By Roberta Chinsky Matuson

Business leaders complain all the time that nothing seems to have changed in their organizations, despite their best efforts to make things happen. Yet they continue to do the same things and receive the same results. Well, it's no wonder why nothing has changed!

Here are five reasons why your progress may have stalled.

1. You have people on board who aren't pulling their weight. If you've ever ridden on a bicycle built for two with someone who isn't doing much pedaling, then you know what it's like to try and move forward with someone who isn't pulling their weight. It's exhausting! Take a look around your organization and do an honest assessment. Who is peddling hard and who is coasting? Then make a commitment to remove those people who aren't doing much of anything. Now try moving forward again and notice the difference.

2. You've failed to invest in your firm or your people. It's easy to complain how things are falling apart, yet you haven't made any investments in your company or your people in years. People are not going to become stronger managers and develop better relationships with your customers by osmosis. These are skills that need to be built and continually reinforced. Loosen your belt and start investing in your people. It shouldn't be too long before you begin seeing changes.

3. You have a hard time delegating. It's difficult, if not impossible, to move your business forward when you are still in the middle of daily operations. You hired people to help you, right? Then let them do just that, and notice how much time you now have available to grow your business!

4. You really have no idea where you are going. I recently experienced this myself when my husband and I were driving through Tuscany. Yes, the scenery was wonderful, but after driving past the same church three times within a two-hour span, it was obvious to me that we needed a destination, even if it was just a gelateria! You will never get to a specific place in your business if you don't have a destination in mind. It's a good idea to look at your business every six months or so. This will allow you ample time to make course corrections so you don't find yourself circling back to the place where you started.

5. You don't implement recommendations. You surround yourself with smart people and you ask for their recommendations. Sometimes you even pay for this advice. Yet you never implement any of these recommendations. Is it any wonder that nothing has changed?

I understand that change is hard and that sometimes you'll experience even more pain before things get better. But in the end, isn't it better to have tried something than to have done nothing at all? Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Human Resource Solutions (https://www.yourhrexperts.com) and author of the highly acclaimed book, Suddenly in Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around (Nicholas Brealey, January 2011). Her firm helps organizations create exceptional workplaces that deliver extraordinary results. Sign up to receive a complimentary subscription to Roberta's monthly newsletter, HR Matters.

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