Every year, around this time, people start coming out of the woodwork to tell you how you can do better next year and make 2022 your company’s best year ever.
The truth is, there are no new trends you need to jump on or magic bullets you need to be worried about missing out on.
It will be a year like other years.
And if you don’t have the core fundamental building blocks in place, your company will continue to fall further behind that of your competitors.
The most challenging question is: “What exactly are those building blocks?”
Let’s return to one of my favourite books, The Checklist Manifesto by Dr. Atul Gawanda. This book highlights the importance of the core fundamental building blocks.
When Dr. Atul Gawande got a call in late 2006 from the World Health Organization, he was shocked by their request.
They wanted to get his help in creating a program that would reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from surgeries that would apply to ANY hospital on the planet.
They wanted something that would work in Downtown Manhattan, Timbuktu, and a remote hospital set up on a battlefield.
The task sounded impossible.
They had no budget, and their goal was outrageously aggressive.
Just how aggressive was their goal?
Consider this: In 2004, the number of surgeries performed every year was about 230 million. And each year, around seven million people came out of surgery disabled, and over a million died because of complications!
It sounded impossible, but Gawande was up for the challenge.
Here’s the best part.
Not only did he do it, but he succeeded beyond anybody’s wildest dreams.
He was able to implement a process that reduced deaths and illnesses by between 30-47% in any hospital, anywhere on the planet.
it worked regardless of if they were in the worst hospitals in the world or the best-equipped hospitals, the result was the same…an over 30% reduction across the board.
Could your company increase sales by 30% across the board?’
Could you increase revenue given the current global supply chain challenges in 2022?
Could you dramatically improve employee retention without spending a dime when people are leaving companies in record numbers?
Gawande’s challenge seemed crazy too when you think about it, but he did it and you can too.
His solution wasn’t overly complex.
There was ZERO technology involved.
There was no new drug introduced and nothing overly complex.
He used one of my favorite tools of all time.
The checklist.
You’ve heard me talk about the power of checklists in other tidbits (including this one, and this one, and this one).
But a checklist that saved lives!?
Of course, not everyone believed it.
Many doctors felt that the checklist was beneath them.
They were arguing, “I spent four years doing my undergrad, then two years in med school, and then five years working my butt off in hospitals! I know what I’m doing, and I don’t need your little checklist to help!
On top of that, every patient is different, and every surgery is different–you can’t capture what I do in a checklist.
You think I’m going to use a checklist?”
I hear something similar in many companies where we implement instrumental–and sometimes elementary–solutions to drive dramatic and profitable results.
“I’ve been doing sales for 35 years!
No new tool, process, or CRM is going to change what I’ve been doing. I’m not changing my process for YOU or anyone. My way works.”
“If increasing revenue was that simple, we’d already be doing it. Unfortunately, our customers aren’t buying right now because our prices are too high.”
“We’ve already tried something like that last year and it didn’t work.”
“We’re already doing something like that. What else can you show us?”
Nine times out of ten, they’re not doing something similar, and they haven’t in the past.
We’re often quick to dismiss the simple things that generate results because they’re new, or different.
The moral of today’s tidbit is simple.
Don’t dismiss something just because it seems too simple or too easy.
Don’t let others in your company tell you that something you know is essential is beneath them.
There’s a reason your pilot still walks around the plane with a simple checklist before take-off, and you can thank your lucky stars for the checklist that reminded your surgeon to wash her hands before slicing you open.
Here’s Your Challenge: Think about the “building blocks for 2022.”
Consider an important area of your business like sales or customer experience–where do you need more structure or routine?
- How would your business benefit from a new customer checklist?
- Do you need a process for every time a customer walks into your business, or for how the phones answered?
- What type of post-sale customer retention process do you have in place?
- Is there a process to ensure all quotes are followed up on?
- Have you defined your sales process?
In my experience, if a company doesn’t have a defined sales process and puts one into place, it’s not uncommon for sales teams to see 10-20% increases in sales revenue after putting the right processes into place.
This is one of those building blocks for 2022.
For companies looking for an “extra edge” in 2022, I have a special Evergreen Growth offering I’m making available to only a select number of new clients. I’ll work closely with your company over the next 12 months and help make 2022 your best year ever.
We’ll work to create and develop critical, and perhaps non-existent processes, or improve your existing processes to operate at a world-class level.
We’ll grow your revenue, improve your client experience, and create a culture your people will never want to leave.
If you’ve ever considered working with me, this might be the best time ever.
To learn more and discuss what this looks like, schedule a call now.
Best,
Noah
