At Mass this morning, we heard about the need for people to "see the signs" in their lives and the importance of cementing one's beliefs, especially as times grow increasingly trying. The thoughts sat with me for a bit, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized how appropriate those thoughts are today as we face unprecedented financial and political uncertainty. The current market condition we face is filled with uncertainty and the fear of the unknown.

I believe that one of the many roles of leaders is to create compelling clarity, especially when it comes to The Vision for the company. A good leader will cut through the verbiage and business-speak, and create a clear, uncluttered message, one that the team can use as their foundation, their reference point, their starting point on the journey. A lack of clarity can be devastating to “Facing Forward” approach with your team. Your team wants to own The Vision and The Plan but, without clarity, they will hold back in attacking with passion. No one wants to walk off into unchartered territory without a clear idea of where they're going and what they believe in. Let your clear, compelling Vision be the map for your team.

If we are use The Vision as a clear and uncluttered map for our journey, the need for us all to continue to "see the signs" as we journey is very relevant today; these signs are the guideposts in our journey. This economy and political dysfunction has caused many to only see the “stop” sign. I hear people blame business for not reinvesting in their companies or not hiring more people. They are just trying to read the signs of this market and see what is in the future.

By removing the blinders and honestly allowing yourself to read current market conditions or assess potentially time-sensitive social or political situations that may (or may not) affect your business, you're actively cheering your team on. You're showing them that you're invested in this journey. You're leading.

Now more than ever, it is time for us leaders to create compelling clarity for our teams. These are the good old days! This is the new economy! This is the level of political and financial leadership that we can expect going forward. We have to decide to be the sign of hope and growth in the future.

Be that sign.

MY DEAR FRIEND AND MENTOR, CAVAS GOBHAI, RECENTLY DISCUSSED AN APPROACH TO PLANNING THAT I BELIEVE HAS A LOT OF POWER AND APPLIES TO MUCH MORE THAN JUST BUILDING A PLAN.  HE CALLED HIS APPROACH “FACING FORWARD.”

 

MANY OF US WERE TRAINED AND DEVELOPED WITH THE WORLD WAR II PROCESS OF MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES.  COMMAND AND CONTROL, PREDICTABLE, LIMITED OPTIONS/COMPETITION, US DOMINANCE,  LOYAL WORKFORCE AND CUSTOMERS! IT HAS SERVED US WELL IN THE PAST, BUT THE NEW APPROACH SUGGESTS THAT, IN BUILDING THE FUTURE, YOU MUST FACE FORWARD.   THE CONCEPT IS DECEIVINGLY SIMPLE.  NO MATTER HOW YOU HAVE GOTTEN TO THIS PLACE WITH YOUR BUSINESS OR YOUR LIFE, ALL THAT MATTERS IS WHAT COMES NEXT.  DIGGING UP PAST MISTAKES AND WEAKNESSES, HOPING THAT “THE GOOD OLD DAYS” WILL JUST MIRACULOUSLY COME BACK,  OR HOPING THAT WHAT WORKED OR DIDN’T WORK ARE ALL IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ALL ADD UP TO A LOT OF WASTED ENERGY.  WHAT YOUR TEAM IS LOOKING FOR IS CLARITY- YOUR SIMPLE IDEA OF WHAT IS IN THE FUTURE.

A GOOD EXAMPLE OF FACING FORWARD IS HOW WE PERFORM AN HONEST “S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS.” (S.W.O.T stand for “STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES & THREATS.) WITH A FACING FORWARD APPROACH WE WILL CHANGE A “S.W.O.T.” TO “KEEPS & CHANGES.”  THE KEY TO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD IS TO FOCUS ON THE “KEEPS” AND AMPLIFY THOSE ATTRIBUTES OF THE ORGANIZATION.  MOST WILL BE ANXIOUS TO GET TO THE WEAKNESSES/”CHANGES”  OF THE TEAM, BUT AS A LEADER YOU WILL BUILD ON THE KEEPS TO GET TO 2012 TACTICS THAT WILL LEAD YOU AND TEAM ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF  HOW TO GROW THE BUSINESS.  THIS WILL BE A CHALLENGE FOR MANY OF US BABY BOOMERS WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND DEVELOPED TO IDENTIFY OUR WEAKNESSES AND ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO THE BUSINESS.

THIS CAN APPLY TO ALL PARTS OF OUR LIVES. WHETHER AS A PARENT, SON/DAUGHTER, COACH, CHURCH MEMBER, CHOIR LEADER OR FRENCH HORN PLAYER, EACH OF US HAS TO LOOK AT THE FUTURE FROM THIS MOMENT ON; WE WILL DETERMINE WHAT WILL WORK GOING FORWARD VS. WHAT HAS WORKED IN THE PAST.  EASY TO SAY, TOUGH TO DO, BUT WITH DISCIPLINE AND PRACTICE, YOU CAN (AND MUST!) CHANGE HOW YOU LEAD.
 
HERE’S TO A ROCK STAR 2012! THOUGH 2012 MAY STILL BE FILLED WITH FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY, I’M CERTAIN THAT IT CAN BE A BREAK OUT YEAR FOR YOU!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Mr. Dunn,

I've recently been asked by my bosses about my interest in positions in our company outside of the US. The positions would all be promotions, and I'd love to live abroad, but I'm not sure about my long-term commitment to this particular company. What are your thoughts about taking an international position and then, once abroad, looking for another job?

Livin’ strong,
Miles Scurme

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Miles-

Great to hear from you again, and I’m glad to see you’ve landed in a good spot after graduation!

Those are two big questions about your future with your existing company.

I’ll take the easy one first: should you consider relocating to an international segment of your company?

YES! At this point of your career and your personal life, gaining experience internationally is a must.  Much has been written about how the market place is now global, and understanding the culture and customers of different countries is essential to the future leaders. Usually, the time spent in an international assignment is between three and five years. The experience you will gain from this assignment will make you a much more valuable asset for this company or wherever you land next.  You will probably be asked to stay on (if you are getting the results the company needs), and my guess is that you will do great! Your value and pay grade will increase as much (or more!) than if you continue your career stateside, I believe. You must take advantage of living abroad and, when you do, really immerse yourself into the culture and learn the language and history of wherever you land. 

The second point is a tougher question. You have only been at your company for a couple years, and you have done quite well.  This type of move will involve a level of trust for the leadership of the company and their commitment to your career path.  If you feel there are some core problems with this fit (i.e. values, development, growth potential, etc.), then I think you may need to address this first.  Moving across the pond for three years may not solve serious issues you may have. If your concerns are just a poor boss or his/her lack of leadership, well, welcome to the real world, my friend. I would argue that you should never leave a company because of a bad boss.  You shoud leave a company when your values no longer align or the future growth of the company is not a good fit with your core competencies. A bad boss will eventually get what’s coming to them… usually later than sooner, but everyone gets what they deserve in life.

So, figure out first why this company doesn’t feel right and if it’s deeper than a crummy boss or assignment or performance review, it’s time to find the right place.  If it’s only the current situation, pack those bags and get on the boat!

Thanks again for your note, and congrats on your continued success. Please keep me posted on your journey!

Live strong,
Kevin Dunn

I RECENTLY ATTENDED A TWO-DAY IDEATION SESSION WITH SOME VERY SMART PEOPLE, AND MY MIND IS STILL BUZZING. THESE “SMART PEOPLE” ARE FUTURISTS, SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGISTS, AND MARKETING EXECS WHO STUDY AND UNDERSTAND THE TRENDS OF TECHNOLOGY.  WE WERE UPDATED ON THE LATEST INNOVATIONS OF HOW TECHNOLOGY IS SHAPING OUR ECONOMY AND OUR CULTURE.  SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS WERE SHARED:

• APPROXIMATELY 99% OF ALL COMPUTER CHIPS ARE NOT USED IN COMPUTERS.  (DEVICES)
• WE RECEIVE MORE THAN 3000 ADVERTISING MESSAGES PER DAY.
• MANY CONSIDER THESE MESSAGES AN INTERUPTION WHILE ADVERTISERS SEE IT AS “ENGAGEMENT”.
• 76% OF PEOPLE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ADVERTISING IS TRUTHFUL.
• THERE ARE NOW 100 MILLION TWEETS PER DAY WITH 20 % OF THEM DISCUSSING PRODUCTS & SERVICES.
• MORE MILLENIALS BUY OFF OF FACEBOOK THAN THE WEB NOW.
• SOME BELIEVE THAT “SOCIAL MEDIA” HAS BECOME AN NGO (Non-Governmental Organization)

…AND 75% OF WORLD’S POPULATION IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET YET!

 

SO, HOW DOES A LEADER TRY TO SORT THROUGH ALL OF THIS CHANGE IN THEIR EFFORT TO TALK WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS AND SWITCH NEW ONES?  MY SHORT ANSWER IS, “I REALLY DON’T KNOW!”

WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THIS TREND IS REAL, IT’S GROWING AND IT HAS CHANGED HOW WE DO BUSINESS FOREVER.  WE CAN EMBRACE IT OR FIGHT IT, BUT IT’S HERE.  I STILL BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER WAY YOU DECIDE TO SPEAK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS, YOU MUST BE “CONNECTING” AND NOT JUST COMMUNICATING WITH THEM.  MASS MEDIA ATTEMPTS CONTINUE TO LOSE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AS TIVO, DVR, AND THOUSANDS OF CHANNELS ON-DEMAND BECOME THE CHOICE OF HOW CUSTOMERS VIEW CONTENT.

DEVELOPING A MARKETING PLAN TODAY HAS TO BE EVEN MORE TARGETED THAN EVEN THREE YEARS AGO BECAUSE ALL DEMOGRAPHICS ARE UTILIZING SOCIAL MEDIA EVERY DAY.   DETERMING WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BUDGET WILL BE GEARED TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND CONTENT DELIVERY IS A REAL CHALLENGE FOR SOME OF US BOOMERS AS WE ARE STRUGGLING JUST TO KEEP UP AND STAY RELEVANT OURSELVES.

MY ADVICE IS TO CHALLENGE THE LEADERSHIP TEAM TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS TO YOUR CUSTOMERS GOING FORWARD.  YOU MUST REALLOCATE THE MARKETING BUDGET TO DELIVER ON THIS FLUID DEMOGRAPHIC.  I DON’T SAY “ADD” TO THE BUDGET BECAUSE I DON’T THINK MORE IS BETTER. IN FACT, I BELIEVE THAT LESS IS MORE. BUT YOU’D BETTER BE CONNECTING WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS WHERE THEY ARE AND KEEP IN TOUCH EVERYDAY.

EASY TO SAY TOUGH TO DO, BUT THAT IS YOUR CHALLENGE.

Kevin Dunn
September 2011