I’m going to paint a picture for you.

Imagine you’re driving a big pickup truck off-road. It’s the latest model, you’re feeling free and confident, and then suddenly…everything stops. You’ve run into a patch of mud you didn’t see coming, and you’re stuck.

What do you do? Well, most of us would make the logical decision to do what was working for us up until that moment: we put our foot on the accelerator. And now you’ve made the situation worse. You’ve sunk even deeper into the rut.

“So, what the heck does this have to do with my company?” you’re wondering.

EVE-RY-THING!

It makes me cringe to even write it, but how many times have you heard someone in your company explain a decision with, “because we’ve always done it that way”? Well, that’s one example of sinking into a rut. And potentially a deep one.

You see, by keeping the same old business practices, or spinning your wheels, in terms of this analogy, you may be missing out on some massive benefits and growth for your company. Think speed (new workflows), efficiency (new technology), and accuracy (new products).

But how do we effectively work our way out of a muddy rut? Here are a few things to look at within your business that may help:

Co-located Employees
COVID-19 has us reconsidering the need to have everyone in the same place. What functions and people do you absolutely need in the office? Can you reduce your space requirements, and therefore your costs?

Communication
Regardless of your status as an essential or non-essential business, distancing guidelines and the accompanying changes have brought with them an increased need for communication at all levels. What new forms of communication are you using across your organization? Are they effective for you and your employees?

Redefining Success
Instead of measuring your employees based on hours worked, try looking at what they actually accomplished during those hours. Making the shift to outcome-based measures will help focus everyone on what’s important.

Re-evaluating Staffing
As tasks, people and locations are shifted around during COVID-19, you have the unique opportunity, as a business owner, to re-evaluate not only what tasks are being done, but why (are they necessary?), how (is there a better way?), and by whom (do we need a full-time resource, part-time resource, or can it be outsourced?).

Systems
Now that things aren’t super-crazy busy, you can take advantage of the time you have to build workflows and systems to address some of the bottlenecks and error-prone areas inside your company. These improvements can create efficiencies that could result in improved cash flow and profits.

So, with these components in mind, let’s get your team out of that rut and create new business practices that lead to productivity, growth and a strong bank account, too.

If you’re looking to develop better habits in your business and experience growth with confidence, call us.