By Sid Chadwick, Chadwick Consulting, Inc. – 01/22/2021 Published in American Printer
“Culture… eats strategy… for breakfast”…………Peter Drucker, Consultant, Writer, Professor
INTRODUCTION:
What do you reward…..(…please… don’t tell me it’s straight commission……)…?
When was the last time you wrote a special check, or bought a high-end dinner… for an employee… or a department — who truly…went the extra mile to make something important….something special… happen…?
What do you really celebrate…..is it birthdays… and work anniversaries (yes, those are important)….and… is there space in those gatherings – for recognizing significant achievements…? (Don’t most significant achievements require support and contributions – from others…who knew what that one person, that one department – was struggling….to make happen….?)
In a previous life, our Sales Department would make sure our Production brothers and sisters… knew…we cared…that they were critical to what was achieved… we cooked BIG spaghetti dinners (…we’re talking loaves of Italian garlic bread, big batches of pasta…great home-made sauce…and lots of red wine…all you could drink and eat…)…at my home…we hung balloons and signs from department rafters…every time we hit a new revenue milestone (which was almost monthly…… you hit a lot of new revenue milestones… when you triple your revenues … in less than 4 years)…!
SUMMARY:
From my vantage point… opportunities for improved performance – have never been greater…….
Competitors… are willing to buy and sell… to each other…because…they need to…
Needed Talent…Great Creative Talent…is willing to contribute to your projects…on a part-time or limited basis….because it knows the value of learning something new…and often prefers that type of working relationship…..
Technology…seems only limited by our ability…. how to use it….
Equipment dealers…and manufacturers…are willing to make deals…that fit your ability to make payments….
Customers…are starved… for inspiration…creative solutions… and support…..!
If ever there were a time for senior management to make sure that everyone knows how much their extra efforts…. their creativity…their extra contributions count… it is NOW!
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me….. Going to bed at night…. saying we’ve done something wonderful….that’s what matters to me.”……………..Steve Jobs