ENTREPRENEURIAL HACK OF THE WEEK #48
The KonMari Method
3 ways to declutter your business life
Success is often associated with accumulation — more clients, projects, and profits in business. However, the KonMari Method, popularized by Marie Kondo in her quest for decluttering homes, can be an unexpected but transformative tool for entrepreneurs and professionals.
By adapting the KonMari principles to the business world, we can create a workplace that sparks joy, drives productivity, and cultivates fulfillment and contentment.
Create room for growth
The KonMari Method teaches us that to truly appreciate and find joy in our possessions, we must first let go of the clutter. This philosophy can easily be applied to business. It’s all about decluttering your business practices, focusing on what truly matters, and shedding what no longer serves your goals.
Consider your project portfolio. What projects no longer align with your company’s mission or goals? What products or services aren’t performing as expected?
Just as you declutter your home by saying goodbye to items that no longer spark joy, eliminate these aspects from your business.
Act
One common trap in the business world is endless planning. While planning is crucial for success, it can quickly become a form of procrastination, preventing us from acting.
The KonMari Method emphasizes the importance of action over contemplation. When you focus on doing rather than overthinking, you’ll discover the true potential of your business. You’ll learn from your actions, adapt to challenges, and achieve results.
This shift from planning to doing can be a game-changer for your business’s growth. My predecessor was known widely as the “Get Shit Done” guy. He was regularly activated to perform, accomplish, but, most of all, to act.
A bias for action — and the term “chunking” — was introduced as an attribute of excellence in the 1980s in In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies by Thomas Peters & Robert Waterman.
In the book, the authors relay a story of an Exxon line officer’s “remarkable tale of improvement.” The officer had reported on a series of pragmatic actions, knocking off one problem at a time.
“Was it a tale of shrewd foresight and bold strategic moves? Not in our view,” the authors state. “It was a classic example of what we have come to call the ‘theory of chunks.’ We have come to believe that the key success factor in business is simply getting one’s arms around almost any practical problem and knocking it off — now.”
Seek joy
Above all, the KonMari Method encourages us to seek joy in our surroundings. This translates to finding joy in your work and your created environment in business.
Ask yourself and your team, “Are we delighted with what we’re doing?”
Joyful companies are often more productive, creative, and successful. Employees who enjoy their work are more motivated, engaged, and willing to go the extra mile. This is especially important today when nearly eight out of ten people go to work every day disengaged or passionately disengaged.
Customers also can sense this joy, increasing loyalty and creating a positive brand perception. They become raving fans — emotionally connected to the brand.
Overall, the KonMari Method isn’t just about tidying up physical spaces; it also can be a powerful tool for enhancing your business.
By giving up what no longer serves you, shifting from planning to action, and seeking joy, you can create a business that sparks joy for you and your team and drives long-term success.
So, declutter your business and your life, embrace a bias for action and speed, and let the joy of entrepreneurship guide your path to prosperity.
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Karl R. LaPan is the director of UF Innovate | Accelerate, the place-making, entrepreneurial support organization within UF Innovate dedicated to working with entrepreneurs, innovators, and business builders. Through two award-winning, globally recognized facilities, UF Innovate | Accelerate delivers industry-leading entrepreneurial programs and services designed (1) to accelerate the growth and development of its client companies and (2) to increase the likelihood of success of the business ventures it serves.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
