“The enemy gets a say” – Jocko Willink/Leif Babin, Extreme Ownership
Although I don't have personal enemies, the quote from Extreme Ownership about external influences resonated with my recent business experience where unforeseen challenges threatened our progress.
This week felt like a sprint in preparing my business for the next step and an outside influence (an enemy) nearly disrupted it all.
After last week’s sense of imbalance, I shifted my priorities to prepare my business for its next challenge: putting all the resources in place to deliver our contract.
On the surface, resourcing might seem straightforward, especially if you’ve previously worked in large companies. However, as a small business, it presented a steep learning curve.
We consulted experts to ensure our employment contracts were legal and compliant with relevant employment awards. We drafted over ten policies, created risk assessments, developed an onboarding program, updated our insurances, prepared vehicles, and purchased tools and protective equipment.
Despite these extensive preparations, an unforeseen external factor nearly derailed our efforts. It was understandably frustrating, and it felt like a setback.
However, there are several positives from this experience:
We now have a comprehensive employment contract template for future hires.
We’ve established a robust suite of policies that will elevate our business.
We’re better prepared to advance our business to the next level.
We demonstrated our ability to rally and deliver lots of work in a short period of time whilst navigating our own full time jobs.
Regardless of how this situation resolves, we are in a stronger position than we were at the beginning of the week. This experience underscores that, no matter how much effort and planning we invest, external factors can always influence outcomes.
What truly matters is how we respond to these uncertainties. Maintaining an adaptable approach and a willingness to change with new information is important in any business or personal pursuit.
This experience underscores Carol Dweck's growth mindset principles. By viewing setbacks as opportunities for learning, we can continuously improve and adapt. The challenges we faced were unexpected, but by embracing them, we’re developing resilience and a stronger business strategy.
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