13 Mar Ask Yourselves “What If?”
Show of hands: Who loves a good TED talk? Or should we ask, who doesn’t love a good TED talk? Over the years, we’ve watched dozens of talks online and even attended a few regional TEDx conferences in person. Whether it’s learning about the science of happiness, or watching someone play the piano in an MRI machine, TED talks never fail to stimulate our curiosity.
A few years back, we went to a TEDx conference where the theme was “What If.” Each of the presenters challenged us to think in new ways about some old issues. For example:
- What if we could combine satellite images and social media to make archeological discoveries?
- What if we could isolate how successful entrepreneurs make decisions and teach it to others?
- What if we could combine robotics with bee colonies to clean up oil spills in the ocean?
How our society deals with critical concerns about the economy, education, the environment, and so many other issues, depends on how we’re able to frame problems. The same is true in business:
- What if you could find a new niche that none of your competitors have broken into?
- What if you could have zero turnover when the experts say it’s impossible in your industry?
- What if you could balance work and home without having to separate the two?
What sometimes gets in the way of our success isn’t a lack of skills, knowledge, money or time, but the underlying belief that something has never been done or can’t be done. And that’s a shame, because you don’t need any special skills to have an ah-ha moment. You just need to be willing to look beyond what is, to what could be.
As Copreneurs, you’ve already harnessed your collective talents, energy and business savvy. You’ve done the hard part of starting a business together. Now add to that mix the bold thinking that comes of asking yourselves, “What If?”
This Week: What’s your most pressing challenge in the business right now? If you could take a fresh look, what questions would you be asking?
Innovative answers are inspired by the question: “What If?”
Most leaders accept that at some time in the future, their time at the helm will end and the business will be given into the care of the next leader. However, just thinking about the transition can be daunting and overwhelming for the senior leader. If that weren’t enough, most owners experience their own succession just once. Tandem Partners provides the experience and professional guidance needed to move through the strategic, operational and interpersonal issues that are all a part of transition.
For families in business, success is not just measured in fiscal years, but over generations. Yet often, leaders are so focused on the day-to-day that they aren’t able to step back and focus on the issues that impact long-term sustainability. We help leadership teams assess where they are now, where they’re trying to go and how they’re going to get there. Our expertise in the areas of organizational strategy, structure, process and performance is a unique feature of our work, and integral to our transition management approach.
