Hanging on to Dear Life

Warning: Contains grossly sappy sentiments and platitudes galore - uncharacteristic of a post related to business matters.

I was going through some study material on business management, when I came across a section that discussed management mindsets. In a nutshell, the author talked about how many businesses seem content on operating with mindset geared towards maintaining a working system. In the often quoted words of old, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I find my company in this situation. We implement what systems we have and it seems to be working. We've managed to last almost 5 years without a shred of business training whatsoever, thanks to our MBA training at the School of LAYG*.

But truth be told, oftentimes we're on survival mode. I mind day-to-day tasks - finding prospects, fielding quotations, worrying about cashflows, managing projects - so much so that I forget the primary task of an entrepreneur, which is to explore, discover and create.

To my mind, my business for the past few months has been driven by fear; fear of failing to meet obligations, fear of losing clients, fear of (dare I say it) losing face with my peers.

A business ought to do more than just perpetuating a working system. It should be managed with a mindset beyond hanging on to dear life.

A business that operates in this mode is essentially doomed. The fastest way to deplete a company's resources and cause its failure is to have survival as its ultimate goal. If an enterprise truly wants to survive, it should have a goal beyond making ends meet. It should want to thrive and grow and expand.

Having said all of that, I hope to do better now. I know things will not change dramatically anytime soon. The situation tomorrow may be much like it has been for some time: bills may not be paid on time, clients can still be unhappy with our service, and potential deals may fail to close. But I'll be trying to see things differently this time.

Getting to the goal has to start somewhere. Here is as good a place as any.


* LAYG - Learn As You Go