Team Think

I know, I know, “Team Think” is a strange statement, title, etc. But think again, how many of us are having or staging a “Team Think?”

Many times we are looking for answers and we search high and low but struggle to come up with a clear answer. In these situations ask yourself a question: “Am I making the best use of ALL of the resources available to me?” I would bet the answer is no. Why?

Many times it is extremely difficult to see clearly when we are in the middle of the storm. We miss huge opportunities that are right in front of us. Think about how easy it is to watch a football game and we can’t believe the Quarterback didn’t see the guy that was wide open in the end zone.

The truth is that from our vantage point we can see it all but they can’t. They're looking through their own lineman who are attempting to save their life while looking down-field and trying to dodge the giants that are aiming to crush them at high speed. Not so easy when you are the target!

The same goes in business. While we are trying to:

Get the money in the bank
Build the business
Increase sales
Make sure we have the right plan
Hire the right people
Dodge problems
Deal with all of the government regulations
Plan for the future
Etc., etc., etc.

We may be missing a huge opportunity and it is right in front of us – our own employees!

Many years ago I ran a tech company that was having a rough time when I arrived. The owner was pretty set in his ways and wasn’t a very open person. He hired consultants but didn’t listen to them (where is the sanity in that?). Got frustrated and began to take it out on the very people that helped build the company.

I asked him why he didn’t ask his employees and his answer floored me. He said “because they didn’t know anything,” -ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

So the same people that he trained, spent years nurturing, and befriending; the same people that worked weekends, worked nights and more, are now the people that “don’t know anything,” really?

These are the same people that can now help change things for the better. These are the same people that we should now turn to in order to help us cut costs, be more competitive, etc.

Take a look at your team, gather them together and allow them to speak freely, be creative and offer ideas. I will go a step further and tell you that you should reward them for their thoughts. How about rewarding them on an ongoing basis?

Years ago I worked with a great group of people that made a great team that led to many years of success. The one area that we were struggling with was our purchasing department. We just couldn’t seem to get our prices from our vendors down. One of the team members said he had experience in purchasing and was willing to tackle this beast. I told him that for everything he saved he would get 10% of the savings on an ongoing basis.

All of a sudden our costs were dropping, our margins were increasing and life was good at work and at home for this valuable employee.

The point here is that the people that are in the trenches every day; the ones that are working hard, taking care of their jobs and their families are the ones that you should gather together on a regular basis and have a “Team Think.” Go ahead and plan for it, you will be happy you did!

Important:

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Until our next post – we wish you all success!

Dean Marchese