There’s no getting around it. It’s awkward. You’re face-to-face with a business owner who has poured time, energy, and effort into running a business. Things aren’t going well, which is why you were hired in the first place. And yet, even though your advice was solicited, you hesitate to share your findings with the business owner.
Why? Because business owners can be very attached to their work. An almost parent-child relationship develops with small businesses when the owner has kept the business alive and afloat for a number of years (no small task!). If the business isn’t thriving, the owner can understandably be feeling stressed and defensive. Even though you have the business’s best interests at heart, the owner may be sensitive to hearing negative statements about their business and can take criticism personally.
While we can’t get rid of all the unpleasant confrontations that may arrive throughout the course of work for business advisers, we do have some advice for anyone looking for a better way to deliver tough news.
Lean on structure
The ReWild Group has an assessment called the Rewild Group Business Assessment (RBA). It provides a comprehensive evaluation of the health of a business. The assessment takes about 15 minutes for the client to complete. Once finished, the Adviser reviews the results and pulls a 20-page report that includes an actionable list of missing elements.
The objective report provides a solid reference point that is free from emotion. Rather than the adviser presenting an opinion, which can be open to interpretation, he or she presents research-based information. This diffuses any potential conflict and keeps the focus on improvements. In the words of one Certified Adviser, “With the ReWild Business Assessment, you … can present it to them in a way that makes sense but doesn’t hurt their feelings.”
Present a way forward, together
Another advantage to the RBA is that the structure of the report allows advisers to speak non-critically about the issues. Instead of the conversation feeling like a judgment on decisions or actions that were taken in the past, advisers can move straight to solutions. There is no need to dwell on the “Why?” when you can start talking about “What’s next?”.
Ideally, the path forward is one that utilizes the expertise of the owner and the guidance of the adviser. The adviser isn’t coming to take over the business; the owner is still a critical part of the solution. The owner’s buy-in is essential to the long-term success of any changes. By focusing on what can be done to achieve a better future, the owner is much more likely to be on board.
The fact is, there are many reasons that businesses struggle. Within a framework such as Organizational ReWilding (which is based up on the Stages of Growth), it becomes clear that businesses face common challenges, regardless of an individual owner’s decisions. More than three decades of research have shown that businesses share many similar challenges based upon the number of people it employs (people are the number one driver of complexity in an organization). The simple realization that the challenges facing a business owner are typical can be an immense relief.
At the end of the day, business owners are looking for solutions. They need to know that an investment of precious time and resources will bring a return. A strong business framework provides the structure and authority for advisers to confidently predict the outcomes of the consulting services they provide. It also provides the neutral playing field that makes a business owner more likely to accept the diagnosis.
At the ReWild Group, our mission is to multiply the number of exceptional businesses globally. We share resources, ideas, and advice in advance of that mission. If you are interested in joining us in our mission, visit our page for Advisers today!