MANAGEMENT OUT OF THE BLUE

SUCCESS SAILS ON THREE SHIPS Dedication 2 Introduction 3 The Read 7 Chapter 1 Leadership 8 Chapter 2 Followership 12 Chapter 3 Relationship 18 The Need 21 Chapter 4 Leadership 22 Chapter 5 Followership 24 Chapter 6 Relationship 28 The Seed 33 Chapter 7 Leadership 34 Chapter 8 Followership 37 Chapter 9 Relationship 41 Final Thoughts 44 A few things about the author 46 References 47 Introduction In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue; he did so with three ships. The Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria are almost as famous as Columbus himself. Each ship had a specific purpose, a mission. It took the three ships working in concert with each other to ensure a successful voyage of discovery. Today, the appeals of business are numerous and take many different formats. Corporate business, Sole Proprietorship, Limited Partnership, Corporation, Limited Liability, and entrepreneurs all address the different forms of business opportunities in the world today. No matter which format is chosen, each provides a continual challenge to master the waves of success aboard three ships. The waters are turbulent, and only the best learn to navigate these waters successfully and survive long term. Business is a science, an ever changing science that requires years of continual study and adaptation to ever changing times. It is amazingly hard to turn a ship in a different direction once it reaches a full head of steam. People are like that, too. If you wish to turn them in a direction of your choosing, it is better to start early, before they get a full head of steam. The most effective way to gain success in business is to be successful in communications. Although difficult to master, it is a simple concept; listen to the people, talk with the people, serve the people, in leadership, followership, and relationships. If either of these three is missing, the concept is degraded and success in business will be short lived. For those who embrace the science of business and focus on the simplicity of the concept, the treasures of the sea of business and your personal life will be great, and continuous. There is an old American axiom that business is business. The most important aspect of success in business is how it is conducted. Business philosophies are as numerous as apples on a tree, but there is one truth; to be successful in business you must know how success works. There are three ships of success in any business; leadership, followership, and relationships. Each ship has its own unique set of characteristics, and must be understood. The best way to understand is to pick a ship, get aboard, identify a problem, and then define a solution. Columbus epitomized this concept for me. For him, leadership was important and had to be recognized as such. To that end, he selected the Santa Maria as his flagship. It was the largest ship, and the one he personally sailed on. It also carried the most cargo and the most people (crew). Although the Pinta and the Nina were smaller, they were both critical to the success of his mission. They often sailed in the wake of the leadership, but both were faster and sailed over difficult waters easily. They carried less cargo, but their greater value was in their ability to go places and do things the leadership could not. Leadership, for whatever reason, seems to draw most of the attention. Perhaps this is because it is easier to identify the head than the body. Leadership is an art, and takes many different forms, such as autocratic, democratic, charismatic, laissez-faire, and well, you get the idea. In fact, there are 10 recognized styles of leadership. Each can be used independently, although most often they are used in combinations. Each style is a tool used by leaders in providing directions, focus, and purpose in the control of people, money and facilities. Leaders provide the vision and establish unit goals and direction for middle managers and front line workers. Once the vision is conveyed and direction is identified, leadership ensures managers implement tactical (day-to-day operations) plans to ensure the goals of the unit are met. Without strong leadership at the helm, the vision loses focus and the ship of success gets off course. Leadership is about knowing the business, knowing the people in business (both internal and external), and knowing the customers. Leadership requires strong communications skills and the ability to create an atmosphere of success. Leadership is knowing that communication is the one job that cannot be delegated. It is about helping others fulfill their needs. Leadership success is tied directly to the number of people the leader can help. Although it does not command the same degree of publicity, followership is every bit as important as leadership. It is the follower who is the true face of the company; the “first contact” with the customer. Followership, like leadership, is an art. It requires open communication with leadership concerning the company vision, expectations, and job description. Additionally, a good follower must make the effort to project a favorable image. This is not to say you should seek favors (suck up), but rather use proactive tactics (being supportive, respectful, competent, and dependable) versus defensive tactics (constantly making excuses and apologies). Always remember that everyone, including followers, have a “circle of influence.” How you use that influence determines who will be drawn into your circle. The more positive the influence, the more you expand your circle. This is crucial in developing customer relations. The importance of good followership cannot be overstated because, let’s face it, there are so many followers. Because of that, one of the most important items for a good follower to learn is his/her value to the success of the business. The third ship, absolutely essential to any success, is relationship. It is through relationships that interactions are established, sustained, and either grow or die. Relationships must be established internally and externally for the health of the business. The two pillars of support in any relationship are trust and respect. The lack of, or violation of either one can cause irreparable damage to the relationship. So how is it that the paths of these three ships cross? The ultimate landmark of each ship is the customer. I once read that the provider does not determine the rules, the customer does. Throughout this book you will see how each ship is on a course charted toward the customer. With over 35 years in customer service, I still discover new and exciting things about customer service and the ships that deliver to the customer every day. In Chapter 1 we will look into the important elements of leadership…not in terms of style, but how leadership works in relation to the customer. In Chapter 2 we take a similar look at followership rules, responsibilities, and impact. Chapter 3 we take on relationships, both inside and outside of the business. Success requires skillful negotiation aboard each of these three ships, because as Chapters 4, 5, and 6 will demonstrate, each ship is dependent, interdependent, and independent of each other. Chapters 7, 8 and 9 deals with the components of success as it relates to leadership, followership and relationships. So strap on a life vest, and get ready to set sail on the sea of success!