Part of my work with clients involves helping them see the things they do that don’t make sense. There are lots of reasons we do things we should change – legacy systems, old work-arounds, changing cultural norms, old mistakes, former employees, fear, bad decisions, face-saving, poor information, poor management, no sense of ownership or avenue to change for those aware of the problem – and it is hard to see them when they are totally ingrained in our daily work. The New York Daily News provides a great example. The notion that all hotel rooms must be vacated at the same time makes no sense. The idea that someone lucky enough to find their room ready early can stay for almost 24 hours but someone who arrives at midnight must be out in less than half that time makes no sense. Choosing 10:00 vs. 11:00 vs. noon and imposing that arbitrary decision on your guests makes no sense. Rushing guests out when rooms will sit empty for hours, if no the coming night, makes no sense. Beefing up your cleaning staff so they can clean all rooms in one 4 – 5 hour period makes no sense. I’ve had cleaning staff knock on my door as early as 8 AM, three hours early because they are so eager to make some progress for the checkout onslaught. What are you doing that makes no sense? What old habits or assumptions are hampering the value you provide or your ability to deliver that value predictably, reliably, and profitably? When you hear those words, “that’s just the way we do it,” the red flags should fly. Don’t do anything just because you always have!
“I’ll answer your question at 1:35.” With that he walked away. The woman ahead of me, who had been waiting far too patiently while this man attended to stuff and not to her, was incredulous. This, my friends, is a perfect example of either strategic stupidity or a lack of strategic clarity. If this is the way Delta wants customers treated, it is strategic stupidity. If it is not the way they want customers treated, it is a lack of strategic clarity. Employees make decisions all day long that either help or hinder the company’s strategy. They aren’t robots and you can’t train for every decision (not that you couldn’t train for this one!). You can, however, communicate priorities and intentions. If you want employees making smart decisions that support your priorities, they, and their managers who are responsible for their training, must understand your strategic priorities. They must understand that people at the counter are paying customers with needs that deserve attention, not to mention friendly, helpful attitudes. This isn’t rocket science. There is no excuse for either strategic stupidity or a lack of strategic clarity. Need some help with either? Give me a call at 800-527-0087.
The best and most ambitious managers make things happen. I love their enthusiasm and energy. I love their eagerness to learn and improve. I applaud their great plans and accomplishments. And then I ask about the direction of the organization. Too often it’s like pulling the plug and letting the energy, the momentum, and even the speaking volume rush down the drain. Sometimes hushed tones express concern for the organization’s future. Sometimes embarrassment or lack of confidence permeates a confused answer. Sometimes the eyeballs roll, followed by an explanation of an inept or non-existent strategic process. These responses are indicative of two possible and extremely common conditions, both of which guarantee your best employees are wasting your resources and, very possibly, looking for a new job. There is no clear, viable strategic direction Your managers do not understand and accept the strategy and its implications Why is that such a problem, especially when your top talent is accomplishing so much? The following diagram ought to make that clear: The green oval represents activities that are highly important to the organization’s strategic direction and creating a prosperous future. The red oval represents activities that will have the greatest positive impact on current operational effectiveness. In very few cases will your future organization need nothing more than a more perfect and/or expanded version of your current operations in order to thrive. How relevant to your future are your current products, current customers, current markets, current employees, current processes, current sales and distribution channels, current facilities, etc.?
The snowplow drivers must believe that destroying mailboxes and bending paper boxes is their right and duty. We are not surprised. I guess it comes with the territory. But if there were an alternative… I punch in my name, account number, and zip code for faster service. When I finally get a human being, I repeat all of the above. Why? If there were an alternative… I go to the bank to deposit a check and wait while the teller types a novella. Why? Both the check and the deposit slip feature all the machine-readable numbers they could possibly need. Even a really big deposit requires only 10 keys including the decimal to punch in the amount of the deposit. Why a book? I am bewildered but resigned to waiting. But if there were an alternative… The menu of options was so long I think I fell asleep.
Too many people confuse a mission statement with marketing. The result is either bad marketing or a confusing mission or both. On top of that, conflating the two also wastes tremendous time and energy. Mission statements and marketing have three things in common. Both should be simple, clear, and focused on value to customers. There the similarities end. And the differences are truly fundamental: different purposes and different audiences. An organization’s mission is its raison d’être. Strong, successful, focused organizations, whether for-profit or non-profit, are clear about how they wish to improve the condition of their clients, customers, members, or target populations. It doesn’t matter whether you are: Clothing the poor for warmth or the rich for status and beauty Helping the long-term unemployed develop better skills or educating the crème de la crème Providing children with colored pencils for drawing pretty pictures or engineers with computers for modeling complex systems Saving money for your customers by producing inexpensive alternatives or saving them time with costly services
There is a house down the street that the owners are renovating. They apparently have the: Desire Capability They will likely: Save money But: They will be at it many times longer than had they hired someone with the time and expertise to get the job done If that is the way you want to live, I’m all for it. However, if that is the way you run your business, think again.
Strategic planning is an oxymoron. Throwing these two words around together constantly has done a lot of damage. When I help clients with “strategic planning,” I have to undo a lot of that harm. The distinction between strategy and planning is critical, especially if your goal is to create a compelling and successful future. When you develop a strategy, you need to be looking at:
Just before the Bruins lost in game six of the Stanley Cup play-offs, I told my husband that I was worried because they had started playing not to lose. They were backing up and being cautious. I was cringing. That is not the way to win! It is not even the way to play it safe! A few weeks earlier, the Wall Street Journal wrote about US businesses becoming more risk averse. This does not bode well for our country. I’ve seen it myself when talking with clients from many industries and companies of varying size. People are finding it harder to make decisions and invest where it will make a difference. Granted, the world is increasingly complex. We face ever more and ever more complicated decisions. Those decisions include abundant opportunity, yet bad news dominates the press. Fear paralyzes. Many play not to lose. By doing so, they are missing opportunities and squandering the most precious and finite resource – time. Meanwhile, the Dow has more than doubled since 2009, housing prices and housing starts are both up, and unemployment is dropping. Profits remain high and cash is being stashed. Those who seek good news and see opportunity, where others see gloom, are constantly evaluating their options, taking prudent risks, and moving ahead. While they may not score with every shot, their willingness to act, learn, and adjust with confidence and determination will keep them in the game. So quit reading all the bad news. Develop a strong game plan and support it with the necessary investments. Keep your eye on the puck, admit your mistakes, learn, adjust, and persist. Play to win. The alternative will never make you a champion.
I haven’t made a grasshopper pie in years but this hot weather just begs for it. Let’s see. Marshmallows Heavy cream Butter Oreos – must be some protein in that chocolate! Creme de Menthe – green is always nutritious, right? Creme de Cacao – more chocolate? Milk – good enough for babies, good enough for me! Grasshopper pie is obviously a health food! Seriously now. The marshmallows are made of corn syrup and sugar. The package has a huge label reading FAT FREE! Is this: Brilliant advertising Someone’s idea of a joke Proof that Americans are gullible, stupid, or both Repulsive All of the above What do you think?
I discovered this brilliant poster at the Northampton Survival Center this evening and it could not have been more timely given the continued need for Hurricane Sandy relief along with the many pleas for support that accompany the holiday season. If you are worried about your donations being used appropriately, you may shy away from giving money. If you want to be as helpful as possible, you might rally your friends and collect a heap of canned goods and blankets. Or maybe you just feel better, more connected, and more invested when you turn over a big load of stuff. Writing a check seems so distant and impersonal. Whatever your reason, a little more information could change your mind and this photo conveys that little bit of extra information brilliantly! Eye opening, isn’t it? Has it ever occurred to you that a non-profit can do more with your money than you can?