Leadership Speaker Scott Love Reveals Secret to Murphy-Proofing Your Company

Leadership speaker Scott Love shows companies that by building margin into their business plan, they can increase the probabilities of hitting their targets and enjoying the process.

(PRWEB) March 14, 2005 -- Im not sure what prompted it, but I felt like I needed extra time for the trip to the airport for a speaking engagement in January. Getting there two hours early wasnt something I normally made a habit of unless I was going to pretend I was a mouse in the security check-in labyrinth at the Raleigh airport. But the Phoenix International Airport was easy to get to, always had quick-moving lines, and the security check-in melee was usually no more than a quick five minute inconvenience.

My wife asked me why I needed the extra margin as we left the resort for her to drop me off at the airport. "You never know when youll see a car on fire on the highway and a traffic jam of onlookers," I responded. Yeah, right. Like it would ever happen. But for some reason, I felt a bit more relaxed with my two-hour margin as we casually loaded up the luggage and departed for the thirty-minute cruise down the highway.

I didnt think anything of it at first when I saw the plume of smoke in front of us on the 202. There was no traffic jam, no sirens, no fire trucks. But as we approached the orange blaze I noticed that we were one of the first cars to drive by a Honda which had flames spilling out of the engine into the air. As we drove by the burning car we were the first to see the first firefighter arrive on scene and attack the flames with his hose.

You never know what issues and events in the future could keep you from reaching your destination. Its the same way in business. Things usually take three times as long and cost twice as much as you anticipate. But when you have built-in margin into your plan, whether its a trip to the airport or a trip to the top of your industry, you will Murphy-proof your journey.

When you build margin into your plan, you achieve the four following benefits:

1. You give yourself peace of mind. Go ahead and admit that sometimes things take longer than what you want. If you add twenty percent of time to your plan and dont make that budget so tight, then you are removing the pressure of associated with sticking to a firm schedule or a tight plan. Although tedious penny-precise budgets might be appropriate for some business models, most of us need some wiggle room to allow for things we probably cant even anticipate.

2. You allow for things to go wrong. If you dont think they will go wrong you are deluded. Hope for the best but be realistic. The 'realistic optimism is the best way to deal with unforeseen business events. You are hoping and expecting a positive outcome, but this balanced approach to thinking helps you prepare yourself for the worst case scenario. Think back to the first leadership concept taught to a boy scout: "Be Prepared."

3. You become more flexible. You have options. Should I take this route or the other? When you have options, you give yourself increased odds of success and dont limit yourself to the only path to your goal. If you only have one path then you limit the probabilities. With flexibility and multiple options, you statistically are giving yourself a greater likelihood of achievement.

4. You are more creative. Margin puts you in a relaxed state of mind and allows for your brain to operate in the 'alpha brain wave state of peak creativity. Our American society has it all wrong. Success doesnt come when you are constantly in a stressful state of pure adrenaline and living on the edge. Success is born out of relaxation, peaceful creativity, harmony, and balance. With margin, you are giving your mind permission to daydream about your success and come up with solutions that you never would have known existed. Not only will you find the better paths on your journey when you build margin into your plan, you will end up reaching them sooner and enjoy them more.

Murphy-proof your life by planning ahead, building in extra wiggle-room, and making margin a core value of your business plan and the plan for your life.

Copyright © 2005 Scott Love

Scott Love improves employee performance by showing managers how to put meaning back into work, how to build authentic employee motivation, and how to lead. He is an author, consultant, and professional speaker. To have him speak at your next meeting or facilitate your next retreat, call him at 828-225-7700.

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