Hello there, Fans of Plans. Today is a day that I love… it’s May 4^th, which if you’re a geek like me you’ll celebrate as ‘Star Wars Day’. So, May the fourth be with you! 

What does this have to do with a working well blog I hear you ask? Well, let’s have a little fun this week and see what we can learn about good business with lessons learned in a galaxy far far away… 

Listening to your employees

I created a little diorama for MMAP’s social media a couple of years ago about this subject... here's a link to it as a little reminder:

https://m.facebook.com/makemeaplan/photos/a.426779104468430/615175932295412/?type=3&source=54

Listening to your employees and making sure they have an array of channels to get their voices heard will have many benefits to your business. Our frontline workers are not only in tune with how things do or don’t work well when put in to practice, they also hear first-hand about what the customer wants.

 It can be hard to quantify the return on investment (ROI) that excellent employee engagement has on a business, but suffice to say, businesses that score highly in employee engagement surveys also have healthy bottom lines… this is not a coincidence. 

“Try not, do, or do not. There is no try”

I love this saying from Yoda, it comes when he is trying to teach our main protagonist how to use the Force. It’s the same with whatever we are trying to achieve – don’t aim to ‘try’ and do something.

Either do it or don’t do it. By having this attitude you’ll give it your all. Instilling this in your business means you will forge a clear way ahead. There’s a famous shoe brand that tells its customers this too – and I’m sure you’ll agree ‘just TRY it’ doesn’t quite have the same impact! 

“I have a bad feeling about this”

This is a saying that comes up in every Star Wars film (there’s a fun fact for you today!). This is one that we all need to pay attention to. It’s that gut instinct, if we think something is a bit off, take a step back and reassess. Our gut instincts should not be ignored, a lot of the time it can be your subconscious linking to a situation you have seen or been involved in in the past. It’s a healthy reminder to just make sure you know what you are about to get into. 

“You can’t stop change any more than you can stop the sun from setting”

These are very wise words indeed from Shmi Skywalker. Change can be scary and unsettling for everyone, but it is inevitable. Much like everything in our lives, businesses need to adapt to change and evolve, or they become obsolete. While change can come out of the blue (I really don’t need to mention the last two years do I?!), there are things that we can be doing to pre-empt changes that may affect our business. This includes horizon scanning, looking at not only what similar business are doing well, but also keeping a check on what our customers want. Is there a trick that we are missing that would be beneficial to the business? As I wrote in my last blog, making time for strategy will pay off. 

So, I guess there’s only left to say, Happy Star Wars Day and May the Force Be With You. 

PS - If you are keen for some individual wellbeing tips to complement this Working Well life, check our Personal Planner Lauren's Relationship With Self blog, out fortnightly on Tuesdays. You can read the latest edition here: https://www.makemeaplan.com/news/confidence/