As I travel around the world and work in different organizations, I see women and men trying to get to grips with the trifecta of problems (aka excuses) as to why business is not going as well as they would like:
- no time
- no resources
- no luck
Ok, perhaps, that’s a little provocative and certainly a little reductionist, but allow me to develop.
No time to do that
People are losing out on the war with 24 hours because of three things: (1) the opportunity to operate in real time thanks to ever improving technologies, (2) the fact that we are operating on a world stage (round the clock) and (3) most importantly, because we feel that we have to continue to do what we have always done as well as do more.
No more dough
With constant economic pressures, organizations tend to focus on the need to be more efficient and to find reductions in head count. We’ll hear the frequent refrain: “doing more with less.” The issue here is that, in the process, businesses lose sight of the client and his/her experience. Equally important, they lose the plot on employee fulfillment and engagement.
Sh*t out of luck
I hear people saying that they have no luck in finding or recruiting good people. Others in digital marketing bemoan that they can’t get a video to go viral. Others, still, talk about how a {bad} event unexpectedly came along.
In truth, the majority of companies and executives these days are in a constant 4-alarm fire mode. However, it is not just a problem of economic woes. There are a number of factors coming together to make this period so difficult for leaders. We have seen the conjunction of a new consumer mindset moving away from hyper consumerism (including fears for an under-endowed retirement, global warming, terrorism threats, war…). There is a material and ongoing shift in socio-demographics, with an aging of most of the developed world. And, coup de grace, we have the freedom of the Internet and the arrival of social media. If that were not enough, in 2012, we also have an unprecedented number of head of state elections of major countries around the world: there are at least 28 Presidential or Prime Minister elections, including China, France, India, Russia and the US. Naturally, it could be worth noting the number of other recent or prospective regime changes in North Africa and the Middle East.
Miracle cure
So, what is the miracle cure? There is none. Leaders must concoct a strategy to navigate through a complex set of circumstances. It certainly starts with having a great product or service that customers want; however, that hardly suffices. The hardest part, which makes for long-term customer fidelity and enterprise success is about having the right mindset.
Aligning your video with your audio
Here’s the thing: Sh*t is always going to happen. You need to plan for the unexpected. For me, it starts with finding a purpose for your brand, sharing and spreading it throughout the organization. Then, knowing your mission, it becomes easier to shed unnecessary activities and to focus on what (and who) are important to your business, including first and foremost your employees. And, the mission must be experienced de facto, not something written beautifully on the wall. No BS. Companies need to align their video with their audio, as Robin Sharma put it (author of the “Monk who sold his Ferrari”).
Today, for many, the biggest benefit is the biggest problem: we have too many choices. Paring down, being strategic and making the truly tough decisions where everyone is onboard is the key. That’s one very good reason you need to have good sources of information to cut through the clutter (i.e. a good curator).
Your thoughts?
