The pizza story: How simple messages lead to big results

One of the highlights of my career was being part of the Continental Airlines turnaround in 1995.  There are many great lessons I still apply from that adventure.  The pizza story is one of the best.

When I joined the airline in December 1994 things were not good.  For my first three months I commuted between Houston and Chicago so I was using two flights a week. The aircraft were dirty, old and tired.  The staff didn’t care about customers.  The operation was a mess.  I even recall that the consultants working on the restructuring refused to fly Continental.  They said the planes smelt like excrement.

The new CEO was a straight talking leader.  Gordon Bethune is a great communicator.  The pizza story was how he communicated the basic requirements of an airline.  “You would not buy a pizza if it had great toppings but the cheese, sauce, and dough were not good.”  He was right.

So here are the three basic airline requirements:

Clean

Safe

Reliable

The first and third basics were definitely lacking.  I remember aircraft changing gates last minute was a regular occurrence.  Whenever I travelled I made a point to ask the gate agent and flight attendant if I was on the right flight.  In these days of lower security it was not uncommon to hear a passenger say I am on the wrong flight.  Sometimes after the door was shut or worse on arrival in a different city.  Reliable even made it into one of the four points of the “Go Forward Plan”.  Make reliability a reality. 

I must have heard the pizza story at least ten times.  It was the important first step in taking the airline from “worst to first”.    The achievements of the Continental Airlines turnaround are a legendary business case.  Who knew a simple pizza could have such power.  I often wonder how Gordon orders his pizza.  

1000 Day Cycle

I was recently asked by an executive recruiter why I have changed jobs so many times in my career.  The answer for me was simple, the 1000 day cycle of course.  Then I remembered that this is my own language. That others may not be familiar with this concept.

Life is like writing a book and in this case every chapter is 1000 days.  In a 40 year career you get 13 to 20 chapters. Sometimes those chapters are tragic, sometimes comedic, and hopefully a few times just plain glorious.  Sometimes a chapter takes you to a new location, a new company, or a new job function.  One of the best parts of this concept is that even when things look bleak you can always tell yourself there are less than 1000 days to go.

1000 days is approximately two years and nine months.  This gives you 60 to 90 days to ramp up, then you have a full two years to really be productive, followed by a short wind down period.  Unless you're sending a man to the moon or some other incredibly complicated process 1000 days seems the appropriate time to stay in one position.  If you cannot reach your goals in that time, then you may never be able to reach the end.

As for loyalty, can someone really ask for anything more?   Have you ever read a book where the chapter just goes on and on. Things need to come to a conclusion.  It does not mean you need a promotion it just means you need a change.

My final thought on the 1000 day cycle is that it is a great motivator. You can honestly tell staff that the job is up for grabs in 1000 days or less.  So get counting and get moving.  A 1000 days goes fast.  Write chapters that are intriguing.  Make yourself rare and unique.  Keep people interested in your story.

As for other answers to the recruiter. I have almost always accomplished the task in the 1000 days. If you do a good job people are willing to hire you back.  So why would an employer want somebody who is going to need more than 1000 days to get the job done.

Finally a little plug for full-time MBA programs.  The risk return may not be optimal but I promise it will be one of the best chapters you ever write.

BRACE yourself for success

I like acronyms. I like processes that count off on a single hand.  In order to get things done I use the acronym BRACE to solve problems and meet goals.

Brainstorm
Rank
Analyze
Communicate
Execute

It starts with brainstorming. Creating a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of opportunities to solve a problem or achieve a goal.

Once a list is complete ranking the items by subjective beliefs is the second step.  Return to prioritize as often as necessary.

Providing quantification is the next step.  The analysis can be simple or complex depending on the nature of the problem or goal.

Communicating the solution is the fourth step and critical for getting feedback, testing feasibility, and gaining support.  Spend the most time on this step.

Once a solution has buy-in the final step is to execute it.  List the necessary steps and delegate the actions.

It may take a little time to get into this rhythm.  Once you do you may find you have more time to solve more problems and meet your most audacious goals.  Brace yourself for success.

How a vision disability has made me a better leader

I was born with tunnel vision and night blindness (Retinitis Pigmentosa).  In some ways fulfilling my leadership potential has been difficult.  In other ways the physical disability makes it easier.  Here are the positive factors.

A leader needs other people with diverse skills and capabilities.  A disabled person learns their strengths and weaknesses.  They know others are required to complete a task and total independence is not always an option. I know I can brainstorm, prioritize, delegate, etc.  I also know I cannot fly a plane or drive myself from sales call to sales call.  Accepting the need for help is a great acknowledgement for a leader.

Delegating is necessary as a leader and a disabled person.  Disabled people need to clearly ask for what they need done.  We also have great appreciation for those who help us in our daily lives.  Saying thank you is a great attribute as a leader.

Along with needing others to do things I also need others to see things.  This reality has improved my listening skills.  I am not asking for another account of what happened.  I am actually asking, "What happened".

In recent months I have noticed there has been a lot written on the humbleness of leaders.  Humble may be a bit too much for a true leaser.  If humble means without braggadocio I agree.  If it means meek or submissive I disagree.

Either way disabled people certainly have respect for others.  Disabled people are open to diversity.  I am grateful for what I have and I put behind me unrealistic desires for what I cannot have.  I accept situations as they are and move forward.

I have been lucky to have leadership roles.  These roles have taught me about sacrifice.  My belief is that people are often envious of leaders.  It is easy to see the glory without the sacrifice.  Somehow for a disabled leader the sacrifice is a bit clearer.  Perhaps it is because statistics show most people would not swap a non-disabled life for a disabled life.  People don't want to swap lives with me. They are not envious of what I have as a leader.

Disability has also taught me to laugh at myself.  Therefore people can laugh with me rather than at me.  With a visual disability I know I am clumsy.  I recognize that it is not disrespect but simply something people do not see every day.  As Chevy Chase, Michael Richards, and others have shown us physical comedy is funny.

Laughter is a great equalizer.  It brings people together in a way even some of the greatest leaders wish they could.  It and other factors of disability make me real and therefore approachable.  It is hard to strike fear in people when you laugh and smile.  It is impossible to strike fear in people when you are blind.  I use disability to make myself more approachable.  I can feel the joy in people when they take my arm and help me find my way.  I can feel the relief when I laugh at myself.

Finally, the greatest joy and advantage of being a disabled leader is inspiration. It is easier to motivate people to try new things and situations when they know I do it every day.  It is excessively frightening to go to a new country and work with new people as a blind person.  When I try new things fully sighted people are afraid to do, I know it helps create an attitude that any obstacle can be overcome.

Of course a leader needs vision but not always the kind that comes from eyes.

Please connect with me on Twitter (swiateknz2) or Linkedin if you liked this post or you know of a young person who has Retinitis Pigmentosa.