"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of
getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming
tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the
first one." — Mark Twain
Spring is around the corner, and if you are anywhere
other than states famous for their year-around good
weather (e.g. California, Hawaii, Florida…all those
sound nice right about now), then it can’t come soon
enough. Aside from more sunshine and higher
temps, spring is a time for rebirth, regrowth, renewal—
all the words synonymous with starting over.
In Chicago, for example, at time of writing it’s
gray, windy and freezing, literally. Give this city
about eight weeks, and we’ll start seeing hundreds
of thousands of beautiful tulips line the Magnificent
Mile (for the unfamiliar, that’s 13 blocks of North
Michigan Avenue filled with hundreds of stores,
dozens of hotels and a vital, bustling part of
Chicago). While tulips may spring up naturally in
certain parts of the world, their grand, welcomed
appearance in the heart of the concrete Second City
is no accident. Around St. Patrick’s Day — the same
time the Chicago River is dyed green — landscapers
lay the groundwork for the annual display that
typically lasts from mid-April to the end of May. The
city workers feel hurried to get this massive job finished.
Their efforts are worth the troubles. When all
is said and done, the tulips signify to Chicagoans
that the long, cold winter is truly over.
In today’s über competitive digital landscape,
plenty of businesses are facing a metaphoric Chicago
winter, but each enterprise can plant its own seeds
for success. There is no better time than now to plan,
plant and protect your enterprise. Think of it as
growing your digital garden.
Plan
In every business there are attractors and detractors
impacting its success. If pressed to answer who is
who at your company, I’m willing to bet you can
point out whose commitment, loyalty and drive is
unwavering. I’m also willing to bet, it’d be just as easy
to point out whose actions, words and overall presence
casts a negative shadow around projects, productivity
and morale. Have you had an honest
discussion with the latter group? If not, don’t put it off
for tomorrow. Give them an opportunity to improve
their behavior, but don’t plant bad seeds. Oftentimes
we hang on to people and things out of fear. You didn’t
get to be in a position of decision out of fear; don’t
make decisions based on it either.
Plant
The act of planting is a leap of faith. You have to believe
that your preparation will truly pay off. This is a time
to take some risks. Promoting, hiring or delegating can
be part of this process. If you know what it takes to
take your business to the next level, but are bogged
down with the everyday tasks you are hanging onto,
hire, promote or delegate the right person for the job,
so you can do yours — growing your business.
Protect
Just as you would nurture a garden, your business
must have proper care and protection. While there is
no magic insurance policy that protects your business
from lawsuits or threats (either internal or external),
due diligence is as close as it gets. This begins with
understanding current issues. Online privacy is a big
one, and enterprises keeping current with its changing
tide are the ones positioned for success. So read
everything you can, talk to everyone in your industry
and keep learning.
Spring is a great time to start anew and part of the
planting process is removing what was previously
there. Beautiful tulips cannot grow on top of lifeless
poinsettias. Just take one step at a time and know that
sometimes it’s the simplest advice that has the greatest
meaning. As my young son’s favorite book instructs,
“Sprinkle seeds into the ground, scoop some
dirt and pat it down. With sun and rain both helping
out, soon the seeds begin to sprout.”
Go ahead and watch your digital garden grow.