Rich Ward has been around the business for a long time.  I think each time he retired we would ask him back.  Eventually he did retire on his third attempt.  Rich was a brilliant businessman, but what I always enjoyed was his ability to make the complex simple.   To make his point he would often tell stories to highlight a particular point.

One of the many tales Master Yoda (Rich) would tell was a story about the “Knights and the Castle”.   In this story he painted a picture about uncertain economic conditions during Mideviel times.   It centered on a simple point of being on offense or defense and the potential outcomes for each.  He established some rules of engagement for how this epic and never ending battle would be fought.

Let the Battle Begin

There was a knight on a horse representing the attacking force and a knight in the castle representing the defending force.  You have two knights battling for the castle that contained the wealth of the land.  As part of the rules of engagement, both knights would fight everyday but no matter what happened at the end of the day, it would start all over again the next day.

If the knight successfully defended the castle he got to keep the castle and if he lost the battle he would lose the castle.  If the knight on the horse lost the battle he ended up with what he already had and that was nothing.  If he won the battle the castle was his.  Day in and day out this battle was waged with the knight on the horse being on offense and the knight in the castle being on defense.  The question was based on the circumstances, was it best to aggressively attack or to circle the wagons and defend your turf?

Stay Even or Get Ahead?

Rich’s point was you always had more to gain by being on offense rather than defense.  Granted there is a time for offense and defense, but a common outcome in any game or battle is gaining an incremental advantage.  We are faced with a difficult economical condition, which is affecting all of us globally.  We have an opportunity to defend what we have and run the risk of shrinking our territory (sales) or we can attack the growth elements of new markets and new customers and take advantage of what the market is offering.

History has shown that there are winners and losers in good and bad economic times.  It is those who pursue opportunity regardless of the conditions that will come out ahead of those who choose to stay in their castle.

From the words of the great Mark Twain ” Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ”

Get out of the castle and on to your horse!

Posted under Business & Process Innovation, Customers, Employees, General, Leadership, Shareholder Value

We Exist to Serve

Back in 1986, I was attending a class on the East Coast, I think it was in West Haven.  As always, I was pursuing the knowledge of superior customer service.  After class we went to dinner at a seafood restaurant (Captain’s Galley) and as I was looking at the menu I noticed it had the 11 commandments of customer service inscribed on the back.  I was intrigued by this.

As we were waited on I could see a connection how we were served and the commitment the restaurant had with its customers.  It was interesting to see the owner of the restaurant had chosen to differentiate his restaurant from others through superior service.

Service as a strategy is about delivering a quality product (seafood) through superior service.  As you can imagine in the Connecticut area there are literally hundreds of places to get seafood.  This particular restaurant had quality food, fair prices and a service delivery strategy that was intended to make you remember it and come back for more.

It made me think of a couple of things.  The first was leadership’s commitment to providing a superior customer experience and to put it in writing for all to see and validate.  Remember it is not what is said or written down that counts, but the actions that reflect the commitment that makes the difference.

The second point was around hiring.  It was clear that the management also knew that they had to be very selective in their hiring process.  In the restaurant business turnover is relatively high, but here you had employees with long tenure who really liked working there.

On the bottom of the menu it said, “If you wanted a copy, to ask for one.”  I did and I asked if I could modify it for our business environment and they said no problem.  You may have to double click on the image to read it, but I thought it was worth sharing.  As I learned over 20 years ago, service is a commitment and an attitude that starts with leadership.

Posted under Customers, Employees, General, Leadership

Recently I was appointed to run one of our business units for North America.  I have been in the job for 38 days today.  I have spent most of my time assessing our organizations strategies and structure, our relationships with our customers and suppliers and the talent of the group.  It has been a great learning experience and what I have found in the organization is that we have people who care passionately about the business.  It is reflected in the comments I receive from my meetings and surveys from our customers, suppliers and employees.

This all sounds good but the other day I was stopped by our Human Resource person and asked about my work life balance philosophy.  I was surprised by the question and asked her, “what do you mean?”  Since we had worked together for a number of years I was pretty sure she knew how I felt about work life balance.  I have always been considered a people person so the question came from left field.

She explained the reason why and again I was surprised by what she revealed to me.  It reminded me that leaders are on stage no matter where they are or what they do.  Employees are always looking to see if what a leader says matches their actions.  Last week I sent out two emails to my staff which they forwarded on to their teams.  According to my Human Resource partner folks were more focused on the time it was sent (5am), rather than on the content.

The question they were asking was did they need to be working that early to be successful with their new boss.  The answer is of course not.  However, given the question and the concern, I was compelled to provide folks with my life work balance approach.

Trying to Stay Fit

I make it a personal choice to get up at 4:00am during the work week, so I can fit in all I want to do.  I start my morning with the spiritual part of my day.  I drink coffee, read the bible and write in my journal for about an hour.  Then I like to work out for an hour to an hour and half, depending on my schedule.  I do this to clear my mind and strengthen my body.  I am 52 years old and have had 10 surgeries, so moving keeps the joints oiled.  I actually have some of what I consider my best ideas during this time.  Next comes the mental and emotional part of the day, which is when I am at the office.  I arrive at around 7:30 to 7:45am most days, if I am not traveling.  I try to get home between 6:00 to 7:00pm and I conclude the day with family time.

The Circle of Life

When I was in the Himalayas I learned about the competing forces in my life and that I had much work to do to maintain a balance between them.  For me, the factors I need to balance in my life include Spiritual, Physical, Mental & Emotional and Family.  It may sound funny, but if you watch the movie “The Lion King” it talks about how nature is connected through the circle of life.  It is a kid’s movie, but has a very powerful message in it.  When things become unbalanced it can cause major destruction in nature.  This also applies to business, government and people.

Balance Matters

The moral of the story, find what works for you to maintain a balance to have a happy and fulfilling life.  I hope that my life work balance philosophy is clearer and that folks understand I do not expect anyone to have to follow my regiment.  This was edited and approved by my wife.

Posted under Employees, General, Leadership

I am very fortunate to have a mom.  I am very fortunate to have a mom who loves me and raised me to do what is right and help those in need.  Many of the lessons she taught me were through her actions and not her words.  She is a practitioner of leading by example as she always says you are defined by what you do more than by what you say.  It’s a timeless leadership point that is preached by many of the experts.  They point out that employees listen to their leaders’ words, but more importantly they watch to see if the actions match what they say.

As my sister and I were raised, we were the children of young parents.  And although our standard of living was on the lower end of the economic spectrum, it never felt that way.  My mom always focused on what she could do and had control over.  She never complained about our hardships.  She would say we had one thing that could never be taken away from us and that was our attitude towards life.  Attitude is what comes out from us and showers all those around us.  My mom would say a smile is always better than a frown.

The experts say we are in a recession.  Yet a portion of our population is always in a recession (the poor) if you will.  Mom would always expose us to how good we had it by showing us that there were others who were more challenged than us.  Her message, help others in need as we live to serve a higher purpose.

Where we lived in the early days, our schools were filled with drug use, gangs and violence.  It’s funny that this situation still occurs today.  My mom had to work to earn money for my sister and me to go to better schools on the west side of town.  She was focused on providing a better life and a better future for us.  She would always say that learning was a never ending journey.

Nothing Better than a Mother's Love

My younger sister has had surgery twice due to a brain tumor and has recently been diagnosed with MS.  My mom made the biggest sacrifice in her retirement years by caring for my sister and her son.  You might say that all mothers would do the same for their children and I agree with that.  But unless you have seen the situation (actually been in it), the hardship, the love and emotions it’s more than the act of doing what is right.  My mom taught us that doing what is right is not always easy and may not feel good.  In the end, she would say we all live to serve a higher purpose.

When folks talk about servant leadership, I only have to look at my Mom.  She doesn’t look for rewards or recognition.  She just does everything out of love to serve others.  Mom, I love you and thank you for what you have done for us and all the valuable lessons of life you have taught me.  I am here because of your love, teaching and sacrifices.    FJ

Posted under Customers, Employees, General, Leadership

NFL #1 Draft Pick

College football players around the country wait in anticipation for their name to be called by an NFL team in the annual draft.  The NFL coaches spend a lot of time studying the available players they feel will make a difference in their teams performance.  This is an opportunity for an NFL team to enhance its talent in an effort to win the most coveted prize, the Superbowl.  Year after year the draft exists to replenish the talent pool needed to field a competitive team. 

It dawned on me that the same concept applies for businesses as well.  A company has to be thinking about talent in a similar fashion as the NFL draft.  The intent is to improve your competitiveness on the field or in the marketplace.  It seems to me that a company has to analyze its players (employees) to determine their strengths and weaknesses.  The managers should be acting as coaches to maximize the potential of the employees they have.  However, in the end not all employees fit or can be coached to a higher level.  Then its back to the annual draft day to determine what new talent can be brought in to strengthen the team to win continuously.  

Every year in the NFL, you have to prove yourself worthy of a slot on the team.  If not you can be cut or traded.  On NFL draft day players on existing teams are watching who their team is drafting and the position they play.  Once they know who the new picks are, that’s when they start fighting for their spot on the team for the upcoming season.  It instills the competitive nature of increasing their performance to higher levels with the understanding that there is always someone looking to take their job. 

This approach may seem a little barbaric in the business world.  However, the Superbowl for businesses is delivering sustained performance and being number one in their market place.  The only way to do that is by the talent you bring into the business.  That talent has to be brought into the business regularly to replenish the organization.  In fact, new people, the right people, are what bring life and growth to an organization.  It is the simple formula of a company’s longevity and competitiveness in the market place.  

But does simply drafting new talent into an organization guarantee success? The answer is absolutely not.  The key in business is ensuring that your draft system is geared to aligning your goals and strategies with acquiring the right talent that fits your game plan/culture.  A business has to have its recruiting, hiring, training, development, performance management, compensation and career path in order, so its draft picks can thrive in their new environment. 

I think businesses should look at talent acquisition in the same manner as NFL draft day.  It is a process that will infuse new life into the organization annually and help promote a healthy competitive environment for growth.

Posted under Employees, Leadership, Value Proposition