First Friday Book Synopsis

Let’s assume that you’ve got your passion statement clearly written.  It is a good passion statement.  It is a clear statement of intent regarding just what your organization stands for and will deliver to its customers.

Now, the challenge is fairly simple.  Simple – but not easy.

How do you get your passion, your mission, your clear statement of intent, to become reality, to become the actual practice of everyone in your organization?

#1, you develop, and practice, patience.  It takes a while.  Maybe, a long while.  So, get to work, but don’t expect the miracle overnight.  One consultant who is really good at this said that he spent three years (that’s three years of meeting after meeting after conversation after retreat after meeting) with one leadership team before it finally started flowing through every part of the organization.

#2, you tell everyone the intent of the organization — everyone on the entire team! — over, and over, and over again, just what is expected.  You drill into them, you surround them, with your intent.  In meeting after meeting, in conversation after conversation, you say loudly and clearly “This is what we are about in this organization.”  How often?  Often!  Really often!

“Until your people are mocking you, you’ve not repeated your message enough.”  (Verne Harnish, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits).

#3, you measure, and then reward.  Any employee serving as a true exemplar of carrying out this intent gets recognized, applauded, rewarded.  His or her legend grows.

And any employee who takes too long to get it (remember – it takes quite.a.while!) — then some major adjustments need to be made.

And any employee who fights against it – they simply cannot be allowed to do so.

If you want your organization to carry out your intent, it will require organizational thoroughness.  All the way through your organization, people need to be able to say:  “This is our intent.  We are fully on board!  And we will execute.”

It won’t happen by accident!