Industry Magazine Grand General Agency Fall 2016 | Page 12

ENERGIZE TO OPTIMIZE

Jack Daly
Jack Daly is an expert in corporate culture that inspires audiences to take
action in customer loyalty and personal motivation. He delivers explosive
keynote and general session presentations. Jack brings 30+ years of field proven
experience from a starting base with CPA firm Arthur Andersen to the
CEO level of several national companies. Jack is a proven CEO/Entrepreneur,
having built six companies into national firms, two of which he subsequently
sold to the Wall Street firms of Solomon Brothers and First Boston.

ENERGIZE TO
OPTIMIZE
Gain Peak Performance

We can’t expect different behavior from others than what
we ourselves offer as an example. “We are the message” in our
companies today. Business leaders, no matter the sector, must
develop ways to thrive during times of constant change. I offer
ten specific action ideas (discussed below) to all of my clients
as these ideas are designed to gain peak performance from our
most important resource—our employees.
Never before have we seen companies put so much pressure
on their employees to work longer and harder. John Hinrichs,
president of the consulting firm Management Decision
Systems, observes that “ten or fifteen years ago, we used to talk
about job enrichment. Now we talk about job engorgement.”
There are numerous reasons for this stress-inducing tendency:
corporate restructurings, which have wiped out layers of
managers without reducing the amount of work to be done;
new technologies (which eventually will lessen the need for
supervision) that are currently causing tough transitions for
managers and employees; and increased competition coming
from large, efficient players and from niche opportunists.

OUR CHALLENGE AS LEADERS AND
MENTORS IS TWO-FOLD. FIRST, WE MUST
ENERGIZE OUR ASSOCIATES SO THEY CAN
OPTIMIZE THEIR PERFORMANCE NOW.
SECOND, WE NEED TO MAINTAIN BALANCE
AND PERSPECTIVE IN OUR OWN LIVES
IN
ORDER TO HAVE A PROPER WORKING
You Are the Message
RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR ASSOCIATES.
FALL 2016

Here are the ten things to think about and then proactively
implement in your organization. And if you think some of these
ten “energizers” need to come from the top of your organization
to be successful, I remind you that leaders start where they are.
Do these on your own, and then see what happens around you.
1. Energizers set direction for their units by writing quarterly
mission statements. As part of this process, the team commits to
established values. Enthusiasm is generated within departments
as team members formulate their shared missions. Revising
those statements quarterly rekindles that energy and
commitment while also providing an opportunity for each person
to develop appropriate short-term goals.
2. Energizers truly listen and, thus, are plugged in to reality.
They are both open and inquisitive, and their search for ideas
is never-ending and boundless. Useful suggestions can come
from competitors, suppliers, customers, front-line associates,
trade groups, and even mentors. Ask yourself, “How much time
did I spend truly listening?” Good listeners practice “zero-based
thinking,” which requires that we forget the way we’ve always
done things and allows us to look at situations in a new light.
3. Philosopher John Gardner has referred to what he terms
“tough-minded optimism.” Energizers possess such a spirit, which
combines hope and realism as the driving forces in building a
business. Focusing on customer needs helps make this happen. A
leader is more interested in serving the customer than in worrying
about what the board of directors will think.
4. Energizers are forever thinking about and articulating their
company mission and values. At least once a year, give a speech
reinforcing what you and your company stands for. Nearly every

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