Sacred Cows make the Best Burgers

A few years back a book by the same name as the title of this blog caught my eye. Its authors Robert Kriegel and David Brandt advanced paradigm busting strategies for developing change-ready people and organizations. Much of what they had to say vividly resonates today. Sacred cows are the outdated policies, practices, procedures and paperwork that drain the productivity and job satisfaction in today's organizations.

The chapter in the book that captivated my attention was the one discussing the rounding up of all the sacred cows. I am taking the liberty of focusing on some the cows -- I am editorializing with my own comments and/or observations:

1. The paper cow -- much of it does not add value to the customer but serves as a hurdle to productivity and job satisfaction. The major beneficiaries are the bureaucrats.

2. The meeting cow -- in the modern organization people spend as much as 60-70% of their time in meetings, most of the time is wasted. People complain about the quality of meetings conducted by others but like the way they run their meeting -- a paradox perhaps. Effective meetings need an agenda, follow up, and the right people present. Meeting facilitation is a skill. Too often people who have little or nothing to add attend meetings for status or paranoia reasons.

3. The expert cow -- it is best to think as beginners. Too much "gobblygook" language confuses everyone and does not add to the communication process. Too many pseudo experts too! Keep it simple, man!

4. The speed cow -- speed does not mean rush. Rush usually leaves many details unattended. We have learned from the past that speed can get you quality, but quality does not get you speed. If you rush and make mistakes, rework slows you down but if you do it right the first time, you can gain speed. This notion is counter-intuitive. Going slow might ensure quality but you risk being last. Speed is life in some industries.

5. The customer cow -- worshipping the customer cow by focusing on customer satisfaction alone is not where the honey is. The honey is in gaining customer loyalty. Having satisfied customers is pointless if they do not stay with you.

6. The downsizing cow -- making a company leaner and meaner by firing people eliminates much more muscle than fat. A much better strategy is to eliminate the fat in terms of all the sacred cows that graze on the company's assets. Having big parties (and calling them team building), traveling with a large retinue of hangers-on, and having too many people attend meetings or conferences are part of the fat.

7. The team cow -- you can see this cow in action when organizations throw a group of people together and tell them to act like a team. It does not work. Some tasks can be more easily or better done by individuals working alone. There is nothing worst that an incompetent team trying to tackle a complex issue. When used properly, teams can be dynamite!

8. The work-till-you-drop cow -- although we forecast an increase in leisure time, some people still worship the long hours schedule. A way perhaps to demonstrate one's machismo. Families suffer, productivity and creativity suffer, when done in excess. It is OK to go home before the boss as long as you get your job done. Living a well-balanced life has its rewards.

Work to live, not live to work, some people might say.

The anti-dote?

1. Go on a sacred cow hunt. Give prices for capturing the biggest or sacrest cows.

2. Encourage others to join the hunt.

3. Form a posse by officially deputizing a group of hunters.

4. Include customers in the hunt. They see cows that you do not.

5. Show case the captured cows to all.

Have fun on the learning curve. Any sacred cows in your organization? Any ideas about how to round them up? Be a cowboy, corral a cow or two.