The dedicated, consistent, tenacious pursuit of winning through people and culture.
The changes you are making today to your workforce need to be strategic, not reactionary, with an eye to the future. Times are tough, but there are opportunities to reevaluate your organizational structure, make changes that align to both your short- and long-term goals, and position for the recovery that is on its way. For the next two weeks, I am offering a blog series based on 25 years of extensive HR, talent management and staffing experience all grounded in the foundation as an ex-athlete to give you a roadmap to position you to win.
DEFEAT THE DOWNTURN AND WIN THE RECOVERY
- Part 4: Defining Success Right Now
Think back to six months ago. How would you have defined and measured success? If you used those same measurements today, are you failing? Is everyone around you failing too?
Success is a funny word in the realities of today. It is difficult to think of your company as succeeding when standard measurements and long-established goals are not being met. But because the length and depth of this economic shutdown is unknown, it is a mistake to simply put your goals on hold. Or worse, to let everyone continue in a state of constant failure.
Instead, use this period of time as an opportunity to test the foundation of the organization and determine what independent actions set up success for the future. You may not be able to be profitable at this moment, but you may be able to make up that loss by doing some things exceptionally well right now that enable you to outperform your competition when the recovery begins.
- Redefine success for the near term. Put it into goals and numbers that can be measured immediately. Communicate those new measurements to reassure your beleaguered and frustrated employees that they are doing the right things right now and are positioning themselves for good results to come.
- Define each job component. For each role within your team, peel back the onion and break the job into pieces that are definable. Where sales are unattainable, move away from revenue-based activity to value-based activity. Finding ways for your customers to see you as valuable will pay out dividends in the future. For each component, set goals that are realistic and measurable. Help your employees connect the dots to the long-term success goals.
- Focus on growth and effort. Use new standards of measurements in slow times verses booming times. Make success based on growth and effort. You can’t make it about the scoreboard, it’s about getting better and stronger.
- Build the foundation. Do things the right way. During busy times, we often become driven by simply getting the job done. Now, because we are forced to slow down, you can dive into the process and examine how to do things exceptionally well. It’s also an amazing time to establish deep relationships across a varied list of companies. People aren’t as busy – get on the phone and have a discussion with your customers, vendors, employees. Don’t ask them for anything, simply check in and develop that connection further. Ask questions that may give you an opportunity to provide value and be a resource for the future. The age of the relationship is right now!
- Reward success. As a business, most likely cash is tight. And while you have redefined success for the current times, it won’t translate into commissions for your employees because those are tied to sales that may not exist. But you must recognize and reward accomplishments through communication, access to higher level executives and acknowledgement of each individual’s progress. Don’t underestimate the value of a phone call from a boss to recognize an employee’s growth and effort.
If you do things correctly, you will almost instantly increase morale. But from a long-term standpoint, you will have established a foundation that will convert to revenue as soon as it is available.
The Xtra Point*
"The current situation feels like the off-season to me. It’s about preparing and developing, practicing drills and installing plays. It’s running the extra routes and putting in time in the weight room. Success is measured in different ways. Are you getting stronger? Are you more in sync with your teammates? Have you learned the playbook? That grueling, dedicated off-season work is what makes a team able to win when the real games begin."