Get Tuesday! - August 27, 2024
The best things I read or saw this week:
The Michelin Guide
I just wrapped up a great book called ‘Unreasonable Hospitality’ by Will Guidara, from Eleven Madison Park fame. (Full summary coming soon!) In the book, he eludes to The Michelin Guide as a North Star in obtaining a rating for their restaurant. He brought up a great reminder on the origin of this story - and it’s worth sharing, if you weren’t familiar.
In the late 1800s, two brothers co-founded a tire company in France and named it after their last name, Michelin. As a marketing tactic to encourage driving, the pair launched a guidebook for hotels to give car owners in France places to travel on the continent.
More destinations = more driving = more tire sales.
The star system reflected on whenever a restaurant was worth traveling for:
One star = a very good restaurant, wroth a stop
Two stars = excellence cooking, deserving of a detour
Three stars = Exceptional cruising, important enough to merit a special journey
Here’s a recent deep dive in how the Guide works as part of Michien’s business, via SatPost by Trung Phan.
Silent heroes of success: The masters of organizational strategy
In the grand theatre of business, where the spotlight often shines on the star performers and visionary leaders, there exists an unsung heroes.
This hero doesn't always bask in the limelight, yet their role is crucial in steering the ship toward its destination. They are the experts in organizational synergy. Imagine a boat. Every team member is rowing, but without synergy, they're just splashing water, not moving forward.
The masters of organizational synergy ensure every oar moves in unison, propelling the boat swiftly towards its goal. These individuals are the architects of efficiency. They weave the fabric of the team so tightly that each thread, each member, knows exactly when and how to pull. They ensure that the right tools are in the right hands and that crucial information flows seamlessly among the team.
But why do we often overlook these vital players? The answer lies in the subtlety of their art. Their work is the grease in the gears, often invisible when everything runs smoothly, yet painfully noticeable when absent. It's time we acknowledge and celebrate these silent heroes.
Their expertise in fostering an environment where collaboration thrives, and objectives are met with precision, is the backbone of any successful venture.
Alignment is 💯
(Borrowed from 'The Advantage')
In today's fast-paced business world, alignment remains frustratingly rare. But what if we could create so much clarity that there's little room for confusion, disorder, and infighting?
Here are six critical questions every organization must answer to achieve this clarity:
Why do we exist?
How do we behave?
What do we do?
How will we succeed?
What is most important, right now?
Who must do what?
Answering these questions isn't just about getting the "right" answers. It's about having clear, directionally correct answers that your entire team can commit to.
Remember, a plan - even an imperfect one - is better than no plan at all
On extreme clarity
When everyone is on the same page, it does not mean that everyone agrees about what to do — it means that everyone shares the same understanding of the facts.
Everyone should know, “Our goal is X, our options are 1, 2, 3, and our next steps are A, B, C.”
