The headline of this article is a direct quote from an interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, when he addressed a group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
In it, he noted that some companies move too slow, and a few too fast. The challenge is to find your place in the middle. This is good advice even for mainstream small businesses.
Depending upon the circumstances, you want to move both slow and fast – what is most important is to take action and MOVE!
Whether you are an advocate of Facebook or not, you have to give the man credit for building a business that has transformed how we interact – both personally and professionally.
The following sub-headings are comments shared by Mark Zuckerburg that served to guide the growth of Facebook during the early years.
Focus on Impact – Not Revenue
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs expressed his admiration for the fact that Zuckerburg did not sell out, opting instead to decline the many lucrative offers that would have surely compromised the future value of Facebook.
Zuckerberg and his team had a vision for Facebook, just as you do for your company.
The time for selling your company will one day come, but until then, your challenge is to focus on impact. Isn’t that why you started your business – to make a difference for your customers?
When I started my first business my operations manager and I agreed that if we focused on the customer the money would follow – and it did. When we occasionally lost that focus in favor of increasing revenues, we were often greeted with disappointment.
This is a lesson that every business eventually learns – and it’s usually a hard lesson.
A Company is the Best Vehicle to Align People
My business today consists of me and a virtual admin. Yet, even that structure gives me another voice and opinion against which to weigh decisions.
When you work together in close quarters with others to build a business, you quickly learn how to create alignment.
While it may seem like you are making compromises, you are in fact weighing the wisdom and experience of many. This does not mean you have to agree, just to seek alignment.
In my first business we had over twenty employees – not a lot, but not a little either. When we could not all agree, we always created alignment by agreeing to disagree.
That was one of our mantras. It helped us to focus and get on with serving our customers.
Know What You Want to Do
In working with small businesses as a consultant, I’ve come to learn that most do not have a clear vision of what they want to do.
Some want to change the world. Others want to make a lot of money. And still more want to provide excellent customer service.
Are any of these actionable? If so, where do you start?
You probably already know – with what you are passionate about.
My son is a college student studying for a business degree. He discovered that he enjoys accounting. His sister attends another university where she is focused on and most enjoys marketing.
In which subjects do you think they excel?
It works the same for business.
When work becomes work it’s time to make some changes. This is usually a clue that what you are doing is not what you want to do. So, have the guts to get out.
This is a tough economy, one in which you can love what you do – but still not achieve the income you need to sustain your business.
The solution is very simple. Focus on impact. Re-examine your business model.
This will of course mean taking some risks. And that takes us back to where we started.
Your biggest risk is not taking any risks. What are the risks you know you need to take – even if you are not quite ready?
Leave a comment below or share this with your community with any of the share buttons below – or with those on the little red bar at the bottom of this page.
Until tomorrow, Jeff
