Promises, Promises

Marketing geeks talk about a concept called “brand promise.” Most of you know that I am not a marketing geek or any other type of geek for that matter. But I do want to briefly discuss this concept. After all, it does have some value and applies to all businesses.

A promise is a commitment to do something. It creates an expectation that something is to be or occur in the future. A brand promise is the promise of a company and its products or services. This promise may be expressly stated or simply implied. Either way, the promise is usually clear.

My daughter and her boyfriend, Neal, flew to Michigan from California yesterday. Neal’s seat wasn’t able to recline for some reason, making a long flight very uncomfortable. He stood in the aisle for part of the trip.

Did the airline break its promise to Neal? When they took his money, in exchange for a seat on the plane, did they imply that the plane would be in working condition; that the seat they were placing him into wasn’t broken? I would have to say yes.

Neal is a bright college student. He’s a senior, graduating in May with a double major in Marketing and Spanish. He’s already devised a plan to obtain a full refund or a free flight. I’ve seen Neal in action before and know that he’ll win this one.

All businesses make promises to their customers, whether or not they realize it. When these promises aren’t kept, customer satisfaction suffers.

What is your brand promise? You don’t need a marketing geek to tell you—or any other type of geek for that matter.

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Planning Horizons

Close your eyes and picture a brilliant sun set. Can you see the brilliant oranges, red, and yellows, fading to purple, and eventually to black, as you crane your neck upward? Can you make out the curvature of the earth where the edge of our planet appears to meet the sky? This is the horizon, the imaginary boundary between the earth and the heavens.

A horizon is the point at which the known becomes the unknown. It is the limit of our perception or knowledge. Beyond the horizon is the unknown.

As we plan for our futures, the concept of a horizon is important. In my opinion, we should plan as far into the future as possible, up to our horizon. Beyond this point, we’re just guessing.

The real question is this: “What is our horizon?” For many public corporations in the U.S. it is 3 months, or one quarter. This short term horizon has led many of these companies to bankruptcy, as they clearly cannot achieve long term viability with a 3 month planning horizon.

I’ve read that Japanese companies have planning horizons of 100 years or more. This is a little extreme too, in my book. The sweet spot has to be somewhere in the middle.

What about you? What is your horizon? How far into the future are you comfortable with making predictions, business plans, and investments?

The events of 2008 surely have shorted the planning horizon for many of us. But, what does that mean? Has a 10 year horizon become a 5 year horizon? Or has a 2 year horizon become a 6 month horizon?

The answer will have a real affect on our planning systems. Because of this, the question should not be ignored. Planning may be difficult, especially in times of uncertainly. However, it is critical, especially during times of uncertainty.

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Leadership in the New Year

In light of the robust economy (I’m being sarcastic, of course), people are nervous about 2009. Which people am I referring to? Our people: your people and my people. Will the economy rebound? Are their jobs safe? Will they get a raise? Will benefits be cut? What does the future of the company hold? These are legitimate questions, especially in regions of the country hit hard by the recession.

Leaders have an obligation to step up and address these fears, even if we don’t have all of the answers. We should take this action because it’s the right thing to do; to be honest about what the company is planning to do in 2009 to weather the storm and to explain the limits of what the company can do to provide security or protection for our people’s jobs.

This is not an easy conversation to have with our people but it is necessary. This meeting will help to create a sense of togetherness, commitment to the company’s mission, and alignment toward company goals. It will also remind our people that we care about them, if in fact we do.

I’ve worked with many leaders who avoided such difficult situations. For whatever reason, they failed to act, leaving their people in the dark. This is no way to treat the people who we hope will continue to help the company survive and thrive in 2009. Our people deserve better.

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Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

If we put our trust in God and seek His will in our lives He will give us wisdom. He will lead us. He will guide us. Without this understanding and guidance, we are left to fend for ourselves. As good as we are we aren’t God. We are limited in our abilities apart from God.

These verses are excellent ones to memorize, as they serve as a great reminder to seek God before we seek our own plans.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be on the path that God wants me to be on, not on the path of my choosing.

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Holiday Traditions

It has become a holiday tradition at the Harwood household for the men (me and my son, that is) to hunker down in front of the TV to watch James Bond movies, in between the bowl games, of course. We chuckle at the classic Bond lines, characters, and unbelievable scenarios.

Bond, of course, represents the essence of smoothness. In addition, he has the best gadgets and toys. But, what I like the most about Bond is that he never gives up. No matter how dire the circumstances are, he has a way out. Of course, this usually involves some invention of the British Secret Service’s technology guru, Q. Equipped with the perfect device, he stays focused, positive, and in control.

Even the women cannot throw him off his game. He certainly takes time out for some occasional pleasure, but never loses sight of the mission. He never lets him emotions get the best of him.

My wife can’t relate to our fascination with the Bond series. However, if she had to choose between a man who remained focused, positive, passionate, and in control of his emotions or a man who was easily distracted, negative, lazy, and emotionally weak, I have a feeling that she would choose the former. I am her James Bond, even though she doesn’t realize it.

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The Right Perspective

All too often, we have the wrong attitude about things because our perspective is wrong. If we can change our perspective, we can change our attitude as well. Unfortunately, for many of us, it takes a significant event to change our perspective, as we live our lives within a particular framework.

For example, most of us live in relative luxury, compared to the rest of the world. We live in nice homes, eat way too much, wear nice clothes, drive nice cars, have jobs, etc. We consume more per capita than any other society at any other time in the history of the world. One could say that we’ve become a gluttonous, wasteful, selfish society. I wouldn’t necessarily say this, but there are many examples to support those who would!

But our perspective is that we don’t have enough. Enough of what? Whatever we desire. We constantly strive for more, more, more: larger homes, faster cars, larger investment portfolios, more prestige, or whatever. Our attitude reflects this dissatisfaction with the status quo. After all, how can we be satisfied we perceive our lives to be so deficient? This line of thinking is commonplace in our society.

So what are we to do? How can we change our perspective? One way is to passively wait for something dramatic to occur in our lives that alters our thinking: the death of a loved one, a divorce, or the loss of a job, for example. Another way is to proactively take steps to change our perspective.

I would like to share three simple steps that I’ve found to be helpful in my life. First, I’ve found that serving those who are less privileged than I am changes my perspective. Opportunities to serve others are endless. I’ve chose to serve on the board of a local non-profit organization that provides medical, dental, and mental health services to the uninsured and underinsured; those who would otherwise not receive care in most cases. Serving those with virtually nothing changes my perspective on so many levels. I highly recommend it.

The second simple step is to begin each morning praying for the needs of others. Again, this changes my perspective by focusing my attention on someone else’s needs. There is no shortage of needs around me; people who are suffering physically or emotionally. Prayer, meditation, or writing to those in need is not only a blessing to others but serves to change my perspective.

The third simple step is to begin each business meeting with the sharing of something positive, both personal in nature and related to business. This is a concrete way to focus on what is good, uplifting, or successful. It creates a sense of hope and optimism at the onset of the meeting. It sets the tone for the meeting. I highly recommended.

As we consider our New Year’s resolutions, won’t you consider doing something to change your perspective—and your attitude? I’ve offered three simple ideas. Many others exist as well. Let’s not take a passive approach. Rather, let’s be proactive and live intentional lives, beginning in 2009!

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Core Customers

I was recently asked what steps I’m taking in my business to weather the current economic storm. This question challenged me to think about what I am actually doing to survive and thrive in this recessionary period. After pondering the question, I realized that I’m taking several steps. I’ll outline theses steps over the next few days.

First of all, I have to say that I am focusing on the basics. In my judgment, most business owners know what to do; they just don’t feel like doing it most of the time. They need to be reminded and held accountable by someone other than themselves. So, as you read, don’t expect some secrets from a business management guru. Rather, expect to be reminded of the basics, with some insights into how the basics are lived out in my world.

When first asked the question, my first thoughts were about my customers. My main priority currently is to focus intently on my core customers. These are the customers who represent the majority of my revenue, profit, and opportunity for future growth. As such, they deserve my attention regardless of the economy. I would be a fool to ignore their needs. Yet, I find myself distracted at times and not focusing on these core customers.

There are many distractions in business. I have to be proactive in dealing with distractions if I ever hope to focus intently on my core customers. One proactive strategy is to block out chunks of time to focus on a specific customer’s needs. I see this time as an actual meeting with the customer. Would I blow off a meeting with a core customer? Of course not. I have to take the same attitude with this appointment on my calendar.

Another proactive strategy is to set follow-up reminders in my time management system to check in with my core customers on a regular basis. Similar to the first strategy, this also creates a demand on my time. Admittedly, I’m not always prompt in responding to these reminders. However, they do serve a purpose. They nudge me toward keeping my core customers in the forefront of my mind—where they deserve to be.

Checking in with core customers may be something as simple as a phone call or an email. For some, it will result in coffee or lunch. Regardless, there is nothing better than letting my core customers know that I’m thinking about them.

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Proverbs 3:1-4

1 My child,[e] never forget the things I have taught you.
Store my commands in your heart.
2 If you do this, you will live many years,
and your life will be satisfying.
3 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!
Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
Write them deep within your heart.
4 Then you will find favor with both God and people,
and you will earn a good reputation.

Doesn’t everyone wish to live a long and satisfying life; to find favor with God and people; to have a good reputation? I don’t know too many people who don’t. In fact, there is no doubt that we strive for these things. Unfortunately, some attempt to obtain satisfaction, favor, and reputation by doing things that are wrong, but that’s another story. The fact of the matter is that everyone desires these things, so much so that they tempt cheating to gain them.

But, it’s not easy to obtain these things and very easy to lose them. How easy is it to never forget; to store God’s commands in our hearts; to remain loyal and kind; to tie a reminder around our necks; to write on our hearts. These figures of speech talk about making a commitment to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God, based on the scriptures. How easy is that to pull off, especially in the world that we live in today? But, this is what we’re called to do. Thank God that more teaching is to follow that will help us in this endeavor.

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Saved by a Cowboy

President Bush this morning announced that the Federal government will provide loans totaling $17.4 billion to assist the Big 3 U.S. automakers. The President takes this action following the failure of the U.S. Congress to pass similar measures. Outraged auto workers, who felt abandoned by their legislators, now may take comfort in this announcement, although time will tell if our government is simply throwing good money (my money) after bad.

This late-term strategic decision adds an unexpected chapter to the Bush legacy, as he continues to act without regard of political consequences or public sentiment for his decisions. This loan is not supported by the majority in our country and wasn’t able to survive congressional votes, but he chose to act in spite of these facts. After all, he is a cowboy.

It is widely known that President Bush’s approval rating is historically low. It is less widely known that the approval rating for congress is even lower. These fat cats are the most inept group of people ever assembled. Their leaders are corrupt and self-serving at their core. Their appetite for pork-barrel spending and inability to live according to a budget is disgusting.

As much as I don’t approve of an auto bailout, I’m impressed by our President. He does what he thinks is right and doesn’t really care what you or I think about it. After all, he is a cowboy.

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In the Flesh

There is no substitute for being present—in the flesh—to communicate the importance of something. Many leaders fail to remember this simple fact, especially in this digital age. An email or phone call may be sufficient for some things, but not all things. Getting face to face with someone communicates that they are the priority; that there is nothing more important than this meeting. This represents a powerful tool for a leader.

Early this morning, President Bush made a surprise visit to over 1000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, followed by a meeting with President Karzai at his palace in Kabul. President Bush has been criticized for failing to visit Afghanistan in person, despite repeated requests for him to make the trip. This proves my point. Surrogates may be nice, but they don’t send the right message.

This trip to Kabul was not without risk. You can only imagine the prize that would be waiting for a terrorist who took out the President of the United States. But, it was important for the President to make this trip, despite the risks, and he was warmly welcomed. Karzai stated that “I and the Afghan people are very proud and honored to the profoundest depth of our hearts to have President Bush with us here today.” He went on to say that he wished that Bush had more time and that the Afghan people could see Bush in person. There’s nothing like being in person; on the ground.

In my own experience, I’ve worked for people who did everything they could to avoid getting face to face with “the troops.” For whatever reason, they chose to send surrogates, emails, and stay at arms length. In my judgment, this approach sends the wrong message and is not a trait of a great leader. Great leaders don’t hide.

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