Do you ever feel like a circus performer wavering unsteadily on a tightwire, hoping there’s a safety net below you? Growing a business is never easy, but it’s harder when we grow unevenly, causing imbalance. And it’s harder when we try to go it alone. I mean, growth is wonderful, right? But the usual parameters may not fit. Are we making more money? Are we adding new clients? Are we hiring more people? These previous measures of success may not be the only signposts to consider. Let’s add a fourth component—quality. Are we providing better service or better products than before? More income with less service is imbalanced growth and it will make you wobble. More staff with dwindling clients is sure to cause a topple. Quality may be the center of gravity that helps us succeed.

Our businesses are varied, so how we each define quality will vary. But these are my measuring tools:

·        Am I developing new skill sets, learning new publishing programs, learning to increase my output to maximize client investment in my company?

·        Am I providing a better outcome for my clients?

I have to believe if I can answer these two questions affirmatively, I am improving and traditional growth parameters will follow.

Did you know there is a publication just about quality? The Quality Digest acknowledges the interdependence between quality and needs assessment: "Quality itself has been defined as fundamentally relational:  Quality is the ongoing process of building and sustaining relationships by assessing, anticipating, and fulfilling stated and implied needs.” This sounds a lot like the Chamber’s mission statement, doesn’t it?

As we establish working relationships with one another we maximize the potential of each other’s businesses. The alliances form a stronger, broader center of gravity. Think about a run on the bank. When one panics and removes all of its money, the panic can spread like a wildfire. Conversely, when we have each other’s backs, we inspire confidence.

Still, there’s a lot to be said for offering a better product and better service. The Harvard Business Review offered some compelling insight about the high ratings of L.L. Bean. They grew stronger and better by eliminating shortcuts and extensively monitoring:

·        Regular customer satisfaction surveys and small group interviews

·        Tracking customer inquiries and complaints

·        Offering 100% guaranteed satisfaction with full cash refunds on any product

·        Extensive field testing of new products

How we each ensure our products or services meet the mark is part of the matrix of success. How well we join hands and help each other is another part of the matrix of success. Let’s take the danger out of the high wire by creating a strong center of gravity for doing business in Blue Springs.