Starting a business comes with a lot of interesting new experiences. With every one thing that you do, it feels like there are a dozen other things that then need to be handled that are connected to just that ONE thing. Multiply this out over time and, as I say, it comes with a LOT of interesting experiences.

One of the early, important boxes to check is picking a business name. You can go for marketable, catchy, or a number of other things. For me, keeping things simple and clear has always been a high priority over my years with Chick-fil-A. Einstein held that the five levels of intelligence were, in rank order: Smart, intelligent, brilliant, genius, and then SIMPLE. Simple does not mean easy to achieve or execute, but it does mean clear and understandable. Along these lines, N to Z Toolbox was the name of choice.

N to Z:

In my experience, people often speak about and treat 22-30 year old’s as if they are inferior or a bit of a hot mess. “What’s wrong with this generation? They aren’t hard workers like I was when I was their age”. So on and so forth it goes. I wholeheartedly disagree with this perspective. Emerging young professionals are just that, they are young and are in process but not fully there yet in their professional journey. When those of us who are older stop complaining and start helping equip them, then everyone is better off. 

Similarly, many organizations are in process, winning in some areas and then struggling to produce excellent results in other areas. Pick any organization. I am confident that you can find a number of things that they are doing at a high level while also identifying some things that don’t make sense in other areas. This mixed bag shows up more glaringly when employing young professionals. The 20-something needs additional coaching and managing, and these extra needs can quickly expose the gaps in an organization.

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. M is the 13th letter, so dead in the middle. I chose N as the first letter of this business name because I believe that most organizations, as well as those in their 20s, are at LEAST beyond halfway there towards their end destination of Z. Most have worked hard and want to progress to the finish line, and they are further along than many give them credit for.

Toolbox:

I’m no engineer, but say you told a random person to go build a house. Most people lack the know-how to take on such an endeavor. But even if a person was given solid plans, these are not enough to build something without having the proper tools. Imagine this in real life for a moment. A construction crew hammering nails with their hands, or using a screwdriver. It’s ridiculous. For young professionals it is a similar equation. No amount of desire or even effort will prove effective unless a person receives tools and knows which tools to use for which job.

Similarly, many organizations lack the tools needed to grow their people and get the best version of them day in day out. Lack of time, experience, expertise, or resources can lead to employees being put into a job role and then left there without the needed development over time. This model does not work over the long-term, and in the short-term it begins to erode the reputation of the organization. But with proper tools, the tide can shift as employees are built up over time. 

A few key beliefs:

In starting N to Z Toolbox, I hold to the fact that many are eager and well on their way to building a successful life, business, or career. This business is based on a couple of integral beliefs:

1. Most organizations and individuals truly want to succeed.
2. For numerous different reasons, people/orgs. often lack the tools needed to get from where they are (N) to where they want to be (Z).
3. When given the right tools, many will put in the work to use them and will see whatever they are building thrive. 
4. Almost every problem any organization has, at its root, is being caused by a people problem…lack of talent, bad apples on the team, not enough people on the roster, etc.

One tangible action:

Write down A) what you are trying to “build”, B) what tools you believe you need to accomplish this, and C) which of those tools you currently do and do not have.

Pro tip:

Having tools will not mean that your thing builds itself. Care, hard work, and time are all required to build something worth having. Others cannot and will not build this for you. You must commit to doing the work yourself. When you do, you will be proud of not only the outcome but of the process that unfolded along the way.