Who's The "Push"? (July 2007)

Last Month, I said that almost any business could be fixed or improved if only those in charge had the will to do so. This month, I’m continuing on that theme. When I was 15 years old I worked the summer splitting my time between two contractors. To this day, I remember some of the lessons learned on those jobs. Yes, some of those lessons have served me well living in an older University City home, but more of them have served me well in dealing with people and business issues.

I remember being called aside by the boss one day when he was leaving and he told me that I needed to be the “Push” while he was gone! “What’s the Push?” was my obvious question. He explained to me that on any job, the “Push” is the one person responsible for setting the tone and pushing people to get things accomplished!

People tend to excel when challenged to do more. While some naturally push themselves to accomplish as much as possible, others need an external “push” to do their best. I tend to be very competitive by nature, and I know that I work better with a team of equally motivated individuals.

Years later, as I look at small businesses that are languishing (and frankly, think back on my experiences within large organizations); the problem with many is that they have no “Push”! No one is setting the tone or holding people accountable within the organization for goals and objectives. Usually, someone filled this role at one point. But as time has gone by, that person has either left the organization or lost their enthusiasm for the business. The result is an organization that lacks drive.

Employees show up at work, perform their tasks in a routine manner, and walk out the door at the end of the day. Sometimes it’s a problem with the rewards system (or lack thereof), other times it’s a problem with a few “rotten apples”, and still others it is the example set at the top. But whatever the cause of the problem, the results show up on the financial statements.

So, the next time that you sit down and look at your financial statements (why not do it today?), ask yourself if you’re getting all that you can from your business.

If you have a business with no “Push”, then you have a business that is not achieving its revenue potential and has too much cost in the system. If you wonder why you’re not generating the cash flow that you think you should (or that you once did in the past), then perhaps part of the answer lies in the question: “Who’s The Push?”

If you need help with your business, financial plans, or goal setting, please give me a call at (314) 863-6637 or send an email to ken@homza.com And, remember . . . Your Cash Is Flowing. Know Where.

Last Month, I said that almost any business could be fixed or improved if only those in charge had the will to do so. This month, I’m continuing on that theme. When I was 15 years old I worked the summer splitting my time between two contractors. To this day, I remember some of the lessons learned on those jobs. Yes, some of those lessons have served me well living in an older University City home, but more of them have served me well in dealing with people and business issues.

I remember being called aside by the boss one day when he was leaving and he told me that I needed to be the “Push” while he was gone! “What’s the Push?” was my obvious question. He explained to me that on any job, the “Push” is the one person responsible for setting the tone and pushing people to get things accomplished!

People tend to excel when challenged to do more. While some naturally push themselves to accomplish as much as possible, others need an external “push” to do their best. I tend to be very competitive by nature, and I know that I work better with a team of equally motivated individuals.

Years later, as I look at small businesses that are languishing (and frankly, think back on my experiences within large organizations); the problem with many is that they have no “Push”! No one is setting the tone or holding people accountable within the organization for goals and objectives. Usually, someone filled this role at one point. But as time has gone by, that person has either left the organization or lost their enthusiasm for the business. The result is an organization that lacks drive.

Employees show up at work, perform their tasks in a routine manner, and walk out the door at the end of the day. Sometimes it’s a problem with the rewards system (or lack thereof), other times it’s a problem with a few “rotten apples”, and still others it is the example set at the top. But whatever the cause of the problem, the results show up on the financial statements.

So, the next time that you sit down and look at your financial statements (why not do it today?), ask yourself if you’re getting all that you can from your business.

If you have a business with no “Push”, then you have a business that is not achieving its revenue potential and has too much cost in the system. If you wonder why you’re not generating the cash flow that you think you should (or that you once did in the past), then perhaps part of the answer lies in the question: “Who’s The Push?”

If you need help with your business, financial plans, or goal setting, please give me a call at (314) 863-6637 or send an email to And, remember . . . Your Cash Is Flowing. Know Where.

Copyright @ 2007 Homza Consulting, Inc.