Apr 13, 2021 | Change, Governance, Strategy
When should you let go of the sunk cost that is not performing?
How do you decide when to quit, walk away from an investment? It is as important a decision as the one you made when planning where to allocate your resources in the first place.
Strategic quitting is the flip side of strategic planning.
Realistically, you have only a limited amount of resource to be allocated. Determining the priority for those allocations includes being able to stop proceeding with some, and redirect. This acknowledges the opportunity costs often swept under the corporate carpet.
It is not being a quitter, it is sensible strategic leadership
The good thing about being at the point of strategic quitting is that you have actually done things, and hopefully learned from them. Therefore the next action you take should be better informed.
I am sick and tired of the fluff around strategic planning, what we need is less of it, and more strategic doing!!
Strategic quitting is a fundamental part of strategic success, embrace it.
Apr 10, 2021 | Governance, rant
Dismay is the only (polite) word to describe the feeling as I watch the machinations and manipulation of current politics that passes for representative government.
Where is the humility, empathy, dignity, and recognition that they are there to serve, which is a specific choice encapsulated in the role?
Instead, we are confronted by ego, hubris, pride, and arrogance, manifested by the all-pervading sense of entitlement.
Where is the vision, and the expertise to deliver on that vision?
Nowhere to be seen.
Where are the facts?
Nowhere to be seen.
I am sure there are good people languishing on the back bench, and in the ranks of the political organisations as disgusted as most of us seem to be, at least in my wide networks, but their voices are not heard. There are many other great people in the community, with the drive, vision, and expertise to deliver positive outcomes for their communities, made up of their children, grandchildren, and thousands of those of others, who would not go anywhere near a public role.
The reason: They have no wish to be associated with the body politic and the toxic culture that surrounds it.
That leaves us with a huge problem: how do we change it?
The key to success is working together. Always has been, always will be. That is the nature that human evolution has bestowed on us, as it has proven to be the only way to survive and prosper.
Somebody should tell those in the Canberra Clown Factory. Both sides of the factory, and both floors.
A few months ago, I read, again, the narrative of Alan Mullaly delivering Ford from the executioners door, building the foundations that have resulted in its current prosperity.
The overriding impression from that narrative is that besides being the smartest and most driven bloke (or gal) in the room, he was also the most humble. It was by that humility that he created a culture of visionary co-operation and accountability for outcomes.
Compare that to the products on show in the Clown Factory showroom.
The header for this rant is a reproduction of the little card Mullaly handed out at every opportunity. By way of example, he ensured he and those for whom he was responsible worked for the common good. The card originated when he saved Boeing from visiting the receiver in the nineties and lived on through his tenure at Ford.
Perhaps I should send one to the clowns?
Mar 21, 2021 | Governance, Leadership
I have been dismayed by the quality of the language coming from our leaders, deteriorating as it has for the last 45 years I have been watching closely.
With several notable exceptions on both sides of the house, the standard, if measured by the insight and understanding delivered to the listener, has dropped to the level of a Sunday school teacher proselytising for their invisible friend.
“Political language……. Is designed to make lies sound truthful, and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidarity to pure wind’
So said George Orwell in his essay ‘Politics and the English language’ published in 1946.
Orwell thought this manner of language use to be a ‘contagion’ devoted to hiding the truth.
It seems to me that the contagion has well and truly dug deeply into our political ‘leaders’ now, with Scotty from Marketing being the current flagbearer.
I almost miss Pauline Hansen’s outrageous mishandling of not only the language, but people’s common sense and the truth, when listening to Scotty blather on. It is easy to dismiss Hansen as a looney, of little consequence beyond a small and decreasing group of loonies. It is way harder to dismiss the impact of a Prime Minister defending the indefensible, taking credit for anything good that happens despite his ministrations, and abrogating any form of responsibility for those that tank.
A little bit of truth, transparency and humility would go a long way to restoring the shattered trust, we the electors have in those who end up in the various parliaments around the place.
Mar 8, 2021 | Analytics, Governance, Operations
One of the significant problems in making any change is the articulation of the need to change, and the outcomes that are expected as a result.
Overcome those two, and change is suddenly easier, albeit still really hard.
The first hurdle is the articulation.
In order to communicate and have complex ideas generally understood, you do not use technical, academic jargon backed by data, you use stories and metaphors in a way that connects with the audience.
Communicating industry 4.0 is such a complex challenge.
What is it, how will it affect me, why should I be interested?
Answering these questions is a core foundation of gaining acceptance, followed by action that becomes automatic as it gets buried in the auto-response system.
Remember the last time you put your hand onto a hot stove.
Before you felt anything, you had reacted by pulling your hand away, a totally unconscious, instantaneous, action then, it started to hurt like hell.
Think about the processes involved in this.
First: the ‘data’ that indicated the stove was hot was collected by the nerves in your fingers and hand.
Second: the ‘data’ is sent for processing to your brain, the CPU between your ears. This processing concludes your hand is in danger of being burnt.
Third: That conclusion is sent to the muscles that control where your hand is, with firm instructions to remove it immediately.
Fourth: Your hand is pulled back out of danger.
Fifth: It starts to hurt like hell, and the memory of that hurt is stored deep in your personal CPU for future reference should your hand stray again.
The astonishing thing is that the first four happen without thought, instantaneously, and the fifth is a long term ‘frame’ through which you unconsciously ‘feel’ the hurt and approach the stove warily. It is a neural network that collaborates, communicates, drives action, and learns.
Industry, or more specifically, Factory 4.0 is, similarly, a set of tools that collects, analyses and acts on data without direction, and learns from the experience, adding to the auto-response ‘memory bank’ and adjusted based on the ‘learning’ that occurs as data on outcomes is collected. The system becomes more Automatic than Artificial.
Header cartoon credit: Tom Gauld in ‘New Scientist’ magazine.
Mar 2, 2021 | Change, Governance, Management
Covid has forced remote working, and many have responded by introducing a well-proven strategy to maintain the sense of ‘togetherness’ as well as delivering accountability.
The ‘Huddle’
It goes by many names, one of my clients calls it the ‘daily toolbox’.
Nevertheless, it is a challenging idea to implement. Initially there are always those who see it as just another imposition, or waste of everyone’s time, but done well, they are a wonderful tool, and not just for these Covid times.
Following are the 9 practices I have seen that contribute to the great outcomes possible:
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- The daily huddle is by definition, daily, which means that the next 24 hours are the topic of discussion. Anything else should be treated elsewhere in the most appropriate forum.
- Use a set time, and always be on time.
- Make the agenda consistent and focussed on the tasks and accountabilities of those in the huddle only.
- Follow ups, and problems that need further consideration should be taken offline or escalated. The huddle itself should be no more than 15 minutes at the most.
- Do not allow waffle. Preparation for the huddle means that people have points they need to make. Written down and read verbatim is often the best way. However, use full sentences, your summary, while clear to you, may not be to others.
- Everyone in the huddle is given the opportunity to speak, and those who naturally are reticent, are prompted by the chair.
- Ideally, the chair should rotate in some manner that suits the group, which gives all an equal share in the ‘ownership’ of the group and its outcomes.
- It is a place for shout-out praise as well as noting problems and emerging challenges.
- Be attentive. No devices that intrude are allowed.
‘Huddles’ at the next level up, weekly, monthly, work the same way, and are ideally timed to follow the previous huddle, so items are easily and seamlessly escalated.
Huddles are a great way to increase the communication in any enterprise, always the source of most employee angst. Building them into the ‘way we do things around here’ enables rapid, clear communication, one to many. This results in everyone getting the same message at the same time, with a minimum of contextual colouring allowed to creep in.
The outcomes are always around a greater sense of accountability, team and individual, and a culture that involves collaboration. Irrespective of the future of the workplace post the COVID-19 vaccine, when we evolve to some sort of new normal, make your version of the daily huddle a part of it.
When you need an experienced hand to help implement this enormously valuable business improvement strategy, call me.
Header credit: Again, Dilbert and his mate Scott Adams pick the challenge implementing a ‘huddle’.
Mar 1, 2021 | Governance, Personal Rant
How is it that some individuals at the top can get away with the claim that they knew nothing about the stench that must have been emanating from below the floorboards?
Our chief marketing spruiker, the PM, seems to know nothing of the rotting corpse that is the culture of parliament house, until forced to set up some arse covering inquiries after widely accepted allegations of sexual misconduct of the most grievous form emerges?
Some months ago, the ABC had the temerity to show a program titled ‘Inside the Canberra Bubble’ that had the roaches running for the dark corners, and the chief law officer of the country sending ‘please explain’ letters to the ABC.
Now you have multiple accusations of rape, followed by what can only be described as cover-up under the guise of maintaining the confidentiality of the victims. A noble aspiration, misused by those who are ultimately responsible for the culture and behaviour in the place.
The culture it seems, follows those who survive it.
Helen Coonan, former Liberal cabinet minister remains on the board of Crown casinos, indeed, is now chairing the business after a scathing report written by Patricia Bergin SC found Crown had been a very naughty boy. Money laundering, involvement with organised crime, and in general being a really nasty piece of work. Ms. Coonan, has conceded that Crown had facilitated money laundering at its Melbourne casino, but denied turning a blind eye, blaming the oversight on ineptitude. She has been on the board of Crown for a considerable time, so the Lord Nelson defence holds little water.
Meanwhile, to what extent have the recommendations of Royal Commissioner Hayne been implemented? A few of the easy ones have been, and the odd head has rolled out the boardroom door, but there has been little more than added bureaucracy built into the system, and a few of the perpetrators of selling insurance to dead people, breaking the laws surrounding money transfers being promoted.
Despite the calls for some sort of ‘Federal ICAC’ supported by most in Canberra, except those with a majority in the House (until the odious member for Hughes bolted for the cross benches last week), little has transpired. The proposed legislation is as toothless and useful as my granddaughter’s teddy bear. Looks fierce, but no teeth at all, just a cuddly bed mate. Utterly disgraceful.
Perhaps the castrated, non-existent Fed ICAC, should it emerge into law, would like to examine the disgrace that is the absolute lack of transparency surrounding political donations. We all know that money given by corporate donors, is given in the expectation of a return. Shine a light on it, and we might see who is actually making the laws. As a wonderful example, just look at the basket of ‘PR-able’ nonsense that is the ‘Media Code’ passed into law last week. Mr Murdoch’s shareholders are very grateful to you.
There is an exceedingly long list of dodgy dealings, to be kind with the description, that could be listed here, but the work has been done for me. While this list of 124 instances of malfeasance is exclusively the Liberal party, I see no reason to believe the current opposition is any different and would not take similar advantage given the opportunity.
I am reminded of a couple of quotations, which sadly both apply:
Firstly, George Bernard Shaw: ‘When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares it is his duty’.
Secondly, Erwin Schrodinger, he of the cat in the box: “The task is…not so much to see what no one has yet seen; but to think what nobody has yet thought, about that which everybody sees.”
Meanwhile, Small businesses struggle to survive, employ, and train most of the workforce, pay their tax, and try to get on with the job despite those in charge of the country grasping every opportunity delivered by power to screw them.
Header cartoon courtesy Tom Gauld at www.tomgauld.com
