The Donald Cooper Corporation Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 2 - February 2004
 Greetings !
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1. The "Straight Goods" on Vision and Mission:
(time to read this article is about 90 seconds)
For a printable version of this article, click here.
There's great confusion in business today about Vision and Mission. I've worked with hundreds of companies around the world on this subject...and just about nobody "gets it".
Most businesses proudly display a Mission or Vision Statement in their lobby...and most of them are meaningless! They're full of general platitudes and feel-good acknowledgements that mean nothing..."We love our customers, honor our staff, care about the environment, God is a nice person and we'll work hard and have fun!"
You may as well put a picture of somebody's grandmother up on the wall. So here's the "straight goods" about a real Vision and Mission that will create clarity of purpose, energy and commitment throughout your organization!
A) Your Vision: The common belief is that your Vision is your "dream" of what you want to become. But, in truth, your Vision needs to be a combination of what you want to become (your dream) and the reality of what you must become to be a profitable market leader in 3 to 5 years.
Do you have a clear picture of what you want to become in your business, and a clear picture of what you must become...and do those two pictures look anything alike? Are you committed to become what you must become?
If what you want to become and what you must become look nothing alike, you have some tough decisions to make; generally called "Exit Strategies".
So, in total, your Vision needs to be a clear and measurable statement of what you're committed to become, including the ROI that you commit to generate. For example...
| Our Vision: "We are committed to become North America's largest supplier of mid-market cosmetics, in five years...generating an ROI of 23%." |
This is a Vision Statement that actually guides and focuses everyone in the organization on a clear and measurable objective. It tells them exactly where we’re going, by when and what our bottom line will look like when we get there.
What it doesn’t tell them is how we’re going to pull it off. That’s what your Mission Statement is for.
So, do you have a clear, measurable and growing Vision for your business…or are you flying blind in an uncertain direction?
B) Your Mission: So, your Vision is what you’re committed to become. Your Mission, on the other hand, is what you're committed to doing right now,
1) Create, deliver and communicate compelling Value for your target customers.
2) Create a business environment that attracts, challenges, empowers and rewards the very best people at every level of your organization...and that holds people accountable.
3) Create world-class operational efficiency that allows you to be price-competitive, service-competitive and profitable.
4) Be a responsible and positive force on the planet.
5) To become your Vision. Every week you should be doing some planning, some work, something that has to do with getting to where you’re committed to be in 3 to 5 years.
Your annual Mission Statement will be a clear, specific and measurable statement of what you’re committed to achieving in each of “The Five Areas of Mission” and what the deliverables will be in key areas of…
˙ A clearly defined Customer Experience.
˙ A specific level of Financial Performance.
˙ A competitive Price.
˙ A specific level of Employee and Customer Safety.
˙ A clearly defined level of Employee Satisfaction.
˙ Environmental and social impact.
While we’re at it, your Business Plan will be a detailed description of specifically what will be done, by whom and by when, to deliver these “deliverables” shown above.
So, are you proactively and purposefully doing something every week to move your business forward in each of the “Five areas of Mission”? Is everyone on your team spending most of their time, every day, on one of these five areas? If not, what are they doing…because this is the stuff that matters!
C) Finally, your Vision “feeds” your Mission: Your Vision keeps growing as you see new possibilities, or new realities, that you’re prepared to commit to. Then, as your Vision changes, so does your Mission. Your Vision ”feeds” your Mission so that you're constantly in the process of growing and becoming! If you have no Vision, there’s nothing feeding your Mission. Instead of “becoming”, you’re dying…stuck in “yesterday” forever!
So, there it is…the truth about Vision and Mission! Now the question is, what will you do to create a defining Vision and a clear and compelling Mission that will guide, focus, challenge and energize everyone in your organization?
You can’t do everything at once…but something can always be next. And, ultimately, everything is possible! Have you the courage and creativity to “break the rules” to create and deliver compelling customer-owning value in your business? If so, this two-step process will help!
Need help? For in-depth, step-by-step help to create compelling customer-owning value in your business, order our new…
HUMAN MARKETING Workshop and Complete Implementation Guide.
This 3-hour interactive Workshop will transform your business! It's available on CD or DVD for only $80.00. To order, visit our online store or contact Sharen Skene by email or call 416-252-3704.
2. Tools for success...powerful lessons from a guy from Canmore!
(time to read this article is about 40 seconds)
For a printable version of this article, click here.
A few weeks ago at a Conference in Canmore, Alberta I had the pleasure of hearing a presentation from Frank Kernick who, several years ago built his own home because he had nothing else to do, and has now become one of the leading developers in western Canada.
Frank offered us his nine ‘Tools for Success” that have guided him along the way and, with his permission, I pass them on…
1) Always keep learning.
2) Constantly create and innovate…continually create new ideas and concepts.
3) Do your homework.
4) We’re all in sales…sell your ideas every chance you get.
5) Build a Team…you can’t do it all alone.
6) Become a leader in your business and your community.
7) Be a good negotiator.
8) Remember, greed kills.
9) Be passionate…work hard, play hard and have fun!
What’s guiding your success? What would your list look like it? Would Frank’s list work for you? If not, how would you change it to focus you on your key success factors?
3. A business lesson and a world-class cookie recipe from the little town of Dorset, Ontario: (time to read this article is about 90 seconds)
For a printable version of this recipe, click here
There's a there’s a great old-fashion bakery in the resort town of Dorset, Ontario that sold fabulous cookies! How good were they? They were “famous” throughout the whole region. We used to fly to Dorset in my brother’s floatplane just for these cookies.
Then, one day, the owner sat down and priced out his cookies to see if he was making any money on them. As it turned out, they were so full of quality ingredients, that, at the price he was charging, he was just breaking even.
So, what did he do? He stopped making the cookies and fired the cookie-making lady. This is goofy! All he had to do was understand the value that he was offering, increase the price of his cookies…and nobody would even have noticed.
The question in your business is, “Are you charging enough for your value?”. A price increase of just 5% will increase your bottom line by as much as 60% to100%, depending on your gross margin. Don’t take my word for it…ask your accountants. And, if they don’t understand this important stuff, fire them!
Now here’s the good news! Last month, my brother John bumped into the former cookie-making lady at the Toronto Boat Show and convinced her to reveal the recipe for these amazing, but no longer available, cookies. The recipe is on the next page. Try these cookies and let us know what you think!
"The Amazing But Extinct Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Pecan Cookies"
1) Wet ingredients:
1/3 cup each of butter and shortening.
1 cup each of brown and white sugar.
1/2 tablespoon vanilla.
2 eggs.
2) Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour.
1 1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup each pecans and chocolate chips.
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and baking soda.
3) Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (190 degrees Centigrade)
2. Combine all dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, mix butter and shortening until uniform.
4. Add both sugars and blend. Add eggs, one at a time, while blending.
5. Add vanilla.
6. Add pre-combined dry ingredients.
7. Place golf-sized balls of cookie dough on a slightly greased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 14 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. Do not overcook or cookies will not be as moist.
Enjoy!!!
4. Eight business lessons from the Super Bowl:
(time to read this article is about one minute)
For a printable version of this article, click here.
This year's Super Bowl game started out to be a real "snooze" but, in the end, was one of the best games in a long while. The half-time show started out in bad taste and ended with bad judgment!
But all of that aside what can we, in business, learn from the Super Bowl?
Lesson #1: Have clear, specific objectives and a Game Plan for the team and for each individual player. Clear, specific objectives focus and energize your team. In sports it's simple...the overall objective is to win the game but in business it's not that simple, which is probably why so many businesses don't have clear and specific objectives.
The Game Plan tells everyone on the team exactly what we're doing and what each individual is responsible for.
Lesson #2: Study your competition's strengths and weaknesses. So many business owners and mangers tell me that they don't bother with competitive intelligence. All I can say to them is that your customers are comparing you to your competitors...it would be a very good idea if you did too.
Lesson #3: Winning is about executing the basics on every play. In business the basics are about these five things...
1) Creating, delivering and communicating compelling customer value.
2) Creating an internal environment that attracts, challenges and honors great staff at every level of the organization.
3) Creating world-class operational efficiency that allows you to be price-competitive, service-competitive and profitable.
4) Being a responsible and positive force on the planet.
5) Becoming your Vision. Every week you should be doing some planning, some work, something that has to do with getting to where you're committed to be in 3 to 5 years.
Lesson #4: Have frequent "huddles" to encourage, support, communicate the Plan...and to help those who aren't performing to get focused.
Lesson #5: Coaches "coach" and players "play". You never see a coach run out on the field, take the ball from a player and run down the field himself. Why? Because there are clear rules about coaching and playing and there's a referee who will blow his whistle if coaches try to be players.
Sadly, in business, there are no clear rules on coaching and playing...and no referee. So bosses (coaches) often grab the ball and run with it. As the person in charge of the rules, they're the one with whistle...and they never blow it on themselves!
(To enquire about how our popular set of "COACH" and "PLAYER" baseball caps can help you solve this problem in your business, email Sharen at sharen@donaldcooper.com.
Lesson #6: The scoreboard is important. Good players, who are committed to winning need to know how they're doing. Many businesses aren't willing to share that information with their players and then they wonder why nobody cares about the team's performance.
Lesson #7: The clock matters! Winning has to be done within a certain time frame...or it doesn't count. So, every minute counts. Winning teams have a sense of urgency!
Lesson #8: Good players thrive on encouragement! Not only do great teams have loyal fans who encourage them, they also have cheerleaders. Imagine trying to play your heart out in an empty stadium. Is your team getting the encouragement and support that they need to "play their hearts out"?
So, there you have it...eight business lessons from the Super Bowl. How can you use these eight lessons to help you create a winning team in your business?
5. Need a compelling, bottom-line business message at your next company or Association Conference?
(time to read this article is about 40 seconds)
Here's a few quotes from some of my recent presentations...
"The best speaker we've ever had at NAAM. Bring him back!" ...NAAM is the huge international music industry Show and Conference held each year in Anaheim, CA
"I learned more about business from you today than I did in four years of University. Thanks Donald." ...attendee at Agriculture Supply Dealers Conference.
"Whatever we paid Donald, we got a great deal! The best "on target" presentation I've seen!" ...attendee at Ontario Marine Operators Association.
Choose from these presentations...
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HUMAN MARKETING...how to increase market share & profitability in the face of ever-stronger competition!
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Owning Customers For Life...4 powerful steps to increasing loyalty, sales & profitability!
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The 8 Essential Steps to Finding & Keeping the Best Staff!
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What Is the Compelling Purpose of Your Business?
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The 60 Minute MBA...10 things you must know about your customers, your business...and your life! (Note: This presentation can also be delivered as "The 90 Minute MBA")
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The Adventure of Change...redefining & reinventing your business to achieve market domination in our rapidly changing world.
6. What good people really want?
(time to read this article is about 90 seconds)
For a printable version of this article, click here.
Here's two big lies that many business people tell themselves on a regular basis...
Lie #1: "You can't find good people any more!"
Lie #2: "There's no such thing as staff loyalty any more!"
But, interestingly, when I interview great employees, the kind of people who could really help move a business forward, they tell me that they have trouble finding great businesses to work for. There's a different perspective on the situation.
Rather than blame others for our failure to attract and keep great people at every level of our organization it will be infinitely more useful to ask two simple but powerful questions...
1. "What kind of company do the best people want to work for?"
2. "Specifically, what must we fix, create or stop doing to become that kind of company?"
So, what do good people want? According to a number of surveys, good people want five things...
1) A challenging job with opportunity to grow.
2) Clear, honest and consistent communication.
3) A positive, uplifting environment.
4) Recognition of performance.
5) Money.
How does your business rate in the delivery of these five critical factors and specifically what will you fix, create or stop doing to create the quality environment that attracts and keeps the best people?
Need help? For in-depth, step-by-step help to find and keep the best people at every level of your organization, order our new...
"8 Essential Steps to Finding & Keeping the Best Staff!" Video Seminar and Complete Implementation Guide
There is a huge cost to not having good people in your business!
This 90 minute Seminar and Implementation Guide delivers a step-by-step process and dozens of practical tips on how to find, interview, train, challenge and lead the very best people in your business.
It's available on DVD for only $60.00. To order, visit our online store.
* * * Special "REINVENT YOUR BUSINESS" package available until March 31st. * * *
When you purchase both the...
-
"Human Marketing" 3 hour CD Video or DVD Workshop...and,
-
"The 8 Essential Steps to Finding & Keeping the Best Staff!" 90 min. DVD Seminar,
before March 31, we'll include, no charge, our powerful 90 minute DVD Seminar on "The Simple Truth About Effective Business Leadership!" that normally sells for $60.00.
To order, contact the wonderful Sharen lady at sharen@donaldcooper.com.
7. That's all for this month!
"Thanks" for all of your great feedback and suggestions! We especially love to hear of your successes using our insights. Don't forget to visit the Free Articles section on our website for lots more valuable info...and don't forget to try the amazing cookie recipe.
If you know of others anywhere in the world who will find value in this E-Newsletter, we'll appreciate your sending this along to them.
Kindest regards,
Donald Cooper, MBA, HoF
Certified Speaking Professional
Preview a Video Clip of Donald in action!
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