Both Sides of the Coin: Fundamental & Behavioral Disciplines

by Hal Levenson on Jan 23, 2020 3:08 PM

In my role as an advisor, I’ve encountered many owners who are frustrated with their company’s lack of growth. Oftentimes, they feel that if only their sales increased, then all would be well. That may be the answer in some cases, but through Trilogy’s deep analysis, we often find that the root cause of their challenges lies in both the Fundamental & Behavioral disciplines of business.
Fundamental disciplines are the tangible aspects of your business that make up the day-to-day building blocks consisting of:
Operations Management – steps and procedures that are updated and constantly improved to drive quality, efficiency, increase revenue, control costs and mitigate risks
Financial Management – reporting and analysis, KPI’s, budgets and forecasts
People/Organizational – internal structure made up of employees whose skills and experience align with the needs of the organization
Marketing, Sales, & Customer Service – branding your core message, generating qualified leads, closing sales and nurturing satisfied customers
Strategic/Continuity Planning – a formalized plan of attack that has critical success factors, defined timing and measurable actions
Behavioral disciplines are the intrinsic and intangible elements that are generated by and involve everyone in your organization. This is the soft stuff that is too often set aside but is central to effectiveness.
Attitude – the personal choice about how one sees the “glass of water” (half full or half empty)
Trust – the ability to be authentic, non-judgmental, and vulnerable
Communication – clearly expressing what you mean, meaning what you say, and saying it respectfully
Conflict / Tension – addressing and encouraging opposite points of view in order to have healthy and productive tension
Accountability – taking ownership of one’s actions
Courage – taking risks and stepping outside expectations
Passion – engaged, believing in what you do & why you do it
We’ve learned that it’s vital to look at both the Fundamental & Behavioral aspects of your business. What you think might be the issue may only be a small part of the problem. Frequently, stagnant growth can be tied to both sides of the coin and with proper attention, your company can achieve beyond your expectations.
Read This Case Study to see how Trilogy Partners helped a family run printing business address the Fundamental & Behavioral disciplines of their business.
About Hal Levenson
Hal Levenson is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer at Trilogy Partners. Trilogy Partners is an advisory & implementation firm whose mission is to help companies grow and transform. We accomplish this by focusing on 3 critical business areas: Financial, Strategy & People.