There is a commonly held belief that while ducks appear to sit calmly atop the water, their feet paddle continuously to keep them afloat. It has become a metaphor for those who appear to have it all together while under the surface they are working harder than anyone can see. Turns out, however, that is not completely correct. When in a calm body of water, ducks can remain buoyant without paddling their feet. Due to hollow bones and air sacs within their bodies, ducks weigh less than the weight of the water they displace. They also secrete an oil that prevents their feathers from absorbing water, which keeps their body mass from increasing and causing them to drown.
Duck feet are only working hard when they are attempting to move forward or are working to fight against a strong current to stay in place. They enjoy the flow when things are easy, conserving their energy and not wasting time kicking when there is no current to fight against. Then, when the current gets tough, the ducks do not lose their cool on the surface, they simply start paddling away while making it seem seamless.
Do you ever feel that you are trying to run your business like a duck, appearing calm on the surface while kicking your feet like crazy under the surface? MSI can help you kick less while achieving more progress!
Less than six months ago, many businesses were simply floating along the surface, enjoying the calm waters. Why bother kicking against a current that was not there? Why work hard for progress when the going is easy, the waters are calm. But then came the tidal wave of COVID-19 crashing down on all of us, everyone was impacted, there was no fighting it. Business “ducks” everywhere were just waiting to see where they landed. Now the waters are starting to seem calmer, but the currents underneath are stronger than we have ever felt before. Now is the time those duck feet need to be kicking furiously.
Let’s face it – the currents are not going to calm down any time soon. To maintain a calm appearance on the surface, however, you must make sure that you have control of everything happening behind the scenes. Internal Audits (IAs) – also known as back-of-house or brand quality audits – can be an invaluable tool for monitoring how effectively your businesses “feet” are kicking.
MSI has used the enforced hibernation to complete our own IAs to evaluate every aspect of our business. From operations to expenses to marketing. Employee satisfaction and safety has been analyzed. The industry focus has been debated. Even when nothing was visible on the surface, MSI’s little duck feet have been furiously kicking away to make sure the business comes back stronger – and we can do the same for you!
We will help you to minimize the effort involved in completing efficient and effective IAs. MSI has the systems in place to make Internal Audits easier than ever. We can reduce the money, frustration, and time spent, giving you the chance to immediately adapt based on the data we collect and securely house for you.
We can help you to not only fight the current but beat it! Contact an MSI consultant today.