Blue Elevator Blog

Take AME

OK.  So, maybe we are a little over the top with acronyms.  But at Blue Elevator™, both ourselves and our Member clients find it helpful for recalling and reinforcing our advisory principles.

In fact, we could have called this article Take AIM.  But, being sticklers for detail, the acronym doesn’t work.  But when you think about taking aim at some goal, we want you to think take AME.

When it comes to moving forward – what we call to Accelerate™ – it’s important to cover three basic tenets, so we will outline those.

Take AME – What Does it Stand For?

AME stands for Activity, Measurement, and Evaluation.  These are three basic tenets.  They are distinct and different – but interrelated.

Accelerate™

When getting ready to Accelerate™, you need to take AME.  Prior to embarking on an Accelerate™ function of business, you must first identify the key drivers of success.  So, sometime during the Innovate™ phase – or after – but before embarking on Accelerate™, some very important work must be done.

For our example, we’ll assume that an organization is getting ready to embark upon a program to Accelerate™ sales growth.

Let’s dive in.

Activity

• Activity.  There is a particular fallacy of focus.  You have to define and focus on the right type of activity that generates the desired outcome.  When it comes to desired outcomes, you will do well not to focus on the outcome itself.  For instance, if you want apples, you don’t just go out and look for apples.  You find good land.  Then, you cultivate it.  You furrow it.  And then, you fertilize it.  Next, you plant it.  You water it.  Of course, you need to weed it.  You will do well to stake the young trees.  Finally, you will prune the trees.  If you “nurture” or “husband” the burgeoning crop, you are on your way towards a long, steady crop of apples.  You have to identify and cultivate the key drivers for success.  If you haven’t read it, we encourage you to read the article: The Paradigm of Pursuit.  The preceding is an agrarian example, but the same must be done to your business agenda.  You can find another illustration of this in the article To Move Forward Think Backward.

Measurement

• Measurement.  There is an old saying, “What gets measured gets done” (credited to William Thompson, aka Lord Kelvin, circa 1883).  And to continue the saying, “that which gets measured more frequently gets done more frequently.”  As with everything in life, this is one of balance.  You can under do it.  You can over do it.  Being someone with a penchant for detail, one of my mistakes in my career was a tendency to over measure.  If you have the right sales people, this can be annoying and unproductive.  If you have the wrong people, it is a sure fire way to thin the ranks. :-).  Don’t over measure and don’t under measure.  Find a good balance.

Evaluation

• Evaluation.  After taking and measuring the right activity, it is important to measure and evaluate it.  Like a head coach at half time, you need to evaluate “what” and “who” is working – or not.  And, you need to identify what needs to be refined.  It is a continual and iterative process.

There you have it.

Are You Ready to Take AME?

It’s simple, really – but not easy.  But that’s where we come in.  At Blue Elevator™, we love helping our Member clients Innovate™, Accelerate™, and Replicate™.

And, we’d love to help you Take AME.  If that sounds good to you, we’d love for you to contact us.