Category Archives: Objectives

Decisions, Implementation, Objectives

Drivers Wanted

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An opportunity is recognized in the market place. An issue has occurred in supporting a customer. An idea has generated a new product or solution. What do we do now?

 

It seems more often than not we call a meeting. Then we call another meeting to make sure that we understood what we heard. Then we call a meeting to plan our next steps. Then we start the process of looking for “Buy In” from everyone else. Pretty soon the focus on what could have been a “game changer” has been swallowed up by the safety and security of the process.

 

There is a difference between “Driving” the process and “Working” the process. Driving is when as a leader you have the conviction that what you are doing is right. You have looked at the issue, worked with the team and have made the commitment to move. There is a process in place for situations like this but it generates its own resistance and impedance. When you are driving you will take input but you will not accept delay.

 

Businesses today seem to be more content to work the process. This is a situation where we seem to be more content to accept delay and modification to the decision or solution. While the conviction may still be strong, the risk of being wrong seems to outweigh the benefits of being right. We allow the delays and changes in order to get a “Consensus” as to what should be done. This consensus enables the risk associated with the action to be mitigated across all those that participate. The idea seems to be that if it succeeds everyone can take a bow, but if it does not, no one individual will take a fall.

 

There is value to getting buy-in. It helps the team internalize an external goal. The problems with consensus are that it can take a while to achieve, can water down the solution, and requires everyone to say “yes” and can be stopped when anyone says “no”.

 

Great leaders know how to drive the process, while they work it. They set the goal, provide the resources and do not allow any reasons or excuses. A key here is making sure that the resources are made available. President John F. Kennedy set the goal of sending a man to the moon and back, and drove NASA to do it. He also made sure that NASA had the people and money to accomplish the task.

 

He drove the process (he made sure the goal, objective and measurement were known – get a man to the moon and back before 1970) and he worked the process (he made sure that the funding was provided and the responsibilities were clear), and it worked. If it had failed NASA may have taken some of the blame, but by and large it would have been Kennedy’s failure.

 

I don’t know if it is a reflection of the times, be they economic, political, or other, but we seem to have lost this “Driver” type attitude in doing business. I think we need to get back to it if we want to see the types of growth and performance that are wanted and needed to move forward. Its at times like this that I think of that car commercial – the one with the catch phase “Drivers Wanted”.

Management, Objectives, Recognition

On Time is Now Early

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I have written several times about the changing standards for performance in the business environment. I personally believe in setting reasonable expectations for my own, and other peoples performance, and then monitoring progress to goal completion. Having been on both sides of the equation, I have found it is better to reasonably promise and then try to over deliver.


 


It seems in tough economic times corporate business has changed but the way we view, and review it may have not. It has become more and more difficult to attain, let alone exceed objectives in today’s business climate. As staff numbers are reduced, “reasonable” goals and expectations seem to remain only in the eye of the beholder. Goals and objectives that you were once able to exceed given the “then” staff and budget, are now difficult to attain with the “now” staff and budget.


 


Both management and staff need to be aware of this new status quo. Incentives, rewards, recognition, ratings and reviews need to be prepared to reflect the fact that there are now fewer resources trying to deliver more objectives. Attaining today’s goals in this environment may in fact be more difficult than exceeding yesterday’s goals in that environment. There are always cycles in business. How we manage and treat our teams in tough times will have a significant affect on how they view and treat the business when times improve.

Achievement, Management, Objectives

“Nice to Do” vs. “Have to Do”

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Times have changed. This is a pretty trite statement in business, but it bears repeating. It used to be that your abilities were viewed based on the breadth of your knowledge and capabilities. To a certain extent this view still has credence, however more and more it is your depth of expertise and achievements in a specific field or function, not your breadth of capability that you will be judged on, whether you are in a position, or looking for one.

 

Hence the “nice to do” vs.“have to do” approach to business. Let me illustrate: If you are in sales you are normally responsible for achieving revenue objectives. It is what you are measured on. It is very quantitative. You have a goal to achieve. It is your quota.

 

You may also have the knowledge and capability to perform marketing functions such as the creation of sales programs and presentations.

 

Understand that sales staff are measured on their ability to achieve their quotas. If you can achieve your quota (a “have to do”) and also create useful marketing capabilities (“nice to dos”) then you have demonstrated incremental value above your required tasks.

 

If however you have NOT achieved your quota, but have also created useful marketing capabilities, you have still failed. Incremental “nice to do” work will not compensate for not achieving your goals in your “have to do” job. Remember, there is usually also a Marketing group who has the “have to do” job of creating marketing capabilities.

 

Business today is looking for the best experts in each discipline, whether it is Sales, Marketing, Operations, or anything else. While being adept and capable in multiple disciplines may demonstrate your ability for bigger roles, it will not compensate for failing to meet your objectives in your area of expertise. You must achieve your “have to do” goals before any of your “nice to do” work can be considered value added.