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Business Rule #19:
Keep It Real
February 25, 2005
(PAGE 2 of 2)
When the real focus group came along, they responded. Positively. The focus group that viewed Street Smarts' graffiti may have liked the art, but they were not compelled to buy. Not so with Magna's graffiti. The focus group liked their art too, but, much more importantly, they also got the message to buy, buy, buy. Magna's twenty-foot graffiti message was focused. As was the team's purpose.
So what are the lessons to be learned this week? Define your reality. Focus your efforts. Listen to other people. Don't be blinded by your own vision—even if it has merit.
Is there research to back up these business rules? You betcha! Not long ago, Manchester Partners International found that 40% of newly appointed managers failed in the first eighteen months of their promotion. The #1 reason for those failures? Unclear expectations. If you're not sure of what you're supposed to be doing, ask. And be sure to listen to the answers.
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Even if you are sure you properly understand the objective, ask anyway. Learn if your perception of reality is the real perception. Speak with outsiders and insiders alike. Study the leadership style of others. President Kennedy, for example, used to invite people into Cabinet meetings who weren't even political creatures. He valued the input of people from within and without his inner circle.
Want the final say on the importance of assembling groups to clarify your focus? When Jack Welch ran the world's largest company, GE, he sharpened managerial focus with his “work-out” sessions. (If you don't know what they are, you can read up on them in The GE Work-Out: How to Implement GE's Revolutionary Method for Busting Bureaucracy and Attacking Organizational Problems by Dave Ulrich et al.) Techniques like focus groups and work-out sessions will help you take the "personal" out of interpersonal exchanges. They will help you focus on problems and not personalities. We saw Tara turn on Craig. We heard George Ross say she made it personal. Tara lost her focus. Tara didn’t keep it real. So Trump fired her.
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If you're not sure of what you're supposed to be doing, ask.
