Turbo Leadership Systems^™

Align in ’09 - Your team will shine

Everyone seems to be asking, "How is your business?" Our business is great! How is yours?

I talked to someone in Michigan recently who said they were going to "ride it out". In my view, "riding it out" is not an acceptable option. Anyone who thinks they can survive these tumultuous times without making changes in their focus and approach may look back in dismay at their decision; their decision to make no decision.

Here is an old, old, old story that is just as applicable to today as the first time I read it four recessions ago:

How to Create a Depression

A man lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs.
He was hard of hearing, so he had no radio.
He had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers.
But he sold GOOD hot dogs.
He put up signs on the highway telling how good they were.
He stood by the side of the road and cried: "Buy a hot dog, Mister!"
And people bought.

He increased his meat and bun orders.
He bought a bigger stove to take care of his business.
He brought his son home from college to help him.
But then something happened…
His son said, "Father, haven't you been listening to the radio?"
There's a depression on.
The European situation is bad.
The Asian situation is terrible.
The Domestic situation is worse.

Whereupon the father thought, "Well, my son's been to college.
He reads the papers and listens to the radio, and he ought to know."
So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders.
He took down his advertising signs.
And no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell hot dogs.
And his hot dog sales fell off almost overnight.
"You're right, son," the father said to the boy.
"We certainly are in the middle of a terrible depression."

Cutting back isn't the answer. The answer is to align your team around one clearly defined goal and then move forward with renewed commitment. Look for every way possible to improve your service without increasing your costs. An analysis of Turbo Leadership Systems' 2008 business shows that with fewer clients (less than 20), we had our second best year in 23 years. More importantly, all of our clients have shown dramatic improvements in the areas they identified for breakthroughs, including:

• improved production
• maximized the value of all resources
• improved sales
• improved processes
• improved customer satisfaction scores, and
• improved profits

These target areas, with clearly defined results, were agreed to as we began our client assignment, and every client, without exception, has achieved their desired results. In most cases, they exceeded their highest expectation.

How about you? Would you like to see breakthroughs in '09 in one or more of the above listed target areas? Drop us an email, tell us where you want to see breakthroughs. A good place to start is with Turbo's complimentary 50-minute Leadership Team Briefing, "Align in '09".