Bench Racing

Recently, one Company had sacked one of its director on disciplinary grounds but it was shown as an amicable parting away. Now, what kind of example it is setting for its employees?

Let's talk about business controls from a different perspective today. What is the purpose of having good brakes on a car when you don't realize when you should use it? Some people say having brakes on a car is good control which help you innovate, introduce and advance. They say, like brakes, business and technology controls too allow you go faster.

But imagine the adventure of driving at breakneck speeds of the Grand Prix race. Don't just get excited about sleek blue racing suits and colorful helmets; Listen to your instructor's first lesson about the controls. It's a bad idea to straight away get out on the tack and immediately drive fast. It is time to do a lot of bench racing. Now what the hell is this bench racing? It's sitting on an empty bench and imagining oneself driving the car around the track.

Your ability to bench race determines your success as a race car driver. You have to rehearse braking, downshifting, and steering long before you run the course and immediately thereafter. You correct your mistakes off the track, as there is no time to do it when you are flying around the curves. If you don't bench race, you will repeat the same mistakes over and over again. At that speed you don't have the time to think so take advantage of your time off the track.

At incredible speeds of a car racing if you lose control once, you will become more conscious either to smash the car out of fear next time or to drive it like a snail. This is a right time to reflect and do some bench racing. Find a bench, close your eyes and deliberately run a new script in your mind. See yourself executing the necessary moves to make a turn. Never look where you don't want to go.

As a result of bench racing you will be able to hit the brakes gently, downshift and move the steering wheel at the right time. You will turn smoothly with double-clutch and will fly into the straightaway perfectly with super speed, soon to get the flag for finishing as a winner.

Similarly, in business, the key to effective strategy and execution is having correct thoughts and values upfront. The speed with which you achieve your goals and objectives directly relates to how clearly and how often you visualize them. Unless there are correct thoughts, there cannot be action; and when there is correct thought, the right action follows. You create your reality twice; first in your imagination and then in the world. When dream is grand enough, incredible amount of energy surfaces, whether it is selling a new product or starting a new business, the way you visualize the outcome determine the direction, ease, and speed with which your move.

Now, from above, draw an analogy to understand business controls as well. Companies typically assume risk-averse approach after a control failure or a control crisis. They throw fortress of rules and procedures to fight enemy that got in once. Most efforts are spend on mainly to hide it or to do some reputation damage control.

Most companies mainly adopt following two ways to deal with the crises that happened. The first is to have super tight controls i.e. disciplined financial and accounting system with tough internal and external auditing processes and, line managers are required to review and act on every audit's findings. The second way is to have good internal processes, such as rigorous hiring procedures, candid performance reviews, and comprehensive training programs. However, when it comes to acceptable behaviors, rules, and regulations, one cannot train people too much.

There is one more way although less common - vision and culture of integrity, honesty, transparency, fairness, and strict adherence to rules and regulations. Never focus on what you don't want but, visualize successful confrontation with your team about objectives, ethical values and vision of a culture, where there can be no head fakes or winks. People who break the rules do not leave company for personal reasons or to spend more time with their families but they are hanged publicly and the reasons are made painfully clear to everyone.

If you have got the facts right and have a vivid vision of how you will deal with a situation which you don't want to see it happen again, you should be comfortable laying out who broke the rules and how.