Jim Collins (Good to Great, Great by Choice) was a keynote presenter at the Women President's Organization annual conference in Atlanta this past month. Mr. Collin's books are always a good read, and he was in rare form presenting in front of this 800 strong crowd of exceptional female entrepreneurs.
As you would expect, he had several salient ideas to share, and his parting 'To Do' list; a must-do catalog of great ideas for extra ordinary leaders, has stuck with me. There were three actions he suggested that caught my eye as having the power to profoundly impact a successful change effort.
1. Hold a 'Brutal Facts' meeting each quarter, in which the realities, a company's profit and loss figures, percent margins and customer retention numbers, etc. are shared with everyone. Yep, everyone. Those who change best are those who must, and knowing the truth about how the company is doing and how the change effort will (or won't, if it fails) impact the financial health of all concerned is important information that can act as an enduring motivator.
2. Develop ROL (Return on Luck) strategies. Of all the influences that contribute to success, old - fashioned luck can often be the X factor that puts your plans over the top. Collins explained that, 'who luck' is the best kind of luck there is and that he's observed that who luck is often squandered and, in many cases, the person that could have tipped the scales in a company's favour is simply allowed to walk out the door. He challenged the audience to strategize ways to capitalize on lady luck when she comes knocking; deciding ahead of time how to maximize the right connections at the right time.
3. Commit to a set of values that will still be relevant 100 years from now. Most companies begin the strategic planning process by crafting a set of organizational values... and then shove them in a drawer somewhere. Maybe that happens because the values are too situational, contrived or so milk toast that they fail to grab people's hearts. Values that endure are ones that evoke truth, transparency and trust. Do you have a personal set of values that will stand the test of time? Does your company?
Oh, and he also suggested that, when you're finished with your To Do List, that you craft a Stop Doing List as well. It's every bit as important, and often more powerful, to stop doing those things that get in your way, than to take on new activities.
See Collin's whole To Do List below.
And if you want to get started on those that resonate with you as being the most important steps towards moving your company, department, team - or yourself forward...call me!
Remember, you can change it - we can help!
May 2012
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