The thing about thoughts is that while they are in your head, they seem utterly clear.

It’s only once you try and get them out that they get tangled up – especially if you’re speaking them. And when the person you’re speaking them to interrupts you, or asks a question, you lose the thread and get those thoughts even more entangled.

Explaining how things need to be done to one person is bad enough. Imagine having to explain to one person after another, each of them with their own way of understanding, their own pre-conceived models of how things work, their own way of listening. No wonder small business owners give up trying.

Writing definitely helps. Writing forces you to organise your ideas into some sort of coherent narrative. But it’s still really hard to do this on your own. Especially if there’s a lot to explain.

The best answer is to have someone to listen, question, and help you clarify your thoughts as you talk them out. Someone who listens deeply, asks the stupid questions and won’t let go until they’ve fully understood what you mean.

Who then organises their understanding around a relevant framework, fleshing out that framework to produce an accurate and concrete representation of your unique business.

A concrete representation you can both judge dispassionately. Because often, it’s not until you see your thoughts and ideas ‘in the flesh’ that you realise there’s been a miscommunication.

This is brain-hurting work, for both parties, but it’s well worth doing. Because you only have to put this amount of effort in once.

Once you have that concrete representation, however sketchy, you have something that is easily shared, over time and space. Easily corrected. Easily improved. Not just a representation for people to follow, but a sounding board to test new ideas against and a springboard to jump off from.

The foundation for a business you can step up with, or away from, whenever you choose.

Discpline makes Daring possible.