The writer Adam Gopnik commented that when he attended a family reunion, he noticed that some people were evolving and growing and others were aging and wearing out.
This sparked a question – What are the signs that indicate if your business or brand is aging or evolving?
10 Signs that your business is aging not evolving
- You are so married to your budget. You do the same thing year after year never considering a zero-based budget where you challenge everything.
- You ignore the realities of the marketplace, choosing instead to believe the same mythology about your brand even though your marketplace has changed dramatically.
- You know it all so well that you don’t develop products that solve problems. Instead, you create products that you believe are best for your business needs.
- You no longer invest in education or training for your employees.
- Instead of upgrading equipment, you use “virtual” duct tape to hold things together.
- Your business still acts like it’s 2000, 2010, or 2020.
- You have the same organizational structure you did ten years ago, even though your customer base has changed.
- From a supply chain perspective, you don’t invest in building relationships anymore so that every conversation is around price instead of sustainable value.
- You keep adding services or new markets to your business, diluting your focus on your core.
- Great talent is slowly leaving the business.
10 Signs that your business is evolving not aging
- There is a positive energy that is palpable in your office or among team members who work remotely.
- Employees are empowered to take risks and not be fearful of failure within reasonable limits.
- You celebrate both the victories and the failures because it strengthens your corporate muscle.
- Talented employees are always trying to come to work for your business.
- Alignment reigns. Everyone in the company has a clear vision – and they believe it.
- There is a powerful WHY that everyone understands. It goes deeper than making money or selling more stuff, and it motivates your organization.
- The business is always running small experiments to test new ideas and see if a different structure might improve results.
- The business has an aggressive approach to the digital realities of the Internet age and doesn’t feel stuck in an analog world.
- No one minds working extra hours on a critical project because they can balance their work schedules.
- Team members aren’t afraid to smile and laugh when you hold meetings. The atmosphere is relaxed and encouraging not rigid and fearful.
Is your business evolving or aging?
Does it feel like the business’s mission is felt in the bones of your employees, or does it feel like team members are aimlessly punching a time clock.
Do meetings feel purposeful or more like an obligation?
Is productivity draining from the business as you are always trying to fill a leaky bucket as you put out today’s daily fire?
Is content stuck on your website that could help tell your story and generate new leads if properly marketed and ignited?
If you are an employee, how are you feeling? Are you more aligned with those Burger King employees who recently quit en mass – just can’t take it anymore?
Maybe it is time for your brand and company to grow up and evolve, not grow old.
A business and a brand must evolve to meet the needs of today’s customers, not customers from the past.
Time to evolve.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Danie Franco on Unsplash
