How do you make changes with your Security/Compliance oriented staff and keep the train on the tracks?
Continuous Improvement While Staying On Track: My answers
- Your security/compliance people give you and the organization steadiness and quality control. They perform day in day out without much needed fanfare as long as you give them flat smooth tracks to run the train on.
- The qualities that make them valuable (quiet determination), following the rules and doing things right also make them stubborn to change and rigid in a quiet (passive/aggressive) way unless the change is obviously better than the old proven way (in their eyes, not yours).
- The above two points are a Yin Yang dilemma. In order to survive and thrive in your coming market you must change to stay the same or get ahead. Continuous improvement implementation changes are always a challenge unless you really understand and acknowledge the above two points.
Your answers?
THE REAL QUESTION- How do I do to enact changes needed yet support the bread and butter employees so they see what is truly need to do to support the overall company needs? (And in essence protect their jobs.)
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A deep understanding and experience in successfully implementing continuous improvement as a habit. Call/email us.
Recently we helped facilitate the annual meeting of a very successful, privately-owned, 93 year-old company. At one point we were discussing their way of doing business which, many of you know, is something we package into your yearly game plan. This led to a conversation about why were always changing things (what many of you know as “Continuous Improvement”).
I said that we must continuously improve, because we have no choice. Businesses and individuals that don’t change eventually become obsolete and thus die a slow or fast death.
I encouraged them to take action individually andcollectively. One comment was that continuous improvement was perhaps a “management or ownership” responsibility, which I challenged and said, “For the company to remain healthy we all must take ownership and responsibility. In fact, I said there are no owners working here, only company stakeholders.”
The essence of this message
Any individual or company that is not making continuous improvement a way of life is putting their job and their company at risk. To put a more positive spin on it, those individuals and companies that provide space for themselves and the company to practice continuous improvement and innovation can thrive in the coming market. For additional information, read the link below.
Please call / email if you’re interested in discussing this further. Contact us today.
3 Points
When I was 19, I became intrigued with the concept of success. Why did some people rise and some fail? When there were two businesses that seemed nearly identical, why did one constantly outperform the other? Over many years of hands on research, having interviewed many very successful people, studying leadership and the nature of one’s ego I’ve written many pieces (https://johnruh.com/leadership-tools/) on leadership, culture, vision and ego. One thing is clear from all my studies, if you want to be successful you must develop your vision and YOU MUST be the leader of your own life! I would like to share three points.
Point 3 – Vision is Magic
This is the sequential third point, but I put it first because of its power.
Have you ever noticed that people who are motivated by vision have extraordinary enthusiasm for work and life? When a person’s vision is alive, focus and morale are high, productivity begets productivity and positive results follow. Developing your vision is essential and it’s a nice way to live. It has a magical feel to it.
Point 1 – What Do You Really Want?
This is the core question that needs to be answered before any “Vision” work is started. It demands an honest assessment of your deepest motivations. Simply saying, “To be rich and happy” is not enough. One of the first articles I wrote when I began studying success is “Vision, Morale and Productivity,” (https://johnruh.com/vision-morale-and-productivity/.) It is a useful piece to help understand who may be running your life and what developing your vision is about
Point 2 – Do You Truly Want to Support Your Vision? Are You Ready?
Taking complete ownership and responsibility for your life with zero excuses is a very hard task. But in order to be your vision, this is the only way it works. Read VCCR (https://johnruh.com/vision-context-commitment-responsibility-vccr-2/). From my perspective, any other approach will not produce the success or results you deserve. Ownership of developing your vision is the best way to eliminate frustration and self-disappointment.
P.S. Learn more about developing your vision. Call us to schedule one free viewing and discussion of the video The Power of Vision by Joel Barker. It’s a moving and guiding 40 minute DVD that can positively influence your future.
Not all of us like to cook but we all know that recipes have measurements and directions for a reason! Check out our 3 Steps to Annual Business Planning.
We absolutely positively must successfully close the current, get our strategic initiatives/continuous improvement projects done well, and design a rock-solid game plan (be it individual, departmental, or company) so we can enroll the support we need to have a successful new year.
It takes time to create and refine an effective annual business plan, so let’s start now.
3 Steps to Annual Business Planning
Step 1: November: Focus: Annual Review (everyone)
- Do an annual company survey to get everyone’s input so we can enroll all stakeholders and show respect.
- Review/analyze your budget/preliminary new year budget.
- Complete all key current year continuous improvement initiatives/projects.
Step 2: December: Focus: New Year’s Game Plan
- With key inside and outside manager/leaders create a game plan for next year.
- Managers do their departmental plans and possibly complete annual individual reviews.
- Make sure budget and support needs (including key continuous improvement initiatives) are outlined to support A & B.
Step 3: January: Focus: Roll Out of Game Plan
- By January 15th effectively roll out key new year goals. Ideally this will include your long-term vision, mission and key values that will give a code of conduct. As a group, outline the support you truly need.
- Review the roles and mission of each position and put them into the game plan.
- Have key continuous improvement initiatives started as a habit for the new year (critical to make it a habit vs. doing only when problems occur).
Suggested Leadership Articles
- We As Leaders Must
johnruh.com/we-as-leaders-must/ - Is Your Company Ready to Win?
johnruh.com/is-your-company-ready-to-win-in-2013/ - The Game
johnruh.com/the-game/
Does it have to be business or charity?
I don’t think so. To the contrary, I believe they belong together. Here’s why.
Every one of our businesses was built with a mission-based approach. All of the services we provide share the mission of getting our clients to a better place. Isn’t there an act of charity in this, regardless of whether we earn a fee afterwards? Service, at its core, is all about giving. From my perspective, charity and earnings can perhaps be the MOST compatible aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A Superior Example: Tom’s Shoes
Blake Mykoskie, a young entrepreneur was on vacation in Argentina. He was introduced to a small humanitarian effort providing shoes to the children in the slums outside the capital. Deeply moved, he sold his company and started Tom’s Shoes, (www.toms.com) around the dominant mission of profit FOR charity (business and charity). When a pair of shoes is purchased, Tom’s donates a pair to a child in need. In turn, this motivates shoe shoppers to by their shoes through Tom’s, thereby participating in the charity.
How You Can Apply This?
Good citizenship is practiced by both large and small companies. It does not have to be business or charity. Creating a heartfelt mission, one that you and your employees can honestly and deeply feel, allows you to lead and work in a happier, more positive, business model. You may find mission-based leadership is not only very effective but also very profitable (so you can “give” more to your staff and others).
P.S. We are currently offering one free session explaining mission, vision and values, how to create this business model and how to use it to Find, Focus and Support 5-Star leadership and role players. Just call or email me and we will set up a time.
Where can you quickly save money within your organization?
- Make sure you “keep the people you can’t afford to lose and lose the people you can’t afford to keep (Scott Urban’s line).
This is a “No Brainer”! The best way to drive out high performers is by keeping low performers whose cost far exceeds their value. - Build an empowering culture that attracts and keeps leaders. Jim Collins calls it, “Getting the right people on the bus.”
- Put a game plan in place that is built on continuous improvement. This is necessary to survive and thrive in the coming market. As I like to say…. We have no choice…CI must lead the way.
Ask yourself …
Why am I not doing anything about “picking this low hanging fruit”?
If you don’t know how to build an empowering culture and/or you aren’t sure how to find people who can do better than the ones you have, call us today and ask about our proven best practice programs or read about them here: Best Practices Tools.
“Job-Shopping” versus Partnering
Most people in B-B endeavors are in the apple selling business.
“I have apples to sell. Do you want any apples today?”
There’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach to selling your product or service, however if you’re not right on the spot when there is a need, then you won’t sell any apples. When I was a kid there used to be vegetable trucks that drove up and down the alley behind our home. When my mom needed something, she bought it from whomever passed by next. When you choose to sell this way, you need to be committed to selling every day, month in and month out, which can bring nerve wracking cycles of highs and lows. Unless you really love selling, this is a tough way to make a living.
What is the point?
If you are selling programs, products or services in a job shop model, you absolutely, positively must be willing to sell every single day. However, is there a better way
Perhaps…
- Move to a partnering model
Become an integral part of your client’s team so they never even consider buying apples from anyone else. Doing this requires a change in thinking about how you want to market yourself. - Web Marketing
Develop your website as an inbound marketing vehicle and have the buyers come to you. While this takes time and effort, when successful it becomes a cost-effective way of finding ideal new clients. - Target Marketing/New Business Development
First, define your ideal client. Create compelling ways to get in front of them or, if you find that difficult, hire an appointment setter to do it for you. Measure your results in this area. It is critical. - Learn Network Like A Pro
Morrie Elstien (PH: 312-316-1963, Email: morrie@morrieconnect.com)
Call Morrie. He has the a 5* networking model. I call him The “Ted Williams” of networking.
The Key Point:
Overwhelming research indicates that in order to survive and thrive in your evolving market, all businesses need a sales program that will consistently generate new business. And when created you can hear people say, “I’m want to buy some apples from you!”
Our Support
We have highly skilled proven resources than can explain how to design and set up your sales program. Call us now, 773-641-9631 or email john@johnruh.com for a complimentary one month assessment of your people, company and market in order to design your sales program right.