Don’t just stand there…move!

I was a part of a conversation between two different parties today, a corporate office and a local office, regarding technology at the local level. Local had a set of needs, and corporate had a plan. It went downhill from there.

Local asked for a simple automated order entry button for their website. Corporate explained the process involved in getting the button developed and the ultimate problems with the button request. Local asked for an online map so customers could easily find the branch offices. Corporate hastily shot down the idea, providing instead an explanation from the “corporate guidelines”. On and on this discussion went, with local requesting, corporate hedging and the conversation floundering. Finally, without a resolution to any of the requests, local gave a resigned sigh and a “sounds good to me” at the end of the conversation.

In almost any organization, local is the hub, the center of fulfillment to the organization’s purpose or its bread and butter. There is no need for a corporate accounting department if there is no revenue coming through the door. No need for regional administration if there are no schools to teach the kids. It is local whose head is on the chopping block if the site doesn’t perform.

So why the constant struggle of two differing views between corporate and local?

The further corporate gets from local, the greater the danger of falling into an echo-chamber. Corporate decisions, processes, strategies and activity become justified based on past action, “the way things have always been done”, not based on connection to local. Group think becomes a pervasive mindset at corporate, developing unquestioned activity that “sounds like a good idea”. Outcomes move further from local needs and closer to what corporate believes is necessary.

I’m sure you’ve seen some of the following examples play out in some form or fashion within your organization:

Local says:	Corporate responds with:	Instead of:
“This is what I need”	“But this (something different) is what’s best for you”	Listening to the group of workers closest to the customer.
“I need it now”	“Let me tell you where your request fits on the timeline…”	Putting yourself in the shoes of the local organization, feeling the hourly pressure, demands and urgency.
“My staff doesn’t understand the technology”	“It’s okay, just spend a few days [of productivity] going through this training” [and then another several months of going through the adjustment phase]. “You’ll get used to it”.	Building or purchasing an easy to use, intuitive system for end users that will enhance rather than detract from their productivity.
“Why do we have to keep manually reporting these numbers to you?”	“Because we said so” or “Because the CEO wants to see them”.	Building or purchasing a system that automates tracking and measurement, taking the burden off of local.
“Here are my concerns. What can we do about them?”	Nothing. Empty [demoralizing, deflating and disheartening] air.	Appeasing the worry, providing a listening ear and then making changes.

Corporate quicksand can swiftly suck a person into processes, paperwork, Gantt charts, timelines and scoping discussions that drown out the urgency and relevancy of local market requests. The echo-chamber confirms the actions and can put corporate on a trajectory of decision making with outcomes that make local frustrated, resigned and listless.

So, to all of the “corporates” out there, if you’re reading: listen first and second, and act third. Strive to see things from a local perspective. It’s okay to ask questions to understand their point of view.

The opening at the opposite end of this tunnel sure looks small from this vantage point, doesn’t it? Being this far away, it’s easy to lose perspective. But the minute you start walking towards the end, your perspective changes. Pretty soon, the opening becomes larger, more focused and more understandable. The closer you get to the opposite side, the farther you get from yours. And the closer you get to their side, the smaller your original perspective will seem.

Filed under: Myopia, Teamwork

Lipton Tea Bags and Learning from Others

There are few people that do not enjoy a good cup of Lipton tea, whether it is iced down with a lemon wedge or heated up with a spoonful of honey and sprig of mint on a cold day. Ever since I can remember, I’ve opened my Lipton tea bags the same way: un-stick the top flap, grab the small perforated square between my thumb and forefinger, gently rip out said small square, pull the tea bag out of the pouch. It does irritate me when there are stray edges that come with the pull (as you can see in the picture), and I get frustrated when the small square slips from the staple in the back, leaving me with an orphan string. But I’ve always made tea this way, and even though there have been slight inconveniences, I’ve never questioned my process.

Until yesterday.

Yesterday, I was making lunch with a friend. I was grilling the chicken, and she was making the tea. I glanced over to the counter top as she opened the tea bags, and I noticed something different. Her tea bag looked like this:

You’ll notice that she opened the pouch as well, but she did it in two steps and half as much time. She didn’t fuss over the small square; in fact, she ignored it entirely. She achieved the same goal, but in a way that nullified my entire process. Why go through all that work when you can achieve the same goal in two steps instead of five?

I was unconsciously following my process for opening tea and missing out on a better way of achieving my desired end result.When we get too myopic, whether it is in a daily process, during a new product launch, when analyzing statistical data or even training employees, it is easy to unconsciously stick with a way of doing things because it’s a comfortable habit. But we run the risk of missing out on something much better, simpler, or more unique.

Bring awareness to a conscious state of mind. Always be curious and alert. Consciously look for reasons to why you do the things you do in the way you do them, and provide ways for others to learn this way in your company. By training your mind to always be on the lookout, you might find a surprising discovery.

Filed under: ideas, learning, Myopia, sharing