Articles—Issue 8, March 2006 Back to Article Index Opposing Forces   Being in business is about making choices. Please read on.   I once worked for a person who asked me to do two things that were diametrically opposed, strategically polar, good and evil, coyote and road runner … you get the picture. When I pointed out that he was perhaps a bit off his rocker, he responded that I needed to forget the tyranny of the "or" and focus on the genius of the "and." Hmmm. Sounds swami-like.   While you can take "focus" to an extreme, not taking a stand in your business as to what you will be and how you will get there is most often the result of confused leadership.   Here are several of the opposing forces that I see most often: • Top down, command and control management who wonders why people can’t or won’t make decisions. When you wonder why you have to do everything yourself, look in the mirror. Sometimes this works, but don’t expect collaboration. • The IR dilemma: Integration vs. Responsiveness. This one is one of the primary challenges of the multi-unit business. If you need to leverage lots of overhead, demand conformity, make a Big Mac a Big Mac, don’t expect customized solutions and problem solving—especially from staff that is on the low end of the pay scale. • Low cost provider vs. customer intimacy. This is like having a personal shopper … at WalMart. I am not saying that a magical leader with a strong team cannot make headway on two issues. I have yet to see, however, a company that can win on both ends of these spectrums. Acknowledge it. Get competent on one value and get world class on the other. If you tell your team that you can do it all, you’ll confuse the hell out of them. When push comes to shove at the front counter or the shop floor, will they know how to react?                                                                                                                                      (c)2006 by Tood Ordal. You are welcome to share this informational article with others. Todd Ordal is a business consultant helping executives struggling with execution. Prior to founding the consulting firm Applied Strategy LLC, Todd spent over 25 years in management and executive roles such as President and CEO. You can contact Todd at todd@appliedstrategy.info