More companies die from over-eating than from starvation – Dave Packard
The great Dave knew a thing or two about management, no?
And yet in our strategy deployment work, Job One remains slimming things down.
“Just one more…” seems to be the compulsion of countless organizations.
Result?
Obese, lumbering strategies with no hope of success. Organizations approaching diabetic coma.
Alienated team members. “One more thing? Sure, just add it to the pile!”
All the while thinking, “Our leaders are bozos. We’re doomed...”
Or more commonly, “Your pretend to give us a reasonable strategy, and we’ll pretend to do it.”
How can smart people behave so foolishly?
Many, many reasons.
As Dinah Washington memorably sang, “If you ask me, I could write a book…” (Hell, maybe I will.)
In part, it’s a buffering effect. “We don’t really know what’s happening, so we’ll keep pressing buttons. Something is bound to work!”
The countermeasure to this one?
Get off your duff and out to the Gemba.
Go with purpose, gained by sorting out the hot spots. Talk to your people about them.
Thereby, begin to put your strategy on a diet.
More to come.
Best,
Pascal
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