Initiative is KEY in a STARTUP'S success

We have exactly two months left of school and a long list of things to do if we want to complete our vision. Since the beginning of Blendz we've envisioned having a place that would be constructed over the summer, so that when we come back we can work and provide playfully healthy smoothies from our own store.  However, if we want this to happen we need to work extremely hard, we need to start taking more initiative.

One of the major struggles that pulls us down as a company is the fact that we DON'T take initiative, we are constantly waiting for others to tell us what to do instead of finding work, we are not thinking of what can happen and preparing for failure, and we aren't putting as much thought on how to complete our strategy to reach our long term goals. This is a PROBLEM we have to work on because a strategy is not a checklist it requires further thinking, problem solving and anticipating.  We are working as if Blendz is checklist and we are just crossing out the things we've completed. A successful company doesn't work this way. A thriving company has great employees who are not only checking off completed tasks, but are also anticipating the future and giving a second thought to things to see how they can be better. A great employee thinks of today, but also of tomorrow so that he/she and the company can be well prepared.

This week we had a massive Blendz sale during parent teacher conferences. Even though it was extremely successful we encountered many problems because we weren't thinking ahead. Everybody was ready to complete their role (smoothie maker, cashier, etc.), but no one had counted the bags and divided the sales of both days and no one had a system to keep inventory so we would make sure we left fruit for the next sale. We were ready to complete our role, but we weren't thinking a step further or outside our role. Even myself, I was in charge of the product and I made sure to order the fruit (check), to have it on the stand on time (check), and that the recipes were perfected (check); however, I didn't think a step further and thought of teaching the smoothie makers how to prepare the different recipes (mmm not in checklist...). I should have taken the initiative to make a space during class time, previous to the sale, to teach everyone to make the smoothies instead of waiting for the sale to happen and having everyone confused about the measurements and preparation.  It's hard at times to BREAKOUT from the traditional educational mindset where everything is structured and squared. However, we need to work on that because in the real world boundaries are not set and checklists are not going to make you successful, the more thoughtful and mentally agile you are the more companies are going to want you. Additionally, checklists are just an AID, what really helps you triumph is beign one step ahead of everyone and having a backup plan, especially in an entrepreneurial world that is filled of uncertainty. 

Taking initiative is essentially assuming the risk of a possible failure
-Marty Fukunda

Inside Blendz we have an incredibly talented, hard working, and innovative team. We have the ideas, the willpower, and support to accomplish what we set ourselves to. On Friday we were reflecting upon exactly this, taking initiative and how we as a group are failing at this. Because I recognize that this is a problem we have, I was researching how to motivate your employees to take initiative. I've been reading articles on how want to improve this because I, myself, want to grow and learn this skill that will not only be handy now, but in my future with anything I decide to take on. Once you learn this still it will become a HABIT and it completely changed your square mentality, that we all have at times. I realized that the two most important things to learn how taking initiative are:  break your the fear of failure and set clearly defined goals. This is very true in Blendz, sometimes I feel that because we are working in a real life project that involves real professionals and real money we are afraid to take risks and try different paths. We have to think that more than the money and always been right it's the learning that we gain and the experience we receive from failing that will help us realize what things shouldn't and what things should be done to succeed. Finally, now that we are not working in departments I feel that we are looking at our projects like tasks, in a way this is good because like I mentioned previously having a checklists will help you stay in track and don't forget things, but it prevents us from thinking outside those tasks. We have a clear vision and goal for Blendz, but we need to set clear goals for our individual projects so that we know exactly what we want to accomplish for the end of the semester, obviously create goals that lead us to our vision. With these goals we can then create small strategies that will help us complete our defined goals. Therefore, here goes my list of goals as an INTERNAL EVENT PLANNER: 

1. Have planned and organized 8 ASTONISHING events by the end of the semester that will not only help us gain more profit, but will also help us position as a respected brand and that will help us continue building relationships with our customers. 
2. Find the most EFFECTIVE way to interact with costumers (employees working in the stand and customers buying) to deliver them a playfully healthy smoothie and experiment with different set ups in the events to find the best way to provide them an ambiance where they can collaborate and share.