Successful Leadership - Beware The Silver Bullets

We are all tempted to keep looking for that one person, that one application, that one solution, that one customer that will make all the bad things go away and breathe new life into whatever we've been stuck with. The Silver Bullet - the epiphany - the stroke of lightning that cures all ills. Billions of dollars are spent every year on hope - and Silver Bullets - with little if any positive effect.

A story:
I was meeting with the Executive Vice President of a large multi business company. They had a business unit in Florida with continuing labor problems. The unit was union free, but every two years there would be an organizing attempt by a major national union. Two years was up since the last attempt, and another organizing attempt was in the works. The company felt continuing to resist, although expensive and disruptive in the short term, was better than having a union and third party representation of their workers. The business unit was highly successful, hadn't had a layoff in years - in fact, they were in a hiring mode.
The EVP directly responsible for the unit was tempted to throw in the towel and agree to a union, but the CEO was dead set against it.
The EVP wanted to know how I could help turn this around, and avoid an organizing drive.
We went through the checklist of elements that are critical to remaining union free, starting with competitive wages and benefits, a system of due process to handle issues, an equitable system to recognize length of service and a well developed communication process. As we talked he became increasingly impatient, and finally said " We have all that. I'm looking for the one thing - the thing we don't have - that will make this organizing attempt go away. We've tried all kinds of programs and processes, and none have succeeded." I suggested the place to start would be in evaluating the effectiveness of what they were already doing, then go from there. It's possible to have lots of things - but possession and use are two very different things. He didn't like that - he was looking for a new approach - a Silver Bullet. I told him I didn't have any special formula to make his wish come true, and, frankly, I don't believe in the Silver Bullet approach to managing a workforce.

They had an organizing attempt - after an expensive and extensive campaign the company was successful in defeating the attempt, but their profits, quality, shipments and employee relations all suffered because of it.

Moral of the story - Silver Bullets are so rare they're not worth focusing on. Rather than spend time and energy looking for them, take that same time and energy and convert it into solutions that improve on what you already possess and do well.

Successful leaders know accomplishment is built on a solid foundation of good people, good products, good leadership and good practices. Successful leaders know the Program of the Month is a recipe for failure - as one fix after another gets introduced, supported, and then slowly fizzles away, to be replaced by another. All that happens is the people in the business become ever more cynical and resistant to change.

Successful leaders should put a sign on their doors - "No Silver Bullets Welcome." They know the fundamentals need to be in place, excellence needs to be promoted every day, high expectations established, communications constantly improved, performance rewarded and recognized. Out of that comes the strength to grow and prosper. A few things done well beats a constant stream of new initiatives. It's the constant, insistent emphasis on the basics that creates results, and effective change, and improvement. It's the effective execution and implementation of the critical few things done well.

Actually, all the Silver Bullet approach does is to create distractions - they cause you to take your eye off the ball.

Does that mean all the new ideas and programs and processes are without value? Of course not.

The Silver Bullet is most often created in its application. One organization's Silver Bullet is another organization's successful initiative. If the approach is a quick fix for an existing problem it probably won't work - and if it will distract from more substantial work being done, then it's a Silver Bullet.

9 Questions to ask to identify whether an initiative, program, process or change is right for your organization:

Does it build on what we do well?
How will this affect what we are already doing?
What has been our history - have they made a difference - or have they faded away - or have they become imbedded in the organization?
Will this become part of how we operate everyday, or will it have to be treated as an exception, and need regular maintenance and support ?
What do the people to be affected think needs to be done?
Can we measure the effect?
Do we have the resources to see this through to its conclusion?
Will this really affect positive change and results, or are we just staying ahead of accountability and hoping it works?
Is this a survival tactic or part of a growth and improvement strategy?

Every organization is different - every organzation will answer differently, based on their situation, but answering these questions will allow you to see a Silver Bullet for what it is, and act accordingly.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group LLC, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com; Website: www.coxconsultgroup.com

Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Personal Clarity - Essential to Success

Clarity is one of those strange things - you think you have it and then, when you try to put your finger on something, you find it's not there - or it's close, but you can't really grab it - whatever "it" is.

Why should you care about this thing called Clarity? Because the more accurate your view of the world and the more accurate your understanding of yourself, the more effective and successful you can become. Achieving Clarity isn't for everybody - and that's your competitive advantage. Most people that want to be leaders won't pay the price to get high levels of Clarity.

My most recent battle with clarity is going on right now - with myself, as I try to get my goals for 2007 down to the action level. You know, those dreams that you want to see come true - but to have that happen, you gotta act. And as you translate dreams to goals to action, it gets kind of fuzzy. And fuzzy is the enemy of success.

I go through this exercise much more often than I would like to admit. Wouldn't it be just great to be able to just go for it? To act!!

But to act without clarity and purpose is, most often, futile. One of the things I know about myself is that I have to know where I want to go in order to get there. That's my External Clarity - how clearly I see where I am going. The more clearly I see my goals and dreams and how to get there, the better the chances that I will succeed.

But our External Clarity has a powerful partner - our Internal Clarity. The Clarity that has to do with how clearly we see ourselves. This is the arena of self esteem, confidence, introspection and extroversion - the place where we feel worthy and able - or not. This is the realm of self talk - how we view others, our expectations of our own performance and the performance of others, our willingness to take risk and to believe in our abilities - the place where optimism or pessimism or a combination of both reside. This is where we are critical of ourselves - or not. Our perceptions and beliefs in ourselves reside here. What's interesting is that some of the most successful people I have ever worked with don't think highly of their own worth and ability, but they have taken that as a challenge and worked hard to meet tough goals and to take risks and opportunities to prove their worth and ability. Others with low regard for themselves stay safe, don't put themselves at risk and are satisfied with much less than their real capabilities would have allowed them to achieve. Others are so optimistic and think so highly of themselves - the " He/she is a legend in their own mind" people, that they often fail because they are incapable of imagining any downside to whatever they do.

Internal Clarity is tough to determine, but there are ways to get a clearer picture of where you are. 360 degree feedback - if done right - is a great way to get solid feedback; asking trusted friends and family to help you get a clearer picture of yourself can be very effective; assessments of Personal Skills that include detailed measurements of Internal and External Clarity have helped many leaders and emerging leaders; your performance review process at work can help. While all these tools can be a great help, you still have to be able to look in the mirror and ask yourself questions that help you gain Personal Clarity.

How you achieve a high level of Clarity is a very personal matter - the advantage to taking the time and effort to reach a clear picture of the world outside yourself along with a clear picture of your inner world is that it gives you tremendous leverage and competitive advantage. Knowing who you - are the good, the bad and the ugly - is the first step to success.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group LLC, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail andycox@coxconsultgroup.com; Website: www.coxconsultgroup.com

Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved

Passion, Commitment and Energy - An Unbeatable Combination

Have you ever tried to keep something you really like, or something you're really excited about, at arm's length? It's almost impossible! Whether it's a relationship, an assignment, a ball game, an interest - when we get really excited and passionate about it, we get close – we embrace the moment and the thing that has us so involved. And when we do that, good things happen. Do you recall what it felt like when you really embraced something – the excitement, the clarity, the commitment, the passion?

It takes that clarity, that excitement, that passion, to be successful in whatever we want to do.

And yet, how often do we catch ourselves holding back – holding our arms out and saying “ Wait,” rather than engaging with whatever it is that wants to engage us. And in a very short time, the opportunity to engage is gone – never to be be recaptured. One more stone unturned, one more bell not answered, one less chance at the brass ring.

Even the most optimistic, opportunistic person has had exciting things pass them by – there are only so many hours in the day. Think how many more real opportunities for engagement pass by those of us who, for whatever the reasons, are pessimists, are fearful, are concerned most with consequences. Study after study shows that the vast majority of people are more motivated to act from a fear of loss than from an opportunity for gain. And if you're acting from fear or from avoidance, your performance is really limited. Chances of really succeeding can't be found in trying to limit loss or avoid a fear.

The secret to success is found when we act on things that excite us – that make us feel positively that we can succeed, that make us believe in our own ability and worthiness, that make us step out of our comfort zone and reach.

Real success is found beyond our reach, beyond our comfort zone, beyond where we thought we could ever go. It is found with excitement, passion, clarity of purpose and commitment. It is found through risk, and personal belief, and the support of other believers.

It's found in behavior best described by this piece of advice:

“Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt before, dance like nobody is watching.- and take a chance like you're the luckiest person in the world.”

What a great way to lead our lives! Start today.

Written by Andy Cox, President
Cox Consulting Group LLC, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032, Ph:602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: andycox@coxconsultgroup.com; Website: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved