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“To reach a port, we must sail – sail, not tie at anchor…”— Franklin D. Roosevelt
This past weekend I was sorting through things in the basement, garage cupboards and closets to prepare for a citywide garage sale in several weeks. I don’t like clutter and am amazed at the things I have accumulated over the years. I don’t want things to weigh me down like an anchor or prevent me from making the right decision about the type of space I will need when I move.
In business the same thing happens. We don’t always end things when we should. Because we don’t, we often drag along anchors that keep us from moving forward.
In his book, Necessary Endings, Henry Cloud states it this way, “In business, endings often are absolute necessities for a turn-around or for growth to occur.”
Henry Cloud says that we avoid endings for three reasons:
- Fear
- Lack of skill
- Pain from past endings
What can we do to pull up the anchors that are holding us back in business? Here are a few points that Cloud suggests:
Create a Sense of Urgency
One of the ways to do this is to play the movie forward. If you don’t get out of that product line, or get rid of that non-productive employee, or make a difficult decision regarding a segment of your business, what will the future look like in the next six months or year? Do you really want to be in that place? Asking these questions takes us out of our comfort zone and helps us see the consequences of inaction.
Overcome Resistance
We all have a resistance anchor that prevents us from getting rid of those things that weigh us down. We say to ourselves that we will do it later. Sometimes we agree to do it in our mind, but we don’t act upon it.
The way to overcome resistance is to write down the costs of waiting and establish consequence for waiting. If you wait to act on the decision for a month, what is the cost and the consequence? What if you wait two months? And so on…
Have the Conversation
Many of us are hesitant to have the conversation. We’re afraid of hurting the person involved or making a decision that will have a negative impact on a group of people. It’s necessary to be aware of your concern for the person or people involved in addition to the truth of the situation and what’s best for the organization. Before having the conversation, be sure you know the desired outcome.
Embrace the Grief
People need to say goodbye to the past before they can move on. Sometimes it may involve celebrating the past initiatives and the people that have carried you this far, but are not adequate to carry you into the future.
Cloud says: “Grief also means I am getting ready for what is next because I am finishing what is over.” The experience needs to be metabolized. “To metabolize experience…you have to do what your body does with food: keep what is usable to you, and eliminate what is not.” It makes you stronger and leads to greater character.
Share Your Thoughts: What anchors do you need to pull up in order the have the new beginnings that lead to growth?
