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Are you holding your team accountable?
/in Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom DoescherOne of my favorite books is Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance?, by Louis V. Gerstner Jr. In his closing comments, he says, “People do what you inspect, not what you expect.” I was reminded of this thought-provoking advice when I read “What happened to accountability?” by Tom Ricks in the October 2012 issue of the Harvard Business Review. Instead of me attempting to summarize a great article, the following is a link to a 13-minute interview of Ricks about his book.
Listen to the interview and read the article
As a leader/business owner, would you say you’re more like General Marshall or General Taylor?
Quicker does not always mean better
/in Extraordinary Customer/Client Service/by Tom DoescherThis story will really date me, but please hang in there. I was at a reception one evening some years ago, and was engaged in a fascinating conversation with a prominent corporate attorney. The fax machine was the latest technology at the time (no smart-alecky comments, please), and he was talking about how it was making an impact on his work life. He said, “Before the fax, my client would call me and explain his problem or issue. He would put the paperwork in the U.S. mail, and I would receive it a few days later. In the meantime, I had several days to think about my advice. The documents would arrive and I would review them. I would then place a call and discuss his options. Now, my client sends a fax and calls me immediately to ask my advice. I have no time to really think through the issues, or maybe seek advice from one of my partners. There is no way my advice is as good as it used to be.”
Imagine this story today, with smart phones!
My caution to each of you is to have the courage to know when to slow the process down. Having the ability to push things through quickly does not necessarily translate into doing a better job. Think about this: Have you ever regretted sending an e-mail or text?
It’s all about execution
/in Nuggets and Encouragement Regarding Strategy and Focus/by Tom DoescherIn his first year as managing partner of Plante Moran, Bill Hermann visited many of the major accounting firms in the country. One day, after he had visited with most of the firms, he and I were talking. He said something like, “You know, Tom, the strategies and tactics of the other firms look very similar to ours. It’s all about execution.” I believe he was right. Most of the companies I have worked with have pretty good strategies and reasonable tactics. What distinguishes the best performers from the average performers is execution, or the way they go about achieving their objectives. Do you have clearly defined goals? More importantly, are you and your team achieving your company’s goals? Although technology has enriched our lives and businesses, it has also created a lot of new distractions that easily divert our attention and interfere with our plan of action. We know what we should be doing, but are we actually following through?
How would you evaluate your execution?