The trough of disillusionment

I’m working on a project right now.  It’s a very big long project.  Maybe 350 pages.

I broke inertia and got started and then got some momentum.  I’m an experienced writer and project manager, and I know what is coming.  So I have a sense of urgency to keep it moving before I get to the trough of disillusionment.

It comes even to the best of us.  In our business, our quest, our project…we lose our mojo and it feels like a slog.  Play it.  Break your routine.  Schedule time to mix with others who will take an interest and support you.

Keep a scoreboard on your progress.  Set mini-goals.  Do what you must to keep your emotional and mental energy for the work.  See it through.  

In the Baja 1000, once I know the finish line is closer, I get a second wind. 

Stay with it.  Everyday – forward. 

Don’t quit.

When it becomes impossible for your company

If you, the leader, doesn’t want to do more or better, it’s not possible for your company to do it.

The company will never outgrow its leadership.

Right?….

How do we win?

Each employee in each department should know – How do we win?

What do we measure that we want to get better?  What is the target?  How do we know how we are doing?

Can all your people answer that?

Harmony, Respect, Love and Teamwork.

If there is harmony, respect, and teamwork inside your organization, your team can handle anything.

Ok, I am simplifying a bit as is done to make a point.  You need Marketing and Innovation and Leadership.

But the point remains.  There have been many companies where they had Marketing and Innovation and Leadership but the team didn’t work well together, there was fighting and disloyalty and it was a sh*t show.

Work on getting people to know and understand each others talents, ideas and lives. 

Remove internal friction and release the brakes.

Happy New Year! Zoom out!

This time of year it’s a good idea to take stock in what happened.  Here are some questions to ask –

What did you/we want to accomplish at the beginning of 2019?  (Did you write it down?  Because that would be great to look at right now.)

How old are you?

What did you accomplish this year?

What did you fail to accomplish that you wish you had?

Were your plans realistic?  Did you change them based on new information?

What is your why?  Are you being true to your real self?

Where do you want to be in 5 years?  Ten years?

What do you want to accomplish this year?

Will you write it down and look at it every day so you’ll take action each day? (bathroom mirror perhaps?)

Is the fuse lit?

Small crises have a way of turning into bigger ones if they are not handled well.

As a leader, we need to look for small problems that can turn into big ones.  

Like some of our drivers going too fast in our trucks while not wearing seatbelts and the trucks are overweight.  Or a few salespeople being casual about missing appointments.  Or someone being sloppy about quality or safety and nobody is saying much so it’s rubbing off on others. 

One day a culminating event happens and it’s a catastrophe.  

Don’t neglect your duties with problems that are small and you’re less likely to deal with big ones.

Someone upset?

If someone on your team/in your organization is upset, get in there and find out why.

Handle it.  Upset employees hurt productivity, morale, culture, delivered quality and just make it less pleasant to come to work.

So pull them aside and talk to them.  Fix it if you can, come to an understanding, or in some cases, release perpetually unhappy people. 

Handle it; don’t ignore it.

Results are the name of the game

You can do a great presentation but not sell the prospect, audience or team member.

When Cicero spoke they said “What a great presentation”.

But when Demosthenes spoke, they said: “Let us march!”

How persuasive are you?

A Cascade of Crises

If you don’t handle the problem upfront, it turns into more problems or a much bigger problem.

Get in front of the dominos. 

Handle the problem squarely – today.

Punishment doesn't make people better

You can’t punish people into being better.  It doesn’t work in the prison system and it doesn’t work at your company either.

If you want them to get better you have to give them encouragement, believe in them, respect them, and teach them.  

Carrot, not stick.