In the January/February issue of BIC Magazine, I covered steps eight and nine for how to "turnaround" your business. I called these steps the "amends steps." Step eight was about how to make a list of people you harmed. In step nine, I discussed how to take action and make amends.
In addition to the nine steps already taken, which we should continue to practice, steps 10, 11 and 12 are continuation steps. Here's a breakdown of those previous nine steps: honesty, hope, faith, courage, integrity, willingness, humility, compassion and love.
The nine steps could be a one-time experience or we may need to return to them multiple times. Revisiting those steps allows us to address issues as they occur and recognize a possible "relapse." Steps 10, 11 and 12 are maintenance steps and should be practiced daily. They are the essence of the first nine steps, condensed into three steps for daily practice.
Step 10: Perseverance
Just like how we regularly check our finances, step 10 is about continuing to look at our own assets and liabilities. We must have a real desire to grow and learn from these evaluations. Remember, it's easy to fall back into old habits. Self-searching should be a regular habit, and we must be able to admit and accept our findings and persistently correct what we see is wrong.
I like to practice step 10 at night before I go to bed. It's quiet, and I'm able to have uninterrupted thoughts where I go through a mental rundown of the day. This is when I pick out some of my own behaviors or feelings about other people, places or things that may have evoked negative emotions or made me uneasy. Identifying these and following a summary of step four helps me become aware of what or who the real culprit is. By recognizing it, I can then utilize steps five, six and seven to try to remove those feelings or thoughts to prevent it happening again. Step 10 is called "perseverance" because it reminds us to follow the previous steps on a daily basis.
Step 11: Spiritual awareness
In every step, there is some semblance of spirituality. Step 11 instructs us to retain and recognize that awareness throughout our daily personal and professional lives.
Many people have trouble taking the time to pray or meditate as a part of their daily routine. It requires humility and effort, but carving out a few minutes for this is important. It quiets the brain, promotes inner calmness and allows us to fully practice this step. It can even be done in your business. At some of my previous companies, we prayed every morning at the safety meeting. We even held meetings at lunch to allow prayer or quiet time. This isn't about religion; it's about quieting yourself to discover who you are, what you want and why you're here. In this time of "cancel culture," we may be afraid to offend others, but there's nothing offensive about gaining a sense of self.
I practice step 11 each morning with a prayer and meditation, allowing myself to visualize the day's tasks. This does not take more than five minutes. It grounds me at the very beginning of the day so I can handle the unexpected.
Step 12: Service
Service is a very important step. By helping others, we're essentially helping ourselves. The process that you and your business just went through by practicing and utilizing these 12 steps is not a trade secret. It's meant to be shared with others so you can help them improve their businesses and personal lives. It's the 12-step version of "paying it forward." That's a reason why I'm sharing these steps with you.
My father and I followed these 12 steps and practiced them regularly at AltairStrickland. I believe it was due, in part, to these 12 steps that our company became very successful.
I hope you and your colleagues have enjoyed this series of articles, and I hope they've offered something that will benefit you or your business.
For more information, visit www.towerforce.com, or contact Whitney Strickland at (281) 506-7152 or wstrickland@towerforce.com.
