Old Lessons for Today's Challenges

Organizations of all types continue to seek progressive new approaches to gain a competitive advantage, and yet so many continue to struggle to find success. While I fully support innovation and creative approaches to business, I also hold firm that some old, proven keys still make a difference today. In fact, the five that I share below are so often neglected that they can also provide a competitive advantage in any segment or market today.

1. Narrow the focus - Too many metrics are a mess! With new positions being added, consultants providing more input, and the ability to measure so many things, we have blown up on metric monitoring. It's to the point now that managers and supervisors today can spend the majority of their time chasing the "metric of the day" mentality. With so much emphasis on so many different metrics, there are no clear priorities. Generally, there are a couple of key metrics that drive success in any business or within any organization. Other things are complimentary and supportive to driving success, but they should not be the primary focus. When we "chase the metric of the day", we will make poor decisions and circumvent a consistent approach to leading our business. Principle: Identify the keys to success (2-3 items) and relentlessly pursue being great - every decision filters through the impact to those keys.
2. Develop your people! Regardless of organization or segment, everyone wishes their front-line supervisors were stronger and their managers were better equipped in key areas. We make those comments, but we do very little to address those shortcomings. We don't have effective development plans, we don't invest in development, we don't provide consistent feedback (one to one's are consistently cancelled or delayed), nor do we give the attention to this aspect of our business as we do to other aspects. We just complain when turnover is high, decisions are not consistent with strategy, and overall leadership is not driving results. Developing leaders is clearly an opportunity for a competitive advantage today because very few are doing it! Principle: Your people can not become what they have not seen. You have to show them!
3. Strategy and Execution must work together! Very few organizations understand that business strategy and execution must be developed in light of one another. A great strategy that can not be executed is just a dream. Working really hard on executing all the wrong things is a nightmare! Organizations need to get the right people together to have open discussions on identifying the right things to do (strategy) and doing things right (execution). Those organizations that can make the complex simple stand a much better chance of obtaining success through consistent execution of key strategic initiatives. Principle: The more you understand your market, your capabilities, and your identity, the better equipped you will be to lead a successful business.
4. Today matters - but someone needs to think about tomorrow! How many of us have found ourselves just getting through each day? We just go to work and battle through the day's challenges to go back the next day and do the same thing. There is little to no time devoted to improvement, innovation, or collaboration. Consider the 80/20 concept. Front-line supervisors spend 80% of their time (maybe 90%) just attacking the day. The general manager would be just the opposite by spending 80%-90% of their time attacking the future. Mid-level leaders would fall somewhere in between. Today does matter, but someone needs to focus on getting better, or we will just keep fighting the same old battles. Principle: The best leaders have some focused on winning today's battles while others are focused on winning the war!
5. Chase your purpose and potential - not someone else! We hear the mantra beat the competition all the time. What does that even mean? Are we really pursuing the same things with the same priority? Why not chase our own potential as we pursue our purpose? Too many organizations don't even know why they do what they do. They can tell you what they do and what they are expected to achieve, but they have no idea why. Purpose matters. Purpose is something that unites people, attracts people, retains people, and engages people to deliver sustainable results. Worthy rivals make us better, but they are not our destination. Principle: Identify purpose (why) and pursue reaching your potential in light of that purpose. Reaching ones potential is any leader's highest calling!

Just five old, proven keys to success that will always be relevant regardless of how the times change or how much technology advances our approach to work. Consider if any of these five would help your organization. Just like a briefcase, they may not be the most popular item to embrace, but they may be just what you need....still effective today!