Growing your business can be a scary proposition. Chances are, if you’re comfortable where you are, you’re not going to want to muck things up by taking risks and changing how you do things – but, in order to grow, that is exactly what’s needed. 

The good thing is, it is possible to grow in a way that doesn’t completely turn your world upside down.

Over a year ago, I took on the challenge of helping a high-performing real estate team (in the top 10% of their market) increase their performance by 25% above their already lofty numbers. I am very proud to say that at our one-year mark, the team has exceeded all of its goals and is signing up to continue to push for even higher goals. 

And best of all, they are all enjoying their work more than they were at the lower numbers! How is that possible? 

Of course making more money is a plus, but getting there meant accepting change and some uncertainty, and taking on a willingness to simply go for it, all of which can be challenging for an entire organization. 

So, how do you create significant growth and get more enjoyment? Here are 3 of the steps we took to get there. 

1. THINK DIFFERENTLY

From the day I walked in the door, I challenged the group to think about things in a different way. Current thoughts yield current results. Changing the way you perceive and attack the opportunities is how you get different results. 

People don’t like change. They will fight you until they see success and even then will tend to revert to the original behaviors. This is why a huge part of any process improvement is the accountability over time. If you want real results, give it real time and effort. 

2. FIND THE BOTTLENECKS.

“Change is inevitable, progress is optional.” – Tony Robbins 

 As a business improves, certain areas, processes, and people will not be able to keep up with the new workload.

Finding the bottlenecks early, and making appropriate changes, is paramount to rapid improvement. Finding them as they occur is too late and just drags you down. When you are setting goals, anticipate where your pain will be if, say, your revenue doubles. 

3. ALWAYS APPRECIATIVE, NEVER SATISFIED. 

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle 

After our initial improvement and the first few bottlenecks were prepared for, it was time to push again. 

What can we do to improve things even more? Where can we look at things differently again and find even better ways to do them? 

What habits do you and your firm have? If pursuing untapped potential isn’t one of them, get ready to be passed by the competition. The firms that continually strive to improve through a culture of challenge are the ones that reach long-term success. They align themselves with people of similar values. They train themselves with mentors, educators and others who want more for them and they are committed to making it happen. 

So the next time you ask yourself, “Why can’t I seem to get past where I am?” look back at these three points. 

The potential is in you. Let it out. And have some fun along the way.