Thursday, September 23, 2010

Who’s on Your Management Team?

Good friend David Russell of ManagetoWin wrote some great content in his weekly newsletter this week. The focus is on the often neglected power of involving your spouse in the decision making process. He calls it “Spouse Advantage”. He gives examples of Jim Collins, Ray Johnston and Jim Burns and how they are connected with their wives when it comes to making decisions. This is a topic that needs some focus for many of us leading companies.

For many years I fell into the trap believing that I was the one who needed to make all the decisions. After all, I was the bread winner, out in the workplace, making things happen day after day. So not only did I fail to involve my bride in the process, I often didn’t even inform her of the things that were on the table under consideration. Bad decision on my part. That line of decision making works if you are a perfect thinker, strategic planner and have all the answers. None of those things describe me.

So I made some big mistakes along the way. More often than not, my bride knew it was bad news well before I did. Like it or not they often see more clearly than we do being in the middle of the forest. We miss the trees that fall on top of us some days until they have knocked us down. Been there?

When I consult with small business owners I often ask what their spouse thinks of the situation being addressed. Almost without fail, the answer is “deer in the headlights” or a quick “they aren’t part of the decision process”. Both are telling answers and likely are indicators of some of the problems being experienced.

Are you fully leveraging the strengths of your spouse? We involve our business partners when we consider decisions, but what about the most important partner in our earthly lives? David asks “ What is the impact of a good marriage on your career”? I’ll take it a bit further and ask more importantly, what is the cost of a failed marriage because you were too proud or stubborn to seek their counsel?

We celebrated our 33 year anniversary this past July just like David and his bride did. There are lots of days and decisions I wish I could do over. It doesn’t work that way unfortunately. Once a day is gone – we can’t go back and try again. We can only learn and move forward. For me, I learn a little slow sometimes. It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I finally figured out the greatest asset God had blessed me with – in business and in life – my bride.

I always had the opinion that she would not understand and trying to teach her would just slow me down. That is a good thing – both to teach because we can’t do that if we don’t have things thought out and defined – and to slow down because many decisions get made incorrectly because the alternatives are never considered.

And the reality is that most business decisions are a lot more about people than they are business. Hiring, firing, partnerships and companies – all revolve around people. The products and services are seldom the issue – it always boils down to people and my bride can read them pretty well. That’s a God given gift I don’t expect to ever really have.

David nails the problem that most of us have when it comes to involving our spouse in the decision making process: “You have developed bad habits in how and when you communicate with your spouse about your work”. That is the issue many of us face. We have a lot of things that have sort of just happened in our marriage over time and become the status quo. One area that is very true is around the way we communicate and interact with our spouse. Habits are in place – changing them is hard work. But it can be very valuable and worth the effort.

David gives this guidance to help begin a transition to taking advantage of one of the best kept secrets of success – leveraging the wisdom of your spouse to help guide the ship. Here is his guidance: Consider thinking deeply about this subject this week. This is NOT a conversation to have with coworkers, but rather with people who personally mentor you and whom you respect. Here are some questions to consider:

1. Write down the five biggest mistakes you have made professionally during your career while you have been married.
2. How many of those mistakes could have been avoided if you had worked more closely with your spouse to evaluate the situation and your options prior to taking action?
3. What habit could you develop with your spouse to involve them more in your professional decisions? One option: A regular business meeting that covers both family and professional business. Just be realistic - it takes time to build this habit and you may have to be the driver to make certain in a positive, encouraging way that these meetings occur.
4. How are you going to respond the next time it feels like you have to make a quick decision? How can you build this delaying tactic - verbally and postponing action - into a habit?
5. Consider a commitment to demonstrate your love for your spouse by involving them in all of your important decisions. How will you hold yourself accountable? It will take time and be challenging to develop this habit, but can you afford to operate as a lone ranger?


I encourage you to spend some considering how you can improve the decision making and leadership process you currently use by involving your spouse. It has made all the difference for me. My bride travels with me almost all the time – not just to keep me company – but to keep me balanced and focused and to have input into the day to day activities that impact our lives and business. There is some sacrifice involved by both to truly partner together in this way – but my experience says it is one of the best decisions you can make. Don’t just depend on yourself – that is bound to lead you into the weeds if it hasn’t already!

If you aren’t on David’s mailing list – you just might want to get added. He puts out a weekly newsletter that is always full of great information and thought provoking questions to consider. You can reach him at david@managetowin.com.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Doing Customer Touch Right

This past week I was blessed with an invite to attend the Compudyne TechFest - a gathering of customers of HTG member Compudyne in Duluth up on the frozen tundra by Lake Superior. My role was to deliever the keynote address about what is coming in the technology arena in the coming years. It was a 9 hour ride north, but a beautiful day and my bride and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

We arrived in time for the vendor dinner the evening before the event. There were a half dozen vendors who were sponsors and key providers of technology for the solutions that Compudyne implements to their SMB customers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. We gathered for dinner along with a dozen or so of the Compudyne team for a very nice Italian meal and lots of interaction. It set the tone for the following day - which was all about the importance of relationships. First thing done right - practice what you preach. Compudyne not only talks about the importance of vendor relationships - they live it and the event prior to the TechFest was a great way to reinforce that to their team and the vendors on hand to participate.

The event began at 7:45 AM for breakfast. I was a bit skeptical about how many folks would get up on a rather rainy and dreary morning to come to Clyde Iron Works recently restored into a nice event venue. Second thing done right - they worked within the community to help showcase a new business and expose the hundreds of attendees to some of the positive things happening in their community. The venue was really nice - a former Iron Works plant that has been completely remodeled for events and includes a bar, restaurant and other things.

We had arrived before 6:30 and the place was already busy with the entire Compudyne team putting finishing touches on the event. Another thing I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't seen it myself. Third thing done right - involve the team in the production of a customer facing event. From planning to detailed execution - everyone was there pitching in and taking orders from the few making decisions. There was no standing around and saying "this isn't in my job description" - everyone did what was needed to finish getting ready.

By 8 AM the place was buzzing with customers and I could hardly believe my eyes. This is almost an all day event and already folks were in the house ready for the day ahead. The vendor booths were busy and people were eating breakfast and engaging. Fourth thing done right - create an environment where the positive interaction between customers lights a fire in all who attend. It was a very interactive and alive place to be. I have been to plenty of events where people come, eat, take the trinkets and leave. Not at this event. No one left.

The event began at 8:30 and began with a vision casting session by Compudyne president Brad Schow. He talked about the importance of relationships - with customers, vendors, distribution, and staff - and how they go to market to serve the needs of all involved. He opened the komono on how they approach the SMB marketplace, and shared 5 things that they see as "game changers" in the coming years. It was a very engaging presentation and it ended with a live demo by one of the vendor sponsors - Quorum - around business continuity. Fifth thing done right - tell it like it is without all the marketing fluff and let customers see the insides of your company and heart. As the first part of the morning session came to a close - there was clear understanding of the Compudyne vision and mission and how they were engaging customers and vendors alike.

After the break, it was time for a short vendor presentation and then the keynote. My role was to follow up and build on the foundation that Brad had laid. It was pretty easy to do since our philosophy around relationships is identical in most ways. I shared some of my experience of 25 years in the industry, some crystal ball projections around the economy and business in general, and then my list of key industry changes that we will be working through the next few years. Feedback was good on the message I delivered, and no one through anything or walked out, so I believe it went well. Sixth thing done right - have alignment in the messaging and make sure it connects with the audience. One of the attendees is a power blogger from Duluth. You can see what he had to say about the keynote here. But in emails from attendees post event - the main comment I recieved was that it was genuine, simple and easy to understand. My delivery probably wouldn't play as well in Silicon Valley, but the folks here in the Midwest just want the story without all the marketing and that is what I deliver.

By now it was lunch time and no one has left 4 hours into the event. The reason - there was 30K+ of prizes sitting on the main stage behind the presenters to be given away over lunch. Hundreds of prizes from computers to monitors to printers to gift cards. It was a solid half hour of giving things away - one after another - just draw and deliver and move to the next winner. Seventh thing done right - don't cut corners on the drawings. There is no doubt that people were in their seats through lunch because they wanted to win something. But it kept people there and they heard the message that the Compudyne team wanted to deliver - so that is a very good motivation. So many events are filled with a few drawings of rather worthless stuff or one big item. Here the odds of winning were really high - not everyone won - but well over half the audience walked away with a gift that meant something.

I was sure that following lunch people would scatter. Wrong again. There were breakout sessions during the afternoon and people filed up to those areas and it was standing room only. After 5+ hours in the venue and still wanting information. Eighth thing done right - provide quality content around topics that are relevant and interesting to the crowd. The breakouts were not about products but solving pain points of their business customers. People will attend sessions that can help their business. Too often we put a vendor up front to sell some product and miss the opportunity to engage deeply with our customers around things that matter.

The event was finished around 3 PM and a good crowd was still on hand that had been their since before 8 that morning. Why? Because it was well done and targeted. It has a history of seven prior events hitting the mark. But the main reason - the ninth thing that was done right - was that it was all about relationships. People were personally invited. They were greeted and pampered and made to feel welcome. We are in the people business. The more we understand and execute at the relationship level - the better all aspects of our life will be. Are you focused on relationships?

Congrats to the Compudyne team for setting the bar high for the rest of the HTG member companies. We can all learn from this example and go deeper in every relationship we have!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Do You Need A Digital Fast?

There have been a lot of discussions lately about the addiction that many of us have to our email, PDA’s, Ipads and the like. Let’s face it – for many of us it is true – we need to learn a little about balance. My bride calls my PDA my binky because I don’t really go many places without it and am constantly getting some sort of validation from pulling it out and reading the lines that appear on it. We all struggle with life/work balance – but the “always on, always connected” world we live in makes it a real temptation for us to deal with.

So there are a few new wrinkles being talked about today. The “staycation” is the first – just stay home rather than go on vacation and truly get away. Somehow we have convinced ourselves that staying home and pretending that we are not working is the same as truly leaving home with our family to enjoy the sights of God’s creation in this unbelievable world we live in. Let’s call it what it is – a staycation is an excuse to not take the family somewhere – save some coin – catch up on all the honey do jobs we have made excuses about for months or years – and somehow deceive ourselves into thinking it is just as good as an Alaskan cruise or a trip to Mount Rushmore with a couple screaming kids in the back seat asking “are we there yet” a few hundred times. It just isn’t the same – certainly not for everyone except you.

The latest craze is a “digital fast”. We just unplug from it all – from the PDA, social media, the Internet as a whole – thinking somehow that will set us free. Here’s a news flash – what a digital fast does is pile up all the information into a bunch of places so when you come off the cleansing you are completely overwhelmed. This isn’t like a fast from eating where you don’t go back and have to eat all the food you avoided during the fast once you end it. Somehow it doesn’t quite work the same digitally. If people would quit sending emails, updating Facebook, stop Tweeting etc. this concept might have a chance at working. But they don’t – in fact – it always seems to me the intensity of the sending and updates ratchets up a notch when I am offline. No one seems to deal with all the electronic accumulation while I am away or fasting digitally. It just doesn’t work the same.

Alexandra Samuels wrote a great article on the digital fast on Harvard Business Review the other day. Check out her post and consider these things she wrote:


“I'm troubled by the underlying narrative, that our ability to unplug is necessary to prove that we're not Internet addicts. We're supposed to demonstrate our grasp of human relationships by our ability to relate face-to-face, as well as online. We're supposed to show that we can be present by being absent from the web.
 The very idea of a digital "cleanse" implies that our time online makes us dirty; the idea of a digital "fast" suggests that there's a virtue in going without.
 We plug in because we like it.
 When we're online, participating in social media -- we're meeting some of our most basic human needs. Needs like creative expression. The need to connect with other people. The need to be part of a community. Most of all, the need to be seen.
 It's the very fact that the Internet can meet so many fundamental needs, significantly if not completely, that gets people nervous. We are accustomed to defining our human experience in terms of what happens face-to-face:
 We can have meaningful emotional or intellectual contact with people that we rarely or never encounter in person.
 We're not sure, or we're reluctant to admit that it feels real, because we are trained on connection inherently requiring physical presence.
 But what most digital fasters describe the experience to be like is a realization of how online and offline lives are integrated.
 If unplugging needs to be a part of our approach to living and working digitally, it's through the daily practice of taking downtime, of opting for reflection rather than distraction.“


The real answer to all of this is still the same basic principle – balance. We will never return to the days of old where we are not connected everywhere we go. At least not without significant planning and effort. It is the mission of all the wireless companies to make sure that doesn’t happen. Can you hear me now? So it comes down to CHOICE. We have to make a conscious effort to put our digital connectivity where it belongs – getting our focus and attention when appropriate – or remaining in our pocket or turned off completely when it is not. Up to this point at least, we still have to interact with the device to have it communicate to us. We can’t blame anyone other than ourselves. It is a matter of self-control and discipline – like most things that matter in life. If you need some help figuring that out – check your PDA in with your spouse when you walk through the door. My guess is they won’t struggle to make the choices for you at all!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Analysis Paralysis

There was a great blog post a few days back on the topic by Jeff Stibel. He was writing about a fortune he had saved from his childhood that said "Avoid decisions, avoid life". Many people live by that mantra. They believe by putting off making a decision they can avoid the outcome of the needed decision and things will just somehow go on without any consequences.

Here is the real truth: making no decision is a decision. Hard as you may try to avoid the decision making process - it will happen. You can take control and make the decision you wish, or let things happen and hope for the best which still ultimately turns out to be your decision. I opt for the first option - to take control and make a decision.

John Maxwell talks about the need for us to fail forward in our decision making process. To fail forward, you must create many decisions each incrementally improving your business. It isn't exactly Six Sigma, but it does drive many companies forward and proves that success by failure can truly work.

Jeff Stibel writes these words in his blog on HBR. I have condensed a couple of his paragraphs down, but here are his thoughts: "People get overwhelmed with choices, bombarded with information, and become afraid of the risk of drawing a line in the sand. Psychologists have a term for this — choice overload. In the presence of an abundance of information or too many choices, people often become overwhelmed and frozen. Those individuals inevitably revert to what is easiest, effectively making no decision at all. That can be dangerous in business and in life.

Another painful lesson in choice aversion is the fact that far too many people choose not to choose, by default allowing decisions to made for them. They go through life trying to avoid risk, and that often means avoiding decisions. As a general rule, "losses loom larger than gains" and that is what causes people to regret bad decisions and reflexively avoid them altogether. Part of the fun in what we accomplish is learning, exploring, and trying new things. You just can't do that without making decisions".

Decisions will always be a key differentiator among business leaders. Those who are willing to step up and make the difficult decisions with confidence and assurance will either sink or swim, but it will be their choice that leads to the result. My feeling around decision making is that analysis paralysis is a disease we cannot tolerate in small business today. We have to make decisions, take risk and drive our company, failing forward as we go. In my opinion this has to be the guide:

Action without perfection must always trump paralysis caused by waiting for perfection.

We can't afford to wait until everything is always exactly the way we want it to be. We have to take decisive action and make things happen, realizing that there will be necessary course corrections along the way. But it is far easier to change the direction of a moving object than one that has not moved at all. Don't get stuck where you are in your business because you can't make a decision. The analysis may not always give you a clear direction. Sometimes it comes down to your gut. My dad told me often that to win you only have to be right 51% of the time. That is cutting it pretty close, but it is true. If you wait until you have everything exactly as you want it to be, well you'll still be sitting there while someone else moves past you over and over again.