. We prefer to stick to the “nice” tasks and put off the “difficult” tasks. Well, if you want to stay in the same place forever and never grow, then do that, just do the “nice” stuff. However, if you want to grow and develop yourself, your team and your business, you need to be able to shift outside of your comfort zone. Be committed to taking on new challenges, new ventures and new risks. What is one thing you can do today, that will shift you outside of your comfort zone, that would positively change your business?
- Commitment to going the extra mile – In business, we sometimes have to go the extra mile. We may need to work a few extra hours, travel a bit further or make a few extra phone calls to achieve a specific goal. When needed, a business owner should be able to step up and go beyond the call of duty. This is not about working yourself to death and having no balance in your life, it’s about knowing when to put in some hard graft and get things done.
Does your definition of commitment align to the above list? Do you have any gaps? If you want to be 150% committed to your business and 200% committed to your actions and tasks, then find your gaps. Make changes. You are the only one that can do that.
Nicole is a certified professional coach as well as a certified trainer, advanced assessor and coach mentor. Based in Auckland, she provides a range of coaching options, from individual business owner and management coaching, group and team coaching workshops to personal coaching. Her coaching practice is aligned to the ICF ethos and ethics. Need to hire a professional coach? Contact Nicole [email protected]
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