Posts Tagged ‘operations’

Shrinking to Grow?

Monday, February 1st, 2010
Shrinking to Grow?
ATTRACT opportunities instead of pursuing them…
…using counter-intuitive thinking
Our natural tendency is to grow our operations.
Is it possible that we should be thinking about shrinking them?
It is if you listen to Mike Eggett, a Senior Vice President and Partner with Professional Management Company, LLC in Orlando, Florida.  I heard Mr. Eggett interviewed by Debbie Adkins who was conducting the interview on behalf of Bisk Education – a continuing education provider for CPAs.  This lesson is another example of how an eclectic education (Step 6) can help you add tremendous value to those around you.
Our natural tendency is to grow our existing operations.  We operate under the notion that what has worked for us in the past is the best approach for the future.  Often what we’ll discover is that while what we’ve been doing may have worked, it may not have worked well.  Here’s an example.
Mr. Eggett cites a candy manufacturer who discovered that his real strength was in creating new candies, not in producing them.  The candy manufacturer outsourced the production, sold his production facilities and aligned himself with a food distributor that needed a candy product.  The result? He grew his regional company to a national brand while shrinking his company’s operations.
It’s counter-intuitive, but when considering growth for the future take a look at:
What your company does better than anyone else.
What you have the most fun doing.
Which aspects of your operation consistently disappoint your customers.
Which areas of the operation give you the most headaches from an operational standpoint.
Which companies excel at the things your company struggles with;  Mr. Eggett suggests that it could be a competitor who could become an ally.
Which companies have a gap in their offerings that you can fill with your expertise.
Bring ideas like this to the table vis-a-vis your eclectic education and you’ll have others regularly seeking your counsel, inviting you onto their teams and involving you in their initiatives.  It’s another way to become INVALUABLE.
Attracting opportunities is only the beginning.  Visit www.pricingforprofitbook.com to discover how to get compensated well for the value you provide.  Enjoy!
If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog, please enter your email address and name in the left sidebar.  You’ll also get a free copy of Step 1 of the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE.   If you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

Our natural tendency is to grow our operations.

Is it possible that we should be shrinking them?


ATTRACT Opportunities Instead of Pursuing Them…

…Using Counter-Intuitive Thinking


It is if you listen to Mike Eggett, a Senior Vice President and Partner with Professional Management Company, LLC in Orlando, Florida.  I heard Mr. Eggett interviewed by Debbie Adkins who was conducting the interview on behalf of Bisk Education – a continuing education provider for CPAs.  This lesson is another example of how an eclectic education (Step 6) can help you add tremendous value to those around you.

Our natural tendency is to grow our existing operations.  We operate under the notion that what has worked for us in the past is the best approach for the future.  Often what we’ll discover is that while what we’ve been doing may have worked, it may not have worked well.  Here’s an example.

Mr. Eggett cites a candy manufacturer who discovered that his real strength was in creating new candies, not in producing them.  The candy manufacturer outsourced the production, sold his production facilities and aligned himself with a food distributor that needed a candy product.  The result? He grew his regional company to a national brand while shrinking his company’s operations.

It’s counter-intuitive, but when considering growth for the future take a look at:

  • What your company does better than anyone else.
  • What you have the most fun doing.
  • Which aspects of your operation consistently disappoint your customers.
  • Which areas of the operation give you the most headaches from an operational standpoint.
  • Which companies excel at the things your company struggles with;  Mr. Eggett suggests that it could be a competitor who could become an ally.
  • Which companies have a gap in their offerings that you can fill with your expertise.

Bring ideas like this to the table vis-a-vis your eclectic education and you’ll have others regularly seeking your counsel, inviting you onto their teams and involving you in their initiatives.  It’s another way to become INVALUABLE.

Attracting opportunities is only the beginning.  Visit www.pricingforprofitbook.com to discover how to get compensated well for the value you provide.  Enjoy!

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog, please enter your email address and name in the left sidebar.  You’ll also get a free copy of Step 1 of the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE.   If you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.