Friday Reflections

The Power Curve

POINT TO PONDER

"...things have a momentum, and at a certain point you can't really tell whether you have created the momentum or it's creating you."

                                                   

                                                                        -Annie Lennox

STORY LINE

Thank you Mark Dennen for contributing to Friday Reflections last week and referencing The Power Curve. And thank you to Micro CEO, a reader, who posted the following in response to Mark’s comment about The Power Curve, attaching a reference link which I found very enlightening and worth sharing:

“One of life's under-regarded principles is called being Behind the Power Curve (or "on the back side of the power curve"). The analogy comes from aviation, and is illustrated in this graph, which all would do well to understand:….More in the link that follows……

http://sifter.org/~simon/journal/20100718.h.html

 

REFLECTION

How do you see the Power Curve applied to your work and in your life? How can we utilize the principle of the Power Curve to our advantage?

The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create It.

POINT TO PONDER

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

                                        -William Shakespeare

STORYLINE by Rajiv Shah

As a professional personal trainer, the beginning of the year is often the busiest. Sign ups for gym membership increase, trainers litter gym floors introducing recently new clients to their programs, and good intentions are at a fevered pitch.

    “I want to lose 15 pounds,” says one client.

    “I want to fit back into my bikini by summer,” says another.

    “At least 2 inches have to come off my waist.”

    “I just want to look buffer.”

    Sound familiar? Then what happens? Clients throw themselves into training at a frantic pace, force themselves to diet rigorously, and by mid-March or sooner, they have abandoned their goals altogether.

    Then there's the gadget fads that never seem to die out. The AB-roller, the shake weight, slimming belts, diet pills, and the list goes on and on. I get asked questions all the time about which new tool is the most effective, to which I respond, “hard work and perseverance.”

REFLECTION

You are accountable for your destiny. Procrastination is a killer. It feeds on your fears and stops you before you even start. Push through it this year.

    As a personal trainer I hear excuses all the time. I'm too busy, I'm too tired, or eventually the kiss of death, "I don't believe this is meant for me anymore." All these reasons not to do it and yet we go on complaining about our weight and health, ultimately making excuses for why it isn't happening.

    Fitness is just one example of this mode of thought, but it is prevalent in other areas of our life as well. Whether it be starting that new business, writing that novel you've had on your mind, or taking that trip that's long overdue.

    What I find works - for the clients that do lose the weight (and keep it off), who feel healthy, and get the results - is simple but not easy. It takes an acknowledgement of the fears and judgement, to show up anyway, put in the work, find positive associations to the work, and keep showing up. Slowly, successful clients adjust their diet - at a pace they can handle, often in small increments - and eventually they get results.The results come when you put in the work and they last when you skip the shortcuts.

    Ultimately, it's up to you. Take your destiny into your own hands in 2012 and stop waiting for tomorrow. If you want something, go after it. There is no other time but now.

Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.

POINT TO PONDER

Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.

                                                                     -Arthur Golden

STORYLINE

The New Year is upon us and in looking forward to 2012 we here at Friday Reflections wanted to get the year started right. In the spirit of following your own path, I've compiled some stories and random bits from people that did extraordinary things in 2011:

• At one hundred years old, Fauja Singh of Britain, became the oldest person to complete a full 26 mile marathon in Toronto, Canada.

• Rob Summers, a former collegiate baseball player who played on the winning team of the 2006 College World Series, was paralyzed from the chest down after being hit by a car in, coincidentally, 2006. After four years of not being able to move, doctors implanted 16 electrodes into his damaged spinal cord. He trained daily, putting in countless hours to rehabilitate and Rob now is able to stand, walk independently, and has regained control of his bladder, bowel, and blood pressure functions.

• After learning that coastal forests in North Carolina were being cut down to provide packaging for KFC and McDonalds, eight year old student Cole Rasenberger convinced everyone at his school - 2,250 in total - to write postcards to McDonalds encouraging the company to change their packaging choices. All 2,250 postcards were sent to McDonalds and a short time after receiving the postcards, McDonalds announced it was switching to 100 percent recycled paper bags. Cole's next target is KFC and he's already rallied 6,000 to write postcards and hand delivered them to the KFC headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky.

• Susanne Janson lost her two daughters (fourteen years and twelve years old) and her ex-husband to the Tsunami that ravaged the coasts of Thailand in 2004. Heartbroken and unable to return to work as an advertising executive, Janson instead decided to stay in Thailand. She had heard a young couple were opening an orphanage in Phuket to take in children who had lost their parents in the disaster. Janson decided to help and today the orphanage houses 24 children, mothers, and grandparents affected by the tsunami. This past June, Janson hit a milestone: Fame, a teenage boy living in the orphanage will be heading to college. A huge feat in the poverty striken area in which she now lives. Janson says, “"My daughters loved their life. And I wanted to show them that I would survive this. And if (I) could help my new children to love their lives, at least one good thing came out of this."

  
  

REFLECTION by Rajiv Shah

2011 has been a monumental year. Natural disaster would strike as we all know - Japan would be rocked by an 8.9 earthquake in March and subsequent tsunami while Turkey dealt with a 7.2 magnitude quake of their own in October.

    2011 saw the death of technological giant Steve Jobs.

    January found Egyptian President Mubarak step down from power, a harbinger of the upheavals that would follow in Libya and Syria. On a smaller scale citizens at home followed suit as Occupy protesters took to US streets to voice their displeasure with the current state of the US economy. Elsewhere in the world, similar protests were being staged as Greece's prime minister stepped down from power amidst the European economic crisis.

    2011 was a year where the world saw much tension, unrest, and ultimately, change. And one hopes that from this change will come growth, a new way to live and prosper.  Amidst it all, good was forged on large and small scales, by people like the ones in this friday reflection, people not so different than you and me. Each one faced adversity and found a way to persevere. Tension is essential, it is a place where we are forced to stretch, to challenge, to find a new way, and to blossom. For from a crack in the earth a flower finds a way to grow.

    I do hope the experiences retold in this friday reflection inspire you to create your own stories in 2012, to continue walking your path and blazing your own trails. 

 

 

 

 

Keep Your Garden Green.

POINT TO PONDER

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.

                                                                -Theodore Roosevelt

 

STORYLINE

My neighbor came by my house the other day and asked if I could recommend my gardener to her. Apparently she had a hard time retaining them, explaining that her gardeners never arrived consistently or at the same time. She would follow them in the garden as they worked, barking instructions as they went and many would quit on her. She needed a gardener she could rely on and asked if I would recommend mine. She liked the job he did with our landscaping, as do I, and asked if I could pass along his number.

I said I surely would - that I had been very happy with his work - but that my gardener might not fit the criteria she wanted. She asked me if he was punctual. I said I wasn't sure. She asked me when he comes to garden and I said I didn't know. Most of the time he came to work on the garden when it needed it. I admitted there were weeks when he didn't come because he felt there was no work to be done. She asked if he stayed the full hour and I said I didn't keep track of that.

She asked me how I could stick with a gardener like him for so long. I responded that I allow him to complete the job in whatever way he chooses. Then she asked me how I could tolerate that and didn't manage him more closely. I said I didn't need to - I trust his skills as a gardener - and that he knows what he is doing, “because at the end of the day, he keeps my garden green.”

 

REFLECTION

Three mistakes a leader/manager should avoid:

        1.Having good people and not know them.

        2. Knowing good people and not use them.

        3. Using good people and not trust them.

 

What good is the ability to exceed customer expectations if it can’t be delivered consistently throughout the organization? -Walt Disney

 

Point to Ponder: "Why should your customers expect anything less? Quality service is an aspect of business integral to any corporation, and that’s because we all share a common trait: every one of us has needs, wants, and emotions." -Walt Disney

 
 
Story Line: by Anand Shah, on the 27th anniversary of Friday Reflections and the 8th year on WWW.

Last week I wrote about a memorable experience I had with an airline representative at the check in counter. I also had a good experience while boarding the plane and inside the cabin during the flight. One of our readers commented that he had a similar experience with the same airline, three days later at the same airport. It seems that Quality of Service is built into that airline's culture.

For this week's Friday Reflection, I'm sharing an experience that is equally memorable as well, but for the opposite reason to last week's story.

It was May of 2008, and I had checked in a hotel that had just opened in an island town in a country far, far away. Rumor was that it had nicely designed modern rooms and the hotel had given a special promotional price to our group. The hotel name had only letter of the alphabet in it, simple and easy to remember, I guess. We were welcomed at the entrance, and the reception was really good indeed.

But what followed is what was truly memorable. Here are my notes from that experience during my stay.

 

Day 1:

Checked in late at night due to the flight delay. First, the safe deposit box wasn't working. Housekeeping came and replaced the battery. Then I found out the internet was not working. So another guy came and fixed the cables. Prior to discovering the incapacitated internet, I had ordered room service. I told the guy I don’t eat any meat except seafood.

Ordered crab meat egg rolls. Confirmed there is no other meat besides the crab.  20 minutes later, got a call “Sir, there is chicken in your Egg Rolls.”

“OK then, cancel that order and let us choose another item.” 

“But Sir, we are half way through making it.”

“No, I don’t eat chicken so please cancel my order.”

“Sir, talk to my manager.”  Music…

“Yes, I am the manager of the café. Our egg rolls have chicken.”

“But I ordered ones with crab meat. I don’t eat chicken.”

“But we have already finished making them. Will send to your room soon.”

You don’t want to hear what happened next. Every word in my mother tongue that I was not supposed to speak (per my mother's teachings) had returned.

The front desk staff called and said sorry many, many times - including one guy bowing to me over and over. They were very well trained in saying "sorry" (but seemed not trained in prevention).

 
Day 2:

Got to the room at 8PM. Turned on TV.  It did not work.

Assistance arrived: changed the battery in the remote control and did something on the back of the TV.

Then I find that there was no clock. It was delivered promptly per my request. Time was 1:31PM. I tried very hard to figure out how to change time. IMPOSSIBLE. For the first time in my life, the wisdom light blinked. “No human being has been able to change the time. Time flies.”

Assistance came, again. They couldn’t figure it out. Took the clock downstairs for repair. Many calls from the front desk inquiring if I am satisfied with the service. “But I have not received the clock back” is my response every time.

“OK sir, he will be right there.”

Finally, the clock arrived and it had the correct time. I had to sign forms though: "I have received the clock and promise to return it upon departure."

A few minutes later, the room bell rang again ‘Sir, you signed in the wrong place.” Corrected.

Finally, I can sleep. 9:10 PM… Call from downstairs “Sir, are you satisfied?” 

“YES.”

Tucked in the bed again. The doorbell rang. I am not going to open the door any more was my resolve. After four tries, the person seemed to have given up. I fell asleep. At 10:10 PM the bell rang. I was still determined not to open my door. That person seemed to have given up.

At 10:30 PM, the bell rang again... I got up and screamed as loud as I could, looking for a baseball bat (I wasn't in America, so couldn't find one) and rushed to the door. Two guys were running away (guess it must have been my scream). I called them back.

Shivering, one guy returned and tried to hand me lotion and a special adapter plug.

“I did not ask for it.”

“But sir, reception said that you wanted it.” (I guess some one else must have requested).

“Sorry sir for disturbing your sleep. Good night.”

Tucked myself in the bed again... The phone rang! (Must be the reception following up to see if I am satisfied.) I picked up the receiver and screamed (before hearing the voice on the other side). “Yes, I am very satisfied. Let me sleep now.”

As my fate would have it, it was my wife on the other side - “Who are you satisfied with? What is going on?”

This was rest of my note in my daily event book: “I hope she bought my lengthy explanation. Will find out upon returning home if the front door lock is changed but for now I am having nightmares about returning home. My only salvation/hope is in our daughter Analisa’s saying "Everything is OK in the end. If it is not OK then it is not the end."

 
Reflection:

People don’t just buy things – they buy expectations about performance and service.

I have blind faith in the policy that Quality, tempered with good judgment and showmanship, will win against all odds." - Walt Disney, speaking to Studio Staff, February 10, 1941

Bust the Bureaucracy

 
 

Story Line:

A few decades ago, the CEO of a corporation was faced with a dilemma. The revenue growth was slowing from the fast pace of previous years, and the competition was intense.

Customer complaints about the quality of service were on the rise. He had also noticed that it was  difficult to get things done in a timely manner inside the company. So, per the advice of some close associates, he hired an external consulting firm to assess the situation. The external firm immediately went to work. They studied the situation in detail and reported the findings.

The report started with a punch line, “There is massive confusion amongst employees between things that need to happen vs. things that do not need to happen.”

After many pages of information in the middle, the report concluded, “The company’s operations have become very bureaucratic. This is not sustainable in the current market environment. The company needs immediate attention and a major overhaul.”

Alarmed, the CEO immediately launched a company-wide campaign. It was named “Bust the Bureaucracy.” He wanted “All Hands” to join forces in cleaning up the non-productive processes, methods and systems. “Scrutinize everything, don’t assume anything” was the directive.

To accomplish this massive task, a corporate level “Bust the Bureaucracy” task force was formed. This task force defined the overall structure for the campaign, top level champions, process and sub-processes team leaders and the team members. Suggestion boxes and “town meetings” were introduced for common, working level employees to have their say.

Now, some employees were intrigued that some of the higher ups (very high up) whose departments had a lot of bureaucracy had become the champions for this new task force. It looked as if the masters who had created bureaucracy had now become the champions of busting it.

But for those who had been around for a while, and understood the games that are played in such type of organizations, knew that “The Masters” had no choice but to become “The Champions.” That was the only way for them to control the work and pace of the various teams and also manage what was going to be reported to the CEO.

Before I get back to the CEO, let us also visit one of the sub-campaigns that started as a result of this program. Based on the employee feedback, the Champions had identified, “Are we having too many meetings?” as one of the ingredients to Bust the massive Bureaucracy.

So the General Manager of the division in the North specially called for some additional consultants that he knew in the South to address the “Meetings” issue.

Immediately upon arrival, the husband/wife consultant tag team began their work. They set up three meetings with each employee; the first one for introductions, the second one for details, and the third one for conclusions. On top of that they also set up group meetings to tap the combined power of the masses. Employees noticed that in each of those meetings, the husband asked questions and the wife made notes.

Finally arrived the day of reckoning. The CEO had decided to travel to every shore and touch every division to listen first hand to his “Champions” revelations; followed by the famous last words, “What are we going to do about it?”

The celebration, in other words “to ease the pain” session, was set up one Thursday in an external lodge with a nice dinner, to be followed by the General Manager’s presentation (or confessions, as some employees humorously called it).

There is an old saying, “After feast comes the reckoning,” and it was no different that night. The General Manager got up and “honestly/candidly” shared the task force findings.

To sum it up:

1. The division had lost focus on what the real customer wanted.

2. There were too many processes and systems that were set up with good intention of servicing internal needs, but instead they were hampering employees from doing their jobs. (Example: Changes required up to 69 approvals)

3. The people were very busy and stressed with numerous activities, but the output could not be linked to any bottom-line business indicators.

Some employees, while listening to the speech, even wondered why the GM was not taking protection under the Fifth Amendment. Of course, the candid GM also presented “Get Well Plan” and organization to address it.

Sequel to the Story: the following Monday, employees were summoned to mandatory “All Hands Meeting.” They were shocked to see CEO again, so soon, at their site.

The CEO started “I will be very brief. I would like to introduce …, who will be your new GM (#2) for the Get Well Plan…We wish well to GM # 1, who has brought us to this stage, for his services. He has decided to leave to pursue other interests.”

 
Reflection:

At the conclusion of “Bust the Bureaucracy” campaign, Mr. CEO replaced the managers of some other divisions as well. He had revealed in private to some people that he had taken care of the real sources of Bureaucracy. He felt that he had entrusted those fellows to run their business efficiently in first place, empowered them with all resources and compensated them very well. What had happened in the company should not have, if those people had not taken their eye off the ball from basics of running a business. He believed that they had violated his and the stockholders trust.

Games Indecision Makers Play

“You'll never have all the information you need to make a decision. If you did, it would be a foregone conclusion, not a decision” - David Mahoney

Storyline:

Deciding not to decide, in such a way that people do not notice, is an art. Here are seven games that are occasionally played in the courtyards of corporations when it comes to postponing decisions or derailing meetings:

Game 1: Ask for “more data”

A meeting is going on between the employees of a components supplier to review a major customer’s new requirements. The customer has asked for a one-day response on Failure Analysis (FA) of returned samples. The director of FA presents his current FA response time: 76 days.

Another director raises his hand and asks, “Does it (your data) include the weekends?”

Game 2: Throw (irrelevant) monkey wrenches

Ideally, create more work by claiming that there is “insufficient analysis” or by asking, “Have you looked into such-and-such area?” (However irrelevant it may be to the subject.) Other popular monkey wrenches are to claim, “We don’t have the authority” or to suggest that the decision be taken off-line for further discussion (even if the decision can easily be made on the spot.)

Game 3: We need to run this by so-and-so

Of course, that “so-and-so person” is not in the meeting, otherwise it would defeat the purpose of the game.

Game 4: Let people who have no skin in the game be directly involved in playing it

Involve a lot more people than needed for the decision. Then, try to arrive at a consensus with all of these people. A great example: instead of telling ancillary groups what specific things you need from them, bring them into the mainstream decision making process. In a sports analogy, this would be equivalent to a tennis player asking the ball boy to make the next serve, or a football quarterback asking the cheerleader to call the next play.

Game 5: It should not have happened in the first place

With the first sign of a problem, start questioning the sound long-term direction, perform name-calling, and begin the hunt for scapegoats. Spend time lamenting over the problem instead of spending time looking for the solution.

Game 6: Ping Pong Diplomacy (Agree with everything)

Even though the proposals and ideas may be diametrically opposite in approach or intended outcome, the team leader keeps agreeing with all parties: “Good idea” “Excellent Proposal”. Here’s  how this game (sort of) works:

Jerry’s proposal says, “New York is in the East.”  The team leader (supposed to be the decision maker) says, “You are right.”  Jack’s proposal says, “New York is in the West.” The team leader says, “You are right.”  Confused, Tim asks, “How can it be both?” The team leader says, “You are right.”

Now if someone is bold enough to question this further, the team leader would say, “Well, it depends where you are in the world. If you are in San Francisco then New York is in the East, and if you are in London then New York is in the West.”  But the point of the story is that decisions are not made by starting such irrelevant discussions - in reality you’re all sitting in Denver, so the answer should be obvious.

Game 7: Start a task force to improve the decision making process

Ideally, to improve the “decision making process”, have well known inDecision makers run it (and/or be the primary members).

Reflection: Many of us have played these games – as victims and perpetrators. An awareness of them is crucial to calling this behavior out and getting things done.  Challenge the indecision makers!

 

Bonus: Play your own indecision bingo!

Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.

Point to Ponder:

"If you ask me how I want to be remembered, it is as a winner. You know what a winner is? A winner is somebody who has given her/his best effort, who has tried the hardest she/he possibly can, who has utilized every ounce of energy and strength within her/him to accomplish something. It does not mean s/he accomplished or failed, it means s/he has given it their best.  That is a Winner."  - Walter Payton.

 
Storyline: Originally published on November 2008 under the title "Tough times do not last, but tough people do" - Repeated with an update:

In these times of global financial crisis, stock market meltdowns, wars and employment worries, I would like to share the remarkable life story of a "common" person that has been anything but common. Her friends and relatives affectionately call her “My Lola” (Grandma). I met her during my visit to Manila in 1978 and got to know her more during my expatriate assignment in the early '80s.  Here is her story:

She was born to a Chinese father and a Filipino mother. At the age of 12, she lost both her parents and was left to take care of three younger siblings. In order to survive, she started a small business: she supported the family by selling fruits, vegetables & fish to locals in the market.

During the second world war, most of the people in her town were slaughtered by the occupying force. She escaped death only because of the kindness of one enemy soldier. After the war, she got married and started another business that provided a comfortable, middle-class living for the next 30 years.

Sadly, in the mid '70s, a fire destroyed her home and her business. Before she could launch another venture, one of her teenage sons developed a rare disease and died, after long and very expensive medical treatment which drained the family savings. A year later, another teenage son met with an accident and died, while trying to help the family. One would think that this is enough misery for one person in one lifetime.

Unfortunately, in the early '80s, her eldest son and her husband died. She was left to support the three remaining young children by herself.  She learned to read and speak English while taking care of a young boy; she would make the little one read a book, and while moving her finger on every word, listen carefully and pick up the pronunciation.

Eventually she went abroad and for the last 27 years her life has turned for the better. Last December, on her 77th birthday, I asked her for a formal interview. After recapturing many of her experiences, and her creative approaches for surviving and eventually thriving in life, I asked her the final question. “What kept you going on in life with all that has happened?”

“Hope” she answered. “I never gave up thinking that tomorrow will be better than today and kept on going. Every day was precious and I gave my best efforts.”

Personally I have not met anyone who has been through so much in one life time. But what she said in her final answer is what I witness every time I see her. Last Sunday, I chatted with her about the current global problems.  She told me, “Trust me. Things will get better.”

UPDATE: The above story was published in November 2008.  Shortly after, “My Lola” (Mrs. Lim) developed some major health issues. In past two and a half years, she defied five calls by specialists for her demise and showed remarkable recoveries each time, to the surprise of all. Her willpower was inspirational to all who were fortunate to witness it. But today, her body gave way. During her life she fought every adversity/battle hard, never gave up and came through. And her last battle was no different. She demonstrated in all conversations and actions that she was going to give every ounce of energy she had and not give up on her own.

As one care taker put it: “They leave the way they live.” 

 
Reflection: from the poem by Gene Autry:

 “Now somewhere, there stands the man/woman

       His/her duty o’er and won

       The world will ne’er forget him/her

       To him/her we say, “Well done.’” 

To live in the hearts one leaves behind is not to die.

Failure is not an option (Apollo 13 and innovation)

 

POINT TO PONDER: Don't tell me how it can't be done, tell me how it can be done.
 
STORYLINE: Failure is not an option. By Mike Yakos
 
The movie APOLLO 13 is based on a true story. It is the story of three astronauts sent into space when an oxygen tank ruptures during blast off and puts the lives of the Apollo 13 astronauts at risk. As the space ship is approaching its journey to the moon and subsequent trip back to the earth, NASA discovers that the carbon dioxide levels in the cabin are approaching dangerous levels and that the CO2 filters in the lunar module were meant for two men for only 1-2 days. If the space ship is to return to earth with the astronauts alive, the team at NASA needs to come up with a solution to this problem fast.

What unfolds is a scene from the film where a scientist charges into a conference room and throws a bunch of gear on the table. He then articulates that these are the items available on the ship, and the NASA employees in the room need find a way to create a CO2 filter using only these items.

Many of the scientists looked around the table, thinking that the astronauts were doomed but the commander played by Ed Harris would bellow the famous line, "failure is not an option." The team put aside the reasons it wouldn't work and got moving on the possibilities of why it could. Ultimately, they found a solution that saved those astronauts lives.

A Wikipedia search notes innovation as being a change in the thought process for doing something, or the useful application of new inventions or discoveries (1).

Based on my experience here a few qualities of leaders which can drive innovation and are exemplified in the film (which occurred in a short amount of time due to the dangers involved):
    •    Set clear goals and expectations
    •    Continue to raise the bar and don’t be afraid to strive for goals which may seem unattainable
    •    Encourage employee growth through training, job rotation, work project opportunities, etc.
    •    Don’t be encumbered by past norms and challenge the organization for “out of the box” ideas.

Q. Was there a clear goal? Of course, figure out a solution or the astronauts wouldn’t make it back alive.
 
Q. Did NASA management define the solution? No, they defined the problem and what equipment was available to the astronauts and then challenged the engineers to come up with a creative solution to meet the goal.

 
REFLECTION:The Apollo 13 mission is an extreme example with lives on the line, however, conceptually when management challenges their groups to “ridiculous” goals it’s amazing what creative juices tend to be stirred.
 
One recent experience in my organization was the challenge our management put forth last year at the peak of the worst economic downturn: “What would it take to thrive in the environment of shrinking resources? What if we get half the money, have double the scope, and still want to retain our talented workforce?” We had to find creative solutions. Several teams were put together to work on this challenge and it was amazing the amount of ideas that came out of it and how the healthy competition between groups provided an energy that catalyzed creativity.
 
This challenge brought three big benefits: 1. Instead of worrying about economy and where the next axe is going to fall, we got engrossed in creative pursuits 2. We discovered that our talents and what we do has universal applicability; any field and any country. 3. We discovered opportunities to offer our services in emerging market businesses and raise capital.
 
It is amazing how many great innovations occur when one focuses on how it can be done and failure is not an option.
 
    1.    McKeown, Max (2008). The Truth About Innovation. London, UK: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0273719122.
    2.    Thanks to Rajiv Shah and Cynthia Kwon for edits.

Just Speed Up The Boat

"Join in the new game that's sweeping the country. It's called Bureaucracy! Everybody stands in a circle. The first person to do anything loses." - Javier Pascal Salcedo

"In any bureaucracy, paperwork increases as you spend more and more time reporting on the less and less you are doing" (reference)

Story Line: Just speed up the boat
 

As with many stories in Friday Reflections, this one happened Once Upon a Time.

The boss of a rather large global group had flown in from another state and summoned his local team to discuss a project the team had initiated that had shown great results in their department.

The boss went through standard customary motions as happens in many meetings, and after showing a lot of interest in the project told the three team members in attendance, “Your work is revolutionary and you have gotten great results in your environment. But now there is a similar initiative by a very large support group that they call Company Wide Excellence. They have not been able to show progress with many more resources, and you guys are making them look bad.”

The boss continued, “It is time you let go of your project to them and concentrate on other work.” 

The newest employee in the group, who coincidentally was also in his first job after graduation, told the boss, “We can work with them to explore scaling our work to speed up Company Wide Excellence”

The boss, a little annoyed at naïvete of the young man said, “You don’t understand. You guys are like a speed boat going against a super tanker. They can crush you. Do you understand what I am saying?”

The young man, not being savvy in understanding the hidden message said “Yes, we understand. All that we have to do is speed up so the super tanker can never catch us.”

Sequel: That young man, after delivering great results to his employer, left and is now owner of a  successful business. And those Corporate Wide Excellence folks? After creating a massive bureaucracy which was dissolved a few years later, they are retired or working at other places.