As a small business owner, I am constantly thinking about the various needs that I, and my teammates, should always be thinking about. What needs am I referring to? Whose needs? I am constantly thinking of three sets of need:
1. Our clients’ needs. We are a service provider, and we preach “knowing your audience” and preparation. We must always practice what we preach. We need to understand what our clients need and how we can help them perform at their best.
2. Our teammates’ needs. The Latimer Group is a small company, by any measure. We are a company of three people, and while each of us has a specific job description, each of us also must do things at times that go beyond that job description. So we always need to think about each other, and how we can help each other remain motivated and excited about our work. I want my teammates to love their work. I want them excited about being a part of The Latimer Group.
3. Our “Latimer” needs. Yes we are small. But we are also growing, and have grown each year for the last 12 years. And like any other company, we need to know who we are, what we do, and what our brand is. We need to make sure that while we are satisfying the client need, and keeping each other motivated, that we also don’t forget the company need for a strong brand, and a consistent brand.
There are times when I coach our clients based on my skill and knowledge of communications. But there are other times when I coach our clients based on my experiences as a business owner. And in my experience, every business leader needs to be thinking about the various needs that must be satisfied. If any of the needs starts to get ignored, then something in your business or organization will get out of balance. The entire spectrum of needs must be maintained all the time.
How do you balance all these needs? Well, there is hardest part! Each situation will be a little different, and at times one set of needs may outrank the others. But none can be ignored for long.
Whether your organization is small like ours, or a Fortune 500, I think the “balance of needs” is a great way to think about all the things you need to do to be successful. Think about your various stakeholders, or audiences, and make sure none of them get ignored.
Good luck, and have a great day.
Photo: Carlo Scherer used under the following license.
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