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06.04.07
Successful Leadership - Beware The Silver Bullets
By Andrew Cox
We are all tempted to keep looking for that one person,
that one application, that one solution, that one customer
that will make all the bad things go away and breathe new
life into whatever we've been stuck with. The Silver Bullet
- the epiphany - the stroke of lightning that cures all
ills. Billions of dollars are spent every year on hope -
and Silver Bullets - with little if any positive effect.
A story:
I was meeting with the Executive Vice President of a large
multi business company. They had a business unit in Florida
with continuing labor problems. The unit was union free,
but every two years there would be an organizing attempt by
a major national union. Two years was up since the last
attempt, and another organizing attempt was in the works.
The company felt continuing to resist, although expensive
and disruptive in the short term,was better than having a
union and third party representation of their workers. The
business unit was highly successful, hadn't had a layoff in
years - in fact, they were in a hiring mode.
The EVP directly responsible for the unit was tempted to
throw in the towel and agree to a union, but the CEO was
dead set against it.
The EVP wanted to know how I could help turn this around,
and avoid an organizing drive. We went through the
checklist of elements that are critical to remaining union
free,starting with competitive wages and benefits, a system
of due process to handle issues, an equitable system to
recognize length of service and a well developed
communication process. As we talked he became increasingly
impatient, and finally said " We have all that. I'm looking
for the one thing - the thing we don't have - that will
make this organizing attempt go away. We've tried all kinds
of programs and processes, and none have succeeded."
I suggested the place to start would be in evaluating the
effectiveness of what they were already doing, then go from
there. It's possible to have lots of things - but
possession and use are two very different things. He didn't
like that - he was looking for a new approach - a Silver
Bullet. I told him I didn't have any special formula to
make his wish come true, and, frankly, I don't believe in
the Silver Bullet approach to managing a workforce.
They had an organizing attempt - after an expensive and
extensive campaign the company was successful in defeating
the attempt, but their profits, quality, shipments and
employee relations all suffered because of it.
Moral of the story - Silver Bullets are so rare they're not
worth focusing on. Rather than spend time and energy
looking for them, take that same time and energy and
convert it into solutions that improve on what you already
possess and do well.
Successful leaders know accomplishment is built on a solid
foundation of good people, good products, good leadership
and good practices. Successful leaders know the Program of
the Month is a recipe for failure - as one fix after
another gets introduced, supported, and then slowly fizzles
away, to be replaced by another. All that happens is the
people in the business become ever more cynical and
resistant to change.
Successful leaders should put a sign on their doors - "No
Silver Bullets Welcome." They know the fundamentals need to
be in place, excellence needs to be promoted every day,
high expectations established, communications constantly
improved, performance rewarded and recognized. Out of that
comes the strength to grow and prosper. A few things done
well beats a constant stream of new initiatives. It's the
constant, insistent emphasis on the basics that creates
results, and effective change, and improvement. It's the
effective execution and implementation of the critical few
things done well.
Actually, all the Silver Bullet approach does is to create
distractions - they cause you to take your eye off the
ball. Does that mean all the new ideas and programs and
processes are without value? Of course not.
The Silver Bullet is most often created in its application.
One organization's Silver Bullet is another organization's
successful initiative. If the approach is a quick fix to an
existing problem it probably won't work - and if it
distract's from more substantial work being done, then it's
a Silver Bullet.
9 Questions to ask yourself to identify whether an
initiative, program, process or change is right for your
organization:
Does it build on what we do well?
How will this affect what we are already doing?
What has been our history - have they made a difference -
or have they faded away - or have they become imbedded in
the organization?
Will this become part of how we operate everyday, or will
it have to be treated as an exception, and need regular
maintenance and support ?
What do the people to be affected think needs to be done?
Can we measure the effect?
Do we have the resources to see this through to its
conclusion?
Will this really affect positive change and results, or are
we just staying ahead of accountability and hoping it works?
Is this a survival tactic or part of a growth and
improvement strategy?
Every organization is different - every organization will
answer differently, based on their situation, but answering
these questions will allow you to see a Silver Bullet for
what it is, and act accordingly.
About the Author:
Andy Cox is President of Cox Consulting Group LLC. He
founded his firm in 1995 after extensive experience in
leadership positions in Fortune 500 corporations. His
focus is on helping clients select, develop, retain and
enhance the performance of leaders and emerging leaders. He
can be reached at www.coxconsultgroup.com . Visit
his blog at www.multiplysuccess.blogspot.com
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