"Echoes in your business"
A few years ago I posted this article and I know that in the current crisis many businesses will need to consider how this chapter of their history is written! Read on
This mural in Cartagena intrigued me....what did it mean?
"Palimpsest - a manuscript/piece of writing material where the original writing has been effaced to make room for later writing but of which traces remain"
A reference used by the Greeks and Romans but perfectly valid in 2017 especially when you run a small business?
As an example who hasn't experienced the loss of a team member on who you have spent time and energy only to see them exit when the return on that investment is due? Looking back at the mural it struck me that whilst the loss is painful the real issue, the crux of future progress is not their departure it's what they leave behind.
PALIMPSEST - your business is a constantly reused manuscript with echoes and traces of old team members still resonating within it. In some cases the effects of the departure may have been positive, the individual wasn't liked or didn't really fit in, so the team brighten for a while. The person leaving may have contributed to improving systems or procedures for the team which help moving forward. Sadly the opposite can also be true leaving negative echoes, perhaps badly set up accounts, detail left unfinished or poorly judged decisions with actions that need clarifying.
In this situation it's wise to remember that your business manuscript is awash with stories, half truths that nourish the negative. What processes do you have in place to check what is being left by the departed? Who examines the workload implications, who reviews the customers and what they may need, who checks the psychological effects with the existing team.
Who ensures the manuscript is wiped as clean as possible and ready for the next episode!
Franchisor - Consultant - Franchise Director Skin Within Aesthetics
7yAppreciate the comment Alan. Looking back over 30 years of selling franchises the fact is a Franchisor presets the manuscript and regularly highlights "the system" to the franchisee (change this to salesperson if you wish). You then only rely on the drive of the individual as any business does with its team although in this case they are motivated by their investment, which is essentially in themselves.
Director of Creative Rule Breaking (Live Events)
7yI love the thinking behind this … thank-you. It reminds me of the ‘Mystic Writing pads’ I had when I was a child. They consisted of a thin sheet of clear plastic which covered a thick waxed board. I wrote on them with a stylus (or a fingernail) which pressed through a sheet of plastic and made an indentation in the wax below (which appeared as a dark trace through the plastic). When I lifted the plastic sheet away from the surface, the impression disappeared … the surface was clean again … however, perceptible traces on the waxen surface below, could still be seen. Conferences & Events are a bit like this, too … a lot of effort / money goes into ‘’inspiring people & performance” at a specific point of time, but (often) little effort goes into accurately mapping past experiences and relevant impressions, which are needed to inform creative approaches and the development of future outcomes. (An even bigger omission, is often the lack follow through AFTER the event, which is where outcomes are actually delivered). Ask yourself how well you are building on those past investments! How will you maximise your spend? (Before, At and After the event). It sounds obvious, but in 35 years, I’ve seen a lot more emphasis on the ‘Bells & Whistles’ and not consistent building on past + future impressions!