Focus on Internal Improvement for Business Growth

There's no magic bullet that propelled our business from $10 million to $100 million over 7 years. No big unlock.  No single strategic business decision. The primary driver of our growth has been a commitment to executing "the basics" very well over time. Here are 14 of those basics:  1. Giving our team a reason (beyond simply a paycheck) to spend their career with you. 2. Giving our business a compelling Purpose (why we exist) and Values that guide our actions in pursuit of our Purpose. 3. Defining success clearly across every role type. 4. Designing processes that will drive incremental improvements in the KPIs we need to drive. 5. Coaching to those processes often and with consistency. 6. Setting organization-wide goals and translating them into specific and measurable goals for both teams and individuals. 7. Fostering a high-accountability environment by incorporating weekly 1-on-1s and performance evaluations. 8. Recognizing people for doing great things—often and publicly. 9. Bringing core functions and mission-critical competencies in-house. 10. Outsourcing everything else. 11. Knowing your business model then sticking to it. 12. Refusing to give in to the temptation to chase shiny things or say "yes" to work that isn't in our model. 13. Adopting a mindset of continuous improvement. 14. Never accepting "good enough" and constantly challenging the organization to do better—even on the small things. If you're trying to grow your business, execute on the basics consistently over time. Focus on continuous improvement. Growth will follow. 

What would it mean for your organization to improve One Percent each day? Continuous improvement stands as the cornerstone of effective leadership and organizational advancement. When leaders can effectively guide their teams daily and keep their people focused on the future, growth and development come easier, instilling success as an organizational discipline. As a leader, you can significantly elevate your business by collaborating with your people on the right priorities and nurturing a culture of constant development. At its core, continuous improvement thrives on transparent communication. Leaders must establish channels that ensure seamless team dissemination of job responsibilities and goals that align with the company strategy. When information flows freely, team members can seamlessly align their efforts with the organization's evolving objectives, creating an environment (and expectation) of enhanced efficiency and productivity. Empowerment also plays a pivotal role. Leaders should entrust their team members with goals and tasks that resonate with their skills. This encourages individual growth and redistributes responsibilities enabling the organization to accomplish more. At the same time, it motivates your people and keeps them engaged. Continuous improvement also doesn't happen without feedback. This must become cultural and always be seen as a means for improvement and growth. Leaders must encourage people to voice their opinions, ideas, and concerns without restrictions. Constructive feedback, done correctly, guides every team member toward areas of improvement, providing an on-the-job laboratory for continuous learning. Proactive investment in employee development is the price that must be paid for sustained progress. Leaders are responsible for creating opportunities for skill augmentation and career advancement, reinforcing their commitment to their team members. This practice boosts morale and infuses your organization with a competitive edge. Getting your people to work better together must also become a part of continuous improvement. Collaboration and teamwork are non-negotiable. Leaders must create and promote opportunities for interaction among team members, facilitating the cross-pollination of departments and functions. Merging these diverse perspectives creates innovative solutions that will help to drive long-term success. Last, adaptability may be the most important of all continuous improvement attributes. NOTHING is more important than understanding and being open to change. Adjusting to customer preferences, new technologies, and market shifts creates resilience and ensures you remain in the best position to win within your field of play. Yes, focusing on one percent can get you all of that. It's what's needed from every leader. #ceos #leadership #onepercent #execution For more effective leadership insights, subscribe to my newsletter at https://lnkd.in/gKaqqhPC

Did your competitors experience more growth year-over-year than you? The issue may not be a better product. To experience greater growth, business leaders need to encourage managers to pursue continued learning and growth opportunities. This does not just mean adding skills that are valuable in their current role. Think about what skills managers need to advance within your organization. What business groups, associations, or other organizations offer managers the opportunity to establish important industry relationships that would be valuable to your organization? Business leaders need to encourage, and sometimes push, managers to pursue opportunities that could establish relationships that help the business grow. Another disruptor to growth can be unnecessary oversight. Provide the tools needed for managers and employees to have autonomy and accountability and get out of their way. Ensure that your team doesn’t have to work to work. Allow your managers to lead their teams without always looking over their shoulders. You, or one of your business leaders, hired the individual to do the job, so show trust in their ability and that decision. Remember, nobody wants to work with someone constantly watching them. If they are unable to meet the goals, expectations, or demands of the job, that is a very different problem that will definitely impact the business growth.   Creating internal efficiencies can prevent unnecessary slowdowns and stoppages that impact the process and the ability to support additional growth. Smooth, streamlined processes enable managers to be more productive and achieve their goals. Along with growth, it is equally important that employees recognize that as the business grows so do their opportunities within the organization. As a result of our growth, we recently promoted several leaders in the organization to new positions with greater responsibilities and tools to grow their respective areas.