The Pressure Test: Manage or Meltdown

Every business goes through periods of high stress. It’s when varying combinations of sluggish sales, tight cash flow, employee problems, productivity issues, customer complaints, and the like, merge together like the weather systems in The Perfect Storm. Business stress can lead to what I fondly call “owners’ nights” – waking up at 3:00 a.m. in a cold sweat. High-stress situations can lead to a further degrading of the issues that initiated the pressure in the first place. The inherent danger is allowing such situations to spiral out of control.

If you equate high-stress situations to a steam boiler, it’s easy to see how they can lead to catastrophe. As the pressure gauge enters the red danger zone, the weakest parts of the boiler system begin to spring leaks. The steam and hissing from the leaks not only grab attention, they warn of impending disaster if not managed and contained.

Every system has an “On/Off” switch

I hate when stuff doesn’t work. When I open my computer, I expect it to work – I need it to work. When I get into my car, I expect it to start – I need it to start. If you think about all the machines and other gizmos we depend on, each and every one has an “On/Off” switch. Flip the switch to “On” and we expect them to perform as designed.

In business, we design systems to produce specific, predictable and consistent outcomes. If you want your business to deliver world-class customer service, you need a system capable of producing that outcome. If you want to create predictable profits, you need a system capable of producing that outcome. Simply put, the systems we depend on have “On/Off” switches, too.

While giving a speech to a group of quality managers, I asked how important systems are to achieving consistent quality. After getting a collective “duh, of course!” response, I asked for the one common flaw that exists in the execution of all their quality systems. The unanimous answer was “leadership accountability.” It doesn’t matter how perfectly designed a system is, when you turn a system on, it doesn’t mean it will stay on. Leadership with inconsistent accountability is a recipe for compromise. A compromised system will deliver something less than expected.

A humbling no-compromise decision

This is a story of courage and extreme generosity – of a leader willing to step up to help another. This is the story of giving the gift of life to a friend and fellow business owner. This is the story of Lisa Cochran, a business owner from Mississippi, and Domenic Cicala, a fellow business owner from Maryland.

Lisa came to Strategies a number of years ago when her business was in the fiery pit of financial hell. When others would yield to the extreme stress and apparent hopelessness of a business in such dire straits, Lisa found that rare inner strength to dig and claw her way back to financial daylight. Through coaching, training and many tough conversations and tears, Lisa not only saved her company, she made it profitable, has paid off most of her debt, and built a “sleep-well-at-night” cash reserve. She has an extraordinary team and a business culture that is worthy of being called “world class.” So much so that Lisa is now one of our distinguished Certified Strategies Coaches and trainers.

Making the most of your ‘time slot’

Time is the most precious thing in our lives. Although time itself will continue to tick away indefinitely, for us mere mortals, our time is finite. We have a beginning and an end – like our own personal “time slot.” Some choose to do great things with their time slot, while others talk about what they’re going to do but never seem to gain much ground.

We never seem to have enough time to accomplish all the things we want to do. That’s what it usually feels like these days. We’re living in extraordinary times. Things move fast. Every day, all day, information comes at us in massive quantities. Business moves at a relentless pace. And in these economic times, being on your game every day isn’t just the way it is – it’s the way it has to be.