Strategic Planning (SP) is all about your organizational hopes & dreams for the future. Since our individual dreams are bound to be at least somewhat different, there likely will be some challenges, or even conflict in formulating them. Hence the need for consensus.
The most effective beginning of this process is to come together on what your mission, values, & vision (MVV) are. Without a foundational agreement on these, moving ahead in a unified manner is very difficult.
Mission is not only why the company exists, but what it wants to accomplish. It is your approach to your market & customers. It is the why of providing what you provide. Mission must be regularly reevaluated to make sure it reflects the dynamic situation you face.
Values are present in everything you do; they are the how of what you do. They are the way you treat others in getting the job done, internally & externally. They are your guiding light.
Vision is passion; vision is what keeps us going even when it's not fun, too difficult, or unlikely to succeed. It is what gets some to "charge the machine gun nest", or to keep getting up when repeatedly knocked down. Unbelievable things can get done through vision; that's why we need to come together to brilliantly paint the picture.
MVV are what binds you together. They describe your goals, where you're going, and how you intend to get there. They keep you on track, focused, and moving together as a team. You know where you are, and because you're measuring results, you know what changes need to be made.
Failing to begin the SP process in this way will cause frustration down the road. As the saying goes, "pay me now, or pay me later".
To get the most out of this process, you'll need to assemble a team that is diverse in their personality styles, comes from different areas/disciplines, and has a variety of competencies. One person may be an eternal optimist, another a contrarian. One may be a risk taker, another risk averse.
The real value is in the differences. Without them, your point of view is limited; mistakes are made. With them, it may not be as much fun, which is where the facilitator earns their keep, but a balanced conclusion can be reached that misses little.
So if we begin with MVV, & build a foundation on it, everyone understands the value of their part in the process, buys in, & great things happen. This is the most effective way an SP program is begun.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Perspective & Decision Making
We've all seen examples of our bias, or point of view, keeping us from a solution. One of the most popular was the challenge of connecting all the dots on a sheet of paper without ever lifting our pen or duplicating a line already drawn. Our frame of reference kept us from success by staying within the box. When we removed that self-imposed stipulation, it was easily done; hence "think outside the box" was coined.
There are others now, but the message is the same, although the puzzle challenge is different. A colleague of mine, Ichak Adizes, found one that required putting a puzzle of a plane together to make a square, but it required that you have the plane flying upside down to do it. As an Air Force pilot, I have flown inverted (upside down) many times; it is not a big deal. But do you think I could put this puzzle together? Not on you life. . . until I was told to turn it upside down!
And so it goes; we must stay open to the facts & data before we decided to "impose" a solution. The more experienced we are, the more we are a solution in search of a problem. Put another way, we jump to conclusions; or even worse, we've "been there, seen that" and become a Kia, a "know it all." And if you haven't noticed, Kia's are not liked and wrong much of the time.
In a business, we use data to clearly identify the problem which, when analyzed, will point the way to a solution. Too often, there is an immediate reaction to a problem when first suspected that sends us on the wrong journey. Take the time, and have the patience & discipline to wait to "discover" the action to be taken.
In the consulting world, I often make the comment that, "I believe I should recommend/decide very little; rather my job is to facilitate your discovering the solution." This is not always lived up to, but an aspiration strived for.
There are others now, but the message is the same, although the puzzle challenge is different. A colleague of mine, Ichak Adizes, found one that required putting a puzzle of a plane together to make a square, but it required that you have the plane flying upside down to do it. As an Air Force pilot, I have flown inverted (upside down) many times; it is not a big deal. But do you think I could put this puzzle together? Not on you life. . . until I was told to turn it upside down!
And so it goes; we must stay open to the facts & data before we decided to "impose" a solution. The more experienced we are, the more we are a solution in search of a problem. Put another way, we jump to conclusions; or even worse, we've "been there, seen that" and become a Kia, a "know it all." And if you haven't noticed, Kia's are not liked and wrong much of the time.
In a business, we use data to clearly identify the problem which, when analyzed, will point the way to a solution. Too often, there is an immediate reaction to a problem when first suspected that sends us on the wrong journey. Take the time, and have the patience & discipline to wait to "discover" the action to be taken.
In the consulting world, I often make the comment that, "I believe I should recommend/decide very little; rather my job is to facilitate your discovering the solution." This is not always lived up to, but an aspiration strived for.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Top 10 Sales Mistakes
As I've done before, since lists are so popular, I thought I'd share yet another with you: the most commonly seen errors in managing a sales force. As with many lists, this won't include all (there are more than 10), and my order will probably differ from yours. The hope is that it will foster ideas & provide assistance as you look at your own operation.
1) Paying your sales people on volume instead of value added profit. Great sales people are creative; they will follow the recognition and money. If you not only ask them to sell more profitably, but pay & recognize them accordingly, your results will be stunningly better.
2) Pricing job types or customers identically. First know your core competencies, what you do best, and then price to bring those jobs in. This goes for customers as well; you make more money with customers who value what you provide & cooperate.
3) Having a less than effective or non-existent training program. As a guideline, it should be written, & at least a syllabus directed program that provides a smooth transition into the company & its culture, which many overlook. Obviously, each person must be taught according to their background & experience level, ideally from members of the sales force as well as management. Field sales calls MUST be made together with senior sales persons as well as managers, and at least weekly 1 to 1's conducted with each sales person (ongoing) to assist in their development.
4) Not providing realistic forecasting. Most organizations forecast, but rarely do it right. The disjoints usually involve the sales people not liking it (they'd rather DO than PLAN), or management "beats up" sales for not forecasting high enough. What happens next is that sales tells management what they want to hear, & everybody suffers as a result.
5) Failing to have concrete and realistic goals. Given the challenge, a good sales force will rise to the occasion. Without knowing what's needed or expected, Sales will be a rudderless ship.
6) Lack of measuring and rewarding for outstanding performance. What is measured will be done. We as people in general, and sales people in particular, will rise to a challenge. And we like to be recognized for getting it done. Recognize & celebrate.
7) Avoiding "Fierce Conversations" that hold each person accountable. In many companies, this should be at the top. Some confuse having an employee oriented organization with one by a "mister nice guy". Constructive & caring criticism is a gift; use it often.
8) Allowing an imbalance (either way) between operations and sales on delivery requirements. I often hear, "We are a Sales run company", or "Operations always calls the shots"; each is not a good thing. Balance & consensus should rule, but this doesn't happen without a planned & fair approach coming from the very top.
9) Asking your sales manager to sell as well as manage. In small companies, or in certain circumstances, this needs to be done, but should not be permanent. What happens most of the time, is that training and development of the sales force suffers, especially if the manager is only paid on their sales volume.
10) Always believing your customers when they tell you your price is too high and/or your ship date can be beat. As much as we want to give customers what they want, this is a different issue. On matters of price & delivery, and sometimes even quality, a more traditional customer will try to force your performance by thinly-veiled problems. Play the game if they do, and know why it's being done.
11) Mixing sales force types within the same division or company. Considering a direct sales force (your employees), independent reps (self-employed, but loyal to you for your product line), & brokers (self-employed, loyal to no one), it is a real challenge to have a mixture, let alone all three. Rarely, I believe, are brokers the answer. They generally operate on a price basis, and often add little value, which erodes profits, and makes for more fluctuation in production levels. But mixing them is usually disastrous because they compete with each other and confuse customers.
OK, so there are eleven! More to stimulate your thinking. Whatever the relevance of each, the process of discussing them will be a positive venture.
1) Paying your sales people on volume instead of value added profit. Great sales people are creative; they will follow the recognition and money. If you not only ask them to sell more profitably, but pay & recognize them accordingly, your results will be stunningly better.
2) Pricing job types or customers identically. First know your core competencies, what you do best, and then price to bring those jobs in. This goes for customers as well; you make more money with customers who value what you provide & cooperate.
3) Having a less than effective or non-existent training program. As a guideline, it should be written, & at least a syllabus directed program that provides a smooth transition into the company & its culture, which many overlook. Obviously, each person must be taught according to their background & experience level, ideally from members of the sales force as well as management. Field sales calls MUST be made together with senior sales persons as well as managers, and at least weekly 1 to 1's conducted with each sales person (ongoing) to assist in their development.
4) Not providing realistic forecasting. Most organizations forecast, but rarely do it right. The disjoints usually involve the sales people not liking it (they'd rather DO than PLAN), or management "beats up" sales for not forecasting high enough. What happens next is that sales tells management what they want to hear, & everybody suffers as a result.
5) Failing to have concrete and realistic goals. Given the challenge, a good sales force will rise to the occasion. Without knowing what's needed or expected, Sales will be a rudderless ship.
6) Lack of measuring and rewarding for outstanding performance. What is measured will be done. We as people in general, and sales people in particular, will rise to a challenge. And we like to be recognized for getting it done. Recognize & celebrate.
7) Avoiding "Fierce Conversations" that hold each person accountable. In many companies, this should be at the top. Some confuse having an employee oriented organization with one by a "mister nice guy". Constructive & caring criticism is a gift; use it often.
8) Allowing an imbalance (either way) between operations and sales on delivery requirements. I often hear, "We are a Sales run company", or "Operations always calls the shots"; each is not a good thing. Balance & consensus should rule, but this doesn't happen without a planned & fair approach coming from the very top.
9) Asking your sales manager to sell as well as manage. In small companies, or in certain circumstances, this needs to be done, but should not be permanent. What happens most of the time, is that training and development of the sales force suffers, especially if the manager is only paid on their sales volume.
10) Always believing your customers when they tell you your price is too high and/or your ship date can be beat. As much as we want to give customers what they want, this is a different issue. On matters of price & delivery, and sometimes even quality, a more traditional customer will try to force your performance by thinly-veiled problems. Play the game if they do, and know why it's being done.
11) Mixing sales force types within the same division or company. Considering a direct sales force (your employees), independent reps (self-employed, but loyal to you for your product line), & brokers (self-employed, loyal to no one), it is a real challenge to have a mixture, let alone all three. Rarely, I believe, are brokers the answer. They generally operate on a price basis, and often add little value, which erodes profits, and makes for more fluctuation in production levels. But mixing them is usually disastrous because they compete with each other and confuse customers.
OK, so there are eleven! More to stimulate your thinking. Whatever the relevance of each, the process of discussing them will be a positive venture.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Should Employees Satisfaction Come Before Customers?
I have often gone on the record as saying, if forced to make a choice between a great customer or great employee, I would choose the employee every time.
Now, thanks to a great new book out called "The Employee Satisfaction Revolution", there is much support for my passion of taking care of people, pleasing them, and enabling them to excel. In this very way, I get to have my cake and eat it too, delighting in great customers AND great employees!
The first chapter formalizes a long-time premise of mine: employee satisfaction is a source of competitive advantage. It is tangible, measurable, and can add actual value to the bottom line. Motivated people attract other motivated people; we seek others with values similar to ours. It's not an accident if your customers make fewer complaints, if your workers do also.
It all starts with a culture of trust, ample communication, empowerment, and actually having fun. Employee satisfaction results in satisfied customers, low turnover, increased productivity, improved recruiting, and financial success with a great bottom line.
Basically, dedicated employees WANT to go the extra mile; it's only natural. Going to greater lengths creates better business results; the data confirms it. Volume not only increases, but so does profitability; customers will pay more for the same product if their experience in getting it is superior.
This study, done by a PhD., is very well documented. It is a quick read; get a copy and experience it for yourself.
Especially in these troubled economic times, it is refreshing to see a conclusive case study that documents how important our employees are to our bottom line. Instead of cutting staff deeper, perhaps we should take some of this to heart. When the recovery comes, as it surely will, how effective will each of us be in retaining our top folks so we can beat our competition, win the very best customers, and have an ever-increasing bottom line?
Now, thanks to a great new book out called "The Employee Satisfaction Revolution", there is much support for my passion of taking care of people, pleasing them, and enabling them to excel. In this very way, I get to have my cake and eat it too, delighting in great customers AND great employees!
The first chapter formalizes a long-time premise of mine: employee satisfaction is a source of competitive advantage. It is tangible, measurable, and can add actual value to the bottom line. Motivated people attract other motivated people; we seek others with values similar to ours. It's not an accident if your customers make fewer complaints, if your workers do also.
It all starts with a culture of trust, ample communication, empowerment, and actually having fun. Employee satisfaction results in satisfied customers, low turnover, increased productivity, improved recruiting, and financial success with a great bottom line.
Basically, dedicated employees WANT to go the extra mile; it's only natural. Going to greater lengths creates better business results; the data confirms it. Volume not only increases, but so does profitability; customers will pay more for the same product if their experience in getting it is superior.
This study, done by a PhD., is very well documented. It is a quick read; get a copy and experience it for yourself.
Especially in these troubled economic times, it is refreshing to see a conclusive case study that documents how important our employees are to our bottom line. Instead of cutting staff deeper, perhaps we should take some of this to heart. When the recovery comes, as it surely will, how effective will each of us be in retaining our top folks so we can beat our competition, win the very best customers, and have an ever-increasing bottom line?
The Next Threat: The Vook
As I follow the progress of the Digital Revolution & the Book, it seems there is a new challenge around every corner. The newest one is the Vook.
A Vook is, "a new innovation in reading that blends a well-written book, high quality video, and the power of the Internet into a single complete story." This allows you to enhance the story as you read with the video, connect with the author(s), and tie in your friends through social media, all on one screen, without switching between platforms.
The nice part is that it can truly enhance the reading experience, adding not only more pleasure, but helping retention in a learning situation. Another upside is that it will probably increase the amount of reading, especially in the lower grade levels.
Concerns, for me at least, are there as well. My first question is how can the intellectual property issue be adequately handled at $2 & $3 a copy in some cases? Secondly, my laptop is not a book, or even an e-book, let alone my Blackberry. It's a very cool thing, but how will the use of it actually shake out? How much availability of authors will there really be on-line at any moment in time? And will this be another technological development that serves to reduce the actual amount of reading and books in circulation?
If you go to vook.com you can at least familiarize yourself with what Vook is and how it works.
Let me know your thoughts; it will be interesting to see how this develops.
A Vook is, "a new innovation in reading that blends a well-written book, high quality video, and the power of the Internet into a single complete story." This allows you to enhance the story as you read with the video, connect with the author(s), and tie in your friends through social media, all on one screen, without switching between platforms.
The nice part is that it can truly enhance the reading experience, adding not only more pleasure, but helping retention in a learning situation. Another upside is that it will probably increase the amount of reading, especially in the lower grade levels.
Concerns, for me at least, are there as well. My first question is how can the intellectual property issue be adequately handled at $2 & $3 a copy in some cases? Secondly, my laptop is not a book, or even an e-book, let alone my Blackberry. It's a very cool thing, but how will the use of it actually shake out? How much availability of authors will there really be on-line at any moment in time? And will this be another technological development that serves to reduce the actual amount of reading and books in circulation?
If you go to vook.com you can at least familiarize yourself with what Vook is and how it works.
Let me know your thoughts; it will be interesting to see how this develops.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The One-Hundredth Blog
When I started my business in January of 2008, the decision was made to write a business blog as part of the whole process. Little did I know then that it would become an integral part of my operation.
The commitment was made to keep it strictly business, and to specifically add value to the markets I served: Print, the Book, Family-Owned, Sales Growth, Strategic Planning, & Executive Mentoring. Because much of on-line material is poorly written & self-serving, I was also determined to be brief and to the point; hopefully a 3-4 minute read would be the maximum.
Talking to those who are readers now, remembering back on how I felt, and looking back at that first post, it seems to have developed accordingly. What has been a surprise is the way in which I have been able to use most of the postings after the fact.
Issues develop, within all markets, and they are made up of multiple pros & cons. These make for good blogging topics. In looking at them objectively, if I decided to write about them, a good deal of preparation was required. In researching them, there has been unexpected learning on my part, which has enabled me to use these issues to add value to current & potential clients. Threads of content, best business practices, and sound advice resulted, almost by accident. With high standards, while putting my thoughts on paper, they became more refined, better organized, and have provided more value to the client.
I also began to use them in public speaking engagements and magazine articles. They were also reprinted in article format and used for marketing pieces that established & supported not only that with which I was competent, but gave insights as to how it might be accomplished. As I have stressed all along, how we perform is often more critical that what we actually do.
During the Holiday Season, the pace slows for some of us. Accordingly it might be a good time to page back & review those you may have missed. There are at least 8articles on Digital Print (such as Digital Print & the Future of the Book 2/14/08 & Twilight of the Books 2/27/08); 8 on Sales issues (such as Energizing Sales in Tough Times 1/29/09 & Sales Turnaround in 30 Days 4/1/09); 5 on Family-Owned (such as 10/15/08 Getting Family Owned Businesses Right: Ten Principles that will Make Everyone's' Lives Easier 10/15/08 & Subjective Dynamics of Family Owned Businesses 6/29/09).
There are also 11 on the Book & it’s future (such as Bill Gates & Textbooks 6/27/08 & The Kindle Achilles Heel 9/15/09); 13 on Executive Mentoring (such as Executives & Fierce Conversations 9/10/08 & Accountability - An All too Rare Gem 6/23/09); 6 on Strategic Planning (such as Is Your Growth Random, or Planned & Focused? 4/24/08 & Discovering the Value of Strategic Planning 9/8/08); and 9 on Difficult Economic Times (such as Navigating Through the Perfect Storm: A Counter intuitive Approach can Strengthen Your Emergence 12/5/08 & EQ - Emotional Intelligence: Its Importance to Economic Recovery 3/24/09).
As always, let me know your thoughts; they help define who I am, and who I hope to become.
The commitment was made to keep it strictly business, and to specifically add value to the markets I served: Print, the Book, Family-Owned, Sales Growth, Strategic Planning, & Executive Mentoring. Because much of on-line material is poorly written & self-serving, I was also determined to be brief and to the point; hopefully a 3-4 minute read would be the maximum.
Talking to those who are readers now, remembering back on how I felt, and looking back at that first post, it seems to have developed accordingly. What has been a surprise is the way in which I have been able to use most of the postings after the fact.
Issues develop, within all markets, and they are made up of multiple pros & cons. These make for good blogging topics. In looking at them objectively, if I decided to write about them, a good deal of preparation was required. In researching them, there has been unexpected learning on my part, which has enabled me to use these issues to add value to current & potential clients. Threads of content, best business practices, and sound advice resulted, almost by accident. With high standards, while putting my thoughts on paper, they became more refined, better organized, and have provided more value to the client.
I also began to use them in public speaking engagements and magazine articles. They were also reprinted in article format and used for marketing pieces that established & supported not only that with which I was competent, but gave insights as to how it might be accomplished. As I have stressed all along, how we perform is often more critical that what we actually do.
During the Holiday Season, the pace slows for some of us. Accordingly it might be a good time to page back & review those you may have missed. There are at least 8articles on Digital Print (such as Digital Print & the Future of the Book 2/14/08 & Twilight of the Books 2/27/08); 8 on Sales issues (such as Energizing Sales in Tough Times 1/29/09 & Sales Turnaround in 30 Days 4/1/09); 5 on Family-Owned (such as 10/15/08 Getting Family Owned Businesses Right: Ten Principles that will Make Everyone's' Lives Easier 10/15/08 & Subjective Dynamics of Family Owned Businesses 6/29/09).
There are also 11 on the Book & it’s future (such as Bill Gates & Textbooks 6/27/08 & The Kindle Achilles Heel 9/15/09); 13 on Executive Mentoring (such as Executives & Fierce Conversations 9/10/08 & Accountability - An All too Rare Gem 6/23/09); 6 on Strategic Planning (such as Is Your Growth Random, or Planned & Focused? 4/24/08 & Discovering the Value of Strategic Planning 9/8/08); and 9 on Difficult Economic Times (such as Navigating Through the Perfect Storm: A Counter intuitive Approach can Strengthen Your Emergence 12/5/08 & EQ - Emotional Intelligence: Its Importance to Economic Recovery 3/24/09).
As always, let me know your thoughts; they help define who I am, and who I hope to become.
The Business Side of On-line Communication
At the risk of seeming older & “frumpier”, I feel the need to state some of my concerns surrounding Face Book, Twitter, & texting and e-mail in general. Certainly, it’s OK to have the right & need to communicate & express ourselves on-line, especially as a younger person. What we often fail to see, however, are the consequences to family, & other friends. When peers, clients, & suppliers come into play in the business world, it’s even more complicated.
Here’s the problem: When we are face to face with another person, why would we want to spend time communicating to others who are not present? The issue is the same if a businessperson is reading his e-mail on his Blackberry while in a committee or customer meeting. In this case, multitasking is not a strength. Our “in person” attention, when given to another, is a gift. It is also much more effective.
For years now, I’ve witnessed managers spending most of their day immersed in e-mails instead of venturing out of their office to be WITH most of the senders! These folks are not ignoring others directly when they over-rely on their e-mail, but they are ignoring them nonetheless.
Here are some suggestions:
1) Do your texting, Face Book, & Tweeting when you are alone, not even in front of others, let alone when you are supposed to be interacting with them.
2) To accomplish #1, budget a certain amount of time for your social networking; then stick to it. Don’t allow it to take more of your time than you wish.
3) Just as you should develop an e-mail routine while in your office, create one while traveling with your Blackberry. Both should be accomplished in private & take a finite amount of time, otherwise, why would you spend the time & money to travel?
4) Evaluate the benefits of all your time spent communicating, including written, electronically, and face to face. Your methods should be accomplished from a decision based on not only what you need & want, but what your family, people, suppliers, & customers want.
Please understand. I believe electronic communication has not only entered our world permanently, but for the better. We just need to control it for the greater good, like much of the rest of our lives. People, real in-person people, and our relationships with them,
will still remain the most important ingredient in our happiness & success.
Here’s the problem: When we are face to face with another person, why would we want to spend time communicating to others who are not present? The issue is the same if a businessperson is reading his e-mail on his Blackberry while in a committee or customer meeting. In this case, multitasking is not a strength. Our “in person” attention, when given to another, is a gift. It is also much more effective.
For years now, I’ve witnessed managers spending most of their day immersed in e-mails instead of venturing out of their office to be WITH most of the senders! These folks are not ignoring others directly when they over-rely on their e-mail, but they are ignoring them nonetheless.
Here are some suggestions:
1) Do your texting, Face Book, & Tweeting when you are alone, not even in front of others, let alone when you are supposed to be interacting with them.
2) To accomplish #1, budget a certain amount of time for your social networking; then stick to it. Don’t allow it to take more of your time than you wish.
3) Just as you should develop an e-mail routine while in your office, create one while traveling with your Blackberry. Both should be accomplished in private & take a finite amount of time, otherwise, why would you spend the time & money to travel?
4) Evaluate the benefits of all your time spent communicating, including written, electronically, and face to face. Your methods should be accomplished from a decision based on not only what you need & want, but what your family, people, suppliers, & customers want.
Please understand. I believe electronic communication has not only entered our world permanently, but for the better. We just need to control it for the greater good, like much of the rest of our lives. People, real in-person people, and our relationships with them,
will still remain the most important ingredient in our happiness & success.
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