Karas Wright Step Coaching Why You’re Stuck in the Same Business Patterns (and How to Break Free)
You’ve hired great people. You’ve upgraded your tools. You’re learning about marketing and sales strategies. You’ve put in long nights and early mornings. And yet, here you are. The same issues keep circling back. You’re likely tired, frustrated and about ready to give up.
Sound familiar?
That’s not a sign you’re doing something wrong. It’s a sign your business systems are giving you the exact outcomes they were built to deliver
Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.
— W. Edwards Deming
This article is for business owners who are tired of putting out the same fires and ready to build smarter, more sustainable ways of working. We’re talking about feedback loops, flow, and the kind of clarity that gives you back your time, your energy, your passion for your business and your competitive edge.
What Is Systems Thinking (and Why Should Business Owners Care)?
At its core, systems thinking helps you stop reacting to problems and start designing better outcomes. It’s about stepping back to see the bigger picture. It’s about how your marketing connects to your operations, how your team dynamics shape your customer experience, and how your habits impact your bottom line. It’s about figuring out how to get ahead of your invoicing and creating a process to ensure you don’t fall behind again.
The essence of systems thinking is that you can’t do just one thing.
— Donella Meadows
It’s like zooming out on your business to see the entire chessboard. Suddenly, those stuck points don’t feel so mysterious. They’re just signals from the system.
Feedback Loops: The Invisible Patterns That Run Your Business
If you’ve ever said, “Why does this keep happening?” chances are you’re bumping up against a feedback loop.
These loops run under the surface of your business, shaping behavior and outcomes:
Reinforcing loops amplify growth—or chaos. Think of a sales win that leads to more referrals, or a poorly scoped project that leads to rework, delays, and frustrated clients.
Balancing loops keep things steady—like clear capacity planning or a strong onboarding process that keeps turnover low.
Failing to understand how feedback loops work is one of the most common causes of system failure.
— Peter Senge
When feedback loops are broken, unclear, or ignored, businesses get stuck in the same old ruts. No amount of hustle can fix a system that’s working against you.
Why Small Businesses Feel It More (and How to Use It to Your Advantage)
In a small or growing business, every ripple matters. A missed deadline, a miscommunication, a cash flow snag. Each one impacts real people, real clients, and real revenue.
The greatest leverage is in the unseen—the structure of the system, not the surface.
— Donella Meadows
But here’s the good news: your size is also your superpower. You can adapt faster. You can get closer to the root. You can build systems that support your values and your vision—without layers of red tape.
What a Systems Business Coach Actually Does
Let’s be real—business owners don’t need more theory. You need someone to help you make sense of the mess and turn it into momentum.
That’s where systems coaching comes in. Here’s how I work with clients:
- We map the chaos—not to complicate, but to clarify.
- We uncover the feedback loops driving your results (both the wins and the headaches).
- We design smarter structures—ones that don’t rely on you holding it all together.
- And we implement with accountability, because ideas without execution are just expensive hobbies.
Every small business has systems. The difference is whether those systems are working for you or against you.
— Beverlee Rasmussen, Founder of Systems Business Coach®
As a Certified Systems Business Coach®, I use Beverlee’s proven framework designed specifically for small business owners. It’s practical, grounded, and built to help you lead with clarity, grow with intention, and feel like your business is finally working for you, not the other way around.
And here’s where it gets powerful: Systems thinking gives us the map. Coaching helps you navigate it.
This is where strategy meets transformation. We don’t just build better systems. We build better decision-makers. Stronger leaders. Happier business owner. Healthier businesses.
Structure produces behavior.
— John Gall
Tools That Build Clarity and Flow
When we coach together, we use tools that simplify your business, not overwhelm it. A few favorites:
- Workflow Mapping – See what’s actually happening, not just what’s supposed to.
- Loop Discovery – Identify the hidden patterns that create your current results.
- Team & Time Reviews – Build feedback into your operations in a way that’s useful and energizing.
- Scenario Planning – Make decisions from a place of clarity, not panic.
Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.
— Margaret Wheatley
The systems we build aren’t just operational; they’re relational. Human-centered. Sustainable. That’s the sweet spot where structure supports your vision without stifling it.
Final Thought: From Firefighting to Flow
- If your business feels like a never-ending cycle of solving the same problems, this isn’t a failure. It’s an invitation.
- An invitation to think differently.
- To lead more strategically.
- To build a business that works with you not one that relies on you to hold it all together.
- That’s what systems thinking unlocks. That’s what coaching empowers. And that’s the transformation we create at Wright Step Coaching.
- Because clarity isn’t a dream. It’s a system. And you don’t have to build it alone.
Yours in coaching,
Karas Wright
Karas Wright, B. Psyc, ACC, SBC, CLC
Business, Leadership & Executive Coach, Wright Step Coaching
icon 403-861-9917 icon www.wrightstepcoaching.com
