Recently I was seeking feedback and was told, “You are smart, quick and can be crude”.   Really?   Crude? My pondering didn’t last long as I reflected on my simplistic way of explaining certainly things.   Short and sweet and to the point.   One of these is DMS.   Now for those who have not heard this being used or my weaving it into many strategic discussions, it stands for “Don’t Mean Sh**”!

OK, it is not proper grammar and certainly it is not appropriate to use at times, but, it does get the point across.   When?   Well, I tend to use it discussing two main topics.   The first is my cardinal rule of business. That is  “Don’t Mean Sh** if you don’t bring a dollar in the door”!   Enterprises in almost all phases cannot survive without cash.   Whether it be a start up or mature business.  It applies to capitalizing a business to collecting accounts receivable.  If you don’t generate cash, guess what?  DMS!  Simple?   Of course it is simple.   It is also amazing how over the years I have seen this happen too often.    There are always excuses for this.   Too hard to collect the accounts receivable.   Can’t get financing.   Dog ate the loan documents.   But, at the end of the day, without the life blood of enterprise, cash, you will fail.   DMS!

I also use DMS when describing the cycle of business process.   The vision process, the execution or implementation and then the maintenance phase.   Each needs to be defined and properly applied or said my usually way, “Vision without implementation, DMS.   Implementation without systems and structure managed and maintained, DMS.   And the maintenance phase without constant re-inventing, DMS”.   Without awareness of where the enterprise is in the process cycle, as well as, the ability to properly balance these three phases, probability of long term success declines.   Or in my simple way of stating things—DMS.

The disconnect often is between vision without a proper implementation or where enterprise is stuck perpetuating the  processes of the past without regard to the vision needed for current and future success.   Bringing awareness and understanding allows the organization to get back in motion once again to success.

Do you use DMS?    Do you consciously have initiatives to continue to flow of cash into your enterprise?   Do you formally or informally have a strategic planning process that defines the pathway to the future and aligns this with executable steps to allow it to be managed on a daily basis?

Let me know what you think or perhaps my writings, DMS.