Getting Un-Stuck

Posted on March 1, 2009

Why do businesses, or projects, or business leaders get stuck from time to time? Much of my consulting practice seems to center around this issue. I’ve identified five reasons why companies get stuck in the first place.

My clients are all very bright. Sometimes too bright. Which means that sometimes they over-think issues, and hesitate to act because all the pros and cons are rattling around in their head, often in the middle of the night when they are supposed to be sleeping. This leaves them stuck.

I started thinking about this all because one of my clients seems to have become fond of saying, “Rob, let’s get together next week because I’m stuck on a certain issue, and you can draw content out of my brain in record time, then help me put a process around it so my team can jump in effectively.” In truth, I often do this with many of my clients. They need someone to listen very carefully and objectively, to add in experience and fresh perspectives, then debate the alternatives until a winning strategy emerges. It gets their business moving again, and helps them better leverage their teams. In the process, I’m learning—in this case about direct marketing on the internet—and I get to share what I learn with other, non-competing clients.

Knowledge flows both ways: From my clients to me, and from me to my clients. One of my early clients uses me less and less for business planning because he watched and emulated my process, modified it to fit him and his company, and now does most of it on his own with his top team. I still facilitate the team meetings, and this client has me involved in other hot spots within the company. A second client is running planning all on his own in year two. I’m proud of this, and this is the outcome I seek in most of my clients.

All this got me thinking about why businesses, or projects, or business leaders get stuck from time to time. I’m often brought in help get things un-stuck, and part of the job is to understand why they are stuck in the first place.

I’ve observed that they are stuck because:

1. They don’t know quite where they want to go. Many firms have trouble debating and completing their strategic planning before they start to execute. So the priorities aren’t clear, and get changed often. Effort is dissipated.
2. They don’t have money or time to get there. This is the case for nearly everybody, but some think they have to throw big bucks at everything to move the ball forward. Often careful prioritizing and ruthless focus can collect enough resources to move the needle.
3. They don’t have experience in making this journey and can’t get started in earnest. Often this is a confidence issue in leadership, or a lack of certain competencies. I’ve nagged and chased after a number of clients on certain issues, but they never got started. Then, I jumped in and did it with them, and saw the big “aha!” on their face. Then they were un-stuck, and ran the ball forward thereafter just fine.
4. Leadership thinks they have tried everything (without luck) and can’t believe that there is any other way to do better. These leaders rarely hire someone like me because they figure an outsider could never help. Trust me, there almost always is a way to do it better. If you’ve been in your saddle too long, get some outside influence in, and take some measured risks. Or you’ll be condemned to repeat last year. Again and again. (I’ve been there!)
5. It’s impossible to get there, but they don’t realize it. Hey, not every business can satisfy the ambitions of its owner. Some businesses are MUCH harder than others, and even if you’re a genius, you’ll only make meager returns. Sometimes you need to move on. Are you sure this particular business is your DESTINY?

Do you see yourself in one of these five “stuck” patterns—or know someone who is? You could:

1. Stay up all night thinking about it.
2. Ask your peer group —like your Alliance of Chief Executives group to be candid and tell you if they think you are stuck, and what to do about it.
3. Ask your business mentors or trusted advisors if you are stuck, and what to do about it.
4. Call me. I routinely spend an hour or two with CEOs or business owners to get to know them and bang around their issues. No charge. If you like what I say, you might ask me back…. USA: 925-788-1141
5. All of the above, or better yet, 2 thru 4.

2008 may go down in the record books as the year many businesses got stuck, or worse, blown backwards. Let’s make 2009 the year where we all re-gain our momentum. Good luck!