Keys to Business Success – Part 2: Demote the Data
Before I became an entrepreneur, I spent more than 20 years working for a variety of companies from start-ups to well established SMBs. Some of these companies easily created the success they desired while others struggled or completely crashed and burned.
So, what did the successful companies do to gain market share, improve their bottom line, lead with purpose, and retain the loyalty of their employees and customers?
In this series I share key practices that were essential to the success those companies created.
“Intuition is the natural intelligence that allows us to see ahead of the curve, to generate innovative ideas, to communicate powerfully, and to do so without having to study spreadsheets or gather piles of data.”
In traditional companies, data is king. Need to decide if a merger is the right decision? Check the data. Want to expand into a new market or territory? Check the data. Need to decide if an employee is worth keeping? Check the data.
But data only gives you one piece of the puzzle. Sure, the numbers don’t lie, but do they give you the entire picture? What if that employee whose numbers don’t look so great just needs some new inspiration or guidance to go from average to amazing? How much would that save you?
Or, what if the numbers look great for that new partnership, but secretly the new partner isn’t really committed to transparency and collaboration?
How much time, aggravation, and stress would that cost you?
In today’s climate we deal with information overload every single minute, whether it’s coming from our spreadsheets, our phones, social media, and more. This data saturation – I like to call it InfoObesity – has become a huge problem (pun intended).
InfoObesity plagues all companies, even small ones.
I can’t tell you the number of companies I’ve worked with that say, “we have all of this great data, but we can’t make sense of it.” Or worse, they’ve got different departments producing data that overlaps but they can’t get a firm grasp on the total picture. This InfoObesity can and does stop companies in their tracks and creates even more stress and anxiety.
InfoObesity can also be a trap. Information is a little like junk food – super satisfying in the moment, but not so healthy in the long run. It can keep us occupied to the point where we get lost in the data or worse, experience analysis paralysis which takes our attention away from what we really need to focus on.
How many times have you caught yourself getting snagged by that latest email notification or lost in time trolling on Facebook or Instagram? And if that isn’t bad enough, information overload has been linked to health issues such as high blood pressure, brain fog, and a heightened risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Being able to make critical decisions quickly is not only essential, but crucial to your business’ success.
We make thousands of decisions every day from what time we need to wake up to what we have for lunch, what we choose to focus on, and so many more! Some of these decisions we make in an instant but when it comes to decisions that are related to a business – particularly crucial ones – we can get bogged down and that’s not a good place to be.
Internally, the lack of a quick decision-making process slows productivity, creates bottlenecks, and reduces motivation. Let data take a back seat – there is a different way!
Sure, data has its place. But instead of making it king, what if we give it a demotion? What if we let it take second place instead of first? Turn down the noise a bit and find a different way to streamline our decision-making process so we can not only make decisions more quickly but with absolute confidence?
There is a secret sauce in business and that’s intuition.
When you tap into and use intuition in business, it becomes the catalyst that accelerates decision-making with confidence. Intuition is your inner voice and knowledge. It transcends your ego and “humanness” which can get in the way of being clear and decisive.
Many highly successful people have relied upon intuition to help them make important decisions including Steve Jobs, who called intuition “more powerful than intellect.”
In the past, relying on your intuition was often dismissed or subjected to ridicule. No longer – intuition has been scientifically proven to be a very real psychological process. And it is not a limited commodity! With practice, everyone can tap into and use their intuition.
In a fast-paced business environment, intuition bridges the gap between logic and opinion to reveal what is unseen, with unerring guidance. You don’t need more data or opinions when making a key decision or looking for guidance for your next right actions! What you need is “The Intuition Matrix.”
The Intuition Matrix offers an easy way to tune into your intuition and get to a conclusion quickly. It is not “cross your fingers and hope for the best” decision making. It is instead a way to make informed, reliable, and accurate decisions.
Using the Intuition Matrix is very easy. Pick something you have a question about or a decision to make. Take a moment to get quiet and grounded, and ask: “What do I need to know about this?” Or “What guidance can you give me about [fill in the blank].”
See what comes through to you. It might be an image, a knowing, or a feeling in your body – whatever shows up, just allow it. Cultivate the quiet voice within yourself, giving yourself permission to see what shows up no matter how silly it seems.
In the beginning we often doubt the information we receive, so it’s best to start with something easy and not too serious. Check in to see if the information you got was correct. If you don’t get anything right away, that’s ok too. Sometimes the information will just show up later. You might overhear a conversation that pertains to what you are thinking about or see a sign that provides guidance. Or you’ll have a sudden realization.
Here are a few key tips:
Trust the first answer you get and don’t second-guess it.
Don’t ask yes and no questions – they are too limited.
Be clear about what you want to know but don’t demand the information.
Make space for your intuition. If you are constantly running from one thing to another you won’t have the capacity to hear the subtle nudges of your intuition.
Practice makes perfect – over time it will get easier and faster.
Can your intuition be wrong? Yes!
This is why practicing and validating it is key. If you’re getting misinformation, here are the top reasons why:
You are too close to the situation or too emotionally vested in it.
You are physically tired or stressed out.
You have a pre-existing belief about the situation.
For example, if you believe that investing in your business right now is a big risk given the market conditions, you will look for evidence to support this belief. In this case, your intuition can’t come to the forefront because you are so focused on a foregone conclusion created by your mind (and emotions, and stress, etc.)
In these situations, reach out to someone else to do a read for you.
Trust your inner guidance – once you master the ability to tap into it, it will never let you down. Let it lead the way in your life and business, bringing you confidence and clarity in every aspect of your life.
Want More?
If your business isn’t flourishing or growing the way you’d like, consider doing a Business Assessment. Designed to identify issues and the parts of the business that aren’t working well, a Business Assessment is the perfect way to get clarity and direction on what the business needs to thrive.
