One of the first times I remember that I was really nervous getting up in front of people was in Grade 5. Our school was having a talent show of some sort and our teacher was really good about getting everyone involved and participating.
I remember that I had to do Scottish dancing in front of the parents and school assembly. Luckily for me, my partner was the pretty brunette Rhonda Norman.
The problem was that not only was I a bit of a clumsy dancer, but Rhonda was a good six inches taller than me.
I felt as awkward as I looked. I remember being so nervous that my hands were shaking and I was sweating. I think the dance went off well, but I still remember the fear. My guess is that there wasn't a person in the audience that wanted to change places with me!
Yet the evening was successful because each and everyone of the kids got to contribute in some way or form, and we were able to express our creativity.
The fact of the matter is that often as business owners we don't try to get everyone involved in helping us solve our problems.
We think that as the owners of the business that we know how to do something and we often dictate to our employees what they should be doing each and every moment of the day. Their participation in our success is limited to their ability to dance to our tune.
Yet great leaders find ways of encouraging their employees to participate in problem solving, to find solutions to customer's challenges and to develop ways that the business can move forward.
My system for helping business owners includes helping them develop a team where they have every brain in the game, and that each and every employee is working to serve customers in the best possible way. To find solutions to difficult problems we need the boots on the ground to come up with the answers.
Often in business, top-down solutions will only work to a certain extent. That extent is limited by how connected the boss is to the customers and the employees who are working on dealing with the problems on daily basis.
Many of my biggest mistakes in business have happened when I decided to enforce top-down solutions, without consultation with my staff. I remember one time one of my key staff members went on vacation, only to come back to find that her department had been relocated and changed around.
I hadn't consulted her and I faced her fury for weeks after.
Yes, the change was functional, however without her input, I found out the hard way that top-down solutions can be demotivating and do more harm than they are worth. The employee eventually forgave me but I learned a lesson that day. A lesson that the Japanese teach in Rule 4 of their Lean Business methods of which there are four rules:
Rule 1: All work will be highly specified as to content, sequence, timing and outcome.
Rule 2: Every customer-supplier connection must be direct, responses must be clear yes or no.
Rule 3: The path for every product or service must be simple and direct.
Rule 4: Improvements are made in accordance with the scientific method, under the guidance of a teacher, at the lowest possible level in the organization.
What I learned is that while I might have an idea of what is best for the business, when it comes to implementing solutions to problems and even identifying problems, employees who are working with the products, services and customers usually know more than I do about what changes need to happen.
My teacher in Grade 5 told us that we were going to have to come up with something we would do in the talent show, but didn't tell us what exactly that was. Yes, we were offered options.
No, he was not Japanese.
Once we came up with our solution to the problem (what we were going to do) he helped us formulate a plan on how to ensure that the talent show went off smoothly. We had time to practice and someone to teach us the best dance steps to use so that I wouldn't break Rhonda's toes.
Maybe all business owners would be better off if they listened in Grade 5 too!
Dave Fuller, MBA, is a certified professional business coach who has broken his dance partner's toes. He can't teach you dancing but he can help you with your business. Dave can be reached at [email protected]
