There’s a great little article I stumbled upon on INC, about those “Aha” moments for Four Small businesses. One of the items caught my eye about being taken off track and distracted by cool ideas, applications and trends. It warned that “shiny things may be fun to look at, but they’re detrimental if they’re not helping you fulfill your greater business purpose.”
It is not just “shiny things” that distract business center operators. There are so many potential distractions related to the day to day operations that it’s easy to allow minor technical glitches to distract us from the real job, which is cultivating strong client relations and doing the things necessary to fill our spaces. Yet, like walking through a carnival with a dozen “side shows” to lure us into their tents, we are side tracked by small things that take our time and keep us from taking important actions, like that call to a broker, or that contract that needs to be reviewed.
We all let ourselves get side tracked occasionally. The problem comes when we fail to recognize that we’ve even gotten off track. Usually the problem is either lack of a plan, a plan that lacks “buy in”, or one without deadlines and assigned responsibilities. Any of these conditions create a haven for distractions, leaving you to wonder how you got so far off course. So dust off your existing plan or create a new one. Get buy in and set attainable goals with assigned tasks.
How to keep distractions (shining and otherwise) out of sight? You can’t. They’ll always be there. But let your plan guide you back. Every day must be a solid investment in the plan, fulfilling each action and moving forward to the next. Shiny distractions, like side shows, will cross your path. But with a plan to back you up, you’ll see them for what they are.
