March 31st. It’s the end of a quarter, or the end of a financial year depending. A time for looking back on objectives achieved and work that still needs to be done. Whether you plan on a monthly, quarterly or annual horizon, it’s a milestone.
The length of your planning horizon is important. To some people a quarter is a lifetime; for them a month is better. Of course it depends on your business and your ambitions. Google sets “impossible bodacious goals” and then achieves them, according to one employee. They set goals for the quarter, not for the year: for Google a year is forever. They want results faster. They pay those who deliver, they get results faster, and the world stands back in awe wondering how they do it.
If you are attempting complex engineering-type changes, then a month’s planning horizon is too short. But as Google are perhaps demonstrating, a year may be too long.
Your planning/review horizon is important – whatever the time period - as is the seriousness with which you review it. Your progress vis a vis your competitors may depend on it.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Meet with Triumph and Disaster ….
Like many others I watched the BBC2 programme “Total Recall: The Toyota Story” last week. It made fascinating but sober viewing. Toyota, famous for quality, affordability and the ground breaking Prius, are now in the dock for allegedly preferring profits and growth to safety.
Rising to be the world’s largest car maker, and overtaking the mighty General Motors, the fourth generation Toyota family President might have felt that the company was invincible. It proved to be an illusion. The once text-book example of quality and just-in-time manufacturing is now the butt of jokes about brakes not working.
Whilst many are pouring over what we know of Toyota’s demise, what I think will be most interesting is what the company does next. It will take a lot to convince car owners that any amount of functionality, at any price, is worth more than safety. It will also take a lot to convince car owners that dealing with a manufacturer who is slow to respond to deaths caused by faults in their cars is a good bet. However, both are possible.
Toyota has been revolutionary and inspirational in so many ways. They made Kaizen part of business people’s everyday vocabulary. Let’s hope there is still more to learn from them in how to recover from their current plight.
Rudyard Kipling's "If" seems appropriate, so here it is:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man my son!
—Rudyard Kipling
Rising to be the world’s largest car maker, and overtaking the mighty General Motors, the fourth generation Toyota family President might have felt that the company was invincible. It proved to be an illusion. The once text-book example of quality and just-in-time manufacturing is now the butt of jokes about brakes not working.
Whilst many are pouring over what we know of Toyota’s demise, what I think will be most interesting is what the company does next. It will take a lot to convince car owners that any amount of functionality, at any price, is worth more than safety. It will also take a lot to convince car owners that dealing with a manufacturer who is slow to respond to deaths caused by faults in their cars is a good bet. However, both are possible.
Toyota has been revolutionary and inspirational in so many ways. They made Kaizen part of business people’s everyday vocabulary. Let’s hope there is still more to learn from them in how to recover from their current plight.
Rudyard Kipling's "If" seems appropriate, so here it is:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man my son!
—Rudyard Kipling
Friday, 26 March 2010
Better off without unions?
Strikes are back in the UK news. Last year postal workers disrupted daily life by not delivering our post, then BA cabin crew disrupted holidays and business flights, now it seems that rail workers feel they are being treated unfairly and may come out on strike over Easter. When I say rail workers, I really mean their union. Because that's what happens when unions aren’t happy.
What is most striking (sorry) about all of this is that we are still in the deepest recession for 60 years. A recession in which many people have lost their jobs, a recession in which many businesses have had to rethink how they operate, and a recession that has caused a great deal of hardship. I’m not saying that mistreated workers should shut up and put up, what I am saying is that organisations must be allowed to change.
Refusing to come to work because management want to reduce 12-hour shifts is an inappropriate and out-dated way of behaving. Railways, airlines, postal services and most other goods and services are part of the global economy. Which means we all have to compete in a global economy. Which means changing as they world changes. Which is something that unions seem to find difficult.
The independent Hooper Report on the UK’s postal service was entitled “Modernise or Decline.” The report says “there is too much resistance to change at a time when the company must focus relentlessly on meeting the needs of customers.” How many other businesses does that apply to? Many? Most? All? Certainly all those mentioned above, and most organisations that are likely to come out on strike when unions get upset.
So maybe unions are out-dated?
The good of any workforce will only be well served if they work for a strong business. And all strong businesses need to be able to change as circumstances change.
What is most striking (sorry) about all of this is that we are still in the deepest recession for 60 years. A recession in which many people have lost their jobs, a recession in which many businesses have had to rethink how they operate, and a recession that has caused a great deal of hardship. I’m not saying that mistreated workers should shut up and put up, what I am saying is that organisations must be allowed to change.
Refusing to come to work because management want to reduce 12-hour shifts is an inappropriate and out-dated way of behaving. Railways, airlines, postal services and most other goods and services are part of the global economy. Which means we all have to compete in a global economy. Which means changing as they world changes. Which is something that unions seem to find difficult.
The independent Hooper Report on the UK’s postal service was entitled “Modernise or Decline.” The report says “there is too much resistance to change at a time when the company must focus relentlessly on meeting the needs of customers.” How many other businesses does that apply to? Many? Most? All? Certainly all those mentioned above, and most organisations that are likely to come out on strike when unions get upset.
So maybe unions are out-dated?
The good of any workforce will only be well served if they work for a strong business. And all strong businesses need to be able to change as circumstances change.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
We are all connected
Performance measurement can seem threatening. If you measure something I’m doing, you might figure out that I’m not doing it very well. I’m not going to like that, so I’ll probably put every obstacle in your way to make sure any performance measurement initiative is killed off quietly and quickly.
Of course what I’m missing is that improving something isn’t about me, me, me (although I like to think everything is about me, me, me). When we improve something at work it’s pretty much always by a number of people working together so that many more people (customers, shareholders, other employees) can benefit. Because we are all connected; no woman is an island. And no performance improvement initiative is about any one person. Or group of people for that matter. It’s about How We Do Things Around Here, and How To Make What We Do More Efficient.
Which kinda of leaves the whole me, me, me thing looking a bit daft....
Of course what I’m missing is that improving something isn’t about me, me, me (although I like to think everything is about me, me, me). When we improve something at work it’s pretty much always by a number of people working together so that many more people (customers, shareholders, other employees) can benefit. Because we are all connected; no woman is an island. And no performance improvement initiative is about any one person. Or group of people for that matter. It’s about How We Do Things Around Here, and How To Make What We Do More Efficient.
Which kinda of leaves the whole me, me, me thing looking a bit daft....
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Do you have a business warm-up routine?
The start of my in-the-office-days is unexciting: a cup of peppermint tea, checking email, and catching up with gossip before settling down to work. Nothing unusual, but not terribly inspiring either. It doesn’t really set the scene for a high performance day.
Of course a meeting is different: I prepare differently, think differently, and take time to get myself ready. What a contrast! The day in the office I handle routinely (because it is), whilst meetings I give the respect and care they deserve.
Yet I spend far more time at my desk than I do in meetings. I get far more done at my desk than I do in meetings. My overall results are influenced every bit as much by my work in the office as those all-important meetings. So why don’t I prepare as carefully for a routine day?
My gym routine fares better. I always start with 20-30 minutes on the bike as a low impact way to get my body used to the idea of physical work. The warm-up prepares me mentally and physically for the exercise session to follow. It’s the norm in the gym; everyone knows you have to warm-up first.
Some days I get into the office already firing on all four with a clear view of everything I want to accomplish - days when I’ve done all the planning, and can get straight on with what needs to be done. But there are also days when I stare at the urgent tasks in front of me; a rabbit caught in the headlights of specifications, project plans and paperwork.
My business warm-up routine isn’t nearly as well established as my exercise warm-up. Nor is it setting me up for the high performance results I want. In fact until recently I’ve never really considered the need for a warm-up before the day starts.
Yet business is every bit as demanding as physical exercise. It may tax different muscles, but it needs focus, concentration, and preparation. If only we had business coaches in the same way we have sports coaches; someone to remind us that we have to warm up before starting work. Someone to point out that you have to see success in your mind before you can make success a reality. Someone to say: take 20-30 minutes before the day starts to get in the zone for the challenges that lie ahead.
Business borrows much vocabulary from the sports field, maybe its time to steal a few routines too. Nor only for the physical benefits, but for mental alertness, improving focus on important goals, and getting into high-performance flow mode.
Of course a meeting is different: I prepare differently, think differently, and take time to get myself ready. What a contrast! The day in the office I handle routinely (because it is), whilst meetings I give the respect and care they deserve.
Yet I spend far more time at my desk than I do in meetings. I get far more done at my desk than I do in meetings. My overall results are influenced every bit as much by my work in the office as those all-important meetings. So why don’t I prepare as carefully for a routine day?
My gym routine fares better. I always start with 20-30 minutes on the bike as a low impact way to get my body used to the idea of physical work. The warm-up prepares me mentally and physically for the exercise session to follow. It’s the norm in the gym; everyone knows you have to warm-up first.
Some days I get into the office already firing on all four with a clear view of everything I want to accomplish - days when I’ve done all the planning, and can get straight on with what needs to be done. But there are also days when I stare at the urgent tasks in front of me; a rabbit caught in the headlights of specifications, project plans and paperwork.
My business warm-up routine isn’t nearly as well established as my exercise warm-up. Nor is it setting me up for the high performance results I want. In fact until recently I’ve never really considered the need for a warm-up before the day starts.
Yet business is every bit as demanding as physical exercise. It may tax different muscles, but it needs focus, concentration, and preparation. If only we had business coaches in the same way we have sports coaches; someone to remind us that we have to warm up before starting work. Someone to point out that you have to see success in your mind before you can make success a reality. Someone to say: take 20-30 minutes before the day starts to get in the zone for the challenges that lie ahead.
Business borrows much vocabulary from the sports field, maybe its time to steal a few routines too. Nor only for the physical benefits, but for mental alertness, improving focus on important goals, and getting into high-performance flow mode.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Edit your way to success
Editing is the most important activity for a writer. Writers need ideas, structure, and to make their prose sing, but all that hard work is wasted without editing. How do I know? Because too often I’m a lousy editor! Editing always improves my writing and my thinking.
It’s just as true in business. What we exclude is more important than what we include. Here’s why:
It’s just as true in business. What we exclude is more important than what we include. Here’s why:
- It's difficult to serve a defined customer niche exceptionally well. But it’s much more difficult to serve many markets. The Virgin Group try to make their brand elastic, but the failures of Virgin Cola, Virgin Brides, Virgin Cosmetics and Virgin Vodka demonstrate that it ain’t so easy. Define which markets to exclude, so as to improve the message to your chosen market(s).
- Too many priorities means nothing gets done well, important stuff gets missed, and half-finished jobs tug at your attention. To Do lists should be edited ruthlessly: Delete, Automate, or Delegate. Doing is a last resort but it means that important stuff gets done well.
- Cluttered filing systems (paper and electronic), full in-boxes, unread books and magazines are a constant distraction if left unattended. Keeping things “just in case” seems to be in my genes, but when I force myself to shed the junk my mind is clearer and more focused.
- Exclude “nice to have” objectives from your business plan so as to free resources and thinking time for essentials. It’s more motivating at the end of the year to see that all objectives were achieved, rather than a long list that gets quietly forgotten.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Unplan Your Business – Not!
Are business plans dead? Are events moving so fast that planning has become a bureaucratic luxury? I think not, and research indicates that business plans are as relevant today as they always have been.
An inadequate or non-existent business plan is still a cause of failure amongst small businesses. No business plan = insufficient thought and seat-of-the-pants management. All boats might float on a rising tide, but when things are less buoyant, too many sink never to be seen again. The list of why small businesses fail is long and depressing, but pretty much all of them include Poor Planning.
So why do people suggest such dangerous nonsense? Is it to be different? To shake things up a bit and get known as a popular thought leader? After all business planning isn’t exactly the most popular activity for managers.
Or is it because they genuinely have a crystal clear vision of their business that they don’t need a plan? And so think that other businesses shouldn’t have one either? I guess that’s the kindest explanation I can come up with, and I take my hat off to anyone who can hold the complexities of leading and managing a business without a business plan.
Like the billionaire day-traders (not too many of them around …) I’d love to meet those successful people who steer their thriving businesses without a so much as a back-of-an-envelope plan. How do they do it?
An inadequate or non-existent business plan is still a cause of failure amongst small businesses. No business plan = insufficient thought and seat-of-the-pants management. All boats might float on a rising tide, but when things are less buoyant, too many sink never to be seen again. The list of why small businesses fail is long and depressing, but pretty much all of them include Poor Planning.
So why do people suggest such dangerous nonsense? Is it to be different? To shake things up a bit and get known as a popular thought leader? After all business planning isn’t exactly the most popular activity for managers.
Or is it because they genuinely have a crystal clear vision of their business that they don’t need a plan? And so think that other businesses shouldn’t have one either? I guess that’s the kindest explanation I can come up with, and I take my hat off to anyone who can hold the complexities of leading and managing a business without a business plan.
Like the billionaire day-traders (not too many of them around …) I’d love to meet those successful people who steer their thriving businesses without a so much as a back-of-an-envelope plan. How do they do it?
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