Success is Cyclical

Does that mean Success comes in cycles or as I believe, it comes in circles? All the great Football Teams from Liverpool, Manchester United to Manchester City had their periods of dominance over the English game. They then faded and someone else rose to prominence. It has always been thus and will be again. I cling to this belief every time I watch United. Only Football Success comes in cycles.

I said I would leave the Politics out of the Newsletter but please can someone politely point out to the United hierarchy that a new Stadium takes years and is no substitute for a functioning defensive Central Midfielder in the Roy Keane mould. Maybe buy of those first, just a thought. You can then have my vote.

Its been a great week of football in England, Europe and almost at the Aviva, but the Irish women's team will come back from that. England will not be dominant forever, those things go in cycles. City are in the last throes of the Roman Empire, I cling to that one also.

By way of update, we are up to 1,310 Subscribers and growth continues apace. A few people still need to read Article 1 for the Rules of the Game. This is a 1st Degree Connection Newsletter and so don't be going all Bruno Fernandes on me when I tell you the renewal price.

We still have a great list of top class Finance Leaders (92%) and recently joined by some Social Media superstars. You are more than welcome folks, I am sure you have plenty to teach me.

Now back to the serious business of the week, Control Loops. I am great believer in the Peter Drucker Maxim 'If you can't measure it you can't improve it.' This applies on the running track, the pitch, factory floor and the Boardroom with total equality.

Do you think Usain Bolt won everything with a Coach with no watch? I think not. Measurement is 'life's great leveller' and you can quote me, its a good line. If I hear it elsewhere on the Overlap or Off the Ball I want a hat tip.

You seriously think you can Transform Finance without measuring your starting point? Really? How will you know if you succeeded or is it ahem...just enough to take part? Oh I get it, you think Finance Transformation is now a mass participation sport? We may as well all give it a go, just like the Marathon?

This I should point is an Elite sport, remember less than 3% of major change programs are delivered on time and to budget. Feels great doesn't it? What do you do? I Transform Finance, its an Elite Sport. Now I can just hear the 4 Olympic Medallist's in the Subscriber list going you ain't seen nothing yet kid! Elite Sport is where you win the real Medals!!!

True enough but when's the last time you persuaded a couple of hundred strangers to do something they didn't want to do? Possibly might just be worth a Medal...even at the Europeans...?

But we digress. If you intend to manage Change to yourself, your team, your Business or the Utd Back 4 (Good luck with that) you must measure your starting point and have a Control Loop to update you on performance and take the necessary corrective action. It is really easy but so many people just won't do it.

I don't want to weigh myself on a Monday, I had 5 Guinness and a kebab, I'll do it Wednesday, you get the picture. Program Management is a tough station but it 'enforces' the stuff you just don't want to do. Hold on just a second, stall the ball, you were trying to Transform Finance without a Program Manager???

You were just doing it on a whim, a trailing wind or a Prayer? Do we have to go back to basics? Do I need to hire Boris?

Every change needs a Leader, an Enforcer, a Motivator, get one and stop making excuses for why you don't measure performance. As for those poor misguided half hearted Change managers who are happy with monthly KPI's do you really think that's sufficient response time?

Does Jurgen Klopp wait until Month End to tell Salah he should have scored the winner at Old Trafford? No, he just took him off.

Control loops put one in place or please don't darken this Newsletter again. Oh by the way, I haven't forgotten what I said I would talk about today, I just changed my mind or did I do it just to see whose paying attention.

Cheers,

Michael.