Category: Growth

Knowing How to Learn from Failed Projects in Your Business

Pamela Ayuso April 8, 2019

Much of innovation is about experimentation and trial and error. With that, often comes failure: something that usually stops us from exploring in the first place. The immediate effects aren’t pleasant, as failure comes with wasted time and effort and disappointment. If we learn to fail gracefully, however, and learn from our errors, we will be able to grow. Growth comes along with much inevitable failure.

Failure can at times be very apparent, while other times it is less so. The first step in accepting failure is to know when a project/idea is officially over. If something has failed, the best thing to do is recognize the project as a missed opportunity and move on. Let go of the past and move on. From there, learn from it. Try to look at the missed opportunity from a distance and learn. Finally, don’t let this stop you and your teams’ creativity. Keep going, keep ideating. The quicker you can move through this cycle, the more you and your business will be able to grow.

Self-Discipline: The Personal Quality that will Expand Your Business

Pamela Ayuso March 11, 2019

Self-discipline is an often-overlooked trait that is vital for professional growth. It is one of those virtues without which our careers can never reach their full potential. Anything that is worthwhile takes work and dedication. According to Merriam-Webster, its definition is:

Correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement

Self-discipline is often uncomfortable and unpleasant. It usually involves sacrificing in the present for an action that will move you closer to reaching a goal such as implementing a new system by a deadline or writing a chapter of your book. The word itself can even have a military ring to it because it requires perseverance through the challenges we face. However, the only way to sustainably get to where we want to go is through following the rules and doing the work.

Without self-discipline, we would never get anywhere.

How to Implement New Ideas for Your Growing Business

Pamela Ayuso February 18, 2019

Ideas tend to appear out of nowhere. They are often ephemeral and fragile, difficult to catch, and if not properly handled, might leave, never to return. Working with these incoming ideas can either be straightforward or not so simple.

To begin with, if ideas are not saved in any manner, they disappear. They can be like sand falling in between our fingers, irretrievable. Other times, the idea is simply the seed for more creation. The very act of recording it can inspire even more ideas.

Throughout my career, I have attempted to devise a system for working with ideas. While this system will always be a work in progress, the one I have been utilizing has helped me begin to organize my thoughts and promote my creativity.

The Important Role of Entropy in a Business

Pamela Ayuso January 28, 2019

I’ve been reading Steven Pinker’s book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism and Progress. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about how our civilization has progressed throughout the ages and how it can relate to your business.

One of the principles Pinker explores is entropy, also known as disorder, a concept that is useful for any business leader. He describes entropy in the statistical sense, whereby it is more probable than not that something will become disorganized and not be in an ordered state.

Time and Effort: How to Invest for Your Business’s Success

Pamela Ayuso January 14, 2019

Setting an initiative up for success takes time, as it is not something that happens automatically. The great thing about time investment is that it does pay off. Similar to compounding interest with invested money, putting in the time to ensure a project will launch smoothly will help you reach your end goal and guarantees that it continues working efficiently in the future.

Say you are interested in starting a blog for the company and your goal by the end of the year is to have three months of blogs uploaded on your site ahead of time. Perhaps you want to set up a monthly accounting process at the company that is performed accurately and on time with minimal managerial intervention. These are both possible goals to have. Although they may not be easy, all it takes is an investment of time and effort.

Reflecting on Last Year and Setting Goals for the New Year

Pamela Ayuso January 7, 2019

As the year comes to an end, it’s always a useful exercise to take some time to review the past year and all its events. Reflecting on what happened during the year, what you accomplished, and what could have been done better will bring closure to the year and will also provide the space for valuable learning. It’s also a good idea to take some time to review the past before thinking about the year ahead.

When you are ready to close the chapter of the prior year, you can move on to the future. Start with a clean slate, and create what you want in the following year. Anything goes: it’s your future. Don’t worry if the goals seem too lofty–with deliberate planning and execution, anything is possible.

Setting Goals and What That Means for Your Growth

Pamela Ayuso December 17, 2018

Setting goals is essential for growth. Without a clear roadmap, the probabilities of getting to our destination are significantly diminished. On the other hand, with planning and perseverance, goals can help us arrive at previously unimaginable points. It is the only way to get to these new places.

Goals can vary immensely depending on the person and life stage. Sometimes a goal can be as simple as accomplishing a life event, like a pregnancy, in the healthiest way possible. Other times, the goal can be completing a major project successfully, such as the implementation of a company-wide system. The goals can change significantly from year to year.

What is important is to aim high and work diligently. The goals will guide you.

Growing Your Business and How to Implement Processes that Will Show Results

Pamela Ayuso December 3, 2018

Growth in a company is cumulative, and even small increments over time contribute. The work you have been doing over the years, whether it is time and effort that has been invested in company improvements or training for new skills, builds on top of everything else and becomes the foundation for future actions. That is the beauty of growth.

Progress, however, isn’t always linear. When things are hectic, there simply isn’t any time or energy to invest in new ideas. During periods of high activity, even tiny improvements help. Each new action builds on a previous one and acts like a chain over time. When the period of intense work is over, you can spend time on growth again.

Peer Coaching and How It Can Benefit Your Business

Pamela Ayuso November 12, 2018

Sometimes it can feel like we are the only ones facing an avalanche of challenges and that we are alone. What is more likely, though, is that others are going through similar hurdles. One of the ways to find others who are in the same journey is to join a peer group. A peer group will connect you with others who are up to similar projects and will provide a forum to discuss problems and resources. Mostly it will help you understand that you are not alone and will help make the process more enjoyable.

Peer coaching groups are essential in today’s complex world. These can either be formal or informal groups of professionals who come together to share their challenges or projects. Other team members can suggest helpful courses of action or resources. You and your peers are also available for support or advice between sessions.

Optimism and Why It Is Crucial for Your Business’s Growth

Pamela Ayuso October 29, 2018

I recently came across an insightful quote on optimism by David Deutsch. In his book The Beginning of Infinity he defines it as follows:

Optimism (in the sense that I have advocated) is the theory that all failures — all evils — are due to insufficient knowledge. . . . Problems are inevitable, because our knowledge will always be infinitely far from complete.

The Beginning of Infinity, David Deutsch

Although Deutsch points to the ubiquity of problems, he also gives us the solution. He says that any “failure” or “evil” can be addressed through information, and that is powerful. Especially as a professional, it is the key to solving the seemingly insurmountable.

And that, according to Deutsch, is optimism: all problems can be solved through knowledge. There is hope.