Do you draft (hire) for need or for best available?

The annual NFL draft spectacle begins on Thursday with round one selections. In a couple of months, the NHL will hold its annual amateur draft.

In both cases, young men are selected by professional teams for an opportunity to earn millions in a playing career and set themselves up for life financially.

While there are no guarantees that a player’s high level amateur prowess will translate automatically into professional success, most early round selections will make the roster for the next season. In the NFL, players are typically twenty-two years old and are physically ready for “the big leagues.” In the NHL, players are eighteen and there is a need for continued physical and skill development, often in the minor leagues, before being big league ready (generational talent like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid notwithstanding).

I want to focus on the NFL for this assessment and bring it back to a business comparison.

All teams employ a sophisticated and highly analytical scouting department to assess potential draft selections. Remember that an NFL roster is only fifty-three players for each game with another few available for the “taxi squad” that are protected and brought in when an injury or poor play necessitates. There are also only seven rounds in the NFL draft for the thirty-two teams. This means that teams will select about 214 players (give or take a couple) from a pool of approximately 3500 draft eligible division I and II college football players. This is about 7% of the total.

Teams have watched the players during their college career. Teams have watched the players in all-star settings. Teams assess players at scouting combines and “pro days” where they run through a series of measurable tests and on field drills.

Although rare, it is possible that no draftee makes the club that drafted them – what a waste. There are also situations where an undrafted player makes a club’s roster. Also, rare. These latter situations are often feel good stories where it reminds us all to not give up on our dreams. Not hokey if you have put in the work and have a level of above average talent.

In my view, you cannot directly compare the scouting and drafting process to the hiring process of companies. No company that I am aware of, so please correct me if you know one, goes through this length of time and process to select a candidate – even for a CEO!

This is another example of how sports and business are polar opposites for key comparison aspects. In sports, teams prepare, train, and practice much more than they play. Business is exactly the opposite.

But there is another question that comes up when selecting a player, and an employee.

Teams have worked through scenarios to see who they might have available at their position in the draft. While trades can happen, let’s just consider a regular process. A team will select a player that has impact for certain needs or deficiencies in their current roster. What if their top targets are not available when their time comes? Do they draft for a secondary position need or pick the most talented player available, regardless of position? And remember that there are seven rounds for the teams to select players that they believe can improve their team – if they play to their perceived potential.

When comparing this to the hiring process, let’s say you post for a critical position and you attract substantial A level talent – the best talent in the “draft class.” Now, you obviously select the best candidate. But what about the other top one or two candidates available? Do you look to make room for them in your organization or do you let them go to your competitor? I realize there are a variety of factors so let’s keep it simple – do you hire an extra employee who is a clear superstar and one small step below your top candidate?

Now the opportunity for a business is to hire more than one person depending on if there is available budget for this to happen. And you also take this person away from potentially going to the competition.

In sports, there is only one player available at your draft position. The other teams are openly displaying their selections and all the ripple effects multiply through the subsequent selection rounds. Each round provides new opportunities to select a talented player.

Why not go seven rounds of prospective talent for your business? Think longer term to make sure your business drafting process is helping you find the best available talent. If you hire for talent you can train for skill.

Thoughts, comments, challenges, and discussion – the war for talent is on for every organization and I am keen to hear about your experiences.

I dropped the ball…

A few days ago, after a vigorous run for Trappar and a brisk walk for me we were returning home when I realized I dropped the ball from his flinger. I had no idea how far back it fell out as I could not see the bright orange ball in the near vicinity.

I walked back for a bit but was on the clock so I could not completely retrace my steps. We might find it the next time we take that route. The short term challenge is that Trappar picks the morning route when we get to the end of our street. There are three ways to begin and options off each branch so it could be several days before we get back to see where it might have fallen. By that time someone, or another dog, likely picked it up. No biggie because he has found his share of ball orphans over the years. And we have a few of these good “Chuck it” brand balls.

The reason I didn’t hear or see the ball drop out was because I was looking at everything around us on our walk. There were many birds – a host of sparrows; two blue jays chasing each other; a murder of crows; and a flock of seagulls (and I ran…).

And Trappar was sniffing all the bushes and shrubs along the yards – smells of spring, I suppose.

But it was a glorious early morning; you would call it crisp given the temperature being slightly below freezing. In my own world. Not thinking about anything, even after the lost ball, just enjoying the moment. If it were a summer day, I suppose you would consider me “smelling the roses.”

I didn’t drop the ball because I wasn’t concentrating on carrying it. I carry that ball most days on our walk and never drop it. I turned the cradle over and must have bumped it somehow and it popped out.

With so much hype around AI and the good, the bad, and the ugly that can come of this evolving technology, I was happy to be not thinking about that topic for a while. My brain needed refreshment, an airing out, spring cleaning my thoughts, so I could focus when my work day started.

Do you ever take the time to really be in the moment? There are a billion posts, videos, podcasts, books, and guidance that talk about this. But how many of us really take the time to turn off our phone and enjoy the wonders all around us?

Applying this to businesses, when do you truly take the time to just enjoy what is happening in your company – the interactions of staff, the conversation with customers, and the satisfaction of a job well done. How many leaders just MBWA (look it up) and just mosey through their organization – no agenda, not looking for any specific, just looking at people and smiling.

Yes, we all have pressures. Some have more or less than others. However, we all have pressures. Like a balloon, if you put too much air in and don’t stop inflating when you reach capacity the balloon breaks. Nothing really new with this analogy, just a different frame of reference. Your life is the same. If there is too much packed in, then something might burst.

My ask is simple – stop blowing yourself up.

Drop the ball once in a while (not for something urgent or potentially dangerous, mind you) and don’t worry about going back right away to try and find it.

The ball is a thing.

Things can be replaced.

You can’t.

Cradle yourself properly so you can enjoy life more fully.

And if you have a secret way to be in the moment or not worry about “things” drop a comment for others to see.

Sharing is caring.

And dropping the ball might be, too.

In a pickle?

I wrote my Winnipeg Free Press article a year ago about the horrible packaging for Strubs pickles. Now, I like Strubs pickles…a lot! But their container was changed to a horizontal plastic tub instead of the vertical glass jar. After contacting the company, I was told that the package was changed for shipping purposes. Clearly inside out thinking – not customer centric.

Why do I say this? Because the company had to create a video to show you how to use the handle end of a butter knife to help you open the tub. And you still got pickle juice spilling out of the container. Here is a link to the article.

Well, here is a picture of the new container. Note the image and highlight around the announcement!

And it only took a year.

And here is the video of opening the new container (amateur camera operator, thanks dear). Notice that there is still spillage – the main problem due to difficulty opening the container identified last year.

To say I am underwhelmed would be a, well, understatement. I am not sure that anyone other than engineers with advanced degrees were used as “test subjects” to determine if the new design would solve the problem. And I am certainly not convinced they actually knew what the problem was. Even though I described the situation in my correspondence with a customer service rep.

So, the big question is all about your focus on the product and service that you create and deliver to your customers. Is it designed for you (easier to ship)? Or is it designed for your customer (easy to open)?

This distinction can be the difference between winning and losing in your sector. Consider this carefully and ensure your entire organization is focused on being customer centric. Both from a strategic perspective and on an operational level.

Here are a couple of questions to consider:

• Do you know how your customer uses your product? In this case, how is it stored in the fridge? This may be easier to ship, but it takes up more space in your fridge. I would be careful about putting anything on top because I don’t know what the lid is load-rated for.
• Do you know how your product is provided to your customer? Is it direct to their business or home or through an intermediary? What do all the transfer points consist of along the journey from manufacturer to end user? How much and how often is it handled? Are there special requirements to minimize breakage or other damage?
• Have you actually watched your customer use your product? In their home or office? It can be done.
• How do you collect all these insights? And most importantly, how do you assess and then apply your learnings?

I hope these coaching tips help. Because I would hate to hear that your incorrect focus has left you in a pickle.

Restaurant Impossible

I watched a couple of episodes of an interesting program on the Food Network, “Restaurant Impossible.” The episode features prominent chef Robert Irvine being called in to resurrect a struggling family restaurant. While there are major changes to the physical facility and menu, the most important aspects of change are centered on the owner, family, and employees.

In an interview as Chef Irvine reflected on 100 episodes he said, “I began the show focused on fixing businesses but quickly realized that, more important than food cost and menu changes, the families and relationships involved need to be fixed first if anything we do is going to remain a success. That’s why you may have noticed the change in dynamic from the first season to now, where I evolved too, from business consultant to being more of a counselor.”

In each episode, Chef Irvine challenges his design team to make the physical transformation on a $10,000 budget and 48 hours of work time. The results are remarkable.

While the physical changes are being made, Irvine works on the owners and the menu. He assesses the current menu, identifies weaknesses, and suggests changes to improve quality, variety, and distinctiveness. He also ensures that the culture and people management aspects are fixed, if necessary, and that the correct behaviour is established for ongoing success.

So, if a celebrity chef can fix flailing restaurants in 48 hours, how can we apply his precepts to other businesses? (insert business category here) Impossible!

Let’s explore:

1. Assess the current situation – what is working, what is not. And understand why. Irvine focuses on understanding the costing of the menu to focus on improved profitability.
   1. This includes the physical assets such as the building/layout/décor and the people side. When was the last time you thoroughly reviewed your physical location to ensure it is, at minimum, neat and tidy on a regular basis?
   1. What do your customers want/like about your food and service? Is the menu too broad that results in an inefficient cost base of the food costs? Or is it too limiting resulting in missing current trends or new menu possibilities?
2. Assess where you want to be – what is your vision for your restaurant? Is it achievable based on what you learned in your diagnostic phase? These questions apply to any business:
   1. Can every employee understand how their role fits into the vision?
   1. Is every employee supported to help achieve the vision?
   1. Do you have the correct resources in place or do you need to change the team? Is it new draft picks or better training of the current team?
3. Evaluate regularly – if you do not keep tabs on your progress how will you know what is working and what is not?
   1. Evaluate your outcomes against plan and also your processes. Where are there opportunities for improvement? Ensure your team is well-involved in this because they have the front line contact with customers and in delivery/sale of your product or service.
   1. Study the competitive landscape – mystery shop your competitors. Order from others and have your staff do taste tests to see where your product stacks up. When was the last time you shopped your competitors to see what they were doing? A BIG caveat here – do not try and mimic your competitors. You are looking for the differences that you can accentuate so that you are perceived, and are actually, different in a good way that your customers will appreciate.

Lather, rinse, repeat…

This should be a fun exercise. Yes, running your business, as an owner or CEO, can be challenging. It is lonely at the top. However, if you are not having some fun why are you investing your blood, sweat, and tears into the business?

Leaders need to ensure they have not passed their “best before date” and that they still have the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm to lead.

It is so fulfilling when customers praise their experience with your business. Whether a restaurant, a retail shop, a manufacturer,  or service industry the reward of ongoing profitable business is one of the greatest highs you can experience.

And when this happens, you know that “Nothing is Impossible!”