Earlier this month, RAGAN’s PR Daily put out a piece called “12 traits of highly successful people”. As I read it, I couldn’t help but think that many of these same principles (most of which ring so true) also apply to successful B2B organizations.

1. Read
   Successful B2B companies keep up with what’s happening in their industry – trends, success stories, challenges, etc. Today could be the day that something you’re reading sparks your next great idea. Immerse yourself in what’s going on around you.
2. Question
   There’s no such thing as a stupid question; asking questions elevates knowledge. Make a habit of pushing your organization to dig deeper and challenge your people to become curious. Curiosity is the root of success – chase knowledge relentlessly.
3. Create a diverse circle of friends and associates
   Never underestimate the value of networking. Serve on boards, help out in your community, attend mixers and events – you never know who you’ll meet. And, make sure to utilize LinkedIn to join relevant industry groups and view message boards. Having contacts in your industry might just help you solve a challenge that you don’t even know you’re going to face yet.
4. Reflect
   Take time for honest conversation at the end of a project. What went well? What could have been done better? Were the right resources utilized? Identifying strengths and weaknesses in your organization’s processes will help your next project to go more smoothly. Added bonus: your team will love that you asked them for their feedback and value their input.
5. Look ahead
   Be a visionary. Staying on top of industry trends and challenges (see number one) will allow your company to plan for the future today. Don’t wait until change is banging on the door – prepare for it now. Anticipating and adapting to change will also help your business to be innovative – always, always be moving forward.
6. Learn to delegate
   Or, alternatively stated, know when to ask for help. This is when those relationships you created will come in handy (see number three). Sometimes you won’t know the answer, and that’s okay. Just don’t be afraid to ask someone else who might.
7. Prioritize
   Get a handle on your current projects before you take on new ones. Reflecting on past successes and failures (see number four) will help you do this. Reality often demands that a company (or person) tackle several things at once – but make sure you keep things in perspective and assign deadlines realistically. The bottom-line is that everything can’t happen at once – and rushed work will never be your organization’s best.
8. Challenge yourself
   Your comfort zone is your worst enemy; nothing good ever happens there. PR Daily says it so well: “Challenging yourself forces you to enlarge your comfort zone. By doing so, you enlarge your sphere of accomplishment.” Challenge yourself, your team, and your business a whole to think more creatively and take risks.
9. Reframe failure
   When a project doesn’t go as planned, don’t view it as a failure. Instead, view it as a learning opportunity. Reflection (see number four) will allow your organization to identify where things went wrong and understand what to do differently next time. Even though unsuccessful projects are frustrating, they’re what keeps an organization strong and informed. Be resilient.
10. Share
    When something good happens, share it! Acknowledge your team for their hard work and a job well done. Send out a company-all email and share the news. It’s these successes that will keep your team hopeful and motivated during times of turbulence.
11. Rest
    Successful organizations understand and encourage boundaries between work and personal life. Encourage your team to use their vacation time to truly unplug and relax. We all owe it to ourselves to recharge our batteries from time to time.
12. Align with purpose
    Your company’s mission, vision, and values should play a defining role in choosing the organizations that you do business with. Working with other companies who share your values will lead to mutual respect and understanding, as well as a smoother transaction.

How does your B2B organization fair in these categories? If you’ve got some work to do, start implementing these one at a time, starting with your next project. Remember, successful organizations are always pushing themselves to improve – your move.