Book Summary: Results Rule

"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems," Mahatma Gandhi famously stated.

Although there are numerous distinctions between "Results Rules" businesses and those that follow more traditional guidelines, they all do one thing better than the competition. They take action toward the objectives they seek.

The following are some of the other distinctions between organizations where results are king and the rest of us:

• They speak the truth and respect honesty;
• They strive for the best rather than the easiest;
• They use the power of partnerships;
• They focus their efforts on making the most important thing;
• They cultivate accountability cultures; and
• They learn, develop, and improve every day.

Take this trip with Randy Pennington and discover how to build a culture that produces outcomes every day.

The common opinion on this topic is that changing the culture will help you perform better. Randy believes we've got it backward on that one. "You alter the performance to change the culture," he adds. Let's get started on that note.

Tell yourself the truth and value candor.

‍

Here's what separates organizations that understand how to foster an open culture from the rest of us:

When you go to a company like Walmart and listen to one of their all-hands meetings, you'll be astounded by what appears to be harsh honesty and truthfulness at first glance.

But, according to Coleman Peterson, a retired executive vice president of Walmart's People Division, this is what's really going on:

"We are very candid with each other. I believe one reason is we are very familiar with each other. Sam Walton loved to visit stores, and Walmart executives spend, on average, three days per week in the field. That familiarity makes it easier to be open about everything. There aren't a lot of barriers between people at different levels of the organization".

When you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. People are more prone to voice their minds when they are at ease with one another.

Encourage your employees to talk to you, each other and become acquainted with one another as human beings. Then you can begin to have honest and open talks about your company's future.

Pursue the best over the easiest

‍

We've all been told how crucial it is to be the greatest. During his dictatorial control in the 1980s, Jack Welch drilled that one into our heads. However, the idea still holds true today. Why?

First, having a benchmark to judge against makes it easy - would this activity help us achieve our goal of becoming the greatest or not? If that's the case, let's get started. If not, it's a waste of time.

Second, accomplishing achievements makes everyone happy, which leads to improved performance.

If you're not that sort of person, you'll probably show up at the door. Customers, in the end, want to be associated with the finest. That is why organizations that follow Results Rules strive to be the best.

When you decide to be the greatest at what you do, you'll make all of your important decisions in three areas: leadership, operations, and people.

Mission + vision, resource allocation, strategic objectives, performance measurement and analysis, operational goals, and performance management are all examples of leadership.

Joe Calloway, a best-selling author and speaker who runs the restaurant Mirror in Nashville, has a key insight regarding mission/vision statements. It's not about the phrase; it's about the decision and discipline to follow it.

Operations: Product and service delivery, information systems, customer interaction, and support activities are all part of operations.

In particular, when it comes to product and service delivery, offering the basics is the bare minimum for success, while being unique assures long-term success. The food is the foundation for Joe Calloway and Mirror. That's the starting point.

You can have something unique about your service or environment, but you won't return if the food is bad. Also, keep in mind that your uniqueness must provide value. Being unique for the sake of being unique is a tragedy waiting to happen.

Selection, work methods, employee happiness, and staff education and training are all aspects of people.

When it comes to hiring, be sure you're focusing on culture fit rather than skill.

It is not always talent that triumphs, as the 2004 US Olympic Basketball team demonstrated.

Culture wins because when everyone is on the same page, they like each other a little more and are more ready to have those open and honest talks about results.

Leverage the power of partnerships

‍

Here are some statistics that should make you dread God. 75% of individuals in the workforce are actively looking for new employment, and 70% of people perceive no actual value in staying loyal to brands.

However, you might claim that things are different at my firm. No, it isn't.

Why is there such a lack of consumer and staff loyalty? Because you aren't providing them with a compelling reason to remain loyal.

Here is what Scott McKain says in his book "All Business is Show Business":

"Your customers and employees are going to have an emotional experience because of their contract with your organization, whether you like it or not. Your responsibility—and challenge—is to provide them with the kind of emotional connection that will inspire loyalty."

How can you create a partnership that is based on trust? Trust is at the heart of loyalty. Of course, entire volumes have been written about trust and how to develop it. But there is one action you can do that will consistently produce more benefits than any other.

Make a conscious decision to see more in people than they see in themselves, convey that to them, and then nurture it until it becomes self-sustaining.

It is the single most powerful high-impact action you can do to create trust.

You'll be well on your way to creating reliable, trustworthy connections if you apply this idea to your interactions with your employees, clients, and even your family.

Focus the energy to make the main thing the main thing

‍

As the great Thomas Edison famously remarked, vision without execution is a hallucination.  

So, how can we know whether we're on the right track? We will be able to identify you based on your findings. Organizations that follow the Results Rules understand that their performance is assessed daily.

Peggy DePaoli, a director in EDS's business outsourcing operation, says that "metrics bring discipline. Disciplined minds lead to disciplined actions, and that leads to results".

And we're not just talking about the bottom line. Everything that matters to you should be measured, including employee happiness, customer loyalty, and ecologically responsible activities.

But how can we know what we're measuring? Simply said, if something is significant, it should be measured.

Here are the three questions you must ask yourself:

1. What level of performance and outcomes must we accomplish to be valuable to our customers and profitable in the workplace?
2. What behaviors do we need to exhibit to embody our values?
3. What do we need to learn now to improve tomorrow?

How do you ensure that the metrics support discipline now that they're in place?

To begin, you recognize and reward achievement. Nothing makes your team members happier than receiving praise for a job well done. They desire this more than more money, according to research.

Second, you have the conviction and guts to hold others accountable for the outcomes they produce.

So go through the statistics once a week, or even daily if necessary. Find a means to get back on track before it becomes a serious problem. If the issues remain, address them without becoming aggressive.

Here are the six actions you may take to establish a results-oriented conversation when the results aren't there.

1. Make a list of things you want to discuss so you don't forget. As a benchmark, compare predicted and actual performance.
2. Bring the matter to the individual's notice in a particular, nonthreatening, and behavioral way.
3. Gain consensus on the nature of the problem and develop ownership of the outcome without jeopardizing the relationship.
4. Look forward with optimism.
5. Make a written record of your agreement.
6. Keep in touch.

Learn, grow and improve every day

‍

Last but not least, Results Rules organizations learn, develop, and progress every day, just like the rest of us.

These businesses engage in the same sort of learning that you are doing right now: absorbing new ideas and applying them to your business. Another way to learn is via experience, which is something you have every day in your workplace.  

Which firm do you think will be more successful in the long run: the one that solves the same problem 100 times or the one that solves 100 distinct problems once? Of course, the answer is clear, and your reality is most likely somewhere in between those two extremes.

The idea is that if you aren't continually growing and learning from the lessons that life throws at you, you will rapidly fall behind.

Finally, here's a look at what made Jay Leno the most successful late-night television program host in the United States.

Aside from doing his program and making between 125 and 150 personal appearances each year, he spends most Sunday evenings at the Hermosa Beach Comedy and Magic Club, where he tests new material.

Here's what he had to say. "This sounds silly, but my attitude is, sooner or later, the other guy is going to have to eat, drink, go to the bathroom, or take a vacation, and that's when I catch him."

‍