It hit me like a sledgehammer as I sat talking to a contemporary in my industry this past week. They were looking for me to possibly take over their business. He was aging (over sixty) and was tired of the 60-to-80-hour weeks of hard work in running his business. He had worked in it (not on it) for over forty years. I have worked both in, but also fortunately ON my business for over forty years. This was the third similar conversation in the last month with some other local competitors. I had acquired a handful of similar businesses over the years. The reason for them having to sell were ALL of the same – they had NOT Continuously Improved over time. Their stagnation had put them in this situation. They were doing business the same or similar ways that they had always done it twenty to thirty plus years ago. They had been successful and didn’t see the need to change. They were me. I was them. The difference was that I/we had continuously improved over time. I had changed. They had not. The contrast was stark, shocking, yet sad. My heart went out to them. I know they had worked hard for many years. They were tired.
I had and still have a quest for knowledge. I’ve read and continue to read or now listen to many books to learn different ideas to try in order to improve. I listen and learn from the many groups I belong to. There are many people much smarter than I. I’ve hired coaches to assist in the improvements. I sought out and have built relationships over time who taught me SO much by sharing information and different perspectives on how to do things better. We added new machinery and processes over time, where others hadn’t. We computerized and automated, while they were still running things manually. I was not afraid of trying new things. Some failed, which just led to additional knowledge. I wasn’t afraid of change. We changed, little by little over time. I was fortunate enough to attract and keep people that have assisted in this continuous improvement as we have grown and acquired. These key people allowed me to work ON the business instead of working IN the business. Oh, I did my fair share of working in the business 24/7. Probably for too much and for too long, but I still took the time to step away to learn and continuously improve. I eventually got to where I was working on the business.
The light bulb moment occurred in visiting these local competitors of the dramatic difference continuous improvement over time can make. It was like walking back in time. I was visiting my past. I had taken for granted, didn’t appreciate or realize the subtle and small improvements we had continued to make over the years. You miss this when you are in the moment. It is like children or grandchildren growing. If you are with them every day, you don’t notice the continuous growth and change happening day to day. It is gradual. But if you don’t see them for six months or a year, the change and growth is dramatically noticeable. Imagine if you had not seen them in twenty or thirty years. That is what it was like for me walking into these older competitors that had not continuously improved. They had stayed the same. They had not progressed. I was witness to the dramatic effects of not continuous improving over time. It was sad and confirmation I/we still had much work to do. We had to continue to continuously improve or suffer the same fate of fading away as my competitors were doing. Someone had “Moved Their Cheese.” I saw with my own eyes the results of not changing, and it was not a pretty sight. The continuous improvement that we have done to date has provided me freedom. I do not have to work 24/7 any longer. No more 80-hour work weeks. It has allowed me the ability to pursue firsts, which continually improve me personally. I’m able to spend my Thursdays with Luke (my grandson). It has allowed me the possibly of taking over some additional competitors that have not changed or continuously improved. It has allowed me to live life fuller. For that I am forever grateful.
Continuous improvement not only applies in business, but also personally. Each one of us has a choice to not grow, change, or improve. We can get comfortable and stagnate. Over time this stagnation will stunt us in our lives and our ability to live a fuller life. Trying firsts is a way to continuously improve. Try pushing yourself, try something new – try a FIRST – to continuously improve!