Too many leaders don’t know what they don’t know about the obstacles they face and sadly most are not interested in finding out. Entrepreneurs who create a “lifestyle practice” or a true business, Blind Spots occur to all. No matter what stage your business is in, you can be starting in the business or are in the top 1% of the entire enterprise, Blind Spots are ever so present. Any one of these Blind Spots can kill a business. As it happens, there are certain predictable ways that a Blind Spot Syndrome develops. Let me share with you a partial list of the classic Blind Spots. As you read the list, honestly evaluate your business and identify which are hitting home for you. Once you have read through the list of Blind Spots, rate what category you and the business is in—At-Risk, Average, Well Managed, or Excellent.
Share with me what Blind Spots hit home the most. We have found even the best business that fall into the At-Risk, Average, and Well Managed typically fall prey to more than half of the common leadership issues.
As you read the list, identify what ones hit home. Realize the deadly ones are the Blind Spots that you don’t believe you have but unfortunately are present. Pick any that hit home, and let me know which was the most glaring to you.
Classic Blind Spots:
1. Not being in recruiting mode. The best companies are always on the lookout for the best people. Are you only in recruiting mode when there is a staff emergency?
2. Not establishing a process for hiring. Following a “gut feeling” is not enough. You need a clear, quantifiable hiring process that everyone who hires needs to follow.
3. Not tying corporate goals to personal goals. 70% of enterprise objectives are not met since they are not connected to the individuals. This needs to happen at the individual employee level, which means managers/leaders must gain a deep understanding of the personal aspirations of those who report to them.
4. Not creating and sustaining a culture of accountability. Creating a culture of accountability from the top down requires that leaders show vulnerability. A leader’s personal example is the biggest determinant of success in this area. A successful mindset is one of the most critical components of a successful business.
5. Not creating a common organizational language that supports constructive problem-solving. This is particularly important with interactions between departments and the people within such as marketing and sales, people in new business talking with salespeople, and recruits in different stages of the interview process with different people.
6. Not capturing best practices. Document what your top performers do and build best practices into the onboarding and performance reviews. Once you have consistency, it is time to work on efficiency. Are you just praying that your best people don’t leave or are you purposefully trying to duplicate them? Most miss great growth strategies due to not identifying, documenting, and driving consistency of best practices.
7. Assuming management staff do not need training and coaching. Most managers do not receive basic management training or reinforcement, and they should. We spend so much energy and money on new org and not on the people who directly impact their success. When is the last time your COO or any staff person went to outside development? Do you have development outlines for continuous growth?
Take a look at the above list. Allow some freedom to adapt the Blind Spot to fit your world. Which ones hit home?
Now rate what category the business falls into:
AT-RISK
The leader makes most if not all the decisions and spends roughly 90% of their time in the business. Their cash flow typically isn’t healthy (may have a nice recurring number but the new business area is inconsistent). If the leader wasn’t present for a quarter, the business would be in jeopardy.
AVERAGE
The business is run in a reactive manner. The leader spends 30-50% of their time in the business as the doer. Cash flow is average.
WELL-MANAGED
Respected in their industry and is likely in the top 25% of businesses measured in terms of professional leadership, these organizations are nevertheless vulnerable. The company has not created a culture in which organizational excellence is second nature, regardless of personnel changes. You have some great people and some great processes but oftentimes this creates comfort zones within.
EXCELLENT
Here, professional leadership/management is a daily reality, exemplified by a disciplined, sequential, continuous, and repeatable process that propels the business into the upper 5% of organizations. These companies are always improving their present situation—always looking forward. For leaders and everyone else at these organizations, excellence is a way of life.
What category does your business fall into?
Write a comment on what BLIND SPOT hit home and what category did the business fall into? Don’t be embarrassed if many or maybe all hit home. At a program for entrepreneurs after an objective look, we had more than 80% of the room find they had 3 of the 7 Blind Spots outlined.
I will share the rest in another post but for now, read through the Blind Spots and let me know which ones hit home and what category would you place the business in?
I’d like to hear if you've ever fallen victim to the blind spot syndrome. Please reach out to me via LinkedIn and let me know how how you handled it.
Glenn Mattson is a seasoned veteran of the selling profession, Glenn has personally built one of the leading offices for Sandler Training with his office ranking consistently in the top 1% of Sandler franchisees worldwide. He specializes in working with financial services producers and agency managers who want to shorten their selling cycles, grow their revenues, boost their productivity, and improve their operational efficiencies. Glenn's clients include many producers who seek to be MDRT qualifiers as well as Court of The Table and Top of The Table members who attribute a great deal of their success to the principles, practices, and, above all, the accountability Glenn brings to their practice. Glenn is based in Long Island, New York, but he's usually "in the field," working with clients all over the United States helping them to grow their business, revenues, and profits. Additionally, Glenn is a sought-after keynote speaker, available to speak to small or large groups on emerging business topics.
