Staying Ahead

Is your skillset keeping pace as your business grows and evolves? Making sure the business doesn't outgrow you is an opportunity for continual growth and development. Keeping pace with the business needs to be done the right way. Eric and Dale share the "the C's" to stay ahead. 

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[0:00] In organizations too often in our desire to speed or grow. We just we add people, we add things, but if they don't understand the why behind.

[0:09] Adding water instead of adding real good ingredients to the milk.
And we have to take that so seriously that is happening at pace.

[0:23] Unleashing your best in life and work this is the game changers with Eric Bowls and host Dale Dixon
Unleash your best in life and work this is the game changers podcast I'm your host Dale Dixon the communication coach
Consultant along with Eric Boles who coaches trains and inspires leaders to unleash their best and the best in those around them Eric it's fantastic to be with you today.
Always great to be with you Dale
It's about getting in alignment or having alignment and achieving alignment in your organization you'll have to go back and listen to that but I'm gonna tell you I've got a sticky note on my desk since that conversation
Because as we as you were talking through this idea of how to make sure that our organizations have alignment through with our people.

[1:14] You are talking about
Pace.
Pace with what's happening throughout the organization so we don't have these silos that oh I'm responsible for this area and this is the only area I care about but actually I need to understand what's going on in totality and I wrote myself a note.
Staying ahead
Of the organization because I know as a as a leader in the organization that I'm in that's a conversation that we're having at the executive level constantly is how do we
Stay ahead so the organization does not outgrow us. So that's our topic today. Is there any other
Recap that you wanna give to provide some more contacts for the conversation about not letting the organization outgrow you
Yeah and and the the one point I would not necessarily add two just remind folks of is.
Alignment consider alignment just like going to a chiropractor right or however you need to give alignment for your vehicle it is.
For the vehicle for your body everything to function at its peak.

[2:37] Moving at pace that's great unless your car is out of alignment or unless your body's heavily so you're gonna have all kinds of what I like to do in sports when you call it compensatory injuries
Great light
We're out of alignment. So, the alignment we get into that we talk about last time. Being aligned around what it is we wanna do, why we wanna do it, how we're gonna do it, but remaining flexible. The benefits of doing it
Cost of an action so we're all on the same page and that's not just a one time alignment conversation.
Frequently in the faster the pace.
The more those conversations need to happen but in in one point I make around that deal the conversation shouldn't be long ones.
Because now we're so aligned that we're just course correcting as we go. We're i'm making decisions with what we've
Collectively agree to in mind so I know how it influences what's taking place so I just want to make sure people understood that how this works together that it is not this
I do this over here then I do this then I do this no we're gonna move at pace there's a lot of things happening.

[3:52] So
Thank you for that recap and let's dive into this idea of not letting the organization outgrow us because as we look at what has happened.
The sounds it's almost now stereotypical and cliche to say what's happened in the last 2 years but there's no question our organizations are changing
Faster than they've ever changed before and we're dealing with new challenges as leaders that we've never dealt with before and we've talked about this idea of how do you plan ahead for the next year when you don't know what's gonna happen next month.

[4:26] Where does
This idea of not letting the out organization outgrow me as a leader.
Helping
Almost the the the mindset first is the way we think about what it means to be out ahead of or not let the company out grow us sometimes you can hear that and almost take a view of okay I gotta get in control those actually the opposite.
Actually the way you move at Pace and make sure that
The company doesn't outgrow or outpatient you is there's an element of control you're gonna have to let go of
So, there's a there's a trust factor. There's a focus factor. You start understanding where you have to put place your thinking or your emphasis.
Pharmaceutical organization out there.
One of the things we had to spend time talking about there are phenomenal organization. I love the culture.

[5:40] Is how.

[5:50] Responsibility.

[5:53] That people have to.

[6:01] The days of.

[6:08] We just don't have the time so even though I may be working hard I'm kinda used to doing these things for my team and what ends up happening is there are certain
Horizons that I at sitting in my role have to be looking at but if i can't look at them because I'm spinning so much time looking down or I'm looking behind me or am I and I'm not looking forward all of a sudden I am
Finding myself solving problems
That I'm already ping people to solve problems at that level and without knowing it by default we're all working on the same things or with typically happens is because I'm solving a problem just say I'm up.
Regional vice president. Okay
Well, if I'm a regional vice president, solving the problems with my regional directors, there's not enough room for all of us there. So, by default, the regional directors are gonna start solving problem district managers, dismantles are gonna start solving problems, whatever it is, their responsible for
And so everybody's working hard but they're working hard at a level beneath their job description
They have to perform at least at a minimum at the level of their job description
Too many litters.

[7:35] Living in the right now dealing with problems right now.
Versus amen at least I'm not saying you gotta be a year two 3 years.
But at least be a week ahead at least at least be someone's looking over the horizon of what's coming and that is so critical for our leaders because that is what allows us to move at pace because it's not and when people hear pace also wanna make sure they grasp the word paste doesn't mean
Frantic or in a hurry.
Is purposeful and we can do it because of our ability to anticipate what may be on the horizon could we're looking out at what's on the horizon you know there's gonna be things that come where we just have to react to
But they're also some things that we should see well enough historically as we look out
Talking with others that we can now anticipate and respond where we know we're equipped. If it goes this way, that way, we're equipped to make that happen.

[8:37] When I think about peace I think about it from
The athletic standpoint if I want a rowing machine if I'm going on a run I'm going to set a pace because i know
What my body is capable of doing and I know that I need to row for 20 minutes so I'm gonna set a pace at X
So, I can achieve the full 20 minutes. I can go the distance. Yeah. Alright, that's what you're talking about is we as we as leaders need to know.
What is our stamina in this area what what's coming down the.

[9:08] Along the way
For someone who's.

[9:20] You got 2 liters
Both of them have been yes say you got you got you got Jan over here who's a leader you got Steve over here who's the leader
And so, both of them have been able to solve problems, get it done, it which is great. They come and they bring you the result.
How how effective were they in actually solving problem and the question we talked about how effective were is dictated by how much effort was put into that and how efficient
Was that effort distributed and the reason is for this you can end up both of them can solve the problem.

[10:10] Placing focus on a few high leverage activities.
That great gave the greatest return.
But if you were to really dissect it
Duplicate that again. So, if you're spending all your time. So, when I tell leaders to move it paste, you have to actually evaluate how the results get done, not just the result.
Because the question is to actually move at pace we have to have a process system
Oh a way of thinking that allows us to scale our efforts.
You can be excited that your team won the game but also as you saw how did they win the game did they win the game because they played better at the fundamentals or
Or whether you are
Couple trick plays they had to be done and something
Be celebrate the wind.
Autopsy on the wind to make sure that's duplicatable.

[11:21] Because many times we get so excited about the wind or just have electronic
But then we turn around and we gotta do it again
But it's not scalable. And so when we talk about moving at pace, the goal is to order to move it past everybody has to do
Of the right things in less of the wrong things just because.
That's the only way it's done not by working harder but wiping far more efficient than we may be right now.

[11:48] So breaking it down during the the last podcast that inspired this conversation.
You talked about the need to be asking questions of car park.
To understand what's happening throughout the organization
People be looking and and some of the practices that you see people use.
Get out of their silo and to start thinking more holistically about the organization.
Okay so the first and foremost people have to understand silos rarely happen on.
They happen by default
We think we get so focused on our area and focus is a good thing. I see all the type focuses a good thing. But focus works because you establish clarity in the first place. So when we get clarity around what we're all going after.
A line a site realizing that we're not this doesn't happen just on our own.

[12:52] The goal that we have the specific goal that we have.
And it becomes the NLBO not realizing that it's part of a greater one.
And so, when I realized that, hey, yeah, yeah, and just for simplistic purposes
If it's football.
And so that means we may have to block sometimes we may have to run our great route in the ball not come to us but we created enough space for the other positions to be able to take full advantage.
When we can actually get excited about the teens progress and not just our own performance we've gotten to the next.

[13:38] So what dictates that when we start understanding the greater purpose of it all as a wide receiver
When i understand why this particular blocking screen matters so much when I realize that the the kind of support when I pay attention to how many steps or how much time the quarterback might have these are areas.
Many times wouldn't get looked at because i was only worried about running my route and beaten my guy
Well, in organizations, this is why many time when we have, when I tell leaders when you're having a leadership meeting,
Spend less time just having people report out just reporting out on how their functional area is doing
No use that time to strategically get a understanding of what are we collectively trying to get done together and now how do our pieces fit that.
And when that happens it allows people who may not be specifically working on that area
To contribute to ask questions or at least at the very least.
That's usually the problem. So, when people ask me all time, what's the key to creating greater alignment? It's information. It's not
You know, work at the kiss not attitude, it's not people, it's just it lack of exposure, and so there's sometimes, it doesn't mean we get to.
Everybody in the business has all collectively come together. No, that's you didn't get that new officially done that way. But.

[14:57] I should not leave the leadership meeting and not not only help talk to my team about what it is we need to do.
But they should also understand how what we do and why what we do matter so much in terms of how it connects to the greater goal. So now they have context for knowing if we do what we supposed to do. This is how it facilitates if we don't do what we do. This is how it hinders
That piece right there is what's missing so often
It's like.
There is a person there who is I mean she is working so hard but she's working really hard just trying to make sure we all stay in a straight line.
Okay
Is yes the the straight line is a is not that is a task but it's not the goal the goal is to create order so they have the best customer experience possible someone didn't explain that to her because.
Now she was behaving in the commercials we see from Southwest Airlines.

[16:06] Didn't match. Now, the only reason it was significant to me 'cuz at the time Southwest was my client
And so, I remember going there and I'm like, you know what? I understand what your goal is but
I need your pay attention Alka and she was like I'm sorry I just need to get in the line now she had no clue this is not name draw she had no clue I was on my way to love field and meet with that herb
Calling beard who and Gary Kelly was the CEO right like I was on the way and.
There one of their managers came out cuz it was chaos and then find the manager's talent come everybody down there.
Is there anything I can do to kinda make this experience? I said, yeah. What you can do.

[16:45] God bless her. Her heart's in the right place. But there's information she's missing.
So she came out here thinking she's doing the very best job but she created more chaos than she did good because she doesn't know the order of priorities so you gave her the task but she's not aligned with what the purpose of the task is
You're out here knowing that it's just but at the end of the day, she southwest airlines to
100 of these people
Now they can move that pace now all that a cat activity helps move the progress but in the absence of that information now they're just moving and hurry for the purpose of offensively not for the purpose of effectiveness and that is what really can really slow
Progress now.
Clarity and driving clarity deep into the organization to every level because.

[17:51] Your job is to put.
What comes off the end of the assembly line in your case they you know she was told keep the keep the people in a straight line but she didn't see that with a level of clarity as it relates to the overall goal so.

[18:19] I think this is another opportunity for us to not think about it just from the sea sweet or the the leadership level or maybe your managers but how do you drive
The clarity deep into the organization so that the front line gets it and sees it.
Like if I if I'm talking to if even like.

[18:48] I I Jesus is she's amazing to me like I I've had a lot of time to be able to work with her and I don't mind
Publicly sharing it Michelle Gossu CEO for Colts
The reason I'm not only a fan of Michelle's and being able to work with Michelle for years but.

[19:09] Do
Or you know
Is coming out of every single person she's talking and how do you know that sometimes by asking questions sometimes by.

[19:44] But everybody's mission for creating incredible experiences for the customer and incredible experiences for their peers and associate is high this is why leaders all the time look yes stuff is getting done
But you have to go find out in the field where we're gonna do they understand what matters
Most in the absence of that people are gonna be working hard but it doesn't mean they're creating.
In that lake
But make sure they lie behind everything I do is understood all the way through. When we talk about clarity before,
Clarity isn't just for the sea sweet there's not a whole lot of value for the sea sweet to alone have clarity and the reason there's not a lot about you and it is because you gotta get closer to where the action is because sometimes for the sea sweet you know if you've heard the principal.

[20:42] Ideals and grows in direct proportion to one's distance from the problem, right.
They will figure out how to activate and related
Apply it assimilated in their their direct environment but they gotta know the why behind it. You know, like if we said before, they gotta three people doing the same job laying bricks but when that when they're all doing the same task but that that one
Feels like I'm just laying bricks the second one I'm building a wall the third one knows without question they're building a cathedral same task.
But one has a greater transcendent understanding of why they're doing it. That's the game changer.

[21:28] Stay ahead of the organization as the organization grows
That's it because every time the organization grows and continues to grow.

[21:44] But you know if more people were coming.

[21:50] Your watering down what made this soup good in the first place.
We just we had people we I think but if they don't understand the why behind it then their talents are like adding water instead of adding real good ingredients to the meal.
There has to be a understanding of the why
Immersion should be consistently happening all the time
Always talking about the why of what we do in the how in in being flexible and how we're doing. This is a constant conversation, not an occasional one and an off site.

[22:40] So to to recap I love talking about things that we have a literation so this is about number one control you're not
In control or this idea of not letting the organization outgrow you is not about getting more control and holding it back. It's about
Releasing control. Yeah. And staying ahead of it. Number two, clarity, our second C word clarity and driving clarity deep into the organization. We'll probably need to divert but I'm thinking the third piece and I know an area where.
I'm constantly working is just education just staying ahead trying to see what's coming down the line
Looking for ways to better understand.

[23:26] How to be a few steps ahead. That's right. That's right
That's right. I I like to always say I like to call it just being able to look over the horizon and to be able to see is many times we're gonna require to use used
Other ice not just your own so it can be once completely related to your industry
There can be also ones who have somewhat connections to your industry. A little outside of your industry. I'm dealing with a couple of insurance companies right now. Who ensure.

[23:54] You know, huge transportation organizations, right? Huge, and but you know,
The way they have to anticipate pay attention to what's happening from supply chain
Issues and what's going on in the ports around the country and what
But it's probably a good idea that you know for their particular industry what's going on and you know
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah, at the ports in California on Long Beach. What's going on in the ports in the northwest? What's going on
On you at some point there has to be a level of
Interest, curiosity on what's also happening around. You can't be so consumed just on your area that you're not paying attention to other things that can have a second or third or fourth level impact
On the decisions you make and so one of the things I encourage leaders often to do is you know, pay attention, read, but also in industries or add that seem like there's no connection between you
Principles that you can see or something you're curious about that you can.

[25:14] Recognize the principal related and then you can start assimilating in a planet into your world with a different view and so this is why I tell leaders many times leaders always like hey we gotta keep bringing outside eyes
We gotta bring outside voices to really make sure we don't get stagnant
There's another way you can help with that is just don't get stagnant like you individually can keep growing
Keep figuring out what's going on and then you can keep using that information
In your decision making that keeps your eyes looking at what's ahead. Yeah, you gotta look backwards, gotta look sideways, and you always gotta look ahead but if you can look further down.

[25:55] I'd never forget my father's sale all the time. He was a you know my
You know he
Many times my line would get a little crooked.
To a specific spot and what was amazing is as long as I kept my eyes on that.

[26:33] It was amazing how much straighter the line would be in comparison when I only looked at what was in front and I've gotten just a great example and that's that's what we need our leaders to do. So, you know, spend enough time looking out into the horizon that keep us.
Course correcting better and make those we don't have as much waste going on on our journey.

[26:57] For the three things we do to keep the organization from how growing us it's all about control clarity and curiosity.
Thank you appreciate my friend any any final words for us
Oh, no, no, this was just great. Just, you know, I say the same thing every time, you know, paste doesn't mean being a hurry is as John wouldn't said, be quick, just not in a hurry, and so our goals to make
Thoughtful action and thoughtful action is what allows us to move it paste because they're so little waste.
When we do it that way.
Eric, what he can do for your company
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Podcast unleashing your best in life.

[28:23] Fantastic week.
Eric is an executive coach. Leadership expert, change consultant, and keynote speaker.
Read his book moving to great and find him at eric bulls. Com connect with Dale at Dale Dixon Media. Com.

[28:43] Music.