What's Driving You? (December 2013)

Last month, I asked “What Are You Driving?” which was targeted at the change and results for which you are responsible rather than the car that gets you to work and back.  Today, I’d ask a different but related question:  “What’s Driving You?”   Why do you get up and go to work in the morning? 

For all of us, this answer is different, but unless it involves something that you are passionate about, then it’s unlikely you are going to get the maximum result.  Money may provide some short term spark, but money alone is never a sufficient driver to lead to extraordinary results.   Over time, people grow accustomed to a certain level of income and the dollars that may have provided motivation at one point become an expectation.  

For most, the passion that drives comes from making a difference and feeling that our efforts have favorably impacted others or are appreciated.  As you think about your company, department, or even your own individual performance, ask yourself what is driving force?  What is causing you to wake up every morning and try to make a difference?  If you’ve lost sight of it, I’d encourage you to find a way to reconnect with the passion that may have fueled you at one point in time.  

I was once on a due diligence trip to a steel fabricator.  The business was a mess.  Operations were disorganized, bids didn’t seem to bear any relationship to costs, accounting was in poor shape – I could go on and on.  But the key finding was that the founder started as an artist working in steel.  At some point, he did some small fabrication work to pay the bills in order to support his artistic passion. Over time, the fabrication work had taken over and was consuming 100% of his time and had extinguished the fire that driven the entrepreneur and artist.  Instead of doing something that he was passionate about he found that owning a business was preventing him from doing what he loved.  And because he had no passion for the business, he wasn’t doing it very well; so it wasn’t even meeting the minimum standard that he had set for it – to pay his bills and provide a livelihood.  

He would have been better off being an employee in steel fabrication company . . . at least then he would have had a “9 to 5” job and could have used his weekends and evenings to pursue his artistic endeavors.  But as any business owner can attest, running a business is rarely a “9 to 5” endeavor. 

The purpose of a business is to support the dreams of the business owner, whatever they may be, not to quench them.   Think about this as you go about your day . . . what is the passion that fuels your performance?

As we wrap up another year, I’d like to thank all of you who read this monthly newsletter and especially those who take a moment to drop me a note and share your own thoughts about the topic of the month.   Wishing you a happy, healthy and productive 2014!   

If your business could benefit from fractional CFO services, I would welcome the chance to speak with you.  Please give me a call at (314) 863-6637 or send an email to     For more information, visit www.homza.com 

your cash is flowing.  know where.^®    
Ken Homza   
Copyright @ 2013 Homza Consulting, Inc.