How We’re Growing a Business by Rowing Together – and How You Can Too.

Recently, my client Gail sent me this picture, and I felt it was so true of our relationship. We’re rowing together to keep her company moving forward, whether we’re in choppy waters or it’s smooth sailing.

You may be asking yourself how we grew to this point. How did we make it happen?

To answer that, let’s start from the beginning, in Gail’s words.

“As an accidental business owner, I have struggled for years to get out of my business details so I could get on with my message! You see, I had an idea that became popular around the world. And, although it helps people, I did not have time to meet the constant requests for new products and services. Every day, I felt I was letting people down.

My business had grown to adolescent proportion – lots of big ideas, but not a lot of know-how. Brenda quickly guided us into young adulthood!”

Work = Heart Purpose + Love + Vision

For Gail, her heart is her work. She does what she loves, and she didn’t think much about creating a business until it happened. This true Visionary came up with an idea and a vision to change the world. In no time, she created a paradigm to help moms prepare for and have easier births. After becoming clear about what she wanted, she was in her groove and helping more people. She followed her heart, her love, and her vision.

Before she knew it, she became a business owner by accident. She found changing lives was exciting. On the flip side, owning a business was scary because she wasn’t a businessperson. Soon, she realized she needed a framework for her business to grow efficiently and effectively. She needed an Integrator. Perhaps you can relate to Gail’s situation?

The Core Struggle for Successful Visionaries

Visionaries know that to take their genius into the world, their businesses need structure. Of course, most business owners don’t know how to create that, nor do they want to. They resist it because it takes them away from their grass roots. Also, it feels foreign, and it uses precious time they could use to create and connect.

To build structure, they need Integrators who will protect their hearts and visions by understanding and being patient. The right Integrator holds space for the framework, allowing the Visionary’s genius to come through while the business runs efficiently. 

I’m the bridge from Gail’s heart and soul to the world. To effectively help her grow her business, I needed to align with and absorb her vision of what the company should look like. I knew we could accomplish it by rowing together.

Clear in Vision, but Not Always Clear in Communication 

Almost always, Visionaries are crystal clear in their heads, but they have a hard time communicating, especially to people coming and going within the business. Often, Visionaries will say they hired people who didn’t do what they asked. Because it’s clear in their heads, they think they’re communicating it well. Usually, they need an Integrator to take those ideas and turn them into communication the rest of the company can understand and execute - another example of rowing together. 

To be successful with clients, I have found the key is listening to them. Truly, it’s about learning to communicate with your Visionary to stay in sync with one another. For Gail, it was important to find someone who was ready to step into this leadership role. Are you ready for someone to help lead your business?

We’re on the same page, and I'm able to prioritize communication with her. I love and care for her business as much as she does, and I connect with the culture she wants for her business.

Bringing Clarity to the Team and Changing the Dynamic so We Can Start Rowing Together

Whether your business has a team of two or 200, you want everyone to feel like they’re heard, with good communication and proper accountability.

My first step with Gail’s team was to bring clarity to task assignments and how they connected to the rest of the company. First, I did team assessments and met with all the members to see how they felt about the company and their current roles. Next, I asked about the top ten things they spent the most time doing and how they felt about them. Then, I asked about the five things they would love to do. Would this exercise help your team?

From there, we saw which seats were right for whom and who could lead which departments. I set up a new structure for the team and helped them to set goals. In the next quarter, we went over their goals and determined what kind of support they needed. 

With Clear Goals, the Team Unites and Thrives - Rowing Together

As Gail says, “In a short time, our team has grown closer, roles are clarified, systems are flowing, and I have released three new products with more on the way. Furthermore, I feel more in flow with time now since when I first began. Free now to be in my role, I show up with my talents rather than my talents! I relax into my creativity because I can depend on Brenda. I feel like I own a business and am no longer owned by my business”.

I'd love to hear for feedback in the comment below.