Open is such an awesome word, and it’s an even more amazing state of being. Open is accepting and inviting. It’s positive, happy, comfortable and heartfelt. When something is open, it is welcoming, embracing, and paves the way to positive thoughts, positive emotion and positive results.
Now closed, on the other hand, is rather foreboding. Closed is discouraging, it stops, shuts down, digs in and fortifies. It’s negative, anxious and cold. It keeps things out and prevents us from changing, growing…evolving.
So…are you getting the feeling that I am biased toward being open? Without a single doubt, I believe that open is better, and as technologies, business practices and products all around our globe are improving at mind-blowing speeds, I want us all to be open to how they can better each of us.
Now it’s totally cool if you disagree with me and think closed is better; I am open to that. But I am going to use this space to encourage everyone that open is the best option to keep our businesses relevant and successful in the future.
So, lets dispense with all this buildup and dig into areas where we can help better ourselves by being more open.
To flourish in the future, we should have:
Open Minds
The legendary philosopher Frank Zappa once said, “A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.” How true is that!
One easy practice in developing an open mind is to suspend our decisions until we collect 360° worth of data, or at least information from opposing sources. As an example, I love news/politics, but I don’t trust information from just a single source. I literally read the news on Fox, CNN, MSBNC, Politico, Drudge, Axios and Real Clear Politics every morning and also every evening. It’s a ton of reading, but I collect facts from all points of view and then I make my own decisions as to what the true story is. The diversity of sources allows me to discern truth by finding what is consistent in all. We practice this in our business as well, filling it with as much information as possible from all sources. Comprehensive data allows us to be dynamic yet rational in our judgments.
Open Eyes/Ears
Observe the world around you and look past your own industry. Unfortunately, the kitchen and bath segment is not always known for innovation and forward thinking, so I prefer to study companies making waves and disrupting traditional business models in other industries. Some, like Tesla, are cool and fun to follow, but check out the more common companies you use in your daily life. Do you find that you own more shoes today and you purchased them from newish companies like DSW, Zappos or Shoe Dazzle? How about your makeup? I bet you didn’t buy it at the old department store; more likely purchased it from Ulta or online. Have you developed a habit of drinking Starbucks as you grocery shop? I have, because Starbucks set up shop inside the front door of my grocery store. Have you looked at your local sit-down restaurants lately? They have carryout spaces that are now busy with customers who are not going to sit down in the restaurant. Or are you now using DoorDash or UberEats because ya just don’t feel like putting shoes on to drive to Panera? Your gas station serves made-to-order food, your auto repair place now has a coffee shop-style waiting room and you’re shocked when someone tells you they used a taxi instead of an Uber. Keep your eyes and ears open to ways other companies are influencing you to get your business. Break down what attracts you to them, learn from them and look for even the smallest technique that could spur innovation in your own business.
Open Doors
This is the easy one. Every day people reach out to us with new ideas and opportunities, but we close our doors to them because we are simply too busy. Open the dang door and invest a few minutes in the rep or potential supplier trying to meet you. Treasure their insight and industry reconnaissance and employ it to your benefit. I accept nearly every LinkedIn invitation, phone call or opportunity to meet a potential vendor because I want to know what they know. I desire their wisdom and expertise and will exploit it to enhance my own determinations. We should do everything we can to diversify our sources, especially as our businesses are increasingly becoming captive to mega suppliers. As small businesses, we can’t afford to be ensnared by indoctrination.
Open Structure
I love open architecture within a company. I think that if there is a physical wall between you and your co-workers, there is a metaphorical wall between your ideas and understanding. Don’t believe me? Walk into one of the legacy companies and look at how they wall each other off. Then pop into a company that’s cutting edge. I bet the innovative company is wide open with an ethos that cultivates creativity. So, how open is your company today? Count the walls between you and your CEO and do the math as to how much the company values new ideas.
Open Communication
Whether with partners or employees, openly communicating your forward vision ignites a desire in them to assist you in getting there. Honesty and trust act as catalysts to motivate others to work for your advancement.
Open Sourcing
The largest manufacturers in plumbing, cabinetry, electronics, automotive and on and on all take advantage of globally blended sourcing to deliver the highest quality and the best prices to consumers. And so should you! Open your own sourcing to find the best blend in attaining the quality and pricing your clients deserve.
Open to Being Wrong
Are you comfortable being wrong? I am. When I walk into our conference room and have an idea, I hope that the people around me feel free to criticize it, find its weakness and help develop a better idea. I don’t pay people to let me know I am right; I pay people to let me know when I am wrong, because I ultimately want us to be right. We all need to surround ourselves with empowered and smart people who are strong enough to keep us from being wrong.
Open to Help
A great man once told me that rule #2 in life was to ask someone who knows. Wise words and my advice to you is to execute rule #2.
And my last bit of advice is to be open to fun. Our industry is amazing. How many other careers allow you to be creative and fashionable, or better people’s lives while getting paid well? Not many, so don’t forget to take time to enjoy it! ▪