Can you handle the truth?

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This unforgettable scene from “A Few Good Men” with Jack Nicholson drives home an unfortunate reality: many of us can’t handle the truth. Often, we build illusions and constructs to avoid telling ourselves the truth about what is really going on in our lives. Face it! Human beings have an incredible capacity for self-deception. We see what we want to see, not what is really there.

I see this reality at work with business owners on a regular basis. I never cease to be amazed at how many of them don’t measure their activities and/or results on a consistent basis. Flying blind, they simply dive into their work each day, hoping for the best! In a recent meeting with a local business owner, he admitted that he had no idea how his business was doing this year as compared to the previous fiscal year. He explained that he would have a “better lay of the land” once his financial statements for 2012 were completed sometime next spring!

What you don’t measure doesn’t get improved!

Why don’t owners measure their results more consistently and more accurately? Time is definitely a factor. Many owners are drowning in overwhelm! Stuck working IN their business, they have little time to work ON their business. Although most would agree with the importance measuring their activities and results in order to improve them, few of them have the time… Or should I say “make” the time? But there is something much deeper going on here…

I am convinced that the #1 reason most owners don’t track their business more intentionally is because they are intimidated by what that tracking might reveal. Let’s be honest… All of us have areas where we feel incompetent and insecure. (Well, at least those of us that have some measure of self-awareness.) We have hunches about areas of our business that need improvement. We make guesses about what might help us get better results. But hunches and guesses are not a wise way to build a business by design. We must make the switch from hunches to metrics!

Serious professionals are not afraid of the truth. Although humbling at times, the truth allows them to address shortcomings in their business and their leadership that are creating bottlenecks for the organization. Because they are committed to growth and results, they are willing to face the hard truth revealed by accurate measurement of their performance in order to do better… In order to improve!

What about you? Can you handle the truth? When is the last time you had an objective look at your business? Are you measuring your activities/results? If not, why not? If so, what are you measuring?

I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment/question below and let’s explore this together!

In the meantime, remember this…

The largest room in the world is the room for improvement.

If you would like to chat with us about an objective reality check for your business that could have a significant impact on your planning and results for 2013, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We can help you get there!

Face the truth, and reap the rewards!

Until next time,

Eric Deschamps – Business Coach, Ottawa