Welcome to the Haunted Roundtable. Here, ghostly handshakes are never taken, and the air is thick with the chill of forgotten lessons.
In the centre of this gloomy gathering sits the Growth Grave Digger, quietly shovelling soil over your hard-won progress before it ever has the chance to bloom.
This villain is the reason why so many survey firms feel like they are constantly starting from scratch, and getting nowhere.
How the Grave Digger Sabotages Survey Firms
The Growth Grave Digger doesn’t scream or howl. He works in silence, convincing you that once a campaign is done, it’s best left for dead. He thrives when you move relentlessly to the “next big thing” without looking back at what you’ve just achieved.
You know he’s at the table when:
- There’s no review process – you finish a project or a marketing push and immediately rush to the next one, leaving valuable data to rot
- You never refine what worked – instead of polishing a successful strategy, you abandon it to chase a new shiny object
- You are constantly starting from zero – because you don’t build on past wins, every month feels like a heavy lift, reinventing the wheel over and over again
It’s not a lack of effort that’s the problem. It’s a lack of reflection. The Growth Grave Digger ensures you stay busy, but never truly grow.
Why Reflection Matters
Marketing isn’t a one-and-done magic trick; it strengthens through iteration. When you fail to reflect, you stay stuck in the mud, spinning your wheels while the Grave Digger keeps piling more dirt and worms onto your potential.
The cost of ignoring him is high:
- Stagnation: You might be busy, but your business isn’t evolving
- Wasted Budget: You keep paying for mistakes you could have fixed months ago
- Burnout: Your team gets exhausted pushing boulders uphill because they never learn the easier path
How to Stop the Growth Grave Digger
Lay down his shovel for good! The antidote to his nasty tactics is a simple, consistent rhythm of review. It’s about building a cycle you can sustain forever, no more digging holes and abandoning progress.
Here’s how to break the curse:
- Establish monthly reflection rituals
Set aside time to look back. It doesn’t have to be a full séance, just a focused hour to ask: “What actually happened?” - Use the “What Worked vs. What to Improve” review
Keep it simple. Identify the top three wins to replicate and the top three failures to fix. This simple clarity strips the Grave Digger of his power. - Tighten the plan every 90 days
Quarterly planning isn’t just corporate jargon. It’s your opportunity to pivot based on real evidence, ensuring your strategy gets sharper, not duller, over time.
👉 In Phase 9 of The Academy 2.0, we show you exactly how to build this sustainable cycle, so you stop burying your wins and start compounding them.
GMA 2.0 is coming soon! Sign up to get the latest news on the release.