Corporate Policies and Chekov's Gun

Are you familiar with Chekov's Gun?  It's a simple literary device.  The idea is that if you introduce something to the story, you better use it; otherwise it's a waste.

Too many corporate policies are just that.  Rules and guidelines hung on the wall to scare us into believing order will be enforced.  But if you're not going to ever fire the thing it's not a threat- it's just clutter.

So before you go putting a new policy in your workplace, here's a few questions you should ask...

1) How are you planning to enforce it?  Where would a violation run into your established corrective action guidelines?  If it's a termination-level offense you better say so up front.  Or if a "3 strikes" system works better, that's fine too.  But you better know or else your gun doesn't have any bullets and that's just decoration.

2) Who is going to enforce it?  Someone has to be responsible to pull the trigger.  Does this need a dispute resolution process?  Or will some manager accountability do just fine?  The point is if no one is holding the gun, once again, it's a decoration

3) Do you really need this one?  Ask any gun collector and they can tell you; sometimes you really do need a specific gun for the job.  You're probably not going bird hunting with a pistol nor would you skeet shoot with a sniper rifle.  But then again, if you're just looking for basic home protection, one good shot gun should do.  So before you go making a new policy ask yourself- "do we really need a specific one, or should we just point what we have in the right direction?"

Look, I'm all for responsible gun ownership.  But Chekov is right- don't own it if you're not going to use it.  And policies are no different.  Having a bunch of them means nothing.  But a few that you're good at using and aren't afraid to pull the trigger on are usually enough to protect you.

Race to the Bottom

So here’s a fun one.  Wal-Mart just announced that they will price-match competitor’s “Black Friday” ads a week before Thanksgiving online.  You’re move Target, Best Buy et al.

But something to consider…

Retail is a race to the bottom.  First it was who could open the earliest on Friday morning (6am, 4am, midnight- now even the day before).  Then it was who’s “doorbuster” was the best.  Now that fight doesn’t even matter much anymore.  Because this is all just commodity competition.  Everyone has a 55” television- who can sell it lowest first to capture the dollars, right?

At some point, someone in the retail space is going to have to figure out how to get out of this race to the bottom.  Because even if you win, you lose. 

I for one won’t go near Black Friday shopping.  It’s a miserable experience.  I’d rather pay more than fight the insanity.  So here’s a challenge for you retailers- how could you change the paradigm to engage more shoppers?  Instead of fighting so hard for people who are only driven by paying the absolute minimum, why not find a way to grow the market by enticing the high-end?  I for one, would probably pay for admission (even just early admission) to a store if I knew what the prices would be and could get a better experience by limiting the attendance for a bit.  Or if price really is the driver- what about pre-orders and pick ups?  You could better control your margins, still scale your shipping to stores, and have a more accurate inventory.  I’m no expert, but these are just ideas.

The point is this- keep racing to the bottom and eventually you’ll get there.  The prices can only go so low.  The store can only be open so many hours.  And we’re quickly getting there.  This year’s prices don’t seem that great.  Everyone’s opening on Thursday afternoon.  We’re on the threshold of the bottom- where everyone is open 24 hours and the prices are all equally low.  And then what?  Hope to get your share of the spending?  Doesn’t sound like a great strategy.

Might be time to consider your work too.  Are you in a constant game of “one-upping” the competition?  Sounds like a race to the bottom.  And in that race, if you win, you lose.  So ask yourself- what are you going to do differently?  How are you going to get a premium for your product or service? 

Rather than try to win a race to the bottom, why not play a different game?

Subject Matter Experts versus Trainers

There is a big difference.  A Trainer might also be a Subject Matter Expert.  But a Subject Matter Expert is not necessarily a Trainer.

Don't make the mistake of putting the person who knows the most at the front of the room.  If they're too technical or too detailed, you'll lose the knowledge transfer.  A Trainer's expertise is in taking a complex subject and making it simple and digestible.  Subject Matter Experts have to be complex.  They deal with nuance and details and fix the things that only someone with intimate knowledge can.

Put it this way... Hank Haney is not the greatest golfer in the world.  But he trains the best golfers in the world.  And the best golfers in the world couldn't do what Hank Haney does.  Teaching and doing are separate skill sets.

So when you're trying to figure out who is best to deliver your content, don't assume it's the person with the most knowledge.  Don't worry about who can do it best; find the one who can explain it best.

He Who Cares the Most, Wins

Just about everyone knows you have to pick your battles.  You're not likely to win them all and even if you could, doing so just makes you a tyrant.  Anyone who's got a good EQ understands that there is a time and a place for compromise.

So how do you decide?  Here's my little rule- The person with the most passion wins.

After all, we both know that passion beats smarts.  So it really won't matter if it's the best idea that wins.  As long as the idea is sound, the results should be the same or better.

So when you reach an impasse with your team on what to do next, rather than try to figure out who's idea is "best" simply ask yourself, "who cares the most that will see this ship?  Who will be bolstered most by the win to take the momentum over the finish line?"  Pick that idea and watch the results happen.

Passion Beats Smarts

Every time.  If you can have them both, so much the better.  But when you have to choose, choose passion.

Smarts may know HOW to cross the finish line, but only passion won't stop until it's crossed.

Who's Driving?

There's a reason only one seat in the car has a steering wheel.  Can you imagine if they all did?  If everyone in the car knew the destination, but had a different opinion of which route was "best" AND had the power to change directions?  That ends one of two ways- A) in the ditch or, B) at a total stand still.  Either way, people are getting hurt and yelling at each other.  That's why a car only has one steering wheel.  Because to get anywhere safely, you ultimately need one person making the decisions on how to operate the vehicle.

It's the same when you have a project team trying to accomplish a goal.  If someone doesn't have a steering wheel, or worse, if everyone does, you're going to end up in a ditch.  There are simply too many good, feasible ideas in a group.  Sure, you could do it lots of ways- but you can't do it every way.  Someone must have the power to decide and that person must have the leadership to be willing to consider the options but still take a stance. Otherwise you get nowhere or worse, you crash.

And by the by, never agree to ride in a car with multiple steering wheels either.  That's just signing up for a bad trip.

Put That On a Rock On Your Desk...

(Editor's Note- This is a repost from earlier this year of my personal favorite piece.  New content will be back this Friday, but enjoy this lost treasure as I enjoy my holiday weekend :)

Years ago (which always sounds weird to me when I say it given my age- but it’s the truth) in my Disney days I stumbled across a really cool piece in an Art of Disney store. It was a collection of quotations by Walt Disney that were etched onto glass which was shaped like a cut rock. There were like 3 or 4 different quotes, but one of them immediately struck me.

“You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world…but it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

Since I’ve always been passionate about training and development, this quote has continually and perfectly captured a piece of my soul- that without great people, nothing else matters. It was a beautiful desk piece with an even more beautiful and profound message.

I should have bought it.

I don’t know why I didn’t right there on the spot- but I didn’t. To this day I cannot remember what ridiculous reasoning would have led me to that dumb decision. But even without the piece, the quote and its spirit have remained with me forever.

And that’s profound- because rarely in life can you find the perfect combination of words that says so much with so little. That ideal phrase that simply and elegantly explains great depths of thought and principle. Like a true work of art- the words are beautiful at a glance and masterful as they are studied. No wonder you would want that sitting on your desk everyday- keeping your mind focused on what’s right.

Which is why for years in my training and coaching when someone says something truly profound I have often responded “put that on a rock on your desk.”

Because when you can find a simple statement that can capture so much and keep you so centered, you want it to feel permanent. And you want it there every time you look up, reminding you of what really matters.

This year my tireless efforts and relentless pursuit of Walt’s words have paid-off as I am now in a job where every day through training and development I am impacting the people I work with to make our company better. That rock on the desk of my mind has kept me focused in my pursuit of my dream and the rewards are really starting to materialize.

And then, last weekend at a charity yard sale, sitting half-covered in bin full of knick-knacks,

I found that rock.

When chasing a dream it’s important to have a constant focus. So ask yourself this question-

What would you put on a rock on your desk?