6. See It, Own It, Solve It, Do It.

Take personal responsibility for making things happen. Respond to every situation with a can do attitude, rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Be resourceful and show initiative. Always stay above the line.

Marc's Message:

Several years ago, my son Kevin and I were invited to participate in a two and a half days leadership conference as guests of one of our key suppliers.  Many speakers presented their materials.  However, there was one who caught our eye and intrigued us the most.  He delivered the “See it, Own it, Solve it, Do it” concept.  We came back to Famous and introduced it to our associates.  As you can see, it was so meaningful and so powerful, it became fundamental #6.  However, before focusing on why it’s so important for our success to be positive and stay “Above The Line”, we need to fully understand why we cannot, individually, or as an organization, get trapped into falling below the line.  As a reminder, going “Below” the line means A) Wait & see,  B)  Cover your tail,   C)  Finger pointing,   D)  Ignore / Deny,   E)  It’s not my job, and F)  Confusion / Tell me what to do.

The magic question is, would you want to work with peers or in an organization that consistently operates below the line?  I’ll bet not.  Conversely, who wouldn’t relish in the opportunity to work with colleagues or be with friends or live in a home with family members who are dedicated to staying above the line?  It’s easy to sometimes stumble and dip below the line, and it’s hard to always stay up above the line.  Moreover, one of the keys behind each associate’s commitment to stay above the line is a gentle reminder by coworkers whenever we see or are part of falling below the line.  We have hundreds of associates that See it, Own it, Solve it, Do it every day.  In fact, when Kevin and I returned from our meetings, people like Bruce Raff and Alexis Elliott immediately started talking about it during their Eclipse training classes.

A great example of an associate who did See it, Own it, Solve it, and Do it, is Dave Lynch with Stream33.  He clearly saw the need, and understood the opportunity to put together a plumbing package with the key products our customers needed.  He took the initiative to contact key suppliers, set up meetings, hold negotiations, and finalize agreements that will be instrumental to building this segment of our business for years to come.  Obviously what Dave accomplished was a big initiative.  However, we all can do this on a daily basis in our day to day responsibilities.  We just need to be aware of the opportunities and take action.

I challenge all of us (including me) to this See it, Own it, Solve it, Do it concept, and make it part of who we are and how we act.  And remember, if a coworker or you slip up occasionally (until we have this perfected) speak straight and bring it to their attention.  Do it respectfully, even with a little humor.  This approach shows you care and want to help them and Famous.  Thanks!