Airplanes, Storms, and Agendas

As we were taxiing down the runway at Denver airport recently, the pilot gently glided the plane over to the side and stopped. A collective sigh was heard as we all anticipated the usual explanations for the delay. The pilot came on to tell us that a series of storms in the Midwest was preventing us from flying directly to Boston, and we have been re-routed to a northern route over Minnesota. Our agenda had been altered from taking the fastest trip to Boston (happy customers, less fuel) to avoiding the nasty storms that would rattle the passengers and shake the plane.

Similarly many companies at the recent conference I attended came in with agendas set on growth and prosperity, only to find storm clouds upsetting their plans. New products from the competition, unexpected customer reactions to their offerings, or ground-breaking developments have all caused companies to reset their agendas.

If we look at agendas, which hopefully you all have, they usually have 2 or 3 main items and fall into a few simple buckets.

• Growth – innovation, M&A
• Costs – do more with less
• Capital – finding $$ to fuel growth
• Risks – gotcha’s and surprises
• People – the right people to move the agenda

That’s about it. Pick your most critical couple areas of focus and get the company lined up behind them. Sounds simple enough, and if asked you can usually say – we are focused on “getting our costs of goods in line,” or “developing our market for IVD’s”

Agendas really have 2 parts to them – first is picking the right one, and the second is knowing when it needs to change. Picking the right one flows from your overarching strategy, and assuming you have a good plan, your agenda should be clear. However, when some storms appear in your path, you need to asses whether your agenda needs to change. Here are few indicators that your direction needs adjustment

• Timelines are being bent beyond reason
• Many of your assumptions are proving inaccurate
• Your people are losing confidence in their ability to meet the goals
• Your sales or costs are trending in the wrong directions

None of these are fatal flaws unless they are ignored. People and companies are extremely malleable, and with good leadership can be steered onto the right route. So when you detect storm clouds on the horizon, be sure to take stock of your agenda. If you can weather the storm, then proceed ahead; but if you expect some unhealthy buffeting, then reset your agenda. Though this should not be a knee-jerk to the challenges you face, it is important to realize when you need to take the longer, yet smoother route to your destination.