Building an Ecosystem
Your Business Potential
Your business and life possess tremendous potential. Consider for a moment the oak trees waiting to emerge from within the acorns. Reflect on the potential that lies deep within the nature of that seed.
The stewardship of the acorn will determine the future of the forest ecosystem, air quality, food supply, furniture availability, and whatever else one's imagination can conceive. Envision your business systems, people, and culture as acorns brimming with potential.
1. What are your business acorns?
2. What is your ideal client/customer?
Seed Your Potential
How these seeds are planted and nurtured in the hearts of your people will determine the extent of growth or lack thereof. For acorns to grow, they must be planted in soil. Sometimes acorns face potential destruction by a squirrel's hunger, and other times, they are carried off to be planted elsewhere.
1. How can you systematically plant your seed potential daily, weekly and monthly?
2. What is the nature within your core values?
Adversity is Fertilizer
What if that adversity is actually the squirrel carrying your future growth? Consider your business as the greatest opportunity to plant acorns with every interaction, transaction, and relational moment. What's possible within the treasury of your business day? Plant seeds!
1. How can you transform the meaning that was attached to your current situation or adversity?
"Everything we do seeds the future. No action is an empty one"
~ Joan D. Chittister
A Thriving Ecosystem
Consider for a moment how your business influences your local economic ecosystem. What if a thriving business could elevate your local region into a thriving ecosystem? Envision the possibilities within a forest of oak trees—how businesses interconnect at the root level, supporting each other to create a dynamic, living community ecosystem. Whether indirectly or directly, your business has the potential to bring long term, thriving health to your town or city, akin to the enduring strength of an oak tree.
Interconnected Ecosystems Grow
Five Tips to Interconnect Your Ecosystem:
1. Huddle: Consider a weekly huddle with your team.
2. Wins: Set up a mechanism to celebrate daily wins.
3. Collaboration: Create interaction melting away an us and them mindset.
4. Curiosity: Ask open questions to foster connections.
5. Kindness: Empowering a culture of doing random acts of kindness.
"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered,
you will never grow." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Personal Note
As I reflect this past week, I still find myself experiencing some waves of emotion missing my mother. Now that my mom has passed, many memories flash in my heart and mind. Relationships are priceless, and when they are gone, you truly feel the loss. My mom dealt with severe anxiety and led more of a quiet life, not attending many of what we would call normal gatherings. I can remember, at times, feeling disappointed or heartbroken, but as I got to know my mom deeper and understand her, I was able to extend tremendous grace towards her. When we understand the scars of others, it’s amazing how compassion and grace abound!
Final Thoughts
I understand the faith walk to launch a business or organization. I can relate to learning on the go! Trying to deal with cash flow needs, marketing, sales, systems, technology and all the moving pieces with an ecosystem. I would consider it the highest honor to explore partnering with your business helping you establish a thriving ecosystem that is carried with rhythm. Together, we can identify the potential in your acorns and look at the most effective and efficient way to plant them for long-term growth!
In Gratitude,
Ed Garner