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CAN'T SEE THE WOODS FOR THE TREES?

Removing the dead wood in your business
How often do we make this comment to others and worse, and how often have we heard it directed to ourselves? While the origins of this expression may be lost in the mists of time, we know that it means whenever you are so intent on focussing on the detail, you can’t see a bigger picture.

Blinded by some unknown mental block, you fail to see what to an outsider - appears obvious. The object of our desires could be staring right at us, yet we can spend hours looking for it. A common occurrence is spending hours looking for your sunglasses, only to realise they were sitting on your head all along!

Working on, not just in Your Business
Most businessowners can get so caught up in the day-to-day running of a business, that they can’t see something that is obvious to them, or staring them in the face. For example, have you ever had an important document to send out, and checked it numerous times for errors, and yet you give it to someone else to check and ‘bingo’ they find a typo that was there all along. Why does this happen?

As with most things in life, when you are too close to them, you can loose sight of the big picture. It is not uncommon to discover that the limitations we have are the ones we place on ourselves. Relationships are a good example and when they are in trouble, qualified marriage counsellors are able to identify the real issues in the relationship, rather than the emotional blame game that is being played out between the two parties. So how can you take a step back in your business, to notice the woods as well as the trees?

1. Stop – put the document away. Go to another task eg make a phone call.
2. Walk away – go and have a coffee, walk around the office, anything to distract your thoughts from what you had been previously focussing on.
3. Sleep on it - Prepare as much of the document as you can, and put it aside to work on the next day. You will have a fresh mind and able to focus on the detail. If ever you have to make a major decision, it is often recommended that you ‘sleep on it’. It is a known phenomenon that while sleeping, answers can often appear or, you may even get an idea that you hadn’t even thought of before.
4. Read out aloud – yes, each word slowly and hear each word as you say it

If all else fails, bring in the expert.

This is ok if it is for a document however, what are the steps if it is your business?

Identifying what Trees to Chop!
It is not reality though sometimes a wishful perception, that businessowners can do and know everything. When you have identified a problem in the business, it can be more cost effective for an expert to help you diagnose the solution. (Where are the woods, when all you see are the trees?).

After all, if you are sick you a) go to a doctor, b) explain the symptoms, c) the doctor diagnoses your illness and d) may give you a variety of solutions i.e. medicine, advice, prescription. Well the same applies in business. If your business is sick, you can a) call in an expert b) explain the symptoms, c) the consultant will diagnose the illness, and d) may give you a variety of solutions i.e. changes in business structure, operational, financial, human resources, etc.

Once you have identified the big picture of how to change the business, it allows a greater opportunity for growth. As often happens with growing businesses, the way things are done at start-up stage, is simply adapted and modified along with the growth in sales. Where once there were a few trees and a clear path in the woods, now there is debris and the path has lots of detours.

This is the time for businessowners to open their minds and change the way they think both about their business and the way they operate it however, this can be biggest stumbling block. When solutions are provided to clear a path, for some businessowners, the first reaction is of resistance.

Why?

Because growth in a business is not always easy and therefore, can be confronting for some and a hard one to manage as well, without the proper support and guidance. After all, it may require the owner to step back from handling the everyday workload and move into a more managerial role, learn new skills and for some, the ‘letting go’ of old habits can be challenging. This is usually a major transitional phase and requires changes to job role responsibilities, delegation, and empowering employees to carry out their new duties and trusting them to perform to their best of ability. After all, as a businessowner, you can’t do everything yourself.

Most businessowners will begin the process however, sticking to the big picture in order to achieve their goals will take strong leadership, motivation and determination. Any changes in a business, will be reflected by how the businessowner clearly understands what is needed, why, how it can be done, and who can help. As the saying goes, ‘it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen’.

Making the decision to remove the dead trees and create a new path, will lead to a smooth and enjoyable journey through the woods.

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