It "sorta" went according to plan... working in the spectrum.

The following is the original and the rewrite can be found by clicking here.

We all love when it "goes according to plan", as it confirms we know what we are doing, we get to celebrate and revel in the emotion that comes with winning - There is no denying it. We are also aware, that no matter now much we plan and cover all of our proverbial bases, inevitably "things" will not go exactly the way we had wanted or planned. This, we do not love as much.

We tend to look at success of our plans as a black or white situation, where either it "went according to plan", or "did not go according to plan"; in reality however, it is a spectrum of grey that says, and I quote, "it sorta went according to plan". More often than not, we are working in this so-called spectrum, not something black and white. 

Our plans are aligned with our personal goals or agendas and fit very nicely into what we want. Where our challenge lies, is that the world is indifferent to what we want and tends to get in the way... all of those people out their with their own plans (that may not align with yours) or simply the randomness of the universe with it's laws, weather and the such. Managing your plans' expected results in an absolute sense may not be the most effective way in achieving success, but instead managing degrees of success as an on going series to achieve your plan. In fact, it is far more important that you are moving in the right direction towards your planned results - Are you further ahead this week than you were last week?

Some thoughts for working in the spectrum that come to mind - 

Have your plan written down : Yes this may be obvious, so lets just call it good housekeeping. What is important is to have measurements in place so you can determine success of your plan and activities. This way you can determine how successful you are and your status according to plan when you say, "It sorta went according to plan".

It always takes longer then you expect (Be Patient): People (as a species*) are notorious for underestimating how long something will take to do... we underestimate how difficult it will be, we overestimate our capability, we underestimate what is needed, etc. This is even before the randomness of the universe gets involved with weather delays, recessions, real-estate busts, etc. I should point out I'm a big believer in driving urgency to stimulate innovative thinking and creativity, but not necessarily as a driver for a deadline.

It is an intellectual activity not an emotional one: Working in the spectrum, as with most activities in business, is an intellectual activity... problems to be solved and opportunities to be capitalized on, that's all. Intellectual work executes plans, not emotional work. With that said, utilizing emotional intensity can help you work through challenging times.

You continually need to be moving in the right direction: Success is measured in moving towards achieving your plan and ultimately your goal. If you find yourself moving the other direction there is much work to be done. This is why you need a plan that can be measured, so you can determine if your efforts are moving you towards success.

Do not quit: It will get difficult every so often, very difficult. If you believe in your plan and your goals, you need to work through this. Sometimes it will be simple will power (emotional intensity) that gets you through the day.

Measure often: Measure how you are doing relative to the plan... more often than not you will be farther ahead than you think and you will be able to course correct faster.

Plans do evolve: This is not to say that if things get difficult that you should change your plan but rather to say, as plans are being executed, that circumstances, as well as managing the spectrum itself may require the plans to evolve. My experience in this regard is plans tend to become loftier, as playing in the spectrum offers an infinite number of possibilities to build upon.

I saw a friend the other day and asked how it was going. He said, "Two steps forward, and one step back".

To that I replied, "Sounds about right".

gpe 

* artistic licence, with a splash of humour.

The way of the contrarian...

The following is the original and the rewrite can be found by clicking here.

I was reminded a couple of days ago that I am a contrarian; it was not the first time, and usually not meant as a compliment. For those not familiar with the word, a contrarian is a person who takes an opposite or different position from other people. And this reminds me of a story - 

Many years ago, in a land far away, there was a very prosperous city state that was the envy of all.  The city was ruled by a council of eleven wise elders and all city decisions were their responsibility, including ruling on any disputes or crimes that came before them; majority ruled on all decisions, with each of the eleven elders having a vote. One day a man accused of a heinous crime was brought before the council and after hearing the story, each of the elders voted guilty. At that point, the wisest of the elders announced the final judgment of the council; the accused man was to be set free. In disbelief, the on-lookers shouted their disapproval and wanted to understand how such a ruling could be made.

The wisest of the elders stood and explained that when all of the members of the council agreed, they believed that there was a common bias that existed among them, they were looking at the situation through the same eyes, and they had not uncovered the unknown details that would make for the best decision - In short, when they all agree, they have made a flawed decision.  

The strength in making better decisions lies with contrary discussions, differing positions, ideas and different ways of thinking; with the contrarian acting as the facilitator. Being referred to as a contrarian is a good thing, a necessary thing...

• They will help you pressure test your thinking to ensure it is sound.
• They challenge groupthink. 
• They help look at a situation in a different way.
• They remind us that everyone thinking the same way does not necessarily make for good decisions.
• They help advocate and adapt to change.
• They introduce new ideas.

I knew a CEO who designated a person, as part of their role, to always challenge his strategic thinking... to be that executive contrarian. His rationale was simple, if his thinking could not stand up to the rigors of the board room, how could it ever stand up in the real world.

Embrace those people who don't agree with you, hear them out, encourage the discussion... your thinking will be better for it, and most likely your decisions - Even if they don't agree.

gpe

People and money... building a good foundation.

There was a an "old school" leader I worked with who played the game of business hard... smoked hard, drank hard, and he played to WIN hard. With a drink in hand, I remember him telling me, "A good manager is determined by how he manages his financial picture". Over the years I have remembered his words and although they do ring true, what he said lacked something so profoundly important.

What he should have said in my humble opinion, is something to this effect, "Good managers are determined by how they manage their people and financial picture"

PEOPLE and MONEY - It is, and always will be, about people and money.

Let's start with MONEY as most of us want it, like to spend it, and will leverage the perceptions of having it. When I say money however, I am actually referring to how you manage it... how you generate it and how you effectively work it; spend it, invest it, and control it - It is the fuel that runs everything. And if money is the fuel, then PEOPLE are the engine... nothing, simply nothing, run's, operates or gets done without people. Full stop.

If you watch successful leaders and managers they always have their Finance and HR partners very close at hand and are ever present (sometimes commercial is included, but that is usually to remind them revenues are not enough... a truism to be sure, as they never are). The effective management of people and money is the foundation for any business success. I had once "acquired" an assignment, and will go out on a limb to say it was a category five "shit storm" - Within the first two days I was asking for my HR and Finance partners. They worked with me understand our bench strength of people, the structure we were working with, and our financial health. In the end, finances were put in order with established controls, people and structure "righted", and as a result, activities in-line with our objectives started to take shape. Success was starting to take hold.   

People and Money, like the engine and fuel, are the fundamentals of a "vehicle" that will take you anywhere and allow you to do anything. It's important to get good at driving - 

• Know your HR and Financial partners; meet with them regularly.
• Involve your HR and Financial partners in your team meetings and activities.
• Ensure you have personal HR and Finance development objectives, as part of your annual goals.
• Ask leaders you respect about their philosophies regarding people and money management.
• Develop a lead and lag indicator dashboard that highlight your people and money goals.
• You want individual contributors to be well versed with people and money as it strengthens the bench, increases engagement, understanding, and optimizes execution.
• Elicit constructive feedback and be open to it.
• Don't underestimate how complex and complicated people and money can get, particularly in times of rapid growth and expansion. 

Remember that time when you ran out of gas, or heard a piston that had ceased up in the engine and the car came a halt? You were so happy to see the friendly tow truck driver... well, with PEOPLE and MONEY, someone analogous to a tow truck driver shows up, but more often than not you aren't happy to see them, and they generally are not very friendly.

It's best to build a good People and Money foundation and stay on the move.

 gpe