Are you listening to what the customer needs?

I have been involved in a series of meetings with business owners regarding problems in their companies. 

Declining sales and market share due to international competitors, inability to compete or a decline in the entire industry sector are some of the reasons mentioned.

Solutions that were discussed and debated including cutting costs of raw materials, increasing worker efficiency, lowering logistics costs, streamlining the administration and related costs, government intervention and protection, outsourcing and even forming alliances with the international competitors.

What struck me as incredibly odd was that not once were the customer’s needs mentioned.

Not once did anyone mention creating new ideas, products or services for the customer.

There was no discussion of investing in new technology because “things are difficult now”.

There was never a comparison made between the marketing and promotion, branding or image of the competitors versus the company’s marketing, promotion, branding and image.  Why not? 

Every comment or observation focused on lowering production and logistics costs to the customer, never on increasing the benefits to the customer.

All that mattered is “how can I sell at a lower price”.

That’s right.  The entire future of these companies, and in some cases entire industries are focused on how make their products for less.  How to beat the Chinese, Indonesia or Brazil or whatever developing country has access to cheaper raw materials or labor. 

Common sense tells us this is not a viable, long -term solution.

Each of these companies has stated in their publicity, website and in their mission statements that their focus is on the customer and on customer service.  Why aren’t the customer’s needs and future needs part of the search for solutions when sales are declining?

If the customer really truly cares only about price, your product is a commodity. 

If the customer only cares about price, they don’t care about your company’s service, advertising and promotion, attitude or participation in their business.

If you really think that the low price will guarantee the sale, cut out the customer or technical service.  Take away financing.  Take away delivery and logistics.  Forget environmental and worker protection.  Reduce your inventories.   Standardize your prices and order sizes.   Cut down on sales and promotion. 

Call me when your sales skyrocket and the money pours in. 

I suppose it’s normal when sales fall, to attack costs, and costs are a fundamental element in being competitive in certain goods and services.

It is not the only element.  It may not even be the most important one for your customer. 

It probably is the easiest area to change quickly, and requires no investment.  People like easy solutions that don’t require investment. 

The relationship with your customer, the ability to meet their needs with your product or service and allow them to make a profit is what makes business click.

How well do you know your customer? 

What problems are they facing?

Is your contribution to their product important, significant or fundamental in their success?

Do they see you as simply a supplier of a commodity or an integral part of their supply chain and future?

Have you explored how you can work with them to make them more competitive?

Once this has been accomplished, bring the results to the boardroom and start the discussion of how to aid declining sales and deteriorating margin.

Don’t stop with the easy solutions.

Look for the difficult solutions, the ones that require compromise and long-term commitment.

Look for solutions that require investment of resources; time, money, and ideas. 

These are the solutions that the competitor focused on cost is not interested in. 

These are the solutions that will provide confidence and mutual opportunities for growth.

SAPICA 2007 – Leon, Guanajuato

If you are involved in the footwear industry, the shoe business or the leather goods industry,  SAPICA 2007 will be of interest.

Held twice a year in Leon, Guanajuato Mexico, this years footwear and leathergoods trade fair, Spring-Summer edition, is being held from September 27-30, 2007.

Related Links

SAPICA – Squidoo

SAPICA – official website

Guanajuato and Sonora – industrial development opportunities

Guanajuato and Sonora are two states in Mexico singled out by Expansion Management as areas of opportunity for industrial development.

A quote from the article:

“Two states, Guanajuato and Sonora, capture, if not the breadth of diversity between the states, the contrasts between them. Guanajuato is using its educational resources and location to position itself as a logistics center in Mexico, while Sonora uses its automotive base to expand into aerospace.” David Hendricks

Related Links

States in Mexico offer expanding companies a wealth of advantages

Expansion Management

Need to know about Leon, Guanajuato

Industrial and Business Parks in Mexico

Social network site – Mexico economic development

I was invited to a new social networking site on the Ning network, Build Bridges Not Walls!.

The idea behind the site:

“People that want economic development in Mexico will trade together. This site is to put people together for electric handshakes, trade, new business ideas or just old friends finding each other again.”

Members can add photos, videos, blog entries, comments and meet others with similar interests about business and economic issues related to Mexico.

Looks like it will be an interesting site.

Related Links

Build Bridges Not Walls!

Ning, create your own social network

The 3 Y’s – help for difficult decisions

An organization’s management and leadership team is responsible for making timely decisions, supplying and applying resources when required, in order to efficiently reach known or perceived goals and objectives.

In order to make these decisions; research, information and analysis of the pertinent information is required.

Here is where management bogs down or leadership can make serious misjudgements.

• Poor incomplete analysis or lack of the critical information required to assess the risks, obtain the required resources or understand the probable benefits.
• Lack of understanding of the changes or resources that the decision will provoke.
• Making the decision too early, or too late.

A quick and useful trick is to apply the “3 Y’s” to assist when faced with a difficult decision.

The “3 Y’s”

• Why Me?
• Why Now?
• Why Not?

The First Why – Why Me?

• Who is requesting that I make the decision? Why?
• Is this in my area of responsibility? Why?
• Is this my area of expertise, do I know what I’m doing? Why?
• Do I have enough key information to make the decision? Why?
• Can I obtain more information, in how much time and at what cost? Why?
• Do I understand the analysis of the data and the conclusions? Why?

The Second Why – Why Now?

• Does this need to be done or decided now? Why?
• Is it in response to an emergency, part of “normal” operations or a change in strategy and objectives? Why?
• Who depends upon this decision or is affected by it? Why?
• Should the involved parties be informed of how the decision will affect them? Why?

The Third Why – Why Not?

• What happens if I don’t make the decision? Why?
• Are there other options, solutions, or alternatives? Why?
• Do I think this is the best solution or decision available? Why?
• Do I fully understand the short term and long term effects on resources, customers, work systems, goals and objectives that this decision will provoke? Why?
• Who are the internal or external “experts”, what is their recommendation? Why?
• How far am I putting the organization at risk with this decision? Why?
• Are there metrics to measure or contingency plans in place in case this does not go as planned? Why?

By reacting and making difficult decisions without reflecting on the WHY we miss identifying the real problems and issues.

We miss solutions and strategies.

We miss opportunities to unify and support the organization.

We find ourselves responding to symptoms and not solving or responding to the core issues.

Related Links

Can’t make a decision

9 steps to better decisions

Summertime and Friday at work

It’s the end of June, summer is in full swing.

For those who live and work in the temperate climates, summer feels different at work.

Summer is different.

Work is not as important or easy to focus on as it was in February with the snow blowing outside.

Work-Life balance becomes a critical issue for many.

All you managers and supervisors, it’s time to loosen things up at the office, especially on Friday.

Everyone enjoys a perk, a freebie or a bit of fun in their life, and this is especially true at work.

Lighten up the summer work environment with the following ideas:

1.  Have a random raffle or give away.  Give away a book(never a business book), a gift certificate to the coffee shop, tickets to a movie, a CD, never more than USD $ 20.  The winner has to be picked by a completely random process (no trivia, or knowledge necessary to win).  Giveaway should occur before lunch, no big ceremony, no speeches.  Don’t do it regularly.  It’s not about you, it’s about everyone else.

2.  Go on a coffee run for everyone.  You do it, don’t send the office person or secretary.

3.  Any big sporting event or local team playing on the weekend?  Have everyone pick a winner and final score, give the winner(s) next Friday afternoon off, or buy them lunch next Friday.

4.  Really furious about something or someone?  Let it wait until Monday.  This is a good thing for everyone involved.

5.  Let everyone go home early, even an hour will be appreciated.

6.  Bring in some summer food and snacks for lunch.  No big catered affair, just plenty of good food, napkins and plates and give everyone plenty of time to enjoy it.  Don’t forget the summer refreshments (skip the alcohol).

7.  In everything you say and do this Friday, try NOT to be the authoritarian boss, be a fellow co-worker.   You might learn something about people and motivation, and yourself.

Related Links 

10 things you should do on Friday afternoon

10 things you should never do on Friday afternoon

3 ideas for Friday

Broken promises

“The best way to keep one’s word is not to give it.”  Napoleon Bonaparte

It’s too easy to make a promise.

We promise the customer that the product will work, solve their problem, and maybe change their lives.

We promise our coworkers that our part of the work will be delivered on time.

We promise our business partners and suppliers that we they can count on us.

We promise to follow up after the initial sales call, that we will always be there with customer service.

We promise that our priority is the customer and the customers satisfaction.

We promise to hit the sales goals and meet the budget.

All our promises are all full of good intentions, it’s what people want to hear, it’s what we want to deliver.

But, can we guarantee that we will deliver?

Never take a solemn oath.  People think you mean it.  Norman Douglas

The best way to ruin your reputation and lower your ability to lead and manage others is to promise something and not deliver.

We make a promise because it gives others confidence, it seems to make negotiations easier and it reflects our hope that all will go as planned.

“All promise outruns performance.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

A common error of new managers and leaders is the perceived need to make promises to their organization and team.

Don’t promise it.

Promises are very powerful compromises, but extremely fragile and difficult to achieve.  Take care when offering them to others.  

In the place of promises, offer firm plans, describe actions and possible outcome, dedicate the time and resources required.

Do more than you say you will.

Perform, don’t promise.

“It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality.”  Harold Geneen

Looking for New? It’s in another country

Comments from yesterday’s post New is a requirement got me thinking about how living and working in another country moves your “comfort zone” and exposes you to lots of New.

There is a tendency to forget that this New soon becomes part of our routine and becomes integrated in our system of evaluation and processing of experiences.

Working internationally has been my biggest source of New for the past 30+ years in my personal and professional life.

It invigorates and challenges me.

It’s not always fun, or easy.

Living and working internationally has taught me:

• Patience. It always takes more time than you think.
• To listen before acting, reacting or responding.
• To be humble. I don’t know it all, there is always something else to learn in order to understand.
• To deal with frustration. When it’s not happening just the way you want it to, it means there is a different way to do it, find the alternative or live with the current situation, stop the whining and complaining.
• New ways to solve problems. Not everyone culture approaches or attacks a problem the same way.
• To analyze several solutions before making a final decision. What’s right at home may be 100% wrong in your current situation.
• Most people are honest, fair and open, however being a strange face in a strange land brings out a certain criminal element that may find you irresistible (especially in the transportation sector).
• People express themselves and their true feelings very differently, especially when it comes to solving conflicts.
• Food ingredients and table manners are wildly different and can create physical and/or psychological reactions that were previously unknown to me.
• There is no “right” way to live, solve problems or compete.
• Politics and religion can be discussed, but should never be debated. Never.
• Travel is not glamorous, restful, or easy. Takes a great deal of preparation, adaptation and improvisation to make it work.
• Hospitality, manners and paying attention to detail are incredible important in making and maintaining relationships (host and guest).
• Guides are important. These may be other business people, local residents, books or information about the people, place and culture. Learn, learn, learn and ask lots of questions, it pays off.
• To be fair. Make deals and agreements as if you are going to be working with that company or individual for the next 20 years.
• To see the “Big Picture”. Relationships, government policies, customs and cultural differences all interact and I begin to see larger issues being affected by my smaller decisions and preoccupations.

What about you?

What New did you confront, discover, embrace, enjoy or hate while living or working in another country?

Related Links

New is a requirement

International business tips

Cultural Misunderstanding- it can happen to you

Create great international business relationships

Great International Business Trip Results

16 Essential questions – the international business traveller’s quiz

New is a requirement

We are creatures of habit.

We enjoy and feel comfortable with a routine.

We create routines in our personal and professional lives constantly.

We wake up around the same time, go to work at an appointed hour, drink coffee at a scheduled time.

We tend to focus and concentrate on our specific career area, and in doing so are excluding influences and relationships that matter.

New and different influences and relationships that can dramatically change the way we work, feel and create.

Even our free time is scheduled and programmed.

We read the same papers, watch the same programs, go out at the same time, and surround ourselves with the same people and experiences.

In order to maintain interest and excitement in our professional and personal lives we need to learn, experience or add something New.

Turn the microscopic view of our lives into a telescopic view and look for the New relationships and New elements of influence.

We can’t change, innovate, modify, evolve and grow if we don’t have access to New.

New ideas.

New learning.

New skills.

New methods.

New relationships.

New challenges.

New does not seep into us by accident, it requires active participation on our part.

We must seek it out, experiment, and take chances.

Find it, analyze it, embrace it or reject it.

New does not always make us happy, in fact it can create conflicts and anxiety which ultimately lead to better definition of what we want, or what we are doing.

We can find New in books, magazines, web logs, articles, especially if they are unrelated to our current business.

New can be found by taking a different route to work, shopping in a different area, eating different foods or in different spaces.

New can be found in any person whom we haven’t had a conversation with.

We have to make the conscious decision to break our routines and seek out New.

When was the last time you encountered something New?

When will be the next time?

What can we do today to find New?

When creating our weekly agenda, keeping in mind that we must dedicate time to actively seeking experiences and information that are outside of our comfort zones and areas of expertise.

Find something New today.

Start a list, when you find something New write it down.

Encourage the people around us to discover and share something New.

Watch how New begins to change your life and decisions, enthusiasm and attitude.

Related Links

5 ways to promote creative thinking and idea generation

Does your company like new ideas

Individuality and chaos in the workplace

Improve your leadership profile

Ever wonder if your leadership style should be less interactive, less personal with your team?

Do you believe that the “cold emotionless leader” approach will bring better results to the organization?

Teresa Amabile in an interview entitled How Team Leaders Show Support-or Not in The Harvard Business School Working Knowledge newsletter, outlines her study published in 2004 in The Leadership Quarterly, and gives insight into leadership characteristics and styles as they impact group performance and creativity in organizations.

She identified 4 key behaviors that will improve the perception of team leader’s support by the team members (and by association improve group attitude and final results).

The groups perception of the leader’s support were positive when:

• they received on-time feedback and prompt response to problems. On-time decision making
• they were supported in their decisions on a personal AND professional basis by the leader and a sense of relationship was developed through exchange of personal information. Create personal relationships.
• they were recognized individually and in public for their achievements. Praise and recognition.
• they were included and asked for ideas and input about decision making. Inclusion and participation of all team members.

Sound familiar?

They are fundamental characteristics of any leader or manager.

The groups perception of the leader’s support were negative when the leader:

• Did not manage the work efficiently. Lack of timely decision-making, disinterest, disorganization.
• Unable to provide clear role definition and objectives. Lack of focus and objectives.
• Unable to solve problems or avoid them. Lack of strategy and planning.

Becoming a good leader is not all about barking orders or the implementation of revolutionary, new and improved ideas about data management and numbers analysis .

It’s about listening, doing your job and making decisions that affect others on-time.

It’s about dedicating time and applying common sense to create and maintain human relationships.

Related Links

How Team Leaders Show Support-or Not

Leading your team to mediocrity

Are we killing team performance by over-communicating

Step by step beginners guide to project management

Leadership, do you want the job or just the title and benefits

What defines an exceptional leader

Difference between a global, transnational, international and multinational company

We tend to read the following terms and think they refer to any company doing business in another country.

• Multinational
• International
• Transnational
• Global

Andrew Hines over at BNET has brief and clear definitions of each of these terms, Get your international business terms right.

Each term is distinct and has a specific meaning which define the scope and degree of interaction with their operations outside of their “home” country.

• International companies are importers and exporters, they have no investment outside of their home country.
• Multinational companies have investment in other countries, but do not have coordinated product offerings in each country. More focused on adapting their products and service to each individual local market.
• Global companies have invested and are present in many countries. They market their products through the use of the same coordinated image/brand in all markets. Generally one corporate office that is responsible for global strategy. Emphasis on volume, cost management and efficiency.
• Transnational companies are much more complex organizations. They have invested in foreign operations, have a central corporate facility but give decision-making, R&D and marketing powers to each individual foreign market.

Andrews’s advice is if in doubt about the right term to use, try the generic term “international business”.

Related Links

Get your international business terms right

BNET

Missed opportunities

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Thomas A. Edison
US inventor (1847 – 1931)

Related Links

Leading your team to mediocrity

Leading your team to mediocrity

“Too many chiefs and not enough indians ”

Slow Leadership has a post entitled Too Much Leadership that reminded me of a key concept required to effectively lead and manage people, and insure success in our organizations.

The willingness to pitch in and do the work along with the team.

There is no miracle formula to sustained success.

It’s about getting the work done.

It’s incredible important that we raise our hands to volunteer and roll up our sleeves, and not just point our fingers and give orders.

It creates a sense of camaraderie, provides an understanding of what are co-workers are dealing with, and shows a spirit of “doing what it takes” in order to make the business work.

The desire to “be the boss” somehow leads people to think that they are exempt from work, or entitled to give orders instead pitching in.

Being the leader involves identifying and eliminating the bottlenecks that affect your people in their work.

Supervision and coordination of work activities is part of that managerial responsibility.

Assuring that everyone gets their job done efficiently is what will make you a successful manager.

Best way to understand what that takes is to jump into the fray once in a while, listen, learn, work and think how to make it better or more efficient.

Do more and supervise less.

Start using your whole hand at work, and not just your index finger.

Related Links

Successful Managers should be breaking the rules

Slow Leadership:  Too Much Leadership

20 ways to guarantee failure as a manager 

20 ways to guarantee failure as a manager

A guide for the new leader who wants to alienate all employees and fail as quickly as possible in their new management position

1. Immediately purchase new office furniture and redecorate your office.  Spend a lot of money and make your office look very different from any other office in the company.
2. Insist on new computers, cell phones and software for your use only.
3. Spend several days working on your title, the press release announcing it and how your business cards look.
4. Insist and “fight over” small insignificant details and decisions in meetings, leaving big decisions and “big picture” items in limbo.
5. Treat the people in the organization as if they are there for your convenience and well being.  Be as rude as possible in your communications.  Demand, never ask.
6. When in meetings and conversations, always answer the ringing telephone, type and send Blackberry messages, read and respond to all incoming email and instant messages.  Interrupt frequently and ask people to repeat themselves because you were busy.
7. Plan company workshops or events aimed at creating a new atmosphere of “community” at work for weekends or after work hours, and preferable with short notice.
8. Avoid sharing any information about your goals, ideas and strategies about the company with employees.  Always talk about theory, never get specific.  Keep it fuzzy and out of focus.
9. Don’t listen to any ideas, solutions or complaints from employees or managers who report to you, especially if they have been with the company for a long time.
10. Make strong permanent opinions about the company and employees, solely on the basis of discussions with top management and the business owners.
11. Take lots of “business trips”  and attend every professional seminar and conference possible, do not take anyone from the company with you.  This is especially effective if the company is suffering from cash flow problems.
12. Talk about implementing massive changes, re-inventing methods and strategies, promote innovation and tell everyone that money is not an issue for them to worry about, at the same time focus all your energy on cutting costs, and minimizing the organization.
13. Immediately terminate some employees because someone told you to do it.
14. Insist that everyone in the company learns how to work with a new software program that you like.
15. Request reports and analysis from all managers and department heads, then several days later, repeat the request.  Don’t read or respond to any report and never acknowledge that you have received it.
16. Schedule many inter-departmental meetings at odd hours, don’t provide an agenda, then cancel them at the last minute, or just don’t show up.
17. Always refer to customers as if they were something evil and undesirable.
18. Constantly remind employees that before you came to the company they were primitive and uneducated, without a clue as to what business is all about.
19. Hire consultants, lots of consultants, expensive consultants are best.
20. Never make a decision by yourself, always try and find total consensus on all issues.

Related Links

Motivation, not the leaders job

Leadership, do you want the job or just the title and benefits 

Maximize the impact of business conferences, seminars, and special events in your organization

Attending business conferences, special events, lectures, seminars, classes and courses are part of our professional lives.

Events provide great information, professional tips, up to date industry information, inspirational and motivational ideas, and fantastic opportunities to expand your business network.

Unfortunately not all the events are interesting, useful or entertaining.   At times it is a waste of time and money.

But the occasional great event is inspirational, we leave the room vibrating with ideas, enthusiasm, motivation and the desire to put the words and concepts to work in our own lives and business organization.

Two days later we forgot about what we were going to do, how we were going to do it, and why it was important.

Then we sign up for another event, and the cycle repeats itself.

How can we take full advantage of the ideas, knowledge and opportunities from business events?

To get the most out of these events a bit of planning and follow through will allow you to maximize this knowledge and it’s impact in your professional and personal life.

Before you go

1. Main reason why are you going to attend?  Write down your reasons for attending; to gain specific business knowledge, exploration (don’t know what to expect, but it might be good), my boss thinks it might be important, seek inspiration or motivation, networking opportunities.
2. Why do you expect to learn, or who do you expect to meet?
3. Can you do anything to prepare before you go?  Contact people before you go, read works from the author or about the topic, prepare specific questions?

After the event

1. Write a brief,  one page, executive summary.
2. Include the name of the event, place, date.
3. What was the conference/event about.
4. Note any reference materials given at the event, where are you going to file or save them?
5. What did you learn that is applicable to you or your business?  This might be a general concept, or specific information, it’s what you want to bring back and implement.
6. Who else in the organization should know about the information or is affected by it?
7. Who did you meet while there, full contact information, how can they be interesting to your business in the future.
8. What follow-up required (thank you notes, contact specific people, more research, share it with others, file it, forget it).
9. What should be investigated further, and who should do it.
10. What does it take to implement or disseminate the idea or knowledge in your business (resources, people, attitude, commitment).
11. Personal comments or observations, what did you feel.
12. Retain all these executive summaries in a file titles “Events, Conferences, Seminars, Classes, Lectures” or something similar, organize events by date, subject or month.
13. Review your summary in 30 days and note progress or lack of progress.   What happened or didn’t happen?

The key to maximizing the impact of a special event in your organization is to take a few moments to reflect upon your objectives before attending and then summarizing your learning, next actions and follow through required after the event.

Simple, focused and effective.

Highly recommended that each attendee from your organization be required or encouraged to keep such a file, and share it with their co-workers or managers.

Related Links

Video: Mind Mapping by Stephen Pierce 

How to systematically analyze any decision for better decision making

9 steps to better decisions

Can we allow ourselves to work and enjoy it?

 I’d like to work with Tim Smit.

I determined that halfway through an article in the BBC News article by Peter Day entitled  Tim Smit’s Monkey Business

I think it would be quite an experience.

A supportive and demanding environment, requiring the daily application of personal and professional skills.

Optimal results would be demanded, incompetence not tolerated and everyone would be focused on achieving positive and focused results.

Creativity and innovation are sought out and rewarded.

It might even be fun.  In fact I’m sure it would be.

Fun and rewarding in the sense that the people working with Tim are doing what they want do to, have the skills to do it, they work with people they like, and are focused on achieving something, together.

That’s a great definition of my ideal workplace.

Take a look at some of his management “rules” for his current project, The Eden Project

•  Wants to work with people he likes, interviewers must provide a 10 minute performance of something entertaining
•  Seeks extroverts with opinions, not seeking “yes men”
•  Job interviews take two days and include potential subordinates
•  Don’t make important decisions at work, do it over dinner or a glass of wine when you are relaxed and more “human”
• Take responsibility for your job and actions, don’t pass it on to others
• Once a year make dinner for your co-workers, read a book you don’t want to read and report on it, forced activity in order to broaden your horizons

We focus too much on specific business skill sets and abilities in business and management as a “guarantee for success”.

We forget that we are human beings, and work and interact with other human beings.

Business is all about participating in a community.

If you, your product or your service is wanted and desired by the community, they purchase it, a profit is probably generated.

We are successful.

Is there anyone who comes to work and doesn’t think they have to have the skills to do their job, to interact with others as a team, and be productive?

Do we need to hammer this into our people any more?

A little fresh air, creativity and innovation is in order.

Time to create a community and social organization, with the goal of creating a product or service.

Creating an active, open environment where ideas can be developed, forcing ourselves to learn new skills, having a relationship with those around us,  great ideas.

Keep on eye on Mr. Smit, his project and his ideas.

Some sort of financial, social or commercial success for his project will turn his ideas loose upon us and maybe change the world.

I can hardly wait.

Related Links

Tim Smit’s Monkey Business 

The Eden Project 

BBC Four Profile – Tim Smit

Successful Managers should be breaking the rules

Weird ideas that work 

Are you on the right team? 

Give this away

Right now I’d like you to copy, paste, print, and send the following quotation to everyone in your company.

Post it on the front door and in the break room.

Put it on every desk.

“Maybe the reason it seems that price is all your customers care about is…… that you haven’t given them anything else to care about.” Seth Godin Seth’s Blog: Price

Send it to all your suppliers.

Sure to start some discussions, finger pointing and overdue dialogue about the product or service you’re providing.

What do your customers think they are paying for why they buy your product?

What do you want your customers to CARE about, and pay for, when evaluating the purchase of your product?

What are you doing to make this happen?

Related Links

Seth Godin’s blog: Price

The power of something extra

The Easy Way

Oil and water

Oil and water don’t mix.

That’s what I believed until today.  Oil and water do mix after all

In an organization there are departments that don’t mix well, or not at all.  Sales, finance and production departments are notorious for having problems or “not mixing”.

Each of these groups has a different way of thinking, they create very different processes and final products, it makes sense that they will not agree to, or understand what the other departments are doing.

Tension, misunderstandings, frustration and chaos can result if left unattended.

Sales and marketing is concerned with creating or identifying demand for the product and negotiating an agreement.  It’s about people and relationships, emotions, taking advantage of opportunities, being creative innovative and adaptable, exploring new ideas, making sure the customer is satisfied.  Uncertainty is a large part of every business day.

Finance focuses on numbers.  What did we do in the past, what are we doing now, what will we need in the future and how do we reduce or eliminate our risk.  Structured, predictable, logical, they label everything.  Their evaluation and decision making is based on guaranteed outcomes and not on uncertainty.

Production is concerned with efficiency and is also numbers driven.  Processes are studied, analyzed and standardized in order to maximize control and eliminate  errors.  They prefer set plans and actively resist rapid or constant deviations and modifications.  Believers in contingency plans and backups, logical, not fond of uncertainty.

The goal is to acknowledge that every group is very different, with different points of view, and that these differences are essential to the success of any organization.

The entire system (organization) benefits from the interaction, questioning, and controls required by each department.

If there is total agreement, all the time, something is wrong.

Leadership’s role is to provoke, question, listen, analyze and push this chaos toward a goal.

Successful leaders know how to make oil and water mix,  and make it happen on a regular basis.

Related Links 

New Scientist – Oil and water do mix after all

Are we killing team performance by over communicating 

Leadership, want the job or just the title and benefits

Leadership – who do you want to lead

Stop worrying and start thinking

 How much time is scheduled for thinking in your normal business day?

Do you have a regular time when you take the phone off the hook, avoid interruptions and think about business situations and problems or create plans?

Do you often worry about past, present and future business decisions?

This quotation from Harold B. Walker Think or Worry
might provide some motivation for you to include some time for reflection and thinking into your workday.

“Thinking works its way through problems to conclusions and decisions, worry leaves you in a state of tensely suspended animation” (H.B. Walker)

Get the subject out in the open, describe it, observe it, analyze it, understand it.

Think about it.

Create solutions or action plans to deal with the reality and stop worrying about it.

“You can think about your problems or you can worry about them and there is a vast difference between the two.” (H.B. Walker)

Related Links

Can’t make a decision

Think or Worry 

Putting change into perspective   

Motivation – not the leader’s job?

“It’s not my job to motivate my people, they should do this by themselves. It’s my job to make sure things get done right and on time.”

“I’m not here to hold hands and baby the employees, I’m here to make them perform and bring me results”

Ever heard that, or said that?

These comments are typically from leaders or managers who don’t believe motivated people are important in their business organization or results.

More than likely, they don’t have the “people skills” required to motivate others.

Sustaining motivation and enthusiasm at the workplace is one of the important factors in assuring business and personal success.

Leaders who tell me that motivating employees is not part of their job description, or not required for success are blind to the reality of working with other human beings.

Which group would you rather lead and work with, Group A, apathetic and unmotivated or Group B, focused and motivated?

A large part of motivation comes from the individual, it has to start here. There is no magic pill to give someone the desire and will to do their job with vigor and energy, striving for the best results possible.

You either have it, or you don’t. Hiring decisions should include an evaluation of an individual motivation potential.

Reinforcement and refocusing of personal motivation comes from the workplace, and workplace leaders.

Superior leaders know how to maintain momentum over time, keep the organization motivated, enthusiastic and focused.

Excellent results come from organizations that are motivated and are able to sustain their enthusiasm over time.

Failure to accept your role as leader and motivator at work is a a sure sign that you are not doing your job, and that your people and organization will not be performing at their best.

Motivating others is difficult and requires important social skills including listening, communicating, applied psychology and the art of negotiating.

All successful leaders share these skills or know how to find the right people in their organizations to keep their people motivated.

On your checklist of important goals and objectives for the organization this year add “maintain employees motivation” if you want to achieve all the other items on the list.

Related Links

Motivation – Heroic Moments

How to motivate yourself on Monday

Leadership, do you want the job – or just the title and benefits