What Do You Do When Your Systems Fail?

Mike Tyson’s quote often rings true in my head. “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” The “punch” can throw all our planning and preparation out the window. 

·    The key leader who abruptly accepts a new role 

·    The team member whose toxicity is no longer tolerable 

·    The soccer schedules that ramp up and change 

·    The sales force system you invested in, but no one keeps it up to date

I just look at our kitchen. We have a spot for everything. We have a label for everything. We even have pictures inside the cupboard, so kids know how and where things go. (Actually, the pictures are for me.) They can follow the pictures. But when teenagers cook, or we have a good-sized group over for dinner, the system doesn’t always hold up under the pressure of the moment, and everything gets shoved in rather than put away properly. 

Does that mean the system is wrong? Maybe … Most of the time, I think our system is right; it’s our prioritization that changes. When our priorities shift, our ability to execute based on our system changes.

Maybe we should hold to our priorities instead of letting the environment shift what’s important on a whim.

This happens quite often in sales teams. 

Salesforce is a great system. You can house everything you could dream of in Salesforce. I can’t tell you how many times a sales leader has looked up a customer in Salesforce to find out-of-date information. When a salesman is busy, overwhelmed, moving customers through the pipeline, priorities shift, and the system doesn’t always get updated. Does that mean the system is wrong, or their priorities shifted? 

Managers might have clear systems in place to support their teams. Effective team meetings and dynamic one-on-one meetings, but client meetings, family challenges, and summer vacations can quickly erode the systems. Managers wonder why their people are struggling, and then I ask, “When was your last one-on-one? Usually, it’s been 2-3 months, or the meetings have become about tasks and not support. Either way, the system broke, and everyone is feeling it.

We just finished an incredible summer with our family, and now 2 boys are off to college. We have two kids at home. (None of which drive). Our way of life has shifted. Meg and I typically have a system of walking through our weekly game plan so we can support one another and our kids well without chaos. The system works, but we didn’t need it this summer. Two weeks into school, we are scrambling to align. Our system is great, but we stopped following the system, and our scramble to support ensued. We are back on track, but still trying to find our gym time again.

Many of our clients are leveraging the SDI 2.0 platform. It’s a great tool to drive self- and social awareness, and it provides practical guidance on how to lead with Relationship Intelligence. It’s a system for communicating that leverages an app, Outlook plug-in, and Teams to help teams communicate effectively and keep strengths front of mind. I remember a client was moving quickly, hiring and restructuring. He banked on his relational equity with an important team member and didn’t check the app to know how to communicate a BRAVE conversation with his team member. The team member became frustrated, felt devalued, and left. The VP I was coaching said, “If I had slowed down to use the SDI, I would have been able to communicate more effectively, and he wouldn’t have left.” Our systems are only effective when we use them, and when we do, the impact can be extraordinary. When we don’t, the impact is chaos.

When we facilitate our High Impact Team session, we help teams create a system for how they communicate, challenge, and make decisions. The system helps the team align, work productively, and drive for results with a good culture. However, when leaders stop holding one another accountable to the system, the system fails. When the system fails, relationships become strained, and team members become frustrated. 

Systems are great, and they require maintenance and proactive action to keep them running. Systems are great, but they require high trust and effective communication to consistently work. 

This summer, Meg allowed me to get a new carbon-framed road bike with electronic shifters. It’s incredible. I like to believe the bike helped me improve by 1.5 mph per mile, not my fitness. Last week I went out for a ride, and my incredible machine was inadvertently transformed into a single-speed bike. The system was there, but I didn’t maintain it. The shifters needed a new firmware update to work properly. Was I frustrated … yes. After 24 miles, my motivation to keep up with maintaining the system is locked in. 

As we move into the fall with goals to close out the year strong, new schedules to maintain at home, new pressures to navigate – do you have the systems in place to help relieve the pressure and set you all up for maximum success? Do you have the discipline and high-trust environment to work the system well? 

If you have the system – are you maintaining it? 

·    Sales leaders have to input the information correctly.

·    Meg and I have to sit down every Sunday evening.

·    I have to update my bike every week.

·    Teams have to follow the charter every meeting.

·    Kids have to slow down to put things away correctly. 

·    Leaders need to use the SDI to communicate effectively. 

·    Leaders need to lock in on their one-on-one and team meetings.

If the system is solid, set your priorities to follow it. Hold yourselves accountable to keep chaos at bay. 

If you don’t have the systems in place to set you up for success, let’s build or rebuild them so you can get to where you need to go efficiently and effectively. 

For individual leaders, executive coaching is a great way to reset, align, and rock n roll. Our Rooted 360 can help you identify the areas you need to grow in, and coaching helps you lock in on the growth. 

For teams, taking the time to align on how to work with one another, lead through change, and have BRAVE conversations can be a game-changer, as everyone is working hard to be successful. 

Let’s build your systems or get you back on track to follow them. Life is too short to live in constant chaos. Let’s love life at work and love life at home.