Steering Your VisionDonald HadleyDonald Hadley, Fidelity Financial Group Inc., Communication
When I was a child, my grandfather once told me a story about
how his father, an engineer who built bridges throughout Indiana,
was forced to take a job in California during a particularly severe
depression. Consequently, he bought a train ticket and left his
family in Indiana, until he could raise enough money to permanently
relocate them to the west coast. However, the economy only grew
worse, and after about six months, his job in California was
terminated. With his last two dollars, my great-grandfather bought
two thingsa ticket back to Indiana and a seven-inch ivory statue of
Buddha, whose inscription read, The Billikin: God of Things as They
Ought to be.
When you began your career, you likely had a visiona picture of
where you wanted to be, or a picture of things as they ought to
have been. As your business grew, your vision probably adjusted,
but hopefully, little by little, you made progress towards your
original goal, regardless of what it was.
No matter what happens, the one common attribute that successful
people share is that, along the way, others who had a similar
vision offered their help. However, in modern times, the sheer
amount of information, coupled with a limited amount of time, often
makes it seem as if communication is muddled, leaving the people
around you less focused. To rectify this problem, it is critical
that you ask yourself the following questions:
*Do you know what your vision is?
*Is it being clearly communicated?
*Is it regularly reinforced, redirected and clarified?
*Does your staff understand and share your vision with each other,
as well as your customers and suppliers?
*Are your compensation packages efficiently motivating your
employees directly towards this vision?
*Are you differentiating between your business and your
competitors, via your vision and compensation package?
In order to determine whether you are doing an adequate job of
handling the aforementioned issues, you should follow these simple
guidelines:
*Take a survey of all clients, suppliers and employees, with the
intent of learning their opinions and beliefs.
*Develop improved communication skills with your employees through
regular meetings, employee dinners and payroll stuffers.
*Provide your people with tools they can use to communicate your
vision with others.
*Develop specific, tangible programs for base pay, bonuses and
benefits, which will be directly tied to your vision and financial
ratios.
*Request regular updates from your employees regarding their
respective performances and dedication.
While these exercises can sometimes become esoteric and wordy,
most businesses who discuss these issues will soon develop a better
grasp of their vision. It will become a means of steering your
ship, so to speak, and as you make adjustments along the way, your
performance will inevitably become better managed, discussed and
focused.
Donald Hadley is president of Fidelity Financial Group Inc.
He can be reached by phone at (800) 786-4332 or e-mail
[email protected].
