Not Invented Here...
I’ve often caught myself “resenting” an idea generated by someone else. Why should that be, and who else has experienced similar feelings?
This is known as “Not-invented-here” syndrome where the dominant attitude is “My/our way of the highway”. It’s very common in small businesses that have grown successfully and hired new staff from other organisations. These people naturally have their own ideas and experiences of how things can be done well and are eager to share them to see if they will work in the new environment.
We all know what happens next: they propose the idea, and “the boss” slaps it down immediately. Employee departs chastened and demotivated. They may even find themselves demonised for “rocking the boat”.
In a worst-case scenario, the employee(s) leave(s) and set up their own businesses, either directly competing with their former boss (if their contract terms allow this), or in a different business sector. The loss is still there, however: an energetic, motivated and bright employee leaves due to lack of appreciation. The former employer is the only loser. I’ve actually seen this happen.
However, even in large organisations, the same attitude is common. Unlike smaller businesses, large ones find it much more difficult to change quickly. There are procedures to map and change, staff to train, inspectors to brief, maybe new documentation to be printed and IT updates to implement…
Result: customer complaints about cumbersome, out of date processes, perhaps a loss of business and reputation along with comments about being “slow to change”.
Whenever someone comes to me with an idea, I need to force myself to look at it from several points of view:
- Why they thought of it.
- What problem(s) does it solve?
- Benefits to customers.
- How easy would it be to implement (processes, training, documentation, IT, costs, etc)?
- Why we didn’t think of it before.
- Benefits to business.
If there are good answers to two or more of these questions, maybe it’s time to think seriously about change! If it ain’t invented here, it’ll be invented somewhere else…
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Customer Care, Leadership, Productivity, Selling, Teamwork
The Damage They Can Do
Bad leaders can do incalculable damage to a business. On the financial side, profits can fall as demoralised workers resign or cease to take an interest and pride in what they do. Customers, perceiving that all is “not well” will desert as quality standards fall and complaints rise.
When appointing leaders, we need to assess their suitability and acceptability to all stakeholders. Time and again, we have seen someone who, “over-promoted”, has wrought serious and almost irrecoverable damage. Events in the USA show that this applies not only to business, but in politics as well.
The whole business of “leadership” has seen countless writings, lectures, courses and books that deal with its conundrums and challenges. “Leadership Training” is sought by innumerable organisations, large and small, to ensure that those at the head are as prepared and qualified as time and money permit.
In the end, however, it all boils down to a leader’s “acceptability” amongst those whom they lead. By this, I mean whether people believe and trust in them. All-too often one hears about how certain leaders got where they were by “stabbing others in the back” in the vicious worlds of business and politics. It is only when one sees them “in actin” that one realises that perhaps, they weren’t the right choice…
Even once removed, the legacy that a bad leader leaves behind can take months, if not years, to clear up. Again, looking at events in the USA, this is certainly going to be the case. Similarly, once a business loses customer trust and belief, it will be some time before staff morale, quality standards and profitability return to the levels seen before their arrival.
Every leader’s job is to leave the organisation in a better place than they found it, whether this be an incremental change or a quantum leap. The key elements of customer, worker and community trust are key to this. Our actions reverberate not just into the business whilst we’re there, but also well into the future.
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Leadership, Strategy, Teamwork
Praise Where Due
I was recently asked to give a “shout out” to some software developers who fixed a problem that, in my opinion, shouldn’t have occurred in the first place. Not that I’m not grateful to them for fixing it, I just don’t understand why they deserve more than a “thank you” for putting something right.
Every day of our lives we encounter errors made by others. Most of these won’t be deliberate; I don’t know anyone who wakes up in the morning thinking “How can I really mess up someone’s day today?” However, I do know people who make mistakes and then apologise and correct them because that’s what they should do. I’m grateful that they do it as well, rather than trying to cover up the mistake, passing the buck or blaming someone else.
What I do feel is that the business deserves mention for correcting errors. No cover-ups, dodging the issue or simply ignoring the customer. If people know that they will be heard, that gives confidence in dealing with said business.
As individuals, it’s up to us to recognise when someone deserves a “special mention”. Not for doing their job, but for going the proverbial “extra mile” to make a difference. Some organisations get this right every time and see business increasing through word-of-mouth (still the best advertising) as well as repeat business from happy customers. Others seem to have a problem in understanding why they simply get a “thank you”.
Praise and thanks should always be given when due. When someone goes the “extra mile”, why not recognise it? It tells others and their business that they’re getting things right so they can keep on doing them. Equally, when someone corrects an error, they deserve thanks for correcting it. By doing so, they’ve demonstrated that we and our business matter to them. If they’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty to correct it, again, give them the “shout out” they so richly deserve.
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Customer Care, Leadership, Selling, Strategy
