Cowboys Vision of Planning Excellence January 20, 2016
Posted by PerformDetectiv in Action Planning, Business Excellence, Business Strategy, Excellence, Leadership, Process Improvement, Team Building.add a comment
Being part of a small Business Team that constantly strives for excellence both on and off the field, is of necessity both constantly challenging and always a continuous improvement process. I had the good fortune to work alongside both Tex Schramm, the Cowboys President and Tom Landry, our Legendary Head Coach, for over 16 years. The approach was consistent in every aspect… how can we find success in the smallest of details and how can we improve on the previous results. A restless pursuit of excellence in each facet of our business.
So to was the approach in our Headquarters plans for a new home in the early 80’s. We were looking for a dynamic way to achieve both the advantages of more working space with the ingenuity of making a statement of who we really were in the sports world. Rick Gosselin, columnist from the Dallas Morning News, interviewed me for his recent article about our blueprint to uncover that vision for excellence.
Tex had a dream as did Coach Landry that you set yourself apart by expecting more. Those of us on the inside were part of a daily effort to think through vital ways that would update and improve our final product. We lived an approach that assumed that vigilance and innovation can be embraced especially when it is well planned and executed. Pride of authorship was not even an option as it was always about uncovering ways for vital improvement.
The importance of the facilities alone was not in the buildings but in the overall . We were making decisions on a daily basis that impacted new ways to innovate. Long before there was a premium on business school analysis or the latest book on business excellence; we were constantly looking for new opportunities to improve. Every day we looked for new ways in finding and selecting talent, in understanding better training regimes, in creating business initiatives, in process improvement, the game day experience, quality control, change management, system utilization, and ultimately fan and customer service. The lessons would guide any business today on a track for excellence.
To be part of that all inclusive approach is to live and breathe that commitment. It is not about the planning but in understanding that each of the people on your team bring great ideas and realizing it is possible to go from good to great in every effort. We reached for the best because we believed and we were believed in!.
Dan Werner
The Performance Detective
Make Business Operations Understandable – Just Run it! June 1, 2012
Posted by PerformDetectiv in Action Planning, Business Analysis, Business Excellence, Business Strategy, Excellence, Leadership, Process Improvement.add a comment
In today’s business news… many authors develop a complex scheme for either the roll-out of an initial business plan or the careful measurement of an ongoing process improvement strategy. It’s always refreshing to see someone break it down to the elements that allow small and medium size businesses to both understand the process and more importantly implement changes that make sense.
In today’s world of sound bites and social media cryptic comments, it is also helpful to bring the basics of sound planning and common sense to the entire process. Dick Cross ( http://dickcross.com/about-dick ) wrote the book Just Run It! ( http://dickcross.com/just-run-it ) to accomplish that and much more. What resonates about his approach is that many of us ( @PerformDetectiv ) have already been using these same approaches to help entrepreneurial leaders get a handle on the basic elements of their business without losing them in the process.
Dick’s four dimensions that describe all businesses are intuitive in that they capture the essence of our efforts; what are our needs, how are we positioned, who are our customers, and what are our competencies. These basics can indeed be understood from the back of an envelope or in short order by any member of the business team.
The other areas of exploration include understanding analytics and using metrics to stay up with changes. His “Vision Strategy Execution” really takes theory and roll-out from “tactical” to “practical”. He also understands that it then becomes important to stay up with the changing business environment to remain nimble in our ever evolving economic landscape. He dots the i’s and crosses the t’s with his “VERDICT” approach and actions going forward.
Along the way he emphasizes the importance of getting-the-word-out and the refreshing understanding that “endorsements” and “satisfied customers” will grow the business ten times more than any effort to just advertise or use traditional promotional tools.
This is a very healthy understanding of how business really works and growing your bottom line. A terrific read and thorough approach … How to succeed by understanding… and trying!
Use Vision, Strategy and Execution…
The Performance Detective
@PerformDetectiv
Inspiration to Perspiration 