We all make plans about the things we want to achieve and succeed at, be it business related or personal. We take the time, create strategies and consult with others, however things rarely go as smoothly as you wished. Complications happen all the time especially when it comes to business, they are unexpected and can impact you and your business in different ways. There’s nothing you can do to avoid them so that’s why you should expect them to happen and be prepared for anything that might come your way. Everyone thinks of complications as something negative, something that can destroy everything you’ve worked for and that in turn creates fear. In business, there’s no room for second-guessing because that’s when everything will start to fall apart (and you start to lose money).
Complications just happen
Sometimes complications just happen, it doesn’t have to be someone’s fault or mean that someone has made a mistake. There are factors and situations that are out of our control, for example, a problem happening right now, the Coronavirus. Not only as a virus itself but the impact it has on the global economy and on people’s lives in general. Hundreds of businesses are facing the same issues, and unfortunately not all of them will manage to pull through. Now, some businesses might not pull through because they simply don’t have enough finances to cover their expenses and pay their employees that cannot work in this current time, but a lot of people create these complications for themselves without even knowing it and there are a lot of reasons why this happens.
We all have habits that “feel right” because they have become custom to us, but when we examine those habits, we may find that they just don’t provide the value they once did. People tend to overcomplicate things for themselves and the people around them. Some people create unnecessary complexity while others just want to simplify things. For example, one of the biggest complications in business is when people don’t communicate with each other properly or to the level of detail necessary. While relationships and partnerships aren’t normally accomplished overnight or as an afterthought, the hard work that results in building productive relationships isn’t difficult to understand. In fact, if you have a successful relationship or two in your personal life you already know the process.
The route to success isn’t always easy
Running a business can give you the freedom to do what you enjoy and to be your own boss. Unfortunately, life as a business owner is not always easy. Business, leadership and life come with complexity and complications. Businesses are subject to all kinds of complications that can harm the end result in ways you can’t even imagine. Taxes, credit, economics and inner conflicts like owner disputes, mismanaging etc. are serious problems that can crash your business to the point of no return. According to a report by global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the business environment is changing rapidly and in their attempt to stay competitive, companies tend to introduce new rules and new processes which in turn increases complexity. “When internal complicatedness is not addressed, tangible value is destroyed. This can be reflected in increased costs, slow and poor decision making, low employee engagement, dissatisfied customers and declining business results,” are the words by a reporter on this issue. Be aware of these complications so that you can avoid them or manage them as well as possible. On the other hand, the worst thing you can do when things become complicated is to try and control everything. Keep it simple by knowing you may not be able to always control what goes on outside, but you can always control what goes on within yourself. The more we can simplify our complications, the better we can focus and the more effective we can be.
Challenges bring opportunity
I’ve been in the business and the flatshare industry for many years and one of the most important things I’ve learned is that we need complications. Do you know what complications bring you? They bring you more business. They are what push you forward, make you adapt to unexpected situations and keep you on your toes. You meet new people that you never knew you needed, the right people to collaborate with, to partner up with. These people see that you are working so hard, that you are miles ahead of the rest, quick on your toes, determined, pushing your own limits, using your time productively, effectively and efficiently and not wasting their time. By trial and error, you learn along the way. A lot of my successful business deals came from complications because they bring you more work which makes you active in different fields, makes you go places, meet people and do new things to make you advance, gain knowledge and experience. That’s how you do business, that’s how you make money. If you want a life without complications, then don’t start a business.
Focus on positive connections
No one wants to work with someone who doubts themselves and is afraid of what might happen. Those people are not reliable and you can’t be sure that they will get the job done, let alone make deals and negotiate. “Negative Nancies” will never help you move your business forward. You will have to work without them or fall with them. Through complications, you lose fear and gain confidence. That confidence radiates from you when you do business and that’s why people will want to give you what you want, make deals and work with you rather than someone else. People love that attitude, they are naturally drawn to it. They trust you that you can get things done, and they want to join forces with you, they start to give you the authorization to run their properties, which is a great deal of responsibility for their own business. All of that comes from overcoming complications and that is how success is achieved.
Maybe the thing we need the most isn’t more things to do but a thorough cleaning of our mental and physical to-do lists. When you’re doing so much in a day that you can’t remember anything you did and you don’t feel any better or more fulfilled having done it, then you are simply too busy and your life is too full and complicated. Yet there’s nothing a person can’t do when they’re determined, hard-working and fast. All of that comes from overcoming complications, THAT is real success.