Playing by the “new rules” – Capitalize on the Recession
Friday, February 6th, 2009by Michelle LaBrosse, PMP
Where is the good news on the recession? Lets look two people doing well and what is it they are doing:
My brother – he is a salesman for a technology company that sells products into a wide variety of technolgoy companies. He is one of their top performing sales guys because he knows how to use the products and he knows the customers. There is absolutely nothing slick about this guy – he is just a technogeek. But what is unique about him- he is quite willing to get on a plane and travel all over the country to teach his customers how to use the high end tech equipment they purchase. They let a couple of sales guys go who just weren’t performing as well as him – but he got their territory. Why is he doing well – he is creating a lot more value for his customers than other people who were doing the same job. This guy is steady eddy – his main commitment is to doing a good job for his customers. He hasn’t kept jumping jobs to go after more and more money. He became the best at what he does to create exceptional value for his customers.
My friend Randy who is an Electrician. Randy is a poster child for “who moved my cheese.” Eighteen months ago when the higher paying lucrative commercial electrical work was decreasing, he started going after the longer duration, lower paying government contracts. Those contracts have expanded as his firm has completed their project work on time and in budget. His business is booming. I work with numerous contractors on my various building projects – most have really missed the concept of getting the job done for what you actually bid in the time you said you would. And they wonder why they can’t find work. The ones who deliver consistent exceptional value like Randy are busy.
The new rules favor those who create value for others, FAST. Doing what you said you were going to do, at the price you said you were going to do it for, in the time you said it was going to take you – yes this is what people will still pay for these days. And guess what this is considered – doing good PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
Here are two mind maps that show the old rules and the new rules. There are opportunities a plenty for people willing to create value for others, FAST. But you have to be prepared to play by a new set of rules. These rules are really not new for many of us though who refused to play by the old rules – I suspect those of us who have been playing by the new rules for years are the ones who are actually doing well in this recession. I did a podcast on this for Cheetah Learning’s February Know How Network Column called When Passion Meets Recession.