This story appears in the
March 2005 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Every entrepreneur knows a picture is worth a thousand words.
But how many apply that knowledge by deliberately managing what
their employees see? Not many. That may change, thanks to the
powerful and intriguing promise held out by Stewart Liff and Pamela
A. Posey in Seeing Is Believing: How the New Art of Visual
Management Can Boost Performance Throughout Your
Organization (Amacom, $29.95).
Liff, a government official, and Posey, a leadership consultant,
explain why using words to tell people what to do isn't nearly
as effective as showing them with pictures, photographs,
charts--even flags, dress codes and paint schemes. More than a
graphics how-to, this is a comprehensive description of how to
build a workplace where information about the company, its goals
and customers is provided to employees in ways that can influence
their expectations and performances.
That Thing You Do
Success is not determined by the particular strategy you pursue.
What matters more is how thoroughly you execute your approach.
That's the surprising conclusion of an extensive study Laurence
Haughton reports in It's Not What You Say . . . It's What You
Do (Currency Doubleday, $24.95). Haughton says companies
can improve follow-through in four steps: 1) Start with a clear
direction, 2) match the right people to every goal, 3) build plenty
of buy-in, and 4) increase individual initiative to help maintain
momentum.
Mark Henricks is Entrepreneur's Staff Smarts
columnist.