Management Matters
You’ve had it too good. Confronting the cost of comfort
Do you have 20 years of experience, or have you simply repeated the first year 20 times?
If you've been in the industry for decades, you probably started by working for someone else, got frustrated with their old practices and ways of doing things, thought you could do it better, and went out on your own. Tried new things, found what works for you, and got comfortable. Now, you might be that pale, stale male in your late 50s or early 60s that you didn't like in your younger years.
All jokes aside, it's tough out there right now, and adapting to change is incredibly challenging.
I'm not here to tell you how to run your business. You probably run it very well. But from my vantage point, observing many businesses across various industries, I've noticed some patterns.
Everyone stagnates at one level or another, and the level at which you stagnate depends on whom you have around you and how they influence your mindset. If everyone around you looks and talks like you, you may have stagnated.
You have two choices: make it hard on yourself or make it easier. It's all about your mindset. Caseu, either you take action, or you get acted upon.
Psychologists talk about two types of people: those with an internal locus of control and those with an external locus of control.
Someone with an external locus of control moans and groans, spending all their precious finite energy complaining about things they can't control.
High performers, those who seem to never put a foot wrong, have an internal locus of control. The people I hang out with say, "I'm going to make things happen. I'm going to create my own economy. I can take action. I can control my attitude, my sleep, my energy, my time, my marketing, my activities, and the way I look after myself. I make things happen."
Who do you hang out with?
If you've been in the industry for decades, you probably started by working for someone else, got frustrated with their old practices and ways of doing things, thought you could do it better, and went out on your own. Tried new things, found what works for you, and got comfortable. Now, you might be that pale, stale male in your late 50s or early 60s that you didn't like in your younger years.
All jokes aside, it's tough out there right now, and adapting to change is incredibly challenging.
Internal vs. External Locus of Control
I'm not here to tell you how to run your business. You probably run it very well. But from my vantage point, observing many businesses across various industries, I've noticed some patterns.
Everyone stagnates at one level or another, and the level at which you stagnate depends on whom you have around you and how they influence your mindset. If everyone around you looks and talks like you, you may have stagnated.
You have two choices: make it hard on yourself or make it easier. It's all about your mindset. Caseu, either you take action, or you get acted upon.
Psychologists talk about two types of people: those with an internal locus of control and those with an external locus of control.
Someone with an external locus of control moans and groans, spending all their precious finite energy complaining about things they can't control.
High performers, those who seem to never put a foot wrong, have an internal locus of control. The people I hang out with say, "I'm going to make things happen. I'm going to create my own economy. I can take action. I can control my attitude, my sleep, my energy, my time, my marketing, my activities, and the way I look after myself. I make things happen."
Who do you hang out with?
The Power of Mentorship
Do you have a mentor who can give you a kick up the backside, someone who highlights the importance of self-awareness and continuous growth?
Someone who keeps you grounded about what you can and can’t control and sets an example for you? They are probably far more successful than you and possibly from another industry.
If you don’t have a mentor, there are plenty of organizations that can help you find someone, and I highly recommend you do.
Some of the most significant improvements you can make to your business are likely not related to hive husbandry but to business processes.
The environment around you is constantly changing—politically, biologically, and economically. To remain relevant and competitive, you must continuously innovate and adapt. If you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less.
Someone who keeps you grounded about what you can and can’t control and sets an example for you? They are probably far more successful than you and possibly from another industry.
If you don’t have a mentor, there are plenty of organizations that can help you find someone, and I highly recommend you do.
Some of the most significant improvements you can make to your business are likely not related to hive husbandry but to business processes.
The environment around you is constantly changing—politically, biologically, and economically. To remain relevant and competitive, you must continuously innovate and adapt. If you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less.
The Need for Continuous Improvement
You must keep adapting and improving, or you’ll become stagnant. Stagnant actually means going backwards slowly compared to your peers. You’ll notice this through tightening margins and reducing repeat business as past clients decide to go with someone else. Over time, it gets harder and harder to sustain the same level of income you're used to.Now, I don't mean change for the sake of change. I mean consistent improvement to a process: try something new, measure the result, test if it’s repeatable, adjust the process, and try again. Constantly improving your workflow, productivity, customer service, etc.
When you make things happen, things happen for you, not to you.
Leveraging Technology for Success
To help you constantly make successful improvements, you must have a good external sounding board and good systems of measurement.
This is where tools like MyApiary, Xero, and QuickBooks thrive. They efficiently collect and report the metrics that matter, saving you the administrative time needed to track the vital signs of your business.
If you're asking, "Where do I get the time to work on these processes?" As mentioned in my previous post, it's all about building your internal and external team. If you like being out in the hives yourself, maybe start by hiring a part-time office manager to handle the processes you want to improve.
If you’re a pollinator, how are your processes around maintaining customer service and logistics to deliver repeatable results on time, every time?
If you’re a honey producer, what processes have you implemented to make it easy for your packer to keep coming back to you first because the process of buying from you is easy and seamless?
Take Action
Start today by finding a mentor or exploring tools like MyApiary to streamline your operations. You have the power to drive your business forward with continuous improvement and the right support.
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