Solving stubborn problems
by Miki SaxonChristmas is over the final push to organize for the new year is upon us. CEOs are finalizing revenue, and non-revenue, goals and putting the finishing touches on next year’s operating plan, in order to achieve them. They’ve spent time analyzing this year’s achievements, misses and errors, and their plans for the new year include ways to turn around negative situations and mitigate possible flaws.
How do you identify the less-than-obvious sources of difficulties, particularly those that are long standing and not responsive to previous efforts?
Too often, those sources involve core infrastructure, approaches and cherished beliefs stemming directly from the CEO or senior staff.
Consider
- the CEO who ignored the growing political infighting between his engineering and marketing VPs that was polarizing their departments. Because he, himself, was completely nonpolitical he didn’t actively intervene, believing that they would stop when their manipulations had no effect on him.
or
- the company that was seeking substantial revenue growth by increasing its sales force. The pattern of all sales hires was to generate a small number of sales, but ultimately fail—resulting in 100% annual turnover. Because the senior sales executive believed she was good at hiring and reference checking, and utilized a training and support system in which she had complete faith, she refused to consider those areas when analyzing why no one was succeeding.
The solutions to both these scenarios seem obvious, but when it’s actually happening it’s not nearly so clear. Company size and dynamics play a huge role, and, even though advisors, peers and subordinates recognize the problem, it may be difficult for them to say anything that will actually sway the situation.
One practice that does help is a constant reassessment that allows no sacred cows, whether they are part of the company or your/your managers’ individual MAP.
