Is Your Business Stuck in "The Way, We've Always Done It"?

Every business reaches a point where its systems and processes become routine and patterned. While consistency is important in running a business, relying on the mindset of “this is the way we have always done it” can begin to hold a business back.

The day-to-day business environment is constantly evolving, and what worked well five years ago may no longer be the most effective approach today.

Advances in technology, customer expectations, artificial intelligence and automation are all aspects that alter how business run and succeed. Is your business continuously involving and adapting to these changes?

Shifting mindset to improving 

Owners often get caught up in the day-to-day admin of running a business, it’s easy to become too focused on working IN the business that owners forget to work ON the business.

Taking a step back and asking yourself, “is there a better way?”  or “if I invested time, rather than a simple fix, will this benefit me long term?” can be one of the most valuable investments.

Simple improvements can go a long way; for example, introducing technology to eliminate repetitive tasks allows more time to focus on work that adds real value to customers.

Curiosity Drives Growth

One of the most valuable traits a business owner can have is curiosity.

Ask yourself these questions

1. Is there a more efficient way to do this?

2. Are we doing this because it works well or because we have always done it this way?

3. If I could free up 5 hours a week in my business, how could I utilise this to add value?

4. What are other businesses in my industry doing differently?

Businesses should constantly review, refine, and improve the way they operate.

Don't Wait Until You're Forced to Change

It’s a common problem where people only review their systems and processes when something goes wrong. For example, customer complaints or key staff leaving. This makes the change feel overwhelming, stressful and urgent.

Try to make improvements feel like a normal part of the routine; it's recommended, every few months or annually, to discuss what is working well, what isn’t working well, and identify any opportunities to explore. Think STOP, START, KEEP.

Brainstorming procedures every few months will have a far greater impact on your business's success than making one major change when systems fail.

Not Every Change Will Be the Right Change

It’s important to have the mindset that not every idea will be the right idea, or not every proposal will be successful.

Not all systems will deliver the expected results. A procedure may not suit your business, a process may need refining or altering, or the idea may prove less effective than the original approach.

The important thing to understand is that not every change will succeed, and that by exploring new ideas, you will learn something: you may confirm that the current approach is the best option, or you may uncover a new one along the way. Standing still because you're afraid something might not work is often a far greater risk than trying something new.

Continuous Improvement Starts at the Top

Improvements all start with leadership and management.

If the leaders are willing to learn, explore new ideas, adapt and listen, then the attitude naturally flows through the rest of the business.

The next time you hear the phrase, "We've always done it this way," pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Is it still the best way?

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is general in nature and does not constitute personalised business or tax advice.