SURVIVING TO THRIVING
“ The purpose of the huddle is to quickly get everyone aligned on the day ’ s top tasks , uncover
( not solve ) any issues or obstacles , and hear what ’ s happening “ on the ground ” as people go about their day-to-day activities .”
From Surviving To Thriving
Certified with Gazelles International Rick has generated results in the millions of dollars for his clients using Four Decisions TM tools like the One Page Strategic Plan , the Rockefeller Habits checklist , the Power of One and many others .
For years , Alberta ’ s booming economy overwhelmed us with business . We were blessed . For most leaders , navigating the growth of their business simply meant hiring enough of the right people . For the employers of choice in each sector of the economy , this wasn ’ t an insurmountable challenge and they successfully grew their businesses .
It ’ s different now . Today , navigating your company ’ s growth means first surviving , then thriving , through these turbulent times . As your company ’ s CGO ( Chief Growth Officer ), you should be focused on both . The two tasks are intertwined . You can ’ t thrive if you don ’ t first survive correctly ( more on that below ). And surviving correctly brings a battle-hardened edge to companies , making them tough competitors who are well positioned to thrive when their markets turn around .
Surviving correctly . It means more than cutting staff , slashing expenses , and eking out an existence while hoping for the return of better times . Hope is not a strategy . Better times might come quickly and they might not . That is largely out of your control . You ’ ve probably already trimmed some staff , cut obvious expenses , and “ battened down the hatches .” So have your competitors . Surviving correctly is more than that . It also involves doing things now that will strengthen your company going forward . Consider these two inexpensive ideas you can implement once you get past the obvious survival stuff .
First , teach your employees how you make and keep money . Everyone understands cash , so explain how long it takes for your company to get back the first dollar you spend on winning business . We call it the cash conversion cycle and the lower the number of days in this cycle , the better . Show them how long it takes to win business ( your sales cycle ), how long it takes to make your product , when you pay your suppliers , when you invoice your customer , and when you receive payment . When employees see this cycle , it naturally leads them to think of ideas to reduce the cycle and eliminate mistakes , and how doing
things differently will improve your company ’ s cash flow .
Next , open up communication throughout your company . In times like these , your goal is to make sure everyone knows what direction you want to go and his or her role in helping to get there . Start small . Start with a daily huddle of no more than fifteen minutes . The purpose of the huddle is to quickly get everyone aligned on the day ’ s top tasks , uncover ( not solve ) any issues or obstacles , and hear what ’ s happening “ on the ground ” as people go about their day-to-day activities . Having everyone participate in this simple meeting creates energy and peer accountability and gives everyone a voice .
It ’ s worth making these simple and free changes . They ’ ll increase employee engagement . And through good times and , especially , bad times , highly engaged employees will be your key to efficiency , innovation , and sustained competitive advantage . With engaged employees , you ’ ll not only be surviving , you ’ ll build a base for thriving . u
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