We Just Don’t Want to Do That!

post # 441 — October 1, 2007 — a Managing, Strategy and the Fat Smoker post

As everyone who reads this blog regularly knows by now, the theme off my new book STRATEGY AND THE FAT SMOKER is that if you don’t want to get on the diet, you can’t achieve your goals.

Stated that way, it’s a pretty tough message, and I sometimes struggle to find a way to soften it while maintaining the point.

For example, in my seminars, it’s almost always the case that people ask how to make their practice groups more effective.

As a starting point, I feel it’s necessary to go through the (simple, familiar) points that (a) the key is the group manager’s time and skills and (b) that it is economic and effective to allow — even require – group leaders to take the time to manage the people in their groups, and not just expect them to carry a full personal “sell and deliver” load, and then manage their group on top of that.

Yes, I know these are old points, but that’s the message — “eat less, exercise more” is the answer to losing weight, and everything else is commentary.

But that frequently doesn’t satisfy my audiences and clients.

“But what do we do if our culture and systems don’t reward people for managing, and pays them on their personal production?”

OR “What do we do if none of our partners wants to take on the role of being a manager, each preferring to build his or her own book of business rather than taking the time to helping other people succeed?”

In essence, I say (with as supportive and comforting tone as I am capable of) “Well, if you don’t want to do what works, then just don’t expect to get the benefits. Your choice!”

Not surprisingly, people are often frustrated with this “tough love” answer. All of us want the “magic pill.”

So, here’s the challenge: What do you do if the problem posed by your client is presented with excessively binding constraints?

It is remarkably common to hear clients ask “We don’t want to change how we do things, that’s our culture, but tell us how we can get more of what we want!”

Can anyone shed some light on the best way to help when people pose things this way?