This business life....

Waiting in an airport. Again!

So here I am, waiting in an airport. This time it's a little different. I'm picking up my wife. She has been gone all week. I'm usually waiting on a plane or in a taxi or some hotel room away from home. It is lonely on the road but nothing like being home alone all week. I lost track of time, ate poorly and stayed up too late. It helped me appreciate what my wife experiences while I'm gone. I would have been all together unproductive and a bit lost if we hadn't stayed in regular contact. Fortunately we stayed connected with phone calls, email and text so things ran almost like normal.

I think it can be this way with colleagues at the office when you travel. So stay connected with the your team. It will help things run almost like normal.

Sell the airplane ticket.

Del Groves and I were in Beijing several years ago. As we enjoyed a down day we walked along different areas of town and did what tourists do. We took a lot of pictures. This is one of my favorite pictures from that trip. In it's literal translation there is both humor and a lot of truth. 

I wonder what catchy phrase the ad agency really meant to have on the billboard. What they translated was litterally what they were trying to do, "Sell the airplane ticket". It reminds me even now as I look at it that what we are most about in business is selling what we produce. Are you "selling the airplane ticket"? If not, why aren't you?

Darrell Tadley

Wow, only 11 months till 2012.

It's hard to believe. January ends today. We only have eleven more months to make the most of 2011. 

I look back on the last 31 days and don't know that I've accomplished much of what I set out to do. I wish I'd had more time.  That could become a mantra each month of the year. So, I won't obsess on it. Instead I'll concentrate on the many things that were accomplished and the exciting 11 months ahead. How do I impact someone else for good? How do I make a difference?

Make the most of the rest of the year. 2012 will be here before you know it. Will 2011 look any different than 2010? You still have time to make a difference in your life and the lives of others this year. Will you? How will you? Don't delay because it won't be long before you're having to remember to write 2012 on everything.

Darrell

Don't rush the cookies.

I just baked some cookies. Chocolate chip. About half way through I started staring at the oven. Almost pulled them out a couple of times. But I didn't and now they are cooling. They look perfect.

This reminds me of business. I can't count the number of times that I have "pulled the cookies from the oven", so to speak, way to soon. There are lost opportunities all along the road because of this. On the other end are the deals gone bad or messes to clean up because I waited way to long. In those instances it is a lot like leaving the cookies in too long and burning them. You just throw them in the trash and start over.

The challenge is knowing when the right time is. I think it is part science, experience and shear luck when my cookies come out ok. Maybe business is lot like that.

Do you have a good or bad "cookie" experience. How do you get things just right?

Darrell Tadley

I really messed up.

A few years ago we started a large project. We committed a budget to it and the work started. Along the way the project went all sorts of sideways. The product is yet to go into production and it cost us a lot of money. It continues to be a difficult situation and distraction to our business.

Here is where I messed up. I took my eyes off the big picture and I didn't follow the project plan in light of our overall business. I also let other "critical situations" distract me. We had a number of major events occur in succession; events that we didn’t cause and couldn’t control. This isn't uncommon in business. Unfortunately I did what a lot of executives and managers do. I focused all of my effort on the "fire" at the moment and neglected the big picture. I made assumptions about projects and cash flow based on estimation, not hard data. I didn’t listen to my team as well as I should. I even buried my head in the sand a bit. I’m sure it was easier to do that at the time. Distraction is always easier than facing the real problems head on. I finally pulled my head out of the sand and decided to modify my focus. I found that several areas of the business were and are in critical need of adjustment.  The entire business and its growth suffered because of this poorly focused sort of decision-making.

I'm not saying to ignore the fires that pop up. What I am saying is to fight them hard but don't take your eyes or mind off of the big picture. If every decision is how to "fix" the current problem without a full examination of how it came to be and how fixing it affects the entire business, you're wasting your time. Do the hard thing and analyze every issue or opportunity with the whole business at the forefront. And, don’t forget those people on your team who bring a depth of clarity to your business that is critical for sound decision-making in difficult times. 

How do you fight the current fires while still keeping your eyes on the big picture? I’d really like to hear. Click “Comments” below to post yours.

Darrell Tadley

 

With 52% of the votes in, I'm calling it.

Like the political pundits across the USA tonight I'm calling the election. Overwhelmingly America has won.

America won today because Americans participated in the process. This remarkable thing called democracy worked today. Actually it works in elections across America all the time. When a free and democratic people exercise the very rights given to them by all mighty God remarkable things happen.

Congratulattions to America tonight. Whether your candidate won or not, you have won. You have shown what is great about America.

Permission to Speak Freely

Review of Anne Jackson's book "Permission to Speak Freely" 

I just finished Anne Jackson's new book, Permission to Speak Freely. It was an odd but important read. My initial thought was that it was a compilation of messages from people struggling with the church. It was a bit of that. It was a bit more of Anne's own story. A story that I think is important because it really is what lot of people experience with the church as they struggle through life. It needs to be told and re-told.  

On a flight home this week I listened to Casting Crown's song "Does Anybody Hear Her". It reminded me of precisely why we need Anne's book. What Anne and countless others experience in the church falls at my feet. I haven't experienced the rejection and disillusionment that she experienced. I fear that I have caused it. Anne convicted me of my sin and my own struggles. More importantly she reminds me of the hope that is in Christ. 

It is not only OK to speak freely and tell your story, it is critical that you do. It opens the doors to healing. Tell your story as loud as you can. The church must hear it.

You can learn more and buy the book here: www.permissiontospeakfreely.com

Darrell Tadley

Blackberry or iPhone?

This question is challenging a lot of organizations. Which way to go?

We use Blackberry because of the data plan. It is unbeatable. When any of our folks are traveling outside the US, which is often, there are no additional charges for data, email, web, etc. And with Blackberry Messenger real-time chat is also included. So, no expensive international text fees.

But... The browser is the pits, apps are all but useless and it isn't nearly as user friendly as the iPhone. Several of us use iPads and iPod touch. My computer is even a Mac. I like the Apple engineering and design. If iPhone had an international data plan like Blackberry it would be hard not to switch.

What do you think, Blackberry or iPhone?

Darrell Tadley

Ethics training? Here's an example that rocks.

I've been really struggling with the issue of ethical leadership. I think mostly because I'm challenged every day with making good and right decisions. I think I still agree with my friend who says you can't teach ethics. But, the folks at BearingPoint are making the best attempt I've seen. 

Dan and Chip Heath have an article on FastCompany.com from back in December (How to Make Corporate Training Rock). They talk about how Russ Berland took ethics and compliance training out of the dull manual and to a medium that not only piqued interest but engaged employees in such a way that they had to have more each week. You can read the article here: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/141/made-to-stick-the-power-of-razzle-dazzle.html.

It is great to see an organization who takes it seriously but makes it fun. Doing the right thing isn't always fun but it is always right.

Darrell Tadley

I'll be glad when November gets here.

I'm in Colorado this week. Vacationish. That's my new word for "supposed to be on vacation, but work is getting in the way". 

I'll be glad when November gets here. Every time I've turned on a television since returning from Asia last Sunday I've been overwhelmed with political ads. At least in Phoenix I was familiar with the candidates. Here I don't even know who the person is who is bad mouthing the other person I don't know. I've been watching these ads to see if anyone will actually say what they believe and what they stand for. All I have heard so far is how bad "the other guy" is and why I shouldn't vote for him or her.

I just want to yell STOP IT! I don't care how bad you think the other guy is and why I shouldn't vote for him. Tell me why I should vote for you. Convince me that you are worthy of my vote.

Darrell Tadley