8-13-10 Don't Eat That June Bug

My dog seems to be a real aficionado of the June bugs that are plentiful here in the Midwest. The unfortunate thing about that (other than the very obvious ick factor) is that every time she eats them, she ralphs them right back up. Sigh. You would think that she would’ve learned her lesson after the first time or two. But noooo, that would be way too easy on the dog parents.

At this point, you are either really grossed out or wondering, “what in the hell does this have to do with the executive?!”. Or both.

Can’t help you with the grossed out part. But I can shed some light on what this means for the exec.

Have you ever heard the adage about the definition of insanity? Where someone keeps doing the same thing over and over -- expecting new or different results?

Well, while I can’t vouch for my dog wanting different results after eating the June bugs (altho’ I would like it), I can vouch for the fact that the executive often does the same thing over and over -- and truly expects different results.

Why do we execs do this? I think that it has to do with what worked in the past. We’ve found a process for problem-solving that has gotten us out of sticky situations before. Why not just apply it every time we get into a sticky situation?

In fact, organizations often encourage this kind of behavior. How? By sending in the same trouble-shooting team over and over. You’ve seen the routine. A program or a project falls deeper and deeper over cost or further and further behind schedule. The team in place can’t seem to turn the tide. So the senior execs put their heads together and decide to throw a tiger team at it. And who do they pick? It is always the same people. (Typically the ones that kick ass and take no prisoners -- but that’s another story.) You could write a script for what this tiger team will do, if you have watched them in action before -- because you can bet that they will do the same exact things.

Do they succeed? Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. Isn’t it a good thing when they do? Well, yes. Maybe.

The unfortunate thing about this approach is that the tiger team is trying to force a standard process or answer on a variety of problems.

In reality, what the executive team should be doing is putting their execution skills to use (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model and 1-3-10 Execution Skills -- Now go DO something!). You are being paid to lead your organization. In order to do this you need to analyze the situation, gather the appropriate data, synthesize the information, determine a path, and lead your team in the resolution. You have to deal with the fragmentation of the problem. You have to deal with the ambiguity inherent in the information you gather. In short, you are managing change -- often at a breakneck pace.

Because things are moving so fast or because the situation is dire, you will be tempted to trot out your “typical” solution -- one that has worked in the past. This may or may not be right. But you can be sure that it won’t be tailored to your current situation. And by following a “typical” path, you will likely end up with a less than optimal resolution.

Don’t get me wrong --- your past successes (and failures) are important. They inform your capabilities. You can use this experience as part of the data you take in during your analysis.

Just make sure that you aren’t applying the insanity rule in your day-to-day activities. Figure out what should be done in this moment --- not what you’ve done in the past.

Cheers!