Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act

When you are looking to make a place in the business world, whether it is starting your own company or joining and existing company, it is wise to remember the four step process of observe, orient, decide, and act. When you follow this process, you will find yourself being more effective, and really making your stamp on the world.

Observe- What gaps need to be filled by you in the employer's world? What gaps in the market can your company fill? In other words, the first thing you need to do is observe the local conditions and markets, and see what needs are apparent and that you can fill. If you are looking for a job, understanding the needs of the people who are hiring is going to be a great advantage in getting the job, as you will be able to fill that need. If you do not know what gaps there are, how can you position yourself as the way to fill those gaps? You can't, so observe!

Orient- Figure out, or orient yourself with what the company is trying to accomplish. Then figure out where you best fit to contribute the maximum impact. Figure out or orient yourself with what your consumers are trying to accomplish, and figure out how you can contribute to their efforts. This means now that you know their needs, orient yourself with a position that fills those needs. You want to make yourself invaluable to them because you provide them with a necessary tool in reaching their goals.

Decide- Decide what you can do to inspire confidence, and figure out what you can do to get the company from where they are now to where they want to be. This is like the thought process behind the actions you are going to take to secure the job, or secure the loyalty of the consumer. It is important to take time deciding how best to present yourself in order to inspire the kind of confidence that turns into dollars. This is a key step, and one you can't skip if you want to have business success.

Act- Decide if your added value is congruent with your employers needs, and what you can do to adjust those needs. Now you are going to act. You are going to act in many ways, you can adjust to meet changing needs, or move to a new sector or company. The goal with this step is to continually be fluid. If you stop moving forward, you will be going backward. This means that it is up to you to really put your value into action, and align what you can do with the needs of the company you wish to work for, or the consumer you wish to gain as a loyal customer.

If you can successfully take these four steps, you will be unstoppable in the business world.