On the Business or In the Business?
"How much time are we spending in the operations of the company vs. strategically steering the ship?"
"Working on your business achieves results for your organization. Working in your business achieves results for your clients."
Almost four years ago, when we set out to launch Alleon Group, we assembled a group of key advisors to provide advice and insight. Out of that came many strategies we continue to deploy today. However, one transcended all our conversations – you must keep a healthy balance of working “in” and “on” the business. Working on your business achieves results for your organization. Working in your business achieves results for your clients. You must do both. Our confidence told us, “we’ve got this.” But, little did we realize how much work it takes on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. It is not easy.
Through the building of our company, we have defined “on” and “in” in the following ways:
On the Business
- Long-term strategy
- Goals
- Client Acquisition
- Future planning
- Budgeting/Forecasting
- Education
- Optimizing Brand message
- Advice from Mentors
- Coaching employees
In the Business
- Client facing
- Client delivery
- Proposals
- Responding to inquires
- Operations
- Invoicing
- Payroll
- Putting out Fires
From time to time have we found ourselves out of balance? Absolutely! But it rarely takes much time for us to make a course correction. The real issues are the more subtle things that tend to slide. How much time are we spending in the operations of the company vs. strategically steering the ship? Are we effectively leveraging our business partners? What are we doing that is not adding value?
Here is how to ensure the right balance:
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- First, agree on those activities that fall within each list.
- Then, honestly ask yourselves should we be doing this and if so, should we do internally or leverage a business partner? Time is money!
- Meet regularly (we do it monthly), to review not only stats (time logs, revenue trends, website hits, etc.) but how our support model looks across the organization. Do we have the right people doing the right things? And that does not always mean internally.
- Finally, continue to challenge the list and invite others in to provide a perspective. It is an evolving process.
Working on your business achieves results for your organization.
Working in your business achieves results for your clients.
You must do both.
