SHIFT

Go Regardless!

Written by Joe Mechlinski | May 5, 2016

“Finally, a book that brings it all together. Not just 'what to do' but 'how to do it'. Practical applications that became VERY useful when motivating a stagnant workforce.” - Davidn05.

“…I didn't expect to be able to get all that much out of 160 pages - but I was pleasantly surprised how many ideas I scribbled down as I ripped through this thing. Chapter 5 alone was worth the price - the "25 Reasons Why" exercise is something every business owner and every employee should go through to realign the internal compass.” - Rich M.

“Grow Regardless is a must read for a hands on Business Owner. I loved the real life story of not just talking about it, but doing it. Joe Mechlinski lives this stuff everyday.” - Mike T.

When you look at what’s happening—or not happening—in Washington, it’s clear that our officials have a hard time taking action. I believe choosing to do nothing is a form of choosing something. In this case, the ramifications of “nothing” are not negligible. Among many other consequences, the sequestration will cut Small Business Administration guaranteed loans to the tune of $540 million this year—not cool!

Representatives, left and right, bemoan the situation, describing it in terms of being “unable” to take action. Call it what it is: lack of momentum and just plain old inertia.
This is why we sent a copy of Grow Regardless to several key members of Congress. We do not believe we have the only answer… but Grow Regardless could be also stated as Go Regardless (thanks to eQ client, Mark D for coining this)!

For entrepreneurs and CEOs, I would liken this to getting stuck: waiting for more proof before you invest in growth, doing more research and development instead of doing more execution, delaying a key hiring decision, or endlessly tinkering with the new website until its perfect.

Don’t fail to take action when everything around you is screaming for somebody, please, to just do something. Most business owners know the importance of decisive action, and the sequestration is a great reminder that doing nothing has real consequences.

Peter Sims has an excellent book, Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries. He argues that to move forward, we must be willing to make small bets. The alternative, waiting months and years until everything is guaranteed, is a path to stagnancy or even regression. Just move forward. Of course, Sims advocates for the smart bet and the savvy judgment. But, willingness to make the little bet can be less risky, in the long run, than staying frozen in place until every single sign says “Go.”

To help you Go Regardless, here is a training video: 5 Critical Steps to Change.

In this video, you’ll learn: how to engage your team and ask the right questions to create an organizational change, using the five steps.

This, too, applies to our government. If we seem to be hurtling toward a crisis, do something! Entrepreneurs know this instinctively. If your company is running out of money, you’d better make a decision, because if you don’t, you will soon find yourself without any options. The lesson? Take action. Go, regardless!

Beyond this, we are resolved to practice what we preach. Here are 5 “go-ing regardless” moments at eQ:

  • The MARKET is still responding to our book—but what’s more, is the movement behind the book, to help small and mid-sized businesses succeed and grow regardless in a turbulent time, has really caught fire thanks to media coverage like FOXNews Live, Bloomberg Radio, The Baltimore Sun, Wealthy Radio, an NPR Affiliate, and InTheCapital.
  • We stand among GIANTS—on a personal level, last week I had the absolute pleasure to interview one of my favorite business authors of all time, Dan Pink. Dan and I spent about 50 minutes discussing his newest book, To Sell Is Human and how his theories on sales affect small businesses today. If you missed the interview, or just want to listen again, click here!
  • We are GROWING regardless—on another personal note, I’m very proud to share that, Misti Aaronson, was recently promoted from Vice President of Operations to Executive Vice President. Misti, an eQ Partner, has been with our team for eight years and I couldn’t be happier for her success and accomplishments thus far. I’m confident she will exceed expectations in her new role. I think it goes without saying, the first quarter of 2013 has been a whirlwind, but as I’ve said before, we’re just getting started… And the second quarter is looking pretty great already.
  • SIGNING Event—this past Wednesday evening we joined Integrity Networking Group for a book signing.
  • SPEAKING Event - I’m also looking forward to speaking at the Greater Baltimore Committee’s LEADERship Alumni breakfast on April 3rd.

These are just a few of the ways the eQ team is working to help other small businesses Grow Regardless—help us keep the movement going and purchase a copy of Grow Regardless for you or a friend or post a review on Amazon.com if you’ve already finished the book.

 

Joe Mechlinski is the bestselling author of Grow Regardless, CEO of entreQuest, and has partnered with countless leaders to effectively improve their team’s performance, their clients’ experience, and their company’s profits