Your system is perfectly designed for the results you’re getting. What do you think of that? It’s true, and not a ton of business owners or leaders want to hear it. It’s a very simple concept, and all leaders need to think about how it applies to them and their business if they want to start seeing the results they truly desire. Only change in your systems will create change in your results.

The Results

We usually start talking about this principle when it becomes apparent that the leaders of a business are not impressed with the results they are seeing. They start to question a myriad of things from their employees to the lunchroom policies to the copy machine’s inability to do one complete job without getting jammed.

None of these things are to blame. Because your system is designed in a way that sets the business on the course which renders your current results, the system is really what you should be looking at. Our favorite definition of insanity (because there are many) is repeating the same actions over and over and expecting a different result. Similarly, why would you have the same systems and processes in place and expect something more favorable to happen?

The System

Ultimately, you can’t talk your way out of a situation that you behaved your way into. If you want out (and we think you do) you’ve got to act—and act differently at that. Let’s talk about some systems that receive a failing grade:

• If your business is spending more money than you are earning, no amount of investments, new loans, or hard work will change that. Your system is perfectly designed for bankruptcy.
• If your employees are allowed to take advantage of your generosity, you’ll probably find that your system is perfectly designed for a lack of productivity.
• If your business doesn’t spend time nurturing clients, then your system is perfectly designed to fail at obtaining repeat clients.

When you find your business here, it can be hard to figure out exactly how you got there, and that’s frustrating. That’s usually the point where leaders go looking for a source or even a person to blame. The fact is, however, that what you must really find is the flaw in the system.

Change Your System Get Results

The first step toward seeing better results is to identify the results you’d like to see. Sit down with a business partner or a trusted advisor and get cracking. Once you’ve discovered one or two results you believe can be achieved, think about what actions need to be taken to get there.

How do those actions differ from the ones you currently see? This knowledge is invaluable; it will help you make the changes necessary for your own system to start seeing results you desire.

So next time you find that you aren’t seeing the results that you think you should be getting, think about actions are being taken that produce that undesirable result. When the system is perfectly designed to achieve negative outcomes, it’s time to start focusing on changing the system.