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Tag: focus

A pair of glasses being held up in front of an eye chart, and the part of the chart seen through the lens of the glasses is in perfect focus.

Create Clarity

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Performance, Vision. No Comments on Create Clarity

High Performance Organizations do things lesser performing organizations don’t – they create clarity on what’s important throughout the enterprise. The fact that clarity is so elusive in many organizations is a mystery unto itself. Organizations lack clarity not for it’s inherent difficulty, but rather for the diligence required from leadership. A lack of clarity is a lack of leadership.

To create clarity is essential if an organization hopes to Act as One. The following is how Randy Gravitt and I introduced this best practice in the Chess Not Checkers Field Guide.

For those who wear corrective lenses, there isn’t much better than receiving your first pair of glasses or contacts. Objects become clear and the quality of life improves when an optometrist helps a patient dial in their vision.

In the same way, when a leader creates clarity in an organization, team members are excited once they recognize how they can contribute to success. On the flip side, a lack of clarity can keep a team mired in endless mediocrity.

When people come together around a shared mission,
they gain a huge competitive advantage.

However, being unified around the wrong ideology will do nothing more than lead you together down the wrong road. The teams that make a difference and create lasting impact are more than cohesive. They also possess clarity around the right ideas. They galvanize around a compelling vision and mission and have a core set of beliefs that keep them on the right path.

As a leader, your job is to make sure everyone is on the same page and headed in the same direction. The longer you stay on the wrong road, the further you get from your intended destination.

Clarity takes time and intentional focus. When you are able to cut through the fog and Create Clarity, confusion is minimized and an advantage is gained that propels the team to the next level. By crafting a compelling vision, establishing shared goals, and creating and implementing a plan to communicate them, you position your team to work together in powerful ways.

Clarity is available to any organization, including yours. However, your leadership team will be required to make the commitment to Create Clarity. Are you ready to make that decision?

 

A group of young coworkers sitting around a laptop computer on a table, laughing with each other.

Harness The Power of a Start-up… Even if You Aren’t in Start-up Mode

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Creative Thinking, Culture, Development. No Comments on Harness The Power of a Start-up… Even if You Aren’t in Start-up Mode

Have you ever been part of a start-up? Do you know people who have? What can we learn from the pioneers who are willing to start something new? Here are a few observations I believe are transferable – even if you are not in start-up mode.

  1. The vision is white-hot. In the early phases of a company, the founder or senior leader has already seen the preferred future he or she is trying to create. It seems as though they invest disproportionate time and energy helping others see it, too. These leaders know vision leaks and they constantly replenish it in word and deed.
  2. Collaboration is not a slogan. When the work really matters, and survival is not guaranteed, people WANT to work together.
  3. Buzz is contagious. Where’s the buzz? Is there any excitement in your work environment? Can outsiders feel it? If you don’t understand the question, you are not experiencing it. The good news: You can create it. When you do, it will stimulate more energy and excitement. Start-ups shouldn’t be the only ones who enjoy this benefit.
  4. “New” brings energy. I’m convinced part of the energy, excitement, passion, and engagement of a start-up comes from doing something new. Even better if it is something no one has ever done before. How does this apply to you and your team? Why not challenge your team to do something new and different? What new strategy or tactic have you always wanted to try? Do it!
  5. Leadership is hands-on. There may be successful start-ups in which senior leadership is disengaged, but I doubt it. In my limited experience, the leaders in these organizations are involved on a daily basis. They don’t get their data from a spreadsheet; they get it from talking to customers and working with the teams closet to the work. Start-up or not, I want to be an engaged leader.
  6. The work ethic is palpable. Now, I want work-life balance as much as the next guy; but I also want a team so sold on the work, they are willing to do what it takes to get the job done. If you find yourself needing an all-nighter every week, you’re not doing it right. If your people aren’t willing to pull one from time to time, you’re not doing it right either.
  7. There is focus. One of the big issues many teams and organizations suffer from is scope creep, or product line creep, or service offerings creep. Start-ups are not immune, but the best ones fight it – and win. Focus may be the defining characteristic of successful organizations, young and old. Yes, there are always outliers who can do many things well. However, my money is on focused teams and organizations.

I can learn a lot from those who are leading successful start-ups. How about you?

What can you do to breathe some of the energy of a start-up into your team/organization?

 

looking up at a red clock hanging on the right side of a wall with a white ceiling in the background looking up at a red clock hanging on the right side of a wall with a white ceiling in the background

Six Strategies for Impossible Deadlines

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Execution, Personal Effectiveness. No Comments on Six Strategies for Impossible Deadlines

When is the last time you faced an “impossible” deadline? For me, it seems like I’ve had several in recent years. I’ve been thinking about this so much, I decided to share my thought process and the strategies I’ve used to maintain focus and keep moving.

  • Reframe the problem. How many truly impossible deadlines have you ever faced? For me, I’ve had some sizable deadlines, but the truth is that few were impossible. Assuming the mindset, “This is impossible,” doesn’t help. It hurts. Rather, reframe the situation more accurately by saying, “This is extremely challenging.”
  • Rethink your approach. Based on the challenge you face, you may not be able to apply your traditional work methods. For decades, it was my practice to not work on Sunday; nor did I typically ask my staff to do so. However, I have faced challenges in the past when we did have to work on Sunday. Drastic situations often require non-traditional solutions.
  • Rely on others to help. Getting others involved is one of the primary strategies I use when things get crazy. Sometimes you can seek help from other members of your team, sometimes you can find others in your organization who will be willing to help, and you can almost always find vendors and contractors who can add needed manpower to meet challenging deadlines.
  • Re-prioritize your work. Everything can’t be urgent. If it is, you need to consider a different line of work. When big deadlines are on the horizon, some work will probably need to be pushed to make space for the most pressing work.
  • Renegotiate the deliverable. If you do all you can and still find yourself unable to deliver what is expected when it is due, you can strike a deal. Sometimes, people ask for more than they really need. A simple conversation can sometimes simplify or reduce what is needed. Finally, you can sometimes negotiate stages or phases for a deadline to be met.
  • Root out the real issue. If you consistently have what you perceive to be “impossible” deadlines, ask yourself: Why? Is the problem a cultural flaw in your organization? Is the issue your own planning? Are you struggling with self-leadership issues? Are you understaffed? Are you overly ambitious? Challenging deadlines are not the end of the world; we all encounter them. But to constantly be faced with these situations is not healthy for an individual or a culture. If you find yourself in this situation, you may be facing a leadership opportunity to solve a bigger problem than the deadline you are chasing.

Here’s my final thought: Don’t become discouraged. You know, the work we do as leaders is often hard – sometimes really hard! Help your team manage challenging and “impossible” deadlines – just don’t ever let them stop doing challenging work. What you do matters!

 

A man sitting at his work desk in front of his computer, hands raised in the air in triumph A man sitting at his work desk in front of his computer, hands raised in the air in triumph

How Great Do You Want to Be?

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Development, Organization, Vision. No Comments on How Great Do You Want to Be?

Momentary greatness is common – sustained greatness is rare. You may have experienced it yourself. I have. I can hit an amazing golf shot or make a 25 foot putt and then, reality sets in. My next drive goes 30 feet rather than 300 yards and I can easily miss a 2 foot putt! The same challenge exists in organizations. The great ones are able to consistently Excel at Execution… how?

Why are some organizations able to achieve AND sustain greatness? The quick answer is they are never satisfied. Regardless of the level of excellence they achieve, they always Raise the Bar. The leaders in these High Performance Organizations understand, it is better to raise the bar yourself vs. waiting on your competition to do it for you.

The following is an excerpt from the Chess Not Checkers Field Guide. Randy Gravitt and I wrote it as a blueprint for creating your own High Performance Organization.

Do you know what you would find if you visited your chief competitor? There would be a group of people huddled in a room, focused on one thing … how to eat your lunch! One of the best practices of High Performance Organizations is they are constantly attempting to Raise the Bar and distance themselves from the competition.

May I remind you, “Records are made to be broken.” Those six words have pushed individuals, teams, and yes, even organizations to the rare air of record performance. Occasionally, we see a glimpse of a group who can sustain such excellence over long periods of time, and we label them as a “dynasty.” Do you have dynasty potential? I’m guessing you do.

As you assess your organization, do your current results lean toward ordinary or extraordinary? Would your competition describe you as average or awesome? When is the last time your people set their sights on something great and pursued it together? Not just your leaders but everyone in the organization. Amazing things can be accomplished when leaders Raise the Bar and call out the best in the people around them.

High Performance Organizations refuse to settle for good. Instead, they lock in on being great and maintain focus. No team drifts to greatness, and yours is no exception. You will never hope your way into high performance. Hope is not a strategy.

If today finds you at a place where your business is merely blending in with the competition, it is time to Raise the Bar.

There’s an old Latin word that is a great reminder to leaders. Quantuvis means “as great as you choose.” The reality is, your organization can be as great as you choose it to be. Make the decision to Raise the Bar, and you’ll be amazed. And you might even give your competition a reason to worry. The rare air of high performance is waiting on you!

 

A woman stands in front of a group of coworkers seated around a table, making a presentation with a chart of the wall beside her. A woman stands in front of a group of coworkers seated around a table, making a presentation with a chart of the wall beside her.

One Tool Every Leader Needs

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Engagement, Execution, Performance. No Comments on One Tool Every Leader Needs

How do you keep score as a leader? What key metrics ultimately determine whether you are winning or not? Several years ago, my coach asked me questions like these and others. I had to confess, I wasn’t sure I had good answers for him. His conclusion was: What key numbers does your leader hold you accountable to achieve?

I believe every leader needs a scorecard. I would take that a step further and say every team and every organization needs one, too. A scorecard is a wonderful, multi-faceted tool. Think of it as a Swiss Army Knife for a leader. With a well-conceived scorecard, a leader can do the following:

  • Create focus – The world most of us find ourselves leading in is growing in complexity. This trend is not likely to subside. We are bombarded by facts, figures, data, analysis, and opinion. When you, as a leader, establish a scorecard, you are not discounting other metrics. Rather, you are establishing priority. You are declaring what a win looks like. You are telling everyone what is most important.
  • Monitor progress – A scorecard is like a dashboard on a car. You have critical gauges constantly being monitored. You can watch your fuel level, your oil pressure, your speed, and your mileage. You can even chart your course using a GPS. A scorecard should include critical metrics to allow you to know how you are progressing on your journey.
  • Foster accountability – In most organizations, people are assigned accountability for specific goals and the metrics that inform them. In some cases, an entire organization can be accountable for a set of metrics.
  • Evaluate effectiveness – Is your work making a difference? Is the plan you devised to improve your performance actually working? How will you know if you don’t measure outcomes? A scorecard is a great tool to determine if you need to make adjustments to the play you called. Imagine a football team whose scorecard (scoreboard) indicates they are behind at halftime. This information informs the game plan for the second half. If they are winning by 3 touchdowns, they will likely stay the course!
  • Celebrate progress – Here’s the blinding flash of the obvious for today: Work is hard. That’s just one reason leaders look for legitimate reasons to celebrate. An uptick on key metrics is a wonderful opportunity to stop and say, “Thanks for your extra efforts! Look, what we are doing is working – keep it up.” Without data, without an agreed upon set of metrics, you miss a golden opportunity to acknowledge the people who make it all possible.
  • Declare victory – I love goals, big and small alike. Goals bring out the best in most people. If the goals are relevant, known, pursued with purpose, and meaningful, people will go to great lengths to accomplish them. There is something innately powerful about striving and achieving. Include goals on your scorecard and watch people move towards them. Including goals on your scorecard allows you to declare victory when you cross the finish line–another reason to celebrate.