This week the blog is going to deal with valuable first lessons I had and how important they are to growing a business as a leader. During one college summer I worked in a U.S Steel mill in Pittsburgh. I was the second shift supervisor managing guys who had spent at least some portion of their adult life behind bars. I had never been in a position of management before and this was a rough crowd! My area of responsibility was simple enough.
Large dump trucks would bring out the glowing slag (waste) from the blast furnaces where the molten steel was made and dump this slag in to mountainous piles for us to cool with high pressure hoses drawing water directly from the river. The first shift in this process was to sort the waste into reusable pieces.
My shift, the second shift, was to clean the equipment, the conveyor belts and the huge sorting bins for the next day’s usage, as well as to move the water hoses on the piles as necessary.
One evening a glowing loaded dump truck was backing up the pile to dump his load and the truck wasn’t level. When the bed lifted, it causing the truck to tip over and crash on its side. The glowing pile half emptied out the side of the bed, the driver climbed out and came running down the steam mountain that wasn’t completely cool and I went into a panic.
My crew watched what had happened and hardily laughed at the driver running, his shoes smoking from the heat of the pile he was descending. Then they looked at me. One old boy said to me,"“Well college boy, now whatcha gonna do?"
I ran to the foreman's office as fast as I could and called my boss catching him just before he went to bed. I had to repeat three times what I was trying to tell him because I was talking so fast. Finally, he understood me and he also started to laugh.
He told me, "Get a grip boy, you gonna have a heart attack. This isn't the first time a driver tipped his load." Call Lucas (the crane operator) and tell him to come in so he can right the truck and clean out the last of the load that's in the truck. Notify pitside (where the trucks were getting their glowing waste from the furnaces) and tell them they have a truck tipped and to hold off until Lucas gets there. You got it?" Umm yea. He continued, "I'm off to bed. I'm sure you can handle anything else that might come up. See you tomorrow afternoon." But, but, but.
By 7 the next morning Lucas had cleaned out the truck bed, the truck had been towed off for repairs and all had returned to normal on the glowing piles of slag operation. Just another day in the mill.
The lesson I learned: Most everything has happened before (even if it's the first time you've seen it) and as long as you keep cool, the situation can be dealt with and managed in a calm manner. My mind was convinced it was a disaster of epic proportions! When faced with a crisis, throttle down the emotion and look for a solution. Often times the biggest danger is in your mind.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
What I Learned -- From My First Department Head Job
This week the blog is going to deal with valuable first lessons I had and how important they are to growing a business as a leader.
Promotions tend to be bittersweet when you are learning the ropes. It's a thrill to get a promotion and a pay increase even though a transfer will be disruptive. After a week on my new job in a new plant I had my first meeting with the other department heads and the plant manager.
I had attended these type meetings before but every one of them is different and this one was with a plant manager known for being a hard ass. Each department manager was getting peppered with questions from the manager and every manager had a response that was very similar: the problems they were suffer were the result of what my department was feeding them. To a man they pointed the finger at me.
The plant manager reached me and asked me questions about measurements I had never heard of before at any other facility before. I figured honesty was the best policy and I told him I didn't know what the measurement was and had no idea how to get that measurement, but I was sure going to find out. Immediately, two other manager piped in about what they knew and how I should know what I was doing. The plant manager ended the meeting looking at me saying, "I hoped you were someone I could count on. I guess we will see." Welcome to the plant, new guy.
I learned that day I had no friends and was very alone. I later learned this plant manager always kept someone in his "dog house" and the other department heads only cared about it not being one of them. As far as they were concerned, I fit just fine in there. For a while that was my home until I got my feet on the ground in my new job.
Creating internal competition is only healthy if it doesn't get destructive, and it can get destructive fast. When managers are more concerned with pointing out each others mistake to avoid the leader's wrath, the positive work environment is gone for all employees.
Leaders should lead. Not pit one manager against the other; no one wins that game. If you have a new person on the team, incorporate them, and strengthen them, don't burn them.
I was told "That's just how it is in manufacturing" and to learn to deal with that. Could that be why we are closing all of our manufacturing plants in this country? That experience happened in a previous life when I was in textiles. Gee, where did that industry go? Properly invest in your employees and your investment will be returned.
Promotions tend to be bittersweet when you are learning the ropes. It's a thrill to get a promotion and a pay increase even though a transfer will be disruptive. After a week on my new job in a new plant I had my first meeting with the other department heads and the plant manager.
I had attended these type meetings before but every one of them is different and this one was with a plant manager known for being a hard ass. Each department manager was getting peppered with questions from the manager and every manager had a response that was very similar: the problems they were suffer were the result of what my department was feeding them. To a man they pointed the finger at me.
The plant manager reached me and asked me questions about measurements I had never heard of before at any other facility before. I figured honesty was the best policy and I told him I didn't know what the measurement was and had no idea how to get that measurement, but I was sure going to find out. Immediately, two other manager piped in about what they knew and how I should know what I was doing. The plant manager ended the meeting looking at me saying, "I hoped you were someone I could count on. I guess we will see." Welcome to the plant, new guy.
I learned that day I had no friends and was very alone. I later learned this plant manager always kept someone in his "dog house" and the other department heads only cared about it not being one of them. As far as they were concerned, I fit just fine in there. For a while that was my home until I got my feet on the ground in my new job.
Creating internal competition is only healthy if it doesn't get destructive, and it can get destructive fast. When managers are more concerned with pointing out each others mistake to avoid the leader's wrath, the positive work environment is gone for all employees.
Leaders should lead. Not pit one manager against the other; no one wins that game. If you have a new person on the team, incorporate them, and strengthen them, don't burn them.
I was told "That's just how it is in manufacturing" and to learn to deal with that. Could that be why we are closing all of our manufacturing plants in this country? That experience happened in a previous life when I was in textiles. Gee, where did that industry go? Properly invest in your employees and your investment will be returned.
Monday, June 22, 2009
What I learned -- From My First Boss
This week the blog is going to deal with valuable first lessons I had and how important they are to growing a business as a leader.
I had my driver's license for a month and it was time to get my first real job that wasn't delivering newspapers, cutting lawns or painting chicken coops. Those were just hard work with little income to show. My first job was as a dish washer in a family restaurant. My father told me the best employee's are those seen and not heard. I was to keep my head down work hard and that would make the best impression on my boss.
I had worked my job for three weeks and it was time I handled the business of a Friday evening dinner rush. I got word shouted back to me the waitress station was out of clean dinner plates, so I stacked about 80 dinner plates in four stacks on my cart to take down the hall way to the empty station. As I was loading the last of the plates I heard another person holler they needed the plated right now. So down the hall I went in a hurry.
I reached the end of the hall and took a sharp left turn; only the plates did'’t turn with me. The cacophony in the full dining room came to a complete silence with the sound of dozens of dinner plates crashing on the tile floor. I was now an employee who most definitely had been heard.
The sickness in my stomach was awful and my mind was trying to figure out how I was going to tell my father I had been fired from my first job. The first person I saw walk around the corner was my manager, Mr. K, as we all called him.
He walked to where I was standing and looked at the pile of broken plates on the floor. He looks me dead in the eye, and then back to the plates on the floor. I wanted to die. He then noticed two plates were still on my cart. He picked up one of the plates and held it in front of my face, and then smashed it into the pile. He looked at me and grabbed the other plate and held it in front of my face. Then smashed it into the pile.
I had no idea what the heck was going on until he spoke, "Russell how many times have I told you if you are going to do something do it all the way. Now get this mess cleaned up." And, off he walked back into the dining room.
I never heard him mention that incident again in the following couple of years I worked for him. He didn't give me grief about the money I cost him with my over exuberance to do my job. He taught me a great lesson: when an employee makes a mistake when trying to do their best, make it a teachable moment and move on.
Executives would have more loyal employees if they only responded in this manner.
I had my driver's license for a month and it was time to get my first real job that wasn't delivering newspapers, cutting lawns or painting chicken coops. Those were just hard work with little income to show. My first job was as a dish washer in a family restaurant. My father told me the best employee's are those seen and not heard. I was to keep my head down work hard and that would make the best impression on my boss.
I had worked my job for three weeks and it was time I handled the business of a Friday evening dinner rush. I got word shouted back to me the waitress station was out of clean dinner plates, so I stacked about 80 dinner plates in four stacks on my cart to take down the hall way to the empty station. As I was loading the last of the plates I heard another person holler they needed the plated right now. So down the hall I went in a hurry.
I reached the end of the hall and took a sharp left turn; only the plates did'’t turn with me. The cacophony in the full dining room came to a complete silence with the sound of dozens of dinner plates crashing on the tile floor. I was now an employee who most definitely had been heard.
The sickness in my stomach was awful and my mind was trying to figure out how I was going to tell my father I had been fired from my first job. The first person I saw walk around the corner was my manager, Mr. K, as we all called him.
He walked to where I was standing and looked at the pile of broken plates on the floor. He looks me dead in the eye, and then back to the plates on the floor. I wanted to die. He then noticed two plates were still on my cart. He picked up one of the plates and held it in front of my face, and then smashed it into the pile. He looked at me and grabbed the other plate and held it in front of my face. Then smashed it into the pile.
I had no idea what the heck was going on until he spoke, "Russell how many times have I told you if you are going to do something do it all the way. Now get this mess cleaned up." And, off he walked back into the dining room.
I never heard him mention that incident again in the following couple of years I worked for him. He didn't give me grief about the money I cost him with my over exuberance to do my job. He taught me a great lesson: when an employee makes a mistake when trying to do their best, make it a teachable moment and move on.
Executives would have more loyal employees if they only responded in this manner.
Friday, June 19, 2009
10 Walking the Edge Ideas for Kick Ass Friday
1. At lunch today if you see someone having lunch alone tell the waiter to bring you their bill. You will feel so awesome doing this!
2. At 2:15 this afternoon stand up where ever you are in the work place and holler loudly, "I love my job!" How did people react? How did that make you feel? Be an inspiration to others today.
3. Make a list of 10 reasons to trust you and send it to everybody! Then challenge them to create their own list.
4. Make a cold call to a random prospect you'd love to do business with and ask them straight up, "You know you should be doing business with us, let's forget all the posturing and get this deal done today." How did they react? How did that make you feel?
5. Plan an event over the weekend that scares you so much your ass puckered up just thinking about it. Doing karaoke sober, riding in a two-seater airplane, riding a zip line, doing a tandem jump out of an airplane: Those are what scare me!
6. Go into a Starbucks between now and Monday and ask to sit down with people you don't know and strike up a conversation with them. What did you learn? How much did it scare you to do that? Why? How did you feel when you were done?
7. Put a $10 bill on a co-workers desk with a note telling them all the stuff you appreciate about them and tell them the tenner is for them to enjoy a few beers on you after work. If you are too cheap to do this for someone who really makes a difference in your work day, you suck!
8. Write a note to your CEO telling him/her everything you appreciate about the company. They are used to only getting complaints from employees. Be sure to mention you are not sucking up, you just wanted them to hear the good stuff today.
9. Give those you work with the most a piece of paper and ask them to write on it what they wish you'd improve on. Sure it'll hurt, growth usually does.
10. This weekend stop by a softball game, a baseball game, or a swim meet, and watch kids play and compete for an hour. Can you feel the excitement? Do you remember a time in your life you were that excited? Recapture that enthusiasm in your life.
2. At 2:15 this afternoon stand up where ever you are in the work place and holler loudly, "I love my job!" How did people react? How did that make you feel? Be an inspiration to others today.
3. Make a list of 10 reasons to trust you and send it to everybody! Then challenge them to create their own list.
4. Make a cold call to a random prospect you'd love to do business with and ask them straight up, "You know you should be doing business with us, let's forget all the posturing and get this deal done today." How did they react? How did that make you feel?
5. Plan an event over the weekend that scares you so much your ass puckered up just thinking about it. Doing karaoke sober, riding in a two-seater airplane, riding a zip line, doing a tandem jump out of an airplane: Those are what scare me!
6. Go into a Starbucks between now and Monday and ask to sit down with people you don't know and strike up a conversation with them. What did you learn? How much did it scare you to do that? Why? How did you feel when you were done?
7. Put a $10 bill on a co-workers desk with a note telling them all the stuff you appreciate about them and tell them the tenner is for them to enjoy a few beers on you after work. If you are too cheap to do this for someone who really makes a difference in your work day, you suck!
8. Write a note to your CEO telling him/her everything you appreciate about the company. They are used to only getting complaints from employees. Be sure to mention you are not sucking up, you just wanted them to hear the good stuff today.
9. Give those you work with the most a piece of paper and ask them to write on it what they wish you'd improve on. Sure it'll hurt, growth usually does.
10. This weekend stop by a softball game, a baseball game, or a swim meet, and watch kids play and compete for an hour. Can you feel the excitement? Do you remember a time in your life you were that excited? Recapture that enthusiasm in your life.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Million Dollar Network is for Everyone
Networking used to be a local leads group meeting over coffee, or a group of executives meeting at a chamber Business After Hours event. Even when we were told about the theory of 6 degrees of separation, we tended to only network locally.
If the social media hasn't dramatically changed that for you, then you are using a buggy whip in rocket sled times. Twitter, facebook, LinkedIn and even MySpace have rewritten how networking can work, the distance it can cover and how it removes the barriers to reaching some very important people.
Twitter has given me over 5200 followers to date and a great way to learn and connect with people I would probably never have met otherwise. If I need to explain twitter then you've been asleep for a few years. If you really don't know what it is, check it out on Wikipedia. If you don't know what Wikipedia is, how did you even find this blog?
With twitter I communicate with people around the globe. Some famous, some dedicated to what they do, and some are just amazingly intelligent people willing to share their expertise. Fortunately, I've also met many great twitter people in the Charlotte area and I get to meet with them semi-regularly for lunches and after hours gatherings in addition to tweeting with them daily.
Networking for business and finding friendships along the way is a great way to build a solid network. Not to mention, anytime I find myself traveling to a city for work, chances are I will be able to meet with a twitter connection.
Facebook is also a great network opportunity. I have reconnected with old high school classmates, found a new easy way to stay connected with my speaker colleagues and yes, make new connections that are adding to my revenue streams. In fact, my facebook connections have actually provided me with a great new revenue stream I have seriously high expectations for!
If you don't have a twitter account or a facebook account, you are missing out on great, easy to use technology. It's good to build your network for so many reasons both personal and professional regardless what position you hold.
Networking has never been easier, has never been 24/7 like it is now, and never been more beneficial. You just have to take action to get involved. Join me on twitter (Growthsolutions) or on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/russelljwhite1) and let's network! I'll help you get started and show you the wonderful benefits of these great places. All you have to do is ask.
If the social media hasn't dramatically changed that for you, then you are using a buggy whip in rocket sled times. Twitter, facebook, LinkedIn and even MySpace have rewritten how networking can work, the distance it can cover and how it removes the barriers to reaching some very important people.
Twitter has given me over 5200 followers to date and a great way to learn and connect with people I would probably never have met otherwise. If I need to explain twitter then you've been asleep for a few years. If you really don't know what it is, check it out on Wikipedia. If you don't know what Wikipedia is, how did you even find this blog?
With twitter I communicate with people around the globe. Some famous, some dedicated to what they do, and some are just amazingly intelligent people willing to share their expertise. Fortunately, I've also met many great twitter people in the Charlotte area and I get to meet with them semi-regularly for lunches and after hours gatherings in addition to tweeting with them daily.
Networking for business and finding friendships along the way is a great way to build a solid network. Not to mention, anytime I find myself traveling to a city for work, chances are I will be able to meet with a twitter connection.
Facebook is also a great network opportunity. I have reconnected with old high school classmates, found a new easy way to stay connected with my speaker colleagues and yes, make new connections that are adding to my revenue streams. In fact, my facebook connections have actually provided me with a great new revenue stream I have seriously high expectations for!
If you don't have a twitter account or a facebook account, you are missing out on great, easy to use technology. It's good to build your network for so many reasons both personal and professional regardless what position you hold.
Networking has never been easier, has never been 24/7 like it is now, and never been more beneficial. You just have to take action to get involved. Join me on twitter (Growthsolutions) or on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/russelljwhite1) and let's network! I'll help you get started and show you the wonderful benefits of these great places. All you have to do is ask.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
A Compelling Argument to Get What You Want
Sitting at a Starbucks on a Saturday morning with the Cherry Park gang after a 4 mile sweatfest, a friend's daughter was begging her mom for a cell phone. The same old request got the same old answer from mom: No.
I told her she needed to create a compelling argument to convince her mom of why she needs a cell phone. That concept was lost on the 14 year old. I find that concept is also lost on many people in the workforce.
Employees want more from their employers. Employers want more from their employees. Salespeople want to take customers from their competitors. How do we make this happen? Begging? Whining? Wishing?
Employees want more from their employers
Because the economy is down people are getting less training, attending fewer conferences and expecting to perform more work for the same pay. It is the world we are living in. What if you wanted to attend a conference you get great value out of, but because of budget cuts fewer people get to go this year. Some people just accept they can't go. Others whine about losing the opportunity. What's your compelling argument? What piece of information could you present to your boss in the appropriate manner to convince him or her that you benefit and the company would benefit for you being at that conference?
Don't give up. Create the compelling information where you get to go to your conference. How important is it to you? Would you pay for the room? Or would you cover the cost of the flight? When I mentioned these ideas to one person whining about not getting to go to a conference he said he always got huge benefit from, he shot back, "I'm not paying for anything. If the company won't pay my way, screw'em!" I'm guessing he didn't see as great of personal value in that conference as he was suggesting.
Ask yourself how bad do you want it? If you want it bad enough you will find the compelling argument. don't fall into the trap of apathy, because you will never get what you are looking for that way.
Employers want more from employees
British Airways has asked employees to work a month without pay because the airline is in a desperate financial situation. The cynical employee might say, "It's not my fault the company is in this situation, it's not my job to help it out." Other employees might be willing to offer to help if the company made a compelling argument besides, "We are about to go under."
Once again, create the compelling argument that convinces employees this is what is best for them, the airline and the passengers. I believe unless management has totally ruined their working relationship with the employees, most people want to be helpful. But the executives need to think about their compelling argument to convince people to work a month without pay.
Taking customers from competitors
Unless a competitor totally blew an account, business customers will stay with who they are currently using most of the time. So sales people either play garbage men, picking up the accounts that have been tossed away, or they get progressive and try to be in control of their own destiny by creating a compelling argument to convince the customer they would be better off jumping ship to join you.
Today, people are savvy to spin information and jaded to big fancy pronouncements; in fact, those things will keep customers from coming with you in today's market place.
What is the compelling argument your customers need to hear so they see no other option than to work with you? Remember, the compelling argument says less about you and more about the benefits to the customer. Bashing the competition isn't a compelling argument, but talking about the overwhelming improvement in the customer's situation when they work with you is.
Spend the time creating compelling arguments to get what you are after and you will be surprised at how many times you are given what you want, willingly.
I told her she needed to create a compelling argument to convince her mom of why she needs a cell phone. That concept was lost on the 14 year old. I find that concept is also lost on many people in the workforce.
Employees want more from their employers. Employers want more from their employees. Salespeople want to take customers from their competitors. How do we make this happen? Begging? Whining? Wishing?
Employees want more from their employers
Because the economy is down people are getting less training, attending fewer conferences and expecting to perform more work for the same pay. It is the world we are living in. What if you wanted to attend a conference you get great value out of, but because of budget cuts fewer people get to go this year. Some people just accept they can't go. Others whine about losing the opportunity. What's your compelling argument? What piece of information could you present to your boss in the appropriate manner to convince him or her that you benefit and the company would benefit for you being at that conference?
Don't give up. Create the compelling information where you get to go to your conference. How important is it to you? Would you pay for the room? Or would you cover the cost of the flight? When I mentioned these ideas to one person whining about not getting to go to a conference he said he always got huge benefit from, he shot back, "I'm not paying for anything. If the company won't pay my way, screw'em!" I'm guessing he didn't see as great of personal value in that conference as he was suggesting.
Ask yourself how bad do you want it? If you want it bad enough you will find the compelling argument. don't fall into the trap of apathy, because you will never get what you are looking for that way.
Employers want more from employees
British Airways has asked employees to work a month without pay because the airline is in a desperate financial situation. The cynical employee might say, "It's not my fault the company is in this situation, it's not my job to help it out." Other employees might be willing to offer to help if the company made a compelling argument besides, "We are about to go under."
Once again, create the compelling argument that convinces employees this is what is best for them, the airline and the passengers. I believe unless management has totally ruined their working relationship with the employees, most people want to be helpful. But the executives need to think about their compelling argument to convince people to work a month without pay.
Taking customers from competitors
Unless a competitor totally blew an account, business customers will stay with who they are currently using most of the time. So sales people either play garbage men, picking up the accounts that have been tossed away, or they get progressive and try to be in control of their own destiny by creating a compelling argument to convince the customer they would be better off jumping ship to join you.
Today, people are savvy to spin information and jaded to big fancy pronouncements; in fact, those things will keep customers from coming with you in today's market place.
What is the compelling argument your customers need to hear so they see no other option than to work with you? Remember, the compelling argument says less about you and more about the benefits to the customer. Bashing the competition isn't a compelling argument, but talking about the overwhelming improvement in the customer's situation when they work with you is.
Spend the time creating compelling arguments to get what you are after and you will be surprised at how many times you are given what you want, willingly.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I Can Do That
There is a big difference between the "I can do that" of desperation and the "I can do that" of confidence.
A client hired an employee who collected two paychecks then quit, because he was no longer hungry -- for the moment anyhow. I worked beside a steelworker who committed to doing a task he had no clue how to tackle -- tens of thousands of dollars later to repair the damage he caused, he still didn't know what exactly went wrong.
I watched a local company that agreed to a low bid in order to steal the business away from a competitor although they had no idea how to do the process, didn't have the right equipment, and created a public black eye for the group that hired them as well as their own reputation.
Why do people commit to "I can do that" out of desperation?
The desperate version of "I can do that" comes from:
• An out of work person just looking for a pay check just to pay a bill.
• A company trying to grab any dollar in any field they think they can to make a buck.
• An employee wanting attention from his/her boss just to try to get ahead.
• A child trying to prove he is older then his friends give him credit for.
• An adult trying to prove he is younger than his friends give him credit for.
If you don't have a good radar to detect the desperate version of "I can do that" you can lose customers, have accidents in your work place and lose millions of dollars in the processing of trying to figure out what went wrong.
A lack of proper training can actually create a variation of this culture called "You can do that" with the same disastrous results.
The "I can do that" based in confidence is the one you work to identify and develop. Once the raw talent is there, the knowledge is there supported by confidence of correct repetition, you will find the right version of "I can do that." Its why pilot log thousands of hours before getting in the left seat in larger airplanes. Its why doctors observe and log hours before doing the delicate surgeries.
In our haste to get things done in our fast-paced business environment we are quick to accept most anyone's response of "I can do that" because we think it makes things easier for us.
A friend of mine told me he could cut down a tree for me, and it ripped out power lines. After hours of repair work, the second tree he cut did the same thing to the same power lines. I'd say he couldn't do that no matter how many times he protested "that never happened before." It surely didn't make things easier for me either.
Take your time the next opportunity you delegate a task or hire someone to do a task to make sure they know what they are doing when they tell you "I can do that."
A client hired an employee who collected two paychecks then quit, because he was no longer hungry -- for the moment anyhow. I worked beside a steelworker who committed to doing a task he had no clue how to tackle -- tens of thousands of dollars later to repair the damage he caused, he still didn't know what exactly went wrong.
I watched a local company that agreed to a low bid in order to steal the business away from a competitor although they had no idea how to do the process, didn't have the right equipment, and created a public black eye for the group that hired them as well as their own reputation.
Why do people commit to "I can do that" out of desperation?
The desperate version of "I can do that" comes from:
• An out of work person just looking for a pay check just to pay a bill.
• A company trying to grab any dollar in any field they think they can to make a buck.
• An employee wanting attention from his/her boss just to try to get ahead.
• A child trying to prove he is older then his friends give him credit for.
• An adult trying to prove he is younger than his friends give him credit for.
If you don't have a good radar to detect the desperate version of "I can do that" you can lose customers, have accidents in your work place and lose millions of dollars in the processing of trying to figure out what went wrong.
A lack of proper training can actually create a variation of this culture called "You can do that" with the same disastrous results.
The "I can do that" based in confidence is the one you work to identify and develop. Once the raw talent is there, the knowledge is there supported by confidence of correct repetition, you will find the right version of "I can do that." Its why pilot log thousands of hours before getting in the left seat in larger airplanes. Its why doctors observe and log hours before doing the delicate surgeries.
In our haste to get things done in our fast-paced business environment we are quick to accept most anyone's response of "I can do that" because we think it makes things easier for us.
A friend of mine told me he could cut down a tree for me, and it ripped out power lines. After hours of repair work, the second tree he cut did the same thing to the same power lines. I'd say he couldn't do that no matter how many times he protested "that never happened before." It surely didn't make things easier for me either.
Take your time the next opportunity you delegate a task or hire someone to do a task to make sure they know what they are doing when they tell you "I can do that."
Monday, June 15, 2009
Now is the Time for a Rally Call
I am excited to be part of a great new project. This project even has a 30 city barnstorming tour to rally the troops and spread the word on new information and exciting changes on the way. People are actually paying to attend this rally as well! Why?
They believe and are excited about the future prospects and are eager to hear straight from the people at the top what the vision is for the near future.
When was the last time you had a rally call for your employees? Today all I hear from executives is grumbling and mumblings about the economy, how work is a drag and how they are waiting and hoping for the economy to turn around. Wow, I'm so inspired by such attitudes! NOT!
This summer is the perfect time to have a rally call.
Why not plan an event for the end of July where you stop operations and call all your staff together for a day of inspiration, communication and invigoration. Have a motivational speaker kick off the day with a passionate energy building keynote. Have the CEO follow with a program on the exciting future and how everyone has a role in making a difference.
Do a fantastic lunch -- picnic style. Hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, cookies, have tent outside have some music playing. Create a fun atmosphere.
Follow lunch with a Q and A session where employees write down questions on cards and are given to the CEO to answer on the spot. No previews or yanking a "bad" question. Close the day with another motivational moment; either a speaker, a movie, slide show, something to get them excited about what is going on in the organization.
Right now everyone is looking at the gloom and doom and it is choking off any hopes of powering into the new economy with any gusto. The worst thing upper management can do is see the turning around economy and relax saying, "finally" and hoping the rising tide will life all boats including theirs.
This isn't getting stoked! This isn't having a vision! This isn't inspiring! This isn't even leadership. If you want to lead your company that means in attitude and actions more than anything else. Create the Rally Day and inspire your people to get ready for a great opportunity to make a difference in the industry you operate in.
Don't you dare talk about the cost of the day.
If you aren't willing to invest in your staff; close the doors now, because you have already quit -- you just haven't left yet.
Added note: If you think my program "Get Over the Obstacle when the Obstacle is You"
would fit your motivational slot and you mention this blog posting I will give you an insanely reduced price: 75% off my keynote fee! But that fee is only good for a rally day prior to Labor day.
They believe and are excited about the future prospects and are eager to hear straight from the people at the top what the vision is for the near future.
When was the last time you had a rally call for your employees? Today all I hear from executives is grumbling and mumblings about the economy, how work is a drag and how they are waiting and hoping for the economy to turn around. Wow, I'm so inspired by such attitudes! NOT!
This summer is the perfect time to have a rally call.
Why not plan an event for the end of July where you stop operations and call all your staff together for a day of inspiration, communication and invigoration. Have a motivational speaker kick off the day with a passionate energy building keynote. Have the CEO follow with a program on the exciting future and how everyone has a role in making a difference.
Do a fantastic lunch -- picnic style. Hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, cookies, have tent outside have some music playing. Create a fun atmosphere.
Follow lunch with a Q and A session where employees write down questions on cards and are given to the CEO to answer on the spot. No previews or yanking a "bad" question. Close the day with another motivational moment; either a speaker, a movie, slide show, something to get them excited about what is going on in the organization.
Right now everyone is looking at the gloom and doom and it is choking off any hopes of powering into the new economy with any gusto. The worst thing upper management can do is see the turning around economy and relax saying, "finally" and hoping the rising tide will life all boats including theirs.
This isn't getting stoked! This isn't having a vision! This isn't inspiring! This isn't even leadership. If you want to lead your company that means in attitude and actions more than anything else. Create the Rally Day and inspire your people to get ready for a great opportunity to make a difference in the industry you operate in.
Don't you dare talk about the cost of the day.
If you aren't willing to invest in your staff; close the doors now, because you have already quit -- you just haven't left yet.
Added note: If you think my program "Get Over the Obstacle when the Obstacle is You"
would fit your motivational slot and you mention this blog posting I will give you an insanely reduced price: 75% off my keynote fee! But that fee is only good for a rally day prior to Labor day.
Friday, June 12, 2009
10 Outrageous Customer Services Ideas for Kick Ass Friday
1. Make the information that your customers want easily available to them
The nutrition box on food is simple and to the point and everyone knows to look for it and how to read it. How can you apply this to your products and services. Get rid of the fancy tri-fold brochures -- make it a simple easy to understand post card.
2. Each employee takes personal responsibility for your customers
In Ritz Carlton hotels if an employee hears a customer complain that employee is now in ownership of resolving that complaint. If they can do it, so can your people.
It's all based on leadership expectations. What are you service expectations you back up with action?
3. Make an outrageous, extravagant effort to serve a customer
Going above and beyond the call of duty only happens when people are aware this is a desired and supported behavior. How far do you let your employees go in outrageous service? Have a teller offer in home transactions for shut-ins, Go to the local senior care facility with DVDs of movies from their time. Outrageous in good taste always works.
4. Customers have a strong sense of fair play
Honor competitors coupons, if you make customers wait give them something extra. Wouldn't you love to know when you had to pull out of a drive-thru to wait for your order they at least gave you an extra French fry order free? How can you deliver this in your business?
5. Differentiate your business
In a large mall in St. Louis a fudge shop has employees who "perform" and crowds gather to hear the performance just as the new fudge is ready. Free samples all around as well! It's the one shop in the mall everyone knows. What makes your branch, office, store, or location any different? An inflatable gorilla doesn't mean anything unless it means something to the customer. Be different in ways the customers will love.
6. The insider club
Frequent flyers, hotel points, and coffee drinkers love to be part of the inside club or the frequent user club. Customers want to feel they are considered regulars. Panera Bread got rid of their coffee cards because someone was selling the stamps on ebay and too much free coffee and bagels were leaving the store. Don't end the program, revamp it. Outsmart the crooks, but don't give up on your insider customers.
7. Be responsible for uncompromising levels of cleanliness
The best judge of management's customer care in a restaurant is the cleanliness of the bathroom and the legs of the chairs. If they are filthy the customer care will be just as bad. If retail shelves are a tangled mess, if hotel lobbies are sloppy, and delivery trucks look like moving landfills, customers will look for someone else to take their businesses to.
8. Encourage your customers to share photos of your products in use
Post customers vacation pictures of them enjoying your product in your customer traffic areas. Everyone enjoys these kinds of pictures and they are not professionally crafted photo shoots. These are normal people enjoying what you sell. Beat that!
9. T-shirts or buttons with online feedback
A restaurant has an uncensored section of their website for customer feedback and they make t-shirts and buttons for the employees to wear of the comments. Good and Bad. One shirt read, “The pizza was soooo greasy. I am assuming this was in part do to the pig fat.” With the person's name who submitted that review! Who can't laugh at that? Show that you listen to the online Yelps! It means you care and have a sense of humor about yourself.
10. Send the note
One of my clients has employees who receive wonderful letters from their customers about great service. The personal notes are gold to those employees. Why not send hand written notes to the best customers you have? We all know we have to deal with the cranky pain in the ass customers, so why not thank the ones who are a pleasure to work with?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Sad but True, Time to Get a Clue
Brian worked for the organization 13 years coming to them from IBM. He was a senior manager from day one. The president and owner of the company he reported directly to developed some serious health issues and was forced to sell the company six months ago and retire.
The new owners had Brian lay off a third of his workforce within a month of the purchase. Yesterday they came knocking on his door. They escorted him out of the building and informed him although they didn't owe him anything since he'd "only been with the company for 6 months," they would graciously give him two weeks of severance.
13 years invested as a senior executive and you are literally escorted from the building like a criminal and "graciously" offered two weeks of severance. Love ya. Mean it.
There are right ways to do tough tasks and there are wrong ways to do tough tasks. The lasting damage this poorly executed lay off will have on the remaining workers and on Brian himself is incalculable. This is sad but true, and those executives who mishandled this need to get a clue.
It reminds me of the joke sign that reads: The firings around here will continue until morale improves. Not so funny when executives are actually putting that idea into practice.
As you navigate your difficult times in this economy, you will have to take some unsavory steps and make some tough choices. That is part of being a leader and that is part of being a boss. How you handle those tough choices will determine if your staff is working with you or against you.
After reading true stories like this one, is it any wonder employees offer no loyalty to the companies they serve? If you want a workforce to be committed to you, you have to be committed to them, even when you have to lay them off. It's just smart business.
The new owners had Brian lay off a third of his workforce within a month of the purchase. Yesterday they came knocking on his door. They escorted him out of the building and informed him although they didn't owe him anything since he'd "only been with the company for 6 months," they would graciously give him two weeks of severance.
13 years invested as a senior executive and you are literally escorted from the building like a criminal and "graciously" offered two weeks of severance. Love ya. Mean it.
There are right ways to do tough tasks and there are wrong ways to do tough tasks. The lasting damage this poorly executed lay off will have on the remaining workers and on Brian himself is incalculable. This is sad but true, and those executives who mishandled this need to get a clue.
It reminds me of the joke sign that reads: The firings around here will continue until morale improves. Not so funny when executives are actually putting that idea into practice.
As you navigate your difficult times in this economy, you will have to take some unsavory steps and make some tough choices. That is part of being a leader and that is part of being a boss. How you handle those tough choices will determine if your staff is working with you or against you.
After reading true stories like this one, is it any wonder employees offer no loyalty to the companies they serve? If you want a workforce to be committed to you, you have to be committed to them, even when you have to lay them off. It's just smart business.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Social Interaction -- Should You Script It?
Look around the subway car and notices those passengers under the age of 35. What percentages are listening to headphones?
Ever been to dinner with a someone under the age of 30 and they texted throughout the entire meal?
How about rode in a bus or even sat beside a person of this age in an airport?
I'm finding an increase in the inability of employees to handle complaints, cross-sell and deal with personal interaction with fellow employees, managers and customers. What should a company do?
Handheld video games, ipods and smart phones have removed a significant amount of social interaction. Obviously, this isn't only happening with the younger age groups, but the younger generations are the ones who have had these options available almost their entire lives. They are missing the development opportunity for critical social interaction skills.
Soon you will have employees who have communicated predominately through computers and texts their entire lives. In a social setting where they are not the center of attention they are usually absorbed by a game or phone or music and completely tuning out the world around them and focusing on the world in their hand.
How will these folks do with social conflict with fellow employees, managers and customers? No reset buttons here. You can't close the screen or turn off the electronic gadget when a customer is complaining about a problem they are having.
Interaction training
The social interaction that was once learned on the play grounds and during after school neighborhood pick up games has been replaced with structured play dates with friends and electronic games where opponents can literally be halfway around the world and is only known by the name on the screen. Not much socializing and learning to deal with people different from yourself.
Employers need to be training employees on the meaning of social interaction. During customer service training and sales training employers should actually create scripted responses to certain situations. During your training discuss the best response to customer complaints. Then have every attendee write it down. In fact, creating flash cards with scripted responses are a great start to teaching the words to use when interacting as a representative of the company.
The scripts are not intended to teach the employee not to think during such interactions, but it is a good way to get them to understand the right approach with people and how to structure proper communications with people.
Think this is a bit too simple? Take notice of how your interaction is with customer service representatives in the retail and food industry. Get back to me on that.
Ever been to dinner with a someone under the age of 30 and they texted throughout the entire meal?
How about rode in a bus or even sat beside a person of this age in an airport?
I'm finding an increase in the inability of employees to handle complaints, cross-sell and deal with personal interaction with fellow employees, managers and customers. What should a company do?
Handheld video games, ipods and smart phones have removed a significant amount of social interaction. Obviously, this isn't only happening with the younger age groups, but the younger generations are the ones who have had these options available almost their entire lives. They are missing the development opportunity for critical social interaction skills.
Soon you will have employees who have communicated predominately through computers and texts their entire lives. In a social setting where they are not the center of attention they are usually absorbed by a game or phone or music and completely tuning out the world around them and focusing on the world in their hand.
How will these folks do with social conflict with fellow employees, managers and customers? No reset buttons here. You can't close the screen or turn off the electronic gadget when a customer is complaining about a problem they are having.
Interaction training
The social interaction that was once learned on the play grounds and during after school neighborhood pick up games has been replaced with structured play dates with friends and electronic games where opponents can literally be halfway around the world and is only known by the name on the screen. Not much socializing and learning to deal with people different from yourself.
Employers need to be training employees on the meaning of social interaction. During customer service training and sales training employers should actually create scripted responses to certain situations. During your training discuss the best response to customer complaints. Then have every attendee write it down. In fact, creating flash cards with scripted responses are a great start to teaching the words to use when interacting as a representative of the company.
The scripts are not intended to teach the employee not to think during such interactions, but it is a good way to get them to understand the right approach with people and how to structure proper communications with people.
Think this is a bit too simple? Take notice of how your interaction is with customer service representatives in the retail and food industry. Get back to me on that.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Speed Test Your Process
If NASCAR pit crews can have 6 guys change four tires, fill 18 gallons of gas, make a suspension adjustment, clean the grill and the windshield in 14 seconds why do you have to drop off your car to get your tires rotated?
If you are pre-approved for a mortgage, have the number of a surveyor, house inspector and a bug guy who can give you a termite letter, not to mention an a real estate attorney on call; why does it take three weeks to get through the process with today’s available technology?
Go to the store to buy a just released CD you gotta have? Nope, just hit the computer and download it in a matter of minutes. Walk though a book store to see the latest new books on leadership? Hit the computer. Need to check your balance at the local credit union? Fire up the computer from the chair in your office.
Speed is the new defining factor that sets the best from the rest. Food, cars, vacations, buying airline tickets and even emergency room waits -- speed is important.
How are you analyzing your processes to find more speed to get it to the customer faster? Car loans, customer orders, oil changes, getting a doctor into a waiting patient, people are making speed choices all the time. As a society we no longer expect to wait. We want what we want and we want it now, or we will find somewhere else to get it. This just isn’t for those serving consumers, this is even more important in the B2B world.
Define your processes and gather realistic data as to the current speed. Using this as your baseline get information on what potential speed improvements you can make. Include those who operate that process and give them a goal of a 10% improvement.
You will be as amazed as I have been with the results. Once you get those involved who know the process and take emotion out of the problem solving process, new insights occur and results happen.
If you are pre-approved for a mortgage, have the number of a surveyor, house inspector and a bug guy who can give you a termite letter, not to mention an a real estate attorney on call; why does it take three weeks to get through the process with today’s available technology?
Go to the store to buy a just released CD you gotta have? Nope, just hit the computer and download it in a matter of minutes. Walk though a book store to see the latest new books on leadership? Hit the computer. Need to check your balance at the local credit union? Fire up the computer from the chair in your office.
Speed is the new defining factor that sets the best from the rest. Food, cars, vacations, buying airline tickets and even emergency room waits -- speed is important.
How are you analyzing your processes to find more speed to get it to the customer faster? Car loans, customer orders, oil changes, getting a doctor into a waiting patient, people are making speed choices all the time. As a society we no longer expect to wait. We want what we want and we want it now, or we will find somewhere else to get it. This just isn’t for those serving consumers, this is even more important in the B2B world.
Define your processes and gather realistic data as to the current speed. Using this as your baseline get information on what potential speed improvements you can make. Include those who operate that process and give them a goal of a 10% improvement.
You will be as amazed as I have been with the results. Once you get those involved who know the process and take emotion out of the problem solving process, new insights occur and results happen.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Abandon the Mission Statement
Mission statements became literary prose framed and hung in lobbies as a proud piece of executive leadership. Some organizations are still concerned with the quality of their mission statement and how well it's worded. Let it go.
Ask your front line employees what the mission statement is or what the intent of a mission statement is and they will look blankly at you.
Ask your customers what your mission statement is and what it means, and you will get the same blank look.
Ask your executives how the mission statement has changed over the past five years and why those changes were made and see what they have to say.
How has your work environment changed in the last 12 months? How has your work process changed in the last 12 months? How have you changed your mission statement to reflect these turbulent times? Exactly my point.
The business environment is changing rapidly with no expectation to return to how it was 18 months ago. The future economy and the future approach to business will be dramatically different. Mission statements are fine when you are floating along in an unchanging environment, but in today's times, mission statements need replaced with improvement strategies.
Improvement strategies in:
Process improvements
Innovation, streamlining of job tasks, and gathering ideas from those who work on the front lines should be a focus in finding better methods. Because budgets are tight organizations are resistant to spending for new technology, I understand that. So focus on the improvements that can be made for little or no technology investment.
How can you modify work flow? How can you cross train to have better job coverage, what ideas can you get from the front lines to speed processes, improve quality and accountability? This strategy will do more for getting employee buy in and commitment than any sentence framed on a wall in the lobby.
Customer interaction
To bring back customers, companies are in a battle field of convincing customers to return to previous spending habits and exactly where to spend that money! There has never been a more important time for creating a compelling argument as to why customers need to return to you.
Make that compelling argument through savvy marketing, outstanding customer service, and delivering the exact product customers are looking for at a bargain price.
Mission statement came along when executives needed to spell out the direction they wanted the organization to head. It improved communications from the top to the bottom. In the age of information employees are better informed and are numb to well crafted messages. They are more swayed by the actions and investments of time and energy from the executives, than a well worded piece of paper. Let your actions speak louder than words.
Ask your front line employees what the mission statement is or what the intent of a mission statement is and they will look blankly at you.
Ask your customers what your mission statement is and what it means, and you will get the same blank look.
Ask your executives how the mission statement has changed over the past five years and why those changes were made and see what they have to say.
How has your work environment changed in the last 12 months? How has your work process changed in the last 12 months? How have you changed your mission statement to reflect these turbulent times? Exactly my point.
The business environment is changing rapidly with no expectation to return to how it was 18 months ago. The future economy and the future approach to business will be dramatically different. Mission statements are fine when you are floating along in an unchanging environment, but in today's times, mission statements need replaced with improvement strategies.
Improvement strategies in:
Process improvements
Innovation, streamlining of job tasks, and gathering ideas from those who work on the front lines should be a focus in finding better methods. Because budgets are tight organizations are resistant to spending for new technology, I understand that. So focus on the improvements that can be made for little or no technology investment.
How can you modify work flow? How can you cross train to have better job coverage, what ideas can you get from the front lines to speed processes, improve quality and accountability? This strategy will do more for getting employee buy in and commitment than any sentence framed on a wall in the lobby.
Customer interaction
To bring back customers, companies are in a battle field of convincing customers to return to previous spending habits and exactly where to spend that money! There has never been a more important time for creating a compelling argument as to why customers need to return to you.
Make that compelling argument through savvy marketing, outstanding customer service, and delivering the exact product customers are looking for at a bargain price.
Mission statement came along when executives needed to spell out the direction they wanted the organization to head. It improved communications from the top to the bottom. In the age of information employees are better informed and are numb to well crafted messages. They are more swayed by the actions and investments of time and energy from the executives, than a well worded piece of paper. Let your actions speak louder than words.
Friday, June 5, 2009
10 Ideas for Being Different on Kick Ass Friday
We are such creatures of habit. Guys have roughly 50 neckties in a closet yet routinely wear less than ten. Cities have dozens of restaurants yet, people get stuck in going to the same few. We sit at our desks and push the same papers, answer the same calls and talk with the same people most every day.
The difference between a rut and a groove is you want to be in a groove, you find yourself stuck in a rut. Do you know the difference between a rut and a grave? Depth.
Use today to leap out of your rut and do everything different.
1. Brush your teeth with your opposite hand. Harder than you thought? So are lots of simple tasks others have never tried. Explain action expectations in detail.
2. Drive to work along a different route. What contingencies do you need to discover for your routine business practices?
3. Assign another attendee to lead the managers meeting. Hand off the meeting at the last minute. See how well that person responds under pressure. How ready are they for a leadership role?
4. Spend more hours outside of your office getting to know your workforce on a deeper level. You don’t know your employees as people as well as you think. Make the effort.
5. Take two hours in the afternoon uninterrupted in your conference room with three other executives. Post flip chart paper on the walls each with a separate title: Marketing, Sales, Leadership, Products, Services, Customer/Client, Employee morale. Hand each executive a pad of small sticky notes and take the full two hours generating new ideas. Post the idea on which eve r topic it applies to. Create an action plan for those ideas you want to immediately put to work.
6. You should be feeling the walls of your rut get smaller. You should be accessing parts of your brain that hasn’t fired for too long if you are working the previous idea correctly. If not, dig deeper. In fact, dig deeper anyhow.
7. Interchange a few employees between jobs today. They will each have a better appreciation of what the other job entails.
8. Ask every executive to turn off their computers and phones for one hour and tell them to use that hour to think of what could be done better in their department. Yea they freaked out at this idea, but you do this when you are in your manager meetings an hour too long already? This will be constructive.
9. Bring in lunch from a brand new restaurant and tell all the executives they don’t get to leave the building for lunch. Will they be upset? Yea stretching into new ways can be tough.
10. What information are you “saving” for the managers meeting? Tweet it, text it or blog on it. Use faster methods of information distribution.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Face Time is Making a Comeback
What a great idea we had to have employees working from home. They could avoid rush hour traffic, dress comfortably and have more time and energy to focus on the work they needed to accomplish for the day. Companies had less cubical space to pay for and could be more efficient.
In profitable times being a home-based employee was a nice perk for the employee and saved on some overhead for the employer. Business had grown up to have a better trusting relationship with employees. They no longer had to be under thumb.
In the last year as employers lose profits and become more concerned about every employee action they are recalling home-based employees to work places. Suddenly, face time has become more important.
Are companies no longer trusting employees to get their work down or is it a reaction to losing money where employers just want to have a better handle on what is really being accomplished?
Companies pulling workers back to the central locations are reacting to bad news out of fear. Employer concerns are causing the new to be abandoned for the old reliable. Managers are demonstrating that type of reaction and the old style of leadership seems more comfortable, so it is returning.
It's possible employers went too far in creating home-based employees; however, it is also possible this reaction will damage employee morale and create an atmosphere of distrust. What should an employer do?
If an executive felt confident employees were not taking advantage of being out of sight to slack off or kick back, then the idea of home-based employees is still a sound one, regardless of profitability. In this case, the employer needs to avoid the knee-jerk reaction of going back to old ways.
By pulling everyone back into offices in a central location as a reaction to challenging economic times sends a bad message. Ask yourself: Do I believe we need more face time where people can brainstorm and team up to work on projects and continue to function as a team? Or, do I believe I need tighter controls and thereby need to call the workforce back in the workplace?
There is nothing wrong with needing more face time with employees to give direction, share ideas, and increase interaction. Getting more face time with employees because you suddenly feel the need to hover over people while they work so you can closely monitor them is not a good reason to be increasing face time. Increased face time with employees is all about the motivation. What's yours?
In profitable times being a home-based employee was a nice perk for the employee and saved on some overhead for the employer. Business had grown up to have a better trusting relationship with employees. They no longer had to be under thumb.
In the last year as employers lose profits and become more concerned about every employee action they are recalling home-based employees to work places. Suddenly, face time has become more important.
Are companies no longer trusting employees to get their work down or is it a reaction to losing money where employers just want to have a better handle on what is really being accomplished?
Companies pulling workers back to the central locations are reacting to bad news out of fear. Employer concerns are causing the new to be abandoned for the old reliable. Managers are demonstrating that type of reaction and the old style of leadership seems more comfortable, so it is returning.
It's possible employers went too far in creating home-based employees; however, it is also possible this reaction will damage employee morale and create an atmosphere of distrust. What should an employer do?
If an executive felt confident employees were not taking advantage of being out of sight to slack off or kick back, then the idea of home-based employees is still a sound one, regardless of profitability. In this case, the employer needs to avoid the knee-jerk reaction of going back to old ways.
By pulling everyone back into offices in a central location as a reaction to challenging economic times sends a bad message. Ask yourself: Do I believe we need more face time where people can brainstorm and team up to work on projects and continue to function as a team? Or, do I believe I need tighter controls and thereby need to call the workforce back in the workplace?
There is nothing wrong with needing more face time with employees to give direction, share ideas, and increase interaction. Getting more face time with employees because you suddenly feel the need to hover over people while they work so you can closely monitor them is not a good reason to be increasing face time. Increased face time with employees is all about the motivation. What's yours?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
What Are You Waiting For?
Now is not the time to innovate.
Now is not the time to experiment and take risks.
Now is not the time to do anything rash, just hold the course.
No way.
Those three comments are attributed to CEOs in the last week when asked about their growth strategies. I was disappointed to hear such responses because each of them are the exact opposite of what leadership should be thinking -- that is if they want to grow their businesses and at a minimum maintain market share.
Now is the time to innovate
The ready made excuses for not innovating at this time are budgets, the economy, and we have to cut back. So the economy is challenging? No kidding. Reductions have to be made in certain areas? You should be examining your costs every year regardless of the economy. So that excuse doesn't hold water either. Your budget process is so old style is leaves no room for adjustments? Get with the new fluidity of business if you want to survive because a once a year budget isn't moving fast enough to keep pace with the world of commerce.
Innovations need to be happening every year, every day, and in every meeting. In this economy more than ever innovation needs to be at the forefront of your growth. Fear is causing people to hide and stop necessary business practices that feed the long-term health of the organization. Innovation drives growth, which creates positive activity within an organization, as well as, fuels positive attitudes which are critical to keeping the executives and the workforce focused on making things better. This economy is all the more reason to innovate, to better position your company and to create operational improvements.
Now is the time for experimentation
In talking with a restaurant owner we kicked around ideas to attract customers. We thought of many great ideas to create buzz and establish a unique message without alienating the foundation of the organizations products and services. Unfortunately, the loss of energy stopped the experimentation before it started. There is no doubt this economy is sapping people's energy and drives to try the new and different. To hear one business owner, he is just trying to put one foot in front of the other until we get back to the way it was. It’s never going to be the way it was.
Executives need to find ways to be profitable and grow in the way it is. Trying new things in products, marketing and leadership approach will have great results if you keep at it.
Try something rash and do not hold steady on your current course
Holding steady is one of the contributors to the downfall of the Big Three auto makers in this country. They didn't react fast enough to changing labor trends and customer expectations. Instead, they kept doing the same type of things they always have done. If we can put a man on the moon with the power of a slide rule, don't you think we could've invented a combustion engine that could get 200 miles per gallon?
The 1970's had the first wake up call this industry missed between the oil shortage and arrival of foreign cars. If they had decided then to try a different course of action other than seeking protection, we'd have efficient vehicles who could reach 200 MPG.
This economy is America's big wake up call. If we decide to hold steady on the course we have been in we will end up like the Big Three. I'm not saying panic at all, what I am saying is we need to crank up the innovation machines and the desire to grab hold of the new economy, and do something rash – like fight for the opportunity to be the best in a global market.
Now is not the time to experiment and take risks.
Now is not the time to do anything rash, just hold the course.
No way.
Those three comments are attributed to CEOs in the last week when asked about their growth strategies. I was disappointed to hear such responses because each of them are the exact opposite of what leadership should be thinking -- that is if they want to grow their businesses and at a minimum maintain market share.
Now is the time to innovate
The ready made excuses for not innovating at this time are budgets, the economy, and we have to cut back. So the economy is challenging? No kidding. Reductions have to be made in certain areas? You should be examining your costs every year regardless of the economy. So that excuse doesn't hold water either. Your budget process is so old style is leaves no room for adjustments? Get with the new fluidity of business if you want to survive because a once a year budget isn't moving fast enough to keep pace with the world of commerce.
Innovations need to be happening every year, every day, and in every meeting. In this economy more than ever innovation needs to be at the forefront of your growth. Fear is causing people to hide and stop necessary business practices that feed the long-term health of the organization. Innovation drives growth, which creates positive activity within an organization, as well as, fuels positive attitudes which are critical to keeping the executives and the workforce focused on making things better. This economy is all the more reason to innovate, to better position your company and to create operational improvements.
Now is the time for experimentation
In talking with a restaurant owner we kicked around ideas to attract customers. We thought of many great ideas to create buzz and establish a unique message without alienating the foundation of the organizations products and services. Unfortunately, the loss of energy stopped the experimentation before it started. There is no doubt this economy is sapping people's energy and drives to try the new and different. To hear one business owner, he is just trying to put one foot in front of the other until we get back to the way it was. It’s never going to be the way it was.
Executives need to find ways to be profitable and grow in the way it is. Trying new things in products, marketing and leadership approach will have great results if you keep at it.
Try something rash and do not hold steady on your current course
Holding steady is one of the contributors to the downfall of the Big Three auto makers in this country. They didn't react fast enough to changing labor trends and customer expectations. Instead, they kept doing the same type of things they always have done. If we can put a man on the moon with the power of a slide rule, don't you think we could've invented a combustion engine that could get 200 miles per gallon?
The 1970's had the first wake up call this industry missed between the oil shortage and arrival of foreign cars. If they had decided then to try a different course of action other than seeking protection, we'd have efficient vehicles who could reach 200 MPG.
This economy is America's big wake up call. If we decide to hold steady on the course we have been in we will end up like the Big Three. I'm not saying panic at all, what I am saying is we need to crank up the innovation machines and the desire to grab hold of the new economy, and do something rash – like fight for the opportunity to be the best in a global market.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Where Did Our Future Go?
In the 1950's and 60's the sci-fi vision of the future in the 21st Century was one filled with technological bliss of moving sidewalks in cities, flying cars as a typical mode of transportation, and vacations in space for the average person.
Here we are 40 years later from that vision –- but where are these things? Some say it’s the inability to put these inventions in to a practical application. I have a different perspective.
Think of the sci-fi movies of today like Terminator. Wall E and The Matrix. What is the vision of the future? Is it a blissful environment where everyone has a better life through technology? No, it is a dire wasteland of an apocalyptic vision.
What changed between these two future outlooks? Attitude.
The 1960's ended with one of the greatest scientific projects ever attempted: putting a man on the moon (with the computer power of what amounts to a Wal-Mart watch today.) A President set the vision and the commitment of a country was set. It was an astounding accomplishment based, in a common vision, commitment and a can do spirit.
Those are same components that created such a positive outlook of the future at that time. People rallied for common causes, people had a positive outlook of the future, and as we've seen on many mechanical marvels, the focus of great talent can accomplish great things with the technology available at that time. In other words, it wasn't the technology that made these marvels reality, it was the people.
Compare those attitudes with the prevalent attitudes of today. Cynicism has replaced positive thinking. Rallying around a common cause has dissolved into debate and posturing along political party lines and for every can-do attitude there is a talking head on a news channel with an opposing view. We have no consensus building, we have polarization.
Does the technology exist to create flying cars, moving sidewalks and vacation space travel? Absolutely, the capability of our technology and scientific skill is unmatched in history. The only thing keeping us from blissful living through technology is … Attitude.
If we could dedicate resources to a common cause and rally around that common cause, the results would be staggering and as impressive as the moon landing was in its day. If we want to get out of this recession, we can, if we want to create a meaningful education system, we can, if we want a health care system that is the envy of the world, we can.
We just need to roll back attitudes to the 1960's and we could get it done. If we want it bad enough. If we are willing to rally together. If we believe we can do this with focus and without the concern for special interests groups. Sadly, I'm afraid that may be more difficult than landing a man on the moon. Let's hope we as a country wake up in time to rally before we have to abandon ship. Our future is what we can see and make happen.
Here we are 40 years later from that vision –- but where are these things? Some say it’s the inability to put these inventions in to a practical application. I have a different perspective.
Think of the sci-fi movies of today like Terminator. Wall E and The Matrix. What is the vision of the future? Is it a blissful environment where everyone has a better life through technology? No, it is a dire wasteland of an apocalyptic vision.
What changed between these two future outlooks? Attitude.
The 1960's ended with one of the greatest scientific projects ever attempted: putting a man on the moon (with the computer power of what amounts to a Wal-Mart watch today.) A President set the vision and the commitment of a country was set. It was an astounding accomplishment based, in a common vision, commitment and a can do spirit.
Those are same components that created such a positive outlook of the future at that time. People rallied for common causes, people had a positive outlook of the future, and as we've seen on many mechanical marvels, the focus of great talent can accomplish great things with the technology available at that time. In other words, it wasn't the technology that made these marvels reality, it was the people.
Compare those attitudes with the prevalent attitudes of today. Cynicism has replaced positive thinking. Rallying around a common cause has dissolved into debate and posturing along political party lines and for every can-do attitude there is a talking head on a news channel with an opposing view. We have no consensus building, we have polarization.
Does the technology exist to create flying cars, moving sidewalks and vacation space travel? Absolutely, the capability of our technology and scientific skill is unmatched in history. The only thing keeping us from blissful living through technology is … Attitude.
If we could dedicate resources to a common cause and rally around that common cause, the results would be staggering and as impressive as the moon landing was in its day. If we want to get out of this recession, we can, if we want to create a meaningful education system, we can, if we want a health care system that is the envy of the world, we can.
We just need to roll back attitudes to the 1960's and we could get it done. If we want it bad enough. If we are willing to rally together. If we believe we can do this with focus and without the concern for special interests groups. Sadly, I'm afraid that may be more difficult than landing a man on the moon. Let's hope we as a country wake up in time to rally before we have to abandon ship. Our future is what we can see and make happen.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Make Your Financial Budget Fluid
After reading that title I know a few readers thought, "My budget is very fluid; it's going right down the drain." That's not exactly the fluidity I am talking about. See if this sounds familiar…
It's November and you are meeting with your board of directors to finalize and approve a budget for the coming year, and some board members want to get in line item discussions, some board members just want to get the meeting over with and some executives pad the budget knowing the board is going to want to trim every budget presented.
It's a game played out in businesses all over the country. And, the time for such games has passed.
Budgeting in the 70's was a relatively new tool for businesses not in the Fortune 500. In the late 80's budget review became a way to cut labor in downsizing efforts. In the 90's prosperity swelled budgets and executive compensation. A once a year budget review was considered often enough since the meetings were often contentious.
The new economy we are currently in moves at a faster pace than ever before and dramatic changes can happen at previously unheard of speed. The best businesses are keeping budgets very fluid. If marketing needs to invest in new technology in July to stay competitive but this was an unforeseen expense the previous November, the company must take the needed action. Seriously, what are you going to do, sit there watching your company lose market share because to spend the needed funds "wasn't in the budget" and just throw up your hands?
You'd be amazed at the hundreds if not thousands of companies that are doing just that right now.
Get in the Game
A budget did not come down from Mt. Sinai carved in stone, yet it gets treated as such. A budget is a guide line for the executives to project expenses based on the business conditions at the time of the budget creation. (Well, it should be.) But, most organization do not do industry projections for the coming year and then determine the budget necessary to be competitive and grow. They just tweak the budget from the year prior.
Do your research on what is coming in the next 12 months, and budget accordingly with the expectation that significant adjustments will be made as the year progresses as the climate dictates. You have to be in the game to know how to be proactive and use your financial resources to win.
Trust in the Decision Maker
If the board of directors can't trust the executives to make the proper financial decisions on the run as the year progresses, one of two things must happen. Either the board needs changed because they don't understand they are not a micro-managing entity, or the executive needs to be changed because he or she can't be trusted to make the right decisions.
The executive needs to have the controls of his organization. He also needs to be focused and willing to make potentially career-risking decisions for the good of the company. Those decisions often deal with financial resources put at risk through investments, research, a new direction or a marketing campaign that has never been tried before. Without a fluid budget, those decisions can't be made on the fly, and at the pace of today's business world, if you don't take action swiftly, the opportunity is gone.
It's November and you are meeting with your board of directors to finalize and approve a budget for the coming year, and some board members want to get in line item discussions, some board members just want to get the meeting over with and some executives pad the budget knowing the board is going to want to trim every budget presented.
It's a game played out in businesses all over the country. And, the time for such games has passed.
Budgeting in the 70's was a relatively new tool for businesses not in the Fortune 500. In the late 80's budget review became a way to cut labor in downsizing efforts. In the 90's prosperity swelled budgets and executive compensation. A once a year budget review was considered often enough since the meetings were often contentious.
The new economy we are currently in moves at a faster pace than ever before and dramatic changes can happen at previously unheard of speed. The best businesses are keeping budgets very fluid. If marketing needs to invest in new technology in July to stay competitive but this was an unforeseen expense the previous November, the company must take the needed action. Seriously, what are you going to do, sit there watching your company lose market share because to spend the needed funds "wasn't in the budget" and just throw up your hands?
You'd be amazed at the hundreds if not thousands of companies that are doing just that right now.
Get in the Game
A budget did not come down from Mt. Sinai carved in stone, yet it gets treated as such. A budget is a guide line for the executives to project expenses based on the business conditions at the time of the budget creation. (Well, it should be.) But, most organization do not do industry projections for the coming year and then determine the budget necessary to be competitive and grow. They just tweak the budget from the year prior.
Do your research on what is coming in the next 12 months, and budget accordingly with the expectation that significant adjustments will be made as the year progresses as the climate dictates. You have to be in the game to know how to be proactive and use your financial resources to win.
Trust in the Decision Maker
If the board of directors can't trust the executives to make the proper financial decisions on the run as the year progresses, one of two things must happen. Either the board needs changed because they don't understand they are not a micro-managing entity, or the executive needs to be changed because he or she can't be trusted to make the right decisions.
The executive needs to have the controls of his organization. He also needs to be focused and willing to make potentially career-risking decisions for the good of the company. Those decisions often deal with financial resources put at risk through investments, research, a new direction or a marketing campaign that has never been tried before. Without a fluid budget, those decisions can't be made on the fly, and at the pace of today's business world, if you don't take action swiftly, the opportunity is gone.
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