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Business Rule #22:
See Past the Moment
March 25, 2005
by Marlene Caroselli
Remember Verna Felton in Week Two? Deprived of sleep because a major project was due? So what does she do in response? She leaves! She starts walking the streets of the Jersey shore, pulling her little suitcase behind her. She fails to recognize the transience of events. She gets mired in the moment and can’t see past it.
But our guy Craig Williams was smart enough to know that the present doesn't need to dictate the future. All you have to do is recognize that “what is” doesn't have to be “what will be.” Example: instead of allowing an alienated team to remain unmotivated, Craig took them aside—two at a time—and talked to them about his need for support. He transformed the blahs about his box into a real buzz about the box.
Yes, he was somewhat controlling—demanding his team not to use the word "box” and maintaining his faith, adamantly, in his idea, irrespective of his team's opposition. In fact, he even asked at one point, "Is this team failing me?"
So what exactly did he do to keep his team out of the boardroom and lift them into the zero-G zone? Let's start at the beginning. He assembled his team and explained his philosophy to them. He talked about his values and the company he chooses to keep. A good idea? A darned good idea! It's the kind of statement that real leaders make. Although admittedly, with less eye-rolling. “Like whom?” you may be asking. Like Jack Welch, for one. He talks repeatedly about "speed, simplicity, self-confidence." Or like Jesse Jackson, who maintains, "It's the leader's job to keep hope alive."
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Like Rudy Giuliani, who rallied the nation as he directed the efforts for the buildings to be razed and ultimately, to rise again, helping us conquer our fears. His words helped us rise to the occasion, an occasion that called for the best in the best. “I want the people of New York to be an example to the rest of the country and the rest of the world that terrorism can't stop us," he asserted. "We are going to get through this." He called for help, for calm, for defiance, for bravery, for dignity.
Unlike Angie McKnight, who railed against her cohorts, rather than rally them, declaring, "I have a bunch of morons on my team," Craig managed to sustain his team. He may not have been the most articulate leader, he may not have had the most creative idea, he may not have kicked off the project with excitement, but he managed to win.
The criteria were product involvement, customer involvement, and originality. Thanks to an infusion of energy and commitment, Craig's team really zeroed in on the customer involvement criterion. And, because children and their parents were actually creating box designs, the (literal) hands-on involvement led to a hands-down decision.
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All you have to do is recognize that 'what is' doesn't have to be 'what will be.'
