Ian Ault of DTB reveals the three business essentials – clarity, competence and consequence
Ian Ault
If you’ve been following my column with the intention of moving your business onwards and upwards, you’ll have decided what is a priority for your organisation and recognised that there is a lot to do, and you’ll have scoped out where the support is
You’ve maybe had a couple of meetings and are now pausing, nervous, overthinking the next steps.
Will it yield results? Is it likely to stick and deliver those results consistently, or might it fall by the wayside like many other attempts have in the past?
Will it get in the way of ‘other work’? How do I ‘sell it’ to the team? Are they capable? Am I?
The last two questions are key and the answer is almost always: “Yes, but only with help.”
A mix of skills
In any business that has grown you have a mix of staff members that have developed a mix of skills over time. Some remember how it used to be, and other newer staff only know how it is now. You know what you want to achieve, but do they? Probably not to the level you do.
You have been gaining clarity on the task, now you need to establish competence as only then can you be confident of achieving the desired consequence. To establish competence you need to identify any gaps in infrastructure and training. It’s time to remove the excuses – remember that a great plan poorly delivered will fail.
The answers to what gaps you might encounter are all in your team. Ask them. Find the barriers and then work on removing them. Make sure the right training and systems are in place. Gain your staff’s trust and confidence. Invest here and it will pay dividends later on.
I guarantee you will be surprised by individuals who, when properly listened to, will be motivated to help the business achieve its goals.
“Clarity, competence and consequence – these are the three essentials”
Go on the journey
Clarity, competence and consequence (the three Cs) – these are the three essentials. From these you can develop within your business a common theme, a common language, a common behaviour, so that everyone can work together towards a common goal, transitioning them from dependents through to equals and potentially on to leaders.
Go on the journey and enjoy it. Remember to celebrate the successes with your team, and learn from those times when things don’t go to plan.
Ian Ault is the MD of DTB, which supplies and decorates textile products. It includes TranSmart, and has a European presence with DTBeu. DTB’s mission statement is “Fairness and Partnerships”.
www.dtbeurope.com
