Today's Reading
As Debbie entered the library, her mind flashed back to long-forgotten memories from her less-than-stellar educational career. The musty smell of the old volumes was as strong as ever. The lighting was about the same—a bit too dark. That had never made much sense to her. Why aren't libraries better lit?
Debbie approached the librarian and said, "Hi, I'm looking for a place to work. Somewhere with ample light, if that's possible."
"Certainly," the woman said with a smile. "Are there any particular resources you'll need today?"
"No, but thanks anyway. I just need a quiet place to work for a couple of hours. I have a few business issues that I need to resolve."
"Let me know if you need any help," the librarian offered. She escorted Debbie to a table in a quiet corner with two large windows on each side.
Debbie took a seat, pulled out her laptop, and began. First, I need to get a firm grip on my current situation. Then I'll try to determine how I got into this mess.
Current Situation
Salespeople satisfaction
Worst among all 7 regions
Customer satisfaction
Worst among all 7 regions
Profit contribution
Below goal
Cost management
At goal
Employee satisfaction
Significantly below where it was when I took over the team
Turover
I've lost 4 out of 10 team members in a year. This feels like an issue.
Okay, that's where we are today. How did things get so bad, so fast? She thought back over the previous twelve months. Which events might have contributed to her team's current lackluster performance?
Key Events
June 1
I am appointed as team leader.
June 15
First team meeting; conflict over changes I wanted the team to
implement.
July
Selected Bob—new to the company—poor decision.
August
Cut expenses to improve profitability.
September
Two new hires: Brenda—good fit; Charles—wait and see.
October
Lost one important client due to poor service from our people.
November
Bob terminated. Team seems very disengaged.
December
Year-end results reflect significant drop in team performance versus
previous year.
January
Performance reviews with each member of the team. Every team member
is challenged to "step up or step out."
February
Lost two more clients—same reason as before.
May
Team meetings canceled until further notice. Focus on improving
results.
Wow! No wonder it was a bad year. Look at all the stuff that happened. Unfortunately, I don't think "stuff just happened" is the insight I need to turn things around.
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