Frameworks. Business models. Systems and processes.
Business thrives on these. But some are too fluffy, some are too rigid, and most of them never last. As an entrepreneur for nearly 40 years, I’ve discovered a unique business framework that actually works. I know because it was a direct result of my experience in growing a sustainable business. I call it the Sixfold Path of Business.
It’s not earth-shattering or revolutionary. That’s precisely why it works. It’s six things that every business should be doing if they want to scale their company to the next level of growth. Focus on these and you’ll stop treading water and start building something that lasts.
Let’s break them down.
The Right Team
Everyone knows this one, right? But in all honesty, it’s the one that is ‘fudged’ the most. We hold on to the wrong people too long, and then we hire the next one too fast. Then we wonder what happened. When you get the right people in the right seats, you immediately feel a shift. Things move. Trust builds.
The Right Structure
You can have the right team, but if they’re not doing the right things, you’re still stuck. Or you may have had the correct organizational structure back in the day, but you suddenly realize your organization is built for what you were, not what you are becoming. I’m not just talking about the org chart. It’s more than that. It’s about clarity. Who owns what. How decisions are made. How things get done.
The Right Process
Let’s get it out in the open – most companies run on ‘tribal knowledge.’ Oh, and fingers crossed. A good process developed through experience takes all the guesswork out. No, it’s not bureaucratic. It’s empowering. Everyone knows what the play is, and everyone has a role in executing it.
The Right Communication
Everyone thinks they are communicating well because there are meetings, emails, and texts happening all the time. Truthfully? That’s just noise. True communication occurs when the right people know what’s going on, what it means, and how it affects them. What, why, and how. People say what they mean and listen to each other.
The Right Accountability
Now it gets a bit uncomfortable. Accountability gets a bad rap because it’s often confused with blame. But it’s about pride. Ownership. It’s someone saying, “I’ve got this.” When people step up and take personal responsibility, accountability becomes tangible.
The Right Action
And finally, action. None of the other five mean anything unless something good happens. A great team doing all the right things the right way? Useless if it never gets out the door. The end result for any business is to make things happen. Create it. Sell it. Service it. Then start over again.
There you have it. Six simple ideas that can make the difference between success and failure. Tepid growth or explosive growth. Outcomes become more predictable. The business gets real traction. Not the rollercoaster kind, but the rooted kind. The kind that can take a punch and come back for more.
Not flashy. Not trendy. It just works. I know because I’ve done it. You can, too.