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I hate politics. So, when I was considering a post about politics and business, I stopped to think about this a bit. Did I really want to spend my time thinking about politics any more than I had to? Especially these days when it is all so ugly. Then I read an article in the Boston Globe today about Governor Patrick and I just could not help relating many points to the business world. For those of you who are not up on Massachusetts politics, Governor Deval Patrick (D) was elected in 2006 and came from the private sector - never having held a political office before. WHAT? you say. Yeah, in a political machine like Boston, it was a crazy idea. But, just like Patrick, I have seen this happen in business many times - an outsider is brought in to lead a company or a business unit. Maybe for a good reason or maybe because he/she had the right connections - kind of like politics, right? In the article, that looks back on his first term, several statements really made me think of the business world. Speaking of Patrick in the early weeks in office, "...simply unaware of how to wield the influence of the corner office,... how to project an image as a strong leader." "He didn't understand how to corral his power,..." Have you ever seen this in business? New company executives come in and don't understand the politics of being in charge. This politician did not understand the business of politics. Often, managers come into a new company and rub people the wrong way, are looked at suspiciously and may struggle to make the changes they want to see. Perhaps, like Governor Patrick, they need to learn the ropes first, observe and learn and then test the waters with new plans and decisions. Maybe they need to realize that they don't know everything relative to THIS organization and should take some time to figure out the who, what and why before laying down the new order. Patrick eventually got the hang of getting things done from the corner office. The article later states, "We are now seeing an experience, tough, seasoned political leader who has learned from some very painful experiences." I wonder if this is just the nature of being in charge. You need to come in and make a few mistakes. If you are smart enough to learn from these mistakes, listen and adjust, you are likely to make it after all - in politics or business.
I am really in the mood to write today, but have been struggling with choosing a topic. I was thinking about my job search and how unprofessional companies have become over the last few years. Then I was thinking about my oldest who was just fired from her job because her boss found out she had been accepted by Americorp for a year of service and they tried to make her quit now instead of in October (when her service starts) - some very slimy biz stuff going on there. Then I was playing around with the idea of writing a book about what NOT to do in business - things I have learned along the way. I thought I could play around with a few topics from that much too long list of lessons learned!
So, what will it be? I think today I will take a peek at the way companies treat people these days. (I know, that line just made me sound old - 'kids these days...') I have never considered myself an old fashioned gal or someone who gets too caught up in formalities - but I am professional and polite and like to think that I act that way in my work life. Something has happened in business over the last few years. People have forgotten their manners and basic courtesies.
When did we stop notifying candidates that they did not get the job after an interview? When did we not reply to a direct email asking for information that we were told we would receive? When did companies stop giving a #@! about people? When did companies start intimidating young employees and trying to take advantage of them?
Does anyone care about doing the right thing anymore? Are we really that busy? That cold? Are we afraid of something?
I'm not going to go on and on here. I just want to encourage everyone to stop for a moment and think about that person on the other side - the one being interviewed or going through a performance evaluation or phoning you with a question. Think about how you would want to be treated if you were on the other side. Do you deserve a reply? An update? An explanation? It only takes a few minutes and it can make a big difference to someone. It should make you feel good too - doing the right thing always does. Let's get back to a little professional courtesy - you never know when you will meet that person again!
There are a lot of things that can kill a smaller sized business - cash flow issues, poor quality, supply issues and so much more. I think that one of the worse things that can happen to a small company is a bad case of indecision - perhaps accompanied with a side of wishy-washyness.
OK, a little word play fun, but seriously - if you can't make decisions and you keep re-visiting and adjusting everything, how can you ever move forward? I think this can lead to a slow and painful death.
So, let's examine the possible causes of these ailments. Why is it difficult for some people to make decisions? In many cases, it is the fear of being wrong. Sometimes it stems from trying to keep certain employees from getting upset (yes, this does happen). It often takes work to make a decision - collecting information in order to determine the right course of action. Those people are just lazy. Some like to avoid any conflict, some just procrastinate by nature, some are simply foolish.
I know I have written this before, but it is worth repeating. There is nothing worse (ok, there are some things that are worse, but you get the idea) than having things just happen through no conscious decision - just happening by chance. You lose all control when this happens and can't easily look back to determine what went wrong. A wrong decision is better than no decision.
The other piece that can wreak havoc is constantly changing your decisions. Of course it is important to regularly re-evaluate plans, review products, procedures, assignments, etc. and make adjustments along the way. But, that does not mean changing objectives, targets, assignments or strategy often is a good thing. Plans need to be given a little time to play out - see what happens. Measurement and review needs to collect enough information to provide a good basis for making changes and enough information to help guide what that change should be. Don't change your pricing scheme after 1 down sales month. Don't re-vamp your successful web site after 2 weeks of reduced site activity. Don't re-assign tasks or people because of 1 complaint.
Although the dinosaurs of old school business should be dead for SMB, and changes should not involve years of study and review, a little moderation and consideration in planning and decision making is an important business concept.
As we approach 2010, I'm sure big plans are underway for businesses of all types. Sales goals are being doled out, cost reductions are under review, pricing strategies are being evaluated, cost of new development and expenses are being reconsidered, personnel is being looked at and on and on.
I get it. Times are tough out there. Business is slow, prices are falling, competition is crazy, ... You just want to get through this recession and come out the other side.
What a perfect time to take stock in how you do things and to make improvements. I'm talking about evaluating everything you do. What would happen if you made "improvement" a major goal for 2010? Would it help you succeed in this tough economy? Would it make you stronger on the other side? Is it worth spending precious resources on doing this now? I say yes, yes and definitely yes!
When I talk about improving things, I'm talking about processes, procedures - how everyone performs their piece of the business puzzle. Every single company out there can do something better - improving their efficiency, costs, customer service, product performance, yields, ... The things upon which we can improve are almost endless.
I have done this with clients when I did Quality Management work - as part of the journey toward ISO registrations. I worked with each department, meeting with people who understood the way things were currently being done and brainstormed about things that they thought went smoothly and things they thought needed improvement. Then I would bring in people who worked with that department and ask them what worked well and what might be improved upon. You see, no department works in a vacuum - they all interact and provide things for each other. When you do your job well, your department, your internal 'customers' and the company all benefit.
After this series of meetings and brainstorming sessions, we reviewed the practices and procedures followed in each department and made some changes. We documented what we were going to do and went over everything, including expectations, with each employee. We then let the updated system work for a while.
The key to true success with this type of plan is to have management buy-in, to support the implementation and time commitment needed for this. The other key thing is to do a follow-up. It is important to re-group some time after the new procedures have been in effect (6 months maybe) to go over the progress and tweak anything that is still not quite right. This also reaffirms that this is not a passing fad or a management whim. It is a real commitment to change and progress.
Although it is extremely helpful to bring someone in from the outside to facilitate this type of activity, it can be done with your own people. Someone from a different department could take the lead for each area - asking questions, being the 'moderator', noting the good things and the things that are not working well. This person would guide the department toward new objectives and focus on procedural updates that will make each department more effective and efficient.
Why not make IMPROVEMENT an objective for 2010?
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