Your People and Their Purpose

Listening to a recent radio interview with a senior point guard before a college basketball game, I knew that the player was wise beyond his years.

A good point guard, he said, may average 30 points per game, or only 3. The mark of a good point guard, to him, was whether or not he was creating scoring opportunities for his team.

This is a well coached player who has a true understanding of the value that he brings to the table. Can you say the same about your employees?

Well coached employees do not just have a good understanding of the tasks that have been assigned to them. They also have a solid understanding of how what they do allows the company to be what it wants to be.

When a company develops a brand vision for itself, it is describing the ultimate customer service experience for which it wants to be known.

Such a vision is meaningless, however, without everyone knowing how they help bring this vision to life.

For example, if your widget company wants to be known as the company that makes the highest quality widgets, it isn't enough for your IT guy to believe that his job is to simply keep the computers and servers working properly while the development of the brand experience is left to sales or product engineers. Your IT guy should have clarity on how the maintenance and development of IT systems helps the company be known for what it wants to be known for, and he should be evaluated on whether or not he is helping the company achieve this vision.

Having all of your employees know their true role in your company is vital to your company becoming what it has always wanted to be.

Starbucks, Guns and the Politics of Being Non-Political

Starbucks has made news recently for its decision to allow gun owners to bear arms in its stores where it is legal to do so.

Gun-control advocates have complained to Starbucks and asked the company to put in place a policy that prohibits customers from carrying weapons in its stores (which would be its right if it chose to do so). Pro-gun groups are cheering Starbucks for continuing to allow the practice.

Groups on both sides of the issue would be wise to realize that Starbucks is neither taking a position in favor of, or opposed to, the right to bear arms. What Starbucks is doing is engaging in the smart business practice of staying politically neutral.

In a recent statement on open carry gun laws, it is clear that Starbucks wants nothing to do with the heated gun-control debate.

"Advocacy groups from both sides of this issue have chosen to use Starbucks as a way to draw attention to their positions," the statement says. "While we deeply respect the views of all our customers, Starbucks long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged. We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve."

While staying politically neutral does nothing to ignite passion, it keeps you from alienating customers. America is very much a centrist nation, and veering too far to the left or the right does nothing more for many businesses than offending half of their customers.

That isn't to say that jumping into the political fray is an inadvisable strategy for everyone. Businesses looking to stand out in a crowded and competitive product category can make a strong appeal to certain target group by aligning themselves with that group's values.

Starbucks isn't one of those companies, however. It is the big name in the marketplace, with customers in liberal San Francisco and in the conservative small-town Midwest. It has nothing to gain from taking a side.

The public relations strategy that Starbucks chose was the one that was ultimately in the best interest of the company, and it executed it very well: it took no action and then explained exactly why it didn't.

Passion Drives Success

Listening in on a recent panel discussion at Yale University (thanks to podcasts, I didn't even have to leave my home, let alone travel to Connecticut), three successful entrepreneurs all shared one key insight into how they made their idea work: that a B- strategy with A+ execution beats an A+ strategy with B- execution every time.

So what does it take to develop A+ execution skills? Quite simply, it's passion.

Many people fall into the trap of believing that there are two types of people in life: those who plan and those who execute.

The truth is that everyone can be top level executor if they have a true passion for what they are doing and what they are trying to achieve.

How can you tell if you have the passion it will take to truly make your idea a success? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does this idea keep me up at night thinking of ways to make it work?
• Am I excited about waking up early so that I can pursue my idea?
• When I am describing my idea to others, am I going beyond dollars and cents and talking about my dream?

A solid strategy is important, but it will be your passion for your idea that ultimately has the biggest impact on your success of failure.

The Freelance and Work From Home Economy

Make no mistake about it: years from now we will look back and see where the years from 2008 to 2010 fundamentally changed how the world does business.

There is little debate anymore about how much consumers have changed in just a short time. The Great Recession has left them skeptical, and thus more informed in their decisions. They are connected everywhere through social media. The advance of the Internet means they are shopping businesses 24/7.

But it isn't just the consumer that will be different tomorrow; so too will be the workforce.

Freelancers and home offices will be commonplace, not just due to changing technology, but also a changing economy.

It is true that online project management applications and web conferencing software make communicating with remote employees easier than ever, and the technology with only keep improving. It is the changing economy, however, that will be the driving force that leads to more individuals freelancing and working from home.

Despite the fact that many individuals have wanted to pursue freelancing opportunities, businesses have traditionally been reluctant to rely on these professionals in a meaningful way.

What businesses are finding, however, is that business models and technology are changing so fast that they are finding the need for professionals that are specialists in certain areas, and needed for only short amounts of time. It is freelancers, and not high-priced specialty firms, that are best suited to fit this need.

While this prospect can be unsettling for many, for those who have always wanted a freelance career, the prospects are exciting. Knowing your specialty, the problem it solves for businesses, and having a strong personal brand will be the key to your success.

Confronting Changing Business Climates

In order for businesses to continue to be successful, they have to be willing to change. What worked yesterday doesn't necessarily work today. Consumer needs and wants are constantly changing, and businesses must constantly evaluate their strategies and adjust them when necessary.

This is often easier said than done for the simple reason that all too often, businesses are unwilling to confront difficult truths about what isn't working. (You can actually see this in action by reading a recent article about Burger King where the reporter gives updated facts about how Burger King's once reliable customers now buy fast food differently, then read quotes from BK executives as they completely pretend it isn't happening).

No ethical business executive wants to ignore unflattering data, yet it is still done quite often due to too much personal investment to the old strategy. They have devoted much time and passion to something that used to work, and often cling to false hope that if they just wait out whatever condition has changed, things will go back to normal.

Objectivity is often made more difficult when what changed consumer desires isn't the fault of the business. It is one thing to confront change when you know you put out a lousy product and that you need to improve it. It is more difficult when you didn't do anything wrong per se, but things have somehow become different. Newspapers aren't declining because they were putting out low quality stories; they are declining because the advance of the Internet has changed how people access news and how much they expect to pay for it.

So how does one make sure that they are looking at data objectively and are not through rose-colored glasses. You need to ask yourself some tough questions when evaluating your strategy:

1) If I was just starting this business today, would I be doing it this way?
2) If another business was paying me for objective advice on this strategy, would I recommend it?
3) If I owned the company (or, if you are an owner, if I was responsible for someone else's money) would I okay this?
4) Do I have an emotional investment to the old strategy that I am not being honest with myself about?

Being objective is tough; that's why many businesses hire outside consultants (like me) to evaluate their strategies. Regardless of whether your strategy evaluation is done with outside help or internally, confronting change head-on with one hundred percent honesty is essential to staying viable in the future.