For The Times They Are A-Changin’….Or Are They????

Bob Dylan sang about this back in the ‘60s. 1964 to be more precise. The times are a- changing. Right? We really thought they were then and they have changed in terms of how we accomplish things. However, upon closer examination the basics are still very much the same. We set the same type of objectives, have many of the same desires and want the same positive relationships, for example.

American Idol is back and the theme was ‘60s music this past week. The judges kept asking for the songs to be delivered in a current, contemporary manner, even though the songs themselves were decades old. The same basics, just an updated spin.

Major League Baseball is starting spring training. The equipment has changed in many ways. Just look at the size of the gloves for example and that really is a person behind that catcher’s “mask”. But the basic rules of the game are the same. The way it is played hasn’t changed either over the past decades after the designated hitter was introduced.

So what does that mean to senior executives?

Just like American Idol, Major league Baseball and even the desire for chocolate based ice cream, business is done basically the same. Of course, with modern technology, so much more is possible. And of course we do things in a much different way.

We still need to identify the needs of our target market. We still need to create and market products that meet those needs. We still need to have a written plan to galvanize our company so it is able to meet the demands of the market profitably. We definitely still great people to bring the plans to life. While the execution has changed, the basics are the same.

We at Maver Management Group work with a lot of different companies in many industries. We have found without exception that a simple, workable and useful roadmap plan is applicable everywhere. The analysis is more sophisticated and the implementation much more technology driven, but the basics are the same. We have found that the basic elements of the strategies have remained consistent. Clearly the tactics for executing have changed but the basics have stayed.

When I started in business many years ago, I quickly found a mentor to help me. I knew where I wanted to go and just needed someone who had been there to show me how to get there. The rest I could do myself. No change today except that we are now the mentor. We find as we guide senior executives to get where they want to go, our experience in having already been there is invaluable. No surprises there.

Are the times really a-changin’? Every day, a “new” theory, program, “better than” and gadget are being offered to senior executives. When you cut right through them, they basically are offering what has been offered for decades. The same basic elements are there just like those found in American Idol and in Major League Baseball. No wonder that many companies are questioning consultants, viewing them as an expense and not an investment.

If you are a CEO, a senior executive or aspiring to be one, don’t be misled by the whiz bang “new” program of the day. Find a trusted experienced company. Invest in their sound management principles and let them guide you to reach your goals. Get a mentor. Get one with whom you can build a solid relationship and who has your goals in mind. Get one that will work with you directly and not create the perfect program to go on your shelf rather than into the market. Think back to those that have made a real difference in your life over the years. I’ll bet it wasn’t the whiz bang folks.

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management