Thank Goodness It's Monday #356

HOW TO “DO IT”

WHEN YOU CAN’T “JUST DO IT”

“Just Do It” -- the so-called Nike Rule.

According to the commonly accepted lore,

the Nike "swoosh'" was created

by freelance designer Carolyn Davidson,

while she was a graphic design student

at Portland State University.

Nike founder Phil Knight

was teaching accounting classes

and approached Davidson for ideas for this new brand

 for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).

The Nike swoosh was created when Carolyn,

frustrated about not being able to create a "new" "fresh" logo,

drew a quick check on a paper.

In the spring of 1971,

Davidson presented a number of design options.  

Knight and other BRS executives ultimately selected the Swoosh.

"I don't love it," Knight told her, "but I think it will grow on me."

Davidson submitted a bill for $35 for her work.

On one hand: As students of self improvement, we can certainly endorse the underlying fundamental spirit of a procrastination-sidestepping “Just Do It” mindset.

And on the other: We must also allow that “Just Do It” is first and foremost a marketing/advertising slogan, albeit an extraordinarily successful one. Nike is the only company to win “Advertiser of the Year” twice.

So here’s the thing: In a real world decision-making process of multi-layered alternatives, an oh-so-cool “Just Do It” approach doesn’t necessarily create the best outcomes.

What does?

Ah, I’m glad you asked.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: For most real world decision-making situations we’re routinely involved in, taking time and pinpointing certain elements may greatly assist and enhance the process and yield the best outcomes.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Do not “Just Do It” and shoot from the hip. Here’s a 6-step method that’s not hard to grasp and reliably gets you closer to the time and place where you can just “Do It.”

#1: Analyze and identify the situation. Clarify the state of affairs you’re trying to resolve. 

Sometimes this step is simple.  For example, there may be a vacancy on your staff.  You want to promote one of several possible subordinates into the spot.  You have to make the decision; choose among them.

However, some situations may not be clear-cut: Say a group you have some responsibility for is doing poorly.  Before you can make a remedial decision, you have to take into consideration the circumstances, find out what’s wrong, and why it’s wrong, in order to proceed.

#2: Develop alternatives.  In every decision-requiring circumstance, there are at least two possible actions: Taking action or not taking action.  In most cases there are more. 

For instance: In remedying a vacancy in your staff you might –

► Promote the person who is most familiar with the duties of the open job.

► Set up some kind of test which will make it possible for you to grade the qualifications of the applicants for the job.

► Ask for volunteers.

► Hire from the outside.

► Leave it unfilled.

#3: Compare alternatives. There are few cases where we’d be lucky enough to have one alternative that represents the likelihood of 100% satisfaction. Usually each alternative has advantages and disadvantages. An alternative that you might prefer may be too costly; or you may lack the manpower to carry it out. Where the decision is critical, take the time to actually write out the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative.

#4: Rate the risk. In decision-making, the usual scenario is one where every alternative you’re considering includes –

An uncertainty factor. Since you seldom have total information about the situation you are dealing with, you can never be sure that the decision you make will be completely satisfactory.

Accordingly, in considering alternatives, is important to rate the degree of risk each one involves. Obviously, this must be an estimate. Yet this approximation should be a part of the considerations that lead you to select the most desirable alternative.

In rating the risk, you may use percentages or any other ranking system you prefer—grading from 1 to 10, using the academic A to F rating, and so on.

#5: Select the best alternative. If the previous steps have been done carefully, it is possible that the most likely alternative becomes self evident. 

But there are other possibilities:

► No alternative is desirable. The riskiness of alternatives, for example, may properly persuade you not to take any action because no move you can think of at the time promises to be successful.

► Merge two or more alternatives. In some cases you may find that, while no single alternative provides the averages you want, combining elements of two or more provides you with the most likely plan.

► The “resources factor” may swing your decision. Alternative A may have more advantages than Alternative B. However, in carrying out Alternative B, you may have a piece of equipment that promises to save the day.  Or -- and this element is often crucial -- you may have a subordinate of outstanding caliber who will make Alternative B a much better bet because of his or her availability for this move.

While it is wise to gather information and check facts yourself, it may also be prudent to be forward looking and get additional expert opinion and project the possibilities into the future.

And keep in mind: Decision making is always an imperfect process. There will still remain some uncertainty in your attempt to pinpoint the best move. This uncertainty element can never be completely eliminated. So --

Trust yourself: In the final analysis, the usual practice is for the decision maker to select between two otherwise “even” alternatives by a hunch or intuition. Don’t underestimate the importance of your feeling. Veteran executives consider intuition a standard part of decision-making and use it when facts, logic, or systematic considerations are unavailable.

#6: Get into gear. After a decision has been made, it must be made operative.  You, your team, or a subordinate, must take on the assignment of getting the people, resources, and so on, involved in putting the decision to work.

Make it so: A decision implemented with energy and conviction can make a sizable difference in the outcome. 

It may seem like an unnecessary emphasis to make this final point at all. But the fact is, many a decision, made even after days or weeks of effort, fails to produce results. Or, the decision is followed up in such a weak fashion that -- despite its many excellences --  only mediocre results are achieved.

Your move: The manner in which a decision is communicated to the people who will be affected by it is, in itself, an important factor.  And the manner in which the assignments represented by the decision are given to the people who are to carry out the plan is a major aspect of its effectiveness.

Maybe now is the time to gather the team … explain how thoughtfully you and others worked your way through the 6-step decision-making process … and then exhort them to –

“Just Do It!”

That will “Do It” for this TGIM.

Let’s “Do It” again next Monday.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square
Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. How was “Just Do It” coined? Here’s a condensed version of the story. (Spoiler Alert: It’s not as uplifting as you might like.).

Dan Weiden, cofounder of the ad firm Weiden+Kennedy told the Ad Club of New York in 2009: W+K had just finished 8 disparate Nike commercials and Dan felt something was needed to tie them all together.

One evening, Gary Gilmore, who committed notable murders in Utah, came to mind. Gilmore had been sentenced to death by firing squad and, when asked what his last words were, he said, “Let’s do it.”

Dan found this provocative and twisted it a tad to “Just do it.”

When it was presented to creative staff in the agency, they weren’t sure about it and said, in effect, “Whatever, Dan.”

Nike was also unsure on using the line.

Here’s Dan telling the story at another time: Just Do It