IS YOUR BUSINESS AS EFFICIENT AS IT COULD BE?

 
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Do you ever evaluate how efficient your business is?
Is your team performing at its best?
And most importantly, is the business growing as much as it could be?

When we talk about efficiency, people tend to think of productivity - as in, how we can become task masters by using mobile apps or mental hacks.

But how do you become organizationally efficient? How do you ensure that the business “asset” you’ve built for years - your brand - performs as effectively as possible?

Note - efficiency and being effective go hand-in-hand. Businesses cannot focus on efficiency blindly and accept subpar performance. So while I may use the phrase “efficiency”, remember that efficacy is attached to its hip.

 

YOUR BUSINESS AS AN ORCHESTRA

Imagine an orchestra. A full size orchestra consists of approximately 100 members.
What does it take for the orchestra to play in complete harmony? In complete synchronicity?

We’re going to break it down into the 3 essential elements, and as we apply it to business, we’ll break each down in more detail.

  1. Individual skill

  2. (Music) notes

  3. Conductor

1.     INDIVIDUAL SKILL

To put it simply, recruiting strong talent is an important starting point. No matter how great your processes, leadership or work culture are, if you don’t have sharp individuals - that either have the required skills, or have the ability to acquire the necessary skills quickly - your organization as a whole will struggle with operating efficiently or effectively.

 

With that being said, individual skill also assumes experience and a few other key points.
Here are the key things to look for in talent when it comes to recruiting for your team:

  • Experience

  • Good Judgement

  • Compatible mindset

  • Plays well with others

 

2.    (MUSIC) NOTES

Clearly we are not in the music business - but the “music notes” here represent an important element when it comes to business and brand efficiency. Ask yourself this - is everyone on your team playing to the same melody?

 

There’s nothing more destructive to business “harmony” than everyone marching to a different beat.
This doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for creativity or innovation - which most definitely requires freedom and  experimentation. It just simply means that your business as a whole needs to be in sync, and you have to dedicate resources and “space” for innovation in a purposeful way.

 

What are the “music notes” for your business? Or for your brand, for that matter?
Here are examples of what elements need to be “universally understood” by your team.

For business:

  • Objective

  • Processes (internal and external)

  • Decision making

  • Vocabulary (ensuring that all are using the consistent language when speaking about your products and initiatives)

  • Hero SKUs

For brand:

  • Marketing objectives

  • Positioning

  • Brand values

  • Product messaging

  • Tonality

 

3.    CONDUCTOR (YOU)

We all know that being a music conductor is not the same as being a CEO.
Sure, leadership skills come into play for both - but music theory?

The League of American Orchestras has a great description of the conductor’s role - according to their website, the conductor’s craft is, “an art of persuasion by which musicians, audiences, and communities come to share a deep connection with the orchestra and its repertoire.”

 

Applying this to business leaders, this is what your role might look like:

An art of persuasion by which company team members, customers, and communities come to share a deep connection with the brand and its products.

 

Pause.

What do you as a leader do to facilitate a deep connection between your people, customers and product?
This is where brand has tremendous value, because it can become the connective tissue for all of the “stakeholders” - yes, I’m referring to your customers and employees as stakeholders. Your business wouldn’t exist without them.

 

How can you infuse new life into your mindset as the business “Conductor”?
Here are some ideas:

 

  • Keep your finger on the pulse

This means frequently talking to and seeking feedback from your team - but it also means finding ways to better connect with your end user and better understand their needs, lifestyle changes and purchasing behavior. By staying close to your customers’ needs, it will be much easier for you to understand how relevant your team is staying with the market needs.

 

  • Proactively look for problems

Waiting for problems to surface puts your business as risk of compounding complications. While reliance on your team is unavoidable, it is important to actively ask and seek weak points in order to operate effectively. While you may not turn a blind eye intentionally, it is easy for team members to become complacent, so creating a culture that allows for team to share problems with you important.

 

  • Challenge the Status Quo

If you don’t want your business to be “average” - don’t make average decisions.

This doesn’t mean that you have to take a big financial risk - but what is certain is that you need to continue to iterate, and if possible, innovate. I’m using the word “innovate” loosely here, to suggest not just technological advancements, but new approaches to anything your company has been doing (or not doing):

  • How you deliver your products

  • Product development (proprietary formulas, delivery systems, etc)

  • Reinventing your category

  • Implementing new tools (could be internal, with end-users, or with retailers)

  • Re-invisioning how your stay connected to your customers

 

Let me know how you keep efficiency and efficacy in check for your business! ⚙️

 
c okubo