In business, there is tons of advice about what up-and-coming business owners should do to create a successful company. For instance, Investopedia shares that, to become a true contender in your field, you need to be organized, keep detailed records, and analyze your competition. That’s in addition to staying aware of your risks and rewards and being creative, yet also remaining focused.
BusinessTown, another expert in the small business space, suggests that the key to winning revolves around choosing the right business to get into in the first place and really wanting it to succeed. But you also need a solid strategy and business plan to do well, which involves implementing the right marketing and accounting systems.
However, in business, like in life, there are times that it is our mistakes — the things we shouldn’t have done — that have the ability to teach us the most. At least, that’s what one successful entrepreneur learned.
Learning from His Mistakes.
In a podcast interview with Business Machine, Russell Ruffino shares that one of the biggest mistakes he started to make with Clients on Demand, a company he founded which earned the #186 slot on Inc. Magazine’s list of 500 fastest growing companies, was allowing automation to take over.
Like many business owners, Ruffino put his business on autopilot with the hopes that it would allow him to switch his focus from the day-to-day operations to “big-level stuff.” However, this left him feeling disengaged and negatively impacted his team’s motivation, which is huge because an employee’s motivational level affects many different things. In Ruffino’s case, it impacted his team’s performance.
Research confirms this as the Journal of Innovation & Knowledge reveals that motivation is highly correlated with how well people do on the job. Other studies have also connected motivation with greater job satisfaction and, thus lower turnover rate.
Ruffino is quick to add that this doesn’t mean that automation is bad, but that you still need to be present in your business for it (and your employees) to do amazing things. In fact, being present offers a number of benefits to business owners.
The Value of Being Present.
In addition to increasing productivity, Cornerstone Dynamics shares that one of the benefits of being more present at work is better business interactions. It enables you to hear the person you’re speaking with on a different level because your mind isn’t elsewhere.
Being present also improves your ability to solve problems. It opens your mind to what is going on around you. Plus, the more you step out of your company, the greater your risk of becoming so far removed from that you might not even realize if things start to go awry.
How to Become More Present in Business.
To become more present, Cornerstone suggests that you first evaluate how present you currently are, followed by making a solid commitment to increase your presence within your organization. Next, center yourself by focusing on your breathing for a few minutes. Let yesterday and tomorrow go and concentrate on the here and now.
Do these things and you’re ready to engage in your business in a more present way. You can also teach these same steps to your staff, encouraging them to get and stay present with you so, as a group, you’re able to increase your productivity and improve your problem-solving ability, while also creating better business interactions.
Learning what you should be doing to create a successful business is definitely beneficial, but there is also great value in learning from the things you shouldn’t have done. Sometimes that’s the best lesson of all.
