The Guerilla, Pig and Corpse

I can only imagine that the road to Hell, paved as lovingly as it is with good intentions, is a long and winding one. The more I teach and the more I consult clients; the more I understand. Why is it that the eight-hundred pound guerilla in the room is generally ignored or worse yet, rarely acknowledged? The guerilla represents a business problem and all of the fear, urgency and doubt that are associated with it. I believe this behavior is what psychologists call going away from behavior.

Business actions, whether good or bad, are neither jaded nor guided by education or a lack of it. Actions require motivation. Motivation is encouraged by value. Goethe said that “when values are clear, laws are unnecessary. When values are unclear, laws are unenforceable.” But, when it comes to operating a business, what values are clear and which are not? Customers want to involve themselves with businesses they can trust. Above all, customers value honesty and integrity. If a business’ values have nothing to do with what their customers’ value, then there is no hope of a transaction ever occurring. And, no, value is not always about price! It does, in some cases however, represent the customer’s ability to choose from a wide selection allowing them the ability to compare value options. Value is based on its perceived worth. So then, perception establishes value, which is a market reality. If one man’s trash is another’s treasure, then – value is really a perception.

When the perception is altered so is the value. Value, by dictionary definition is “an amount expressed in money or another medium of exchange that is thought to be a fair exchange for something.” It possesses qualities or attributes that “define” its “worth, importance, or usefulness of something to somebody.” The shoppers in your store or those visiting your website, as well as, every inquiry you receive; represents a potential sale. It demonstrates that consumers are open to exchanging the value represented by your products or services with their money or time.

Therefore, regardless of a your intentions as a business owner or manager, if something does not, cannot or will never possess or represent any value to consumers as individuals or collectively, then they will not be willing to involve themselves in anyway to acquire it. If your business proposition is perceived as having no value, ether intrinsic (basic and essential as to what it is) or inherent (part of the very nature of something) no matter how well you dress up the pig; it is what it is.

Value or the lack of it illustrates why some businesses fail and, why others appear to do well. Business owners and managers sometimes fail to value the most basic guidelines. There are basics that are adhered to in nearly every discipline and profession. These basics are also returned to often because they have endured the test of time. Yet, the world is changing as it always has and businesses need to be more consumer centric than ever before. Everything a business does or doesn’t do will reflect their growth and success or the lack of it.

The Walt Disney Company is still guided by its founder’s original vision. Walt Disney was determined to know what his customers valued and why, and how much they were willing to invest of their time and money to get it. His business plan; Dream, Believe, Dare and Do is still followed with obvious and sometimes envious results. Businesses fail everyday regardless of the condition the economy is in. Some businesses never make it to their first anniversary. Some, it seems, take longer to die. Regardless how long it takes for a business to fail; the geneses of its demise can be traced to some basic principle being overlooked or ignored. No matter how much makeup you put on a corpse; it is what it is – lifeless.

The more I employ the basics of Business Engineering in my consultation and teaching, the more I realize how much time is wasted by businesses who really do want to be successful. Are you ignoring or failing to recognize the guerilla in the room. Does you guerilla represent value issues? Or, could it be bad service, lousy housekeeping or a lackluster image. Have you confronted the guerilla or are you using cosmetic solutions or dress up the problem to disguise it? Find the guerilla. Wipe off the makeup. Strip it down. Recognize it as an impediment to your success.