A forum for Hawaii's
business community to discuss
current events and issues
» Management with a mission » Tech stocking stuffers
BACK TO TOP |
DAVE SWANN / DSWANN@STARBULLETIN.COM
Management
with a missionAs much as execs may dread
discussing corporate values,
clear aims make a difference
on the front lines
Individuals who are severely depressed dread opening their normally sleep-deprived eyes in the morning. Rather than the dawning of a new day full of untold exciting possibilities and opportunities, their days all look dark. They have come to expect an ever-deepening spiral of despair, fueled by the sense of having no real purpose in their lives. If it gets too much to handle, one day they just stop investing in life, or worse, they 'quit!'
'Sad, to be sure.' you think, but what has anomie got to do with managerial and organizational excellence? The answer is quite simple. Just watch the eyes of many a senior management team roll over when it is suggested that they need to work on the two dreaded M and V words: mission and values. They would rather try to sail around on the turbulent seas of ambiguity and uncertainty -- which characterize today's business environment -- like a ship without a rudder, buffeted by competitive waves they didn't see coming. They would rather adopt reactive versus proactive stances toward important changes. Little wonder so many of today's employees have stopped investing their hearts and souls into their jobs. They bring their bodies to work to serve their time, but emotionally they have quit their jobs.
When one of my clients asked me: "How can a really clear unambiguous mission and value statement counteract this kind of organizational anomie?" I told the following story:
As many business travelers do, I have a bad habit of trying to over-stuff my carry on bag. So when the zipper on my Lands' End bag gave out, I was upset, but not surprised.
After explaining my problem to the customer service person on the phone, and even admitting [albeit a bit sheepishly] that I had caused it myself by over-stuffing the bag], I simply asked how I could get it repaired. I was quickly told that all I needed to do was return the old bag and a new one would be sent to me immediately, free of charge! And, as if that wasn't enough to really get my attention, I could have my initials embroidered on my new bag; again, free of charge. Why? Because I'd been so thoughtful as to take my time to bring the problem [the one, recall, that I caused!] to their attention.
My own bit of follow-up research, in the form of a letter to the President of Lands' End, yielded the following. The senior management of Lands' End had spent considerable time and energy to create a mission that would a) engage the hearts and minds of all employees, and b) empower all employees to know what the right decision was when they had to act on their own.
Their results after long, apparently pointless dialogue? "Guaranteed. Period." My bag was guaranteed, for life, even against damage I inflicted. Period. By my taking the time to let them know what had happened, I was actually helping them to fulfill their mission and values. And what is particularly amazing about that story is that it took place 15 years ago! And I still remember it! And I still spread the good word by telling others about it. That's the real power of such mission and value statements. They stick in everyone's minds, employees and customers alike.
And, if you need any more proof as to the power of the dreaded M and V words, try this simple test. See how long it takes you to match up the following five mission and value statements with their respected enterprises: Walt Disney, Wal-Mart, Merck, Mary Kay Cosmetics and 3M.
"To solve unsolved problems innovatively.""To give unlimited opportunities to women."
"To preserve and improve life."
"To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people."
"To make people happy."
Irwin Rubin is a Honolulu-based author and president of Temenos Inc., which specializes in executive leadership development and behavioral coaching, communication skill building training, and large system culture change. His column appears twice a month in the Honolulu Star Bulletin. Send questions and column suggestions to temenos@lava.net or visit temenosinc.com.
BACK TO TOP |
Tech gifts will keep
your stockings stuffed
It's that time of year again and visions what to get that special someone will no doubt be dancing through your head.
To make your selections easier, here are some suggestions. My main criterion is that they must work in conjunction with your computer system. With one exception the items cost $150 or less. Next time, I'll feature some pricier ideas.
Logitech, (www.logitech.com), a company that produces high quality peripherals, has come up with the first of a new generation of Web cams called the QuickCam Orbit. Looking something like a tennis ball mounted on a golf club, this $130 device is designed to rotate almost 180-degrees horizontally or 90 degrees up and down and follow your every movement. That way the person you're chatting with won't miss even the flutter of your eyelids.
Sony's new Eye Toy (www.eyetoy.com) priced at around $50 is one of the coolest new accessories for gamers to come around in a long time. The EyeToy is essentially a USB camera that plugs straight into your PlayStation2 console, and bingo, allows you to be on your TV, interacting in real time with the game. It is a great step toward interactivity because you can ditch the controls and run things by movement only. This is very much a look at the future, and I'm convinced will be a hit with the kids.
Nowadays many of us bring our laptops home for work. The problem is that working with a portable can tweak your back or strain your neck because of lousy ergonomics. Griffin Technology (www.griffintechnology.com) comes to the rescue with iCurve, a $40 transparent plastic stand that raises your laptop's screen to eye level. It works with any laptop that has a screen larger than 12 inches.
MP3 players have been hot Christmas gifts over the past few years but the name brands, such as Apple's iPod, are around $400.
A less expensive option is the Phillips Key Ring MP3 players (www.consumer.philips.com). Prices start at $100 with these tiny units. The cool attraction for kids is that they have volume and player controls embedded in a neck strap.
Not satisfied with a simple audio player? How about a PVP (Personal Video Player)? The ZVUE!, priced under $100, is a palm sized device with a 2.5 full color screen and can play videos, music videos and MP3s. Content is available on a proprietary postage stamp-sized ZCARD! starting at $5.99. Go to www.zvue.com for more information.
Don't let those old viruses get you down during the holidays. I'm not talking the common cold! The anti-virus industry standard is Norton Internet Security which can keep worms, viruses and bad guys from snooping around your files. Symantec (www.symantec.com) offers a $70 software suite for Windows users (Mac version is $100) that includes anti-virus, firewall and anti-spam features. Don't go online without it.
The Migo (www.4migo.com), manufactured by Forward Solutions, is one of the most innovative computer storage gadgets I've seen in ages. Known as a "keychain drive," it's embedded with memory chips that allow you to move computer files between PCs. What differentiates Migo from similar devices is that not only does it allow you to transfer data but enhances the procedure by allowing you to synchronize and replicate what appears on your PC including e-mail, bookmarks and the like. It's a neat idea for people who travel and costs only $150 for a 128 megabyte model or $200 for the 256 MB unit.
Speaking of innovative, the CEIVA Digital Photo Receiver (www.ceiva.com) is a device that looks exactly like a picture frame. Instead of just portraying one photo, the Ceiva receives and displays a digital slide show allowing users to display up to 1000 photos in an online album. Each night, the CEIVA receiver downloads pictures that have been sent to it over the Net. It makes a nice gift for the technologically challenged -- you don't need a computer to operate it. Price is $125 with rebate.
Worried about losing those graduation photos from last year or for that matter, your entire business records from the last decade?
Starting at around $100 Maxtor (www.maxtor.com) has a series of 40 to 250 gig capacity portable hard drives that are perfect backup devices for your computer. They boast a one-touch system that allows you to back up your entire computer in one fell swoop or a pre-configured number of files that you can't afford to lose. It also fits on your desktop without taking up too much real estate and can easily be slipped into your briefcase. If you're tired of dealing with backup tapes or CDs, this is the way to go.
Kiman Wong, general manager of Internet services at Oceanic Time Warner Cable, is an engineer by training and a full time computer geek by profession. Questions or comments should be addressed to kiman.wong@oceanic.com.
To participate in the Think Inc. discussion, e-mail your comments to business@starbulletin.com; fax them to 529-4750; or mail them to Think Inc., Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Anonymous submissions will be discarded.