My Mission & My Plan — Making People Mission Critical

Since day one of this company and blog we’ve had one singular mission.

Make people mission critical.
  

Mission Critical

Over the years I’ve heard the words “mission critical” many, many times.  Almost always it was focused on software.  “Getting an ERP system up and running is mission critical.”  “We need a CRM solution – it’s mission critical.”

The phrase mission critical is thrown around a lot today but what does it really mean?  I found a site that referenced a survey done in late 2008 that reported that respondents thought 64% of their business applications were mission critical.  The point being – not everything can be mission critical.  When the majority of anything is “mission critical” you need to redefine mission critical.

From Wikipedia (you know you can trust this…) the term mission critical refers to:

“… any factor (equipment, process, procedure, software, etc.) which is essential to the core function of an organization. That is, it is critical to the organization’s 'mission'.

As a rule in crisis management, if a triage-type decision is made in which certain components must be eliminated or delayed, e.g. because of resource or personnel constraints, the mission-critical ones must not be among them."

Now, I’m not suggesting Wikipedia is the single, best source for this but I’m sure most folks would read that first statement and agree with it.

I don’t.
 

Stuff Isn’t Mission Critical

When I hear folks talk about mission critical I hear something they don’t…  

See where I’m going with this?

The only thing that is mission critical is how you influence the behavior of your people.  

People are – to use the new “it” word – the linchpin in your company.  

Without people – to quote Metallica - nothing else matters.

How would your efforts to drive success in your business be enhanced if every time you plan something that is “mission critical” you amend the discussion with … “and how do we create behavior change to make that pay off?”

Making Mission Critical Out of Mission Important

Everything that is “mission critical” is only “mission important” until you enlist the real levers of success – your people.  Don’t think that today’s employee will blindly follow orders and “get on board.”  There is too much pent up demand to have control and they will look for places they can exercise that control.

I’m asking for your help in making people mission critical in your business.

Once you do this then the techniques and tools that influence behavior become the most important thing you can bring to the table (other than bringing I2I to the table to help… wink, wink, nudge, nudge, knowwhatImean?)