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Problems are opportunities. |
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Winning companies are always on the offensive: Dell with new products and new markets overseas, Nucor Steel with the lowest labor cost per ton, and Wal-Mart with its ever expanding international network of new and larger stores. |
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Here are a few fundamental characteristics of winners: |
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Fight the Battles That Count: While you should not fight political battles you cannot win, when you win political battles and make enemies, you run the risk of becoming weaker. In too many cases, qualified, active people are not promoted because they have made enemies. When you can win and retain good relationships, only then can you become strong. |
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Avoid the Avoidable: The process of avoiding the avoidable is understanding that physical hazards are identifiable obstacles against which specific measures can be taken. In contrast, the human element is completely unpredictable. Consequently, you take specific actions to reduce the possibility of defeat by physical conditions so that you can devote your full resources to dealing with the unpredictable human elements. |
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Every document you present has both form and substance. You must go for the ultimate quality in the physical element of form so it doesn't detract from the more psychological elements of substance. |
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Considering the fragility of the human element, you leave all the possibilities for controllable physical mistakes to your opponent and organize for minimum physical defects in your own operation. You do not allow your plan to fail because of the quality of the product, or the delivery time, or any physical element. The organization for excellence does not require that headquarters assumes control of everythingoften decentralization is the best way to avoid physical problems. |
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Communicate Expectations: This often requires a dialogue and a written mission. This mission charter is best written by those who have received the assignment. Their time invested in putting expectations in their own words will serve to focus and clarify their mission. Of course, the final written mission statement should always be reconciled with the person who assigned the task. |
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