Cool Thoughts

New York City. TJOW comes to you this week from the amazingly warm city of New York. And when we say 'amazingly warm', we really mean hot beyond human comprehension. Friggin' hot. Heat that takes your breath away. Heat that enshrouds you, invades your pores, and saps every bit of energy. Heat that disrupts brain cell activity. Heat to make you cry.

How hot? 104 degrees in Central Park with, because someone has a sardonic sense of humor, high humidity. Weather you can swim in. Weather, we're told, that feels like 113. Like we have the capacity to feel the difference between 104 and 113. Maybe some can. To me, it's simply brutally oppressive.

I don't know about you, but once the temperature passes, say, 95, it moves into that range I refer to as Way Beyond Reason, or You've Got To Be Kidding, or, Why Did I Shower?, or, more aptly, Just Shoot Me, Please. Uncivilized heat.

New York is not alone, of course, as much of the nation has been sweltering and more for the last week. Newark, New Jersey, set an all-time high of 108, Washington, D.C., set a record for a peak heat index of 121 degrees, Philadelphia set a daily record of 103, Portland, Maine, reached 102 degrees. (Portland, Maine.) At that's just in the East. In some mid-west regions, around Oklahoma City for one, the temperature hovered at 100 degrees at midnight. That's just wrong.

To put this in some perspective, Phoenix was 103. In the summer. In the desert.

Have you tried cooking an egg on a sidewalk? Apparently, this is all the rage in many parts of the country. If you do, keep in mind that the same thing that's happening to that egg is happening to you. Be sure to wear sunscreen. We recommend an SPF rating of at least 2,000. Wear a hat. And, to play it safe, cover yourself with aluminum foil. (Shiny side out.)

So, as a public service to those suffering through what meteorologists have been referring to as 'a massive heat dome', 'an intense inversion layer' or 'extreme heat' (insert wisecrack here) -- and what we refer to as 'really atrocious weather' -- this week we offer Cool Thoughts. Not necessarily thoughts that will keep you cool, mind you, but thoughts we hope you find cool. You know, not cool -- but cool (a la the Craw, not the craw! for you Get Smart fans). But, who knows, maybe ideas can be both cool and cool. You decide.

• Doing more with more (see last week's blog) is more than a clever line. It's a concept to help improve performance, one designed to enhance quality and service. It's an approach to sustaining growth. And if you read last week's blog (we know who you are), you know that the second 'more' does not mean more people, more resources or more time. It means more engagement, more commitment, more mentoring, more enthusiasm, more fun. Our experience suggests strongly that your people have ideas about what to do. They need to be given the opportunity to explore those ideas in a structured way, refine them, and to be shown how to implement them effectively. That's where we come in. Literally.

• Working harder isn't the answer. Given that most equate 'working hard' with 'putting in way too much time', our clients tell us that many of their people have peaked or will soon do so. More effort is not the ticket to improved performance, nor is working smarter (whatever that is). What is viable is working differently. Creative, dare we say, elegant solutions come when leadership requests new ways to get things done. It's the 'new' in that statement that can drive breakthrough ideas -- and breakthrough performance.

• Behavior change -- real, lasting behavior change -- can happen while you watch. We've heard all of the rumors about change being cumbersome, difficult, and painful. There's undoubtedly some truth to these rumors, but we haven't experienced these problems. Our data is clear: People will change their behavior if there is a compelling reason to do so. And, given a compelling reason and effective change processes, they'll do it quickly. As a result, our approach to change is significantly different from others and, according to our clients, more effective. Check out Shiftpoint. It's an example of one of the highly effective behavior change tools in our quiver.
  

• Will the real leaders please stand up? If there was ever a time for leadership, this is it. I'm not referring to managers who simply call themselves leaders. I'm referring to bold individuals who set an ambitious, visionary goal, instruct her or his people to develop a plan to achieve it, and, once approved, empower (I can't believe I just used that word) people to implement that plan. With precision and speed. An individual who makes things happen with and through her or his people. An individual who leads change, who seeks and finds different, better ways to get things done. That's a real-deal leader. They can and should exist throughout your organization, not just at the top. And we can show you how to build them.

Cool thoughts. Maybe it will lead to a cooler week ahead.

Do More With More

As the economy stumbles along and our elected officials continue to squabble over how best to right our floundering ship from afar (There is a right answer, Mr. President!), the pressure on many at work continues to grow steadily. There's less of everything -- coworkers, assistance, support, resources, mentoring, time, fun -- and in many organizations, the decline continues. It's sad, but true. Meanwhile, increased productivity and greater results are essential. Sink in shark-infested waters, or swim to land -- where there roam hungry, carnivorous predators of all sizes and shapes. Either way, you're lifespan is severely threatened.

It's not a pretty picture, to be sure. (But there's undoubtedly a movie in it, because there's always a movie in it. Working titles for our script: "I'm Toast", "The Joy of Eating", "My Teeth Are That Into You", or "Eat, Love and Eat More".)

No, it's not a pretty picture, when the 'we-must-do-more-with-less' mantra is trotted out repeatedly. But of course, you say, welcome to my life: Longer hours (for the salaried employees among us), higher goals (for nearly everyone), a need to be connected to work 24/7, furlough days, salary cuts, a bonus a thing of the past, stock options underwater (for those 'lucky' enough to have retirement funded by company stock), frequent restructuring eliminating any chance of advancement, retirement only a dream.

At least I have a job, you say. And medical insurance. At least that.

We're here to say there's a better way. Doing more with less is so short-sighted, so last century. Instead, there's a way to increase profitability and, in the process, create a highly-productive, highly-engaging work environment that can sustain growth and, importantly, is a blast to work in. An environment that attracts top performers, retains the best, develops leaders and outperforms the industry. All said, a new way to compete.

We say, how about doing more with more?

The first 'more' in that question refers to more service, more quality, more performance, and more profit. The second 'more' refers to more engagement, more commitment, more mentoring, more enthusiasm, more fun. Definitely not more cost. Not necessarily more people, either. (But you'll need more people as your business grows and flourishes. And we promise that it will. Flourish, that is.)

The key? It's two-fold:

1. Live each day as if it's your first.
2. Get in touch with us. Now. While there's still time.
   

Our mission at The Schnur Consulting Group is to help you do more with more. To make your company incredibly successful -- through your people -- and to help you outpace the industry. In the process, we'll help you make your company a formidable competitor for years to come.

Isn't that what business is all about? Sustaining growth and profitability for the long-term? Outperforming the industry? Kicking ass?

We say it is. Losing is for losers. Winning is for those with intelligence, clever strategy, stamina, backbone, and a pile of people who will willingly and eagerly go to the mat for and with you.

Getting there is the challenge. And the fun. It's like living each day as if it's your first.

Call us; we'll explain.

They Got It Wrong

For years, we've been told that to enjoy life to the fullest, we should live each day as if it was our last.

The logic is simple: By choosing to live each day as if we have only one to live, we're bound to live that day more enthusiastically, more passionately, more thankfully. Overlooking the trivial -- which, not surprisingly, often accounts for a huge portion of the typical day -- and focusing instead on the truly important things will, the theory goes, help us live large.

It's a useful concept, a good one even, one that might motivate us to see beyond the minutiae, beyond the many aggravations that often prevent happiness and fulfillment and help us enjoy this life we're living.

But we are here to say that the idea of living each day as if it was our last is a shortsighted one. Backwards, actually. Because they -- whoever 'they' are -- picked the wrong day.

We at TJOW have a better idea. We believe that it would be a far better approach to live each day as if it were our first.

And, no, not Life: Day One. For many of us, that's too far back, with no useful memory of it. Being a newborn again is not what we had in mind. (But, come to think of it, being swaddled, kept warm by loving arms, and fed every few hours -- with absolutely no other responsibilities -- has its allure. Sounds like an idea for a new type of spa. Or a Woody Allen movie.)

No, not that first day. The other really special, memorable first days. The first day of kindergarten. The first day owning a bicycle. For many, that first Christmas. The day you learned to swim. That first sleep-over. The first day in Disneyland. Going to your first professional ball game (especially, for me, if it was at night). The first day of high school. The first day of driving a car on your own. The first day of college. That first big trip. The first day living in your own place. The first day meeting your sweetheart. The day you knew he or she was The One. The first day on that sought-after new job. The first day after getting the promotion. The first day being a parent.

There have been so many great first days.

Remember your first days? The anticipation, the fear? The mystery of the unknown? Not sleeping the night before, your mind filled with ideas too many to sort through? The electricity charging your every synapse, heightening the sensation at every nerve ending? How time seemed to stop, or at least, how it slowed to a crawl? Remember the excitement, the passion? Remember the joy?

That's being alive. That's living large.

First days are terrific in so many ways. The newness, the unknowing, the extent to which it's all so foreign, so amazingly new. Your senses are set in Overdrive. The colors seem brighter, the smells sweeter, the sounds more crisp. You notice everything. The stimulation envelops you, ensnares you. You become a very part of the moment, a very part of the place. You might forget to breathe, it's so exciting.

That's being alive. That's living large.

First days, by definition, are days of questions, of learning. Who are these people? What are these things? Why do things happen this way here? Where did all of this come from? When do I get to be a part of it? How can I make this a part of me? So much to assimilate, so many options.

That's being alive. That's living large.

The excitement, coupled with the learning, is what makes a first day, well, a first day. For that's what being alive, truly alive, is all about: Seeing for the first time, adding experiences, incorporating new ideas, exploring new concepts, feeling our way through a new world, becoming a part of it, and loving every minute of it.

(Tangentially, it's what we who spend our time as consultants do every day. It's one of the things that makes this line of work so very special. More on that next week.)

So, this week, live each day as if it's your first. Because there's nothing as exciting, as invigorating, as alive as that first day.

An Era for the Ages

Years from now historians will look back on this time -- this wild, amazing, perplexing, infuriating time we live in -- and wonder what in the world we were up to. Others, like yours truly, wonder every day about the state of our sanity. For it truly is a time defined by brilliance and, unfortunately, idiocy and lunacy. The problem, however, is that for those of us scoring at home, idiocy and lunacy have a HUGE lead over anything resembling brilliance. Possibly an insurmountable lead. Indeed, if our scoring is correct -- and who's to say it isn't? -- it might take years to even things out.

So, let us count.

On the brilliance side, we've got:

• Mind-boggling technology. Smart phones that do just about everything but wash our clothes, pads that rival those on Star Trek, cars you can talk to and that park themselves, an ability to connect to just about anyone on the planet at nearly the speed of light. Wires will soon be a thing of the past. Watch TV on a television? How gauche. Machines that can watch our brain think and that can almost see our thoughts. Software that types what you say. Dick Tracy watches that allow you to see who you're talking to? Been there, done that.

• Fuel-efficient transportation. Not quite alternative fuel automobiles, but we're getting there. Hybrids and, finally, electric cars offer viable options to fossil fuel-powered cars. The door is open and the rush is on. Even Detroit -- yes, Detroit! -- is producing reasonably cool hybrids and electric vehicles. At very long last.

• Advances in medicine. Surgery without scalpels. Diseases fatal just 10 years ago can now be managed long-term; some are even curable. Researchers on the cusp of developing treatment and cures for the most deadly of diseases. As a result, we're living longer and better. Many of us, anyway. Too bad health care is prohibitively expensive and millions don't have access to it. Too bad others are working hard to prevent access to those who aren't able to pay. So much for being the wealthiest country on the planet.

That's the good side. It's a short list, but try as I might, nothing else qualifies. Tell me I'm wrong.

On the idiocy, lunacy, what-were-they-thinking? side, the list is long. Here are just some:

• A greed-inspired economic disaster. A near global economic meltdown caused, in no small part, by the machinations of a select few who were then handsomely and grotesquely rewarded for their efforts by our government. Thank you, Goldman Sachs, thank you U.S. Treasury Department, thank you U.S. Congress. Millions out of work, tens of thousands forced out of their homes. Millions more unable to retire in the foreseeable future. This disaster has had such widespread and long-term effects that the merits of home ownership, a foundation of our economy, are now in question. While a very few are too big to fail, the rest of us are not. Thanks, again, to those of you who became wealthy beyond reason at the expense of all of us.
  

• Global warming: What's to worry? Speaking of meltdown, our widespread complacency regarding climate change makes the list. Amazing that we're able to overlook the data and continue nearly as normal. Read Al Gore's article in this week's Rolling Stone magazine or, better, yet, Mark Hertsgaard's terrific book, Hot. Both will anger you and inspire you. And while the recent multitude of natural disasters may not be directly connected to global warming, don't you think someone is trying hard to send us a message? Something akin to 'Wake up and smell your planet changing -- before it's too late.'
  

• Costly wars abroad vs. 'nation-building' at home. Even as we wage expensive and illegal wars -- now Libya? -- at a combined cost of roughly $10 billion per month, community after community throughout the country is forced to lay off police and teachers. Might our priorities be a bit askew? Just asking.
  

• Religion trumps science. Not unlike the Dark Ages, faith is being used by many to debunk long-standing scientific findings. Creationism and 'intelligent design' are taught side-by-side with evolution in school classrooms in a variety of states. Mark Twain said it best in 1897: "In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards." Do some also hold fast to the notion, despite enormous evidence to the contrary, that the sun revolves around the earth? Undoubtedly.

• When church crushed state. Remember how church and state were to exist separately in this country? Ha! Members of Congress who represent one segment of one religion are able to dictate to everyone what is and what is not an 'appropriate' lifestyle. And, in the process, define marriage -- which we erroneously thought was a religious concept. Even so, way to go, New York! You've now joined Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Iowa (Iowa!), and Washington, D.C. as states allowing all people, regardless of sexual orientation, to marry. Nice.
  

• The other side of each story. News that's not really 'news'? Ever have doubts about Fox News, especially when study after study shows their viewers to be the most misinformed? Check out an interesting interview between Chris Wallace and Jon Stewart. Aside from Wallace's attempts to equate Comedy Central and Jon Stewart with news, listen for Wallace's views as to what Fox News does. Hint: It's about providing the 'other side' of news stories -- despite the network's mantra of being 'fair and balanced'. The interview is nearly 15 minutes, but worth the time.
  

• A loss of perspective. As technology connects us like never before, our ability to remain disconnected is as strong as ever. How else to explain famine and disease throughout the world that go unaided? Where's the hue and cry? Will history look back on us as a civilization that could have but elected not to?

Is this the best of times, the worst of times? Possibly. But, based on our scoring, it's leaning heavily to the worst of times. Maybe it's time we each stepped in and did something about it. Just sayin'.

Have a good week.

Dear Mr. President (yet again)

Dear President Obama:

I hope you enjoyed a very happy Father's Day with your daughters.

Based on the number of e-mails you've been sending me personally of late, we must be entering that sporting season of all sporting seasons: The Presidential Campaign Season. Now that basketball and hockey seasons are finally over, and with football fans still being held hostage by wealthy, pampered, egocentric men who have never really had to work for a living, I thought the only game in town was baseball. How very short-sighted of me! Nothing says say-one-thing-and-do-another like a Presidential Campaign Season, now does it.

And how about those e-mails, Mr. President! In the last three weeks alone, you've asked me to:

• Donate $25 today
• Donate $190 to have the opportunity to win a dinner with you (Is wine included?)
  
• Contribute $250 to the Democratic National Committee
  
• Host a party at my home
• Register voters in Oakland
  
• Donate $350 today
• 'Tap' a friend on the shoulder so he/she can donate to your campaign
  
• Donate an amount -- would $250 work for you? -- to be used as a matching contribution

And that's just the last three weeks. I can't wait to see what you ask for in the next three weeks.

I'm touched, Mr. President, that you would write to me as often as you have of late. Touched, but not pleased. Especially since you have yet to respond to either of our job-creation ideas. Been too busy looking for cash?

If you recall, Sir, our first proposal on August 8, 2010 outlined a plan to put 5 million people to work upgrading every public school in this country. The second proposal published on August 29, 2010 urged you to employ another 5 million people to repair 100,000 playgrounds throughout the country and to introduce a physical fitness program for young and old alike a la John Kennedy. Each proposal was at a cost of $50 billion plus change. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that's about the cost of 5 months of our 'involvement' in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Maybe it's time to end the wars and put 10 million unemployed people to work. Just a thought.

And, sir, that's precisely our thought on this Father's Day: It's time to put people back to work any way we can. While politicians squabble across the aisle over the role of the Federal government, millions remain unemployed. Companies have cut to the bone and, in many cases, into the bone. Most are hesitant to hire -- despite strong balance sheets -- given the slow-growing and shaky economy. As a result, work loads continue to grow, quality suffers, and ennui abounds. Meanwhile, those lucky enough to have jobs are hesitant to spend money for fear that they, too, could soon be in search of work. No wonder it's impossible to find seating during the day at coffee houses across the country.

It's not a pretty picture, Sir. Not a pretty picture at all, especially when our economy is based on spending.

We need you to act boldly. Now.

Make job creation your #1 priority. Set a target of employing 10 million by Father's Day 2012. Assemble forward-thinking, creative business leaders from a wide range of industries and give them a month to help create a plan. (The Schnur Consulting Group's FUSION process is ideal for this, Sir.) Allow a group from the private sector to oversee the execution of the plan. (We, of course, would recommend us.) Have that group report directly to you. Report progress monthly to the American people.

For your information, Sir, in recent years FUSION has produced some rather amazing business results in a number of the country's leading companies, including:

• Growing revenue to $1.0 billion within 2 years (20% growth) while reducing costs by $2.5 million
• Reducing time to market by 25%
• Increasing customer service ratings by 20%
• Eliminating 2 weeks from the year-end closing process
• Reducing voluntary turnover among top performers and high potentials by 25% or more
• Increasing market share by 15% in 2 years
• Decreasing the time required to fill job vacancies with successful candidates by 50%, and
  
• Decreasing the learning curve among new hires by 50%.

If FUSION can produce these significant business gains, it can certainly help develop a plan to employ 10 million people. All things considered, employing 10 million people will be a cake-walk when compared with cutting 2 weeks from the year-end closing process. Just ask any CFO.

You can do this, Mr. President. You can find work for 10 million people by this time next year. It's bold, it's aggressive, it's visionary. It's perfect for Father's Day. Most importantly, it's what's needed. And we can help.

Man up, Sir. Don't let anyone -- or any party, including your own -- get in your way. The jobs of 10 million people -- and one other, if you know what I mean and I'm sure you do -- hang in the balance. Fathers (and mothers) everywhere will thank you.

And if you want that re-election campaign donation, Mr. President, do call or write. Operators are standing by.

Bad Signs

It's our birthday!

A mere 104 weeks ago, The Job of Work burst onto the blogosphere with our very first offering, So You Think You Can Dance, a rant about how the generations are far more similar than different and how 'strategic HR' and 'airline service' might be oxymoronic. A blog that was read by a whopping 28 people -- unless, of course, some visited the sight more than once, a rather sobering thought on a number of levels.

For this reason, 'burst onto the scene' may be a bit of a self-indulgent exaggeration. 'Added to the clutter in a completely underwhelming way' may be a far more apt description.

But begin we did two long years ago this very week. History, of sorts, in the making, at least for us. Indeed, during our run a far-reaching revolution began in the Middle East, natural disasters of epic proportions occurred all too frequently around the globe, and our economy continued to grow if only slightly. "Sus papeles, por favor." and "Your birth certificate, Mr. President?" were likely the two most insidious expressions heard repeatedly over the last two years. Rapture didn't happen, many greats died, and, among many other things, a certain San Francisco-based ball club won the World Series.

To those of you who have been with TJOW every step of the way, we deeply and throughly apologize. Oh, the things you could have been doing instead! Come to think of it, oh, the things we could have been doing instead. But, hey, there's nothing quite like sitting alone in front of a blank screen on the weekend -- 104 of them -- wondering what to write while the rest of the world plays. Or, lately, while the rest of the world sends photos of their genitalia to new-found Internet friends, an act that takes flashing to an entirely new and so 21st century level. And then says that treatment is needed. No kidding.

(That Brett Favre and Kayne West did it is one thing, but this guy's name is Weiner! You simply can't make this stuff up. And it just goes to show: Stupidity transcends political affiliation.)

I can't wait to see how the psychology world, of which I am a part, responds. Because, hey, there's got to be a therapy for that. How soon will we see specialized treatment for Erotic Texting Disorder, or, better yet, Dysfunctional Interpersonal Cyberism, to become known as DIC Syndrome? Regardless, this type of texting is definitely prohibited while driving a motor vehicle.

Speaking of symptoms that indicate serious problems, let's talk about bad signs in the workplace. The kind of signs that require careful scrutiny unless one is to miss their true meaning. Signs that reveal issues capable of taking down a company. Signs of real trouble. Big, ugly, sinister trouble.

Let's start at the top.

1. Your Board always agrees with you. While to some this may sound close to nirvana, in reality a Board in constant agreement with leadership is often a symptom of larger significant issues. Boards are designed to provide independent, objective and expert guidance. By definition, Boards and leadership should disagree at times, if only to force greater analysis, understanding and clarity. Boards that rubber stamp are not performing their fiduciary duty nor are they adding value. Boards that agree constantly either haven't done their homework, aren't interested in learning, are afraid to disagree with leadership and/or each other (an all too common finding, by the way), or may be in it sorely for the honorarium. They look left, even though the need is to look right. Regardless, it's trouble.

2. The leadership team plays nice, acts nice. Beware if your executive managers, when together, fail to confront key issues, overlook difficult topics, or skate past nagging problems. Be concerned if voices are never raised, emotions are always held in check, and disagreements are rare. Be afraid, be very afraid, if playing nice is more valued than being honest. This isn't about not being polite. Au contraire. This is about identifying problems, developing plans to address them, executing those plans and monitoring progress. Done well, there will be different points of view and disagreements. Which is exactly what's needed to succeed, as there's never just one way.

3. Decisions are made but are not supported. The ever sinister "I-know-that's-what-we-decide-to-do-but-no-way-am-I-going-to-do-it" dynamic. The first step toward anarchy and, if played out, bankruptcy. I doubt you would be surprised how often we see this dynamic alive and well in corporations throughout this country. Just about any company unable to perform to expectations likely has this dynamic to thank, in part, for its under-performance. This is a silent but amazingly effective killer.

4. Long-standing business issues remain long-standing business issues. Imagine having made two lists of key business issues facing your organization or department. One you made two years ago after having read the first TJOW entry. The other you made this morning. How would those two lists compare? If the majority of issues is the same across both lists, you've got bigger problems. Failure to address and solve business issues typically suggests inadequate leadership, an inability or unwillingness to discuss issues openly or productively, low creativity/resourcefulness, insufficient backbone, lack of accountability, poor execution, and/or simple laziness. It also screams the fact that mediocrity is acceptable. If this is your organization, good luck. Because those who want to win will go elsewhere.

5. The time to fill open positions is taking longer than before. While this could be the sign of an inefficient or non-strategic HR Staffing function, it could also be that your organization is not seen to be a worthy place to pursue a career. Don't fool yourself, especially in this current economic climate where unemployed talent is abundant. (Thanks Goldman Sachs!) What was once a 'sexy' industry -- film and television, for example -- may now be an industry considered more appropriate for 'mature' individuals (read: old). (A study we conducted confirmed this.) Also, being among the 100 best companies to work for plays well within the organization but may be meaningless to those seeking careers -- especially to those elusive high potential individuals who are out to change the world. (This, too, was confirmed in a study we conducted.) All in all, if it's getting harder, costing more and taking longer to put talented butts in your seats, you've got a problem. The longer you delay in addressing it, the bigger the issue you'll face. Especially since your choices may be limited to less desirable talent. Like, for example, zombies.

All bad signs, all with the power to take a huge bite out of a bottom line.

Importantly, though, there is an effective solution for each. If you're ready to deal with your bad signs, let's talk. Together we can solve them.

Have a good week. And, again, happy birthday, TJOW.

Creating a Culture of Winning

As we mentioned last week, among the many mysteries of the universe that exist we find one inexplicable. And, no, this has nothing whatsoever to do with black holes, quantum mechanics, why mass increases to infinity as it approaches the speed of light, the curious attraction people have for Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann (shouldn't a President be intelligent?), the influence the religious right is having on the Republican party, why certain Goldman Sachs executives are not in jail, or why some believe that continued or even greater tax credits for the wealthy will help us dig out of our economic malaise.

Instead, we're perplexed about this mystery of the universe:

The vast majority of organizations -- even those in competitive sectors -- elect not to focus on winning, much less create a culture of winning.

This, despite the fact that:

• Performance at work improves markedly when people are given a chance to compete

• Competition tends to increase significantly one's engagement in and commitment to their job and to their company -- outcomes many companies claim to desire
  

• Most of us love to win

• Top performers and high potential employees typically seek employment in organizations where they can, indeed, win
  

• Nearly all of us want our company to be a winner, to be considered a market leader, to be among the very best, and, critically
  

• Most companies would benefit from a measurable boost in performance -- as would all of us. (Doubt us? Check your latest 401(k) statement and tell us which of the companies you've invested in is performing to your expectations. Are there any?)
  

Which, of course, makes us wonder why remarkably few companies take steps to inspire their people to outperform the competition. And why even fewer discuss winning.

Asked a different way, why don't more companies engage their people in a truly meaningful way to increase performance? Is leadership unaware of the connection between competition and performance improvement? Might leadership not know how to use our very human competitive nature to their best advantage? And/or, is leadership hesitant or even reluctant to allow their organizations to truly compete -- for fear of losing?

Regardless, most companies are missing an absolutely golden opportunity. For whatever reasons -- and we believe it's directly related to leadership's trepidation about allowing true competition to exist within their walls -- most organizations are consciously electing not to use the power of competition. And, as a result, they are putting enhanced employee engagement, increased efficiency, faster time-to-market, improved customer service, elevated quality, and, of course, improved profitability at risk.

Might it be that we've grown comfortable with mediocrity?

We can't afford business as usual. It's time for a change. Our economy demands it. (Again, name one company -- especially the one you work for -- that wouldn't benefit from a significant boost in performance.) It's time to put our competitive juices to work at work. Now is the time to create a culture of winning.

We can show you how to transform your organization into one capable of sustained growth and, potentially, market leadership. We can show you how you can mobilize your people to increase efficiency, reduce costs and elevate service quality. We can show you how to capture the hearts of your employees and inspire them to perform to entirely new levels. We can show you how to develop and deploy metrics to enable real-time, on-the-fly performance gains. We can show you how to win.

Give us an hour. Your people -- and your stockholders -- will be glad you did.