Destiny is not a matter of
chance; it is a matter of
choice.

WINSTON CHURCHILL

ARE YOU DRIVEN
TO CONSTANTLY IMPROVE?

You’ve come to the right place.

Here you’ll find models, methods, practices, and processes
to help you develop the right focus, create the right environment,
build the right team, and embody the right commitment.
To get the right results.

Demographics and Psychographics

Each year Bernadine and I return to a small island that caresses us with the word “real.” There are no famous golfer-designed golf courses, no avenues lined with swank resorts, and no gated driveways that separate those who are allowed from those who aren’t.

Which got me thinking about demographics and psychographics. Because the kind of travelers who come to Isla Mujeres cannot be easily classified by demographic categories such as age, gender, race or ethnicity. But they can be classified by psychographic categories like what they value.

People who come to Isla Mujeres value real. To live amongst the locals, not to be quarantined behind the walls of some resort. To eat in restaurants where Mom is the server, Dad is grilling the fish and Gramma is looking after the kids. Where there’s sand on the floor and that’s OK. Real.

Think of your customers in terms of psychographics. Their beliefs, likes, dislikes, wants, needs and values. Then you’ll be able to provide them an experience that connects with who they truly are, not just a list of descriptors.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Recalibrate

Every major change initiative I’ve ever worked on reminds me of how important it is to recalibrate.

It’s impossible to design the flawless implementation of a major initiative from A to Z. There are too many moving parts, too many unknowns. You can’t anticipate everything. That’s why you recalibrate.

Get feedback and ideas from those involved with the change and those affected by the change. What isn’t working as planned? What obstacles have emerged? Which people are leading the charge? Which people are lagging behind? Why? Are there resource constraints? Are incentives – monetary or non-monetary – misaligned? Do people have the required skills? Which communications have been effective? Which haven’t?

Everything is subject to change. The goal isn’t to defend and justify your initial thinking. The goal is to successfully execute. Assess where you’re at, get your people’s input and make the changes you need to make. Then give them the credit. That engages them and lets them know you listened, heard and took action.

You always reserve the right to do what makes sense. Recalibrate.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Clearing the Plate

You’re familiar with “best practices,” the exercise where you identify your most effective and efficient practices and then extend them throughout your organization.

So why not take the next step and clear your plate of the practices that are ineffective and inefficient? Why not start a “worst practices” initiative? Identify your worst practices and then banish them from your organization.

How? Take a look at your meetings, processes, reports and tasks. Ask your people to identify which of these add little-or-no value or are inefficient in that they are a significant waste of resources and/or energy. Could some be eliminated or streamlined? Scaled back or done less frequently? Redesigned or replaced?

Time is a precious resource in every organization in every industry and sector. Clearing your plate of worst practices can create space to take on best practices.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Compete for Talent

As unemployment remains high, employers are coming to grips with an uncomfortable paradox: There’s no shortage of people looking for work, but there is a shortage of top-tier talent. Whether it’s salespeople in Seattle, welders in Wisconsin or managers in Manhattan, it’s tough to find great people.

Yet many organizations are only mildly proactive when it comes to recruitment and selection. Job openings get posted on on-line sites. Or managers pass it off to the HR department.

Great organizations compete for talent. You compete to get and keep customers, why wouldn’t you do the same for employees? Make it an expectation of every manager. When you come across someone – a server in a restaurant, somebody selling to you – who just might be a good fit for your organization, give the person your business card, your 10-second pitch, and invite them to call you. If you know of someone in your industry who is a top performer then make them an offer they can’t refuse.

Have your employees do the word-of-mouth recruiting for you. How? By making your organization a great place to work. A place where people can achieve, be recognized, grow, be challenged, and have fun. Organizations that are great places to work attract great people.

If you’re committed to winning, then simply posting job openings isn’t going to cut it. Compete for talent.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Committed Enough to Do What's Uncomfortable

Most leaders believe they are strongly committed to “winning” however they define it. What about you? Are you committed enough to do what’s uncomfortable?

Here’s a one-question commitment test: Have you more often made the mistake of letting people go too soon or too late?

Guess what almost every leader says? Right. Too late. And almost every leader looking back on their career will say they wish they had acted sooner.

If you’re truly committed to winning then you have to embrace being uncomfortable. Which means not hanging on too long.

Deep down you know what you need to do. Now do it.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Your Customers' Addiction

Ever been addicted to heroin? Me neither. But an M.D. will tell you that over time a heroin addict builds up a “tolerance” to the drug. Which means it takes more of the drug to produce the same high.

Why is this relevant? Because your customers are like heroin addicts. Except what they’re addicted to is value. Over time they build up a tolerance to your products and services. What wowed them in the past has a diminishing effect.

Think of yourself as a customer. At one time you were probably wowed by flat-screen monitors, smartphones, GPS navigation and online shopping. Now? Not so much. Yesterday’s wows have become today’s expectations. Which means they don’t help you win the game, they only keep you in the game.

And that’s why you can never get complacent. That’s why standing still means you’re falling behind. That’s the impetus for change. Either you feed the addiction or your customers will find someone who will.

Your thoughts?

Michael 

Responsibility and Accountability

Who is responsible for your employees’ performance? Answer: you and your employees.

Your responsibility is to provide five things:

  1. DIRECTION – purpose, goals, expectations
  2. CAPABILITIES – resources, authority, skills
  3. ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT – processes, policies, infrastructure
  4. COACHING – feedback, guidance, reinforcement, accountability
  5. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT – respect, understanding, caring

Your employees’ responsibility is to perform.

Who is accountable for your employees’ performance? Your employees are accountable to you. You are accountable to your conscience.

If an employee repeatedly isn’t getting the job done then look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Have I done my part in giving the person a fair chance to succeed?” If your answer is “no”, then fulfill your responsibility. But if with a clear conscience your can answer “yes”, then it’s time to execute rule #1 of change management: If you can’t change the people, change the people.

Be responsible and hold yourself accountable.

Your thoughts?

Michael

The Zen of Strategy

Developing your strategy? Wanting to create organizational focus? Then decide what you’re not going to do. Which markets you’re not going to serve. What you’re not going to offer.

Every organization struggles with focus. With ambition-creep. Seemingly everything is important. Yet, sometimes, a conscious decision to not take action is the right course of action.

Trying to do everything doesn’t guarantee that everything will get done well. It all but guarantees that everything won’t get done well. The antidote? For each potential new project, market or offering, ask:

  1. To what extent will this siphon attention and resources from our current priorities?
  2. Is that cost justified by the projected benefits?
  3. If so, should some current priorities go away or should we find additional resources?

Be realistic. Prioritize and focus. Do less, but with greater intensity and heightened expectations.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Punctuate

ifyoudonttakethetimetopausepunctuateyourpeopleseffortswithrecognitionandc
elebratetheirsuccessesthentheywillfeeltheyareonaneverendingtreadmillandt
hatnothingisgoodenoughtheywilleventuallylosemotivationandresultswillsuffer

You gave up trying to read that, didn’t you? So let’s try it this way:

If you don’t take the time to pause, punctuate your people’s efforts with recognition, and celebrate their successes, then they will feel they are on a never-ending treadmill and that nothing is good enough. They will eventually lose motivation and results will suffer.

Got it?

So, how much should you recognize and celebrate? The right answer: More than you think you should.

Your thoughts?

Michael

How to Be a Successful Coach

Frank stared intently at me, wanting to see if after three years as a college football coach, assistant to him, I had discovered the secret. Having won two national championships as a head coach, it was clear that Frank had.

“No,” I replied, “I don’t know what the most important thing is to be a successful coach.” It felt like one of those landmark moments and I was ready to receive the pearl.

“Mike,” he said, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward. “Get the studs. Get the people who can help you win. For all the time you spend coaching and coercing, your life is a thousand times easier if you get the people who can get the job done.”

Exactly as true in business as it is in sports. Get the right people, get the studs. You will save yourself inestimable time, effort and grief by getting the people who are capable and driven to get the job done.

And ‚Äústud‚Äù doesn‚Äôt necessarily mean the best individual performer. You define what stud means in terms of performance, collaboration, behavior and cultural fit.  But once you do, go after the studs with a vengeance. Don‚Äôt just recruit. Compete for talent.

You can be the best coach in the world but without strong people you can’t win.

Get the studs.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Winning Coaches Don't Focus on Winning … Really

We’ve all heard stories of coaches who inspire their teams to victory with impassioned speeches. “Win one for the Gipper!”

What you may not know is that many successful coaches rarely talk about winning. What they talk about is improvement. Making yourself better every day. Performing, reflecting, learning and improving. Focusing on what you can control. Becoming the best you can be. No excuses, no rationalizations. Just you.

Winning in a team sport depends on a lot of factors. Some you can only influence. Ultimately, you can’t control whether or not your team wins. All you can control is you.

Sure, there are times for an impassioned speech. But the secret to ongoing success isn’t fire and brimstone. It’s a commitment to constant improvement.

Your thoughts?

Michael

How to Overcome Adversity

Overcoming adversity. Yes, it’s a cliché. But that doesn’t make it any less important for leaders who are committed to succeeding.

Just ask the New York Giants. With a 6-6 record on December 11, and down by 12 points on the road with under six minutes to play, they were on the brink of oblivion. But a stirring comeback win kept their playoff hopes alive.

They needed to win their final two regular season games just to get to 9-7 and hope that they might make the playoffs. A sliver of a hope because in 2010 their 10-6 record wasn’t good enough. The Giants responded and won both games handily.

Then after a playoff victory over Atlanta they faced the task of having to defeat the top two teams in their conference on the road to get to the Super Bowl. And they did. Finally, they faced the most dominant team of the past decade in the big game. They suffered the letdown of squandering an early lead by giving up 17 straight points … but maintained their composure and came back for an inspired win.

When asked how his team could crawl out of the grave so many times, Coach Tom Coughlin said simply, “Anything is possible for those who believe.”

Look in the mirror and ask yourself: How do I respond when the chips are down? How do I want to respond?

To be 100% committed 100% of the time regardless of the circumstance requires complete, total, absolute, unwavering belief that you can achieve your goal.

Do you believe?

Your thoughts?

Michael