The economy and business climate are now on the dirty side of the recession. Recognizing the damages done results in healthier run companies for the future.
This is comparable to what is called the ‘dirty side’ of a storm, hurricane or other weather created disaster. During those clean-up periods, the infrastructure rebuilds and optimistically moves forward by correcting certain damages done by the storms.
Signs are that our economy has somewhat recovered from the second worst recession in history. Many companies kept their heads in the sand during the economic downturn, fully intending to return to business as usual.
What happened in the recession was that many businesses went under. In my professional opinion, 25% of those that faded away probably should have. A great many frail companies were not on firm foundations and had abdicated their abilities to improve and serve customer bases.
As fallout from the recession, many people were thrown into the workforce. Many fell into jobs for which they were not suited. Many downsized and out-of-work people were forced to reinvent themselves.
Many became ‘consultants’ of one sort or another. Many fell victim to frauds and scams. Services and websites sprung up to capitalize upon the avalanche of new entrepreneurs. Some sites offered the platform to become a consultant with a national firm by paying them subscription fees. The already inflated world of “reputation management” websites lured people into buying advertising in order to create the facade of being a “consultant.”
Distinctions must be drawn into three consulting categories (and percentages of their occurrence in the marketplace):
Vendors selling products which were produced by others. Those who sell their own produced works are designated as subcontractors. (82.99%)
Consultants conduct programs designed by their companies, in repetitive motion. Their work is off-the-shelf, conforms to an established mode of operation, contains original thought and draws precedents from experience. (17%)
High level strategists create all knowledge in their consulting. It is original, customized to the client and contains creativity and insight not available elsewhere. (.01%)
As one distinguishes past vendors and subcontractors, there are six types within the 18% which constitute consultants (with their percentages in the marketplace):
Those who still lead in an industry and have specific niche expertise. (13.5%)
Those who were downsized, out-placed or decided not to stay in the corporate fold and evolved into consulting. (28%)
Out of work people who hang out consulting shingles in between jobs. (32%)
Freelancers and moonlighters, whose consultancy may or may not relate to their day jobs. (16%)
Veteran consultants who were trained for and have a track record in actual consulting. That’s what they have done for most of their careers. (2%)
Sadly, there is another category: opportunists who masquerade as consultants, entrepreneurs who disguise their selling as consulting, people who routinely change niches as the dollars go. (8.5%)
Clients are confused and under-educated, not able to discern the ‘real deal’ consultants from the hype. That is why those of us who are veterans write these articles, speak and advise on best practices. Enlightened clients hire real consultants and get great value, as opposed to companies who fall prey to under-prepared resources.
There are five generations in workforce, more than any time in our history. Each generation has different working styles and must be considered according to their attributes. Age discrimination for workers over 40 is rampant and cruel.
Workplace illiteracy is higher than ever before. 50% of employees in the business world are considered functionally illiterate.
Society must not be lulled into a false sense of security right now,. The recovery phase of the recession has been steady and real. Much of the damage was done and will take years to fix. This could cause the next recession.
I believe that small business is resilient and will try its best to stay on firm grounding. Wise entrepreneurs will bring in qualified mentors, as opposed to wanna-be consultants. Cool heads will prevail, and small business will recover and prosper.
Small business has learned many lessons from the recession. While some will still fight change and adhere to the same processes that got them into trouble, I see great opportunities for forward-focused businesses.
The biggest source of growth and increased opportunities in today’s business climate lie in the way that individuals and companies work together. Those who benefit from collaborations, rather than become the victim of them, will log the biggest successes in business years ahead.
About the Author
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.
Hank’s latest book functions as a ‘PDR of business,’ a view of Big Picture strategies, methodologies and recommendations. This is a creative way of re-treading old knowledge to enable executives to master change rather than feel as they’re victims of it.
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame is now out in all three e-book formats: iTunes, Kindle, and Nook.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/HankMoore2.jpg333290StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2015-05-01 06:43:132016-05-13 19:33:27The Big Picture of Business – Business Moving Forward from the Dirty Side of the Recession.
Every business, company or organization goes through cycles in its evolution. At any point, each program or business unit is in a different phase from the others. Every astute organization assesses the status of each branch on its Business Tree™ and orients its management and team members to meet constant changes and fluctuations.
It’s not that some organizations ‘click’ and others do not. Multiple factors cause momentum, or the lack thereof. As companies operate, all make honest and predictable mistakes. Those with a willingness to learn from the mistakes and pursue growth will be successful. Others will remain stuck in frames of mind that set themselves up for the next round of defeat or, at best, partial-success.
The saddest fact is that businesses do not always know that they’re doing anything wrong. They do not realize that a Big Picture must exist or what it could look like. They have not been taught or challenged on how to craft a Big Picture. Managers, by default, see “band-aid surgery” as the only remedy for problems… but only when problems are so evident as to require action.
Is it any wonder that organizations stray off course? Perhaps no course was ever charted. Perhaps the order of business was to put out fires as they arose, rather than practicing preventive safety on the kindling organization. That’s how Business Trees in the forest burn.
This chapter studies obsolete management styles and corporate cultures that exist in the minds of out-of-touch management. Reliance upon many of these management tenets subsequently brought Enron and many others down.
This includes the characteristics of addictive organizations, their processes, promises and forms. It reviews the Addictive System, the company way and the organization as an addict. This chapter studies communications, thinking processes, management processes, self-inflicted crises and structural components of companies that go bad, or maybe never do what it takes to be good. Topics discussed include the society that produced business scandals, accountants and auditors, pedestals upon which CEOs are placed, spin doctoring, compensations and accountability issues with managers.
Companies are collections of individuals who possess fatal flaws of thinking. They come from different backgrounds and are products of a pop culture that puts its priorities and glories in the wrong places…a society that worships flash-and-sizzle over substance.
Characteristics of Corporate Arrogance
Support others who are like-minded to themselves
Scapegoat people who are the messengers of change
Blame others who cannot or will not defend themselves
Find public and vocal ways of placing blame upon others
Shame those people who make them accountable
Neither attends to details nor to pursue a Big Picture
Perpetuate co-dependencies
Selectively forgets the good that occurs
Find three wrongs for every right
Do little or nothing
At all costs, fight change… in every shape, form or concept
Making the wrong choices
Inability to listen. Refusal to hear what is said
Stubbornness
Listening to the wrong people
Failure to change. Fear of change
Comfort level with institutional mediocrity
Setting one’s self up for failure
Pride
Avoidance of responsibilities
Blaming and scapegoating others
People who filter out the truths
Non-risk-taking mode
Inaccessibility to independent thinkers
Calling something a tradition, when it really means refusal to change
Preoccupation with deals, rather than running an ongoing business
Arrogant attitudes
Ignorance of modern management styles and societal concerns
Failure to benchmark results and accomplishments
Incorrect Assumptions that People Make
That wealth and success cure all ills
That business runs on data. That data projects the future
That data infrastructure hardware will navigate the business destiny and success
That all athletes are role models. That all well-paid athletes are national heroes
That the CEO can make or break the company single-handedly
That doctors don’t have to be accountable to their customers
That education stops after the last college degree received
That TV newscasters are celebrities and community leaders
That having an E-mail address or a website makes one an expert on technology
That the Internet is primarily an educational resource
That technology is the most important driving force in business and society
That buying the latest software program will cure all social ills and create success
That community stewardship applies to other people and does not require our own investment of time
That white-collar crime pays and that highly paid executives will avoid jail time
That senior corporate managers have all the answers and do not need to seek counsel
That return on shareholder investment is the only true measure of a company’s worth
That all people who grew up in the south are racist
That government bureaucrats are qualified to make decisions about taxpayer money
That activists for one cause are equally open-minded about other issues
That corporate mid-managers with expense accounts are community leaders
That deregulation is always desirable and in the public’s best interest
That home-based businesses are more wealth-producing than holding a job
That professionals can get by without developing public speaking and writing skills
Fatal Quotations Often Voiced to Justify Fatal Thinking
“Might makes right. Take no prisoners. Wear the other side down.”
“Everyone knows who we are and what we do.”
“Our accountants will catch it and take care of it.”
“It’s none of their business. The public be damned.”
“We’re not paying people to think… just to do. Make them understand.”
“We don’t need outsiders coming in and hogging the credit.”
“If you don’t cooperate with me, I’ll bring you down.”
“We cannot do that right now. Once this crisis is past, we can think about the future.”
“How does this contribute to our bottom line?”
“If it does not contribute directly to the bottom line, we’re not interested.”
“We have more business than we can handle.”
“Too much competition destroys free enterprise. We need to eliminate competition.”
Addictive Organizations
Addictive organizations are predicated upon maintaining a closed system. Alternately, they are marked by such traits as confusion, dishonesty and perfectionism. They are scarcity models, based upon quantity and the illusion of control. Only the high performers get the gold because there are not enough bonuses to go around. Addictive organizations show frozen feelings and ethical deterioration.
Addictive organizations dangle ‘the promise’ to employees, customers, stockholders and others affected. People are lured into doing things that enable the addictive management’s pseudopodic ego.
All that is different is either absorbed or purged. The addictive organization fabricates personality conflicts in order to keep people on the edge all the time. There exists a dualism of identifying the rightness of the choice and a co-dependence upon the rewards of the promise.
In such companies, the key person is an addict. The CEO and his chosen lieutenants have taken addictions with them from other organizations. The organization itself is an addictive substance, as well as being an addict to others. They numb people down and addict them to workaholism.
The addictive system views everything as ‘the company way.’ The entity is outwardly one big happy family. It is big and grandiose. The emphasis is upon the latest slogans of mission but does not look closely at how its systems operate. The term “mission” is a buffer, excuse, putdown and roadblock.
Rather than embrace the kinds of Big Picture strategies advocated in this book, the addictive system seeks artificial fixes to organizational problems, such as bonuses, benefits, slogans and promotions of like-minded executives.
Communications are always indirect, vague, written and confusing. People are purposefully left out of touch or are summarily put down for not co-depending. Secrets, gossip and triangulation persist, as a result. The addictive organization does communicate directly with the news media and often adopts a ‘no comment’ policy. Company officers (who should be accessible to media) are cloistered and unavailable. The addictive organization does not recognize that professional corporate communications are among the best resources in their potential arsenal.
The addictive system does not encourage managers to develop thinking and reasoning processes. The system portrays forgetfulness, selective memory and distorted facts into sweeping generalizations. We are expected to take them at their word, without requesting or demanding facts to justify.
In the addictive organization, those who challenge, blow whistles or suggest that things might be better handled are neither wanted nor tolerated. Addictive managers project externally originated criticism back onto internal scapegoats. There is always a strategy of people to blame and sins to be attributed to them.
Management processes tend to exemplify denial, dishonesty, isolation, self-centeredness, judgmentalism and a false sense of perfectionism. Intelligent people know that perfectionism does not exist and the quest for quality and excellence is the real game of life and business. Addictive organizations do not use terms like ‘quality’ and ‘excellence’ because such terms must be measured, periodically reexamined and communicated… the organization does not want any of that to occur.
There persists a crisis orientation, meaning that everything is down to the wire on deadlines (not to be confused with just-in-time delivery, which is a good concept). Things are kept perennially in turmoil, in order to keep people guessing or confused. Management seduces employees into setting up competing sides in bogus feuds and manipulating consumers.
Structural components include preserving the status quo, fostering political games, taking false measurements and pursuing activities that are incongruent with the organization’s announced mission.
7 Layers of Organizational Addictiveness.
Companies that Go Bad… self-inflicted Crises.
Self Destructive Intelligence. There exists a logic override. Since the company does not believe itself to be smart enough to do the right things, then it creates a web of rationalism. Since the mind often plays tricks on itself, management capitalizes upon that phenomenon with people who may question or criticize.
Hubris. This quality destroys those who possess it. Such executives exhibit stubborn pride, believing their own spin doctoring and surrounding themselves with people who spin quite well on their behalf. They adopt a “nobody does it as well as we can” mentality. Such companies scorn connections, collaborations and partnering with other organizations.
Arrogance. Omnipotent fantasies cause management to go too far. The feeling is that nothing is beyond their capacity to succeed (defined in their minds as crushing all other competition).
Narcissism. Company executives possess excessive conceit. They are disconnected from outside forces, self-centered and show a cruel indifference to others. The view is that the world must gratify them.
Unconscious Need to Fail. These companies try too hard to keep on winning. With victory as the only possible end game, all others must be defeated along the way. In reality, these people and, thus, their organizations, possess low self-esteem. Inevitably, they get beaten at their own games.
Feeling of Entitlement. Walls and filters have been established which insulate top management from criticism (which is viewed as harming the chain of armor, rather than as potentially constructive). Anger stimulates many of their decisions. The feeling is that they deserve it all. Power satisfies appetites. These executives have poor human relations skills. They believe that excesses are always justified.
Collective Dumbness. Such organizations have totally reshaped reality to their own viewpoints. The emperor really has no clothes, but everyone overlooks the obvious and avoids addressing it forthrightly. The organization dumbs down the overall intelligence level, so that people are in the dark and cannot readily make judgment calls. Cults of expertise function in vacuums within the company. Neurotic departmental units do not interface often with others. Employees are slaves of the system. There exists total justification for what is done and an ostrich effect toward calls for accountability.
Techpitfalls.com
Reasons why companies fail.
Roadblocks to growth, opportunities missed.
Companies come and go. Not every start-up is destined to make it. Yet, in this era of super-hype about tech and dot.com companies, unrealistic expectations precluded most of their successes from the beginning.
The hype now is that the bubble burst. Former dot.com owners are crying that they were stripped of their entitled riches. Employees who were promised stock options came away without still knowing what it takes to build a real business.
The e-commerce and dot.com wars have more than their share of casualties because their players never had the artillery and mindset to play seriously in the first place. Overt marketing hype led to an unwatchful marketplace… which always wakes up to the realities of business eventually.
Technology companies must now learn the lessons that steady-growth companies in other industries absorbed. Actually, most companies still have not truly learned the lessons. Thus, most businesses are at frequent ‘crossroads,’ where turns have deep implications and far-reaching.
I advised several technology companies during their gravy years. I tried to warn them about the things that would get them into trouble:
Focusing upon technology… not upon running a business
Maintaining too much of an entrepreneur and family business mindset
Branding before being a real company
Their system’s inability to deal with any kind of disruption
Each side picks their favorite numbers for ‘success’ because they really do not know
Not comprehending the business you’re really in
Venturing too far from your areas of expertise
Thinking that the rules of corporate protocol did not apply to them
Misplaced priorities and timelines
Making financial yardsticks the only barometers
Wrong relationships with investors… letting angels call too many shots
Getting bad advice from the wrong people, mainly other tech professionals
Rationalizing excuses, ‘the rules have changed’
Feeling entitled to success and exemptions from business realities
Copycats of others’ perceived successes
Working long and hard, but not necessarily smart
Failure to contextualize the product, business, marketplace and bigger picture
Inability to plan
Refusal to change
Most of these pitfalls are common to so many industries. They simply were focused upon tech companies from 1994-2000 because they were the latest flavor. Some heeded the advice of myself and others… many did not avail themselves.
Reasons why some want to grow beyond their current boundaries:
Prove to someone else that they can do it
Strong quest for revenue and profits
Corporate arrogance and ego, based upon power and influence (as well as money)
Sincere desire to put expertise into new arena
Really have talents, resources and adaptabilities beyond what they’re known for
Diversifying as part of a plan of expansion, selling off and re-growing subsidiaries
The marketplace dictates change as part of the company’s global being
Circumstances under which they expand include:
Advantageous location became available
Someone wanted to sell out… a great deal was tough to pass up
Can’t sit still… must conquer new horizons
Think they can make more money, amass more power
Desire to edge out a competitor or dominate another industry
Create jobs for existing employees (new challenges, new opportunities)
Part of their growth strategy to go public, offering stock as a diversified company
This is what often happens as a result of unplanned growth:
The original business gets shoved to the back burner
The new business thrust gets proportionately more than its share of attention
Capitalization is stretched beyond limits, and operations advance in a cash-poor mode
Morale wavers and becomes uneven, per operating unit and division
Attempts to bring consistency and uniformity drive further wedges into the operation
Something has to give: people, financial resources, competitive edge, company vision
The company expands and subsequently contracts without strategic planning
7 Defeating Signs for Growth Companies
Systems are not in place to handle rapid growth, perhaps never were
Their only interest is in booking more new business, rather than taking care of what they’ve already got
Management is relying upon financial people as the primary source of advice, while ignoring the rest of the picture (90 percent)
Team empowerment suffers. Morale is low or uneven. Commitment from workers drops because no corporate culture was created or sustained
Customer service suffers during fast-growth periods. They have to back-pedal and recover customer confidence by doing surveys. Even with results of deteriorating customer service, growth-track companies pay lip service to really fixing their own problems
People do not have the same Vision as the company founder… who has likely not taken enough time to fully develop a Vision and obtain buy-in from others
Company founder remains arrogant and complacent, losing touch with marketplace realities and changing conditions
Everything we are in business stems from what we’ve been taught or not taught to date. A career is all about devoting resources to amplifying talents and abilities, with relevancy toward a viable end result.
Business evolution is an amalgamation of thoughts, technologies, approaches and commitment of the people, asking such tough questions as:
What would you like for you and your organization to become?
How important is it to build an organization well, rather than constantly spend time in managing conflict?
Who are the customers?
Do successful corporations operate without a strategy-vision?
Do you and your organization presently have a strategy-vision?
Are businesses really looking for creative ideas? Why?
If no change occurs, is the research and self-reflection worth anything?
Failure to prepare for the future spells certain death for businesses and industries in which they function. The same analogies apply to personal lives, careers and Body of Work. Greater business awareness and heightened self-awareness are compatible and part of a holistic journey of growth.
Business is in transition… with unclear anchoring of where they’ve been and where they could head. Young and mid-level workers do not really know what it takes to succeed long-term and been.
About the Author
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.
Hank’s latest book functions as a ‘PDR of business,’ a view of Big Picture strategies, methodologies and recommendations. This is a creative way of re-treading old knowledge to enable executives to master change rather than feel as they’re victims of it.
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame is now out in all three e-book formats: iTunes, Kindle, and Nook.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/HankMoore2.jpg333290StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2015-04-17 06:21:172015-12-19 19:31:26The Big Picture of Business – The Fatal Flaws of Corporate Thinking
The economy and business climate are now on the dirty side of the recession. Recognizing the damages done results in healthier run companies for the future.
This is comparable to what is called the ‘dirty side’ of a storm, hurricane or other weather created disaster. During those clean-up periods, the infrastructure rebuilds and optimistically moves forward by correcting certain damages done by the storms.
Signs are that our economy has somewhat recovered from the second worst recession in history. Many companies kept their heads in the sand during the economic downturn, fully intending to return to business as usual.
What happened in the recession was that many businesses went under. In my professional opinion, 25% of those that faded away probably should have. A great many frail companies were not on firm foundations and had abdicated their abilities to improve and serve customer bases.
As fallout from the recession, many people were thrown into the workforce. Many fell into jobs for which they were not suited. Many downsized and out-of-work people were forced to reinvent themselves.
Many became ‘consultants’ of one sort or another. Many fell victim to frauds and scams. Services and websites sprung up to capitalize upon the avalanche of new entrepreneurs. Some sites offered the platform to become a consultant with a national firm by paying them subscription fees. The already inflated world of ‘reputation management’ websites lured people into buying advertising in order to create the facade of being a ‘consultant.’
Distinctions must be drawn into three consulting categories (and percentages of their occurrence in the marketplace):
Vendors selling products which were produced by others. Those who sell their own produced works are designated as subcontractors. (82.99%)
Consultants conduct programs designed by their companies, in repetitive motion. Their work is off-the-shelf, conforms to an established mode of operation, contains original thought and draws precedents from experience. (17%)
High level strategists create all knowledge in their consulting. It is original, customized to the client and contains creativity and insight not available elsewhere. (0.01%)
As one distinguishes past vendors and subcontractors, there are six types within the 18% which constitute consultants (with their percentages in the marketplace):
Those who still lead in an industry and have specific niche expertise. (13.5%)
Those who were downsized, out-placed or decided not to stay in the corporate fold and evolved into consulting. (28%)
Out of work people who hang out consulting shingles in between jobs. (32%)
Freelancers and moonlighters, whose consultancy may or may not relate to their day jobs. (16%)
Veteran consultants who were trained for and have a track record in actual consulting. That’s what they have done for most of their careers. (2%)
Sadly, there is another category: opportunists who masquerade as consultants, entrepreneurs who disguise their selling as consulting, people who routinely change niches as the dollars go. (8.5%)
Clients are confused and under-educated, not able to discern the ‘real deal’ consultants from the hype. That is why those of us who are veterans write these articles, speak and advise on best practices. Enlightened clients hire real consultants and get great value, as opposed to companies who fall prey to under-prepared resources.
There are five generations in workforce, more than any time in our history. Each generation has different working styles and must be considered according to their attributes. Age discrimination for workers over 40 is rampant and cruel.
Workplace illiteracy is higher than ever before. 50% of employees in the business world are considered functionally illiterate.
Society must not be lulled into a false sense of security right now. The recovery phase of the recession has been steady and real. Much of the damage was done and will take years to fix. This could cause the next recession.
I believe that small business is resilient and will try its best to stay on firm grounding. Wise entrepreneurs will bring in qualified mentors, as opposed to wanna-be consultants. Cool heads will prevail, and small business will recover and prosper.
Small business has learned many lessons from the recession. While some will still fight change and adhere to the same processes that got them into trouble, I see great opportunities for forward-focused businesses.
Paying attention to quality can realize:
Lower operating costs. Research shows they can be cut in half.
Premium pricing for preferred goods/services.
Customer retention.
Enhanced reputation.
Access to global markets.
Faster innovation.
Higher sales.
Higher return on investments.
The biggest source of growth and increased opportunities in today’s business climate lie in the way that individuals and companies work together.
It is becoming increasingly rare to find an individual or organization that has not yet been required to team with others. Lone rangers and sole-source providers simply cannot succeed in competitive environments and global economies. Those who benefit from collaborations, rather than become the victim of them, will log the biggest successes in business years ahead.
Just as empowerment, team building and other processes apply to formal organizational structures, then teamings of independents can likewise benefit from the concepts. There are rules of protocol that support and protect partnerships, having a direct relationship to those who profit most.
Professionals who succeed the most are the products of mentoring. The mentor is a resource for business trends, societal issues and opportunities. The mentor becomes a role model, offering insights about their own life-career. This reflection shows the mentee levels of thinking and perception which were not previously available. The mentor is an advocate for progress and change. Such work empowers the mentee to hear, accept, believe and get results. The sharing of trust and ideas leads to developing business philosophies.
About the Author
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.
Hank’s latest book functions as a ‘PDR of business,’ a view of Big Picture strategies, methodologies and recommendations. This is a creative way of re-treading old knowledge to enable executives to master change rather than feel as they’re victims of it.
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame is now out in all three e-book formats: iTunes, Kindle, and Nook.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/HankMoore2.jpg333290StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2015-04-03 06:47:352016-05-13 19:40:16The Big Picture of Business – Business Moving Forward From the Dirty Side of the Recession
Professionals who succeed the most are the products of mentoring. The mentor is a resource for business trends, societal issues and opportunities. The mentor becomes a role model, offering insights about their own life-career. This reflection shows the mentee levels of thinking and perception which were not previously available. The mentor is an advocate for progress and change. Such work empowers the mentee to hear, accept, believe and get results. The sharing of trust and ideas leads to developing business philosophies.
The mentor endorses the mentee, messages ways to approach issues, helps draw distinctions and paints pictures of success. The mentor opens doors for the mentee. The mentor requests pro-active changes of mentee, evaluates realism of goals and offers truths about path to success and shortcomings of mentee’s approaches. This is a bonded collaboration toward each other’s success. The mentor stands for mentees throughout their careers and celebrates their successes. This is a lifelong dedication toward mentorship…in all aspects of one’s life.
The most significant lessons that I learned in my business life from mentors, verified with experience, are shared here:
You cannot go through life as a carbon copy of someone else.
You must establish your own identity, which is a long, exacting process.
As you establish a unique identity, others will criticize. Being different, you become a moving target.
People criticize you because of what you represent, not who you are. It is rarely personal against you. Your success may bring out insecurities within others. You might be what they cannot or are not willing to become.
If you cannot take the dirtiest job in any company and do it yourself, then you will never become ‘management.’
Approach your career as a body of work. This requires planning, purpose and commitment. It’s a career, not just a series of jobs.
The person who is only identified with one career accomplishment or by the identity of one company for whom he-she formerly worked is a one-hit wonder and, thus, has no body of work.
The management that takes steps to ‘fix themselves’ rather than always projecting
It’s not when you learn. It’s that you learn.
Many people do without the substantive insights into business because they have not really developed critical thinking skills.
Analytical and reasoning skills are extensions of critical thinking skills.
You perform your best work for free. How you fulfill commitments and pro-bono work speaks to the kind of professional that you are.
People worry so much what others think about them. If they knew how little others thought, they wouldn’t worry so much. This too is your challenge to frame how they see you and your company.
Fame is fleeting. The public is fickle and quick to jump on the newest flavor, without showing loyalty to the old ones, especially those who are truly original. Working in radio, I was taught, “They only care about you when you’re behind the microphone.”
The pioneer and ‘one of a kind’ professional has a tough lot in life. It is tough to be first or so far ahead of the curve that others cannot see it. Few will understand you. Others will attain success with portions of what you did, but none will do it as well.
Consumers are under-educated. Our society takes more to the copycats and latest fads. Only the pioneer knows and appreciates what he-she really accomplished. That reassurance will have to be enough.
Life and careers include peaks and valleys. It’s how one copes during the ‘down times’ that is the true measure of success.
Long-term success must be earned. It is not automatic and is worthless if ill-gotten. The more dues one pays, the more you must continue paying.
The next best achievement is the one you’re working on now, inspired by your body of knowledge to date.
The person who never has aggressively pursued a dream or mounted a series of achievements cannot understand the quest of one with a committed dream.
Much of the population does not achieve huge goals but still admires and learns from those who persevere and succeed. Achievers become life-long mentors to others.
Achievement is a continuum and must be benchmarked and enjoyed.
7 Levels at Which Mentors Are Utilized:
Resource. Equipment, tools, materials, schedules.
Skills and Tasks. Duties, activities, tasks, behaviors, attitudes, fulfillment.
Role and Job. Responsibilities, functions, relationships, accountability.
Systems, Processes, Structure. Control, work design, supervision, decisions.
Conveying Information. The mentor is a resource for business trends, opportunities, an active listener and adviser on values, actions.
Imparting Experiences. The mentor is a role model. Insight offered about own life-career. Reflection strengthens the mentor and shows levels of thinking and perception which were not previously available to the mentee.
Encouraging Actions. The mentor advocates for progress, empowering the mentee to hear, accept, believe and get results. Sharing of feelings, trust, ideas, philosophies.
Paving the Way. The mentor endorses the mentee, wanting his-her success. The mentor messages ways to approach issues, drawing distinctions and painting pictures of success.
Wanting the Best. Continuing relationship between the mentor and mentee. Progress is visioned, contextualized, seeded, benchmarked.
Advocating, Facilitating. The mentor opens doors for the mentee. The mentor requests pro-active changes of mentee, evaluates realism of goals, offers truths about path to success and shortcomings of mentee’s approaches. This is a bonded collaboration toward each other’s success.
Sharing Profound Wisdom. The mentor stands for mentees throughout careers, celebrates successes. Energy coaching and love-respect for each other continues throughout the relationship.
About the Author
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.
Hank’s latest book functions as a ‘PDR of business,’ a view of Big Picture strategies, methodologies and recommendations. This is a creative way of re-treading old knowledge to enable executives to master change rather than feel as they’re victims of it.
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame is now out in all three e-book formats: iTunes, Kindle, and Nook.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/HankMoore2.jpg333290StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2015-03-06 06:30:012016-05-11 14:41:30The Big Picture of Business – Mentoring Guides Your Success
There’s this thing that websites do. They use the term ‘metrics’ out of context. Their metrics are arbitrary, and they jerk the chains of sellers with figures that are unsubstantiated. They arbitrarily disable accounts. Sadly, this is what is thought of as “quality” in the digital age.
Websites that sell products are digital platforms, not the arbitrators of quality in the business world.
Metrics are easily skewed and do not reflect the overall customer satisfaction. A criticism of performance metrics is that when the value of information is computed using mathematical methods, it shows that even performance metrics professionals choose measures that have little value. This is referred to as the ‘measurement inversion.’ Metrics seem to emphasize what organizations find immediately measurable — even if those are low value — and tend to ignore high value measurements simply because they seem harder to measure (whether they are or not).
To correct for the measurement inversion other methods, like applied information economics, introduce the ‘value of information analysis’ step in the process so that metrics focus on high-value measures. Organizations where this has been applied find that they define completely different metrics than they otherwise would have and, often, fewer metrics.
Quality is not something that managers assign others to achieve. It is a mindset that permeates organizations from top-down as well as bottom-up. Rather than assume all is wrong or right with an organization and take a defensive posture, management must view quality as essential to their economic survival or growth. Quality entails four concepts:
Success is determined by conformity to requirements.
Quality is achieved through prevention, not appraisal. The quality audit by objective outside communications counsel is merely the beginning of a process.
The quality performance standard is zero defects. That means doing things correctly the first time, without wasting counter-productive time in cleaning up mistakes.
Nonconformance is costly. Make-good efforts cost more on the back end than doing things right on the front end.
Organizations measure quality by overall involvement. It is not enough for management to endorse quality programs; they must actively participate.
Quality should be viewed as a journey, rather than a destination. It applies to service industries and manufacturing operations. Even non-profit and public sector organizations must utilize quality approaches for staff and volunteer councils/boards.
Employees must buy into the process by offering constructive input. All ideas are worthy of consideration. Life-threatening experiences (loss of business or market share, economic recession) signal the urgency for the team to collaborate.
Empowerment of employees means they accept the challenges and consequences. They must view the company as a consumer would… being as discerning about buying their own services as they are about fine dining, premium clothing, gifts for friends, a car or a home.
What if we were all paid based upon customer perceptions of our service? That would make each of us more attentive to what we offer and whether our value is correctly perceived.
Each member of an organization must view himself/herself as having customers. Each must be seen as a profit center and as having something valuable to contribute to the overall group. Each is a link that lets down the whole chain by failing to uphold their part.
What is missing in most organizations is the willingness to move forward, not the availability of information or room/desire for improvement. Willingness requires complete and never-ending commitment by management. The first time the organization tolerates anything less than 100 percent, it is on the road back to mediocrity.
The most common pitfalls toward success include:
Taking a piecemeal approach to quality.
Thinking that quality needs apply to some other department, company or industry, not your own.
Thinking that you are already doing things ‘the quality way.’
Failing to address structural flaws that fuel the problems.
Focusing upon esoteric techniques, rather than true reasons for instilling quality.
Saying that something is being done when it is not.
Failing to engage customers and suppliers into the process.
Failing to emphasize training.
Setting goals that are too low.
Communicating poorly with the organization and its publics. Without employee communications, suggestion boxes, publications, training videos, speeches and other professionally prepared instruments, the company is fooling itself and its customers about the commitment to quality. Without good communication from the outset, the program will never be understood and accepted.
Quality improvement is the only action that can simultaneously win the support of customers, employees, investors, media and the public. Productivity translates to profitability in an advantageous climate in which to function.
Investment Toward Economic Survival and Growth
Research shows the by-product costs of poor quality are high for any business, up to 40 percent. Lack of attentiveness to quality has cost the United States its global marketplace dominance. Other nations preceded the U.S. in adopting the quality process and overtook our nation in many areas.
In 1981, more than 70 percent of U.S. automobiles realized defects within six months of purchase. That figure has now dropped below 40 percent, compared with just under 30 percent in Japanese cars. Had quality been a focus in Detroit years earlier, then the obvious would not have transpired.
The Japanese have always viewed quality as a national issue… not just an individual company matter. The real victim of America’s late entry into the quality process was every employee whose livelihood was endangered. Consumers did not worry; they simply bought goods and services elsewhere.
Success via competitiveness has many dimensions:
Production efficiency became America’s focus by the 1950’s.
Marketing’s importance was fully embraced in the 1960’s. Marketing departments deal most often and immediately with the side effects of poor quality.
The 1970’s brought the first wave of strategic planning. Without mapping a course, how can any organization reach a destination?
The 1980’s brought us the quality process… which is the bow that wraps a package containing the other three elements. At the start of the decade, many executives viewed the quality process with indifference or fear. By decade’s end, virtually all (92 percent) agreed that quality is the main prescription for survival.
Though quality is one element of competitiveness, it cannot cover defects in the other areas. The quality audit by objective outside communications counsel can also examine the production, marketing and strategic planning functions.
Companies must place demands upon their own organizations to embrace customer service tenets. Satisfied customers talk to others… encouraging them to buy based upon quality of the company. Dissatisfied customers will aggressively discourage higher numbers of prospects from buying.
The mark of any professional is the manner in which he/she corrects mistakes. Most often, this means correcting misperceptions about company attitude, rather than the condition of goods. The faster the correction, the better the level of satisfaction. Quality is the sum of impressions made on the customer.
Payroll is the biggest overhead item. Improvement can be quantified by increased productivity, reduced turnover and heightened employee morale.
The empowered team is trusted to seek quality on their own. Bad managers will fall by the wayside. Employees who do not pull their share will stick out like sore thumbs. The team will not be judged by the superstars but, instead, by the average. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
In order to complete the chain, organizations must insist that suppliers, professional services counselors and vendors show demonstrated quality programs, as well as ethics statements. Educational and incentive programs should be implemented.
During tough economic times, investment in a quality program is not costly. Anyone who is unwilling to spend for quality is hastening company decline.
Business Strategy Steers the Quality Process
Quality is one of the most vital ingredients of competitive success. Total Quality Management (TQM) is recognized as a prerequisite for survival. One fourth of all corporations now administer quality programs.
The focus on quality has gone beyond the finished product and addresses all processes throughout the organization. Evaluating quality is not just a question of meeting customers’ expectations… but rather exceeding them.
Paying attention to quality can realize:
Lower operating costs. Research shows they can be cut in half.
Premium pricing for preferred goods/services.
Customer retention.
Enhanced reputation.
Access to global markets.
Faster innovation.
Higher sales.
Higher return on investments. TQM has increased profitability in some corporations up to six times.
Total Quality Management is customer-focused and strategy-directed. It is a top management activity… steered by public relations counselors. The human relations component is strong, but quality programs are substantially communications-driven.
The successful quality program empowers employees, who will achieve quality on their own. The more positive results are shown, the more universal will be participation. The quality process must have substance–not just rhetoric–in order to build momentum. There are no magic shortcuts. If the process is given proper attention and support by top management, it is a money maker.
How to Institute a Quality Program
Much has been written about Total Quality Management. Change is painful for most people but is necessary. Conducting “business as usual” means standing still… which means losing ground while other companies move forward.
Quality does not mean that true perfection will exist. It is simply a commitment to keep the wheels of progress at top-of-mind motion.
To change and improve requires methodically and systematically undertaking actions that will make your company ‘world class.’ These actions include:
Education.
Communication.
Reward and recognition.
Employee suggestion systems.
Involvement teams.
Benchmark measurements of accomplishments.
Statistical management methods.
Research shows that most companies implement quality programs as a reaction to a perceived negative image. Data is gathered in scattered areas, usually to produce flashy charts for customers. Because upper management does not know which programs to implement, the quality process stagnates.
Doing things for the wrong reasons or to temporarily pacify someone else spells failure. There are no quick fixes. Applying band-aids will just reopen the wounds at a later date. Quality can never be identified too broadly enough.
In order to put a quality program into place, the following steps must be taken:
Study the activities of admired companies. Interview them to provide insight. Set meetings to review what works for them. Read case studies of Malcolm Baldridge Award winners. Companies can and should be role models for each other.
Retain outside experts. Quality programs are communications driven and should be captained by public relations counsel who possess this expertise. They will conduct communications audits and strategic planning. This is not something that can be conducted alone by internal human resources departments. Good experts will tell you the hard facts and what needs to be done.
Research drives most communications programs. Commission customer and employee surveys. It will provide comparisons between the realities and perceptions that are held.
Ask counsel to write a plan of action for putting the quality program into place.
Assemble an internal quality team… making sure that all major departments are represented. Together with outside counsel, this committee will pursue its objectives, per the written agenda.
Set realistic timelines for putting recommendations into place.
Set schedules for routine review of the process. This includes repeating surveys to assure that you are making adequate progress.
By successfully combining employee involvement, process improvement, customer focus and demonstrated management endorsement, any company can succeed at quality. Even on a limited investment, quality can be attained.
The challenge is to discover what mix of price and quality the customer wants and to deliver it. Slogans only create adversarial relationships. Once the system owns up to its shortcomings and responsibilities, then a true quality process will occur. Failure to read the ‘handwriting on the wall’ will thwart company growth and, thus, the overall economy.
About the Author
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.
Hank’s latest book functions as a ‘PDR of business,’ a view of Big Picture strategies, methodologies and recommendations. This is a creative way of re-treading old knowledge to enable executives to master change rather than feel as they’re victims of it.
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame is now out in all three e-book formats: iTunes, Kindle, and Nook.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/HankMoore2.jpg333290StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2015-02-06 06:49:402016-05-04 16:12:25The Big Picture of Business – Quality is Important for Business: Real Quality vs. Arbitrary Metrics
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Power Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.
Power Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.
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