Adopt the Mindset of Optimization
As CEO’s and owners of our companies, we need to elevate our mindset and obsess about getting more from our current resources and efforts. We must ask others and ourselves better questions. We must start to ask ourselves, “How can our businesses get greater results from every action we take, every expenditure we make, every effort we expend, every relationship we have”? We need to avoid the status quo like a deadly virus. We must embrace fully the philosophies that, “good enough never is” and “we can always do better”.
Adopting a Mindset of Optimization is about Leverage
Optimization (also known as leverage) is a mindset of maximizing our results while simultaneously minimizing the amount of time, effort, risk, money, and energy we expend. It’s all about getting greater productivity, performance, profitability and payback from our ideas, assets, knowledge, systems, processes, practices, people and opportunities. Overlook nothing; leverage opportunities are everywhere.
Optimization is about using our minds
Optimization is all about using our minds and limited business resources in new and better ways. It’s about using our creative intelligence as an incredible force to increase our sales, customer satisfaction, profits, quality, etc. Optimization is about freeing ourselves and our organizations from limiting beliefs, the “we’ve always done it this way” attitudes, and established best industry practices. Optimization is searching for opportunities within and without our companies where the application of focus or force will yield substantially multiplied results. For example, if we start using telephone calls to follow-up our direct mail campaigns, we may multiply our sales results by staggering amounts.
Just as a tire jack can lift the tremendous weight of a car for a tire change, so too can the strategy of optimization help us significantly lift our company’s revenues, improve operations, and lighten our daily load. A lever, fulcrum and slight force can lift significant weight if we know how to use these tools. We should learn about leverage so we can begin to elevate and optimize our business results.
Master the Art of Optimization
To master the art of optimization, we need to adopt an opportunity mindset. To leave the status quo behind, we need to ask continually the following types of questions:
What is the best and highest use of our time, talent, and treasures?
What resources are we underutilizing?
How can we maximize our returns/output and minimize our input?
How can we work smarter, not harder?
Which strategies will give us super-sized results?
What processes or departments within our business are under-performing?
What past or current relationships could we more fully leverage (i.e. customers, employees, vendors, suppliers, advisers, etc.)?
What other industries could provide us with some innovative best practices?
Where are the hidden opportunities within our business, our employees, our suppliers/vendors, our business partners, our customer base, our competitors, and our business processes?
How can we get a greater return/payoff using the least amount of money, time, risk, etc.?
How can we be more effective, more productive?
How can we get better every day in every way?
What suggestions from our customers should we pursue first?
If we expand our mind and our leadership potential, our business potential and opportunities expand exponentially. The more we grow as a leader, the more our business grows as a market leader. Think optimization, not status quo.
If you would like to achieve greater freedom, fulfillment and financial returns from your business, please give me a call. I can dramatically improve your individual and organizational effectiveness.
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