Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times

If there is one thing that is certain in business, it is uncertainty; still, some companies perform reliably and with excellence in spite of changing circumstances. Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times is about four essentials for getting great performance in good times and bad.

1. Excellent Execution: Winning companies have simple goals with clear targets and strong follow-through. All team members know what to do about the goals and they execute precisely.
2. High Trust Levels with All Stakeholders: Low trust slows you down and raises your costs especially in times of turmoil. But when trust levels rise, everything speeds up and costs go down.
3. Achieving More with Less: In tough times, everyone tries to do more with less, but the real question is more of what? Winning companies focus on giving more value not just cutting back.
4. Transforming Fear into Engagement: Unpredictable times create anxieties that distract you just when you need total focus. Winning organizations entrust people with a mission and strategy they can believe in, channeling their anxiety into results.

These principles can help companies win regardless of the turbulence of the ride or the shock of overwhelming change.

About the Authors

Dr. Stephen R. Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority and organizational consultant, was co-founder and vice chairman of FranklinCovey, the leading global professional services firm which has offices in 123 countries. Covey received an MBA from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Brigham Young University.

Bob Whitman is chairman of the board and CEO of FranklinCovey.

A Harvard MBA, Whitman was one of four managing partners, CFO, and a board member of Trammell Crow Group. Later, as president and co-CEO of the private equity firm Hampstead Group, he acquired significant equity in and helped a number of companies in the hospitality, retirement housing, restaurant, and theme park industries achieve significant growth. He has served on the board of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, and as chairman and CEO of Forum Group Inc., now part of Marriott International.

Fascinated by FranklinCovey’s mission to help build great and enduring organizations, and already serving on the board, Whitman joined the company as chairman and CEO in January 2000. Since then, he has immersed himself in the inner workings of hundreds of FranklinCovey client organizations to understand what it takes to produce the outcomes of greatness.

Breck England calls himself an “intellectual property architect” who helps create world-class effectiveness solutions for FranklinCovey clients. In his two decades of consulting experience, he has helped some of the world’s largest corporations become more effective in their leadership and communication processes. He has directed projects for the Fortune 50 and from Switzerland to Saudi Arabia.

Before joining FranklinCovey, Dr. England served as vice-president of intellectual property for Franklin Quest and director of consulting for Shipley Associates, an international communication-training firm. A PhD in communication, he taught organizational leadership and strategy for seven years in the Marriott School of Management at BYU. He and his wife live on a mountainside in northern Utah.