If your business is in a rut, the idea of a comeback is very appealing. In our culture, we love the story of someone picking themselves up and then reaching new heights.
What Hollywood doesn’t always mention is a that comeback is a success story that’s been taking a break. It could be a short one or a long one. But as you might imagine, there’s not a long line at the multiplex to see the story of someone who did well, failed, and then kept failing.
While it can be very easy to define the success you and your organization need, getting there is the challenge. Let’s Clear the Path of some of the obstacles that can take you off track.
Stop Blaming the Past: The recession happened, gas prices went up, and half the teams in the championship game lost. The damage is done. Don’t put your focus on what you can’t change. Learn from a tough situation and then move on.
Odds are that you caught some breaks when things were going well. Sometimes, luck evens out.
Beware of Saviors: When things get tough in your organization, outsiders will appear, almost magically, with solutions. It’s just the news you want to hear, at just the right time.
Be careful. Sometimes these people are nothing more than vultures who are circling a dying animal. Some consultants do a great job but others just prey on your need to find a painless solution. Success requires work and beware of anyone who says a turnaround is as fun as a merry go round.
Are You Willing to Change? It’s very common to hold onto an old practice or belief that’s not good fit anymore. It’s like continuing to wear socks or underwear after they’ve been riddled with holes.
For instance, taking a two hour lunch is a lot of fun. But if you worked for one of those hours a day, you’d have an extra 260 hours of productivity every year. It’s more fun to take a long lunch but taking it easy is not part of a comeback.
Is It In You? Not everyone has a comeback in them. For some the taste of success is too faint and the taste of failure never seems to go away.
These people will talk about wanting to improve but they just don’t have it in them anymore. It’s better to retreat from a bad situation if you know you’re not willing to do what you need to do reach the top again. Leading a losing team is a challenge. If it’s not fun anymore, look for an exit strategy that allows you to keep your sanity.
If you find that fire burning inside, commit to your vision. Repeat as needed…
