Ready,... Aim,... Wait?

It's funny how many organizations practice the age old art of procrastination.   Is it that they fear poor execution?  Could it be that if they actually pull the trigger there is little left for them to do?  I'm not sure.  But as I have heard Zig Zigglar say hundreds of times, 'If you are waiting for every light to be green before you start your journey, you will never move.'  It's always about the execution.

No matter how clear you would like the picture to be, it will change as soon as you begin to engage.  Try to predict possible outcomes and know that you will need to guide and redirect along the way.   Don't be afraid to pull the trigger.  Next time you take aim, make sure you fire.

Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see farther.
J. P. Morgan

Dreaming Dreams that Dreamer's Never Dare to Dream

Do you remember the feeling you had as a child the day before a big game, a hot date, or vacation?  If you were like me, it was hard to sleep the night before.  Your mind would race through all possible outcomes and you would select a few of the best (hopefully) to dwell on.  That feeling is anticipation.  Those outcomes become expectation.

Invariably there are days when expectations turn to disappointments.  I think the first time this happened someone said 'You'll get em next time' and the second time they said 'Can't win em all.'  On and on it goes, a new cliche for every disappointment.  Soon we started to lower expectations.  We began to see things in a new light.  It was called many things; maturity, intelligence, reason and so on.  What if we rejected the words of comfort and dug our heals in?  Maybe people would use words like; determined, competitive, dreamer.

I hope to remind you that some of the worlds greatest advancements came from determined dreamers.  The telephone, the electric home, combustion engines, gasoline, division of labor (you can buy food...you don't have to hunt or grow it), the internet, automobiles, the interstate highway, space travel and on and on.  So forget the words meant to console and redirect your pain to dream again, dreaming dreams that dreamers never dare to dream!

"When the legends die, the dreams end; there is no more greatness." 

                                                                                         Tecumseh of the Shawnees

"Wussified"

Thinking about effective leadership styles and I can't help but come back to those who are uncompromising in their values and steadfast to their goals.  What happened to these guys?  Have we become so wussified  that they have disappeared?   While we were saving the three toed salamander, we vilified the leader with a moral compass, the explorer, the entrepreneur.  I'm not talking about political parties here.  I'm not talking about man vs. woman.  I'm talking about those who have held firmly to their beliefs through the storms of life, the hail of criticism and endured the tests of time.  Where are they now?

Have we rejected them so badly these thought leaders no longer wish to lead?Has the pain of suffering finally tilted the scale and now weighs heavier than their values and sense of duty?  The urban dictionary defines it like this:

Wussified: Something or somebody good and authentic that has been dumbed down, gentrified and made palatable to metrosexuals, and even girls.

Say it ain't so, Joe.  If all leaders are becoming wussified then who will stand up to the outlaws?  True leaders will never succumb to the vocal minority.  They push back and they don't back down.  They don't ask for quarter yet they may offer it to their adversaries (no guarantee). Leaders unite their followers toward a goal or series of goals.  God knows we are not short on causes more serious than that three toed salamander. Who would top your list of non-wussified leaders?

Wake the Man Up!

As a child of the 60's I remember when people used to talk about "The Man."  The term was used to identify anyone in a position of authority who it was almost universally accepted that rank and file workers were to pull one over on.  It became pop culture in the 80's and 90's to continue the joke.  Here are a few of my favorites:

You can't let the man keep you down.

I wanted the day off but the man said I have to work.

I'm gonna skip out on a few hours, the man can afford it!

By the late 90's we started hearing You're the man!  The negative had become a positive.  Truth is, we have always been the Man.  The early meaning was simply a diversion from reality.  The attitude of trading bad for good, doing what is wrong but expecting what is right had been distorted thinking.  Your success or failure rests squarely on your shoulders.  Do your best, try hard, and ask for help only once you've fought through the issue a time or two if you must.  The only man  keeping you down is in the mirror.  The man  has allowed unemployment to raise to near 20% real unemployment, a deficit of $1.4T, and a National Debt of over $14T.  We are all much better than this. Press on and discover something hidden deep within you. You have it, after all...You are the man!  Wake the Man  up!

 

Let Them Eat Cake!

You can't execute the best plans with the worst customers.  Sometimes you just have to cut a bad one away so you can focus on those who will benefit from your services.  Some customers will never listen to your council.  Some will demand to have their cake, the one that's not on your menu, and eat it too.  I say let them eat cake, just tell them politely to find another baker.  Make it a habit to cut away customers that are:

• Bullies
• Tyrants
• Costly
• Stagnant

There is always another customer.  You can't add days to your life, roll back stress, regain lost revenue or make that horse that you led to the water drink.  You can sculpt your future.  Yesterday is gone but today is a day of change.  Make the most of it.

The Point of No Return, Execution at Its Best.

Many of us flirt with the idea of full force maximum impact execution. Not many are willing to honestly go for it.  We enjoy watching a poker player go All In. We love the committed attitude of those who fought and died at the Alamo and we look at Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon as a gutsy move.  It's the Point of No Return Leadership that we seem to connect with.

When the explorer Hernando Cortes burned the ships his men and all who were there knew that he was in it for the long haul.  It was success or death.  There was no half hearted attempt at testing the waters.  When Lt. Col Jimmy Doolittle led the crews of 16 B-25 bombers off the deck of the USS Hornet in April of 1942, there were no instructions to return to the carrier if things got a little tough.  That's the kind of all in that builds brands.

I am pretty sure YOU are not happy with watching from the sidelines and I hope you aren't waiting for the last two minutes of the game to decide who your rooting for.  Set your course and head for your Rubicon.  Crockett, Bowie, Caesar, "Jimmy" Doolittle and Cortes are all known to us as symbols of bravery and determination.  No one remembers those who fail to even wade into the water.

Alea iacta est

"The die is cast"

Julius Ceasar's words upon crossing the Rubicon January 10, 49 BC

J.T. Crawford: Execution, the elusive skill.

J.T. Crawford: Execution, the elusive skill.: "It may surprise you that as a consultant I believe there is more to do than plan and hold countless strategy sessions. Unfortunately, this ..."

Execution, the elusive skill.

It may surprise you that as a consultant I believe there is more to do than plan and hold countless strategy sessions.  Unfortunately, this seems to fall on far to many deaf ears.  That is, many of my colleagues insist on getting things 100% right before moving ahead.  As Zig Ziglar likes to say "They want every light to be green before driving into town."  We know better, but yet our fear of failing is often so great that we insist on the perfection of the strategy.

Strategies have absolutely no power to make or create anything absent of intensity of execution.  From Bill Gates to General George Patton, success rarely begins with the Perfected plan but with commitment to execution.  Many are the stories of Microsoft's troubled beginnings with Windows OS, Patton frequently dove headlong into ferocious battles with only the basics covered.

So get in the game and fight like hell.  If your scared, remember that your adversary will be more afraid.

"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week."                                    George S. Patton 

The BIG meltdown ahead.

When you tune into almost any media outlet today you will hear of the trouble we are facing as a nation.  So what are the warning signs you ask?  Being a former military guy...I have an acronym, BIG.

• B- business: Clearly we have reached a point in our history of great uncertainty.  This wreaks havoc on business leadership.   Taxes, new regulation by the Federal Government, and states looking for more money creates an undertow that shakes the foundation.  Businesses are shedding jobs and holding cash.  This is problem #1.  Government must step back and provide business leaders with certainty for planning.
• I- inflation: Watch the inflation rate.  Inflation makes your money worth less today than it was yesterday.  Driven either by the fact that the world doesn't want our currency or that there are better alternatives.  Inflation comes when you have too many dollars chasing too few goods.  Take a look at Germany in the 1930s or Brazil in the 1990s to know what hyper-inflation can do.   The Federal Reserve is going to need to raise interest rates.  This attracts the dollars of foreign investors to long term investments and not goods..  Plan ahead, it's coming.  Take a look at food prices!
• G- government: Look out for well meaning bureaucrats.  These are the guys who believe they are smarter than and able to control the global economy.  New tax rates, and new ways to 'borrow' your money and re-distribute could signal future doom.  Overspending, overreaching and under achieving are all concerns we must have because of the power we have vested in the government.  Stop the spending, reduce regulation so we can be competitive, remember we are an exceptional nation.

Most of all get involved.  Learn about the economy, know the difference between economic models. Choose a side based on knowledge not based on the opinions of others. 

Alea Jacta Est

Avoiding the crash at the end of a skid.

Your company is sliding down the road like a car on wet grass.  You can't stop the skid and you see the horrific crash in your future.  Take a deep breath there may be an emergency brake.  As a member of the Turnaround Management Association I have some great colleagues with fantastic experience in finding the brake and correcting the course.

One tool that is enormously useful in evaluating the business and establishing all possible courses is the 13 week cash flow.  This allows you as the business owner along with the consultant to get to a common reality of today. Many times this is a period of enlightenment.  The steps can be found HERE.
 
So remember, if you are sliding  there are ways to control or stop the skid.   Take a second and contact a professional. 

Tactics Change Reality

Where is your focus most needed?  It's easy to find yourself chasing rainbows that offer little to advance your ideas or improve your life.  Your strategy will help you determine where to spend your time.  Your tactics will make sure you are using it in the best way.  Here are a few examples:

Strategy:

1. Who should I be?
2. How do we want to be viewed by others/customers?
3. Where should we be?

Tactics:

1. Here are the 5 steps to becoming the 'Who I want to be.'
2. Our organization will be viewed by others/customers in the desired light by implementing these ten changes to our day to day activities.
3. We will enter our three strategic markets by taking the following steps and working to the timeline established.

This weekend take some time to determine your strategy and tactics.  You'll get more done and be more prepared to say no to time wasters.  Using well designed tactics and a solid strategy will move you to a new and improved reality.  Happy Father's Day.

Communications: Railroads or Spider Webs?

Communication within the organization is essential to promoting trust, building a team environment, and getting things done!  There are two methods of communication I see quite a bit. 

The first is run like a railroad.  A message is either sent down the track or up the track.  It is linear and takes time to get from point A to point B.  It's slow but when the train is running and the tracks are in good order the message gets there.  Seems a bit outdated and fails to keep up with the speed of the world as we know it.

The second is like a spider web.  Frequent touch points allow communications to cross borders and allows the rapid flow of information.  The nucleus can send and receive information quickly which makes response times faster. Its new, nimble and effective.

How does your organization work?  Are you a railroad or a spider web?  Don't let fear of sharing information slow the speed of reaction too much. 

Team Building: Catch me trust and other crazy ideas...

Have you ever seen the so called "Trust Fall?" It's often performed on corporate retreats, team building exercises and I think it's a Youtube sensation now.  A team member crosses her arms over her chest and falls, stiff like a board backwards.  The team, as if to display their trustworthiness, catches her.  How ridiculous?


What can we possibly gain from such an exercise?  Does anyone truly believe this is the way we ferret out bad teammates?  Do participants ever reject a team member and say 'Oh, just let him fall.'  I mean the boss is there and quite honestly, its not how the untrustworthy operate.  They would never be so bold as to openly show poor character.   How many times does a leader call her team in and say, 'I need to test the team.  I'm going to stand in the chair and fall backwards.  I need to know you are on my team, so catch me!'  I'm not sure who thought of this practice but my feeling is it was designed to separate a fool from his money.

Team building is a process that includes many touch points and requires serious attention.  Communication is the key to building and keeping a team.  Foolish exercises will only distract, drive on and act sensibly.

U.S. Army, feeling older...

Happy Birthday!  The United States Army, the most powerful organization ever assembled, turns 236 years young today.  If you see a soldier today make sure you let them know how much you appreciate their service.

Will your army last the test of time.  Take note that our Army has not allowed itself to stagnate or atrophy.  Through constant renewal, innovation and dedication to the mission they have grown in stature and capabilities.  It wasn't easy and it took focus. but they continue to impress.  We can all learn a few lessons from a soldier.

How are you building your army?

Strategy equals destiny!

As a consultant there are many times I find myself in a planning meeting when someone mentions "We have to have a strategy session."  I think this approach may get confusing.  It's important to clearly define the goal of each exercise lest we begin to meet for the sake of meeting with few quantifiable results.  Strategy and planning aren't exactly the same.  In fact, when you dig a little deeper you will find strategy is your destiny and planning is often meant to describe your tactics in reaching it.   Let me explain.

An organizational strategy should guide the company in what to do.  It's the "This is where we are going" statement.  In day to day operations it will guide the big brush decisions.  "We are going to move into market X or develop a new product line.  This important step is often mistaken for planning or in my terminology tactics.  Tactics are the more detailed description of how we will get there, what we will do in certain circumstances. Tactics guide us in an up close and personal way.  "We will move into market X by first launching a major media campaign, second we will secure additional retailer shelf space, and thirdly we will partner with Mad Monkey Distributors to improve our distribution channels.  We might say Generals are strategist and Captains are tacticians.


So discover or design your destiny.  Use a strategy session to discover key moves to go from the reality of today to the destiny of tomorrow.  Once you see your organization in terms of tomorrow, use tactics to plan the path you will take to get there.  In economic terms Strategy is Macro and Tactics are Micro.  As you begin your next discussions on strategy keep these definitions in mind and at all costs be prepared.