One of the things everyone knows how to do is wet the end of their finger and hold it up in the air to see which direction the wind is coming from (at least for that instant in time).
It’s an indicator of current conditions, not unlike the famous tourist store “Weather Rock” kitsch (aka “junk”). “If it’s wet, it’s raining” and so on, the weather rock sign says.
Indicators are critical to your business just like the dashboard lights are to your car’s health.
That temperature indicator on your car’s dashboard, in some circles called an “idiot light,” might light up to tell you the engine is overheating.
It might say that your antifreeze is not cutting it, your radiator is clogging (or clogged), a hose is leaking, your head gasket is toast or any number of other things that can somehow start to make an engine overheat.
Brown
I read an article this week about a really brilliant indicator used by Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth. Perceived mostly as a strutting, spandex-clad prettyboy with an amazing multi-octave voice, it turns out Roth was the operations whiz of the group.
Deep in an inches-thick contract specifying everything from how many hotel rooms to reserve to the voltage and number of outlets on stage, Roth included a clause mandating that a bowl of M&M candy should be provided and that no brown M&Ms should be in the bowl.
Seems like just another of the legendary ridiculous requests by swollen-headed rock stars. In fact, the bowl was an indicator to Roth that the producers of the local event were on top of things – or weren’t.
If the bowl was present and no brown candy was included, it was an indicator that someone had read the entire contract, took it seriously and paid attention to even the smallest details.
However, if there was no bowl, or there were brown M&Ms in the bowl, Roth had reason to suspect that the contract hadn’t been read and followed to the letter. For him, that meant that the specification of a myriad of electrical supply lines and outlets needed in specific places at specific amperages might also have been ignored.
In some cases, that might simply impact the quality of the show – which relates to long-term music/ticket/gear sales – but it also might produce a fire hazard or other danger.
The M&Ms were an idiot light to make it easy to see if deeper investigation was necessary into the completeness of the concert facility’s setup.
Balls of paper
I’ve told you before about the ball of paper I use at hiring time to indicate self-motivated, observant folks from those who might not be.
I leave it on the floor between the door and your chair when you come in for an interview. If you pick it up or ask me about it, it’s all good. If you don’t, I have cause to wonder if you pick up your socks, much less if you’ll notice that the back door is unlocked at closing time, or that the register is open.
I haven’t yet figured out if anyone wonders to themselves, “Do I want to work with a messy guy who leaves paper on the floor of his office?,” but it’ll come up someday.
That ball of paper and what happens to it is an indicator that I need to take the conversation deeper in some areas.
More bothersome indicators
Given these days of supermodel-thin margins and lower customer traffic, finding lukewarm attempts at sales and service (as I noted last week) is surprising.
But there’s another one that bothers me even more.
At a time when innovation is a needed more than ever, I see folks shrinking back to that warm fuzzy place. I mention it here not to slam anyone, but to bring your attention to it.
Instead of saying “Why?” say “Why not?”
Instead of saying “We cant” say “How can we?”
Think harder. Solutions are out there.
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or marketing problem? See Mark’s site or contact him via email at mriffey at flatheadbeacon.com.