

Why Are There Snowblowers in Miami?
Just miles from the beach, Sears Executive, Steve Goldstein, was shocked to find four snowblowers for sale in the Garden Center of their Miami store. Speaking with a salesman, he learned that this was not a one time mistake – they were being shipped to and returned from the same store for thirty years. This story became a metaphor for Steve for the dysfunction in most companies, large and small.
Whether it has snow blowers for sale in a place where it never snows or a more pervasive issue like having so many meetings scheduled there’s no time left actually to solve problems. Dysfunction within large organizations is so prevalent that most people accept it either as an inevitable fact of corporate life, or they assume that someone else will deal with it. But must it be this way?
THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF ENGAGEMENT
FRESH EYES
Learning to adopt an outsider’s perspective leads to creative insight and problem-solving.
HOT BUTTONS
Focusing on one or two pertinent metrics in any situation facilitates action.
CONNECTING
Interacting with employees and customers on a regular basis is the key to success.
SPEED
Whatever speed you are going is too slow.
TRANSPARENCY
The more people know, the better they can do their jobs.