(originally published December 19, 2022)

I remember now.

I promise, this is not my rendition of the opening track from Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime. This is about me remembering something said by the CEO of the company I worked for in the early 1990’s. This company was my gateway to Federal Contracting, and at the time, I was part of Operations, specifically manufacturing support as a warehouseman and parts-puller for data processing systems we built for U.S. Intelligence agencies. Our CEO wanted everyone in the company to have business cards, since ‘everyone has the potential to create business opportunities.’ It took me a while to connect the dots on this, but I did eventually find the voice I would use during my years in Business Development, and as an owner or executive of small businesses in federal contracting.

There were no instructions accompanying the business cards as it was assumed we would know what to do when the time came. That sentiment is still very much in effect throughout the industry. While meaningful from a proactivity standpoint, there is an inherent issue that poses a significant obstacle. That obstacle is:

People are intimidated by Business Development.

I’m just letting this sit here for a moment before moving on.

Ready?

The basis for my statement lies in actions I see and have seen played out many times in my industry. The action I’m referring to is business leaders assigning growth objectives to executives and professionals who are not prepared to succeed at planning and executing Federal Sector Business Development or BD.

Depending on your role and its relationship with organizational growth objectives, you might:

Should none of these apply to you, please shoot me a note or make a comment below. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on this topic.

Since 2004, I have heard from and worked with those I refer to in my statement as the intimidated. Often, this includes leaders of small and large companies whose primary function is not specifically focused on developing strategy for, or executing:

Assigning these tasks to someone who doesn’t possess an understanding of the Business Development Life Cycle can result in inaction, at best, or uninformed action, at worst. Either way, the result is a loss of time (or timing), suboptimal use of organizational resources, diminished morale and reputational harm.

To those not directly involved and sufficiently informed, the role of Business Development often has an inglorious reputation. The sleazy used car salesman is a visual that pops into mental view for many. Ask many non-BD employees for their thoughts on being given Business Development responsibilities, and their faces will clearly convey disdain. It’s mostly because they’ve formed an opinion of what they believe is entailed, versus what’s actually involved and being asked of them. It’s also the fact they don’t know how. Just as it was for me in the early 1990’s, there is often no additional information attached to the words “find opportunities” or “grow the business.” It is assumed everyone knows what that means, and what steps are involved in identifying, and qualifying evidence that could become a viable opportunity.

In many cases, the person delegating the objectives or tasks, is also “not in the know” when it comes to getting it done. This means they are of little help should they be asked “How?” This can lead to the one being tasked to experience an increased rate of breathing and sweaty palms, which tends to go unnoticed by others. But don’t you worry because the externally visible signs are just around the corner. I’m talking fainting, convulsions and in rare instances, spontaneous combustion. Just kidding about that last one, or am I? In any case, these are the milder reactions. There is also full-on crying, assuming of the fetal position on the floor, stomping, or simply a catatonic state. One of the more drastic reactions is quitting. That’s right, some folks may opt to bail in order to take a position where they are not asked to do icky things.

If you are in the “I disagree with you, Go-To-Guy” camp, there is a good chance you have an amazing sound track playing (thanks Jon Acuff), or you have established a level of peace with Business Development. It could also be that you’ve never been confronted with a reaction that closely resembles the one McCauley Caulkin’s character had in Home Alone. Remember when Kevin shaved for the first time, and then, with facial pores wide open, splashed on alcohol-based Faberge Brut aftershave? I think you get the picture. If not, click the previous link.

As companies strive to maintain a profitable existence within the competitive range, optimizing business development activities is paramount. Billable employees filling functional roles within federal agencies, are an unknown and more often untapped growth resource for many companies. As “Digital BD” has become more the reality (thanks Bob Davis), and the likelihood of knowing or meeting customers during traditional BD efforts is less of a reality, expanding your company’s sensor array for finding and winning new business might mean developing plans and resources to engage non-BD executives and professionals in growth activities. This is not to bequeath to them the rights, privilege and rank of Business Development, but to charge them with being additional eyes and ears that will see and hear things that most in BD wished they could be in the room to hear.

One of the best responses to hope for when they are asked to contribute to growth is “How?” This opens the door for discussion, clarity, and better managed expectations, on both sides.

Let me clean up that last sentence.

This opens the door for discussion, clarity, and better managed realistic expectations, on both sides.

Being realistic is key. It speaks to having the ability to know what’s involved in achieving the goals, if they are possible based on market conditions, and the capabilities and capacities of the organization. While it may seem intuitive to have, and know how to use this information, the opposite is almost always true. The reason why is context or, in this instance, a lack of context.

In January 2022, I had fun penning the article Top Secret: Understanding GovCon, that delves into the issues associated with having, and not having context. It gave me an opportunity to use my affinity for Science-Fiction and Spy Thrillers to explain the relevance of context in federal contracting. The folks at Merriam-Webster offer a great explanation of context, too. Here it is paraphrased:

Here’s how we unpack this.

Federal Contracting, the Public Sector segment that deals with the fulfillment of requirements, and achievement of goals, for organizations within the U.S. Government, is much more than just identifying who has a need and submitting a bid in response to a solicitation. Each entity breeds a subculture ecosystem consisting of multiple factions in Government and Industry, directly and indirectly associated with the transactions that are the awarded contracts. Quite a few of the executives and professionals with direct involvement to the transaction, and as many not directly involved in the transaction, don’t have context for much of what they see and hear. If they have never had an opportunity to learn the processes, terminology and tools associated with identifying and validating the actions that lead up to the transaction, knowing where to start and what to do can seem an impossible task. Now in context, connecting the dots!

When growth is everyone’s job, it’s important to ensure the knowledge and skill needed to succeed are imparted, to everyone.

Peace, Health, Success, and Happy Holidays,

Go-To-Guy Timberlake