Why Progress Takes Time
Today is a letter (okay, blog) of encouragement for all of those entrepreneurs who are looking back on the past year and saying:
“I’m so frustrated. I did all the right things - I “right sized” my team, I focused on improving profitability, and I did way more ‘wining and dining’ than in previous years - but I still don’t see the dollars showing up in my bank account. I’m still struggling to pay myself anywhere near my goal of $10k (or $15k or $20k) per month.”
And I want to tell you that I see you, friend.
I know it’s hard.
I know it can be lonely.
I know that any non-entrepreneur will never, ever understand the journey you (and me) are on.
But I want to offer a slight word of encouragement and a bit of a reality check too.
When we make big, strategic shifts in our biz, it can take time to see the positive results like more dollars in your bank account, a more cohesive/efficient team or clients coming to you at much lower ‘client acquisition cost’.
I remember telling one client a while back that making changes at her 20+ person firm was more like steering a cruise ship than a canoe, and I think that holds true for a lot of entrepreneurs. Big changes take time and the results from these changes take time too.
Why? Let's hear from the experts ⬇️
I’m sure you’ve heard of the concept of Change Management before. Here’s a quick definition from our friends at prosci.com:
“Change management is a strategic approach we use to help your organization navigate transitions effectively, ensuring your people, processes, and systems align seamlessly with your business goals while minimizing disruption and maximizing success.”
In other words, experts recognize change is hard.
So, these same experts have drafted a set of steps that attempt to make change as painless as possible:
Assess the current situation
Define what success looks like (or the desired outcome)
Draft and communicate the plan
Implement the plan
Evaluate and adapt
You’ll notice there are FIVE steps involved in any change. And when my team and I work with clients, we always know there is a timeline for how long changes will take (hence the reason we prefer longer contract times). Here’s a bit of a guide:
Small changes (eg. updating processes) take 1-3 months
Mid changes (eg. launching a new service) take 3-6 months
Big changes (eg. restructuring teams) take 6-12 months or more
So, First name / friend, I offer the above info as encouragement that if it feels like you’re doing all the right things, but haven’t quite seen the results you desire, don’t give up just yet.
Instead, I'd suggest reflecting on a few things:
Take a look at your new process to identify small adjustments or areas for improvement, ensuring alignment with your initial goal or outcome.
Focus on consistent execution and seek feedback from trusted advisors (ahem!) or key performance indicators to refine your approach.
It might be a matter of iterating or making tweaks to your approach, but if I had to guess, I'd say this is just a ‘stay the course’ time and that the results you are desiring are just around the riverbend.
That’s all for now friends.