Consulting

“As military strategist Shun Tzu observed, it is victory, and not mere perseverance, that is the essential goal of any battle”

Have you ever noticed how many nonprofit organization’s and businesses pat themselves on the back for their perseverance? Enduring is noble, heroic, creates legends and is written about in history. It does not always mean that it is the most effective way to reach an outcome or goal. I have recently received numerous emails from social enterprise organizations highlighting their determination during difficult times. These narratives certainly stir emotions but they make me wonder if I am supporting an organization that is closer to its sunset than sunrise.

One of the strategies outlined by Hartmut Esslinger in his book a fine line is “The Fourth Line: Building Strategic Reserves.” He recalls how Caesar kept a fourth line of army hidden in the trees during a military battle. The fourth line was the ultimate strategy for success since the enemy was not expecting the reserves to appear. During more difficult economic times and challenges to programs and services, this is the time to reveal the fourth line. These are the organizations that seems to be thriving. Hartmut talks about Steve Jobs return to Apple and how he quickly changed the business model of the company without revealing the product that defined their sector such as the iPod, iTunes, and iPhone. Once each of these were launched they owned the marketplace and the competitors reacted with sloppy replicas at best.

How is your organization thriving? Do you have a fourth line? Are you persevering and enduring or are you thriving?

Nine is Devine

Imagine for a second, your best team experience. Think of an achievement in sports, theater, school, volunteering, travel, etc.

What was the team experience? How many people do you recall being involved in the group? When I do this exercise in a consulting engagement most people say their memory involves 5 to 7 other individuals. Nothing scientific, just anecdotal evidence.

I am more convinced that nine individuals on a board or committee is the ideal size. Here is my rationale. Studies have shown that groups of ten and over trend towards parliamentary communication patterns. There is less of a collaborative conversation and more often the speaker addresses the Chair (or leader) instead of the entire group. Individuals feel less accountable and are more willing to miss meetings because they are convinced that their point of view will be represented by another member of the board. The dynamics of discussions take on a different chemistry as group size changes. I am not saying the Supreme Court gets it right every time but it is interesting to me that there are nine justices. The other trait boards over nine tend to exhibit is to start adding as many major donors as they can to the board. Major donors clearly have passion and the talent to invest significant funds into a cause. That does not immediately make them great decision makers. I encourage groups to focus on identifying a committed group of nine individuals who represent diverse points of view and are willing to be accountable for the decisions they make. You can always expand but it takes years to contract for most organizations.

As a former firefighter and EMT, I took an Incident Command class as a prerequisite course. One of the skills you learned was to be very clear about who you were assigning a specific task. If you were dealing with bystanders then you would either refer to them by name or acknowledge them by saying, ‘you in the red shirt, I need you to to call 911, now.’ Make the same statement without making eye contact and assigning responsibility to a crowd of on-lookers and your chances of success are much diminished.

What has been your most effective group sizes when it comes to making decisions in a team setting? In reality, does your preferred group size meet reality? Are your boards and committees larger or smaller than your preference?

New Landscape

On vacation this week and went for a five hour mountain bike ride this morning. It was tremendous and perhaps most memorable because almost two years ago a wildland fire tore through 45,000 acres, consuming most of the landscape that I rode today. Many of the valley’s residents were displaced or forced to evacuate. This took place during the height of summer tourist season. It nearly devastated Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain Ski Area and continues to have a negative financial impact on local businesses. But there is a remarkable side to the story. It opened new skiing options since the fire completely incinerated all the trees and vegetation, leaving just charred trunks. The trails I rode today are in their second summer of regeneration. Flowers and new plants have filled the forest floor and mountainside.

I came across the vista (pictured below) from the trail to give an updated perspective. It has completely changed the experience of mountain biking on Baldy. You can see miles ahead and have new views that were previously hidden by the lodge pole pine trees.

Have you prepared for how the landscape of your enterprise might change? What are the unseen opportunities that you might realize? Can you anticipate the unanticipated?

Post-it Marketing

I follow a variety of blogs as many of you do. The other day I noticed that a blogger I know was using post-it notes to spread messages containing statements that had a social awareness theme. It reminded me of the power of grass-roots marketing. When you take existing infrastructure and give it a new use paradigm shifts are possible. Check out http://samaritanblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/post-it-inspiration_21.html.

How can you enhance your message and brand using the most basic of tools? Do you tend to notice a child’s lemonade stand at the side of the road more readily than the local convenience store? Is the story you are telling remarkable?

Q

Q, James Bond’s supplier of all things destructive and detonating. When watching the films today, the gadgets seem to be antiquated and almost humorous in their design. Polaroid cameras that shoot lasers, exploding alarm clocks, and plastic explosive tooth past. What was revolutionary is now better displayed in the spy museum as a relic of the a past era. I am reminded that fewer members in Generation Y wear wrist watches since their mobile phone or MP3 player serves as their time piece.

What has changed in your field of expertise? Does your success still rely on Polaroid cameras and wrist watches? Do you have the right people in the room when making critical decisions?

Living in the Moment

I spent the three days backpacking in Sawtooth National Recreation Area. It was amazing to see how much snow still sits in the high country and I seemed to hike past one constant waterfall due to the gushing flow in the mountain streams.

What truly got my attention was the presence of bears on my hike back to the trail head. I ran across repeated signs of bears in the area. Their presence seemed to coincide with the fact that the trail became overgrown and I could not see much further than 5-10 yards ahead at best. A couple times I heard the loud crush of vegetation moving somewhere just off the trail. For the next two hours my focus was only on the moment. No day-dreaming or inner monologue- just focusing on not surprising a bear standing in the middle of a huckleberry patch.

It was a reminder that during moments of heightened awareness our focus can be well trained on the events at hand. Multi-tasking was out. I was not juggling a couple of responsibilities. It was simple, focus on moving down the trail in the safest manner possible.

I ran into a group of three backpackers who had started from a lower campsite and scared off three bears. I thanked them for their fine work.

How do you stay focused? What have you pulled off when you put your mind to a single outcome?

One Hundred

One hundredth post- thank you for reading and providing your input. I appreciate having the venue to share ideas and resources. I am off to the the One Hundred Acre Woods for a short walkabout and a chance to generate new ideas. I offer a couple global questions as I shoulder the backpack.

What is not going to change in your enterprise?

During your tenure at your current organization, what is the one thing that must be accomplished?

If your enterprise could learn one ‘new step’ (skill), what would it be?

What question needs to be answered before you can proceed?

Have a great adventure today!

For Sale

I found a real estate magazines from ten years ago when I was listing a house for sale. I was back in the same resort town this weekend and compared the old to the current listings. Even with the current difficulties in the real estate market some of the same homes are on the market for a significant percentage increase when compared to the information I had from ten years prior. What may feel like a significant loss in value when compared to twelve months ago is quite a hansom gain if you expand your time horizon. How often do we get caught in the trap of feeling like we lost something (even if it is temporary) when in reality it is still a net positive? I recall an experiment where individuals would do significantly more to protect $50,000 that was potentially threatened by theft or loss than the same individual would do to gain $50,000 through an existing opportunity.

What is your time horizon? Do you protect what you have more vigorously than taking advantage of growth opportunities? Are you aware of how emotions impact your decision making?