The “Unit President Concept”
April 21, 2010
It’s definitely a challenging time in the business world. Despite showing small periodic signs of imminent recovery, the economy is still throwing up roadblocks to success.
But as we’ve been discussing in this newsletter – almost since the very first issue over ten years ago – it’s not so much the external factors that keep us from achieving our goals, but rather our own internal limiting beliefs.
In fact, as a result of reading these articles, you’ve probably had a few great ideas you’d like to have tried, but may have run into resistance from the “powers that be” because “it’s just too outrageous” or “it won’t work in our market” or “our customers would be offended.” (By the way, these assertions are rarely true – a fact that can easily be determined by some very easy and very inexpensive testing.)
So now may be the perfect time to try out one of my favorite business concepts: the Unit-President Concept. Here’s how it works…
Take out the organizational chart of your company – you know, the hierarchical set of blocks that shows the big boss on top, the next bosses below, and so on, until you get to the bottom level of the company.
If you’re the box on top, then congratulations for making it there, or for having the guts to create a business that puts you there by default. This means you are the boss, so what are you waiting for? It’s your money, or your bonus on the line, so try something out, test it thoroughly, measure the results, and make your decisions based on fact and data and not on feeling and conjecture.
But what if you’re not the “big box” on the top? No problem. Let’s say you’re the next box. Just take a pair of scissors and cut away everything on the chart that’s not your box or any of the boxes below you in the organization. Now look at the chart: you are the boss! You’re the “president” of your group, so start acting like the president and implement strategies that will being you measurable success!
But what if you’re just an individual contributor – and you don’t even have a box on the org. chart? No problem! Create an org. chart that just has your name on it, and draw a box around it. Congratulations – you’re now the president of your own job! Granted, it’s a group of only one person, but still it’s your group.
This is the Unit President Concept – so whichever group you have influence over – even if it’s only your own individual position – should be viewed as a stand-alone company, as if your job was outsourced to you and you had complete control over how to deliver the results.
You may not have all the perks of the “official” president, but there’s a measure of satisfaction, and far more latitude than you think in how you go about accomplishing your objectives. Make something happen this week – and congratulations again on your “promotion!”
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