1. Always try to do what is fair.
It is amazing how many bad decisions, or non-decisions are made based on the merits of what is 'fair'. It can seem at times that being fair has become the ultimate virtue. Only problem is - doing what is fair isn't always the same as doing what is right. Too many times we get locked in this box of trying to be fair, instead of just doing the right thing. Employers don't want to give a high performing employee a bigger raise than under performing employees because - "It's not fair". I don't know who come up with the idea that - What you can't do for all, don't do for anyone - but it's idiotic. What you can do for one, do for one.
If you always try to be fair, failure is sure to be achieved. Do what is right.
2. Never hurt any one's feelings.
Do you or your organization often find yourself making decisions based on what will do the least harm to people's feeling instead of what will do the most good to the cause? If so, failure is all but assured. I'm not suggesting that we should be insensitive to people's feelings, but that we should choose the best path, not the path of least resistance. I've counseled many people who allow inappropriate conduct to go on with with the opposite sex in the workplace because they didn't want to 'offend' their co-worker. Offend better to offend? Your spouse and kids or the flirt?
If you're the boss and you allow a poor employee to hurt the company because you don't want to 'hurt feelings', then you need to fire yourself.
Bill Cosby said, "I don't know what the key to success is, but I know that the key to failure is to try to make everyone happy."
3. Appoint people with position and entitlement to be the decision makers.
If you don't have the best leaders and most discerning people around you, you are sure to fail. Yes, it's a paradigm shift, but get over it. If you're a church and the people who've been there the longest to be the only voices that get heard, say hello to failure. Get the best, brightest, most skilled, wisest people in decision making positions - not necessarily the most liked, longest tenured, loudest, well funded people.
4. Compromise the mission to get everyone on board.
Unity is sometimes best achieved by subtraction. There is only power in numbers if everyone is going the same direction.
- Brad
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