How Many “Ands” In Your Life?

July 9th, 2010

How Many “Ands” In Your Life?

© Michael Wynne 2010

I recently came across a quote that has been around for centuries, yet it still has the power to make you think; here it is”

You think that because you understand “One” that you must therefore understand “Two” because one and one make two.  But you forget that you must also understand “And”.       Sufi Teaching Story.

There are many ways of interpreting this quote.  It could refer to so many of the assumptions we make in life where we think we know the next thing because we already know the first. 

As a management consultant with over 30 years experience, I often see where an expert in one area of business such as manufacturing, or finance, or technology, or human resources, or marketing is promoted to the position of CEO of a company. Usually, this person has a record of excellence in an important area of expertise; therefore, it is assumed that he or she has the ability to run the entire business. 

Naturally, the new CEO starts out by bringing important changes in his or her area of expertise, “And” then begins to tackle problems in the other areas of business applying many of the approaches that were a source of excellence earlier. Surprisingly, or maybe not, this “And” can be totally mystifying to the new CEO, and serious mistakes can happen. 

Because you understand one thing does not mean you understand the ones that follow.  For example, you know what a rose looks like – or do you?  Have you ever tried to draw one from memory?  Or, when you graduated from high school did you know what college would be like?  Or, after a lovely romantic relationship, did you know what marriage would be like?

Because you have experienced a problem before and solved it, does that mean that the same solution will work with what looks like the same problem – but may not be?  I frequently hear about companies where clients ordered a part or a product because it worked before on what looked like the same problem, “And” then complain that the product was defective because it didn’t work.

How many “Ands” do you have in life?  How many in business?

Be cautious when you quickly assume that you have the solution to a problem; there will always be “Ands”.  That’s why they say:

“Every little problem hides a big one inside.”

By the way, in case you are wondering, Sufi is an ancient Moslem school of philosophical and devotional mysticism. (You never know where your next lesson in wisdom is going to come from.)

If you run into an “AND” that mystifies you, or you are not sure you have  defined the problem correctly, it might be better to not make any decisions, that is, any decisions other than picking up the phone and dialing 630 420 2605, or e-mail Michael Wynne at mykwyn@aol.com for some creative problem solving assistance.  Remember:

There is no right solution for the wrong problem.

Sending Someone to Work Abroad? Think again!

March 29th, 2010

All you need to send someone to work overseas is a passport and an airline ticket; right?   WRONG!

About 75 percent of employees sent overseas fail.  Why, because they are  usually not the right person for the job.  Companies assume that picking someone who is successful in the U.S. ensures their success abroad.  It does not, and the numbers prove it.

Yet, most American companies still don’t get it.  They keep sending the wrong people overseas who end up producing a huge negative ROI.  How much?  Check the following figures.

  • On an average, sending an employee to a foreign country costs American companies about $300,000 a year.
  • Assume a company sends just 17 employees abroad in a given year. The annual cost of those 17 employees is about $5,100,000.
  • The average overseas assignment lasts about 4 years.
  • The cost of keeping 17 employees overseas for 4 years is $20,400,000.
  • If 75 percent or 13 of those 17 employees fail, the negative ROI is $15,300,000.
  • Plus, the cost of the mistakes that improperly selected employees make during their stay abroad may equal, double, triple, or more, than just the cost of their compensation.

American companies send thousands of employees overseas every year.  Given the outrageous cost of these poor decisions, companies should invest more time and money up front to choose the right candidates.  They should also track the cost of sending those wrong candidates overseas.

So what is the right way to select people for international jobs?   Tne company must first find answers to 20 key questions regarding their candidates’ qualifications.

To see the list of those 20 Key Questions, go to www.MikeWynne.com.

Bottom Line: There are more wrong kinds of people to send abroad than right ones.  The right ones build relationships, and relationships are the key to business everywhere in the world.

Business is about people, and not everyone is right for every country, market, and culture.   So analyze candidates carefully, and choose only after extensive interviewing and reviewing.