Are your initiatives for improving performance treating the symptoms or the cause? Your answer may mean the difference between success and failure of the initiative and maybe your company. Let me explain.
A few weeks ago I developed knee pain and went to my orthopedic doctor. After an MRI and some X rays he told me the pain was from arthritis. My treatment options were physical therapy to strengthen my knee, cortisone shots and drugs to give temporary pain relief, surgery or knee replacement. When I asked him what the cause was he simply said “It was age and wear and tear from years of playing sports.” He said another option was to stop playing tennis and basketball because they put so much pressure on the knee.
Not satisfied with the options I was given I went to another doctor. Instead of focusing on my knee he examined my spine and my feet. He took X rays and picture of my feet (they’re flat). The doctor said that the options outlined by my orthopedic doctor were appropriate for treating the symptoms. However if the cause of the knee pain wasn’t corrected I would continue to create the dynamics that caused the knee pain in the first place. This would especially be true is I continued to play sports.
The solution outlined by the second doctor involved correcting the imbalances in my spine and correcting the instability in my feet with orthotics. The goal is to stabilize my foundation and core structure so that my body can withstand the demands put upon it by high impact sports. This solution would relieve the pain now and help prevent it in the future. This is the option I chose.
What does my knee pain have to do with business? Everything. All too often companies throw resources at symptoms without addressing the underlying cause of the business pain. Treating symptoms may be expedient but it rarely produces sustainable results. In many cases it adds to the problem.
In today’s New Economy volatility’s and change are no longer the exception. Responding to the dynamics created by constant change puts stress on the foundation of any organization. If your company’s foundation (i.e. vision,values,strategies,people and processes) becomes unstable business pain in the form of performance issues can start showing up in any number of places.
When business pain like turnover,customer churn, decreased sales or profit erosion do surface don’t take a prescribed remedy until you fully understand the underlying cause. Take the time to gain the perspective needed to understand the relationship between the performance symptoms and the cause. If you can’t see a relationship yourself seek an outside resource to help you. This can be a coach,consultant,advisory board or mentor. In the heat of battle business owners and executive often have difficulty seeing the forest for the tree. Give yourself the benefit of clear vision before committing valuable resources.
Once you understand the cause of the business pain you can then select the solutions that can relieve the symptoms and address the cause. A good diagnosis is an essential first step in the success of any prescribed treatment. This is as true for business pain as it is for knee pain.
I am well aware of these “blind spots.” The problem is, most business owners are not aware of these, and that’s why a “new set of eyes” is always useful. I firmly believe in using coaches, consultants and peer groups. they will always see what you cannot see.
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