Dr. Deb's Top 50 Strategies for Business Success

This is a compilation of business 'rules' or common recommendations for success I have found useful after spending many years in corporate life. This content comes from a variety of sources, and I claim no original ownership over any of these common business practices.?I would also like to call out special recognition to Keith Cunningham’s Founder’s Council Board participation for many of these best practices.

1.??Successful leaders have clarity on where they are and where they want to go; they can identify the gap and the obstacles; they can design the plan (Yellow Brick Road = Having a Plan = Strategy) and then build the machine to get there.?A fuzzy picture of the destination or just hopes and dreams is not a plan on how to get there!

This leadership responsibility includes allocating the resources required and setting the priorities and finding the “A” players to make it happen and creating the required culture.

?A shift in priorities without a simultaneous shift in resource allocation is often delusional.

Business culture is defined by a few simple rules: 1) Do the right thing; 2) Do the best you can; 3) Show others that you care; 4) Play above the line; 5) Be coachable

2.??Great leaders are always asking three questions:

a.??????What am I missing?

b.?????Where am I wrong?

c.??????What do I need to learn?

And with any problem:

d.?Is this problem normal?

e??Is this problem abnormal?

f.???Is this problem life-threatening (to the organization or business)?

3.??A lack of courage is at the root of failures of leadership, not doing what must be done! The main reason why companies lose relevance or go out of business is that they fail to evolve.?They rely on the wrong questions and old answers.

Asking questions, keeping an open mind, remaining flexible, and maintaining a healthy dose of skepticism/awareness will serve you well in business.?

4.??The leader with the fewest blind spots always wins.?One of your jobs as a member of the leadership team is to peek around corners and think through consequences.?Imagine various outcomes, risks, and opportunities, and make informed choices based on the things that aren't apparent at first glance.?Not all progress is measured by ground gained it's also measured by losses avoided.

Be always watching around corners for any bad things coming and have an outline of a response or plan if something does go wrong.?The three things underlying most mistakes are 1) unexplained assumptions and stories; 2)?ignoring risks, and 3) excessive optimism.

5.??Never waste a good crisis!?There is always an opportunity to learn the lesson, make some fundamental changes or even reinvent what needs to be changed.?Also, remember that most trust is built during difficult times.

6.??Any time you are stuck it means you don’t have the right question.?Great questions produce better ideas, and a great question always simplifies the problem and makes it solvable, and expands the number of possibilities available to solve the problem.?

7.??When dealing with change a leader:

1)??Faces reality not making it worse or better.

2)??Embraces change – the environment is what it is at that time.

3) Communicates candidly - adjust what you need to do to be successful.

8.??Successful leaders are much better at knowing their one big weakness or their one big challenge. Once you figure out your big weakness, talk to others about it to collect more information and find ways to turn it into a strength.?Or find someone else to do that task and play more off of your strengths.

9.??A key to leadership is clarity of communication on five things:

1. Outcomes
2. Expectations
3. Metrics & Measurements
4. Corrections/Coaching (Train, Tolerate, Terminate)
5. Consequences

10.?Remember that perfection is the enemy of progress and that you only need the anchor ? inch off the bottom to get moving.?Remember the value of rapid prototyping, the value of failure, and going with a Minimal Viable Product when possible.

Business is never perfect never set up and forget - there is no 'one and done' business, it is an ongoing process.?Problems never stop coming, your only hope for growth is that the scale and complexity of problems (your span of control) grow over time.

11.?The only constant in business is change.??Everything you want lies outside your comfort zone.?What got you here won't get you there... if it could get you there, you would already be there and it hasn't, so it won't.

12.?A business model asks five questions:

1. How many resources (time-effort-money) must be invested?
2. Over what period?
3. To produce what volume of revenue?
4. Is that revenue adequate to cover the costs of creating and servicing that revenue stream with enough left over to justify the effort and risk?
5. Are the investors (who allocated the resources in #1 above) provided with a superior return on their investment in the desired time frame?

13.?A critical part of execution is determining the Critical Drivers. A Critical Driver is a cause you cannot manage or change a result without managing and changing the activities that produced that result.?Critical Drivers are those 5-7 things that happened or didn’t happen when things either very go well or very poorly during any specific period of time.

14.?All smart, capable people are drowning in opportunity. The smart, capable people who are rich are CAREFUL with their time, their calendar, and their priorities.

Saying yes without saying no creates mediocrity and one cannot add without pausing or discontinuing other priorities and projects.?

15.?“Ideal” employees commit to learning/growth/training/success and have a High Internal Emotional Need to Succeed (“HIENTS” or an “A” Player) while they stay - they may not stay forever, so don’t plan on that. Get clarity about where the business wants to be and the measurable deliverables of the business over the next 1-3 years. How can you know who to hire unless you know what game you are playing and what deliverables you need to win?

The major mistakes employers make are failure to identify “success deliverables” (Strategic Outcomes) and starting the hiring process with Core Competencies. A common mistake in hiring is hiring the resume instead of hiring demonstrated experience.?Everyone can be normal and likable for an hour so utilize the Who Interview/screening process.?Remember, a resume is often a record of a person’s career with accomplishments embellished and failures removed.

16.?Dashboards, Critical Drivers, Report Cards, and Standards are your best friends. Ordinary things done extraordinarily produce extraordinary outcomes.?Corollary:?Ordinary things done consistently produce extraordinary results.?Fewer goals and more standards equal a better life and a better business.?Also remember that trends are important, as some things can change so slowly as to be missed – especially in multiple areas where there is risk migration occurring.

17.?Create a dashboard - this tool measures the execution of critical drivers and if consistently executed these critical drivers will enable strategic outcomes.?To determine critical drivers is ask yourself this question when I have a bad month 1) what didn't happen that should have happened 2) what should have happened that didn't happen.?

A goal is wishful thinking while critical drivers are predictive. EE should be expected to report out versus management having to check-in, if they are missed and include a remediation plan or a request for help in building a remediation plan. If you shoot the messenger on more than one occasion don’t expect full and immediate transparency to continue over time.?Scoreboards and dashboards minimize the debate and interpretive discussion over time. Everyone is aware of status, progress, and any gaps.

Dashboards enable optics around strategic outcomes, critical drivers, and core competencies. Scorecard KPIs are strategic outcomes while dashboard KPIs?are critical drivers. There are typically five to six critical drivers for every business or organization.?

18.?Be wary when performing ‘good deeds.’??A good deed is defined as an immediate or knee-jerk response to an issue or problem that is brought forward and addressed through making exceptions or bending the rules, or taking on work you don’t normally do.?On the surface, good deeds appear what they are, good deeds.?

However, there may be an excellent reason why that simple action or one-off approach has not been used, or someone else owns this step or process or the simple fact that this problem (or rule) may exist for a good reason.?Learn to see the big picture and appreciate how all the systems interact.?Also, remember that a reward for a job well done is often a bigger job.

19.?Follow the military model of timeliness:?If it is early, it is on time, if it is on time then it is late.?Consider adding a time factor of 1.5 to 2X to any complicated project timeline, to account for unseen (unknown) bureaucratic issues.?Consider adding a 1.5X cost estimate to any complex project due to the inherent complexities of large organizations.?

20.?Remember the hierarchy, and report both significant and what you may think are insignificant items and events to management.?Management hates to be blindsided!?A good practice is to email or meet with your manager regularly with status updates, so they know how busy you really are as they are busy and probably have no idea all of what you are doing.?

This regular meeting shows you are proactive and makes your performance and accomplishments visible and memorable. Meet with your management team face to face (if possible) or via WebEx/phone on a regular basis (outside of Performance Management discussions) to be sure you understand what is important to them for you to work on.

21.?Companies do not actively manage or promote one’s career; you need to do that for yourself.?Throw your hat out judiciously for opportunities and/or promotions.?Never miss opportunities to network!?

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t immediately get a desired job/promotion; this was a chance to let others know your interest, accomplishments, and for you to develop exceptional interview techniques.?Often better opportunities will come around again sooner than you think.?Take advantage of employee or business resource groups (ERGs/BRGs).?Keep your resume concise, updated, and on file.

22.?Mentors and sponsors are CRITICAL to success!?I cannot emphasize that point enough.?Most sponsors can be mentors but not all mentors can be sponsors given their level or influence in the organization.??Send regular emails to potential mentors and sponsors, or someone you know (but not very well), and check-in, as these weak ties can give access to social networks to which otherwise would not have access.?

Potential mentors don’t have to be related to your job or organization; instead, reach out to the people you admire that you could learn from. Have a mentor take you through a mock interview for a job you really want.

23.?Coaches get you moving, mentors make sure you are moving in the right direction, and sponsors (those at high levels in the organization) open doors and create opportunities for you.?Be willing to leap when that door opens, you NEVER have to feel you are 100% ready!?If a sponsor believes you are ready then you are, otherwise, they would not be investing in and sharing their power with you.

24.?On a piece of paper draw 4 quadrants and add to the 4 quadrants:?1) Potential Sponsors, 2) Mentors, 3) Strategic Allies (peers who back ideas/will give honest feedback/people you trust, and 4) Mentees/Protégés.?Keep these lists updated and continually work all four quadrants.?

25.?Look to see who has strategic power, and how that power is transferred.?Understand the rules of the game - often success is NOT simply hard work and luck - you must work on being noticed!?

Top performers are experts at building relationships and personal advocates to get others to see how they can grow their power by investing in you!

26.?Dress for the part/job you want to have someday.?Keep your work area shipshape, and don’t forget that many organizations follow the military model of cleanliness, hierarchy, timeliness, and orderliness.?Organize and organize some more and always appear to be on top of things.

27. Optimism is often required to thrive and get things done.?No one was ever inspired to go above and beyond by pessimism.?Optimism, according to Colin Powell is a “Force Multiplier.”

28.?Never miss an opportunity to recognize people and teams. Send a daily email or IM thanking someone for something they have done.?Move teams towards self-direction and/or Employee Engagement. Have regular staff meetings, if for nothing else than to get together, open up dialogue, and have some fun.?

29.?If you hold Scrum meetings/huddles, here are the three questions to be addressed:

a.??????What did you get completed yesterday? (CELEBRATE and add to ‘complete’ list)

b.?????What are you doing today?

c.??????What is standing in your way/blocking? The Scrum Master then takes blocking issues offline and works these after the standup meeting add to the ‘blocked’ list – and work offline.

30.?Take on personal mastery and continually learn. Become good at problem-solving, you will need it both for you and to lend support to your direct reports, co-workers, and management.?Remember that there are Subject Matter Experts available to help with issues as they occur.?

31.?The ability to have difficult conversations early is critical, to help individuals with performance issues see where there is a gap by asking them “Help me understand...how can we help you succeed here”

The three magic actions for any performance issue are: “help me understand” and “how can we help (you)” then help the EE having performance issues understand there is a gap between their performance and expected behaviors and/or their results. ?

There is a difference between a threat and a warning a threat is here is what is about to happen a warning explains the consequences.

Three reasons employees don’t work out:?

1)?????They don’t know what to do which is a training issue (assuming they have the necessary resources and time to do the job)

2)?????They know what to do and are not because they are the wrong person for that role

3)?????They just don’t care.?One can train, tolerate, or terminate in response to any undesirable employee behavior.

32.?Don’t forget the power of social networking for your company, which allows you to ask questions, find people and groups, and share information.?Learn how to search for things on the Internet, and how to leverage LinkedIn and the company Intranet.

To get things done network, network, and network some more?and keep track/contact with those you come into contact with.?These relationships are crucial for more complex problem-solving.?

Engage in as many teams as you can, and widely share credit.?Employ diverse multifunctional groups and individuals when problem-solving!

33.?Take advantage of any company-sponsored degree or learning programs and any other educational offering at work. Opportunities include Corporate Leadership Center courses, Business courses, and EMBAs.

34.?Don’t immediately try to solve world hunger, solve the small problems that crop up daily and be there to address both small and large issues for your team.?If specific direct reports give you too many problems to solve and they are not busy, then let them address a few they want to present to you and keep them busy.?

Volunteer for high-profile projects, especially if it doesn’t require solving world hunger.?If the project does require solving world hunger look for the low-hanging fruit and fix that first.?Be careful when owning BHAGs - Big Hairy Audacious Goals.?

35.?Don’t be afraid to ask for help as soon as you imagine you might need it. Ask for a Project Manager (PM) to support you with any complex project that comes your way.?Be wary of overly optimistic schedule baselines or cost estimates and do your own due diligence.

36.?Consider periodic use of consultants and Non-Advocate Reviews (NAR) and keep management apprised of when it is necessary to re-baseline a timeline or project.

37.?Often changing things at large organizations involves throwing things out there on a regular basis and waiting a few years for it to stick and/or get a champion.?If you want a specific outcome on a group project offer to lead and/or create the initial draft/straw horse, as this will often set the tone/direction of the discussion.?

38.?PowerPoint (for management presentations in general) should be no longer than 5-8 pages, with 5-8 bullets containing 5-8 words per bullet.?Don’t forget to add illustrations graphs and pictures?to keep the presentation interesting.?

39.?When giving executive presentations expect questions about metrics?(whether you show them or not).?Avoid whiz-bang PowerPoint tools (motions, sounds), keep it simple, and use the approved organizational template.?Present all graphs and charts in the standard corporate colors and avoid anything exotic.

40.?Most executives love metrics therefore learn to love data and present it often. Learn Excel, Dashboards, Charting, and Data Visualization and Data Analytics, or find someone who can do this for you when needed. What gets measured is what gets done. What gets measured is what gets managed. What gets measured and reported can change exponentially.

41.?Recommended format for Presenting an Executive Deep Dives:

a.??????Who is on the team,

b.?????Charter/scope

c.??????Current state

d.?????Opportunities

e.?????Risks (including risk cube)

f.???????Costs and timeline

g.??????Next steps

h.?????Any help needed/where you are stuck

42.?Implementing field tests or pilot projects can help get things off the ground that otherwise would be stuck.?The same works for finding internal funding for an initiative

43.?Maintain a list of deadlines and track them. Consider the use of Agile Lean or other tools such as a Day-Timer or Outlook to track projects.?Save and organize useful information you may need later as you may never find it again. Mind Mapping software and Knowledge Management tools such as OneNote are useful.?

Using a notebook with open squares for tasks then filling in the squares as tasks are completed can be a useful visual strategy for those still using paper “to do” lists and calendars.

44.?Be proactive and stay on top of issues or problems. Have a containment and corrective action plan ready or in place when presenting bad news, especially if you or your organization caused the problem.

45.?Remember that an issue or problem is usually not as bad as you initially think, and everything generally looks better the next day.?Never make other people look bad in public or throw others under the bus, however, it is often useful to anticipate others doing so.?When the going gets rough remain calm, organized, and in control.?

Thinking time is crucial, as is reexamining problems from different angles. Having the right answer is smart but having the right question is true genius – always be sure you are asking the right question!

46.?Remember to schedule lunches and personal time into your schedule.?Set aside time on your schedule weekly for Tier 2/Strategy/Important but not urgent tasks.?If you don’t then others will find plenty of opportunities to pack your schedule with meetings.?Take breaks and move around every 90 minutes, stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep, and put your cell phone ‘calls only’ so you don’t get distracted by emails every 5 seconds.?

47.?Before creating or publishing any rule, process, procedure, or website spend some time with it and intentionally try to break it. Engage others in the task of seeing how this won’t work or how it can break. Odds are if you don’t then someone else will.?There are specialists for everything at your fingertips. Continually check the small things and utilize experts.

48.?Pick up on the key elements in any job, which include Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Strategic Plan, Risks and Opportunities, and Leadership Principles.?Be able to discuss them?and show how they fit into your daily work and key projects.

49.?Employ Project Management best practices whenever possible.?PM best practices include:

1.?????Incorporating organization and BU strategy into business plans

2.?????Understanding project requirements (SOW and/or scope or charter)

3.?????Establishing cross-functional teams and organizations to deliver results

4.?????Have a baseline plan, schedule, and financial controls in place

5.?????Assign accountability

6.?????Implement periodic reviews around risk, issues, and opportunities

7.?????Implement program documentation control and communication

8.?????Establish an operating rhythm with the team and suppliers

9.?????Utilize help needed and independent (Non-Advocate or Consultant) reviews

10.?Integrate suppliers and share lean and service delivery best practices.

50.??The?Six-Part Process for Effective Delegation:

1) Be sure you understand the requirement

2) Be sure you understand all outcomes

3) Establish and communicate parameters around resources, timelines, and guardrails

4) Does the other person understand all of that - instead of asking the question “do you understand?”

Be sure to ask the person to repeat back it back to you to determine what they have heard around problems, resources, timelines, measures, and outcomes to see the extent of clarity.?If a particular task/outcome is urgent or critical let them know that so there is no chance of misunderstanding on actions taken.?If it absolutely has to be there and confirmed make sure they understand.

5) Set expectations and let them know when you will be checking in what problems, measures, timelines, resources, systems, red tape, and bureaucracy.

6) Have them report back as directed

In conclusion:

Please note a fair number of rules incorporate rules from Colin Powell’s?15?Rules?of?Leadership?(highly recommended reading), and information from Keith Cunningham’s books The Ultimate Blueprint and The Road Less Stupid, and from information and business principles contained in his Founder’s Council Business Board Group.?Keith’s courses, Business Boards and Councils, and books are all very highly recommended.

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Best Wishes for Your Continued Career Success!

Deborah R Smith MD MBA

Updated 3/2/2022Dr.