Ever opened a set of legos and spread all the pieces out?  It’s a big mess.  This can be similar to having many moving pieces in business.  You have a picture in mind, but you aren’t sure how to build it.  Here’s how to get the step by step for business legos:

legos spread out in a pile

Bricks and Mini Figs

A new store in Huntsville opened up called Bricks and Mini Figs. Basically, it’s a lego store.  I thought it was just one a locally owned store, but I found that it is a franchise of over 70 stores in America.  My kids love legos, and this was a really cool store!

You know how most stores like Target have lego sets?  Some of them have 70-80 pieces, but some of them in this store had over 8000.  But all of them have a photo of what the completed set will look like.  But as soon as you pull it out, you see these bags full of legos.  Once you open them up and spread them out, it becomes a big mess.  Here’s why this reminds me of business…

very messy desk full of papers, books, pens, etc

Business Legos

This reminds me of business.  When you start a business, you have a picture of a finished product that will bring you all kinds of benefits. However, when you “open up the box” and spread out all the pieces, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Lego solves this problem by giving people detailed instructions.  But what if we had this for businesses?  I think that you can know what to do and in what order.  With the right habits, the right actions in the right order, and a clear step by step, you can begin building your business brick by “mini fig.”  But if you start building your business based on someone else’s picture, you may never succeed.

assembled lego set

Getting the Step By Step

So how do you get this detailed plan for your business?  If you’re like most businesses, you’ve already started putting pieces together.  Having a few pieces scattered here and there, and others assembled, you may find it difficult to figure out how to keep building.

While it is easier to have the right instructions from the get-go, you can still use the instructions to move forward. I’ve mentioned one of my colleagues has used the same system of operating to build 7 successful businesses.  He has mastered the “OS” of success.

lego man holding compass and map

Establish Your Guiding Principles

I personally think about my five: Leading Myself First, Having Clarity, Alignment (of communication and scoreboards), How to Attract, Develop, and Retail A-Players, and Execution of marketing and sales as well as managing cashflow.  These are the areas of a formula I think about when building a business for myself or with someone else.  Then you can prioritize one area at a time to propel it forward.

Men and women with linked arms, smiling

What’s Next For You?

So if you’ve already started your business, you may need to take some time to identify the principles you believe in.  Document what your process, or business legos are.  Then, share that will your team and document your process.  This will empower you to work with your team when something goes wrong to resolve it.

So what about you?  Do you have all of the pieces of your business scattered around or do you have your detailed step by step?  It’s never too late to start.

Grow Your Leadership

Bradley has many resources to grow your leadership in the area of vision and priorities.  Check out a few of them:

man swinging at golf ball on tee with text "even par"

Are you shooting for even par, aka just enough, in business? Learn how having a community you can be vulnerable with, whether that’s a small group, networking group, or circle of entrepreneur friends, can make all the difference.  Keep reading…

starbucks thumbnail

Finding, developing, and retaining true A-players on your team is going to make all the difference in your business. Here’s what Starbucks taught me..  Keep reading…

it's time to solve the rainmaker's dilemma

It’s difficult to get to your destination if you aren’t sure where you currently are!  After all, the path from Minnesota to Canada is very different than the path from Mexico to Canada.  If you aren’t certain where you’re at today in business, you need to take the Rainmaker to Architect assessment.  It will gauge your strengths and weaknesses as a leader and in your business.  Then, you’ll get detailed, specific suggestions for improvement.  Take the assessment here.