time management

What To Do When It All Falls Apart

Every business owner loves strong steady growth.  We love when the bank account is always increasing.  We tend to view growth as a sign of our success.  In our minds, growth is to be expected and anything else is unacceptable.  Long term growth is what all business owners want.  However, many people misunderstand the growth process.

I’ve spoken with 3 clients this week that were freaking out because they saw areas of their business that were “falling apart.”  They were using all of their effort and ability to try to hold it together.  It is scary as a business owner to see something that you have worked hard to build, that used to function well, fall apart.  Trust me I get it!  It’s not my favorite part of business.  But it is a NORMAL part of business.

Why does this happen?

When we create a system, hire new team members, or develop a revenue model, we create it based on where we are at today.  We try to think ahead and anticipate needs so that we can create something that will work for an extended period of time.  But we do not have a crystal ball.  We cannot always predict where we will be a year from now.  We get to a point where those systems, team members and revenue model no longer work.  We outgrow them.  The people that we hired when our business was small bought into working for a small business and bought into working at that pace and intensity level.  When all of those things change, they may or may not choose to change with us.  The clients who loved us when we were small, may not love us when we are big and they see less of the owner they originally bought into.  Business owners have a tendency not to want to let go of what they have built.  So they try with all their might to hold on tight.  And when they can’t hold it all together, I hear the words, “Everything is falling apart right now.”

What do I do?

The reality is, you will experience this at some point in your business.  Here are some tips on what to do when you reach this fall out.

1. Recognize this as a normal phase of growth. It is restructuring.  People, systems, ideas and revenue are going away to make room for the next level of growth.
2. Don’t take it personally. This is not a reflection of your value, intelligence or ability.  If you take it personally, you will struggle to know what to create next.  You’ve got to bounce back quickly and embrace your strengths to make it through this dip.
3. Take time to be quiet. When things are falling apart we want to jump into frantic action.  We chase the dollars, the hires and the next idea.  This needs to be a time of reflection, meditation, prayer and planning.

What comes next?

“A setback is a set up for a comeback!” Dr. Willie Jolley.  How you handle the setback determines how quickly you will comeback.  Don’t let yourself get sidelined while you lick your wounds.  Don’t pretend it didn’t hurt and all is well.  Process the experience.  Let go of any blame you are feeling.  Take notes on what you can learn from the experience.  Come out of it a better, more experienced version of yourself.  And immediately start focusing on what comes next.  Don’t rush the process, but don’t wait around either.  During these times it is essential that you keep moving.  Many businesses close during these times of setback.  The key to not falling into that trap is to keep moving.  If you have one more appointment, one more client, one more speaking gig, you have a reason to keep moving even when it’s hard.

Better days are sure to come.

Every company will go through times of rapid growth, slow steady growth, and times of regression.   Every successful person you see on top of their game has been through the fall apart.  You will come out stronger.  It will refine you, but not define you. To get more details visit here: http://amywalkerconsulting.com/