People Power - January 2009

By Scott Humphrey

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I said or heard these words when I was growing up. As I’ve grown older I’ve realized how wrong this statement really is. Words do hurt, but the antithesis of this is also true. Words also have great power.

In this article, I’d like to focus on the power of our words and how along with our actions they can have a mighty impact on our 2009.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of speaking with Coach Bill Curry, who will be speaking at a Shaw event in January. Talk about a man who understands the power of words. Coach Curry has served as head football coach at Georgia Tech, Alabama, and Kentucky. He has also played for some of the greatest professional coaches of all time, including Vince Lombardi and Don Shula. You can just imagine the pre-game and halftime speeches that this man has heard and given.

As he spoke I was intrigued by his humble nature and how carefully he chose his words. Coach Curry is what I would call a storyteller. He has a life experience to illustrate every point. This is evident in his recent book, “Ten Men You Meet in the Huddle.” He knows that words can destroy morale. He also understands that words can challenge individuals and teams to perform at a level far beyond their norm.

I left that meeting feeling motivated, to say the least. Also realizing that this is the time of year when many people decide to improve personally and professionally, I began to develop a list of words that you can use as a framework to improve your performance in 2009.

Change—I probably speak on this topic more than any other. Change is difficult for any of us. Ironically, in a down economy two distinct types of individuals and businesses emerge. Some have the “hunker down” attitude. They pull back and defend the current practices. They see change as an expensive process. Others see this as the ideal time for change. Business is slow and they believe there’s no better time to invest in their people, their showroom, and their back office processes. This is expressly why winners use down times to drive necessary change. They take advantage of this “opportunity” to prepare for the inevitable upturn that will follow every down cycle.

Right—In a society that tends to be satisfied with the status quo and with meeting the norm, we give great credit to those who find a way to do it better. But improving on something that’s wrong is being satisfied with an outcome that is only slightly better than wrong. (This is unfortunately the option that many, including myself, believe the government is taking with the current bailouts).

What would happen if we took the time to do it right? Most of us don’t venture down this path, because taking a person, program, or process and working to make it right can be a time consuming endeavor. It often involves internal battles with those who feel their livelihood is tied up in the way things are being done today. But, in order to get the ultimate outcome, the foundation must be sound. A building built on a faulty foundation is structurally unsound no matter how solid the building appears.

Now’s the time to do it right. I’m not saying it will be easy, but it will provide the long-term basis for your future success.

Best—My reputation in our local recreation department is not like the reputation of many of my fellow coaches. I’ve never been thrown out of a game. I’ve never cursed a ref for making what I considered a bad call. My reputation is for taking average players and helping them become better. The secret to doing this is closely linked to the concept of doing it right. We start each year by covering the basics. We learn the fundamentals correctly, no matter how many years they may have played. After all, I don’t know what they have been taught by others.

There’s one key to this success. In practice and during games we focus on doing our best. All of my players know that I’m not nearly as concerned with the final score as I am with their individual efforts. They know that I’m likely at any time to walk up to any of them and ask, “Are you giving me your best?” This focus on players giving their best has always resulted in a winning percentage greater than anyone expected.

Take this same concept and place it in a business environment. Are your people giving you their best? Are you comfortable settling for less?

Value—In an economy and industry where we have focused primarily on price, the businesses that not only survive, but also thrive, are those that have shifted the conversation from one of price to one of value. Anyone can play the price game. Not everyone can play on the field of value.

I recently asked Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, “In today’s economy, how can the average retailer survive and thrive?” His answer was to focus on value and service over price. That’s advice that will make 2009 a winning year.

Commitment—Commitment is the total opposite of one of the weakest words in the English language. That word is “try.” To say that you’ll try is to set yourself up for failure. In a famous scene from the Star Wars movies, Yoda is training Luke Skywalker and challenges him to complete a task. Skywalker replies, “I’m trying.” To this weak excuse, Yoda makes a powerful statement. He says, “Do or do not, there is no try.”

This must be our attitude going into what looks to be a challenging 2009. We must be committed to doing it, to doing it right, to doing our best, and to adding value every step of the way.

In closing, I want to share two statements Coach Curry made at our lunch meeting that I believe are pertinent to our current challenges:

1. Some person or business will succeed in this economic environment. They always do. Why not be that person or business?

2. Football is a great business teacher. In business, like in football, every time you get knocked down, you have a choice to make. You can stay down or you can get up.

My hope for you is that you’ll tell yourself what’s possible, not what isn’t. Those words you say influence you and all those who come in contact with you; co-workers, subordinates, spouse, children, and friends. This year, let’s all remember “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can change my destiny!”

Related Topics:Shaw Industries Group, Inc.

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