What are you listening to?

Are you one of the 6 out of 100? Signal-to-noise ratio is a unit measure in science and engineering comparing the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. Signal or noise in business is important because it helps you identify meaningful information (signal) amidst irrelevant or distracting data (noise). Why is this critical to you now? It is crucial for effective decision-making and clarity in communication. As you consider the decision to sell now or later, the distinction allows for focus on what truly matters, improving the ability to navigate complex information environments more confidently. Knowing and interpreting the difference is the next best step.

80% of people fail to know and interpret the difference.

Unfortunately, less than 20% will succeed. Out of that 20%, one third will have sustainable success because they know the difference and can interpret the difference proportionately. That’s 6 out of 100. Let’s apply real situations and perhaps you can relate:

I’m working furiously to have a son or daughter take over.

Unfortunately, they have little or no desire to follow my footsteps.

They lack the skills necessary to successfully carry business forward.

Since they’re not operators, consider granting them a board role. Making this move ensures continuation of generational wealth (your goal) without compromising their futures (their goals). One of the frustrations I and many peers and clients faced in the years leading up to selling was the overwhelming feelings of the work required to have a successful exit. Weighing the pro’s and con’s, the sleepless nights, the back-and-forth of ‘do I’ or ‘don’t I’ takes a physical, mental and emotional toll on one of the most significant decisions you’ll ever face.

am I building a business or maintaining one?

can I build it without a battle?

is my identity and value in being everywhere and in everything?

You’ve heard it before, build something that works without you instead of still proving you’re irreplaceable. At some point cutting the strings of still chasing the right to be needed must stop! The biggest internal stumbling blocks are inside you. The emotional maturity must shift. You’re not tired of the work, or are you. Maybe you actually enjoy the work. Grinding out of purpose, or survival is not what you set out to do thirty years ago!

You either have a transferable asset or you do not. Either way, we’re here to meet you where you are and guide you to where you know you must go. Whether you need a roadmap and leave you alone to run it, give you the blueprint and coach you along with way or do it for you with your oversight, Doug and I are here to support whatever you decide and you can change your mind along the way. Here’s the best next step – have a conversation and decide to make a plan today. Will the tossing and turning automatically stop? Not at all, but taking one small action step each week will keep the gremlins away!

No links. No calls to action. Let’s stop talking about problems as they’re unproductive. You’re indulging detrimental fear. Honestly answer these questions yourself for a preview to what’s next:

To be wildly successful in the next 6 months, what would you change to achieve it?

Who are you investing time with that brings little return yet feel obligated towards?

What process or practice, or who must you let go of to step into this next chapter?

The only person judging you is you! You don’t need permission to change what’s not working. Whatever you’ve been tolerating for years is what you’re actually validating. We know many of you will answer, ‘someday’. What day of the week is someday? We hope your signal is coming into focus?

If you have been listening to signal or noise you have permission to stop! Noise is a distraction. Signal is data transfer, it’s transmission and it’s purposeful. Noise comes from anywhere, anyone and anything. Signal is by its nature intentional and valuable. Noise is always unpredictable. Signal is always structured and systematic. Noise degrades data quality. Signal improves quality and reliability. Noise interferes. Signal is unaffected. Noise is useless to your goals. Signal clarifies your path to objectives.