The topic this time is Commitment! 

No I am not a relationship counsellor!  I want to talk about the reluctance of SOME business owners to commit to a plan, to commit to taking action, to commit to being accountable.

I get it – the last 18 months have been super hard.  No one – and I mean NO ONE planned for this pandemic – many businesses had some kind of contingency plan but whilst we all thought that perhaps we had a plan to see us through three weeks of lockdown, no-one had considered the possibility that this situation would continue for many, many months (and we’re not out of the woods yet!)

I run sessions on Business Planning with the Business Model Canvas in the last quarter of every year. Some come as they have never really planned, and this method appeals to them.  Some come every year as they like to refresh themselves and it gives them the impetus to get started again.

But some – well, they don’t see the point of planning.  What’s the point of having plans if they impose another lockdown on us and close my business again?

That’s exactly the point of planning! And the BMC makes it very very easy to model different scenarios.  

Planning is one form of commitment –  but what about other business activities?

Business Networking is one example – you find that some people dip in and out and wonder why they never get any “sales”.  They don’t understand that it’s a long game – where building relationships takes time and then the sales come.

Then there is training – a one hour webinar (preferably free!) is ok but they struggle to do a 12 week programme.

Some people also find it really hard to book early for an event – and sometimes this comes down to that FOMO – what if something “better” comes along after you have booked!  Some book and don’t show up.  Not for any “real” reason – but just because they don’t see any requirement to show up for a free event.

But here’s the thing.

Commitment shows.  People who consistently show up get noticed.  People who are flaky and dip in and out reveal themselves to be unreliable.  And again – as I have said before – we don’t even know we are making these judgements!

Commitment also pays dividends in life and in business – those who keep on keeping on, who put together a plan and stick to it – who show up consistently (and on time) are those that others will trust.  I talked in my membership group recently about trusting the process – committing to a plan of action, and following it through day after day, week after week – this is what brings success to elite sportspeople.

And it will bring us success in business!

Get a plan – and commit to it

Commit to your choices – whether it’s a networking group, or a training programme.

Part of the process is to measure and review.  No one is saying that you should stick to a plan that isn’t working!

But – you have to give any new activity time to work – 12 weeks is the usual length of time you might allow in order to assess the effectiveness of a marketing campaign for example.

You might come up with a new product?  How long might it take to launch and for people to find it and buy it?

So many give up early – I went to that networking event and nothing happened. I posted a few articles on LinkedIn and got no enquiries.

Building relationships takes time (I said I wasn’t a relationship counsellor but hey!) Trust takes time.  Remember Brene Brown and the marbles in the jar – trust builds in small doses, all the little things matter.

Consistent small positive steps are what win the day.  Those who expect quick results are likely to be disappointed.  (it can happen of course, but may not happen the next time, setting yourself up for even more disappointment).

Do One Thing every day to move your business forward
Go to that networking meeting every week or month
Be that person that always shows up and don’t cancel unless you absolutely have to.

Commitment wins!

If you have comments or questions then please do get in touch.