DASHBOARD GROUP

Archive for December, 2010|Monthly archive page

A Foundation of Trust

In About on December 30, 2010 at 9:29 pm

At The Dashboard Group, our goal is to become our client’s most trusted advisor.

Years ago, we decided to implement a unique customer satisfaction-based billing model.  This model allows our client to multiply our invoice amount by their satisfaction percentage, and then just pay what they feel the services were worth.

Of course, some people thought we were crazy for doing this.  They argued that the clients would take advantage of us.  (In fact, just the opposite has happened.)

This model works because it is built on a foundation of trust.  After all, how can we expect our clients to trust us if we don’t trust them?

We got some nice coverage in the Never Stop Marketing blog about this.  You can read the story here:  http://neverstopmarketing.com/.  (Thanks to Paul Farrell, CEO of Moreover Technologies (www.moreover.com) and a member of our board for the plug.)

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

Shift Points

In About on December 27, 2010 at 6:45 am

Eighteen months ago, we started writing this blog.  Our goal was simply to share everything we were learning about building high-performance organizations.

Our first posting was called Shifting Gears.  We discussed how taking your business to the next level requires a shift … in strategy, in operations, in sales and marketing … all at the same time.  It was this idea that inspired the name, Shift Points.

And I am excited to report that The Dashboard Group is now at one of those Shift Points ourselves.  You will be hearing lots more about all of the exciting news in the coming weeks.

For now, let me close the year by thanking all who have brought us to this point.

  • Our fantastic clients taught us a great deal.  It has been our honor to be a part of their teams.
  • Our world-class board provided invaluable insights and wisdom.
  • Our many friends and followers encouraged us to press on through the difficult times.
  • Our dedicated staff made it all possible.  Together, we are living the dream.

Full speed ahead!

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

Jesus: The Ultimate People Developer

In Leadership on December 20, 2010 at 4:40 pm

It is Christmas week, so it seems appropriate to write about Jesus.

Awhile back, I did a 3 year study of the life of Christ.  It ended up as a course called In His Steps which has over 600 PowerPoint slides.  It has also fueled several other follow-on studies, including one on the process that Jesus used to develop people.

Jesus invested three years developing His team.  In this, He set the example for all leaders.

In particular, Jesus used ten specific strategies to transform Simon – an impetuous coward with a “foot sized mouth” into Peter (The Rock) – the courageous, visionary leader of the early Christian faith.

Following Jesus’ example, you can dramatically improve the performance of your organization.  People will walk taller, perform better, arrive sooner, work harder, and complain less.  You will be also able to recruit and retain the best employees.  This creates the flywheel effect and you’ll be on your way to greatness.

If you would like a copy of Jesus: The Ultimate People Developer, just drop me a line.

I wish everyone a blessed, Christ-centered Christmas.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

 

TSATWASIIS

In Strategy on December 13, 2010 at 7:58 am

I love working with entrepreneurs.  The great ones see things that others don’t see.  They see opportunities where others see roadblocks.  They get in the car and put the pedal to the metal.

They take risks and explore new horizons.  Often dozens of them all at the same time.  They think like oil wildcatters … if we drill enough holes, one of them will be a gusher.

I like to call this strategy, “TSATWASIIS,” which is shorthand for Throw Stuff (or worse) At The Wall And See If It Sticks.

And this can be very effective … until the start-up becomes a real organization.  In my experience, this break-point is around 20 people.  That is roughly when the one start-up team has to be divided into smaller teams.

When the start-up is small, it works like a SWAT team.  Everyone is on exactly the same wavelength.  Communications among the team is almost instantaneous.

But when the organization grows, the SWAT team fragments into multiple departments, often called divisions.

And divisions, by definition, create division.

The Dashboard Group has spent the last year working on a new concept called, Design One Strategy.  It helps entrepreneurial organizations design a clear, compelling strategy and aligns all the divisions into one team who can execute it.  More on this idea in the coming weeks.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

More is Less

In Leadership, Strategy on December 6, 2010 at 6:56 am

Many entrepreneurial organizations are consumed with tactics.  If they even have a strategy, it could be summarized as “more.”  More markets, more proposals, more products, more cities, etc.

The problem is that sometimes, more is less.

More markets often results in never fully understanding of any of them.  As a result, you assume and presume … often incorrectly.

More proposals often results in dividing your attention, and never really designing the right solution for any of them.  Consequently, your win rate goes down.

More products often results in diluting your limited R&D resources.  You end up building five mediocre products, rather than one great market-defining flagship.

I once worked for a leader who said, “The most important word in a leader’s vocabulary is no.”  I’m not sure if that is true, but it might be a good discipline for leaders tempted to always pursue more.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

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