thinking/critical

Am I saying that someone with a discipline problem can’t change? Absolutely not! I could name numerous wonderful examples of former employees who have made remarkable turnarounds related to personal discipline. But did I train them? No! Because it can’t be trained. Discipline can only be chosen.

Though there is a perceived risk that someone who is given a weak or negative reference will sue the reference giver, the incidence of such actions is actually quite low. In contrast, the risk that a candidate for employment will provide inaccurate information that inflates previous pay, overestimates their contribution, and expands their importance is very high. This is why you must work hard to get the references you need, even if some of the reference givers seem reluctant.

I’m not saying that copyrights aren’t important, nor am I saying artists shouldn’t make money on their work. I’m just observing that the world is changing, and fast, and it’s going to take creative thinkers to figure out where we go next. Who owns the intellectual property isn’t in question, but how they make money on that property is.

So, why do we do all this over correcting, and what’s the solution for it? The answer is plain, but it’s not glamorous, it lacks drama, and it requires discipline and patience, so most people don’t want to do it.

Consider how many customer issues are caused by lack of clear expectations. If an advertising group is fixated on the beauteousness of their designs, their photos, or their words, they may enhance the advertising to the point that the product is no longer accurately depicted. Customers become frustrated when the product they receive doesn’t compare to the product they expected.

This article isn’t about the countless issues that get in the way of cultural buy-in, though the list is long: mavericks who eschew committing to the group, senior management who will talk the talk but can’t walk it, dysfunctional players who get satisfaction from disrupting emerging cohesion, and an assemblage of individuals who for a variety of reasons related to intellect, interest, or initiative simply don’t get it. That list will always exist, and focus on eradication of the barriers to cultural buy-in will not lead to success.

Some people have opted out of the whole problem by declining to develop computer or technical skills. I don’t consider this an option. Anyone reading this blog would agree that the inability to read or write is a guarantee of economic deprivation. I believe computer illiteracy will contribute to a similar result in the near future (and to a certain extent, already is). If you moved to a non-English speaking country, you could not expect to gain successful employment or integrate into society without speaking the language.

Retail principles are founded – indeed, grounded – on this principle. The highest paid staff at both Wal-Mart and McDonalds are involved in real estate transactions and management – they understand the importance of building a business in the middle of the best prospects. But if you think this principle is only relevant to retail, you’re missing an important point.

The best thing about meeting customer expectations is that you don’t necessarily have to have more capital, more employees, or better (heck, any) consultants to excel at it! What you do have to be is more aware, and this requires discipline and patience. Here are a few things you can do to stay on top of customer needs and therefore, on top of your competition. The only requirement is that you learn to keep a notebook and pen in easy reach at all times.

I’ve seen really bad ideas get out of the starting gate and get implemented – and cost a fortune year after year as the entrepreneurs behind them desperately try to justify their original decision. I have one word here – euthanasia. Not of the executives, but of their bad ideas. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen often enough, because it takes more courage to kill a bad idea than to put it on life support.