September, 2012 | It's Worth Noting

You see them everywhere. Plaques up on the wall emblazoned with the company mission and values. They are even in many homes, lists of rules, values or platitudes to live by. There is nothing wrong with the plaques. Most of them look nice and communicate important messages about why a group labors together and invests in relationships. They communicate a set of standards to get everyone on the same page. The plaques are not bad. They are just not very effective on their own. What if instead of plaques, you put up pictures of people, historical or even better, coworkers in the office, with relevant captions to communicate the desired message? An easy example would be a picture of Lincoln with a caption such as, “Be honest like this guy” or “When life required him to fight a war, he went to the library and learned how do it.” A…

Your organization cannot run without them. Vendors and suppliers, whether couriers, banks, professional services or suppliers of raw materials, make up a complex network that helps you get the job done. These are people and organizations you pay and rely on, but far too often I hear people describe the relationship with disdain. Whether the feeling is that they cost too much, are unreliable or are apathetic, the all too unfortunate consensus is that they’re a necessary evil. The best that can be done is to endure, yell when you have to and always be on the lookout for a better option. If this is where you are, whether with one or many of your vendors or suppliers, the real problem is not them. I suggest it’s you. More precisely, it’s your selection criteria and process for the partners you chose. Consider your hiring process for a moment. What if…

September 2012

Have your team follow people, not plaques

Misaligned: Fixing the problem with poorly chosen vendors and suppliers