It’s getting close to Christmas, which means Santa’s North Pole workshop is going into overdrive. To outsiders, Santa HQ can appear somewhat chaotic. However, it is, in fact, a well-oiled machine that has operated like clockwork for centuries.
The proof is in the results:
- Presents successfully delivered – 100%
- Children satisfied – 100%
- Complaints – 0
That’s an impressive track record. And we all know consistency like that doesn’t happen by chance.
However, you may ask, what’s the secret to Santa’s success?
Did you know Santa is an esteemed graduate of the Catalyze Decision Thinking Masterclass? Sure, it might be hard to believe that Jolly St Nic is a devoted scholar of advanced management techniques. But, take a closer look at the Christmas delivery process, and you’ll see a man adept at applying decision thinking principles.
How Santa applies advanced decision-making techniques
Process before Content
Of course, Santa doesn’t just choose gifts at random. With two billion kids in the world and one sleigh to fit all their toys, the man in red needs a system. He must decide who is deserving or, heaven forbid, who will miss out. The answer lies in Santa’s application of internationally recognised individual behavioural assessments, otherwise known as finding out who’s been ‘naughty’ and who’s been ‘nice’.
Academic rigour
When Santa puts a gift under a tree, he must be confident the child will love it. That’s where Santa’s army of helpers comes in. We’ve all heard of the elves who build the toys, but Santa’s secret team of Researcher Elves are the real workshop heroes. These little folk spend the first six months of the year doing extensive due diligence on everything, including age appropriateness, pricing, safety testing, and consumer feedback.
Active stakeholder participation
Santa’s no mug; he knows if he doesn’t have mum or dad on his side, the presents he chooses will not go down well. As the most important stakeholder group Santa regularly consults with parents to ask three critical questions:
- What does the kid want?
- Is it appropriate?
- Have they been good this year? (the child, that is, not the parents)
Intangible and Tangible Value
By the time he gets to Christmas eve, Santa has to deal with some harsh realities, such as how far he has to travel, how long it will take to circumnavigate the planet, how much feed the reindeer will need, what’s going to fit in the sleigh and, of course, the weather. Without fail, blizzards are forecast, the sleigh is too full, and at least one reindeer is uncooperative.
Santa then has to decide whether go ahead or not.
At this point, the man in red’s decision-making prowess comes to the fore. He realises that in making his choice, he needs to consider intangible and tangible value. He pauses for a second and thinks about the importance of putting a smile on a child’s face on Christmas morning.
He then weighs the alternative and always says: ‘Let’s go!’
Happy Christmas from Catalyze
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