Traction by Gino Wickman

 

"Traction offers a helping hand for beginning entrepreneurs and others whose businesses are stuck at a point where hard work and determination are no longer enough for them to survive and grow."

I absolutely loved this book because it gave me and the company I work for a sense of purpose and direction. “If you are not growing, be it internally or externally, you’re dying.” “In fact, most companies need to start with a focus on internal growth before they can even think about external growth. The paradox is that they will actually grow faster externally in the long run if they are focused internally from the outset.”

Traction got me excited about setting a long-term goal for my company. I became eager for each of us on our leadership team to find our “right” place in the company, based on our strengths and talents. I was looking forward to structuring my company “…in a way that reduces complexity and creates accountability.” “You must have one abiding vision, one voice, one culture, and one operating system.”

The company I work for is fractured. The different departments do not support each other. The different leaders do not support each other. We have moved people into positions that they are not qualified for – at every level. We have lowered our expectations, qualifications and standards to such a degree that sustained quality work is nearly unattainable.

“A vital first step is creating a workplace where people feel comfortable calling out the issues that stand in the way of your vision.” “If, on the other hand, the leadership team is not healthy, the organization never will be.” The key element to a strong Leadership Team is trust. There is minimal trust at my company. We have many, many unresolved issues, but our Leadership Team meetings are pointless because we do not trust each other enough to speak openly and honestly. “It is less important what you decide than it is that you decide. More is lost by indecision than by wrong decisions.” It is infuriating to hear again and again that a suggestion, “has been tried before and it wasn’t successful”; “won’t work”; or “you can do that if you want, but we will not”. Instead of always hearing what won’t work, where are the suggestions of what might work?

Get It, Want It, Capacity (GWC): People don’t fully perform because one of the three factors is absent. They didn’t get it, didn’t want it, or didn’t have the capacity to do the job. 

“Get It” = truly understanding their role, the culture, the systems, the pace, and how the job comes together.

“Want It” = they genuinely like the job. They understand the role, and they want to do it based on fair compensation and the responsibility.

“Capacity to Do It” = having the time as well as the mental, physical, and emotional capacity to do a job well. (IE a position requires a commitment of 55 hours a week, but the person is only willing to commit 40, or the person doesn’t have the level of intellect, skill, knowledge and/or emotional intelligence required.)

We put too much emphasis on “what” we do vs. “why” we do it.

Basically, we need to hire the right people.

“Most causes of real issues are people.” You need to identify what the real issues are, which is extremely uncomfortable. To be a successful leader however, you must be willing to be open and honest and make those uncomfortable and difficult decisions for the betterment of the company as a whole. For the greater good. 

Wendy's Rating: *****