In our book, Contented
Cows MOOve Faster, we wrote about the
extra confidence, swagger if you will, that
seems to accompany high performance
workplaces, places like FedEx, Apple
Computer, the U.S. Marines, and like, well,
uh, America in general - at least until
recently.
Owing to an accumulation of factors - a
tarnished national image, failed leadership,
and, to be sure a burgeoning financial crisis
fueled in part by greed and unwise choices,
we seem to have lost a good bit of our mojo.
At a recent presentation to the Economics
Club of Memphis, Bruce Scherr, Chairman and
CEO of Informa Economics gave a compelling,
well reasoned assessment of the current
economic situation. Among other things, Dr.
Scherr volunteered that a "crisis of
confidence" is central to what ails us
financially, and that our economy likely
won't improve much until our attitude
improves.
While far from a Phil Gramm-like
pooh-poohing of our present difficulties, he
noted that roughly 93% of us are still
employed, and generally making more money
than we ever have.
It struck me that Dr. Scherr's observation
about the importance of confidence is as
applicable to the individual organization as
it is the macro-economy. If we want our
businesses to succeed, we've got to believe
that they will do so, and, as importantly,
evidence that belief through our words,
actions, and appearance. Though as leaders
we're generally not responsible for other
people's attitudes, our example and our
actions do a lot to shape the outlook and
behavior of those around us, most
particularly those folks who look to us for
leadership. In that vein, the following
measures seem apropos to regaining our A-game
performance and mojo.
1. Think windshield, not rear view.
Consistent with good driving habits, don't
spend a lot of time staring in the rear view
mirror. The game is out in front of you. Stay
forward focused, and make sure all hands on
deck have a crystal clear picture of where
the organization is headed, what its most
immediate priorities are, and what role they
are expected to play. With respect to that
last item, I fervently hope that in his
inauguration address, President Obama will
ignite the flame of a national sense of
obligation by spelling out clearly what skin
all Americans need to put in the game.
2. Be like Your Favorite Football
Team.
Football teams want to win their games as
much as you and I want to win ours.
Successful coaches get that way by setting
and obtaining more immediate interim goals;
things like winning the first quarter,
getting a first down, or just gaining 4 yards
on the next play. When they accomplish one of
those things there is an immediate, on-field
celebration. Indeed the NFL has even begun
penalizing teams whose celebrations go beyond
the bounds of good taste and sportsmanship.
We would do well to mimic that game plan by
setting relatively short term goals, and
seeing to it that there are some
well-celebrated successes. If you get flagged
for a 15 yard excess celebration penalty once
in a while, so what?
3. Keep your balance.
It's easy to
get 'in
the weeds' by focusing exclusively (or even
largely) on slashing spending. Invest twice
as much time and energy looking for
meaningful ways to grow your business as you
do looking for places and people to cut.
Crisis breeds opportunity - a fact not lost
on people like Andrew Carnegie, who founded
Carnegie Steel in the teeth of the Panic of
1873, and Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard who
started Hewlett Packard during the "Great
Depression." To be sure, smart leaders are
looking for ways to save, but they are also
looking for fresh opportunities, be they new
products or markets, facilities that have
gotten a lot cheaper, or talented folks who
fit their organization.
4. Hire attitudes.
Speaking of
hiring, you
may not be doing a lot of it right now, but
do keep your eyes open, and when you do, hire
positive, enthusiastic folks. They don't cost
any more, and they are a heck of a lot more
fun to work around. Besides, inside a barrel
that has gotten considerably smaller of late,
that one bad apple can do a lot of damage.
5. Keep your game face on.
Lastly,
bear in
mind that whether it is at home or work, most
of us have others who look to us for
guidance, direction, and a good example. We
can't give that unless we've got our own head
in the game and our chin strap buckled.
Until next month, Good luck and Godspeed!