How Do You Compete for the Future?

How do you create a better future?

How do you build a business with staying power into the future? How do you create an organization that continuesgrowing no matter what happens in your markets? The most popular question I get at the 19^th hole is how entrepreneurs can continue to build the value of their business and have fun doing it. Over the past several years I’ve seen many changes in how we do business.

Technology can provide many advantages to my clients, but only good people can build a market leader.  So how can you help your people thrive and enjoy working in constantly changing economy?  I’ve found four ways to help ensure your business continues growing and prospering year in and year out.  I thought I’d share my thoughts today and then over the next several weeks, go into more detail.

The first competency I recommend is hiring people who are lifetime learners. Individuals who invest time in becoming better at what they do help your organization grow and thrive in any environment. Tomorrow’s blog from Kaylene Mathews shares why personal development is such a critical skill to look for in the people you hire. She explains why the future belongs to lifetime learners.

The second competency I recommend is to have strong managers. I’ve heard all the stories and hype about great leadership. Some of it makes perfect sense to me, but what I believe is if you want to build a great business, invest your time and money in developing superior managers.  I believe the reason so many organizations fail to make the leap from good to great is lack of good management skills. I can hear several of you grumbling now, “How do I develop great managers?” I will be sharing ideas over the next several weeks that can help you develop your organization’s bench strength and identify the best future leaders in your group of high performing managers.

There are many ways for an entrepreneur to create a better organization, but investing in management training and leadership development takes you closer than anything else I have found to create a great future for your business. As an added bonus, well trained managers allow you to pursue the things you do best.  In many cases, this doesn’t always include managing your business’ daily activities.

The third competency I recommend is hiring people who collaborate well. These people are able to lead, manage, and follow, depending on the role they find themselves in.  Situational leadership is a skill that was a nice to have in the past, but today it is critical to your organization’s success. My clients have found that their organizations thrive in an environment where people can move in and out of the roles your organization needs. It is essential to create a more agile organization if you want to be a market leader today and into the future.

The final competency I recommend is that my people understand that sales and marketing is everyone’s responsibility. Steve Jobs changed the way the world buys forever. He understood cool and user experience can disrupt the value chain in any industry.  Future organizations will need to engage and empower their markets to be effective.  I can’t tell you how many customers my client organizations have missed because they haven’t shared the new rules of marketing and engagement with their frontline employees. Richard Branson has said he hires personality and then trains in business. I bet you’re thinking, “He doesn’t work in my industry and if he did he wouldn’t feel the same way about his people.” I warn you that’s how many of the industries felt before he went into them and the rest is history. Richard has created the future in many industries starting today.

Jack Welch once said “Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader success is all about growing others.”  Tomorrow you’re for treat to take you into your holiday weekend.  Our newest guest blogger, Kaylene S. Mathews, shares why personal development is critical to your life and career success. See you then.