The team or the department or the division or the entire company is experiencing some kind of setback. Serious meetings are convened to address causes and devise solutions.
What are the odds that if we sit around the conference table long enough, we’re likely to hear, “The industry is to blame.” or “The market isn’t moving in our direction.” or “The economy isn’t ready for us.”?
When you start hearing those excuses it means that no one is really in charge and the real work hasn’t started. Why? Because it’s easier to hide behind ‘the industry’ or ‘the market’ or ‘the economy’ than it is to accept responsibility.
And that’s because there really is no ‘industry’ or ‘market’ or ‘economy’. There’s only customers or clients. In other words, people.
When the organization’s leaders are ready to focus on the people they serve, then we know that the real work has begun.