As a founder or manager, you have either already reached a success plateau with your company or will do so at some point. That’s part of the growth game.
We humans are programmed to learn things in autopilot mode.
However, if you want to exploit the full potential of your company, you should avoid autopilot mode at all costs.
The success plateau –
and how it slows down companies
With new successes, we reach new success plateaus. A status quo that currently works and in which we can comfortably settle.
But right now it is important to actively take the next leap before new circumstances and a sense of urgency force you to do so.
“Those who wait for fear before acting only ever do what removes the danger – without achieving progress that will protect them from new dangers in the future.”
- The prevailing strategic planning (“A->B thinking”) prevents progress. Starting from state A, one merely optimizes and only moves forward step by step. Costs are reduced, the management system is tweaked, structures are developed further, etc.
- A key customer is lost, sales stagnate, a competitor’s product hits the market, customers want hip instead of old-fashioned… you name it: it’s getting dicey!
- You blame the consequences of your failure on force majeure and in the end you are proud and relieved to have the old level back in sight.
“What got you here won’t get you there.”
Marshall Goldsmith gets to the heart of what still needs to get out of our heads and into our hearts and hands.
The Navy Seals believe in the “factor 20”: Everyone can endure and achieve 20 times more than they think they can. Whether you subscribe to this number or not:
All organizations can achieve much more than they think possible in their wildest dreams.
Mature companies reach success plateaus, celebrate success, but do not rest on their laurels. Their culture is programmed for progress, for which they are always prepared to go through pain. They take the plunge into discomfort before they are forced to resort to coercive solutions to ensure bare survival.
How to overcome the success plateau and take your company to the next level
- If you want to make things fundamentally better, you first have to cross boundaries in your thinking. They have to replace the familiar A=>B thinking with its opposite B=>A: namely to think on the basis of goal and progress instead of just the process.
- To achieve something you’ve never achieved before, you have to do things you’ve never done before. And they hurt. If they didn’t, you would have tackled them long ago.
If you enjoyed this post, discover more inspiring insights in Matthias Kolbusa’s latest podcast episode: Creating places where people love to perform
Progress
