At Compass Point, we make it easy to get insights, training, tools and articles straight to your IN box and help family business owners and their team continue to grow, learn and lead.
It’s not the product or service you sell. It’s the problem you solve.
And the milkshake proves it.
I spend quite a bit of time working with my clients around the idea of a core customer. This is the person who ultimately writes the check to purchase whatever it is that your business creates. No surprises there.
The room has a cautious, yet optimistic energy as everyone settles into their seats. Family members and non-family members on the leadership team have gathered and are about to have a discussion that most have never been a part of before.
Baling hay. It’s important & urgent work on a farm. It’s also a great business metaphor related to THE NUMBER ONE barrier to growth in every business.
If you are not familiar with the art of baling hay, indulge me as I give you an overview. I promise this has EVERYTHING to do with business - your business included. I can hear you saying to yourself, “How is a story about baling hay related to business growth? Trust me and keep reading.
Who should be baling the hay?
Toxic productivity. Is this a new term to you? Or did the phrase make you cringe because you KNOW it exists in your organization?
While it sounds like an oxymoron, it is more prevalent than most business leaders care to admit.
While a sandbox is an unconventional image to describe a facet of your business, it really is the perfect analogy.
And yes, you should conjure up an image of your childhood where you spent time in a shallow box filled with sand and of course a few toys. It had structure and you knew what you were going to do when you sat in that warm sand. You also (hopefully) limited your playing with sand inside of your sandbox, with friends who knew how to play creatively in the sand, and resisted throwing it in others’ faces.
Why did I leave a comfortable position in higher education to help family businesses grow, thrive, and create legacies? Here’s a little look behind the curtain.