Category: organizational effectiveness

leadership dot #2513a: relay

August 28, 2025August 27, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m off for a sister’s weekend, so enjoy a few dots from the archives…..

I recently purchased a new carbon monoxide detector, and on the same day it arrived, I received an email from Amazon offering carbon monoxide detector installation services. While I laughed at the absurdity of needing to hire out such a mundane task, I was impressed with the business model that anticipated the next step after my purchase.

Why don’t more businesses or organizations think that way?

If you register for a conference, the next day you could get a checklist of things to do or ways to prepare for the event. When you buy a car, the dealer could send you a video on how to use all the non-intuitive electronics that are equipped in a vehicle. On the last day of classes, children could receive their supply list for the next term.

In my case, Amazon was both the seller and delivered the follow-up, but opportunities for partnerships abound – like a relay race where one organization hands the baton to another for the next step in the purchasing journey. The day your new computer arrives, a partnership with a local firm could initiate a contact to offer software installation and a tutorial. A new puppy could come with a next-day delivery of training tools and cleanup materials from the pet store. A church could partner with a realtor to welcome new families to the neighborhood.

Don’t let the initial transaction be the last one. You can add value to your customers and to your organization by anticipating the next step and making it easy to occur.

Originally published in modified form on May 3, 2019

leadership dot #4716: in the closet

August 24, 2025August 22, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The TownePlace Suites hotel chain partnered with the Container Store to install custom closet systems in its hotel rooms. It’s a welcome amenity for long-stay travelers as it maximizes storage, allowing people to fully unpack and stop living out of a suitcase. It’s a win for the Container Store as it brings a live demonstration to presumably more affluent people who have the means to travel.

I was intrigued by the bins and hooks that made the space much more functional, and it’s a feature that distinguishes TownePlace from the other mid-priced hotel chains. I don’t know the financials behind it, but it seems like a smart arrangement for both parties.

Who serves the same market as you do? Don’t get hung up on doing everything on your own, and instead, consider working with a partner in a totally different industry to enhance both of you.

leadership dot #4713: launch

August 21, 2025August 20, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A university deemed it necessary to migrate to a hybrid teaching format for its adult learners. In preparation, they converted to a new learning management system and installed new technology in the classroom. In theory, it should be a positive addition with the three new components rolled out at once.

However, a system-wide glitch in the LMS software locked everyone out for the first few days of classes. The technology wasn’t installed correctly, nor was it tested, so the first night of class had what can kindly be called “technological difficulties,” with no IT on site in the evening when classes are held. Online students were unable to interact with those in person; consequently, no one had a good experience (especially the teacher!)

A student suggested that perhaps this should have been rolled out during the summer term, when there is far less enrollment, or a mock class held to ensure that the components interacted as planned. It seemed obvious to them, but the person in charge did not have that foresight and was several levels removed from the chaos that ensued.

If you are in charge of a major change effort, it is best to be present during the initial launch. If all is well, you can bask in your success. If things go astray, you can feel the emotional frustration of those impacted and ideally have the power to resolve the issues quickly. Owning the idea but not the backlash is abdication, not leadership.

leadership dot #4712: lanes

August 20, 2025August 19, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I have often heard the sayings, “Stay in your lane,” or “That’s not my lane.” While well-intentioned, I think that they are often used as an excuse not to put forth an idea or to shut down collaboration.

Lanes exist so that people can effectively navigate without collisions. If there were no separation of responsibilities, it could be as chaotic as a freeway without the stripes. However, even interstates have merge ramps, designed to allow people to cross lanes and travel on a path besides their original one.

The same principle applies in organizations. People need to know when to merge and do so safely, but staying exclusively in one lane isn’t optimal either. Just like on the highway, give ample notice that you’re about to merge and respect the drivers of the lane you’re merging into, but occasionally insert yourself into the broader flow.

Thanks, Stephanie!

leadership dot #4710: mental capacity

August 18, 2025August 18, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Without systems in place, people (and organizations) become reactionary. It takes a lot of brain power even to remember that you need to do professional development or hold an all-staff gathering, let alone to plan it. Without a system to automatically schedule things (e.g., staff retreat is always the second Monday in August), it often is forgotten or becomes a mad scramble to organize.

It happens for meeting agendas — if you don’t automatically create one from the notes of the last meeting, people often go to meetings without any preparation and utilize unnecessary energy to remember where the group left off the last time they gathered.

Every time you need to make a decision — even something as simple as “What do we need to talk about at this meeting?” or “Should I eat an apple or a candy bar?” — mental capacity is diminished. Save your cognitive brilliance for the things that matter by creating a system that allows you to automatically be proactive instead of reactive.

leadership dot #4699: incentives

August 7, 2025August 6, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Both Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and Boston’s Logan Airport have parking challenges. One way to remedy that is to build additional (expensive) parking structures on the limited land around the terminals. Another is to provide incentives for people to use alternative methods of arriving.

American Airlines at O’Hare has partnered with the Rockford Airport (approximately an hour away) to provide seamless bus transportation. This isn’t a shuttle; it’s the first step in the American journey where passengers check luggage and conduct TSA screening in Rockford, then move directly to their gates at ORD.

At Logan, passengers arriving via the Express Bus or water transportation are given a “Ticket to Skip”, allowing them to move to the head of the TSA screening line. By taking public transit, people can avoid waiting or dealing with the expense and hassle of parking, and the airport is free of traffic from personal cars or ride services.

Both of these programs incentivize desired behavior by collaborating with external partners. How can you similarly meet your needs? You don’t need to be the sole provider of solutions.

leadership dot #4698: jump in

August 6, 2025August 5, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When you are the champion of a change effort, it’s tempting to want the same level of enthusiasm from everyone. At the initial launch, it would be great if everyone would hold hands and metaphorically jump in the pool together or make some grand gesture that shows they buy into the cause.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually work that way. While you are saying, “Come in, the water’s great!” others need time to put on their suits and consider whether they will ever join you. Some may be dipping their toes in the water and taking it slowly before making the plunge. Still others are water-adverse and have no intention of getting wet.

There are decks around the pool for a reason. Allow people multiple ways to be part of the effort without everyone needing to make a big splash at the same time.

leadership dot #4694: groupings

August 2, 2025August 1, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Once again, the library serves as a benchmark for innovation and exceptional customer service. The Galesburg (IL) library is one of many that offers Book Club Kits — a tote full of multiple copies of the title and discussion questions. One member can check out the tote and distribute the books, saving others the trip. The kits are checked out for six weeks, allowing people time to read, meet, and discuss.

Think about how your clients use your services. Can you package them differently, as the library did, to better align with how people prefer them? A pre-filled backpack of school supplies. A two-month supply of medication instead of one for people who travel. A packet of school uniforms instead of all individual pieces. A kit for a new puppy, including leash, tiny collar, slow-feed bowl, food, etc.

Not everything needs to be provided in individual increments.

leadership dot #4693: rightsize

August 1, 2025July 31, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m working on a committee trying to pass a bond issue in the November election. Someone recommended that we treat this as a political campaign and hire a professional consultant to assist in our work.

Aside from the fact that we would have to raise that much more money to do so, this isn’t a political campaign. Politicians have a much longer runway in which to create an infrastructure and garner support. I’m sure there are people today cultivating funds and influencers for the 2026 elections and beyond. Candidates come with a built-in network and resources affiliated with their political party, and sometimes even professional staff whose job it is to promote their platform.

The bond campaign is a scrappy, volunteer committee with 20 weeks to do it all: recruit the people, create the messaging, raise all the money, and execute the plans. We’re the creators, activators, and implementers — all while juggling our paying jobs. We started from scratch on June 12 and will wrap up on November 4. Just onboarding a consultant would take more time than we have, and in our last attempt, we learned that their suggestions and methods are more sophisticated than our fledgling operation can effectively support.

For every project, outside assistance is available, whether it be people, software, products, or new ways of accomplishing your task. It all sounds wonderful and like the magic answer to any problem you have, but the more complex the method, the greater the learning curve to implement it.

Assess whether your project is akin to a political campaign with a longer timeframe and existing support, or whether it’s more like a short-term volunteer gig, then rightsize the external opportunities with the internal realities. Sometimes simplicity is the most effective path to achieve your goal.

leadership dot #4692: recovered

July 31, 2025July 30, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As Disneyland celebrates its 70th anniversary, it brings back memories of “Black Sunday,” the disastrous soft opening on July 17, 1955. When they broke ground the year before, Walt set a one-year deadline for the park to open. Nice in theory, but the park wasn’t ready in a year. They opened anyway.

Six thousand invitations were sent to the day-before-grand-opening test run, but 28,000 people came! The freeway backed up for seven miles, there was wet paint, shoes sank into just-poured asphalt, the concession stand ran out of food, water fountains didn’t work, the riverboat got stuck in the mud, and a gas leak caused portions of the park to close for several hours. It was definitely not “the happiest place on Earth!”

Some takeaways immediately come to mind: First, arbitrary deadlines sound good, but delays sometimes are the better long-term strategy. If it’s not ready, it’s wise to wait until it is. Second, you can learn and recover. Disneyland today hosts over 17 million people each year. Black Sunday is part of the legend, but not the current reality. You don’t have a lot of time to course correct, but it can be done. And finally, even Disney, the company renowned for attention to detail, didn’t always get it right. You can turn your failings into strengths. It’s all hard work, not magic after all.