Net Results

When I was a younger man, (much younger) I worked for a cantankerous old fellow for about 8 years. Clair Hudson. He’s now long since gone. Much of what I learned in life I learned from him. Not all of it was good but some was.

One thing he constantly hammered me with was the need for net results in whatever was done.

Trying hard, even working hard didn’t hold much water with him. He used to say to me, “Redlin, steers try, but all it does is wear them out and annoy the cows”. Nothing happens. No net results.

That has molded me to be less tolerant of half-hearted attempts (trying) without an eye on net results.

Of course, everyone must have the chance to make it work, they must have the chance to carry the ball; but at some point if nothing is happening or if it even gets worse then the tolerance for TRYING must end. Net results must rule the day.

I watched the Bears beat the 49rs yesterday. It would have been a better game if the 49rs had shown up. They didn’t. The coach left a weak team on the field too long. There was a critical time before the end of the first half where he should have pulled the trigger and changed out a few key players. Even for a while. The steers were getting tired.

I watched the Cardinals beat the Tigers. The Tigers were a better team but the Cardinals were hungry for net results and did whatever it took to get them.

This all comes up because I am in a very serious business transaction right now. One of the management parties is messing around and won’t make the modifications needed to get the deal done. He insists on doing things his way. I spoke with him this morning. Without making the one major change that the market requires things are going to go downhill further. He is a bullhead.

I’m constantly amazed when things are collapsing all around a man in a key position he will stick to a failing strategy because it’s all he knows how to do. He won’t allow others to speak into his life and help him find a winning way. Hubris it’s called. “I know better, I’ve had lots of experience that allowed us to do this at a former company.” It’s not his fault. “The customers just don’t get it, they will if we just stay on course”. “Or maybe we need to find a new customer base”. Never mind that the customer base in his own back yard is rejecting his marketing program. He announced to me that he wants to sell in zone’s 7 and 8. Not 4 and 5 where he lives today.

Except they won’t buy the program no matter the zone. He has failed. The company will fail unless the board of Directors takes action and extracts him from his position. Just like the 49rs should have done. Like the Tigers should have done. It’s not that he isn’t trying. He works harder than any single man I know. He’s at the office before 6AM every day and there well past 7 in the evening.

It’s just that trying harder doing the wrong things gets the same. No net results. Not wrong results, no NET results. Failure.

AND

Tired steers and irritated cows.

PS: closed circuit, this isn’t about you Jeff