A short YouTube video by Kenny Chapman (the "blue collar coach") using a heavy storm in the San Francisco Bay Area as a metaphor to urge business owners to monitor forward-looking KPIs. Chapman contrasts looking backward with proactive forecasting, warns that ignored indicators lead to crises (like a storm), and issues a call to action to change behavior, hold people accountable, and prepare for 2015.
Hey, everybody, Kenny Chapman here, the blue collar coach, coming to you from soaking wet, San Francisco area. We're in the East Bay right now today. And interesting thing, I just flew in here yesterday for my sister in law's graduation from her master's program. And we've had all this, you know, if you've been following me at all, you know how I feel about the media. I'm not the biggest fan. However, they sensationalize everything and they're telling us, oh, this storm of the century is coming and this Pineapple Express press is coming along the way and they got to watch out. And last night people are closing schools and all this. And lo and behold, today, guess what? It happened. And it's raining and it's windy and powers out and all these different kinds of things are happening. It makes me think about our businesses, right? So think about this. We watch the weatherman on TV to see how we're going to plan our day and what we're going to do according to what they say is coming toward us. But what about the KPIs, what about the indicators that we're using to forecast what's happening in our companies? See, most of us have the ability to look in the past, but most things happen from the past to look and improve the future. So so many people spend time looking back instead of looking forward. But you know, I guarantee you right now there's some Pineapple expresses out there heading your way. There's indicators, there's people saying, hey, take cover. Watch out, here it comes. And you keep doing the same thing every day. Instead of making the changes you need to make, instead of doing the training programs that you need to do, instead of holding people accountable the way that you need to hold them account. And sometimes what happens when you don't do those things, you don't execute at the highest level. You end up with a crazy big storm just like that. Now flooding happens. Now we're reacting. Now the restoration companies are on board the emergency. Things kick in, all the different things, because we're not paying attention to what's coming. 2015 is right around the corner, ladies and gentlemen. If you want 2015 to be your best ever, then it's time to start doing things differently now. It's time to start paying attention to, to what's coming across the ocean heading for your shore. Today I'm happy to be safe and sound with the lovely Christie here in Northern California. Until we talk again, make it a better than fantastic day and make 2015 your best ever.
