It's Time

Welcome to that time of year when Fox TV insists that playoff baseball games be played only at night. It matters not that it gets rather cold in late October and, gasp, early November. Even so, Fox is in it for the money and all of those prime time advertising dollars. Where, I ask you, is the fair play in that?

Years ago, half of the fun of the World Series for us old enough to remember -- and young enough to be able to remember -- was trying to listen to the games surreptitiously on our transistor radios with those little, tinny ear phones while at school. Being able to follow the game, pay attention to the teacher and not get caught was a terrific skill, one that earned us high praise from those unable to do two things -- any two things -- simultaneously.

Some of us, who had been previously considered less than worthy by our peers (I believe 'dork' was the technical term often used to describe us), suddenly became needed, wanted and, most importantly, admired. At least until the end of the Series. Ah, but for those 7 to 10 days we were kings!

So, for all of you in elementary and junior high schools across the country who could use a temporary elevation of social class, I say it's time for Fox TV to get it right and return playoff baseball to daylight. Do it for the kids, Fox, especially the dorks. They -- we -- need all the help we can get.

Speaking of needing help, it's time for companies to kick it into gear. Especially those that have delayed dealing with issues undermining their productivity and/or profitability. And especially those companies that need talented employees and delighted customers to win in the marketplace. (If your company does not need employees and customers, count yourself among the very lucky! And, please, tell me your secret.) Enough already of the "woe-is-me, times-are-hard, we're-just-trying-to-get-through-this" rationalization.

It's time to act.

Here's a short list of the actions we'd recommend:

1. Update your Strategic Plan and share it with everyone. Your people, customers and investors should know -- especially now -- that you have a good plan to grow your company, that the plan is being executed, and that you have a way to track your progress. Don't have a Strategic Plan? Get in touch with us now.

2. Involve your employees in the implementation of the Strategic Plan. Strategic plans have typically been the purview of executive management. Strategic plans also tend to collect dust on someone's shelf. Coincidence? You be the judge. We advocate a different approach: Enlist teams of high-performing, high-potential employees to help guide the execution of key components of the plan. Have these teams help drive the communication of the Plan, the internal implementation of the Plan, and the metrics required to track the effectiveness of the Plan. Also use these teams to help drive the Plan down through your organization until every employee has Strategic Plan goals in their annual performance objectives. When this comprehensive approach is used, implementation of the Plan is significantly more effective and company performance improves.

3. Develop metrics to track progress against the Strategic Plan. Want something to improve? Measure it. In this case, develop a scorecard to assess your company's progress against the Strategic Plan. Then develop a scorecard for each department/division of your company that is aligned with the company scorecard. Assign a high-performing, high-potential employee team to help develop the metrics, collect the data, and report results to executive management quarterly. Immediately thereafter, have the team communicate the results throughout the organization. It's not as simple as it sounds, but it's a thing of beauty when done well.

4. Address low-scoring areas of the Strategic Plan. Where is your organization failing to achieve the goals of the Strategic Plan? What must be done to close those 'gaps'? Here's another assignment for a select team of employees. When the ideas for performance improvement come from within -- rather than from above -- the recommendations tend to be more strongly embraced and, subsequently, more effective. The key learning: A capable cross-functional team can often identify useful ways to improve operational performance -- ideas that can lead to significant performance gains. Another key learning: Getting employees involved is essential if you want to achieve the goals of your Strategic Plan.

5. Leave no stone unturned. This is a great time to take aggressive steps to improve your company, its culture, and its ability to compete. Your Strategic Plan is a terrific vehicle to drive change. If your Plan is a good one, you can use it as a catalyst for improvement throughout the organization. Process enhancement, cost reduction, service delivery, organizational effectiveness, customer service are just some of the areas to explore.

You've got your hands full. There aren't enough hours in the day. These times are challenging. Even so, you know now is an ideal time to take action. Don't miss the opportunity. They don't come around all that often.


Another good-bye

Last week we lost a prince of children's television. Soupy Sales was a hero to many youngsters in the 50's and 60's. An entertainer, teacher, pioneer and friend. A man who took an untold number of pies to the face. And a guy who arguably had one of the greatest ad-libs of anyone ever on live TV. Even if you don't remember him, appreciate the inspired lunacy of him asking kids to sneak into their parents bedroom and find "green pieces of paper with pictures of guys with beards". Brilliant. We'll remember you fondly, Soupy. Even those of us who got caught 'borrowing' from our parents wallets and purses for you.

Enjoy Soupy's retelling of the event and see you next week.