Have you ever skipped a flat rock across the water? As the rock skims the water, notice how the water ripples. After a moment, each ripple flows effortlessly into the other.
The same concept applies when you take a systems approach. Each system in your business should lead to greater connections and business growth.
If you integrate systems properly, you’ll notice how momentum begins to build and the pieces come together. Like the ripples on the pond, each ripple begins to incorporate into one another and, at the same time, the blending is harmonious. You start to build momentum and get noticed for your unique lineup of products and services naturally and spontaneously.
However, it’s not about just implementing random systems to gain momentum for your business. The trick is to think through how one change impacts your entire business system so that you create that effortless blending.
Most business owners get stuck or plateau when their growing their business. Often times they have a mishmash of systems due to a series of solutions because they didn’t think through how each system interconnected when they were implementing them.
For example, in 2007, ethanol was slated as an energy solution. According to a 2007 article in USA Today, corn prices soared to their highest in the previous decade, mainly due to increasing demand for ethanol production as ethanol was made from corn.
While the higher prices benefited farmers who grew corn, there were also farmers who lost. Higher corn prices increased feeding costs for livestock producers.
To remain in business, producers had to reduce or change their feed. Not surprisingly, this change affected another part of the system as chickens and other livestock had lower reported weights when sold. This, in turn, impacted consumers.
On the surface, ethanol seemed like a reasonable solution in one area. However, when you put your systems hat on, it becomes evident that there is a ripple effect.
Small business owners can learn a lot from this ripple effect. The next time you see a solution, like any systems thinker, remember to:
-Identify how the parts within the whole business interrelate.
-Work through how each solution interrelates and affects the other parts of your business.
-Consider that methods that once worked may no longer work with new systems.
Just like stones thrown in a river, one action creates ripples in other areas of your business. When you put the pieces together like a well-oiled, interconnected machine, it creates synergy and effortless momentum.
Leave a Reply