Business Results - Four Critical Success Factors

Scenario One

During a recent presentation, a business owner was given the following challenge. If 10 of his 100 employees were asked to name the top 3 organizational goals for the current year as they perceived them to be, would he receive the same 3 goals from everyone or would he receive 5, 10 or even 25 different goals? The business owner shook his head and thoughtfully responded, "No, I am sure that I would receive more than 3 goals." He was then asked to consider what these misdirected actions from his employees were costing him in terms of missed opportunities.

Scenario Two

At another presentation, a business owner was asked if she set goals? She responded quite enthusiastically, "Of course, I set goals." She was asked a follow-up question: "Can you state with 100% conviction that your employees know how to consistently achieve both their personal and professional goals?" After a few moments, she replied "No." She was then asked how this lack of knowledge potentially affected her bottom line?

Scenario Three

A president of a company was asked: "Have you ever seen behavior inconsistent with your strategic plan?" He quickly answered "Yes!" A second question was asked, "What did you do about it?" "Well, we sent them to training and within 6 months we had to send them back again?" A new question was then posed to the President. "Are these performance failures a result of a lack of knowledge or skills or due to poor attitudes and habits?" The president immediately said "Why bad attitudes and poor habits." Again, the facilitator asked another question: "What are all these re-do's costing your company?"

Scenario Four

During the annual meeting, the CEO of a manufacturing company informed her executive team that she wanted to achieve a 10% growth during the next 12 months. The VP of Operations made plans to purchase new manufacturing equipment for some new products while the VP of Marketing & Sales began to implement a plan selling existing products. The CFO decided to cut budgets to capital improvements and marketing. All three executive team members believed that their actions would help achieve the 10% growth.

These scenarios shared four critical success factors (CSF's) that impede all organizations from achieving consistent results: communication, goal setting and goal achievement skills, attitudes and alignment.

Critical Factor #1: Communication is the key to unlocking the potential within businesses as well as individuals. When the goals are in alignment with the vision and consistently communicated from top down, then performance excellence is much more likely to happen. Inconsistent communication contributes to missed targets and lowers the performance for the entire organization.

Critical Factor #2: Goal setting and goal achievement are learned skills. Unfortunately, many presume that these skills are acquired during the K-12 educational experiences through the "Osmosis Process." Also, these skills are not actively taught in the corporate setting. Yet, consistent goal achievement or the results are what every organization seeks.

Critical Factor #3: Attitudes drive behaviors that result in change. Many companies focus on trying to change negative behaviors because they are experiencing negative change. However, when the negative attitudes are replaced with positive attitudes, those attitudes will drive positive behaviors creating positive change. By failing to address negative attitudes, new trends, changes or initiatives, the result is wasted resources creating a negative drain on the "KASH Box."

Critical Factor #4: Alignment is necessary to ensure that the desired results are achieved. Performance excellence happens when the strategies, systems and people are working together to build loyal internal customers that drive loyal external customers. The much heard adage about "Getting everyone to row in the same direction" is true, but probably should be amended to include the following "by using the same paddles."

When these four CSF's work together, results happen quicker and create a culture of working "smarter and not harder." The following questions may help you to achieve the consistent results that you desire as you work your strategic plan:

1. Do I know with 100% accuracy that every employee can clearly articulate the top 3 goals for the organizations?

2. Does every person within the organization consistently sets and achieves all of his or her personal and professional goals?

3. Does everyone within the organization at ALL times consistently demonstrate positive attitudes?

4. Are the strategies, systems and people in alignment to build loyal internal customers?

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. President of ADVANCED SYSTEMS, is the Process Specialist. With over 25 years of business and education experience, she builds peace and abundance by connecting the 3P's of Passion, Purpose and Performance through process improvement. Her ROI driven process solutions affect sustainable change in 4 key areas: financials, leadership, relationships and growth & innovation with a variety of industries. She aligns the strategies, systems and people to develop loyal internal customers that lead to external customers. As co-author of M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential:Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement due for June 2005 release, Leanne speaks nationally to a variety of audiences. Please call Leanne a call at 219.759.5601 or email leanne@processspecialist.com if you are seeking amazing results.

Copyright 2005 Leanne Hoagland-Smith, http://www.processspecialist.com

Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).

---

Communication Strategy During A Time Of Strategic Planning

"Rubbish!" shouted the large, aggressive man in the red-striped shirt... Read More

Is Plan B Ready?

Business owners and entrepreneurs are, by nature, risk takers and... Read More

Attributes of Companies You Dont Want to Buy!

There are no "rules of thumb" in the pursuit of... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Implementation: Pharmaceutical Corporation Specifics ? overview

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains serves mid-size and large clients... Read More

Secrets Of Effective Brainstorming

Have you been in a "brainstorming" session where each person... Read More

Corporate Venturing For Emerging Growth Companies

The boom of the dot-com era in 1999 brought the... Read More

Could You Be Setting Your Business Plan Up For Failure?

David E. Gumpert, author of Burn Your Business Plan, often... Read More

Business Planning and the ?Bozo? Factor

"Bozo" ? A clown with a forlorn look, always finding... Read More

Cost-cutting Essential to Maintaining Profits

Why cut costs now? Efforts are multiplying to cut costs... Read More

Business Strategy Planning Made Easy

Ask Yourself three simple questions that affect your strategy planning...... Read More

Planning For The Slow Season Of Your Business To Increase Sales

Every business experiences slower periods. For some, they sell more... Read More

Sony?s PSI Project

In 1989, Sony founded its Institute of Wisdom at the... Read More

Going Self-Employed ? A Few Handy Hints

The day you decide to take the plunge and work... Read More

Clearing the Path: 4 Ways Fear Wreaks Havoc on Your Dream and What to Do About It

Please take a moment before you read any further and... Read More

A Rough Cut on Feasibility

A piano tuner recently moved to Buffalo, NY, and would... Read More

Don?t Allow Yourself to Get Burned

I am not a big fisherman, but I do enjoy... Read More

2 Simple Steps Before Starting Your Business

There is so much small business information available today that... Read More

How to Write a Business Plan Market Analysis

Writing a business plan is an essential part of the... Read More

The Tables Have Turned - Its Officially a Sellers Market

Private equity firms have raised so much capital over the... Read More

How to Grow Your Business by Clearing the Way to Growth

Is your business growing as fast and effectively as it... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains in Agriculture ? implementation highlights

In this small article we'll concentrate on farmers associations and... Read More

The Top Five Reasons Strategic Plans Fail

"Most great plans aren't. They are just nice, high-level ideas."That's... Read More

TQM Total Quality Management, the book

Every decade we seem to come up with a buzz-word... Read More

To Go or No Go, That Is The Question

Last week we talked about a few of the ways... Read More

How Copying the HBO Schedule Can Boost Your Business

I'm not talking about posting the HBO schedule on your... Read More

College Students and Graduates to Run Company Outlets or Franchises

Does your overall business strategy include the recruitment of college... Read More

How To Prepare A Business Plan That Guarantees Big Profits

It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you... Read More

Turning On The Lights

Fun From The StartFor those with the will to start... Read More

Making a Decision to Outsource: Strategic Constraints

Many companies are reluctant to dive into outsourcing ocean because... Read More

Under Construction During the Storm ? A Hurricane Guide for Businesses that are Under Construction

As a business owner, you've likely created a hurricane plan... Read More

Break-Even Analysis

A significant advantage of some business ideas is that the... Read More

How to Start A Business Plan

A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals,... Read More

The Importance of Value Mix

( * - the word 'product' can be substituted to... Read More