3 strikes and someone takes the lead
The tool that saved a C-level from a $1.5M loss, in just 15-minutes.
🤔 What is it?
Do you know that feeling when an issue pops up in your business, and you're the only one who hasn't heard about it?
I worked with a C-level executive who suddenly realized that 30% of their sales calls were being canceled. When she found out, she quickly analyzed the situation and asked around. It turned out the issue had started six months ago, but no one had spoken up about it.
The problem was a small error in their booking system where leads weren’t being allocated to agents, causing them to think they were forgotten. Fixing the issue took just 15 minutes, but it had already affected almost 400 sales calls, with a potential loss of $800,000 to $1,500,000.
Her initial response? She was furious! And, I mean, who can blame her?
But after her initial not-so-constructive approach, we discussed how she managed her employees' decisions and overall authority. The company structure was quite hierarchical, and like most growing businesses, everyone was busy—particularly the sales managers. The managers hadn't taken the time to look into the details of their sales calls.
The only ones who were deep into the details were the employees, but they didn’t think to challenge the status quo or how things were done because they didn’t want to disturb the busy managers.
The employees talked among themselves about the issue but didn’t know what to do because they didn’t want to risk being blamed.
If they had the correct tools, this issue would have been discovered in a matter of days.
This tool, “Three Strikes and Someone Takes Lead,” is designed to simplify complex issues and make it easy for everyone to understand and implement on a day-to-day basis.
Here’s how it works: Everyone—yes, everyone—needs to red-flag and address an issue if it happens three times.
That’s it.
Seems simple, right? It is, if implemented correctly.
In the case described, the employees would have known, after receiving the third no-show or error in a row, that something was wrong and would have presented it to their managers ASAP, using tools like the “Three Recommendations” strategy.
Complexity score (and why)
Score: 6/10
This tool has a higher complexity score because, while the tool itself is simple, it requires a shift in mentality within the organization.
As seen in the example, the company culture was not to speak up, so employees didn’t. Implementing this tool required a cultural shift, and it took 2-3 months for employees to become comfortable with speaking up.
How to implement
Two key factors for implementing this tool successfully are consistency and leading by example.
Here’s how I recommend implementing it:
Kick-Off Workshop: Start with a workshop to explain the importance of this tool—using examples without pointing fingers. If you’re the CEO or a manager, it’s your responsibility to lead this change.
Encourage Reporting: Tell everyone that they are the experts and you want to build a company focused on innovation and clear feedback.
Employees should mark down every potential error or something that seems “off” in their task management tool, creating a project called “Potential Errors.” After three occurrences, they should report the issue to their manager, who has been briefed about this process.
Lead by Example: Demonstrate this practice yourself. Write out internal messages every time an issue is resolved using this tool and give praise to the employee who identified it.
By creating an environment where issues are flagged and addressed systematically, you can prevent minor problems from becoming major setbacks and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Want help implementing the tool?
Reach out to me on LinkedIn or get your free introduction call via my website www.casperbrix.com.
I would love to help you get the right things done - by doing less.
How do you make sure all issues are brought to your attention and someone takes the lead? Hit me up in the comments! :)
Talk to you soon 👋
Casper
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