What If Your Company Has Cancer?
THE QUARTERLY REPORT unveils your truth. It’s out there for the world to see, and it is as disappointing as the current tepid share price. While the stock continues its free fall, there are murmurs of layoffs in the near future. The facts are the facts: working capital is waning, internal strife is on the rise, and the bleak tone on the earnings call said it all.
Your company has cancer.
The toxicity is spreading noxiously throughout your organization from one department to the next.
You’re probably in shock that something like this could happen to you and your company. No different than how those folks felt at Blockbuster, Quibi, Brandless, Tower Records or J. Crew. And at this point, you have a hard time doing or thinking about anything else. You don’t know if your business will survive, what your company’s quality of life will be, or how long it will live—if it lives.
All you know for certain is that what’s happening to your business is very real, and you can’t run from this gloomy prognosis.
Being aware of this means that you can no longer ignore the warning signs you see happening around you. Energy is fleeting.
That’s when it dawns on you: You do have a choice.
You can build a foundation to help turn your business around. You’ll need committed internal support ready to go the distance with you. You can fight this business cancer head-on, but you must be dedicated, willing, and able to combat this harsh reality.
So what will you choose, courageous leader? You either battle this business cancer like mad or simply succumb to its pressure.
Unhealthy businesses are often hesitant in their decision-making because they aren’t prepared to make these decisions. What’s holding them back?
Too much ego. Too much hierarchy. Too much, “that’s how we’ve always done it”. Too little speed. Too little time. Too little courage. Therefore, too little change.
Without a plan, you won’t stand much chance of survival of this business cancer.
Quick Note: By no means are business complications as heart-wrenching as seeing a loved one struggle with cancer. But one thing that is similar about these situations is that many of us believe that these circumstances happen to others—never to us.
In business, it’s about being aware that this happens more times than it doesn’t.
So what will you do to proactively keep your organization fit, your business model healthy, and your brand in shape? If your business had cancer, what would you need to do to fight it?
For my book, Return On Courage, I was able to sit down with Tom Purcell who is now the Chief Medical Officer of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. Tom helps patients combat cancer in real life. From our conversation we discussed “all the things”, outside the medicine itself, one needs to put up a fight against cancer. Each of the 5 suggestions below is exceptional advice for anyone looking to “fight” a toxic, cancerous corporate culture:
Attitude. When it comes to mentality, Purcell shares, “I can, most of the time, tell if somebody is overtly a fighter.” Tom continued, “You really can’t control whether or not the chemo is going to work. I mean, it is either going to work or it is not. What you can control is your nutrition, your fitness, and your outlook.” In short, your mentality matters. As does the mentality of those workers right beside you. A shared, committed attitude is a must. Together, if you want to achieve, you all have to believe.
Support. Purcell is quick to share that while fighting starts as a “me thing (“if someone doesn’t have the innate desire to do it, nobody else can force them”), in the end, it’s the team. Do you have the surrounding close-knit support and infrastructure that gives you the best possible chance to fight? Think about your team at work. Are you in a got-your-back culture or a watch your-back-culture?
Purpose. Perhaps this is most self-evident. After all, it is a fight. Is the idea of your company worth fighting for? Purcell shares that certain patients have a clear purpose to stick around, ““There are different degrees of fight. You have the guy who is, like, only doing it, because his wife wants him to. Then, you have the young mother of two who is fighting every tooth and nail, because she wants to be around for her kids.” A Mom is going to do what she can to stick around for her kids. The cause is strong! If you don’t have a larger cause to your company outside of just making money, people aren’t going to be willing to roll up their sleeves for a gritty fight. I always say it’s not enough to know your why; you have to have a true rally cry in your why.
A Plan. Purcell makes it clear that there is data to support a path forward. He shares, “I think people need to know that there’s a program and you got to go through that program and that this is where the evidence lies and that you need to buy into it.” While perhaps the odds are stacked against you, knowing that others have overcome this level of adversity is a confidence point that can give your team a reason to stay “on plan”.
Discipline. Purcell said it best. “I always feel like in times of adversity character is revealed. You find out who’s going to panic, who’s not. Who’s got a faith that won’t get blown away like a seed.” If you have strong roots, you’re not going to get blown away in a storm. Purcell continued, “If you are motivated and you want to stay strong, you are going to be doing the extra things that need to be done that are under your control. Such that you may get the benefit of the doubt and get better outcomes.”
From my experience, it makes it easier to stay disciplined when you have the right attitude, the right support system, clarity in purpose, and a focused plan to guide you through.
