Are your sales and profits where you want them? Are your people developing the innovative products and processes to get you to the next level, to win in the marketplace or maybe just to get your numbers in the black? Growth is often a byproduct of new perspectives – a new approach to common problems – matching your products to customer needs. It used to be said, “If you do what you did, you’ll get what you got.” In today’s world “if you do what you did, you’ll get less than you got!” Want improved results? Then mix it up. How?
Consider three vital components of a successful business:
1. The right people mix
2. The right market match
3. The right style (Don’t use your parents’ leadership approach.)
THE RIGHT PEOPLE MIX
“Our people are our biggest asset.” This statement is incorrect 95 percent of the time! If you’re really living this, you’ve not only hired competent people with similar values, but you have people who are willing, able, and encouraged to (as Jim Rome would say) have a “take” – an opinion that possibly does not match yours! They can look different (have a earring or tattoo and call people dudes, be of a different race or sexual orientation), occasionally act different (they may enjoy working odd hours and work more creatively by taking a stroll than sitting at a desk), and occasionally be seen as a royal pain in the backside. In short, these people are often seen as “different.”
Why is a different “mix of people” good for business?
New perspectives spur growth. Breakthrough ideas come from seeing things “oddly,” or seeing things in different ways than others around you. Can your business grow if there is only one way of thinking in your business (or if others are afraid to really tell you what they think)?
You’ll invite your people to challenge “that’s how it’s done around here.” Your experience is your friend and enemy. I remember an intern who had been with our organization for two weeks asking us why our office was so inefficiently configured. When we didn’t have a good answer for him, we got his thoughts and ended up moving things around, to improve our workflow and save money.
How can you mix it up to improve results?
Look around. Does everyone around look like you? Do people around you nod in agreement and then not deliver results? Challenge yourself to hire and include people with similar values but different viewpoints, talents and possibly even looks - people who will test the status quo.
Call in a new mix. Are the same “executives” always gathered around the decision-making table? Maybe “executivitis” has stunted innovation! Include young talent with good ideas who may be lacking in political correctness, who are not afraid to shake things up. A bottle full of Jolt may be just what the doctor ordered for a sleepy business.
THE RIGHT MARKET MATCH
Markets today are not mass markets. We talk in segments, niches and targets. Your budget requires you to focus for success. The mix is getting more mixed. So how can you leverage mix for market results?
Put your mix next to your customer’s mix. Buyers want to see “themselves” in your people, in your product literature, in your promotional fliers. If your target markets are African-Americans and Asians, are they represented in your company? In your promotional materials? Why not? Analyze your demographic mix compared to your customers. Find the gaps. Fill the gaps with competent, challenging and excited people in your targeted demographic group (this is not about quotas, it’s about seeing results with your customers!). Hire and include only excellent people while consciously considering demographics.
Get out. Mingle with your customers to get their viewpoints. Ever seen a marketing “staff” that never gets out of the office? I have; they’re lousy! Write down three specific ways you can spend more time with your targeted customers.
Work with vendors who have similar values. Do your vendors share your beliefs about integrity, fairness and diversity? If they don’t, either have an up-front conversation about what they must do to meet your expectations or put forth the effort to find competent, high-value oriented vendors and fire your current supplier. Put your money where your philosophy is!
THE RIGHT STYLE (Don’t use your parents’ leadership approach.)
My father taught me a ton while he was alive, but let’s face it: the world is moving much too quickly to lead by the same methods as even five years ago. I’m sure if my father were living today he would say, “Michael you can either make change, or have change happen to you. Either lead or be a victim. What do you choose?”
What does effective leadership look like in your “mixed-up” world? Consider:
One size does not fit all. You’ve got Venus; you’ve got Mars. You’ve got young; you’ve got old. You’ve got white, black, Latino, Asian and Italian. Can you effectively communicate with all of these groups? If not, catch up with some business buzzword books on “emotional intelligence” and “productive conflict.” My two favorites are Primal Leadership by Richard Boyatsis and Annie McKee and The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni.
Remember “The Price is Right.” Bob Barker enthusiastically called new contestants down to price the items and win valuable prizes. You need to follow Bob’s advice and draw in “new contestants” who can earn (not win) valuable prizes in your business. Include new people on critical projects where they can earn valuable prizes (such as new experiences, challenges and money in their pockets). Be enthusiastic about their involvement. Challenge them to push the status quo; measure results and reward performance.
In the end it’s all about results. Mix can be the vital to achieving business results; but mix requires courage – the courage to have the right people mix, the courage to match your market and the courage to adapt your leadership approach. Do you have the courage to start on your “new mix?”
The author is chief executive officer of Cleveland Glass Block (a Northcoast 99 recipient for best employers in Northeast Ohio and a Community Pillar Award winner for community service) and president of Leadership Builders. He can be contacted by phone at 216/531-6085 or via e-mail at mfoti@leadershipbuilders.com.