In reading about the race and the potential weather-related issues, I came across an article comment that gave me reason to re-think my stance that, “Yes, it’s going to suck for those people running in that heat.” I realized that far too many people allow what they think will be a bad situation overcome them before they really know how it will affect them. In short, if we can see a Breakdown ahead of time, we try to avoid it.

Why? There’s only another one around the next corner.

Yes, it was going to be hot for the race. But not that hot. It’s not like this was the “Equatorial Africa August Invitational Marathon.” Yes, the risks increase in distance running with every tick of the thermometer over 60 degrees. However, most runners know this and prepare for it. They understand there will be breakdowns along the course.

We can learn a lot from the runners who finished.

How often do we do this in business … ignore our most loyal, long-standing customers in an effort to score with those most downfield? We do the same thing with every-day, routine projects. Thus, our most common and stable relationships and projects may start to struggle. Before we know it, we’re losing Market Force with both regular customers and essential teammates.

Don’t let this happen. Keep your head on a swivel. It’s okay to look downfield at the Jerry Rice’s on your project and customer lists; but don’t forget the reliable, league-leading Wes Welkers streaking wide open 10 yards in front of you.

Two monks were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was falling.  Coming around the bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

“Come on, girl,” said the first monk.  Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

The second monk did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple.  Then he no longer could restrain himself.  “We monks don’t go near females,” he said.  “It is dangerous.  Why did you do that?”

“I left the girl there,” the first monk said. “Are you still carrying her?”

This terrific Zen tale helps us understand a couple of things. One, that there is value in breaking tradition for the sake of the good. The good being your intention, provided it does not upset the team’s intention. And two, harboring ill will about the actions of others only slows you on your path to prosperity.

In work and life, we are often asked to go beyond our comfort zones or that which we’ve come to learn as “The way we’ve always done it.” Remember, there are multiple ways to reach your intention, and not all of them have been done before.

We believe that few start-ups really fail. Their creators simply run into a breakdown, the solution to which is usually to start another company, but this time armed with what they learned from the first.

Without question, there is a great deal of value in the Breakdown/Solution model for entreprenuers. Heck, without it, where would Amercian business be today?

What so few columnists or business writers fail to do is provide us the next chapter in the story of a “failed” company. What do all those who “fail” go on to do next? Our money is on the fact they take their Market Force and apply it to a new idea or become part of another organization and empower it to new places from within.

Our business world needs to tell the whole story, a underlying plot of which is Breakdown/Solution … Breakdown/Solution … and so on.

Far too often we’re denied some concession or level of service because of a policy. Think about that. “It is against our policy to make our customers happy.” is what, in essence, a company is saying to a customer when that phrase is exercised. No, the customer is not “always right.” They are, however, essential to us staying in business. Which means companies need to be able to strike a balance between serving policy and serving their customers. We do not need to cite here the number of studies done that relate flexible customer service to profits. Stop in an Apple store lateley? Is it a surprise its earnings report read like it did?

Companies enter into a promise with customers once money is exchanged for goods and services that those goods and services will perform as reasonably expected. If keeping that promise means bending the definition of a specific policy on ocassion, then it’s probably worth it.

So what’s your policy on policies?

The person who leads by coordinating the most action is always going to knock out the one who leads with ego. For starters, a big ego is an easy target. This is especially evident in group settings, where far too often people focus more on asserting their ideas than staying focused on the success of the project. With judgemental speaking and lateral ideas, they’ll choose to build barriers on the path to prosperity that can be surpassed with only an acknowledgement of their input. It creates frustration and erodes the purpose of cooperation.

The best leaders will navigate around the egos while maintaining their balance, recognizing that team member as just another breakdown.

Lead with image, not ego. Because there is always someone bigger.

Language is critical to coordinating action. As any of our students can attest to, language is at the foundation of our approach to achieving prosperity.

Now let’s relate that to technology and its role in our ability to coordinate action.

A colleague who worked in fundraising at an elite boarding school told me, a number of years ago, that the students considered e-mail ” … something for old people.” Well today, it seems we’re finally coming around to accepting that.

You probably read about the company in Europe who is now eschewing company e-mail in exchange for project-driven communication tools. So, whereas e-mails all arrive in the same place (your inbox) but pertain to any number of subjects, ranging from promises you need to keep to your daughter’s fencing team try-out, project-based communications all relate to a specific type of action. Thus, you automatically know what a particular message is about; your interaction becomes vertical, entrenched in a silo of like subject matter.

Companies are beginning to adopt these practices in the cloud because Web-based project management tools are becoming ubiquitous. You log in to a “project” instead of logging into a big pile of messages and sorting through to find the needles that pertain to the project.

This shift in thinking relates very well to the language of apriori, as it embraces the idea that every message is “performative.” In other words, it creates action on the project to which it relates and contributes to your ability to generate Market Force. Instead of sorting through an inbox full of judgemental and non-specific messaging, consider improving your ability to coordinate action with a new approach to workplace communications.

The Wired piece got us to thinking. Are we remembering the point of communicating when we use social media? That is, are we using it to coordinate action? With so many new methods by which to make requests and promises, can we ensure we’re working toward prosperity with every tweet and post? I’m not so sure, but we’re certainly trying. But maybe we don’t have to, either. It’s up for debate I suppose.

There is certainly value to keeping your constituents engaged in your business. Care has to be taken, as Seth Godin mentioned in a post last week, to not create too much “noise.” We can’t be social media “babblers,” disseminating every minor action of the day. If we can avoid the babble, we stand a better chance of staying on message with performative language and with our Intention intact.

What do you think? Are we babbling too much?

Earning credibility by fulfilling promises is a big part of Market Force. You are, after all, what your actions show you to be. Those who don’t respond to requests are probably not saved for later very often. Of course, you can always renegotiate a promise, but how many times can you do that until you’re un-bookmarked for future consideration?

This is a compelling way to measure your Market Force. How often do your words and actions garner long-standing consideration? In the Game of Market Force, are you worth being read later?