Three areas of emphasis have helped us navigate today’s ongoing constraints. We revisit these areas regularly and consider them friendly tips and reminders.
The concept of tips and reminders came to me from a college football coach. Before games, Coach Mike Drake would script, summarize, and highlight key points to victory. The highlights captured the preceding week of practice, film study, and scouting reports. Amid a large body of available information, Coach Drake’s tips and reminders helped his players condense large volumes of work into a digestible format.
From an organizational standpoint, our team uses tips and reminders in a similar way. Within the broader context of logistics, tips, and reminders help us narrow the focus and improve outcomes. We find they are relevant in our trucking and distribution setting. We also believe they are relevant to other sectors of industry.
The following tips and reminders guide us at a high level, connect us, and help us progress practically. This is not a comprehensive list. We also recognize that our tips and reminders evolve with business needs.
Focus on the Mission
The mission should serve a specific purpose regardless of business type or size. The mission is the main theme that aligns organizational behavior and culture. A clear mission is a direction to follow and a purpose to serve. We aspire to uphold our company’s mission while attending to the challenges at hand. On occasion, we find that revisiting our mission is helpful. This process returns our focus to the ‘significant few’ actions that enable success. It also helps us to avoid the ‘many insignificant’ distractions that get in the way. On the other hand, if the mission is or has become unclear, it complicates operations. In fairness, it can be difficult to see how a business unit fits into the broader, more complex whole. It can be done, but it requires discussion, discovery, and a desire to gain clarity. Simply put, a clear mission is important because it enables results. Focusing on the mission also allows people to maximize resources, time, and human capital. A clear mission provides the direction necessary for lasting achievement.
"Tips and reminders are practices that lead to better outcomes. When done correctly, the results can be remarkable"
Focus on People
People gravitate to a clear mission that serves a specific purpose. Once connected, people become the lifeblood that brings the mission to life. Human action, communication, coordination, teamwork, etc., are building blocks of mission success. For leaders, it is important to understand the significance of the mission and the capabilities of the people who support it. Leaders also have the critical role of connecting the mission and the team. When the time and circumstance allow, good leaders explain the ‘why’ behind the mission. In turn, clear mission ‘whys’ equip teams to figure out the ‘hows’ of accomplishing it. Better yet, when mission and people are interconnected, the results can surpass expectations. Creativity abounds, performance increases, and results follow. It can be hard to connect the mission and people in difficult circumstances. As a leader, it may take some reflection, self-assessment, and a willingness to rethink the situation. Deep down, people want to be successful. The best answers often come from unlikely places.
Focus on the Fundamentals
Great teams are brilliant in the basics. They do common things uncommonly well. Like good manners, fundamentals never go out of style. Fundamentals are actions that indicate how clear the mission is and how connected the people are. Sound fundamentals are immune to economic trends and supply chain shortfalls. But let’s face it, fundamentals are not fun. Fundamentals don't make for viral social media posts. Fundamentals are not popular. But make no mistake, fundamentals lead to lasting success. Fundamentals are the practices that help people turn pro. They are the gateways that lead the amateur to the professional. In the logistics business, great fundamentals include:
• Excellent, consistent, and clear communication and coordination
• Measuring/scoring the essential elements of the enterprise
• Using technical manuals
• Skill-specific training
• Ongoing education (for the unknown)
• Ongoing training (for the known)
• Professional reading
• Coaching and mentoring new members of the team
• Inspections
• Preventive maintenance
• Sound administration
• Regulatory compliance, etc.
• Sweeping the floor and taking out the trash
These few examples are simple but important on the road to success. When difficulties arise, fundamentals will carry the day. Fundamentals build confidence in people so that they connect with and uphold the mission.
Legendary football player and coach Don Shula captured the essence of the tips and reminders process in what he called ‘The Winning Edge.
"The ultimate goal is victory, and if you refuse to work as hard as you possibly can toward that aim, or if you do anything that keeps you from achieving that goal, you are just cheating yourself. I feel that way about athletics, but more importantly, I feel that way about life in general. We want to dedicate ourselves to establishing a standard of excellence in the future, and we are always looking for 'The Winning Edge."
As a result, Coach Shula and the 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only undefeated super bowl winning team in the history of the National Football League.
Tips and reminders are practices that lead to better outcomes. When done correctly, the results can be remarkable. We've found peace of mind focusing on our mission, connecting to it, and adhering to great fundamentals. We hope you experience similar results.
