Posted by Harry Hertz, the Baldrige Cheermudgeon
OK, I am not going to write about stupid dog tricks (no offense meant to dogs), but that is what I think of whenever someone talks about stupid management fads, stupid strategies, stupid...That is also what I thought
about when I read a recent blog post on Dimwitted Leadership Strategies. Furthermore, I was convinced about writing this blog post when a recent Harvard Business Review daily stat said that one of the five top words used by conscientious bloggers was "stupid." So, I am now the conscientious cheermudgeon.
First, let's set the record straight, no leader practices intentional dimwitted strategies. We all know that, but its sport to make light of events with the wisdom of 20-20 hindsight. Second, sometimes these strategies might be appropriate to the circumstances. Third, I thought I would take a look at the five dimwitted strategies in the blog post and see what the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence might help conscientious leaders consider.
#1 Command and Control. Item 1.1 is all about how senior leaders lead. Considerations include how they create a sustainable organization and how they communicate. Sustainability includes the development of future leaders and participation in organizational learning. Communication is two-way with the aim of engaging the workforce.
#2 Bottom Line Be All End All. Category 7 addresses this pretty well. It takes a balanced approach to the results that matter. It treats financial and market outcomes as the bottom line (It is the last Item.), but it places equal or greater focus on product, process, customer, workforce, and leadership outcomes. After all, they are what delivers the financial outcomes.
#3 Tradition and Prescription. The focus of this "inappropriate strategy" is being so mired in tradition and documented processes that innovation and change are stifled. The Baldrige Criteria deal with this throughout the categories. But here are a few examples. Category 2 addresses all aspects of strategic planning, including shifts in technology, customer preferences, competition, the economy, and the regulatory environment. It asks how strategic objectives address opportunities for innovation. Item 6.1 asks how you design and innovate your work systems. And Item 7.1 calls for information on accomplishment of your strategic plans.
#4 The Black Hole. The focus of this comment is major sources of waste. Category 6 asks about processes for cost control and improvement of work processes. Item 7.1 asks about your performance results for productivity, cycle time, and process effectiveness, efficiency, and innovation.
#5 The Lone Ranger. The focus of this comment is the leader who must always do everything him or herself to get it right. Item 1.1 asks how senior leaders engage the entire workforce, and focus them on action and creating value for customers and stakeholders. All of Item 5.2 focuses on workforce engagement.
No surprise, and I would never say otherwise, the Baldrige Criteria provide the framework for good management practices and should keep your organization out of the dog house! I welcome your thoughts.
OK, I am not going to write about stupid dog tricks (no offense meant to dogs), but that is what I think of whenever someone talks about stupid management fads, stupid strategies, stupid...That is also what I thought
First, let's set the record straight, no leader practices intentional dimwitted strategies. We all know that, but its sport to make light of events with the wisdom of 20-20 hindsight. Second, sometimes these strategies might be appropriate to the circumstances. Third, I thought I would take a look at the five dimwitted strategies in the blog post and see what the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence might help conscientious leaders consider.
#1 Command and Control. Item 1.1 is all about how senior leaders lead. Considerations include how they create a sustainable organization and how they communicate. Sustainability includes the development of future leaders and participation in organizational learning. Communication is two-way with the aim of engaging the workforce.
#2 Bottom Line Be All End All. Category 7 addresses this pretty well. It takes a balanced approach to the results that matter. It treats financial and market outcomes as the bottom line (It is the last Item.), but it places equal or greater focus on product, process, customer, workforce, and leadership outcomes. After all, they are what delivers the financial outcomes.
#3 Tradition and Prescription. The focus of this "inappropriate strategy" is being so mired in tradition and documented processes that innovation and change are stifled. The Baldrige Criteria deal with this throughout the categories. But here are a few examples. Category 2 addresses all aspects of strategic planning, including shifts in technology, customer preferences, competition, the economy, and the regulatory environment. It asks how strategic objectives address opportunities for innovation. Item 6.1 asks how you design and innovate your work systems. And Item 7.1 calls for information on accomplishment of your strategic plans.
#4 The Black Hole. The focus of this comment is major sources of waste. Category 6 asks about processes for cost control and improvement of work processes. Item 7.1 asks about your performance results for productivity, cycle time, and process effectiveness, efficiency, and innovation.
#5 The Lone Ranger. The focus of this comment is the leader who must always do everything him or herself to get it right. Item 1.1 asks how senior leaders engage the entire workforce, and focus them on action and creating value for customers and stakeholders. All of Item 5.2 focuses on workforce engagement.
No surprise, and I would never say otherwise, the Baldrige Criteria provide the framework for good management practices and should keep your organization out of the dog house! I welcome your thoughts.
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