This article is a re-printed from the�October 2011� edition, as approved by the�

UP Business Today�

Same Sh*!, Different Day�By David Saint-Onge�It happens to everyone. You�wake up at the same time each�day, drive the same route to�work, eat at the same restau-�rants and often order the same�meal, you watch the same TV�shows, and you run your com-�pany the same way you have�for too many years to remem-�ber. There is no greater oppor-�tunity to fail than doing the�same things the same way. It�is maniacal; it is human nature;�it is failure wrapped up neatly�in a pretty bow.�

Being in a rut doesn’t neces-�sarily mean you’re unhappy or�that you are not good at what�you do. Because there is a�certain comfort in having a�stable and predictable routine,�many business owners find it�easier to operate in the flow –�to keep things at work the�same even though it’s not the�best approach. By keeping�everything the same there’s�less stress in an already over-�stressed situation and besides,�everyone on your staff knows�the economy is bad so why�throw gasoline on the fire?�Another day of doing the same�thing is another day merely�hoping things get better. If�this characterization personi-�fies your latest approach to-�ward operating your business�then you are in trouble and so�is your business.�

Here are the signs and the rem-�edies for getting you and your�company out of a rut.�

Wallowing at Work�You are but a subset of an�economy that is going no-�

where. There is nothing you�can do to enhance your com-�petitive position. You actually�believe you are proficient and�efficient at what you. Your�financial situation is not your�fault. Your competitors are�doing projects or providing�services at rates that cannot be�sustained. Politicians and reg-�ulators are idiots.�Sound familiar? Have you�contaminated your staff into�believing the same crap you�believe? Stop whining and�start leading. For all that you�are probably saying about�Washington and Lansing poli-�ticians, chances are you are�doing the very same thing –�pointing fingers at someone�else. It may seem daunting,�but one way to lift yourself�quickly out of a rut is to talk to�your staff about it. I find that�most business owners simply�do not surround themselves�with people who will push�them. Good employees will�help you make a difference,�the bad ones simply hide.�Given the state of the econo-�my, this is a time for action.�

Rev Up Your Employee�At the beginning of a relation-�ship, people spend their time�together eating, socializing,�and discussing issues in a po-�litically-correct way. Over the�years, everyone knows every-�one else’s skill-set, lunch pref-�erences, and what buttons of�the boss not to push. This is a�recipe for complacency that�will kill your organization�from the inside out.�

In times like these you need to�get more out of everyone; your�employees and yourself. Why�not jolt your employees with�something out of the ordinary?�Dare to be different and dare to�put them in increasingly chal-�lenging positions. After all,�you are paying them what�amounts to a higher-than-mar-�ket wage when you consider�unemployment at the national�level remains at about 9.5%.�Chances are if you put a new�employee into one of your cur-�rent employee’s positions,�something new and positive�will happen. You need, and�your company needs, employ-�ees who can think and perform�in a manner which pushes you�and the company forward. Old�thinking does not generate�new ideas. Get your employ-�ees back to earning their wage.�

Shake It Up�In your personal life, it can be�hard to take actions that are big�enough to make an impact on�your happiness yet don’t im-�pact your wallet or your al-�ready paltry amount of free�time. Rather than taking on a�big challenge, many small�business owners hold a meet-�ing, then they develop a�crappy plan of action that cen-�ters on the boss’ sacred cows,�then assignments are handed�out and, then, nothing gets�done.�

Given the economic chal-�lenges facing all small busi-�ness owners over the next 13�months, and recognizing that�

the presidential election does�not occur until next Novem-�ber, the time to dare to be dif-�ferent is now. Convene a�functional strategic planning�session and push ideas that�look forward. Too many small�business owners live in the�past, always wanting to repli-�cate what got them to some�level of success. Well if you�have not noticed lately, the�future is nothing like the past.�It’s time to reinvent yourself�and your business so that you�can both survive the continued�fight you find yourselves in. If�you are not up for the chal-�lenge, it’s time to sell your�business and learn to do some-�thing else.�

Often, taking the first step to-�ward making small changes is�enough to jump-start renewed�enthusiasm about your life and�your company. Remember the�quote made famous by your�mother: “The scenery never�changes if you don’t get off the�couch.”�

David Saint-Onge is President�and Principal Strategist for�Black Ink Assets�(www.blackinkassets.com and�www.twitter.com/YooperBiz),�a business consulting company�providing organizational as-�sessment and efficiency per-�formance services, business�growth and sustainability�guidance, strategic informa-�tion technology consulting and�technical services, and devel-�opment of organizational tran-�sition plans and effective�owner exit strategies.�