Regular readers of my blog will be familiar with my habit of over-the-top headlines.
Fear not! This article really does deliver. Earlier in the week I published a summary of a leadership strategy I presented at my client’s bootcamp conference (hosted miles from anywhere, in the mountains).
Today’s article reveals the formula for business success that the company as a whole is adopting – including some startling insights for entrepreneurs and business owners of all kinds.
To set the scene:
Store Managers from a large retail chain traveled to an isolated camp at the foot of some seriously rugged mountains. Picture scrubby bush, gravel roads and drinking water piped fresh from icy mountain streams.
In true bootcamp style, the participants would spend time mastering high-ropes courses, raft building exercises and intensive orienteering… all mixed in with lectures on business related stuff from leadership (me) to business critical tutorials (like financials, loss prevention etc).
The critical point: Attitude
The week was designed to encourage one particular principal above all others. Specifically, these Store Managers needed to take ownership of their stores. Mental and practical ownership… in the same way an owner/operator would.
This ownership would force total accountability and a psychological commitment to “Results… not reasons” (which my ranting was designed to emphasise).
Results not reasons
This principal is borrowed from the psychological make-up of super successful entrepreneurs. It is a belief and a commitment, proven time and time again to be present in the “lizard brain” of the world’s top business leaders.
Explaining (and adopting) the principal highlights some confusing issues. The most obvious is the simple logical impossibility of the idea:
When an entrepreneur or store manager commits to “Results not reasons,” they are essentially expecting more from themselves than anyone could possibly ever expect.
The commitment means that every endeavour, no matter how difficult, will always produce a “result” which you will be totally responsible for.
Typically, when things go pear-shaped in business (and life) we justify our less-than-ideal performance with reasoning.
Classic “reasons” include…
“The economy is bad right now”
“The market wasn’t ready”
“My staff couldn’t get it together”
“I didn’t get the right kind of support from my boss/franchiser/government/investors”
These statements (and all others too numerous to list here) are used by under performing folks (we’ve all been there) to help them sleep at night… ultimately, by comfortably shifting the accountability and “ultimate cause” from themselves to others.
The really clever “reasons” blame intangible bogeymen (who never defend themselves) like “the economy”.
However…
What if we do adopt this impossible attitude/belief into our business practices?
First of all, the adoptee must instantly assume a total commitment to learning and flexibility. Because, if you now only ever produce “results”… all failures MUST be transformed into feedback.
… it becomes your responsibility to utilise any feedback, learn from it and follow up with a fresh, more successful strategy.
In other words, you must constantly seek out solutions and see ALL future problems as opportunities for change and learning only.
The only admission of liability possible is:
“I didn’t expect that, but I’ve learned something and now it won’t happen again”.
Is the gravity of this attitude starting to sink in? People who really “get” the principal really do expect more from themselves than anyone could possibly expect.
Where the magic lies…
The psychological study of the world’s most successful business leaders reveals that ALL the really huge tycoons share this over-blown sense of expectation.
Examples like Buffet, Trump, Branson and Gates (just some of my favourites) have all share the attitude of unreasonable expectation for results… and the implied responsibility and accountability that goes with it.
My clients are in the process of discovering what this attitude will do for the Store Managers of a huge retail network.
I’m curious to know how making the “Results not Reasons” commitment could affect the lives of the corporate executives and business owners who are reading this.
The challenge
(This will be much harder than you think)
For one entire week, commit to producing “Results not Reasons” in your job or business.
When a problem comes up, look for ways you can be responsible and accountable. Forget blame – but take on board the necessary learnings. Work out what you need to do differently in the future.
Do this and I guarantee your week will be one of the hardest and most worthwhile to date.
What do you think? Anyone want to share the reasons why they can’t do this? Speak up in the comment section… if you dare 😉
Hi again Peter
First – I have no intention of giving any reasons why I can’t do this. Quite the opposite.
I am one of those Store Managers who have whole heartedly adopted the attitude “Results! not reasons.” Is it hard? absolutely. But you know what – you don’t notice how hard it is when you are moving ahead at such a great pace. It’s exciting. It’s challenging. It’s amplifying to know I successfully stopped myself from going down the “reasons” road and thought only of results. And its refreshing to sit back and watch my staff sit beside me and respond with “yes! I want to be there and enter into your great belief.”
I produced a concept which originally I thought would benefit only my own store. Upon sharing it with my team, I realised every branch which was part of a large retail chain would benefit. Now I get a chance to share 🙂
Basically, I said to my team the following (You’ll need to imagine the pictures alongside)
[insert picture of cool looking bus with coimpany logo on side]
The Bus – [The Company – I won’t mention our name] represents the company as a whole. Moving forward to a better future.
In order for this bus to get to its required destination, it has 45 wheels. Each of these wheels represents a store. Each wheel is made up of the following:
The hub
The spokes
The tire
[insert picture of strong looking hub]
The hub represents the Store Manager.
Central to the wheel as a whole. A hub is necessary in order to ensure the wheel leads direction. The hub is directly attached to the bus and speaks for the complete wheel.
[insert picture of groovy yet clearly defined spokes]
The spokes represent the support managers.
A critical requirement for the wheel as it maintains its shape and assists the hub to do its given job. Further, it is more directly attached to the third important aspect of the wheel – the tire.
[insert very clear picture of a tire with strongly defined tread]
The tire represents the floor staff.
This tire is made up of tread. Tread are blocks that are designed to fit together and produce a smooth ride. If any of this tread breaks apart, the ride becomes bumpy for all pieces involved in the makeup of this wheel. The tire has great importance as it needs to be assisting the other blocks involved to keep them together as 1. If one part of these blocks is moving faster then the rest, it will become more worn. On the other hand, those blocks who wish to move at a slow pace hold up those that want to move in the correct direction.
Bad morale is a flat tire.
I then took this further to explain where my store (wheel) is currently attached on the bus – about in the centre. Not leading the way and not following. Just coasting. As store manager, my goal was to not only move with the bus in it’s exciting future but to become one of the wheels that steers this mammoth vehicle.
Almost overnight, I have a team that has made a resolution to change their negative attitude and ensure they are continuously assiting me to extend the lifespan of out tire tread. I’m now called “hub” instead of Len. That in itself is a result. They recognise my position and it’s importance.
I look forward to future articles.
Cheers
Len
REGION 1!!
I like this. I think there is another important lesson too: The power of metaphor is such that sometimes people will respond better to a vividly painted picture than a precise (boring) instruction.
Here’s hoping more of your colleagues get in touch via the comment section Len.
… I’m curious to know what success looks like (metaphorically) for other managers too.