Tag Archives: teamwork

September 4, 2014 · 8:40 am

The Team

The college football season started last week.  The college I attended doesn’t field a football team and so I didn’t really have a rooting interest until my older daughter went to the University of Michigan.  I figured since I sent the Wolverines quite a bit of my money I’m entitled to call myself a UM fan.  Michigan had a legendary coach at the school – Bo Schembechler – who gave what I think is some of the best business advice ever.  Take a minute and watch it:

This is a boss doing some incredible things.  First, he’s sharing his vision for what the team is about and some very specific goals.  If there is one thing many bosses fail to do it’s exactly that.  They may give out lists of tasks but they fail to paint a picture of the overall mission and where the team is headed.

Second, he’s demanding that every person plays as a member of that team.  Implicit in that is that the glamor positions are nothing without the grunts in the trenches and those grunts can’t win without someone running the ball.  As a manager you have to get every member of your team feeling as if what they do matters and every other member of the team appreciating the contributions their peers are making to everyone’s success.

Finally, he lets the group know that while they will have differences they ill put them aside for the overall good of the team and to achieve their goals.  How many offices are torn apart by gossip and backstabbing?  Bo lets the Wolverines know that he’s not having any of it.

I listen to this speech from time to time and UM’s official football shirt this year simply says “The Team, The Team, The Team” on it.  It’s easy to remember but hard to execute as a boss.  Go Blue!

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July 14, 2014 · 9:46 am

Woe-Mart

Today’s rant tale of business woe comes to us courtesy of the Wal-Mart folks. While I’m not usually surprised at the silliness that is foisted upon the customer from any business entity, this was a new low, at least in my experience.

This is a selfmade image from the english wiki...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was helping to cook for a party this weekend and part of the menu was fried turkey. I went to my usual source of peanut oil on Tuesday (my preferred frying lipid) and discovered that there was none to be had. I get that – why stock an item that’s not in demand until late November. I checked several outlets online and Wal-Mart had what I wanted at a reasonable price. They could also deliver it by Friday – Saturday was the cooking day. I placed the order and got my confirmation. So far, so good.

Two days later, I get an email from Wal-Mart – “Unfortunately, one or more of the items in your order have been delayed.” Oh oh.  The email won’t allow you to cancel to order electronically (fail #1) but does give you a number to call to do so.  I speak with a very nice rep who assures me the order is cancelled and I should see a credit within 48 hours.  I then spent some time frantically searching various sources in the area (online ordering is now not going to happen – overnight shipping costs for 6 gallons of oil are seriously expensive).  I finally give up and buy several gallon jugs of soybean oil which I lug home.  By the way, good luck finding a whole, fresh turkey in July.  Even frozen ones aren’t readily available.

If this is where the tale ended, you wouldn’t be reading this post.  Stuff happens – maybe their inventory system didn’t update the online store quickly enough – I can handle that.  Late Thursday evening (like 10pm) I get another email from Wal-Mart – your order has shipped!  It will arrive by 10am Friday (which is what I was told Tuesday when I placed the order).  Here’s a tracking number.  Sure enough, Friday morning I have peanut oil and well of 6 gallons of soybean oil I know have to return to the store.

Wal-Mart was trying to do a good thing.  They got out in front of a potential problem by notifying me that I might not receive my order as promised.  I dealt with it.  Obviously, however, the order was neither cancelled nor delayed.  Whatever triggered the “it’s delayed” mail was wrong.  Whoever said the order was cancelled was wrong.  Putting aside the unnecessary concern they caused me and the time it took to find replacement oil (and to return it), do you think there is a chance in hell I will ever order from this three-ring circus again?

We can’t pull the fire alarm on our customers unless we know there is something ablaze, even with the best of intentions.  Wal-Mart has an issue with their inventory management and maybe with customer service too.  The systems problems they have and the short term issues those problems caused me  has resulted in a long-term issue for them – the lack of a customer.  Moreover, this customer is telling all of you.  Thoughts?

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March 18, 2014 · 8:50 am

Big Shot

For our TunesDay selection this week, I want to present a song that I suspect a number of people are feeling this morning after St. Patrick‘s Day.

Billy Joel

It’s from Billy Joel who I consider to be one of the top three American songwriters of the last 35 – 40 years (along with Dylan and Springsteen). It’s called “Big Shot” and it has a lot to do with the morning after as well as some thoughts about the night before. Give it a listen:

I’ll be the first to tell you that music videos from the 1970’s weren’t quite what they are now and this one was no exception.  That said, his tale of the morning after the night on the town resonates in a number of ways.  I realize that Billy is not writing about business – the song is alleged to have been written about either (pick one) himself, Mick Jagger, or Bianca Jagger.  There is one thing, however, I take from the song that has nothing to do with midnight misbehavior and everything to do with business:  being a big shot.

Too many people confuse what they do with who they are.  As Billy writes:

They were all impressed with your Halston dress
And the people that you knew at Elaine’s
And the story of your latest success
Kept ’em so entertained

There is a fine line between having the confidence one needs to be successful in business and the other side of that line which is arrogance.  Great leaders listen a lot more than they speak and when they have the information they need, they act.  Great leaders recognize that while the vision may be theirs it probably took the hard work of a devoted team to make that vision a reality.  When success comes, staying humble might be hard but it’s the only way that success leaves everyone that sees it feeling good.  While I suppose that being a rich jerk has its pluses, success (and money) often doesn’t last.  The people you see on the way down will remember how you were on the way up.

The song ends with this thought:

Well, it’s no big sin to stick your two cents in
If you know when to leave it alone
But you went over the line
You couldn’t see it was time to go home

I’ve seen people in high positions who overestimate their capabilities and are out of touch with reality.  They think their two cents are gospel.  The Greeks had a word for it: hubris.  I have one too: stupidity.  Staying humble doesn’t make you weak just as having a big job doesn’t make you a big shot.   That’s my take – what’s yours?

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