The Pain – The Problem – The Solution

As I was writing this message – “The Pain – The Problem – The Solution”, I was reminded of just how much pain there is in our world today:

“I have no life.”

“Our month-to-month cash flow is always inconsistent.”

“I’m angry, I’m scared. I can’t afford to…..(fill in the blanks)”

“I can’t change things.”

“I’m worthless.”

“I’m too old.”

“I am so constantly overwhelmed with day-to-day problems of running my business that I can no longer take the time to be innovative or learn new things.”

The best way to eliminate the Pain in your life and find a lasting Solution, is to first understand the fundamental root Problem causing the pain.

Being honest about current reality is the critical first step.

Author John Gardner said, “Most ailing organizations have developed a functional blindness to their own defects. They are not suffering because they cannot resolve their problems, but because they cannot see their problems.”

Why can’t most business owners see their problems?

Well, for many, it’s because nothing fails faster than success.

We get comfortable and all too often we succeed in spite of ourselves.

The talents, passion and need that were there in the beginning when you started your business are no longer there or adequate for the new challenges facing you now or are right around the bend.

All too often, we don’t even know we have a problem until it’s too late.  Then instead of responding in a proactive way we are forced to react in an urgent manner.

As I have previously pointed out, there are four common problems every business owner seems to have in common:

  1. Lack of time – both personal and business.
  2. Uncertain or inconsistent cash flow.
  3. Not enough of the “right” customers.
  4. Not enough of the “right” employees.

When I first became a Chrysler dealer, my wife and I were awarded a cruise on the QE II, chartered just for the top performing Chrysler dealers in America.

Lee Iacocca was also on the cruise and one night he spoke about the three things that make up any business, he said it was product, profit and people and people are the most important asset.

That is a principle of life, not just business.

People are your most valuable asset.

Having the right people, in the right positions trumps everything else.

You can have the best systems, but if you have the wrong people in those systems, those systems will eventually fail.

When asked why he wrote his book -”The 8th Habit” ,  Stephen Covey said  “It is NOT about adding one more habit that somehow got forgotten, but rather it is about helping you to find your Voice and to help others find theirs.
It’s about helping people realize they are unique and significant in this world and finding your passion, your special talent that allows you to fill a need, and your conscience so that you can feel confident of what is the right action to take and prompts you to actually take it.”

 “If you want to make minor, incremental changes and improvements, work on practices, behaviors or attitudes.  If you want to make significant, quantum improvement – work on paradigms, change the way you think.” – Stephen Covey

The pain, the problem and the solution are easily discovered by asking smart questions centered on our six Essential Elements.

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