What’s the future for you and your business?  The basic goal for most businesses is to make fundamental changes in how they conduct their business to cope with new, more challenging market environments.  By definition, change requires creating new systems.  And that always demands leadership and an out-of-the-box way of thinking, because management’s usual mandate is to minimize risk and keep the current system running.

MMM Insight:

In every day-to-day situation, ask yourself, “Am I standing for leadership or for management right now?”  Both are important.  Everyone feels the need to understand and predict the future.  However, an innovative business is not about predicting the future – it’s about imagining it.  Carl Sandburg said, “Nothing happens without a dream .” Can you tell me though – in a business group of any size, who is in charge of imagining?  Does leadership provide for that?  Not usually, no.  There are political models, mental models, old theories, concepts from the past, notions that are fuzzy and vague in nature, and bureaucracy and in-fighting, all of which can strangle imagination. Worrying over the downside possibilities can often dominate a manager’s thinking.  To really succeed, you must have a leader in place who will work through all the internal constraints and facilitate a common dream for the business.

The future has to look better than the present.  Otherwise, why would anyone work hard to get there?  It’s the leader’s job to create a coherent picture of the desired state of the business, and a clear view of the current state. Innovation should come from the contrast between the two. The question to ask is: “What are some possibilities? ”  Most organizations have meetings to talk about and judge possibilities.  That actually serves to stop them in their tracks, rather than allowing them to germinate before final decisions are made.  Imagination is blocked.  Innovation is inhibited.

When was the last time you had some of your people imagine a dream or you allowed a new business concept to be talked about, let alone allowing someone to run with it? Control is the tool of management. That’s why it is called management.  Yet, managers don’t realize how they block creation and innovation rather than tapping into the creative potential of their people.

Years ago, Jim Mackin, CEO of a client company in Oakville that Bill Buslepp and I worked with for some time, turned a building products business into an organization that produced automotive products. He transitioned from dealing with bands of un-engaged workers to employing teams who managed themselves.  The employees who had been young people doing boring, unfulfilling work to creating a place where meaning, team, and serving customers meant something.  He was a leader with a vision. At any given time his team could tell you where they were going and what all the activities, strategies, and plans were to get there.  Most managers can’t do that.  Too often they’re just managing numbers. People loved Jim’s vision and leadership, and many were worked to constantly examine their current reality in relationship to what they desired (their vision).

To better the future for your business, there are a handful of distinct conditions you’ve got to meet.  The number one requirement is having real leadership.  Number two is a new well-defined vision and a clear and honest description of reality. Number three: an engaged and connected team.  Number four: you’ve got to structure the business with the right systems and people to support the vision or it won’t have a chance – because you depend on people to carry out the vision. Five is providing coaching and training so your people can develop the competencies required to achieve the vision.  You either do these things or you don’t.  Successful leaders certainly do them.

Jim created time for his people to think, to challenge both mental models and the status quo, and to re-examine all beliefs and cultural assumptions. He allowed time to re-strategize, to create new organization efficiencies and effectiveness.  His customers were at the center of innovation .  For Jim, and for any business, the impact of those kinds of things on the bottom line, stock price, and productivity is amazing. What made it all happen?  Leadership… and anyone can lead – or get better at leading.

Jack Welch says he has three main jobs as CEO of General Electric:
1. Selecting and building the right people
2. Allocating resources
3. Spreading ideas that capture customer’s minds and wallets.

That sounds good to me to me.  Doesn’t it, to you?

According to a study at the University of Pennsylvania, a 10 percent increase  in developing people leads to an 8.5 percent increase in productivity, but an increase in capital expenditures  leads to a 3.5 percent increase in productivity.  Leaders like Jim engage and develop the collective brainpower, ideas, and innovations of the organization.  Productivity and creating value-added innovation go hand-in-hand, and you can spot the clue in Jim’s example.  But, as a leader, you have to do it.  Innovation is simple when you’ve got the leadership.  Leaders take intellectual capital and turn it into innovation.  The by-product is a newly energized, hopeful, and focused organization.

How would you rate your organization’s ability to innovate and create new wealth on a scale from 1 to 10?
•    Do you have a system that turns people loose to pursue creative thought and subsequently, new ideas, decisions, and systems?
•    Is your management ready to create a new desired state which includes changing customers’ lives?
•    Are you ready to pay attention to what’s going on with customer trends and their thoughts and ideas?
•    Would you actually consider going from curiosity to opportunity with an engaged team to build new revenue, ventures, and maybe even new businesses?

Today, amid the chaos, why not go for it?  Examine it.  Look for the opportunity and move forward.

MMM Action:
… because action is all there is!

1)  Here’s one simple action you can take: invest two hours at our next complimentary executive small-group coaching series on January 7 at our Center of Excellence.  We will explore how companies innovate, how to engage teams in an innovative action system, and how to lead innovation. How do you get from where you are at to where you want to be?  Something needs to change.  Ideas need an environment where they can flourish.  Leadership is required.  How about you?  Join me.  You will love the dialogue and I promise one-on-one follow-up time with you. Reserve here .  A suggestion: bring someone who can help you lead innovation.

2)  What do you need to tackle in order to allow creative action in your team?

3)  What are you going to do?

Have a great week!

Kevin D. Crone
Chairman
Dale Carnegie Business Group
kdcrone@dalecarnegie.ca
(905) 826-7300 ext. 223

A Special Invitation from Kevin D. Crone, Canada’s Monday Morning Mentor…

Don’t forget to join Kevin and other success-minded business people on Tuesday, January 7th to discuss:
1.    How to Innovate and create new wealth
2.    How to build a system that ignites your people to create efficiencies, customer focus and a new way of business

These topics will be under discussion when businesspeople meet at our office with Kevin D. Crone, Canada’s Monday Morning Mentor and senior partner, Bill Buslepp – and we invite you to join us!

Over the years Kevin has delivered inspirational and savvy business advice every Monday morning, shared research findings, provided reports, conducted conference calls and webinars, appeared regularly on the Fox radio network, and offered online, telephone, and in-person coaching sessions. All simply for the asking.

Kevin’s previous small-group session in November opened up a great dialogue on how each participant can design their business so that employees are engaged, leadership is developed and change is managed well.

Igniting Innovation and Team Enthusiasm
Tuesday, January 7th
8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Dale Carnegie Center of Excellence
2121 Argentia Road, Suite 103
Mississauga, Ontario
Complimentary to attend

This discussion will cover:
•    The process of Business Change
•    The number one factor in making innovation work
•    The motivation system
•    Building a focused and more engaged team

Who Should Attend:
Business Owners, Executives, Senior Managers and Human Resource Professionals interested in learning about current trends and talent management.

NEW: 4-month Coaching Series

What if…
•    You had the time, commitment and method to start all over with your business?
•    Your offering, people and your systems were aligned to produce more customers?
•    Your team was organized, energized and connected to a clear, compelling vision and plan that assured your sustainability?

As a result of so many requests for help in implementing all of the above, we have created a one-time only, inexpensive system to help you and your team get this done within four months – without blowing up your business. Instead, we will pull all the things you are doing together to produce what you want!

Have I peeked your interest? Contact me for more details: kdcrone@dalecarnegie.ca or call: 905-826-7300

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