“The reason we called you in, is that we have a margin problem,” Derrick explained.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“Easy! Revenue is up and profit is down.”
“How do you think that happened?”
Derrick took a moment. “We’re a bit stymied. Every time we think we found the problem, and think we have it fixed, at the end of the month, the numbers tell the same story. Revenues up. Profit down.”
“I tell you what I would like to see. Could you get me a copy of your org chart?”
“Our org chart?” Derrick looked at me like I was from Mars. “I said we have a margin problem, why do you want to see our org chart?”
“Derrick, you have looked all over the place trying to discover what is wrong. Your problem is not a what. Your problem is a who.” -TF
Always is a “who†problem, because even though the facts are showing a system failure, there is always a person “who†had created it. Now, were most company fails is when the “who†that is causing, is right up above in the Org. Chart.