“We’re Doing Pretty Good…”

Ever hear that comment from prospects or clients? I know I have and I often wonder what’s really going on in their business. I suspect, however, that “pretty good” is communicating a mindset of just settling and that's a far different mindset than that required for continuous improvement and getting the most from your business. 

For example, in the 1970’s that difference in mindset was illustrated by the way American auto manufacturers thought about their business (we’re doing pretty good – good enough, anyway) and the way the Japanese automakers thought about it (relentless improvement) – and we know how that turned out! Oil price shocks in the late '70s prompted consumers to look for more fuel efficient autos and they found Japanese vehicles that not only saved them money at the gas pump, but they also did not break down as often. In 1975, 8 out of 10 new cars sold in the US were produced by the traditional US auto manufacturers. Last year, Toyota eclipsed Ford in US auto sales and Honda surpassed Chrysler. GM is still #1 in the US market, but their share has not been this low since the 1920's.

Continuous improvement positions an organization to take advantage of market opportunities - both the predictable and unpredictable. In order to continuously improve, you and your organization must have a sincere desire to become your very best and that means never being satisfied with the status quo. Now to be clear, I’m not advocating organizational tyranny where nobody deserves praise because their work product is never good enough.

To become your best, you must envision what your best looks like and realize you are on a journey to make change happen. What is that new reality you are in the process of creating? Once you have a clear idea where you are going – a vision for the future – you then need a plan for you and your organization to realize this future. 

What are the key goals and the weekly, monthly and/or quarterly action steps required? How will you navigate change? What data do you need in order to be sure you are making progress? Do you have the right people on board? Are they open to being led through change or do they balk at anything that smells like change?

Not only must the steps be laid out, but the accountabilities must be clear. Who will do what and when will they do it? This is often where things get mushy, when people do not have clear and specific roles and responsibilities. Sometimes, two or more people are assigned accountability for a goal or action and each thinks the other is going to do it, so neither do. When more than one person is accountable, then nobody really is accountable. Sometimes you will find you have employees, under the lens of accountability, who are unwilling to step up and perform. Back to having the right people on board.

Another problem in the world of clear accountability is when the owner of the company takes responsibility to complete most of the goals and actions. They are unwilling or unable to distribute the workload to others. By delegating poorly, they become so bogged down with the day-to-day, they are unable to find or make the time to plan for the future. So they just stay busy, often fighting fires, and hope for the best – but that’s not the best. It’s just settling. My friend calls this satisfactory underperformance.

If “doing pretty good” is no longer good enough, contact me and let’s get on the path of continuous improvement so that your organization is as successful as it can be. Now is a great time to begin that planning process for a 2018 full of success.

We can do better together. I can help.

Tim