STAN J TONOSKI,

Entrepreneurial Coach

Making Business Better

Designed to Fail

Traditional North American businesses are designed to fail in a world economy that is shifting due to automation, abundance, the emerging Asian market and the massive impact of retiring baby-boomers.  Businesses with a left-brain analytical culture are headed down a slippery slope. They remain in business because they are like a giant wheel that keeps on turning due to momentum. It starts to slow and then stops as it is too late by the time the change is noticed. Businesses and employees must revise their workplace culture to honor their two most valuable assets their whole mind and their human resource.

The behavior of several large North American corporations and the unethical, ego-centered behaviors of a number of senior executives have shaken the confidence of shareholders, consumers, and legislators. H&R Block, the tax preparation giant, underestimated its own state income taxes.  Problems with their in-house computer network adversely impacted 250,000 of the company's clients. Robert Nardelli, the former CEO of Home Depot, resigned amidst a floundering stock price, an autocratic style and shareholders unhappy with his paychecks. To worsen matters he landed with a $210 million golden parachute.  This has led to general skepticism, criticism, and mistrust. People want socially responsible products, and increased accountability through more regulation.  Shareholders are requesting executive paycheck scrutiny, sustainability reports, disclosure of political contributions, and eco-management. 

What is the solution?  We need to revise the traditional model of business.  We have focused on left-brain analytical thinking, using numbers and facts as the sole basis for our decision-making.  In the past decade or so, many corporations are being managed by the number crunchers. They have achieved quick profits, often at the price of sustainability. In a drive to get these profits, companies have laid off many of the skilled people necessary to service the needs of the company and its clients.

Changes need to occur in how we think, and in how we utilize and treat people.  Left-brain analytical thinking is still vitally important, and to survive in the future we need to bring in all the skills and attributes of our right brain. Our right brain is where our creativity and our emotions reside. We absolutely must engage in high concept work.  We must look outside of ourselves for inspiration to see what other industries are doing, so that we can adapt their ideas to make our organization leading edge.  We need to create products and services that provide an emotional response in our existing and prospective clientele.  We need to build trust by creating new levels of internal corporate accountability, and developing environmentally responsible organizations. We need to develop the right people through retraining, coaching, right-hiring, and mentorship.  We need to engage in corporate social responsibility, high ethical conduct, corporate citizenship and venture into new methods of growing the company and staff. How will that happen within your organization? 

Best regards,

Stan J. Tonoski

"People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to."  George E. Allen