Have you ever bought an item of clothing that didn’t quite fit right? Maybe you needed a pair of jeans or a new shirt, tried it on in your size, and bought it even if it wasn’t the best fit? Maybe the legs are too long or the cuffs are too big, but you needed new clothes and you bought it.
Then, when you wear it, you have to make adjustments for the clothing to work. You pick a pair of shoes with a higher heel than you normally wear to accommodate the long inseam. Maybe you pin the shirt cuffs or keep tugging on them to make sure they sit right on your wrist. Eventually, your feet will hurt or you’ll be tired of tugging on your shirt and the new clothes will end up in the back of your closet, sitting unworn.
This is how you feel in your business when you try to make an out-of-the-box solution work without revising your processes. Out-of-the-box solutions work, as long as you tailor your business to match the new solution. Do you have the time to re-design your operations? Or are you going to try to wear higher heels or pin your shirt cuffs to make everything work?
Much like tailoring off-the-rack clothes, if you don’t have the skillset, capacity, and time to tailor your operations to work with the new solution, you’ll never be completely satisfied with it. You’ll find workable solutions or skip important steps to make it work. And, similar to when you’re wearing ill-fitting clothes, you won’t be comfortable and eventually won’t want to use it.
An outside resource will evaluate your business and work with you to implement a solution that works for you, not against you. Much like when a tailor takes measurements before they work on your garment, the right resource will “measure” your business and review the culture, any resource constraints, and team capabilities.
Finding a trustworthy resource is very important when revising your operations. Much like a trusted tailor who will tell you if they can’t fix something or they see something else wrong with your purchase, an outside opinion is invaluable as you review your operations and revise them to implement this new solution. Someone who will tell you the truth and save you money and time is an asset to your team.
Don’t waste your time and money on new solutions without reviewing your current operations. New solutions are a great way to introduce efficiencies, but without engaging someone who can best implement it into your current business, you’ll just be uncomfortable with it.
Are you looking to tailor your business and fit like a glove? Reach out to Beck Insights to engage a trusted resource who will tell you the good (and bad), and help you fix it.
