Carol McManus

There is a phrase that I was introduced to about 25 years ago and one worth sharing today. Perhaps you have already heard it from a speaker or trainer or manager. "If you always do what you always did; you'll always get what you always got."

Implied in this quote is a more serious question. Are looking for the same results going forward that you have been experiencing in the past? For most of us the answer to that question is going to be 'no', which brings us back to the affirmative statement: "If you always do what you always did; you'll always get what you always got."

Why then, would you continue to do the same things over and over when you already know what the outcome is going to be IF you are looking for a different outcome?

Too much double-speak? Let's come at this another way. It's probably time to CHANGE! Using this checklist, my challenge to you is to evaluate what you are doing in each area and ask yourself (without bias): Are you getting the results you want? And if not, in what areas do you need (or want) to change?

1. Personnel Practices

a. How and where do you attract talent to your organization?

b. What is your criteria for promotion or transfer?

c. What is your pain threshold before you terminate someone?

d. Does your recognition program (assuming you have one) achieve the results you are looking for?

e. How do you measure performance and productivity?

2. Compensation and Benefits

a. Is your salary and benefits package competitive for new employees?

b. Is your salary and benefits package competitive for existing employees?

c. Are you doing things that are not valued by your team?

d. Are you recognized for being fair and equitable in your treatment of your people?

3. Systems and Procedures

a. Have you updated your procedure manual (assuming you have one) in the last year?

b. Are systems and procedures followed consistently throughout your organization?

c. Do you find yourself worrying about waste? (i.e. unnecessary printing of non-essential paperwork)

4. Marketing and Advertising

a. Are you spending in the same proportion to various media as you were one year ago?

b. Do you monitor the results of your marketing and advertising efforts and redirect dollars according to results?

c. Are you using collateral materials that contain incorrect or dated information?

d. Is your message reaching the proper target audience?

e. Are you trying new things and taking advantage of cutting-edge internet strategies?

5. Communication

a. How to do you communicate to your organization?

b. How many forms of communication do you use for important messages?

c. How many times are you asked the same question because your people didn't know or didn't understand?

d. Are you concerned about how others in your organization represent your company through their communication?

6. Budgetary Management

a. Do you have a budget?

b. Are your decisions guided by your budget or your checkbook?

c. How do you hold others in your organization accountable for their fiscal responsibility?

d. What is your contingency plan for decision making when revenue decreases?

These are just a few questions to help you to think inwardly. There are many more, but once you get started, you will come up with your own. Start a list of the areas that are causing the most concern. Have a clean sheet of paper for each item. Draw a line down the middle of the page. Start by writing down, step by step, what you are doing now. Then in the right column make a list of things you might do differently to replace current procedures. Don't attempt to do everything at once. When you are done, you must prioritize where to begin and build in an evaluation and feedback mechanism so you know if you are getting better results. This may show up quickly or it may take time. Be realistic about your expectations and don't stop the new plan prematurely.

The purpose of this exercise is to give you a method to self-evaluate what you are (and have) been doing that is not getting you what you want. If your blood pressure spikes at any of these questions, then the prescription is simple: Start there and TRY SOMETHING ELSE! Even if only for a little while...and even if it doesn't work, it's worth the effort. Chances are something good will happen that wasn't happening before. If you find out that what you have been doing bears the best fruit, then you can always go back. But before you do, try one or two more (and different) things.

Here's a compelling thought to keep you motivated. For every 24-hour revolution of this planet called Earth, there are literally thousands of new companies, new inventions, new innovations, and new ways of doing things that somebody else is introducing, trying, testing, or preparing. If we have learned nothing else from the internet it is that the possibilities are endless!

Why not join the fun? Change can be stimulating, empowering, and yes, even profitable!