March 23, 2011

For years, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne was a huge runaway best seller. Simply stated, Byrnes believed that we are “what we think about.” She taught that if we think we can accomplish something, we have more of an opportunity to get that done. But, if we focus on our inability to achieve a particular goal, then we will never get there.

For small business owners or managers, it is actually something completely different. The dirtiest little secret inside each of our companies is that employees will find out that we don’t have all answers. They will discover that we really are “faking it.” Many of us suffer from the impostor phenomenon where we are not able to “internalize” our many accomplishments. Our fear is that we do not know why we are successful or how much longer it will last. 
 

Ultimately, we are afraid we will be “found out” by our employees and customers. If this happens, we predict our business and career will come to a crashing halt. Relax! This feeling is actually normal and it is shared by millions of business people.

Since there is no Dummies Guide to Being Omnipotent in Business, here are five steps every business person can take to ease the fear of not always knowing the answer:

1.   Don’t guess. Admit you do not know. Repeat after me, “I do not know the answer to the question, but I can find out.” There is nothing wrong with this reply. It is a better alternative than giving fictitious answers that eventually will be found false. The important part is to actually follow up and do the research to give the best possible answer based on the information that is available. 

2.   Ask those closest to the problem. As business owners or managers, we can’t be everywhere or know everything. Employees and vendors that are closest to the issue will be able to give the best perspective on problems and solutions. Ask for feedback and then integrate it for the best answer.

3.   Use outside advisors. There is no shortage of advice in this world. Whatever the issue is, someone else has faced it before. Seek help from a group of trusted advisors to get the best input that fits your business.

4.   Search the Internet. Without an in-person advisor, search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing are great research tools for business problems. If the keyword search is phrased appropriately, you can typically find a resource where another business person has had a similar experience. Searching blogs can be a key tool because they provide a more in depth analysis.

5.   Admit when there has been a mistake. Ego, pride, shame and sometimes legal concerns get in the way of admitting a mistake. “Come clean” sooner rather than later. What gets most business leaders in trouble is not the mistake, but the cover up. In our connected world of the Internet, there are no secrets. Google is forever. It is okay to change positions. Clearly state the new information that made the change in policy.

Related Topics

• Managing

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Barry Moltz, Article, managing, Rhonda Byrne

Join the conversation ( 2 )

• Barry Moltz 1 year 2 months and 6 days ago

  

  Thanks CJ- yes, as I stated having a trusted mentor network is so important! Enjoyed Belmont today!

• C.J. Adams 1 year 2 months and 6 days ago

  

  Great post, Barry. My best way to deal with by business' dirtiest secret is to seek the advice of others. I have found that having a close network of individuals, who have already done it, is one of the most beneficial things I can have as a small business owner.