When I was a kid, my dad taught me that a sharp bladed knife was safer to use than a blunt one. He explained that blunt blades cause us to use too much force to cut something. This renders the blade inaccurate and hard to control.
Sharpness in business is equally important.
For example.
- If our communication skills aren’t sharp enough, prospective clients will struggle to understand what makes our products or services perfect for them.
- If our creative skills aren’t sharp enough, we’ll fail to develop the compelling new products and services our marketplace needs.
- And if our motivational skills aren’t sharp enough, we’ll be unable to get people excited about those new products and services.
You get the idea.
Of course, when you run a busy business, the temptation is to keep your head down and plough through the work ahead of you. You have deadlines to keep. Clients to delight. People to see. Places to go. And only so many hours each day to cram everything in.
However, when we review the most successful business owners, we find they make time to sharpen their skills. They continuously invest in their professional development; doing the reading and the studying, getting the coaching and always improving.
Where to begin?
Take time out to identify the area of your business, which you would benefit most from improving. Something that would help you overcome a current challenge. Then, put some time aside to learn more about it.
Photo by Elena Kloppenburg on Unsplash