Watering the shrubs and lawn last week was such a chore!  The water pressure was so low that the process took forever.

Troubleshooting the problem was just as frustrating.  Was a water main broken?  Was the pipe system leaking?  Were the hoses stopped up?  Maybe the timer was malfunctioning?  No luck anywhere.

And, then, the thought:  what about the source?  The answer:  the main valve was turned too low.   Very little water was even entering the system.  It’s amazing how much water came through the system with force when the faucet was turned on all the way!

Business mindset is like a faucet.

Mindset is the assumptions and methods held by a business owner, management staff, and frontline employees.  These assumptions become so established that persons within the group continue to adopt or accept without questioning the behaviors, choices, or tools of the assumptions.

Terms like “paradigm shift” or “thinking outside the box” have become commonplace because change leaders challenge accepted mindsets and try to counteract their effects upon analysis and decision making processes.

One of Nashville’s successful business owners is beginning to think about his company as three divisions each operating with its own management team.  When his brother suggested that organizational scheme 12 years ago, the owner did not see it and did not accept it.  However, as the company has grown and opportunities have come with the growth, he has become prepared to implement the vision articulated so long ago. 

As a business owner, do you know the assumptions and processes by which you operate your business?

What is your vision?  What is your view of the future?  What is your business going to look like in three years?  Five years?  Ten years?   What will be your products, services, markets, locations, and staff?

How strong and active is your belief based on this vision?

How committed is your action?

In other words, how open is your mind — your faucet?

William Arthur Ward challenged:  “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.   If you can dream it, you can become it.”

Look at your business and your opportunities with a new view . . . another set of eyes.

In other words, open the faucet and get a big hose.

Arnelle Adcock is one of the two tall women who owns Clover Management Group in Brentwood. Contact her at aadcock@clovermg.com.