In Business, an Open Mind is as Important as Everything Else

I recently tripped over an episode of A&E’s reality series We Mean Business that illustrated one of the biggest problems facing “visionary” new small business owners: learning to do things another way.

 

In this particular episode, the crew rolled into a start-up pizza parlor called Brownstone Pizza to see if they could be of some assistance.  The owners, Gunther and Bertha, had cashed in retirement plans and substantially leveraged themselves for their dream, and things (despite, by all accounts, a delicious pizza), were simply not working.  The show’s team, headed by Bill Rancic, the winner of The Apprentice in its inaugural season, provided a full makeover, complete with upgraded technology for the staff, flat screen TVs for the pleasure of the patrons, and a host of other changes that, at least in my observation, seemed very wise.  A grand re-opening was held, the place was packed with people, and everything looked great.

 

Fast forward to a few weeks after the team left.  They came back to the establishment to see how things were going.  To their amazement, the owners, who had been noticeably reticent to making many of the changes in the first place, dismantled much of what had been done, and it was now the same, old restaurant…complete with empty tables and chairs.

 

What happened?  As near as anyone can tell, doing things their way seems to be more important to the owners than succeeding.  To be fair, there’s no way to know if the changes implemented by the show’s team would have been the key to the long-term viability of the business.  However, what seemed certain at the outset was that what the owners were doing before (and, eventually, again) was absolutely not working.   

      

The real problem plaguing these owners is a common one for small business people, and it can prove to be the death knell for any operation: to be so enamored with your own vision and your own way of doing things that your inherent bias prevents you from making smart decisions for your benefit.  In business, you must remain open-minded about everything you’re doing.  It can, admittedly, be a struggle to divorce oneself of personal and long-favored ideas in favor of others, but immovably adhering to your bias can be a fatal mistake.  You have to be willing to listen to others, and sometimes even go as far as taking some of their suggestions, especially if what you’re doing currently clearly isn’t yielding success.

 

Oh, well.  I suppose that if Brownstone Pizza ultimately goes under, the owners can take comfort in the knowledge they did things their way; I just hope that doesn’t mean enjoying that feeling of comfort from inside a cardboard box somewhere.

 

As prideful as I can be, at times, I always have an open ear and mind to serious suggestions about how I might change a venture for the better.  I learned long ago that there are a lot of smart people in this world, with a lot of good ideas.  In the end, if my vision succeeds only on paper or in my dreams, then it doesn’t succeed at all.  

 

Agree or disagree; please register your comments below.

 

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