Some organizations operate 186 hours each week, having hundreds of people, dozens of managers and executives, hundreds or thousands of customers, and hundreds of moving parts. Other have less, but still with similar challenges. CEOs, and all others, spend only 40 hours a week, leaving 146 hours in a void of uncertainty, information gaps, and lack of control. Having control helps eliminate that uncertainty, while providing better and informed decision making.
The answer should be obvious to everyone, but it’s not! To get control, every business leader, from CEO to managers needs a way to understand the complexity, business systems and the moving parts of their business.
Think about some of the considerations that go into controlling a business.
-What’s my customer (especially the key customers) liking, not liking TODAY? Are my people making my customers both happy and secure? Is the pricing competitive against new competitors? Do we know their current buying needs? WHAT IF YOU’RE THE LAST TO KNOW WHEN THEY GO TO YOUR COMPETITOR BY SAVING A MEASILY 5%? What happened to customer loyalty? How can you find out? Doesn’t that keep you up at night?
-Do your employees need a new level of training? Are your technology systems too complicated for people to use? Engagements a big word today. Disengaged people perform ineffectively we have read. Can your people score 80 on the engagement test? Are your key people looking for a new job right now? The more important question is why you don’t know!
-What happens if your business strategy is NOT in synch with what your customers, or the next generation of customers, want? To maintain control, every leader MUST have a daily pulse of their customers. As the needs or wishes of customers change, you better know that and have a way to update your business strategy. If not, remember Sears? Worse case…Your competition has the finger on the pulse of your customers.
One more…Managers…I personally know of companies with great leaders, but awful managers. If managers are responsible to cut costs and develop better systems; responsible for engaging people to serve your customers, you better know who’s good… and who needs coaching.
All of these points must be answered.
A leadership lesson from those who have been attacking business problems for 30 years, or more….. think with your HEAD FIRST. Data and algorithms bring calculated accuracy, bringing control and better decision making for not only the CEO, but it’s its leadership, and even its managers. Leaders no longer need to be the last to know! Just look at Afghanistan
Every leader needs the ability to understand first the head, to be able to impact the hearts of people.
Today’s horoscope: USE YOU HEAD DUMMY……
Stanley Labovitz, J.D., CEO
SurveyTelligence, Inc.
2640 Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1716
West Palm Beach, FL. 33404
1-508-400-4094
Author: Back From The Brink
