Building More: The Three Levels of Limits

Words: Corey Adams

How Do You Treat Your Best Clients? Do you bend over backward to help them succeed? Do you work tirelessly to help them achieve their goals? Do you ignore their desires and do whatever you want no matter what they think? Ok, that last one was a test. Well, sort of.

There is a natural progression in business. When we start out as a one-man show and through our first couple of years, we are self-centric. We are so focused on what we need to survive, what jobs we can find, and what we made at the end of every job. Continuing this mentality is what prevents us from moving to the next stage with our companies. In fact, this is the mentality that makes a small business run for a couple of years and then die a painful death of less and less until total starvation.

The mindset shift required to move into the next stage of a business is often written about. I would go as far as to say it is the most written-about topic in business development in history. Why? Because it is an easy sell. It is necessary but an easy sell nonetheless. I am talking about the shift from self-centric to customer-centric.

A customer-centric focus allows a company to push beyond the days of scraping by and taking any job that walks through the door. It is an easy sell because most businesses around the world are small, self-centric business owners looking to take the next step. This is why the business “gurus” focus on this line of thought more than anything. It makes sense to the majority of business owners.

The final step is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. This final mindset shift is not talked about nearly enough and is only utilized by the few who want unlimited growth potential. I wouldn’t call it a secret, but it takes some real digging and experience to learn about this mindset and even more to have the courage to implement it. This final step is shifting your mindset from customer-centric to employee-centric.

Now, before I get tons of rebuttal emails, let me say this: shifting your mindset doesn’t mean eliminating all previous mindsets. It is more like building blocks that use the best of the previous mindset to build upon itself. A customer-driven, employee-focused mindset, for example.

Time to circle back. How do you treat your best clients? Are you bending over backward or ignoring them? Now, I want you to read the next questions and then close your eyes and count to five before you think about the answer. How do you treat your best employees? Are you bending over backward to help them be successful? Are you giving them all the tools they need to achieve their goals? Are you using them as a means to satisfy your self-centric profit goals? Do you ignore them and blow them off when they have a concern or suggestion? Close those eyes and count to five. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Super secret reality alert: employees are clients. You have entered into a contract with them to provide something they can offer in exchange for something you can offer. Some would argue that they are suppliers, but does it really matter which side is offering money and which is offering a product? It does not. You are in a contractual obligation to exchange services and money. Which side has no bearing on the contract. You are both clients of each other.

This principle is why I try to treat everyone like a client. I will bend over backward to help you achieve your goals. I will listen to your concerns and suggestions with an open mind. I will do my best to deliver quality in our contractual relationship.

When this principle is applied to your employees, you create and foster a culture of loyal employees always looking out for the best interest of the company. They want to help you find more quality employees, more quality projects, and more ways to help productivity and client satisfaction.

Self-centricity is highly limited. Customer-centric is lucrative but eventually limited. An employee-centric mindset is only for those ready to position their companies for unlimited growth potential.
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