One of my favorite quips is from Winston Churchill who
observed that golf is a game where the "object is to get a
ball into a distant hole with tools singularly ill-suited
to the task." The quote makes me chuckle, but too often I
see managers and business owners trying to build businesses
with tools "singularly ill-suited to the task."
Sometimes this happens because we have people (who ought
not be called "tools", but I hope you'll allow me the
latitude to make the larger point) who are ill-suited to
the tasks they need to accomplish, employees whose talents
and training do not permit them to excel at their job. They
never know the joy of excellence, and the company loses
quality, performance and profits.
The second most common failure I see is poor training. By
and large, the companies and leaders I know are quite
willing to invest in "hardware" and generally the physical
tools are adequate. Sometimes computers or other systems
are out-dated, but most American companies have relatively
modern offices and equipment.
Where we fall down is in the "software" of giving our
people the BEST training for success. We fail to focus on
communication and team-building. We fail to orient new
employees to our corporate culture and values, then wonder
why they "never seem to fit in." We fail to coach our staff
and our managers for peak performance, and we forget that
in the end, our most important assets "walk out the door
every night."
Invest in great tools! Invest in training, in coaching, in
selecting and promoting the "best and brightest" people.
Invest in teams and in shared visions. Invest in the
"little things" that let great people do their best work.
observed that golf is a game where the "object is to get a
ball into a distant hole with tools singularly ill-suited
to the task." The quote makes me chuckle, but too often I
see managers and business owners trying to build businesses
with tools "singularly ill-suited to the task."
Sometimes this happens because we have people (who ought
not be called "tools", but I hope you'll allow me the
latitude to make the larger point) who are ill-suited to
the tasks they need to accomplish, employees whose talents
and training do not permit them to excel at their job. They
never know the joy of excellence, and the company loses
quality, performance and profits.
The second most common failure I see is poor training. By
and large, the companies and leaders I know are quite
willing to invest in "hardware" and generally the physical
tools are adequate. Sometimes computers or other systems
are out-dated, but most American companies have relatively
modern offices and equipment.
Where we fall down is in the "software" of giving our
people the BEST training for success. We fail to focus on
communication and team-building. We fail to orient new
employees to our corporate culture and values, then wonder
why they "never seem to fit in." We fail to coach our staff
and our managers for peak performance, and we forget that
in the end, our most important assets "walk out the door
every night."
Invest in great tools! Invest in training, in coaching, in
selecting and promoting the "best and brightest" people.
Invest in teams and in shared visions. Invest in the
"little things" that let great people do their best work.
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