The Landmark Blog

Corporate Strategy - What Do You Do When You Lose...BIG?

I have a passion for soccer that I inherited from my dad.  I tell my sons that soccer runs in their blood, that it’s part of their heritage.  My sons play soccer, I play(ed) soccer, my brothers played, my dad and his brothers played, and my grandfather played soccer.  My grandfather actually played for his local professional team, the Garth Rangers (Wales, UK). 

My dad is a Welshman who moved to the U.S. when he was about seventeen years old.  Growing up, I was very interested in U.S. sports, especially baseball and football.  My dad didn't understand.  Football...wasn't really football, didn't use feet much, was covered in pads, seemed over-complicated, unorganized, and just wasn't rugby.  Baseball...was...just...boring (to him).  Nevertheless, I loved to play and watch both. 

In fifth grade, I was a pretty small kid.  On my football team, I was a linebacker.  One day, a much larger (probably slower) kid knocked me out of the circle used to test who started the game (the test was to hit each other until someone fell down or was knocked out of the circle).  I lost my starting spot and couldn't regain it for most of the season.  At that point, football became particularly boring for my dad and as a player, I was frustrated.  One day, my dad came to me and told me a story of magic, of glamour, of heritage and family, a story of the beautiful game, the world’s game, of George Best and European football...real football.  I was hooked.  At ten years old, I knew that as a half Welshman I could be the greatest American soccer player EVER (oh…if it were that simple…boy did I suck to begin with).

I began playing soccer in fifth grade and haven't stopped playing since.  If you know me you understand that soccer has become a part of who I am.  I'm passionate about it...bordering on nerdy.  In my "spare time," I coach competitive youth soccer.  I've been coaching youth soccer for about fifteen years.  I coach two teams and they are good (in the top-10 at each age group for the state of Utah, U.S.)  Last night, one of the teams had an experience that I hope to never repeat.  We lost...BIG...REALLY BIG.  When you hit the top levels of competitive soccer, most games are 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 3-1, etc.  A BIG loss would be something like 4-0 or 5-1.  We lost 10-0.  It was UGLY...REALLY UGLY...EMBARRASINGLY UGLY.  The biggest joke around soccer communities is how bad the referees suck.  This referee was terrible (they all are), he didn't call a thing (there were four different fights that I was aware of during the game...one that even turned into a shoving/kicking/swinging match...the referee had no control...and didn't call fouls on any of it).  The referee, in spite of his poor performance, was not the reason for the 10-0 loss.  We just took a drubbing to a team that we played 3-2 the last time we competed against each other.  It was frustrating...and sad. 

If you've ever coached through a situation like this, you go through some moments that are similar to the stages of grief…though significantly sped up (yeah…I told you I was a little nerdy…maybe the word is CRAZY is more in line).

1 – Denial and Isolation: “Really, are we going to get beat like this”…I walk up and down the sideline muttering…eventually I sit down and shut up completely.

2 – Anger: Bark at the players from the sideline, through half time, on the field, off the field, eventually no barking at all (which is even worse).

3 – Bargaining: “Please boys, just get your heads up, shake it off, and go out and play the way you know how.  Show some heart…if you work hard, good things will happen."  As I’m thinking (at 7-0)…"Just don't let it go in to double digits...I'll be a good person for the rest of my life if it just doesn't go into double digits."  I guess I'm off the hook.

4 – Depression: I was so shaken by the loss last night that all I could do was stutter…I was ready to stop coaching…didn’t sleep well…couldn't think of anything else.

5 – Acceptance: Today I realize that there’s nothing I can do to change last night.  I’m not going to quit on those boys.  I feel a little idiotic (ok - a lot idiotic...it is JUST A GAME...right?  Have you heard the saying "Soccer is Life"?).  We really are a good team.

So here’s the inevitable point.  As companies, or as employees, managers and professionals, we all take our losses from time to time.  Sometimes we even get our butts kicked.  Occasionally, we get our butts kicked badly.  Social media has done some wonderful things for “getting the word out”.  When you’re doing well, it quickly becomes apparent.  Social media has also expedited the speed at which everyone else finds out that you just got your butt kicked (the 10-0 drubbing hit Facebook before I even returned home for the night).  Most losses aren’t always public knowledge.  Maybe you lost a big proposal, a big job you’ve always had on hand, a key staff member, a client, or had some negative press, and maybe it’s impactful…very impactful.  We’ve all been there.  In business, when you lose…BIG…what do you do?  Here are some suggestions, along with some great quotes by the late great UCLA head coach John Wooden:

• “If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” Flawless execution is one key way of succeeding consistently and minimizing the losses.  If you’ve just experienced a loss, meet with your staff…reset…then teach your staff (or yourself if appropriate) to execute cleanly from the start.  The first goal scored in my soccer game was within two minutes of the starting whistle.  It started a very bad precedence and was the start of a very long night.  Start with clean execution in mind.
• “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”  Do you know why you lost…or are losing?  If not, figure out the cause of the loss, do some market research, especially if your losses are consistent.  A good market research organization will help you figure out how to fix it.  If you aren’t prone in that direction, figure out how to fix it yourself.  Some things are difficult to change.  Make the changes that make sense to change.  Then ask yourself, is that enough?  If it’s not, do something about it.  Be a player rather than a spectator.
• “Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”  Evaluate your losses.  Did you just experience one loss, or have you experienced many losses in a row?  These are two different issues.  Is there a trend?  What are you capable of?  Are you competing at that level of your ability?  If not, why?  Evaluate whether you need to make tweaks in your product or service offerings that align more cleanly with your ability.  Do some product research.  Or, make tweaks in your ability to align more cleanly with your product or service offerings.
• “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”  After our loss, a close friend gave me this sage advice.  “The best time to teach is right after a loss.” At the time of the loss, I was so worked up I couldn’t see this simple principle.  It’s worth remembering that a good coach (or manager or mentor) is one who can identify areas of improvement, help you see what needs to improve, and show you the path to improvement or how to accomplish it.  Improvement means more wins.
• “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” It’s important to remember that once things are done, when the final whistle blows, there’s nothing else you can do about the situation.  If you’ve worked your hardest, made the appropriate corrections, followed these steps for the next opportunity, improved yourself as a result of the loss, the final step is to let the loss go.  Walk away, don’t repeat the mistake(s), and move on.  This just might be the toughest step.

Any suggestions on what to do when you lose...BIG?  How do you turn losses into wins down the road?

Business Practices - Do You Poop in the Pool?

My family didn't really have a lot of money growing up so we didn't often vacation to exotic destinations (OK - never).  Typical summer vacations included visits to cousin's houses in rural Idaho and Wyoming (is there anything but RURAL in Idaho and Wyoming), camping in Yellowstone National Park located a few hours away, family reunions in Las Vegas, and the occasional trip to a Salt Lake amusement park called Lagoon.

On the rare occasion that we did leave the area on vacation, my family visited Disneyland.  For this reason, the theme park holds a dear place in my heart and might just actually be the "Happiest Place on Earth".  On one visit to Disneyland, my family packed up the van (we'd graduated from the original wood sided, green, station wagon with the rear facing seat to a yellow van with a seat that folded out into a bed...I don't think it had seatbelts), and headed to Southern California.  The trip looked to be an exciting and unique vacation.  Instead of camping as we typically did, we were going to stay in a cheap motel near Disneyland and I was allowed to invite a friend along.  

I was probably sixteen at the time and my mom let me drive much of the trip (growing up, I had my driver's license at fourteen years old).  The thirteen hour drive from Idaho to Southern California was largely uneventful (although I was pulled over by an Arizona State Trooper for speeding up and slowing down as I drove the highway through the canyons between Utah and Nevada...he thought I was driving drunk...I wasn't drunk...just inexperienced).  By the time we reached our motel, we were hot (no AC), tired, and ready for some relaxation.

Every cheap motel near Disneyland has an outdoor pool.  The sheer number of people that stay in these hotels is mind-numbing.  There are always a million kids in the pool, kids in the halls, and families in every nook and cranny imaginable.  The morning after arriving at the motel, my friend, my two brothers, and I decided to take a swim.  We spent quite a while in the pool and eventually started diving for things at the bottom.  We'd throw change into the pool and then dive down and retrieve it.  At some point during this thrilling event, my friend dove to the bottom of the pool to retrieve something brown (he must have thought it was a penny).  He came to the top of the water, looked at what was in his hand, and realized that it was poop.  Yep - POOP.  Surprised by what he found, my friend screamed at the top of his lungs..."SOMEONE POOED IN THE POOL...GET OUT...SOMEONE POOED IN THE POOL!"  And, an interesting phenomenon occurred...my two brothers, my friend and I all jumped out of the pool and started running to our room...as did several others.  The interesting part was that many of the other swimmers just stayed right there and kept on swimming...IN THE POOP.

We sprinted back to our motel room.  I'm happy to say that I was the oldest and fastest so I was able to shower first.  We never did go back to the pool for the rest of the time we were there.  It was a memorable and funny experience (after we'd showered).

So, what's the point?  In your business, your department, your team, do you have employees and coworkers that poop in the office pool?  What about you, do you poop in the pool? 

Most days you go to work.  Many of us spend as much time with our work associates as we do with our own families.  The million dollar question is, "How do you approach your co-workers, your vendors, your clients and your customers?"  Do you try to AVOID...

• Participating in office Rumors, Gossip, Political Maneuvering, and Back-biting?
• Having No Filter - Do you avoid saying everything that comes to mind, especially the negative.  Do you consider the emotional impact of your words on those around you?
• Beating Up On Others...simply because you can...because you're in charge...because you have a leadership role...or because you are in a vendor/customer relationship?  Do you avoid fiscally, verbally, or managerially beating up on those around you?
• Smack Talking Clients (and vendors)

These things are like pooing in the pool.  Regardless of how far away from the poop you are when it enters the pool, poop travels and still gets on you (maybe even in your mouth - yuck).  Don't allow yourself, your employees, and your co-workers, to participate in these activities...Don't poop in your office pool.

As a company, a team, a department, you're all in this together.  Do what it takes to build cohesive associations that watch out for the best interest of your team, your vendors, and especially your clients and customers.  Live by the simple mantra "Relationships Rule".  Build positive relationships and good things will happen.  You'll respect your employees, your clients, your vendors, and they'll have greater respect for you.  Good things will result, you'll have more success, and you'll be happier for it.

 

• What are some other ways to "Poop in the Office Pool"?
• More importantly, how do you avoid them? 

 

Mountains, Trail Markers, and Feedback

A few years back my brothers and I climbed the Grand Teton, a mountain peak in the Grand Teton National Park.  The Grand Teton is one of the highest points in Wyoming and reaches a daunting 13,770 feet in elevation.  The approach to the peak and back is about a 14 mile roundtrip hike that spans two days.  The first day is spent hiking to the base of the Teton and resting for the second day's activities.  The second day is spent scaling the Grand, and hiking all the way back to your car.  Scaling the peak itself requires climbing gear and a 2,700 foot elevation gain.  

At one point along the climb, the trail requires you scale a cliff where you are suspended by climbing gear, butt facing out on about 12,000 feet of air.  For me, this entire trip was a grueling, but once in a lifetime experience with many adventures, excitement, and tense moments.

Among the many interesting experiences we had on this trip, there's one that I'll never forget.  As we reached the summit of the Grand, it began to rain...and lightening.  I'm not sure if you've ever stood on a peak that high in the air but you quickly realize how miniscule you are.  When lightening begins to drop, it becomes extremely scary and beautiful all at once.  You can feel the electricity in the air, the hair on your arms stand on end, but you are taken aback by the setting.  As the rain and lightening began to drop around us, it became quickly apparent that we were at significant risk of being hit.  As much as we wanted to stay and enjoy the scenery, it was imperative that get off the mountain very quickly.  

Cairns, as they relate to back-country hiking, are trail markers made from piled-together rocks that mark the trail when the trail itself isn't obvious, for instance through rock beds, rivers, etc.  They help hikers avoid getting lost, are extremely important for navigation, and are sometimes very difficult to find.  An Epic, in the climbing world, is a very dangerous experience...one that should happen infrequently...but that you live to tell about.  

Our start on the second day was a little later than we would have liked and we moved more slowly than we'd have expected.  As we sped down the Grand Teton, with rain and lightening falling all around us and the sky darkening, we realized that this Epic was nowhere close to being over.  When the series of long repels were completed and we were able to get to a safer area, we had a seven mile hike in the rain ahead of us...in the dark.  The Cairns that seemed so obvious in the daylight, were much more difficult to find with only a headlamp to guide the way.  The trail was eerily difficult to follow and we were exhausted by the days epic events.

I learned something about human nature...and myself...on that trip.  We, as humans, are capable of doing difficult things.  We're capable of overcoming obstacles that we'd never imagine in our way.  I believe these traits apply to not only our personal lives, but our businesses, employment, and work lives.

What are the Epics that you face in your business or your employment.  Is the recent recession one?  What about other events?  What are the Cairns that you use to help you guide the way to business success?  Here are some suggestions for guiding you through epic events...some business Cairns:

• Constantly collect feedback from your customers, your patients, your constituents, or your employees on what you are doing well and what you can improve on.  Feedback surveys are a good way of collecting information to ensure you have a trail to follow.
• Provide yourself with immediate access to this feedback information so that you are aware of issues quickly.  This access could be in a data or business intelligence dashboard format, or something as simple as dropping all feedback responses into your e-mail.  Your customers, patients, constituents, employees, etc. will appreciate you for gathering this information and they'll be more likely to stick with the trail as a result.  
• Make sure you act on the feedback information as quickly as you can.  There's no reason to gather feedback if you have no intention to do anything with it.  Waiting for months or years to address issues are as problematic as not knowing the issues to begin with.  If the trail doesn't have a clear path with constant improvements, it becomes much harder to follow.

OUCH - YOU SHOT ME...Do your Planning & Market Research!

I have children in my household.  More specifically, I have tweens & teens, with sons in the mix.  A few weeks ago, one of my sons asked for an "Airsoft Gun" for his birthday.  If you've never heard of an airsoft gun, it's like the BB guns from your youth, only it's been "modernized" for the "safety" of the new generation who will never ride in a backward facing seat in a stationwagon without a seatbelt, play in an abondoned car in a junk laden abandoned field, or ever sleep overnight in the backyard on the trampoline without parental supervision.  The ammunition for an airsoft gun is a plastic BB, shot from a mostly plastic gun vs. a metal BB from a "normal" BB gun (aka. Red Ryder BB Gun from "A Christmas Story").  The BB's from airsoft guns are strong enough to break through cardboard, but probably not strong enough to "shoot your eye out".  For the most part, you should AVOID shooting someone with an airsoft gun.  Shooting your friend with an airsoft gun is NOT recommended...although it won't kill them...and probably won't injure them...much.  My son got an airsoft gun for his birthday.

One of the coolest features on this airsoft gun was a "laser scope"...basically a plastic laser pointer attached to the top of the airsoft gun.  About a week after my son received this gift, it was lying around the house for anyone to play with.  My father-in-law stopped by one afternoon for a visit.  He's a country boy who grew up around "real" guns and fully understands gun safety...what he didn't understand was that airsoft guns actually shoot plastic BB's with a fair amount of velocity...and that this "toy" gun wasn't simply a "laser pointer" in the shape of a handgun.  One of the funniest experiences of my youngest son's life to date (funniest for the rest of us)...was the day he was shot by his grandfather with an airsoft gun.  It was like a scene from ABC's "Modern Family":

Grandfather: "What's this?"...Points gun at grandson...

Grandson: "It's an airsoft gun?"...Insert "Duh" expression here...

Grandfather: Noticing laser pointer...pulls trigger...thinking laser will point at grandson...instead shoots high velocity plastic BB...hitting grandson in the ribs...(Did I mention grandson has no shirt on?)...BB leaves a nice red welt.

Grandson: "OUCHHHH...YOU SHOT ME..."Grandson falls to the ground and rolls around in shock that his Grandfather would actually shoot him with an airsoft gun, while Grandfather apologizes profusely.

Everyone Else in the Room: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...take deep breath...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH...wipe tears...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.     

What does this have to do with your business, your market research company, or conducting market research?

As each of us, regardless of our role or responsibility, prepares for the year...keep these suggestions in mind:

• Have a purpose - Do what you intend...and intend what you do (as opposed to the grandfather who pegged grandson...completely by accident).
• Have a plan, set realistic goals, and then execute on them.  It's important that you have a plan for the future and that you aren't leaving your success to a fluke accident (grandfather pegged son with plastic BB, but didn't mean to).  Sometimes we FALL into success in our businesses.  It's always great when that happens, but typically VERY unpredictable.  "Hope" isn't a strategy, so don't rely on a complete accident for your success?
• Include a product or service aimed at keeping your company relevant...Don't "take your shots"...on the spur of the moment...and then, after the fact...hope that you hit on something.  Conduct your market research and analysis to ensure that the product(s) or service(s) you are launching have a place and are relevant to your industry.  This is appropriate...even if...especially if...you are a market research company...market study...do your homework. 
  
• Return and report on your progress...to someone.  If you're the senior manager, report to your staff.  If you're an employee on a team, report to your team leader.  It's important that each of us are accountable for what we do every day, that we stay focused, that we are open to feedback as we proceed, and that we announce our successes from the rooftops (Probably don't need to scream your failures...OUCH - YOU SHOT ME).
• Establish timelines, checkpoints, and metrics for success.  If you're not careful, it's easy to operate huge chunks of your life...your business...your year...untethered...hoping for the best, but relying on a mishap (an unplanned "shot in the dark") for the success of your business.

Here's to an awesome new year...Give it your BEST SHOT!  I look forward to your comments.