Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The real question

Rosabeth Moss Kanter answers the real question, when to persist and when to cut your losses


are 12 key questions that can help you decide whether it should be shut down or helped through the messy middle:
  1. Are the initial reasons for the effort still valid, with no consequential external changes?
  2. Do the needs for which this a solution remain unmet, or are competing solutions still unproven or inadequate?
  3. Would the situation get worse if this effort stopped?
  4. Is it more cost-effective to continue than to pay the costs of restarting?
  5. Is the vision attracting more adherents?
  6. Are leaders still enthusiastic, committed, and focused on the effort?
  7. Are resources available for continuing investment and adjustments?
  8. Is skepticism and resistance declining?
  9. Is the working team motivated to keep going?
  10. Have critical deadlines and key milestones been met?
  11. Are there signs of progress, in that some problems have been solved, new activities are underway, and trends are positive?
  12. Is there a concrete achievement — a successful demonstration, prototype, or proof of concept?
If the answers are mostly Yes, then don't give up. Figure out what redirection is needed, strategize your way over obstacles, reengage the team, answer the critics, and argue for more time and resources. Everything worth doing requires tenacity.

If the answers trend toward No, as seems likely for Airtime, then cut your losses and move on. Persistence doesn't mean being pig-headed.
"You've got to know when to hold them, and know when to fold them," Kenny Rogers sang in a famous song about playing poker. That's good advice for any leader struggling with change. It's a mistake to give up prematurely, because the middle is always messy. But be sure to heed the 12 guidelines to choose between persistence or pulling out.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Both believe in future that hasn't happened yet

 Jon Gordon's answer is brilliant



I would say that now more than ever we have a choice between fear or faith. Interestingly enough, fear and faith have one thing in common. They both believe in a future that hasn’t happened yet. Faith believes in a positive future. Fear believes in a negative future. Yet, neither has happened yet so why wouldn’t we choose to believe in a positive future. Why wouldn’t we believe that our best days are ahead of us, not behind us. I have found that if we believe our best days are behind us, THEY ARE. And if we believe our best days are ahead of us, THEY ARE. What we believe matters. Don’t let fear paralyze you. You may be facing a challenging time right now, however, when you believe in a positive future you take the actions necessary to create it. I have met a lot of people and companies that are thriving in today’s economy and they are the ones who are staying positive, outworking the competition, increasing their market presence and working with passion and purpose. If they can do it so can you.