The Post-It Note You Need on the Bathroom Mirror

John Ray: [00:00:00] Hello. I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. The Post-it Note you need on the bathroom mirror.

John Ray: [00:00:10] Some folks use the Post-it Note in a prominent place like the bathroom mirror or on their computer monitor to remind them of their goals and to provide motivation to reach those goals. The idea is that if you visualize it, it will happen. For some, visualization might work wonders. For the rest of us, it sets us up for failure and despair. And my golf game is just one example.

John Ray: [00:00:40] Now here we are as I record this episode, we’re approaching the end of the first quarter, 2022, and that Post-it Note with the goals for this year, for some of us, might feel like more of a screaming inditement than encouragement. Maybe we’re even working off a new note, one with more modest aspirations, and we’re feeling guilty because we lowered our sights.

John Ray: [00:01:07] Instead of goals based on sales or number of clients, try this reminder note and see how it fits for you. Stuff I need to quit doing. What should be on this list are the items that you as the owner of your business have no business doing yourself yet you persist. It’s low-level client work. It’s bookkeeping or marketing details. It’s work that’s necessary for the health of your business but it doesn’t mean that you need to be the one to do it even if you’re a solopreneur.

John Ray: [00:01:46] Now, just to be clear, low level doesn’t mean low value. On the contrary, the outcome of a low-level task can often be very high value. By low level, I mean repeatable tasks, which you can teach someone else to do such that you can focus on those items which most need your own attention. Now whatever is on your list of stuff that you need to quit doing, it’s those things that take you away from high-level client work, which is the real value add or the business development work that you never seem to have time for.

John Ray: [00:02:29] Now, I just didn’t come up with this idea myself. W Edwards Deming, who was born in 1900, writing on management and leadership, observed that 85% of the reasons for failure are deficiencies in the systems and process rather than the employee. The role of management, he said, is to change the process rather than badgering individuals to do better. Now, Deming’s management philosophy of total quality management, by the way, was arguably the single biggest idea, which drove Japan’s recovery after World War II.

John Ray: [00:03:15] Now, if we apply Deming’s idea to our own businesses, we might infer that about 85% of the reason we don’t hit our goals for top-line growth arises from a failure of our systems or processes. So if you’re off track on the goals you set for yourself for this year, follow Deming’s idea. Quit badgering yourself to do better first. Tear up that Post-it Note you started the year with and make up a new one. Focus on removing the sand in the gears of your business, the minutia you have no business doing. As you get those details off your plate, you’ll be amazed at the value you’re giving yourself and your business.

John Ray: [00:04:04] I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. Previous episodes of this series can be found at pricevaluejourney.com. And to connect with me directly, you’re welcome to email me, john@johnray.co. Thank you for joining me.