Insanity – the state of being seriously mentally ill, madness, or extreme foolishness or irrationality. I don’t know about you, but some days I think I would describe myself that way and others would say the same about me; but then again, doesn’t that qualify me for the title of entrepreneur, business owner, leader?
Let’s talk about another definition of insanity. Insanity can be doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result. The top three things I have observed in the past 25 years of working in this industry that to me are sheer insanity are:
- Hiring individuals for your company because they worked for your competitor, were referred by an associate or you liked their personalities without taking time to check references and to make sure that they are a match for your company culture and current opening. Insanity! The cost of turnover to your organization– both financially and emotionally– is astronomical!
- Having the mindset that selling more or signing on more jobs will solve your financial challenges. Insanity! Running a business on cash flow and throwing good money after bad eventually catches up with you. Get your business foundation in place and build on it – with profitable projects and happy clients and subs. Need help with shoring your foundation? Let us help with The Roadmap to Success.
- Having what we call the second-marriage syndrome. Let’s talk about it! Too many of you won’t ask an associate, a recruiter or a consultant to help you with something because of a bad experience with one in the past! Insanity! It is like going into a second marriage with the mindset that your new spouse will be just like the first. You are setting yourself up for failure and isolation, not hurting them. All relationships must be judged independently and forward; take time to check references and spell out the terms. You do your part to help them succeed on your behalf and hold them accountable for their part!
There are many others I could list if I were doing a top 10 list, from not investing in the right technology, equipment and resources for your company to thinking that a top-notch safety program isn’t needed, but I think you get the gist of the article–wrong thoughts produce wrong actions–or no action at all!
Insanity can be a great thing! Think about the workout program called Insanity. It’s named that way because it is diverse and challenging, takes time, takes people out of their comfort zones and challenges them to new heights. The payoff? If you step out of your comfort zone, try something new and stick with the plan, you uncover tremendous results! The people I know who have succeeded with the Insanity workout can never see themselves going back to a traditional workout routine again, but continue to shake things up as the payoff makes it fun in the long run! So, what are you waiting for? As a business leader, doesn’t a bit of insanity make sense?