How to Rock Your Next Crisis

Posted on by Scott

Scott and Andrew at the concert

Saturday night, my oldest son Andrew and I flew to Houston to see Def Leppard in concert. I’ve been a fan since I first heard them back in the early eighties and hadn’t seen them perform live since their Hysteria tour in 1988. It was a great show and brought back a lot of memories.

Several of the songs from the set list came from that Hysteria album. This was an incredibly successful release for the band. Seven cuts made the U.S. Hit 100 chart and the album itself has sold over 20 million copies.

But the album almost never got recorded. In fact, the band’s rise to Rock ‘n Roll stardom was nearly cut short by an unforeseen crisis.

In December of 1984, drummer Rick Allen was involved in a car accident that severed his left arm. The group was stunned. Allen was a core member of the band and an accomplished drummer. To replace him was unthinkable. But how could he perform with only one arm? The band was unsure how to recover from the setback.

Organizations are hit with crises every day. Out of the blue, an external event or internal oversight can send you into a tailspin. When that happens, most experts will start talking about “managing” the crisis – that is, figuring out how to minimize the damage and return as quickly as possible to the status quo.

But some organizations choose not to play it safe. Instead of managing the crisis, they seek to capitalize on it. They choose to see opportunity where others see disaster. And thankfully so. History is filled with new innovations and leaps in thinking that resulted from some sort of catastrophe. Not that anyone would willingly seek out a crisis in order to jumpstart a new technology or line of business; but faced with a roadblock, pioneers will adopt a progressive mindset over a conservative one. And it tends to pay off.

The members of Def Leppard decided to do that, and when Rick Allen said he wanted to continue as drummer, the others backed him 100%. Allen reached out to Simmons, a manufacturer of electronic drum kits, who jumped at the chance to collaborate on a customized set up for the band. Within months, Allen summoned the rest of the guys and showed of his new drums and new way of playing. An array of foot pedals allowed him to simulate the actions of his missing left arm and even allowed for new percussion combinations that hadn’t been possible before.

The band spent three years recording Hysteria and embarked on a 15 month tour that showcased Allen’s abilities by using a rotating stage – another innovative approach. The critics and fans were blown away. I, for one, bought tickets to see them twice during that tour.

Saturday’s concert would never have been possible had the group not decided to press forward in the face of adversity. Fortunately for fans like me, they are still going strong. A new album is due to be released later this year. By nature, crises are unpredictable. Our response to them, however, doesn’t have to be. When the chips are down, how will you respond?

 

Survey Says …

Posted on by Scott

Nielson PacketThis weekend I received a package from The Nielson Company. They’re the ratings company that provides TV stations, advertisers with information about consumer viewing habits. I’ve been asked to provide information about my family’s media consumption.

Surveys like those conducted by Nielson are important. A well designed survey can provide a company with valuable insight into what its customers are thinking. Customer feedback is helpful in a number of ways.

 

  • Feedback lets you know what your customers WANT in the way of new products and services.
  • Feedback lets you know what your customers THINK about the products and service you already provide.
  • Feedback lets you know what your customers FEEL about your pricing structure and their perception of value.
  • Feedback lets you know what your customers SAY to others about the way your employees treat them.
  • Feedback lets you know what your customers BELIEVE about the policies and procedures that govern how they do business with you.

Happy customers lead to repeat business, longer relationships, positive word of mouth, and referrals. Happy customers lead to innovation, revenue, and growth. In short, happy customers lead to a happy business.

But surveys aren’t just helpful for learning about your customers. They can be a great way to gather information about the opinions of employees about a whole host of internal topics. Management can learn about new ideas, ineffective procedures, restrictive policies, and internal service problems before they become too problematic and impact the business. In many cases, employee surveys serve as advance warning signs – allowing you to act before customers are impacted.

Of course; in order for surveys to work, people have to participate. A handful of surveys aren’t enough to represent large customer or employee groups. So you have to design your survey in such a way that people feel compelled to participate. You can’t assume anyone wants to share their opinion with you. That’s why the best surveys …

… are short and to the point. You can’t waste participants’ time.
… are easy to complete. Easy to understand questions and a simple submission process are a must.
… are actively promoted. You have to remind people that their opinions are important and invite them to participate. … are anonymous. Most people aren’t comfortable providing negative feedback (often the kind you most need to hear) if they feel there’s a chance they’ll be mistreated as a result of speaking their mind.

It’s easy to dismiss the average survey. They’re all around us and most aren’t very well put together. But they can play an important role in the development of the businesses closest to us – those we work for and frequent. So as consumers and service providers we should take them seriously. Take advantage of the opportunity when you’re asked to provide feedback. And take care to study the feedback your customers have chosen to share with you.

Good business is a partnership between the organization, its customers, and its employees. By working together, we can bring more value to everyone involved. Make sure to do your part when given the opportunity.

I’m looking forward to participating in the Nielson surveys. I’m a fan of TV and am happy to provide my feedback. It’s nice to know that – at least in some small way – my voice makes a difference.

Crashing Forward: How to Find Your Cloud’s Silver Lining

Posted on by Scott

Hugh William Bell Cairns by Sidney SmithA few weeks ago, I shared a quote from T.E. Lawrence. He was famous for his world travels as an archeologist and a member of the British Army. He wrote extensively about his adventures, particularly his involvement in the Arab Revolt. After returning home from the Middle East, he delivered hundreds of lectures, sharing pictures and stories. This brought him fame and the nickname “Lawrence of Arabia.”

Two months after leaving military service for good, Lawrence was riding his motorcycle and had an accident. Cresting a hill, he suddenly came upon two boys in the road and swerved to miss them. He lost control and flew over the handlebars, hitting his head. He fell into a coma and died six days later on May 19, 1935.

But this story isn’t about T.E. Lawrence; it’s about Hugh Cairns.

Cairns worked as a neurosurgeon at the London Hospital. In fact, he was a key advocate of neurosurgery as a medical specialty and focused on head injuries during the Second World War. When Lawrence’s accident occurred, Cairns was one of the men called in to treat him.

The event had a significant impact on Cairns. After Lawrence died, he began an intensive study of head injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents. Military communications were often delivered via motorcycle couriers. The British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force all used these “despatch riders” regularly as radio communication technology was still in its infancy. With so many riders on the road, accidents were inevitable; and head injuries were extremely common.

Given the serious nature of head injuries, Cairns knew they had to be treated quickly. But soldiers in the field had to be evacuated to receive the specialized care they required in established hospitals. So the doctor created eight mobile neurosurgical units and sent them to North Africa, Italy, India, and other frontline locations throughout Europe. His teams treated over 20,000 patients and changed the face of field medicine.

Cairns further determined that the best way to reduce the potential for head injuries as a result of motorcycle accidents was to push for the use of crash helmets. He put together a rudimentary design and petitioned the British armed forces to adopt them. The helmets had an immediate impact, drastically reducing the percentage of fatalities. The introduction of helmets has saved the lives of countless motorcyclists since.

They say every cloud has a silver lining; but it all depends on who’s looking at the cloud. Tragedy affects people in different ways. Some turn inward, focusing on the frustration, anger, or other negative emotions. Others though, quickly move beyond the negativity, choosing to focus on moving forward. They turn the negative energy resulting from failure or loss into a force for change. They choose to harness their emotions and channel them into a better future.

Hugh Cairns chose to use the death of T.E. Lawrence as motivation to change the fate of motorcycle riders. He chose to make a difference and create a silver lining. Today, people who have no idea he ever existed continue to benefit from his decision.

Some of the biggest disappointments we face may be opportunities in disguise. All it takes to reveal them is the right attitude. Here are three steps you can take to take something negative and create something positive.

  1. Determine what went wrong. This first step seems obvious, but most organizations approach it the wrong way. They focus on assigning blame – who was at fault. The key is to identify the steps, specific decisions and actions, that led to the issue. Only by understanding the contributing factors can you properly address step two.
  2. Decide on a solution. There are really two aspects to this step. The first involves rectifying the immediate issue. The second requires you to look at additional measures that can be taken to minimize contributing factors. For Cairns, the immediate problem was the amount of time it took to transport patients from the field to the hospital. He addressed this by providing in-field care for head injuries. But he further attacked the problem by developing a solution for a contributing factor – the unprotected heads of motorcycle riders.
  3. Involve the key stakeholders. Designing headgear was not within Cairns’ realm of expertise. Furthermore, he knew that he couldn’t achieve wide-spread adoption of motorcycle helmets on his own. So he took his rudimentary, proof-of-concept model to the military – the largest group of stakeholders he could find. The top brass had a significant interest in protecting their personnel. It was through their involvement that the helmets were refined, tested, and ultimately produced.

Bad things are going to happen. People, systems, and products will fail. Effective leaders recognize this and use tragic circumstances as catalysts to learn and create a better future.

“It is not what you look at that matters; it is what you see.” Henry David Thoreau

The Sacrifice of Service

Posted on by Scott

american-flag-1Like many businesses across the United States, we are closed today in observance of Memorial Day. This holiday serves to commemorate the men and women who died while serving in our nation’s armed forces. However you utilize this time off, please take a moment to pay your respects to those Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Serving has always been about sacrifice. Whether its serving your country, your customers, or your employees; real service is more than just a job. Sure, you may be paid to work in a service occupation. You may serve out of obligation. You may even be forced to serve against your will (my kids would nod their heads vigorously at this point); but that’s not what service is about.

The word “servise” first entered the English language in the early 1100’s it referred to a public celebration of worship or an act of homage to God or a guest. So service is something we extend to someone else in order to honor them. As service providers, we should place the one being served in a position above our own. We’re supposed to serve from the heart.

Somewhere along the way, our culture began to view serving as an obligation rather than a choice. We’ve replaced the idea of service with the concept of servitude. Is it any wonder that good service is hard to find?

What if we made a conscious decision to return to the true meaning of service? What if each and every one of us reading this decided to approach service as an act of homage and celebration vs. a job? What kind of impact would that have on our business? What kind of impact would that have on us?

The men and women we honor today gave their all in pursuit of service. Should you and I really be expected to give anything less? Let’s agree to honor them by honoring each other. Happy Memorial Day.

Thoughts On My Anniversary

Posted on by Scott

Today is my 21st anniversary. On September 16th 1991, Susan Bradley said “I do” and became Susan Voland. Our journey together has been full of ups and downs. Our marriage has survived a variety of job/career changes, multiple moves and the adoption of three children. There have been rough patches and plenty of adventure. It hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve managed to beat the odds and are still going strong.

As fate would have it, I had to travel today. I’m sitting in an airport with another 2.5 hours before my flight takes me home. That’s a lot of time for people-watching.

An airport is like a mini cross-section of the human population. I’m surrounded by people of all ages, sizes and ethnicities. The sounds (and smells) of various lifestyles and cultures are everywhere. I find myself imagining where some of the people around me are headed, and where they’ve come from. I’m reminded of the song “Meant to Be” by Sammy Kershaw. The lyrics and video tell the story of a man and woman who chance to meet at an airport and wind up spending the rest of their life together.

Susan and I didn’t meet at an airport, but we very well could have. Our story, like that of most couples, started with a meeting that could have easily never happened. Looking back, there are a thousand decisions I made prior to meeting her that added up to us being together. Had I gone to school somewhere different, taken a different job, etc., we never would have met. And the same goes for her.

Sometimes we look back at decisions we’ve made with regret. If only I’d decided to go left instead of right, we think, I’d have the corner office. If I’d taken path “A” instead of path “B” I’d have achieved something more by now. What we usually fail to think about are the seemingly chance consequences of those decisions. Change that one choice years ago and yes, I would be in a different line of work. But I’d also probably be with someone else, or with no one.

Susan often asks me if I’m happy. Sometimes I’m not too quick to answer. Like most everyone, I have regrets. There are things I’ve done and things I’ve said that I wish I could take back. But I’m happy with the course my life has taken. I like where my decisions have brought me. And our future together looks bright.

I believe we are who, and where, we are as a result of the decisions we make – so I try to live my life with intent. I don’t know where the people around me are going; but I know where I’m headed and who I’m traveling with. Some things are just meant to be.

Happy Anniversary Susan! Here’s to the next 21 years.