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?â€
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?â€
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!â€
Not surprisingly, people are often frustrated with this “tough love†answer. All of us want the “magic pill.â€
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!â€
Can anyone shed some light on the best way to help when people pose things this way?
Duncan said:
This is a great post – thanks David.
After (a) blunt message and (b) tough love, I end up at (c) – coming up with a creative solution that goes someway towards what they’re asking for but allows for the difficulties that they will incur along the way. (All the while clearly communicating the problems with this.)
I spend a lot of time doing this.
I learnt early on to give people clear options (with ramifications), let them choose and do your best to optimise from there.
(I learnt the technique the hard way a long time ago when I was still juggling legal and veterinary practice before I started my IP Strategy firm. To take the veterinary example – the perfect solution is sometimes an MRI scan and brain surgery – but do you know what? – not that many people want to do that for their dog or cat – for many different reasons.)
Coming up with the creative solutions can be a lot of fun. It’s not the perfect option, but that’s not life.
It’s not uncommon for the client to later come back and want to take the next jump towards nirvana – actually sticking to the diet. From the creative intermediary step, they often have a smaller jump. Sometimes in many areas (including IP Strategy, as well as veterinary practice) it’s too late by then – but that’s ok as long as the client was aware from the start and made the decision based on that.
To do this, I had to let go of the perfect solution and grab hold of the client’s needs.
posted on October 1, 2007