“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.