How many times has someone found a technique that works for them, and they encouraged you to do it? I don’t subscribe to everyone needing the same technique in business, aka “The Bathrobe Theory of Business,” and here’s why.
Is Your Business One Size Fits All?
If you’ve ever been to a hotel with a bathrobe, you know it’s “one size fits all.” Whether you’re 5 ft. tall and 100 lbs. or 6 ft. tall and 250 lbs., you’re getting the same size robe. While that is usually ok for a robe, the principle of one thing working for all definitely doesn’t translate into business. This may sound logical, but let me share what I’ve learned from years of business ownership and business coaching.
“You Should Try It!”
If you speak with someone who is excited about how they’re doing business, they will probably suggest you follow their lead. In theory, it makes sense. If you do the same things, you’ll get the same results, right? This theory propels many large business coaching programs forward. For example, I was certified to train other business owners in Gino Wickmam’s EOS Operating System. They want everyone to train a “pure” model, meaning that it is exactly the same for everyone. While this system, and others like Scaling Up by Vern Harnish and The Impact Filter from Dan Sullivan are geared toward large corporations. And the principles are good, but they may not always apply to smaller businesses doing less than $1M.
So What Will Work?
I recommend to my colleagues and clients that they choose the principles and strategies that work, and ditch the ones that don’t. I pull from the business leaders I mentioned above, as well as Michael Hyatt, Atomic Habits, Tiny Habits, and more. I find what works for me and my businesses, and I ditch what doesn’t. As you read, listen to podcasts, and glean from business coaches, I encourage you to do the same. Implement the system, see what works, and let go of what doesn’t.
Grow Your Leadership
Bradley has many resources to grow your leadership in the area of vision and priorities. Check out a few of them:
Learn why goals aren’t getting you the results you want, and why you should be setting objectives and key results instead. Keep reading…
After you have a blueprint, it’s time to build the plan. What are the things you can have in a plan that actually works? Here are Bradley’s 5 steps to building a plan that actually works for your business. Keep reading…
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.