by Linda Feinholz
http://www.YourHighPayoffCatalyst.com
©
2008
If you're like most of my clients, you've been working
to smooth out the kinks in your business. You've put your time into systems for
streamlining activities and installed processes that make the work flow efficient.
While
I was on vacation, I was bobbing along on an inner tube on the resort's 'lazy
river'. The sun, the flow of the water, the conversation of people around me all
had me unwinding and relaxing. And for a kicker, I got to enjoy the periodic 4-foot
waves that tore around the curves of the river when the staff turned on the wave
machine.
Just like some of the surprises that crop up in
business. Fun, interesting, a brief challenge.
After those
waves, I noticed all the different ways people were using that river system. The
basic experience was the same for everyone: a 15-minute loop around at a constant
speed, inner tubes to rest on. What changed were the variables: how people used
the water, the river, the flow, the tubes themselves.
I
started thinking about the way our businesses can be humming along so steadily
that we forget to notice the changes we could make to enliven our workday daylight
hours, and even to create High Payoff results for ourselves.
Here
are some options taken from the Lazy River:
Using "The
Full View"
Are you putting any energy into your business,
or just bobbing along?
The basics of riding the river are
to plunk your rear down in an inner tube and go with the flow. Just relax, watch
the view, use your feet and hands to push off the side walls and change which
way you're facing. No other attention or effort is required.
Have
you noticed where you're facing in your business? Is your attention forward towards
your Vision and Goals, or backwards along the path you've already traveled? Or
spinning back and forth as the currents happen to take you?
Shifting
Onto Your Stomach
An alternative is to lie across the tube
on your stomach. It's not as comfortable as it limits your vision and that means
you'll be making apologies to people you've accidentally kicked. No one really
minds, and it's actually a great way to meet others. But there's a limit to how
much control you have on the trip and you actually have to stay vigilant in order
to prevent your elbow and toe skin being scraped off on the walls.
Are
you limiting your own view of what is going on in your business? Are constant
'bumps' occurring between people that need apologies? What about with your customers?
Are band-aids being used to cover the breakdowns in communication or to fix the
errors made due to that limited view of how things are going?
Use
Teaming Up
You don't have to do it all yourself, even in
the flow. You'll spot as many as 5 people in a circle with their feet hooked together
drifting along, each person nudging the wall to direct the group as a unit. Other
folks will hook together in a chain with one leading the way and choosing which
side of the mid-stream islands to use.
Just as that vacationing
group is creating rapid teams and adjusting to the flow and obstacles in the river,
so you need to review if your business teams are using the best configuration.
Are people on the watch for opportunities and obstacles in their path? Are decisions
being made as rapidly and effectively as they could be? How might your teams improve
your business flow?
Lose the Tube
Not
everyone in that river is on a tube! Some are walking along towing the tube. Others
are chasing it or even walking and diving with no tube in sight. At least half
of the children are having a blast chasing each other, enjoying the speed of their
swim in the current, or even just practicing floating along.
When
was the last time you stood back and took a fresh look at your business, its processes
and activities and asked yourself "Is this the only way to get this accomplished?"
You may find yourself towing old tubes you don't actually need any longer, or
a new way to use your time, intelligence and energy that will open new business
opportunities and growth.
Walk Against the Flow
Just
because everyone else is using the tube and traveling where the current leads
them doesn't mean you have to! Not only are kids hopping off the tube and adventuring
in the waters, you'll spot me and others deliberately walking against the flow.
We're using the constant predictable dynamics of the river to create a different
result: sweat free aerobic and resistance work outs by walking against the flow.
Take
a Lazy River Lesson. Shift your view from the day-to-day play in your business
and market to ask "What might we create if we turn our business, our products,
our services on their heads?"
