|
Consider the metaphor of a book and how a book comes
to fruition. Most people, while enjoying books, never consider the many
steps required to move a book from conceptualization to the store
bookshelf. If they do think about it, it is usually because they’ve
dreamed of being an author. But even then, most view the endeavor as
gargantuan: an unrealistic personal goal.
Likewise, many corporate goals and objectives appear
monumental: something the average employee may have difficulty imagining,
or at least may have difficulty picturing their part in that objective as
significant. How can you bolster team play and help employees understand
their significance in the company’s success? Use this book-production
analogy.
If you are delivering your message aloud rather than
in writing, put a hefty, hardcover book in your hands to make this
metaphor clearer. Then talk about the process: the bite-sized steps
involved in making any book, but that make this overwhelming task
conceivable:
§
The
idea is imagined.
§
Research
is performed.
§
An
outline is formed of the key steps to be conveyed.
§
A
summary and possibly a step-by-step treatment is
written.
§
The
rough draft is created (written paragraph-by-paragraph,
chapter-by-chapter).
§
The
rough draft is reviewed and polished (editing and proofing).
§
The
final draft is crafted.
§
Typesetting
is performed and book cover design created.
§
The
book is printed and bound.
§
The
bound book is mass-produced and distributed.
§
Marketing
campaigns are launched to target the right audience.
§
Booksellers
stock the book and sell it.
At this point, your listeners are likely feeling
overwhelmed and wondering where you’re going with this. That’s exactly
where you want them. Now, while they can see the real costs — not just financial, but the blood, sweat, and
tears that went into it — point out that no one person does it all. The
book may take months or years to complete, but individuals take
responsibility for each step. It’s an orchestration of individual efforts
that leads to a marketable book.
Now it’s time; bring your audience back to your
company goal or project. Point out that what makes a book succeed is
exactly what the company now needs to achieve success. There are three
key points you can draw from this analogy. Pick any or all, depending on
the unique needs of your target:
1.
Un-Super-Size That
Explain how they can make the company goal achievable by breaking it down
into bite-sized, manageable chunks, just as each phase of book creation
and publishing is manageable when taken a piece at a time.
2.
Personal Ownership --
Excellence in All Parts
Emphasize that no book reaches publication – and no company objective
reaches fruition – without personal excellence at each step.
3.
Follow Protocols and
Procedures
In business and personal life, there are sequences, processes, which we
must follow to succeed. Like making a book, each step of the current
challenge must be completed with aplomb before the next logical step can
begin.
As you present this picture to your team or company,
impress the value of each person’s contribution to the mission. Because
of many cutbacks and layoffs in the current economy, this is an important
message. Just as it takes more than one person to craft a book, it takes
more than one person to complete a major company project. Placing value
on an individual is necessary, but incorporating that individual into the
team is priceless; in the end, you have a #1 Best-Seller!
So, when you are looking for a metaphor to rally the
troops into an active, forward-moving, functional unit, grab the nearest
book from your shelf and build that word picture. Before you know it, you
may have a library of success stories.
|