In an ever-changing world, running and growing a business can often be a challenge for business leaders. With so many plates to spin, you must ensure that risks and opportunities to the business are managed, as well as maintaining day-to-day operations.
We like to compare businesses to a Rubik’s cube, because just like a Rubik’s cube, if you ensure that you organise and structure your business so that all your sides match, your business becomes so much clearer to understand and manage. A place for everything and everything in its place!
It also allows businesses to identify any sides of their Rubik’s cube that are missing or not quite complete, so they are able to use their good foundations as building blocks to develop processes that help underpin the business.
Your business Rubik’s cube should have six robust sides to support your business and ensure it can be resilient, responsive and adaptable in our forever changing climates to support business success and giving you a competitive edge.
Legal and other requirements. There are a whole host of regulations, standards and requirements that businesses need to manage. Establishing robust processes to understand requirements, determine if required compliance activities are in place and keeping up to date with new and changing requirements helps many business leaders sleep at night, knowing their business is protected and they are meeting all legal and other requirements.
Leadership. A business without a leader is like a ship without a captain. As a leader communication is your greatest tool – starting with communicating your vision and building core values within the business to develop a strong culture. Understanding and managing risk and opportunity within the business, establishing contingency plans and setting objectives with the necessary support and resources to better protect and develop the business.
People. Hire people around your visions and values that will help support and grow your culture. Establish clear roles, responsibilities and authorities as well as platforms for communication to help improve productivity and address any challenges effectively. Engage, enable and empower each person to develop themselves, others and the business.
Suppliers. Good business relationships help make sure things run smoothly. A trusted, consistent and robust supply chain will minimise disruptions and disputes, helping you to deliver the right products and service, on time and on budget, whilst safeguarding your reputation.
Customers. Clearly establish customer requirements and be responsive in managing their changing needs. This will build trust that grows over time and is the cohesion on which your business will thrive. If you have well-established processes to deliver your promises, your customers will be your biggest advocate.
Operations. Do what you do and do it well by establishing robust operational processes and monitoring tools to ensure you can be as effective and efficient to meeting customer requirements and adaptable to changing needs, whilst maintaining consistent standards.
Establishing, improving and refining your business Rubik’s cube is a simple and common-sense approach to managing your business, protecting and managing risks whilst optimising opportunities and developing your people, relationships and reputation to achieve fantastic success.
