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O P I N I O N
Keep your focus
S o many distractions. Just seems like it’s one thing after another that can be upsetting. What’s next? Who knows. Are you doing what you really should be for your business right now? Or are you just floating along on a sea of uncertainty, afraid to move or you’ll turn over your raft?
One thing is for sure, though. Your business needs you. Your clients need you. Your employees need you. Let’s try to keep our attention on that reality as we move ahead. As a business school professor, management consultant, and business owner myself, if there is one thing I know for sure that leads to reduced business performance, or, in the worst cases, complete failure, it’s having an owner or owners who aren’t paying attention to it. I’m a simple guy so I will keep things simple for our readers. Here are my thoughts on how to keep yourself focused on that machine that feeds you and most everyone else in your world: 1)Reduce the amount of time you spend watching or listening to the news or social media. I live in a house with nine televisions. Odds are that at any time from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. or so one or more of those TVs is playing the news. Then we have all the
social media channels we use for work but inevitably other stuff creeps into your feed. Believe me, I’m really well-informed. Maybe too informed. Not to say ignorance is bliss but I don’t think it’s healthy for your business to keep yourself in a constant state of agitation. 2)Increase the amount of time you spend talking to or working with clients. Clients are the reason your business exists. Period. Without them you don’t have a business. So they are important. Really important. You have got to keep your eye on the ball and constantly be assessing what their real needs are and how you and your business can help them. You are more likely to be able to do that if you spend more time talking to them and working with them. 3)Increase the amount of time you spend working on projects. See point No. 2 above. Working on jobs makes you more in tune with your clients’ needs. It also helps your relationships with your employees
Mark Zweig
See MARK ZWEIG, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 15, 2020, ISSUE 1349
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