To succeed in 2017, D.I.E. S.M.A.R.T. using BIG ROCKS! : Align Business Consulting

To succeed in 2017, D.I.E. S.M.A.R.T. using BIG ROCKS!

By John Lietsch on January 19, 2017 in Management

To succeed in 2017, D.I.E. S.M.A.R.T. using BIG ROCKS!

Who would have known that in 2017 our slogan would become: We Help Companies D.I.E.!

I really missed my calling. I’m not an IT and Operational Strategy Consultant. I’m a marketing machine: We Help Companies DIE! It has a nice ring to it and it’s at the printers getting turned into bumper stickers!

But, there’s more. Not only do we help our clients D.I.E., we greatly encourage and coach our clients to be SMART in doing so. And, to be SMART, our clients must commit to using BIG ROCKS!

Interested? Please read on.

Since we obviously don’t want our companies to “die” in the “going out of business” sense, what do we mean when we say that We Help Companies DIE?

It turns out that one of the things that our clients trust us to do is to help them execute the initiatives that are most critical to their success. Whether it’s completing projects across a portfolio of seemingly equally important business or IT projects, or by managing programs or projects through their respective hypercare phases, we help our clients “execute.” That’s the “E” in DIE. There’s an art in being an executioner and it involves not only an appreciation for the forest but a passion for the trees. It’s an awareness of the whole with a thorough understanding of the details and how they must be delicately balanced to ensure success. Ignoring one over the other can often result in wasted time, wasted energy (aka frustration) and wasted money. And that’s where the “D” and the “I” come in. D stands for Define. In order for a company to be successful it must be able to define those tasks (ROCKS) that are absolutely critical to its existence and commit to them. The “I” stands for implementation and this is where we often get into lively discussions. After all, what’s the difference between implementing and executing? It’s simple to us. If the “D” involves identifying the destination, then the “I” is about drawing the map and securing all of the resources to ensure a successful journey. Therefore, the “E” is all about “getting there” – executing. It’s about understanding the many obstacles that teams are bound to encounter and using the appreciation of the forest (overall mission) to keep teams on track (in the trees) without losing sight of the destination. To succeed, pick a destination (design), secure and organize all of the necessary resources (implement) and complete the journey (execute).

To Succeed in 2017, DIE! But please be SMART about it.

I won’t spend too much time on this because everyone has heard of SMART. We use: Specific, Measurable, Agreed-Upon, Realistic and Time based. The point is that to be SMART the task must be well defined, important and time bound.

What about the BIG ROCKS? What are they? They are the things that we identified in the “D” phase. This term is not unique to me. I’ve heard numerous motivational speakers and consultants use this story. The story varies slightly depending on who tells it but it usually involves someone filling a jar with rocks and asking the audience if the jar is full. Invariably, the audience concludes that the jar is full and the person proceeds to add the pebbles. Once again, the question is asked. The pebbles are proceeded by sand which is followed by water. I hope you get the point. The ROCKS are used to represent what’s most important in your business or personal life. It’s brilliantly simple: if we don’t put all the BIG ROCKS in the jar FIRST, we won’t have the space (time) to fit them in LATER!

How often do you finish a day feeling like you ran all day but got nowhere? That’s a “BIG ROCKLESS DAY” and each day we operate with that mind set we give birth to another BIG ROCKLESS DAY! Ironically, the BIG ROCKS are often the activities that, when completed, help minimize or prevent the myriad interruptions that consume our days. In business, as in life, the BIG ROCKS are your gyroscope and keep you aligned.

To succeed in 2017, DIE SMART using BIG ROCKS.

Please make time to define, implement and execute on your most critical initiatives for 2017. Focus on your BIG ROCKS and commit to them by being SMART. We generally work on 30, 60 or 90 day “first downs.” That’s right, it’s football season and our goal is to keep getting first downs. Every now and then we’ll get lucky and score a touchdown but we want to keep the ball moving forward and BIG ROCKS with SMART goals can help you with that. Once you identify your BIG ROCKS, set your first down, call the play and execute! That’s being SMART.

And if you need help, call us. We’ll help you conduct your DIE SMART meetings because meetings are often like water – when put first, they keep the BIG ROCKS out!

Continued Success in 2017!

About the author

John Lietsch

John Lietsch is a Strategy & Operations Executive with a history of successfully bridging the gap between leadership vision and disciplined execution. He has designed, managed or advised on critical, business and IT initiatives for organizations ranging in size from start-ups to global companies with annual sales in excess of five hundred million dollars. John specializes on the needs of growing organizations across a broad range of industries but has spent most of his career in Direct Selling, Information Technology and Professional Services. John has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Bachelor of Science Degree from California State Polytechnic University Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

We transform vision into reality.