Category Archives: Culture

#61 “Sense of urgency” versus “Life and Death”

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These are not the same. But you knew that.

Then why do you and your co-workers not get it right? Meaning, why do you behave as if every situation is ” life and death” when it is merely “urgent.” Okay, maybe not “merely,” but you get the point.

The first reason is “you don’t know!” Develop your awareness. Improve your analysis and analytics. Get your facts right on business impact before you commit to an opinion or action. It’s okay to trust your gut, provided you have a handle on your emotions.

A second reason is “fear.” Self awareness will fix a certain percentage of your fear (“see, no ghosts under the bed”). Some percentage of your fear may require therapy and counseling. The rest of your fear can be overcome with coaching, and education. thus, be open to feedback and be “coachable.”

Start with getting the difference right. Once you can tell the difference, the rest will follow.

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#59 What is “Success?”

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This is a tough one, because everyone will have a different (and valid) definition for the same initiative, project, or task. This is why getting everyone to agree on a definition of success is the first step. No matter the diversity in viewpoints, if everyone can agree on a subset of the goals, progress will happen.

Out of curiosity, I wondered how the “economic success” of a country could be defined. Here is a proposal:

  • Spend less than you earn.
  • Add value, and give more than you get.

What would we do to operationalize this for each company (or legal entity) and an individual level? This scope is easier to deal with because answering this question for a “country” is too large and too chaotic for us to even think about the problem. (Besides, the effort to overcome the communication gaps, the naysayers, the FUD, and the “troublemakers” who can’t agree with the definition for a country is a large undertaking, suited only for those with political ambitions. Or armchair pundits with time to spare. Or cable TV channels with advertising revenue targets)

To operationalize this definition, each company and individual will need two capabilities to gain a virtuous, positive synergy:

  • Business acumen: who is your customer, how will you serve their needs, and why should they buy from you.
  • Leadership behaviors: what behaviors will foster effectiveness, productivity, happiness, and satisfaction in the workplace.

Once you buy into this proposal, there is a lot of detail to be worked out. The biggest problem in not that every company and individual will tell us they are “unique” and roadmaps have to be customized for them.

The biggest problem is to find the inner desire to get started, the discipline to stay with the program, and the energy to keep everyone aligned.

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