Killing the lovelies!

In the world of design it is common to come up with a myriad of options to address a particular challenge.  Whether it is designing a home or an article of clothing, the designer allows their imagination and creativity to put forth different approaches for the client to consider.  In their own minds, the designers see the positive in all that is presented.  But ultimately is up to the end user to determine which suits them best.  The designer is left to ‘kill the lovelies’ that don’t make the final cut.

The designer has an emotional attachment to each of the recommendations as each is born of their thought and consideration. But only one will satisfy the decision maker and it thus, by default that the rest head to the trash.

As leaders, we are likewise routinely ‘designing’ solutions for our businesses.  As you would expect, we tend to think that all of our ideas are good, very good, and even are superb. But here’s the rub.

The good leader tends to think that most of their ideas are superb.  They seldom test them against reality during their rush towards implementation.  Sadly, they learn the hard truth that not all that glitters is gold.  

By contrast, the superb leader will come up with almost as many options for consideration.  But their experience and instincts help them to recognize that the vast majority are simply good or very good.  Few rise to the level of superb, and most of those have come from a collaborative thought process that has vetted itself along the way. 

They then implement far fewer ideas with far greater results.  The key…their willingness to ‘kill the lovelies’.

How often do you have trouble releasing an idea because of the pride of authorship you have invested in the process?  You have given birth to a concept to which you have developed an emotional attachment and it is hard to acknowledge that it really falls short.  Instead you push forward with a square peg – round hole trying to force fit your recommendation.  It is to the ultimate detriment of all because you have wasted time and effort and possibly resources on something that should have been cast aside as you ‘killed your lovely’.

How effective are you at ‘killing the lovelies’?  If you think that it is an issue, here are a few guidelines to help in your analysis.

1.    Is this matter even worthy of your consideration or is it something for a different pay grade.  If it is under your auspices, is the issue one which is serious enough to demand your attention?  Any time you undertake a time consuming or resource rich project you are taking it away from something else.  Make sure that it rises to a ‘superb’ level of need.

2.    Never trust your own instincts exclusively.  You are fully engaged in the process and will have difficulty seeing assumptions you have made that do not line up with the facts.  While it needs to be your decision in the end (I support collaborative decision making but not consensus decision making), having a second or third set of eyes and/or voices will only make the recommendation sounder and more feature rich.  This will be particularly important if those other voices are needed as part of the implementation.

3.     Review your decision with a mentor, consultant or peer.  External opinions will be the most objective and can raise valid questions based on experience and exposure to a broad range of other companies.  Not having any emotional investment allows this person to be much more dispassionate in their critique.

4.    Pride of authorship should not enter the discussion.  As the leader, your focus is on process and results, not on the genesis.  You are gauged on the outcome and the fact that it is the result of a team approach only confirms your ability to assemble and equip a group of professionals that achieved the goals and objectives set out. (FYI, this blog found its’ genesis in a YouTube video on knitting that I overheard my wife watching)

These are extraordinary times to be sure.  But the principles of success have not changed; only the scope of the challenge is different. Don’t abandon that which has served you well but do consider expanding the scope of your decision making to match the scope of the challenge. 

And only settle for SUPERB!

A Covid Reality Check

When the economic impact of Covid hit its’ peak, almost 20% of workers lost their jobs.  But let’s be clear…20% of CEO’s did not get a pink slip; 20% of senior management were not worrying about how to pay the mortgage and the loan on the Mercedes; even 20% of most middle managers were not worried about more ground beef and less steak.

No, the impact disproportionately impacted entry level employees and other front line workers…those who were the least able to withstand an interruption in their compensation.  Yet these are the people who implement all the strategies that flow from the boardroom.  These are the ones who so often are the face of the company to the public on a daily basis.  These are the ones who routinely report a lack of engagement with the corporate agenda.

Little wonder…

Lack of engagement has always been an issue in every company and in every industry.  The impact of Covid is a double edged sword.  Not only are many jobs lost, but many more have been displaced with so many employees now working from home. 

The task of maintaining even a modicum of engagement has never been more difficult.  I’d like to offer a few suggestions for your consideration.

1.   Consider rehiring staff in advance of the return of demand from your client base.  This may sound counter intuitive but consider this.  A layoff has a devastating impact on the employee. Most businesses though have the financial capacity - either through internal cash reserves or through access to capital – to afford the extra overhead.  Yes, there will be a short term impact on profitability, but your focus needs to be at least mid or long term success.  If you rehire, or even better, do not layoff at all, you show that the company is invested in its’ primary asset – its’ employees.  What a tremendous expression of the value you place on them and what a confidence building impression it has on one who would otherwise be at a food bank line up. Obviously you cannot consider this type of response if the business is already in a critical life- saving mode but for those of you not that close to the edge I urge your consideration. The reality is that layoffs have proven to be a knee-jerk reaction to business interruptions in the past that are not significant contributors to expense controls once separation payments are considered.

 

2.   With so many employees now ‘working from home’ the lack of personal interaction has a negative impact on the engagement. As already noted, a lack of engagement is the primary hindrance businesses experience even though it is a silent killer. 

You need to develop a new and proactive communication strategy that puts you in front of your employees on a more regular basis.  Something as seemingly insignificant as a personal acknowledgement of a birthday is a start.  Have more frequent and focused ‘town hall meetings’ that combine both in-house and online staff shows your intentional attitude towards engagement.  “Breakfast with the Boss” or similar personal and informal group meetings further demonstrates this attitude. 

The key in all of these endeavours is that you must be genuine in your approach.  If you can’t be, the impact will be to worsen rather than improve engagement.

 

3.   Some years ago a short book called ‘Management by Walking Around’ espoused the unstructured personal interaction that characterized an engaged executive.  I found much personal satisfaction whenever I interacted in this manner.  Again, you need to be authentic and honest during these times as any lack of transparency will be seen as an attempt to manufacture a connection that really is not there.

4.   Finally, adopt this time principle. 

For every hour you spend in developing a strategic plan,   spend one hour with those who ultimately must implement it. 

For every hour you spend analyzing financial results, spend one hour communicating those results in a manner that front line staff can relate to and comprehend.

For every hour you spend in the executive boardroom, spend an hour on the shop floor.

And for every hour you spend schmoozing a client at a posh restaurant, spend an hour in the company cafeteria. 

The more real you are to your staff members, the more engaged they will be with your interests.