A manager recently asked me for some advice. He was trying to motivate his people to improve efficiency. I’ve always thought the best way to motivate people is to show them where they fit in the big picture and how improving performance is good, not just for the company and its owners, but for them.

Would you be willing to put any and all of your employees in front of an important customer and allow them to have a conversation? If your answer is ‘no way,’ that’s an unfortunate statement about some of your people. It would be good to think about that.

To plan military strategy, you would start by gathering facts. You would want detailed information about the enemy’s disposition, numbers, armaments and war-fighting doctrine. You’d want detailed maps of the terrain, climate reports and reports on the population where the fighting might take place. You would want frequent, regular updates to this information. Do you take that kind of approach to your business or nonprofit strategy?