I saw some video today of George Bush in Iraq. In the middle of a press conference some nutty (or pissed off) Iraqi journalist threw his shoe at him from the back of the room. And then he threw his other shoe! Wow. It was easily a twenty-foot hurl. My first thought was, “that is truly an old school, basic method of assault.” No technology, no anthrax, no complex scheme. Shoes.
About a minute later someone asked what I “do.” I said, “I do that.”
That guy did two things right. Both totally basic.
First, if his goal was to get everyone’s attention he succeeded.
Next, he used what he had. A basic tool. Nothing fancy.
The Iraqi wacko was on to something. Let’s follow his lead. Do something dramatic to get everyone’s attention. One thing that shows you are serious about growing your business next year.
Go to work in a costume. Or meet at a weird location and kidnap your team for the day. Or create a “wow” incentive program where everyone can choose their own reward if they hit their target. Or throw a shoe at your boss. (Symbolically, of course)
Once you have their attention, ask each person for their one “big hairy audacious goal” (BHAG) for 2009. Or, assign everyone a different skill to master by the end of 2009. In sales, ask each seller to a master one sales category.
Get everyone’s attention and focus on the basics.