Strategic Consulting for Heroes….
There are 2 types of companies.
Heroic and Non-Heroic.
You could say Microsoft is a Heroic company. Bill Gates is the Hero at the top. If something happened to Mr. Gates, it’s a safe bet that their stock would have some challenges and it’s safe to say a lot of the drive and vision of the company would be lost.
Then there’s McDonalds. They’ve had over a dozen C.E.O.’s in the last few decades and they’ve been nothing but steady-Eddy.
McDonalds would be a Non-Heroic company. There is no Hero at the top. The business runs on a “Working Model”. The model is in place.
Is your company Heroic, or Non-Heroic. Odds are almost 50% that your company is a Heroic company. That can be very dangerous.
Here’s a few reasons why running a Heroic company can be dangerous, and some suggestions on how to switch to a Non-
Heroic platform in short order.
Largest reason to switch to Non-Heroic would be to gain communication company-wide. In most Heroic companies, communication, or “orders” comes from the top down. It is a mindset, a philosophy, an understanding.
It’s just the opposite in Non-Heroic companies. The culture is that the folks at the top are waiting from the next great amount of feedback from downstairs.
It’s very refreshing when an employee leaves a Heroic company and ends up at a Non-Heroic company.
Communication and Growth go hand and hand.
Picture a sales force of a Heroic company. Each level in the corporate ladder can be more intimidated by the next.
A simple test to see if you are running a Heroic, or Non-Heroic company is to have the person at the top take a 60 day vacation.
Would business stop?
At T.G.C., we have dozens of different growth models, for businesses in many different industries. Each and every growth model we can apply will not work if there is not INTERDEPENDANT communication.
Here’s not only an example, but a great way to turn your company from Heroic, to Non-Heroic.
In every growth model we coach on, we roll up our sleeves and get “M.E.S.S.Y.”
MEASURED, EMPLOYEES, SYSTEMS, SENIORS, YEARLY
This is one of the cornerstones of growth.
Everything is MEASURED. How many calls a sales rep makes, how many people a waitress waits on, how many calls the receptionist took, how much money the purchasing agent saved us, etc.. Everything is measured.
All EMPLOYEES overlap in one more job in each department. Not the complete job, but every single task can be covered quickly, by someone below, above, or on equal footing.
SYSTEMS are installed across the board. Imagine that the company is for sale, and the buyer asks, “What went into landing that account?” There better be a record on file somewhere of the companies sales-cycle per account, cost per sales rep, etc.. This is the case for each and every department. Everyone covers their territory and records it for measurement.
Even SENIOR Executives, owners, and managers have to have overlapping responsibilities.
Finally, the above four points get reviewed, with each one getting adjusted, YEARLY.
The above format will allow entrepreneurs to finally take a vacation, and some major companies become much more valuable in the marketplace if they ever want to sell.
Very few buyers buy smaller Heroic businesses.
Make sure you are thinking long term.
-Ken
Growth Consulting for Today
