Fight or Flight
Buried deep in the reptilian part of our brain is a system that quickly constantly scans the environment looking for potential threats. When it spots one, it reacts with an instant impulse of “fight” or “flight”.
The more recently developed portions of our brain help us ultimately decide what to do. But the instant assessment cannot be turned off. It is an automatic, unconscious response to threat, developed over millions of years to help enhance the odds of survival.
Client Spotlight: Farmer’s Fridge
Farmer’s Fridge is a startup with a BHAG of making healthy food as accessible as a candy bar. If you live in greater Chicago (and now Milwaukee, metro New York and elsewhere), you may have seen their vending machines in office buildings, airports, hospitals and more. The challenge they’ve taken on is enormous, and they’re well on their way.
The Power of the Weekly Pulse
My client Eva is the Head of Operations for a homebuilder that’s in the early stages of its EOS® journey. She’s a terrific leader on a terrific team, and she recently demonstrated what can happen when you start reporting a key metric weekly instead of monthly.
Using a Scorecard to Turn Risk into Profit
Several years ago, I led a company that grew and distributed perennial plants. Located in the Midwest, our selling season was quite short, putting a premium on quick decision-making while “in-season” to maximize revenues and profitability. Hours, days and weeks mattered, not months. One of our biggest customers was a large home-improvement chain. They set very aggressive expectations for their vendors, but at the same time, they weren’t especially well-organized against the demands of a short selling season. They often made it hard for us to make the quick decisions required for us to serve them efficiently and profitably.
8 Cash Flow Drivers, Modest Improvements and a Big Win
In a quarterly planning session 6 months ago, the team I was working with expressed great frustration with the inconsistency of their profit and cash flow. In some quarters, they did very well, while in others they barely broke even. In no recent period, however, did they generate as much profit and cash as they thought they should.
By the Time You Ask, “Did We Win?” It’s Too Late to Change the Score
Of the various definitions of “win” that you can find in a dictionary, the one I like best for business (and life) is:
The Operating System in Your Business
In our last post, we explained that very few business owners are really getting everything they want from their entrepreneurial life. And that the ones who are getting everything they want, do it by making their “business operating system” strong.
The “Let Go” List
If you’ve found your way to this page, then you just might be that founder, owner and visionary who really struggles to let go. The company is your baby. You’ve had a hand in every aspect of it for years, and you don’t know how to feel comfortable unless you keep doing that. If that sounds like you (or the person you work for), don’t worry. You have plenty of company. And there’s hope.