"Growing Your People Monthly" Newsletter

December 2009

This is a time of transition - not just economically or end-of year but also a time to evaluate what success means to you as the year comes to a close. As captured in this month's recommended book, "Small Giants: Companies That Choose to be Great Instead of Big," business owners and leaders define success in different ways. This month I have brought together some thoughts on success and I encourage you to take advantage of this transitional time of the year to clarify what you are truly working towards. Read on!

Blessings and Best Wishes for the New Year,

Yvonne Kinney-Hockert
National Speaker, Business Consultant & Coach
Consulting Solutions, LLC.

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Looking Back to Look Forward

This time of year we hear a lot about making resolutions, but what is most important to remember is that those who make time to evaluate past outcomes and then identify a clear and compelling direction for the future are more likely to achieve their desired results. Indeed, as Bo Burlingham outlines in "Small Giants: Companies That Choose to be Great Instead of Big," the definition and path of success are carefully chosen choices. In the companies he investigated, those that chose to stay small - focusing on being the best at what they do instead of focusing on growth, one common thread was deliberately choosing their own route. "They had allowed themselves to question the usual definitions of success in business and to imagine possibilities other than the ones all of us are familiar with."

While "Small Giants" investigated small companies, Jim Collins' classic "Good to Great" looked at the characteristics of successful large companies. Again, a key finding was the importance of choosing a path that was purposeful and meaningful. Collins urges readers to "get involved in something that you care so much about that you want to make it the greatest it can possibly be, not because of what you will get, but just because it can be done."

This time of year, many companies grapple with the pressure to make a choice about growth. They review their year-end results, hoping to increase (or even just maintain) profitability in the coming year, but often from a perspective based solely on growth - jumping into plans to increase sales and revenue, grow their employee base, or expand to new locations. However, Burlingham found that instead of a driver of profitability, growth can be a positive outcome. During challenging times, the companies in "Small Giants" first set goals of "creating opportunities for employees" and "opening up new possibilities for the business." They then found that growth was "a natural by-product of the company's success in pursuing a central purpose and reason for being, whatever that may be."

Indeed, Collins found this also to be true about large corporations as well. His team identified what they termed the "hedgehog concept" - they found that successful companies had a good grasp on what they were best at, what they were passionate about, and "the inner workings of their organization's economics." They found that "the more an organization has the discipline to stay within its three circles, with almost religious consistency, the more it will have opportunities for growth."

As Burlingham reminds us, "there is a choice; and the payoff for choosing the less-traveled path can be huge. It can affect every aspect of your business - from your relationships with the people you work with to the control you have over your time and your destiny, to the impact you have on the world around you, and to the satisfaction and fulfillment you get out of your professional life." If you assume growth is a sign of success, be sure you are growing for the right reasons - the reasons right for your unique situation. Tools like The One Page Business Plan® can help clarify what choices will help you reach your goals. Whatever definition of success you identify, embrace the opportunity to take yourself and your organization to the next level.

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