Ruthless Consistency: Aligning your organization to win Or else!

Posted byedstillmanPosted inMy perspective

I had dinner with Michael Canic at Pappadeaux’s on I35 Tuesday night. He flew in from Denver, Colorado for a Wednesday morning Vistage workshop focusing on Strategic Management. What a WOW experience for my small to mid size business owners!

We are 14 local business owners with just under 1,000 employees that come together once a month to “draft” off of each other’s leadership experiences.

 

Austin business owners, if your industry association is looking for a keynote speaker have your meeting planner contact. Michael. www.makingstrategyhappen.com

 

Michael’s has what I will call a gift. He has the gift of 30 years of experience. He has lead, coach and consulted thousands of executives. Canic has a developed gift in leading audiences toward a proven model with a very intentional process and outcome. His model will help and assist committed leaders turning your ambitions into strategy, and strategy into reality. Yes you must be COMMITTED, otherwise don’t waste your time.

 

He starts with why is it so hard to win? His belief is because we as leaders fail to:

  • Create the RIGHT ENVIRONMENT
  • Develop the RIGHT FOCUS
  • Build the RIGHT TEAM

 

His 5 step continuous loop process has 20 sub sets that when your leadership teams becomes crystal clear of what’s working and what isn’t working, creates the building blocks for your future wins.

 

Do you use a monthly newsletter, or a “from the desk of” to stay connected to your employees? Imagine the monthly “added value” of a 1 to 3 minute video clip recognizing your individual contributors, and sharing their best practices or process improvements. Michael suggests using your iPhone camera works best because it’s real topics from real people.

 

Do you have a FUN committee? Affects the little things, like individual performance and retention right! Your culture is a by-product as you create a consistent environment.

 

I found his “Perceived Value Gap” between my company and my competitors an interesting view. Are we not vying for the same customers? What does our separation look like, is our differentiation significant enough? Will our customers pay for that separation or not?

 

Strategic Management steps are:

  1. Assess – Why must we change?
  2. Position – What do we do? What does winning look like?
  3. Plan – How do we win?
  4. Implement – How do we ensure it happens?

 

In closing this article, Michael had some fun with us by saying over and over again; “…do you have the will to do what it takes to win?”

 

Do You?

 

Continued successes,

 

Ed

Published by edstillman

I grew up in Carlsbad, north San Diego County, lost my dad as a teenager, went into the USAF for four years and hired on with 3M in 1969. Received my AA from Santa Barbara City College, BA and Masters from Redlands University and after 33 plus years, I retired from 3M in 2002. As I look back on my life, I have been creating myself and developing my skill sets to be a business coach and a Vistage Chair. I am president of SEOT, a "personal improvement" consulting firm spending most of my time working with Central Texas executives running small to medium size for-profit companies who are focusing on improving their profitability greater than their competition. My area of interest is assisting senior executives in creating a better balance between business commitments and personal relationships. I also facilatate three leadership labs each consisting of a dozen owners, presidents and CEOs. We meet monthly both in a group setting as well as in a 1-to-1 coaching session. Our focus is to sharpen each others' skills in becoming better leaders, making better decisions and taking ourselves and companies to that next level. Who are we? My members are experienced top executives who recognize that they don’t have all the answers and who actively seek the company of successful peers—both to give and receive insights and ideas. My members mine the 200 plus years of chief executive experience that comes together in our monthly meetings and members are eager to offer their own experience and insights in the process. As a group, we spend our time exploring topics members can't discuss anywhere else. My members have many other places where they can engage in idle, "cocktail party" chatter. Our mission is to provide the setting for discussing the "undiscussable." Where or who can you go to for confidential, honest feedback to assist you in minimizing your personal "Worry List"?