Topics—Leadership
When Opportunity Knocks—Be Ready
Create a culture where all employees make the most of opportunities. Being ready when opportunity knocks is good for people, and great for business.
Man has always used his intelligence to make
the most of situations. Smart companies tap into this basic human drive. It
can be a source of great wealth.
Early man often acquired food by chasing away a predator from its’ recent kill. He used the animal’s fur for warmth, dug edible roots from a plant found along the trail, made tools from nearby stones, vines or branches, and systematically scouted an area for the night’s shelter. He made the most of opportunities.
If the stage is properly set, today's employees and managers will also take advantage of unexpected opportunities.
“Prediction Is Very Difficult, Especially of The Future.” Niels Bohr
Life is mostly unexpected. Who we marry, the house we buy, our family lifestyle, and our occupation—came from us making the most of opportunities as they presented themselves. We mostly respond to situations, from what we wear—in response to the weather, to how we drive to work—in response to the traffic, to what we do at our desk—in response to the emails, phone messages, or what was said in the corridor, or cafeteria. What happens in the best planned meetings is largely unpredictable.
With the increasing rate of change in business and technology, the rewards go to companies that respond well to change—that establish a culture where people respond quickly, and appropriately, when opportunity knocks.
Balancing Order With Flexibility
It takes careful planning to balance a company’s need for order and predictability, and its need to respond to opportunities. Top-down planning is essential, but too much, mostly well intentioned, top-down directiveness, leads to passivity in low levels. A culture focused on control suppresses people’s innate drive to be creative in the moment, and to seize the myriad opportunities that can further the company’s interests.
For An Employee To Grab Opportunities, He or She Needs At Least These Three
Things:
1. A game plan and information
He needs to know generally where the company is going and how he fits into that picture. What is the big picture and goal?
He needs background information on finances, customers, company resources, and products—the information that leads to better decisions.
2. The authority to actHe needs to know the rules of engagement—when can he decide, and when he should involve a superior or another department. What is his role? What are the boundaries within which he has freedom to act? Where does he stop and where do others start?
3. Confidence
Seizing opportunities is risky. The person needs the confidence that comes only from experience; that the organization will focus on his successes, rather than on his failures. He needs the kind of strong personal relationships and trust that will give him the needed confidence to act on opportunities. Strong relationships allow the employee to quickly assemble needed resources, information, and support.
Every Employee Can Build Business
I worked with a company where hundreds of drivers were presented daily with dozens of opportunities with customers to further the company’s business. But this company did not see the drivers in the role of business development. They handed that function to the Marketing Department. The result was frustrated drivers, who saw opportunities slip by them every day, and a company that didn’t see what it was losing.
Your company can avoid the delivery company's problem. Imagine every employee unleashing their potential as a business developer, salesperson, R&D member, marketer, and customer service rep. It is not difficult to remove the blocks and set the stage to release all that natural drive.
Just ask your people. They know what to do, and they would like to do it.
Order your copy now of the practical guidebook Developing Your Company Culture