Watching the news every night and the news talk shows on Sunday, you might be confused as to where we (as a country) are now and where we are going. I’m not a politician or an economic expert, by any means, but I do use common sense and bit of “kitchen” know-how to plan for the future.
What do I mean by that? Well, I believe if you want to succeed in business you must mix your ability to think clearly (common sense) with key ingredients (kitchen know-how) to build your success. Let’s start with the kitchen know-how.
I was always told, and passed these words of wisdom on to my children, that if you could read a recipe you could cook a dinner. That may sound a bit simplistic as I know there are some individuals who don’t want to read a recipe or follow directions. These individuals will probably still be able to make dinner, but the dinner may not be as appetizing.
To keep it simple, there are four main ingredients in our recipe for success. You may be able to add others, and that is fine. I have been known to change the recipe – but I always stick with the key ingredients.
Key Ingredient #1 is respect. As a business owner or leader in your company, respect will most likely include understanding the timelines and needs of others. You know what important outcome or results will take your organization further and will advance the purpose, people, and/or profit of the company.
You respect the problem solving of others and expect them to share their ideas with you. This will encourage innovation and decision-making and help in the retention of key employees. And, more than anything else, you gain respect by treating others as you wish to be treated.
Key Ingredient #2 is accountability. A successful leader who accepts the accountability of the position will recognize and accept the responsibility of shared leadership. A strong leader avoids passing blame and will focus on what needs to be done. Try to always give more than expected and follow through on all commitments.
Do your employees feel they are a part of your team? You need to help them speak up and work through any obstacles in their path. You never let an employee stumble – you are there to help them succeed.
Key Ingredient #3 is responsibilities. You have a financial responsibility to your stakeholders, your customers, your vendors, and your employees. Except those responsibilities and exercise prudence in all matters. Help others if they need assistance and answer questions honestly and timely.
Key Ingredient #4 is communication. With emails and webinars, and all other kinds of media available to us, communication is even more important as it can be as instantaneous as a live chat. Set a personal goal of responding within 24 hours – and then stick to that goal. Most of us respond quickly to request for information for others. Let everyone you wish to communicate with know what to put in the subject line of your email, for example, so you can respond right away. If it looks like junk, delete it – don’t waste your time on junk mail.
Communicate with other and if they need prompting to send you some information, do so with a friendly reminder. Help others learn to communicate more openly and actively. Sometimes you have to be persistent to get needed information.
If you mix all these ingredients together, and add a little spice or sugar, you will most likely come up with a tasty “treat” – a successful business. All of these ingredients you have in your “kitchen”. Start mixing it up and be successful!
