In yesterday’s post I included a funny video about the formula for a TV news story and wrote a little bit about the good and the bad of using formulas, systems, and processes.
I am a huge proponent of systems. For things that need to be done regularly, having a formula or system in place, can dramatically save time and improve the quality and consistency with which it is done.
However, I also think sometimes we are too quick to borrow other people’s formulas, and often too slow to recognize when they’re not working.
Here are 6 specific ways formulas can fail us.
1) Sometimes formulas are not transferable. Just because that marketing formula worked in L.A. doesn’t mean it will work in the U.K. That offensive formula that works so well for the Colts, may not work so well for the team that doesn’t have Peyton Manning. You’ve got to assess whether a formula will work in your situation.
2) Sometimes formulas need exceptions. Even when a formula is transferable and will work in your situation, it’s rare that sticking to the formula 100% of the time is the best option. Sometimes a remarkable business opportunity comes around that you didn’t budget for, and you have to choose between sticking to the plan or jumping on the opportunity. Sometimes creating a memorable experience for your family means letting the kids stay up past their bedtime… on a school night. It doesn’t mean the formulas are bad or should be completely abandoned, but having the wisdom and courage to deviate from the plan is occasionally best.
3) Sometimes formulas work for a while but then become stale. Marketing strategies repeated over and over begin to produce lower results. The talks that used to motivate your team, don’t get people quite as fired up as they used to. The worship songs that seemed so moving the first few times they were sung, become mindless rituals. Gifts we repeatedly give our spouse become routine and expected.
4) Sometimes formulas are inauthentic. In our desire to succeed, its tempting copy the formula someone else is using even when it’s really not who we are. In the early 90s pop metal music was becoming a stale musical formula. Nirvana hit the music scene and grunge became hot. All of the sudden a lot of pop metal bands began to look and sound like grunge bands. Most of their fans didn’t buy it. Similarly many people just try to copy their favorite CEO, pastor, blogger, or whatever and just come off looking like a phony.
5) Sometimes formulas are impersonal. Nobody wants to be thought of as a number in your formula or a cog in a machine. Using memorized sales scripts rarely works as well as having real conversations with prospective clients. Treating all your children (or employees) exactly the same fails to account for each one’s unique gifts and shortcomings.
6) Sometimes formulas are manipulative. Formulas are designed to get people what they want. So, there are formulas for winning an argument, formulas for negotiating a deal, formulas for getting your kids to be compliant, and even formulas for getting into someone’s pants. Just because a formula works doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to use it.
Knowing when to use a formula and when to deviate or drop it is just as important as having a good formula.
What principles do you use to decide?
[image by blueshoe]