Debbie Mayo-Smith: How you overcome obstacles in business

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Last week I shared some stories I heard on how stepping up can make you a better leader.

Let's continue by looking at how leaders overcome business obstacles. I'm simply paraphrasing for you a wonderful keynote presentation of John Izzo I was inspired by while at the Helloworld Conference in Los Angeles.

Johns position is that leaders - managers in business, must take 100 per cent responsibility. Obstacles are excuses. And there is no room for excuses. Some excuses are true. Bad economy. Physical location of business. Competition. You must simply work around the obstacles. Challenge the status quo. He gave two stories in example.

A new manager took over a team in a chain retail electronics store that was in a terrible, terrible location. It was in a shopping mall that was 'dying', meaning stores around it were closing. Very little foot traffic. They were number 173 out of 176 in sales volume for the chain. Bottom of the totem pole.

The manager said to the team. 'Yes these are our obstacles. We can't change our location due to our lease. We can't advertise more. But what can we do?' They brainstormed ideas and started taking creative and unique to them sales approach. They would speak at meetings. They would go to busy office buildings and hand out business cards. They would talk to school groups. The end result they became the top selling store.

Another story about overcoming obstacles and not taking 'no' for an answer. It was a very hot summer in California, and an owner of (two) Starbucks coffee shops was experiencing a huge drop in sales because of the heat.

One of their staff members said - you've got to go to the coffee shop down the street. She did, and saw they were selling iced coffees. She asked, no begged her regional manager to let them do the same thing.

He brought it to the head office and they said an unequivocal no. 'Our core business is hot coffee, not a sweet desert'. The regional manager had to go back with the no.

The owner knew it was important for the business. Not listening to management, they went out, bought some blenders and experimented a bit until they got it right. First week sales grew. And the next week grew. And grew and grew and grew. The regional manager went back to Starbucks management and asked if they could add the frozen line in.

Again an unequivocal no because marketing was working on something else. He went back to his two stores that were and told them to keep doing what they were doing. Finally the numbers were too big to ignore and yes, that is how the Frappuccino was born. Out of the persistency of one owner had to overcome the obstacles of weather and competition but saw the solution and took action.

Written by Debbie Mayo-Smith, One of New Zealand's most in-demand speakers, trainers and bestselling authors. Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff. For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter.