During a recent strategic planning session with a county’s leadership council, the participants were asked about their vision for their departments as they worked on a template for the strategic plan. Although there were many responses, one that stood out clearly came from the chief of one of the fire stations. “I see a fire station on every corner,” he said.

Although this certainly created a visual, it was somewhat uncreative and shallow, representing a rather expensive and limited vision. Here was a leader locked into a solution… locked not into a vision of service or success, but of doing more of the same. This statement clearly indicated the need for a change in mindset.

What sort of a culture do you think this kind of thinking leads to? How likely is it to lead to success? What is the likelihood of budgets being approved for such a “vision?” How likely is it to get buy-in from either the taxpayers or from the county leadership? It says nothing about what this would achieve. It says nothing about how this would be beneficial, or how that change would be measured. It doesn’t convey anything about underlying issues.

Such a vision often leads to a complaining culture rather than one focused on achievement.

Wanting to be known for his hospitality in the neighborhood, a restaurant owner advertised take-out Thanksgiving turkey dinners, ready to go. With the holiday coming up, Joe planned to have friends over for dinner and decided to take advantage of the offer. When he called in his order, he was assured he’d get the turkey in time to pull it out of the oven and that it would be perfectly cooked.

However on Thanksgiving Day, when Joe went to the restaurant to pick up his order, the owner apologized, explaining that they had had some challenges. They were having a new cook come in shortly, and it would be just a bit more time. A few hours later, Joe returned to pick up his order. This time, instead of handing over a cooked turkey dinner, the restaurant owner had some questions as to the dinner’s requirements: what type stuffing, what side dish, what kind of gravy. Joe’s guests were due to arrive in less than an hour; in the end they had to settle for turkey salami.

As compensation for his inconvenience, the restaurant owner offered to send a free, if late, turkey dinner to Joe’s house. Six months later, the turkey dinner was finally delivered. Unfortunately, it turned out to be chicken and got sent to the wrong address.

Does this story sound improbable?

A friend recently returned from a visit to China; his company had been acquired by a Chinese organization and he had gone there as part of the mutual due diligence. Not only did he come back impressed by their lower manufacturing costs but also with their technological advancements. While we in the United States hear of low quality standards of Chinese products, he was awed by the their adoption of current lean measures and Six Sigma, or a combination of the two as lean Six Sigma.

Most organizations that have adopted these methodologies will attest to the savings they have achieved via maximized productivity, improved product quality, reduced defect levels, and shortened cycle times. However, if we were to ask them about any competitive advantages these initiatives might have provided, we would get mixed responses. Ever wonder why that is so? How is it that despite the adoption of these approaches, many organizations are still unable to compete in world markets. Perhaps the world is coming to a new equilibrium.

The economy is uncertain, pessimism is rife in businesses, and many are standing around waiting for things to happen. However, complacency does not send a positive message to customers, colleagues, and employees. It is also not conducive to getting workforce input and buy-in to move in new directions. Consider the following story:

Long ago, in China, there was an old monk going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain. Aged and weak, he was treading the long dusty road alone, seeking alms along the way. After many long months, one morning he gazed upward and saw the majestic mountain in the distance. By the roadside, there was an old woman working the field. “Please tell me,” he asked, “how much longer must I proceed before reaching the Holy Mountain?” The woman just looked at him, uttered a guttural sound and returned to her hoeing. He repeated the question a second and third time, but still there was no answer.

Thinking that the woman must be deaf, he decided to push on. After he had taken a few dozen steps, he heard the woman call out to him: “Two more days. It will take you two more days.”

Somewhat annoyed, the monk responded, “I thought you were deaf. Why didn’t you answer my question earlier?”