Progress Starts With Awareness

I recently had the disturbing experience of showing up at the gym after a long hiatus. I was busy with lots of other more important things and didn’t think the lapse had much of an impact beyond my pants getting tighter. That was until my trainer had me do a few simple exercises that almost made me pass out.

As individuals, it’s pretty normal to see ourselves as doing better than we are. Life goes on – we keep plugging away. We think everything’s okay … until something gives us a reality check. It’s only with that new found awareness that we start moving in a healthier direction.

The principle is exactly the same for businesses. In a robust market, we can get the impression that we’re doing a lot better than we really are, because the business just keeps coming in. But then we get hit with the reality check – the market shifts or a new competitor shows up. Suddenly, a whole bunch of issues show up. The issues were always there – we just weren’t aware of them. The circumstance brings them to the surface and to our attention. It’s with that awareness that we can start to move in a healthier direction.

Got issues? That makes you normal. Issues are like red flags that indicate where we still need some work. Don’t freak out about it. With the awareness, do the appropriate exercises, make the necessary changes and progress towards a stronger, healthier organization.