Chuck Wall - Stop, Look, & Listen: The Customer CEO Business Fable About How to Profit from the Power of Your Customers

C raig was a man with a plan as he knocked on Bobs open door. Bob pointed at a chair across from his round office conference table.

Craig got right to the point. You said to wait until we saw how the quarter was going to shape up, and now you see. Weve got to put the plan in place right now, Bob. I wish it was different, but its not.

Bob was lost in thought as he stood near his beloved captains wheel. It had been rescued from an 1870 naval vessel dubbed the USS Goliath . Bob had purchased it nearly twenty years earlier at an auction, and it served as a reminder of who was in charge at the companyjust in case there was any doubt.

There are some good folks here, Bob, but if they knew what to do, they would have figured it out by now. I know you love this get the best folks on the boat deal, but it isnt happening. And the board is going to make someone walk the plank, my friend.

Bob was sick to death of the boat metaphors used so freely by Craig and other Goliath managers, but he had only himself to blame. He made a mental note to stop the boat talk in his next career.

Craig continued. Ive already talked to a consulting firm that can help us get this thing fixed. And the best news is that it will buy us time.

This last point got the first reaction from Bob.

Look, Bob started. I cant think about this in terms of how much time we have. Ive always done this based on my gut. I have always instinctively known the next move to stay ahead, and I just dont think some consultant will have a clue. Were not selling soap or software. They wont know anything about us. I think weve got to figure this out ourselves.

This was the Bob way: grab the problem by the horns, wrestle it to the ground, and move on. It was what hed learned growing up in Montana on his familys cattle ranch, and it was how he had built Goliath. In college, Bob had created his own brand, which he liked to call The Legend of Big Sky Bob. The story revealed Bobs rugged, go-it-alone approach to life and work. His story made him seem bigger than life, which was a good thing to have when you were a scrapping entrepreneur. It had served him well when raising money, wooing customers, and recruiting employees.

Craig was resolute in his response to Bob. These guys are strategy gurus. Youve done a great job building this by the seat of your pants. But it doesnt matter whether they know anything about what we actually do. Theyll know how to fix it. This is a new day, Bob.

Bob brought up the question of money. Can we really afford this?

We cant afford not to. And Im the chief bean counter, so if Im in favor it ought to be a no-brainer for you. Lets just hear what theyve got to say. What do we have to lose?

Alright. Set it up.

Craig had successfully set the plan in motion. But he had no idea that the result would cause a greater transformation than even he could imagine.