Is Your Business Haunted? Probably
Haunted businesses are everywhere. It doesn’t matter if the business is brand new or well established, they are out there. Just like the cartoon “Casper, the Friendly Ghost,” some ghosts are good to have around. But like the movie “Ghostbusters," some are dangerous. They can cause havoc or they can inspire you. The main thing is not to ignore them — they really don’t like that. You won't either.
Every Business Has at Least 9 Ghosts
CWS Ghosts: Could, Would, Should
These are sad ghosts and they are very hard to exorcize. They are the past and the future. I don’t know of any business owner without regrets about what they could, would, or should have done. Do you know how to spot these ghosts? Listen to the words you hear yourself and your staff say. I hear it all the time when owners talk to me about their business hopes and dreams. “I could do this,” a CEO of an established software company told me. “But,” he added, “my former partner talked me out of it before he stole my company.” Then there’s the designer who told me she “knew she should run her business like a business but then she wouldn’t be able to do what she really wanted to do — design.” Maybe they are right or maybe they need to put these ghosts to rest or take a job instead of trying to grow a business.
You may hear those “C, W, S” words coming from your staff when you want to change or add something or someone. Sometimes these ghosts are explanations or justifications for why something wasn’t done, why it was done differently than expected, or why the results were an unpleasant surprise. They can also appear as hopes or desires, requests for help, or even commands.
- “I would do this if I were in charge.”
- “I wish I could move mountains.”
- “Should I finish this without the marketing in place?”
Listen for these ghosts that are questions because they are excellent warning signals. You do need to be prepared to make a decision, offer training, or some other kind of assistance. Watch out for the commands or you may find you have someone looking to replace you.
These ghosts are as real to staff as yours are to you. Be nice to these ghosts. Pay the right attention to them and you can prevent their constant presence and interference, and lessen regret. Ignore them or deal with them improperly and they can stagnate the business, stop innovation, and cost you customers and employees.
Ghost Competitors: DIY, DNAA, UC
You can learn a lot from ghost competitors. They keep you focused on always selling to Platinum Profile Customers™. They help you avoid the Radio Active Waste Customers™ who like to be self sufficient Do-It-Yourselfers (DIY) or would rather Do Nothing At All (DNAA). These friendly ghosts encourage you (sometimes through stark terror) to find the right message and best way to position your company and its products and services.
They allow you to stay ahead of the Unfair Competition (UC) that use their nonprofit, government, or tax exempt status as their top benefit, and the top reason why your customers should choose them over a for-profit business like yours. You might want to check out the Business Coalition for Fair Competition for ideas and further actions. You can’t fight them so you need to be vigilant and get out of the way. They seem harmless or well meaning. But, beware!
The last 3: Colleagues, Competitors, Customers
It’s easy to see how your regular competitors might be business ghosts. They come unbidden into demos and sales calls. They can seem to be in control of your entire business world.
Colleagues and customers are ghosts of the past. They can bring a smile to your face as you remember those you’ve worked with who have moved on to other companies, retired, or passed away. They can inspire you and your staff. I've been fortunate to have had the benefit of wonderful people who helped me grow my business and make me a better owner.
These ghosts also can bring regrets or sadness to you and your staff. You remember the customers killed in accidents or who died in the service of others. Probably the hardest of these ghosts to deal with long term is the death of a team member. Triggers of all kinds can bring those feelings back months or even years later.
It’s not a perfect answer but it is imperative to have an established policy and program for handling employee deaths. SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, has a simple death policy checklist that can be a starting point.
The death of a colleague who didn’t work for your business can also have a profound effect on morale and productivity. Death makes mortals of us all and we feel and react to that mortality. This ghost is not as obvious as others. It can inspire people to work harder or to quit working at all. Be alert and have a plan if you see this ghost as a problem.
Ghosts Are Both Enemies and Friends
As Chinese General Sun-Tzu said in The Art of War, keep your friends close but your enemies closer. This is true of the ghosts that haunt your business, too. We all have them. Control and learn from them. Never let them control you.
