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Ask your board, your executive team and yourself: Are we making decisions based on continued and future success, or are we making decisions on the “here and now” for the “here and now”?
With advancements in technology and immediate feedback mechanisms readily available, business executives are getting mired in the short-term details and getting caught up in the “How-fast-can-we-fix-this” syndrome. Printouts and updates keep us glued to what is directly in front of us, and we lose the “GO” factor.
What is the “GO” factor?
The “GO” factor is the ability to feel what should happen next. It’s that instinct that tells a tuned-in executive what changes need to take place today to prepare to be properly positioned for the future. We’ve almost engineered this instinct out of our leaders as we’ve become failure-phobic.
The greatest “GO” factor I’ve personally witnessed was in a law firm client of mine in the mid ‘90s, where the top exec had a gut feeling now was the time to take on the tobacco industry. For decades the industry had never been beaten in court. Their lobbying efforts were at an all-time high. On paper it just couldn’t be done. With disregard for history, the executive attorney decided now was the time to go, not in a year, not when things started to feel better in the courts, but now!
Immediately the wheels began to turn, and preparation was at full steam even though many in the firm thought he had completely lost his mind. We all know how that story ended -- one of the largest class action settlements in history, which was tremendously profitable for the firm. Whether you agree with the result or not, he achieved his objective, he trusted his good instincts which had served him well in prior situations, and wasn’t afraid of the “GO” factor’s potential downfall.
The surprise
What most leaders don’t recognize is that big wins in business are never spelled out on paper. When the attorney decided to take on tobacco, he didn’t know exactly how he was going to win, he just knew he could. When Bill Gates decided to start Microsoft he didn’t know how big it could get, he just knew he could beat IBM at its own game with a garage-based business.
Every exceptional leader has benefited from a surprise that went their way, a surprise they never would have experienced or benefited from had they not had the “GO” factor already in place and working. The only way to get “lucky” is to be there when the luck happens. As someone once told me, luck happens when opportunity meets preparation.
If you are hesitant to take bold steps, the inability to “GO” sets the tone for everyone following the organization’s leadership. He who hesitates is lost. If a poker player shows indecision, he tips his hand to the other players by demonstrating weakness. If a golfer is indecisive on which club or which shot to use, he is rarely satisfied with the action he ends up taking because he isn’t fully committed to the swing. A salesman or an executive is the same way. If there is doubt, if there is hesitation, if there is a lack of confidence, opportunity can and will be lost. Playing it “safe” is the riskiest step to take in today’s business environment, and taking measured risks are the safest way to experience growth and progress in your business.
One of the easiest indicators for me to detect a person’s “GO” factor is to ask about training for their staff. If I hear the two most common reasons for not being interested in training managers or staff people (“We don’t have the money” or “We are so busy -- we don’t have the time to train”), I know the executive’s “GO” factor is too low to achieve lasting success. The “we don’t have the money” is an easy decision delay and means they didn’t really have a well developed planning tool going into the new year. It also means that executive is not in tune with his organization. If the money crunch is a short-term concern, then be confident in the future and prepare for it now! Don’t wait, otherwise playing catch up becomes a habit.
The “GO” factor found in entrepreneurial leaders is typically much higher than in the corporate executive leader. The entrepreneur has invested herself into the long-term future of the business. She is in business because it feels good and is exciting to her. She lives for the thrill of growth and improvement and is constantly looking to take one more step to the edge. The corporate executive type has a “GO” factor that is more reserved and typically plays not to lose as opposed to playing to win.
Proactive organizations have a high “GO” factor. They are building for the future. They are confident in their actions. Reactive organizations have an inhibited “GO” factor and typically spend the first few months of any new year feelings things out, to see how the industry and the economy is going to react. Then they cautiously move forward on the significant changes they hoped to accomplish, thereby forcing them to play catch up because they waited so long to take action.
Raising the "GO" factor
If you are interested in creating more of a “GO” factor in your sales staff, leaders and executives, create the mindset within the organization.
1. Trial and Error
Most salespeople are stuck in a box either by their own mindset or that of their immediate boss. Always be trying new things. Do an analysis of what is restricting the sales people from achieving their potential. Is it a policy? Is it a laborious budget process? Is it a negative mindset? Diversify your approach to customers and prospects and see which approach works best. Success in any business is learned through constant trial and error.
2. Edgedrive
Because we have been so successful in this country, we are playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win. We stay in the safe mode and drive down the center lane. Have your team figure out where the edge is, and define it in as much detail as you can. Once you define it (such as 100 percent market share), the edge is where exponential growth in success exists. Excite your staff to have Edgedrive: pushing each other to reach farther and closer to the edge. Once you define your market, and instill Edgedrive, your team will develop the mindset we are not stopping until the edge has been achieved.
3. Keep the energy fresh
A common trap of executives reaching for the “GO” factor is frustration and impatience. Because it was decided in a day, maximum “GO” factor should be achieved within the week. This expectation is to not understand human behavior, and in fact become an obstacle in the process. The leader needs to keep the positive perspective, keep the drive going, and most importantly keep everyone feeling energetic about what they are trying to achieve.
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