Work should be enjoyable. It is how we spend our days or weeks or months and the vast portion of our lives. However, business can be hard. It can be heartbreaking and sometimes even destructive. It can be a source of joy and fulfillment. It can also be a source of misery and frustration.
While some things come out of nowhere without warning, there are always ways to prepare for business challenges. Recognizing that problems are inevitable—and committing to making the sound and sometimes difficult decisions and necessary changes without procrastination—is easier said than done, but certainly key to enjoying the work more.
The tough decisions and changes are often easier to make early on. Whether it be personnel changes, revamping programs, restructuring pricing, abandoning products or taking a new direction on how we go to market. Most often, the sooner I have recognized the need for change and the faster I have tackled the problem, the easier it has been for the organization, as a whole, to get on board and embrace the changes.
Great leadership is about making it easiest for your team to succeed and to, of course, help the company meet and exceed goals. Taking those hard decisions head on, soon rather than later, has always served me well—with company owners, my team and myself.
Getting back to enjoying the work is the reward for dealing with the less-than-enjoyable aspects of business—and that reward cannot come soon enough!
