“Confess?” you say, “You’re an accountant. We already knew you were a geek.”
Now, I like to think I hide it most of the time, but I have a passion for math problems, puzzles, and technology. So it’s good to know that there is now a TV show dedicated to people like me.
“Big Bang Theory” is about a group of friends who are physicists at Cal Tech, but they resonate with this accountant’s nerdy side. But, as a business consultant, I laughed my head off during a recent episode that featured process mapping as an instructional method for making friends.
Here’s the setup. Sheldon, the most anal-retentive of the bunch, decides that he needs to make friends with the guy who schedules access to a certain lab. He proceeds to research the art of making friends and ends up using a children’s book to create a flowchart (or process map) to follow during his phone call to the scheduler. While his friends are watching, he calls and follows the process step by step, smugly nodding as the discussion flows right along with his chart. As he reaches the final stage of setting up a common activity to share, the would-be friend declines several offers. Panic sets in for Sheldon until one of the friends in the room recognizes that he’s stuck in an infinite loop, changes the chart, and allows Sheldon to operate outside his predetermined plan.
Needless to say, in business things often don’t go as we planned. We set up a wonderful strategic plan, come up with the tactics to use, and, yes, when we’re firing on all cylinders, we even create a map detailing the process.
What happens, though, when either the situation changes or the “standard process” just isn’t all that great?
Do people stick to the process or do they work around it?
Do they tell anyone that they’ve gone around the process?
Are they allowed to go around the standard process?
Are they free to suggest changes or improvements?
Does anyone listen to the suggestions?
Ultimately, are improvements made to the process as needed?
Process mapping is a wonderful way to capture the current reality of how things are done and identify wastes, but it’s extremely important to have the honest input of those performing the tasks. Only when you know your current process can you create improvements that reduce waste, eliminate redundancies, and allow people the flexibility to provide maximum value to your customers.
Ask your people, let them be honest, and figure out how to improve what they do. Your customers (and closet geeks) will thank you for it.
Last night I ate at the Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, a wonderful restaurant owned by Food Network Star and Iron Chef, Bobby Flay. I was curious and was keen on keeping my consulting eye open to what makes him one of the country’s most famous restaurateurs. In addition to the fabulous food, two things stood out immediately.
Team members know their numbers. In a brief, informal exchange with the hostess, I found out that the restaurant has 217 seats, breaks even at two table turns per evening, has a goal of three turns per evening, and once served a record 732 dinners in one evening.
Employees know their products. The waitress was very quick to recommend only a few items on the menu, but described them in great detail. She told us which dishes were spicier and exactly how they were prepared. She also asked us exactly how we wanted our steak cooked, so she could properly communicate with the chef. The steak was excellent and perfectly prepared.
Your employees crave information about your business and your products. Give them numbers. Let them know how the business makes money. Give them samples of your products and allow them to describe their personal experiences with your customer. You like to do business with real people. So do your customers.
You keep up on all the latest trends. You update your technology way ahead of your peers and competitors. You look forward to the new industry magazines to see what you can do next to maintain your competitive edge. Of course, you put up with your employees’ complaints about constant change and “bleeding edge” technology, but you kind of enjoy the challenge.
So, let me show you cutting edge technology. I was exposed to this video featuring a young man from India, Pranav Mistry, who is an intellectual giant currently working at MIT. Recognizing that humans intuitively use objects and gestures, he set out to combine these natural instincts with computer technology. Imagine displaying a watch on your wrist by drawing a circle on your arm with your finger, taking a photograph by making a square by joining your thumbs and forefingers, displaying a phone keypad on the palm of your hand and making a call by tapping the display with your finger.
The possibilities are staggering. And… he is willing to make the source code open to anyone who wants to advance the technology.
The next time your employees tell you that you need to ease off on the changes, show them this video. Then watch their jaws drop.
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“The leader leads, and the boss drives.” – Theodore Roosevelt
The holidays are a great time for managers and business owners to ponder this question. Are you more like Rudolph or the Grinch?
Consider Rudolph. He’s the guy at the front of the sleigh. He’s lighting the way so the rest of the team can willingly follow him on a journey towards a clear destination. He’s pulling his weight and sharing the burden for the on-time delivery of a very important cargo and a VIP passenger. He’s inspirational. Rudolph is a leader.
Now let’s take a look at the Grinch. If we ignore the fact that “his heart was two sizes too small” and focus on his behavior, we notice a very different management style. He sits on the top of the sleigh and cracks the whip as his little dog Max struggles to propel the sleigh towards Whoville. He decides the direction but doesn’t share his plans in advance. He cajoles, manipulates and forcibly drives his sleigh towards Whoville at what we can only imagine must be great physical cost to his poor employee. If we look beyond the possible worker’s compensation issues, wage and hour violations, and general abuse of employee rights (not to mention the cruelty to animals thing), and just focus on the motivation and information-sharing aspects of this relationship, we can see that this is a dysfunctional one. The Grinch is clearly a boss.
As managers, we often resort to what seems to be the easiest approach – we act like bosses. We forcefully drive our team towards what is often an unstated goal. We might use a carrot or a stick, but either way we are driving our team and pushing them forward, not leading.
Here’s to more Rudolphs and fewer Grinches in 2010.
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