I try to read everything John Maxwell writes. He is wise, articulate, and bluntly accurate about things that some people are afraid to confront. His simple point here is that there should be no difference between “business” ethics and “personal” ethics. If we follow the “Golden Rule” in all aspects of our life, then we will be the person of character we should be. There should be no distinction between what you do in your business life and what you do in your personal life. While he doesn’t go this far specifically, this is the reason that people who have a totally screwed up personal life (serial divorces, affairs, “borrowing” office supplies) should be treated with circumspection in their business life as well. Character is how you act when there is no one looking.
“When dealing with others, seek first to understand, then to be understood. That requires an attitude of flexibility and teachability. Theologian Hans Kung observed, ‘Understanding someone properly involves learning from him, and learning from someone properly involves changing oneself.’ Understanding other people means extending yourself to them and meeting them on their level, putting the burden of making a connection on yourself, not on them.” P.47
I have always believed that in order to learn from someone you must first humble yourself before him or her. If you are so proud as to believe that someone cannot teach you anything, that there is nothing that they know that you don’t, or at least nothing that they know that you consider worth learning, then you will not be mentally receptive to learning at all. Your mind will be closed to receiving new information.
“B.C. Forbes observed, “He is a wise man who seeks by every legitimate means to make all the money he can honestly, for money can do so many worthwhile things in this world, not merely for one’s self but for others. But he is an unmitigated fool who imagines for a moment that it is more important to make the money than to make it honestly.’” P. 101
“The navy is like a tree full of monkeys. If you’re at the top of the tree, all you see when you look down is a bunch of smiling faces looking up at you. When you are at the bottom of the tree and you look up, you have a different kind of view!” P. 105 This is a quote from Mike Abrashoff, author of It’s Your Ship: Management techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy (New York: Warner, 2002), based on an interview with the author.
“I recently saw the results of a survey that said 82 percent of corporate executives admit to cheating at golf, and 72 percent believe actions in business and golf parallel each other. [fn omitted] Why is it that even when people see a parallel between games and life, they still choose to cut corners? I believe the answer is that they lack discipline. People who fail to develop personal discipline are often tempted to cheat to keep up. In the words of H. Jackson Brown, ‘Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.’
“Nineteenth-century clergyman and Oxford University professor H.P. Liddon said, ‘What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline.’ People who desire to improve their character and their chances of success must discipline themselves when it comes to:
Time: Since you can’t control how much time you have, you must control how you use it.
Energy: You should always strive to use your strength on your strengths.
Goals: You can’t do everything, so you must discipline yourself to do the important things.
Moods: If you do not master your emotions, they will master you.
“Successful people who work well with others and who relish challenges as well as opportunities don’t see discipline as negative or restrictive. They welcome it.” P. 94-95.
TR SIDE NOTE: The octopus image is also like NCMA. Lots of movement and activity, as well as some excitement, but not necessarily much in the way of progress. Could be forward, back, sideways, or just down, flat on the ground (Sounds like the old Yardbirds song, “Over, Under, Sideways, Down”). Don’t ever confuse activity with progress.
Must also include this section on discipline in the book and in the Mentoring articles.
Farber, Steve. The Radical Leap (Dearborn Trade Publishing: Chicago, 2004).
I do not recommend reading this work. Surprised? I personally found it to be very enlightening, and amazingly humorous. I do not usually laugh out loud when reading business books, but I did so repeatedly while reading this one. I would also be lying if I said I did not get a great deal out of it. So why do I say don’t read it?
Farber spent a portion of his career in Tom Peters’ organization. He is very well versed in popular business literature and pop culture. He blends the two superbly in this work. If you are not as equally well read, however, portions of this parable won’t necessarily come together for you. The thesis is that there can be something that might be called “normal” leadership, and then something a little different called “radical” leadership. In Radical Leadership you must stretch yourself to the point of realizing those moments where you scare yourself to death. Unless you are out front taking the chances, then you are not really leading.
If you ever watch the extreme sports participants, such as surfing or skateboarding, you see them wipe out often – and occasionally quite spectacularly. It is the stuff of the “amazing video” TV shows. In each fall they learn what doesn’t work. Eventually they have the technique narrowed down such that they can execute perfectly - but only after a tremendous number of falls. Farber suggests that this is also true in business. You must stick your neck out, let your employees see that you have something on the line, and then go for it. They will see you fall, but they will also see that you tried and that you got right back up and tried again. This level of example is what it takes to be a true leader.
Farber uses some vernacular that some readers might find offensive. There is not a lot of it, and the irony is that removing it all would not diminish the impact of the book. If anything, removing it would improve his work. The one unavoidable vernacular, however, appears in one of the major precepts of the work. We have often used the acronym of “OSIF” to reflect the things we intended to put in a proposal. It stood for “Oh, shucks(!) I forgot.” Farber uses the acronym “OS!M” for the description of an “Oh shucks! Moment” as the defining points in a leader’s career. (We of course know that “shucks” is not the intended phrase!)
This is not for the novice leader. It is for the leader who has plateaued, or the leader who has read every book on the subject, but can’t put it to practical use. This tome should provide the impetus to spurn you on to finally convert all of this book knowledge into real, practical action.
I am reminded of a legal memo I wrote early in my career where there was great confusion concerning who had the action to perform a task under a particularly confusing procurement regulation. I started it with a limerick: There once was a gay boy named Groom/ Who took a lesbian up to his room/ They argued all night/ Over who had the right/ To do what and with which and to whom. That was irreverent back then. If this offends you at all, then you will want to stay away from Farber. His blunt irreverency is unexpected in a leadership text.
The LEAP concept stands for Love – Energy – Audacity – Proof. If you do not love what you do, you will never do it well. So you MUST find something to do that you love, and find like-minded folks who you can love as well. When you have that love in your heart toward a noble objective, it is amazing what energy comes from you and through you. In fact, suggests Farber, it comes TO you as well in that you will attract those with energy to you. You then take this energy and apply it to a truly audacious goal. The story tells of a group of people working in the biomedical field. They are not just making drugs, or saving people with certain diseases. Their audacious goal is to “save the world”. Jim Collins fans (Built to Last; Good to Great) will be familiar with the BHAG concept he promotes. You should have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Farber agrees. Finally you need to provide proof. If others are to follow you, they can follow a dream just so far. You must have tangible results. If you have not done so yet, you might consider Bossidy’s book, Execution. In business, results are what matters, so be prepared to prove what you have accomplished
The First 90 Days; Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels
Any person who has taken on a new challenge in business would benefit from reading The First 90 Days. This includes the new hire fresh-out to the seasoned executive, as well as the entrepreneur. With very direct advice and clear, concrete suggestions, Watkins tells you in no uncertain terms that there are some very critical events that a new employee or leader MUST cause to happen. Failing to make these things happen will make life difficult at best and in many cases can cause complete and utter failure in the new position.
He emphasizes discussions with superiors, peers, and direct reports. He provides self-tests to determine your natural tendencies. And he presents all f this in a helpful, mentorish, non-threatening way. Specific chapters include “Promote Yourself”, “Accelerate your Learning”, “Secure Early Wins”, “Negotiate Success”, “Create Coalitions”, and “Keep Your Balance”. Even if you are not assuming a new position, each of these topics is an excellent reminder of what is really important in business.
Watkins presents each section with a view toward one of four specific business situations. Calling it StaRS, the four situations are Start-up, Turnaround, Realignment, and Sustaining Success. While each situation has a different emphasis, and it is important to know which of the situations is being thrust upon you, he weaves the common themes necessary for success in any environment.
Full of charts, graphs, training aids, and diagrams, The First 90 Days is one of those books you buy to read now and hang onto to peruse once again on the plane ride to the new assignment.
POINTS
“In a start-up you are charged with assembling the capabilities (people, funding, technology) to get a new business, product, or project off the ground. In a turnaround you take on a unit of a group that is recognized to be in trouble and to get it back on track. Both start-ups and turnarounds involve much resource-intensive construction work – there isn’t much existing infrastructure and capacity for you to build on. To a significant degree, you get to start fresh. But both require that you start making tough calls early.” Pp. 61-62.
“Successful start-ups grow and eventually become sustaining success situations. Often the individuals who managed the start-up move on to tackle new start-ups, and managers more experienced at running larger businesses take over. These successful businesses may in turn give birth to internal start-ups as they diversify into new products, services, processes, or technologies. In this way, healthy companies enter a growth cycle.” Pp 63-64. [Not everyone is suited to all jobs. Cf. the Peter Principle.]
Trout on Strategy; Capturing Mindshare, Conquering Markets
Jack Trout is a world-renowned authority on marketing strategy with a considerable number of books to his credit. In Trout on Strategy, the reader has access to the absolutely best advice from all of his work, updated to the context of today’s business environment. When the fight is no longer just the fight to win, but has become the fight to survive, spending some time with this easily read volume will be time well spent. With chapters titles telling you that “Strategy is All About…” “Survival,” “Perceptions,” “Being Different,” “Competition,” “Specialization,” “Simplicity,” “Leadership,” and “Reality,” you come to understand that it is about all of these things. Failure to recognize each one of them and to address them can be fatal.
EXCERPTS
“Aristotle would have been a lousy ad man. Pure logic is no guarantee of a winning argument.
“Minds tend to be emotional, not rational.
“Why do people buy what they buy? Why do people act the way they do in the marketplace? According to psychologists Robert Settle and Pamela Alreck, in their book Why They Buy, customers don’t know, or they won’t say.
“When you ask people why they made a particular purchase, the responses they give are often not very accurate or useful.
“That may mean they really do know but they’re reluctant to tell you the right reason.
“More often, they really don’t know precisely what their own motives are.” Pp. 21-22
“Minds are insecure for many reasons. One reason is perceived risk in doing something as basic as making a purchase.
“Behavioral scientists say there are five forms of perceived risk:
• Monetary risk. There’s a chance I could lose my money on this.
• Functional risk. Maybe it won’t work, or do what it’s supposed to do.
• Physical risk. It looks a little dangerous. I could get hurt.
• Social risk. I wonder what my friends will think if I buy this?
• Psychological risk. I might feel guilty or irresponsible if I buy this. Pp. 22-23.
“Complex strategies such as complex battle plans are usually doomed to failure. There are too many things that can go wrong. The holy grail is simplicity. But here’s the rub: most people admire complexity and don’t trust something that’s simple. It has no appeal to the imagination.” P. 91
[NOTE: My business plan was VERY long; probably too long. But I wasn’t writing it for a bank or a VC firm – I was writing it for me! The bank didn’t need it – I needed it!
His point on simplicity is to simply use common sense. I note the South Park Chewbacca defense – “it don’t make sense!” I also noted some potential slogans for CCS: Outsourcing done right, or The Specialists in managing government contracts.]
Eat More Chicken; Inspire More People Doing Business the Chick-fil-a Way
While it would be easy to dismiss this work as another a self serving autobiography, the real difference here is that Mr. Cathy actually has some very solid advice. He has lived a strong Christian life and built those values into his business. He made tough decisions and trusted God. He is a modern day prophet in that he is a living example of what good can come from trusting the Lord. One of the most obvious decisions that the public sees is that every Chick-fil-a is closed on Sundays to allow its employees to have a day of rest and relaxation with their family.
The corporate core message is reflected in a message delivered at its first Operations Seminar in 1971:
• Build the Business
• Guard the Brand
• Take care of your People
• What counts in this business is not how much money we make or how much chicken we sell. What counts is the difference we make in the lives of others. (P. 168).
Great words to live by. And except for selling chicken, is the right credo for anyone who works for CCS.
I have to start by confessing some biases. I hate spending $15.00 for a book that is only 5x7 and has about 100 pages. While I admire the empire that Ken Blanchard has built from publishing such books, it still galls me that he and his cronies can take obvious truisms and platitudes, write an entire “booklet” on the one little theme, and get so damn rich from it. On the other side, when I see that the forward is by John Maxwell, who has also fallen into the “tiny book” trap recently, I am inclined to take a closer look. I read EVERYTHING I can find that John Maxwell has written. So with that confession being good for the soul, I say without reservation that this is henceforth REQUIRED READING for all CCS Problem Solvers. Why? Because we take customer service very seriously and this little tome is pure customer service wisdom. This is the story of Fred the Postman, who, through a clear understanding of relationship building, provides unmatched customer service. He goes the extra mile, he expresses genuine concern for his customers, and he makes every encounter with him make you feel good. Perhaps it is charisma. Perhaps it is just a certain personality type for whom such actions come naturally. Whatever. It is EXACTLY what CCS management expects from its employees. We tell our clients that we are a company of “Freds” (in so many words – until this was published it didn’t have a name). Here you learn precisely what is expected. And quite bluntly, either decide to treat our clients this way, or find another way to earn your living. Harsh words? Perhaps, but this little volume is to be taken seriously. 0804
Sandborn, Mark.
The Fred Factor
Doubleday (New York, 2004)
How To Become a Great Boss; The Rules for Getting and Keeping the Best Employees
Jeffrey Fox is about the tightest writer I have ever read. No fluff; no long stories; no filler. Just solid key point after solid key point. The advice he gives in his book has far more to do with personal development, mentoring, and customer relations best practices than with supervision. It does not tell you how to supervise, but does tell you what characteristics are found in excellent bosses. Much of it is material you will hear over and over – hire only “A’s”, Hire slow and Fire Fast, don’t micromanage, sometimes you need to take a bullet for the team, and while you should be friendly, you should not try to be your employees’ friend. He also speaks to the benefits of catching someone doing something right, the importance of listening, the importance of delegating appropriately, keeping promises, and keeping your attitude high. If you are well read, there will be little in this work that is new. But it is a relatively easy read, and even if you’ve already read it, curling up with it for a Sunday afternoon is time well spent. As I said, he writes tightly. No waste. You can’t absorb all of this in one reading. You should treat it more like Ben Franklin’s self improvement method. Pick out just one or two of the items and work on them for a few weeks, then pick one or two more. Over time you will be improving in very measurable ways while not trying to eat the elephant in one sitting (and those of you from Amarillo can use the metaphor of not trying to eat the Big Texan steak in just one hour!) 0804
How To Become a Marketing Superstar: Unexpected Rules That Ring the Cash Register
In classic Fox style we have another tome that simply lays out the facts – no fluff or wordy explanations. Distinguishing between marketing and sales, Fox identifies what makes the cash register go Ka-ching and what doesn’t. He notes that customers fire employees every day – simply by taking their money elsewhere. Using examples taken from today’s business pages he explains the importance of branding and why you always put the brand name in the headline, the folly of price cutting, why to stay away from classic marketing phrases, words to use to enhance your marketing message, and why you should never use teaser ads. Some of what he says is counter-intuitive, but his reasoning is sound – even when he tells you to almost never put your phone number on your trucks (taxis and certain service companies being the rare exception). CCS employees should take to heart the customer service message buried in Marketing Superstar. Our message is clear and concise, not fluff and nonsense. 0904
There is much talk in corporate circles concerning Six Sigma, a productivity improvement technique made popular by Jack Welch at General Electric. Although originally developed at Motorola in the 1980’s, it was GE that made the concept popular by positively proving its effectiveness. Six Sigma, in is essence, is a way to measure quality by comparing the number of defects to the total number of opportunities. As the table below shows, six sigma indicates that there are only 3.4 defects in one million opportunities – nearly perfect.
Sigma Level
(Process capability) Defects per One Million Opportunities
2 ______________ 308,537
3 ______________ 66,807
4 ______________ 6,210
5 ______________ 233
6 ______________ 3.4
Reading this will not make you an expert on Six Sigma techniques, but it will provide an outstanding overview at a manager’s level of the role six sigma can play in process improvement in any business. 0504
The Dumbest Moments in Business History; Useless Products, Ruinous Deals, Clueless Bosses And Other Signs Of Unintelligent Life In The Workplace
One of my favorite quotes from Mark Twain is that no one is a complete waste – they can always serve as a bad example. While you won’t find that quote in this collection, you will find a totally irreverent look at some of the biggest, boldest, and most amazing blunders in the history of business. You will see the story behind “new” Coke, how the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar airplane led to convictions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and how a Wal Mart door guard dutifully placed a return item sticker on an axe as a man entered to rob the store. This is an easy read; the kind of book that you just pull off the shelf and randomly open to any page for a quick “pick-me-up” before or after a long meeting or a frustrating experience. Highly recommended, just for the fun of it. 0604
This is less of a business book and more of a research treatise on how non-profit associations should be governed. For those of you who seek leadership roles in the National Contract Management Association, this is required reading. If you are planning on serving on the board of another non-profit, whether a foundation, a church board, or other professional or eleemosynary group it is highly recommended. There is a BIG caution, however – reading it can be laborious. It is packed with great ideas and solid research. You will absolutely be better informed and better equipped to serve on any such Board. But as a research report, complete with case studies, it is a very slow read. 0604
I have to start by confessing some biases. I hate spending $15.00 for a book that is only 5x7 and has about 100 pages. While I admire the empire that Ken Blanchard has built from publishing such books, it still galls me that he and his cronies can take obvious truisms and platitudes, write an entire “booklet” on the one little theme, and get so damn rich from it. On the other side, when I see that the forward is by John Maxwell, who has also fallen into the “tiny book” trap recently, I am inclined to take a closer look. I read EVERYTHING I can find that John Maxwell has written. So with that confession being good for the soul, I say without reservation that this is henceforth REQUIRED READING for all CCS Problem Solvers. Why? Because we take customer service very seriously and this little tome is pure customer service wisdom. This is the story of Fred the Postman, who, through a clear understanding of relationship building, provides unmatched customer service. He goes the extra mile, he expresses genuine concern for his customers, and he makes every encounter with him make you feel good. Perhaps it is charisma. Perhaps it is just a certain personality type for whom such actions come naturally. Whatever. It is EXACTLY what CCS management expects from its employees. We tell our clients that we are a company of “Freds” (in so many words – until this was published it didn’t have a name). Here you learn precisely what is expected. And quite bluntly, either decide to treat our clients this way, or find another way to earn your living. Harsh words? Perhaps, but this little volume is to be taken seriously. 0804
Jeffrey Fox is about the tightest writer I have ever read. No fluff; no long stories; no filler. Just solid key point after solid key point. The advice he gives in his book has far more to do with personal development, mentoring, and customer relations best practices than with supervision. It does not tell you how to supervise, but does tell you what characteristics are found in excellent bosses. Much of it is material you will hear over and over – hire only “A’s”, Hire slow and Fire Fast, don’t micromanage, sometimes you need to take a bullet for the team, and while you should be friendly, you should not try to be your employees’ friend. He also speaks to the benefits of catching someone doing something right, the importance of listening, the importance of delegating appropriately, keeping promises, and keeping your attitude high. If you are well read, there will be little in this work that is new. But it is a relatively easy read, and even if you’ve already read it, curling up with it for a Sunday afternoon is time well spent. As I said, he writes tightly. No waste. You can’t absorb all of this in one reading. You should treat it more like Ben Franklin’s self improvement method. Pick out just one or two of the items and work on them for a few weeks, then pick one or two more. Over time you will be improving in very measurable ways while not trying to eat the elephant in one sitting (and those of you from Amarillo can use the metaphor of not trying to eat the Big Texan steak in just one hour!) 0804
In classic Fox style we have another tome that simply lays out the facts – no fluff or wordy explanations. Distinguishing between marketing and sales, Fox identifies what makes the cash register go Ka-ching and what doesn’t. He notes that customers fire employees every day – simply by taking their money elsewhere. Using examples taken from today’s business pages he explains the importance of branding and why you always put the brand name in the headline, the folly of price cutting, why to stay away from classic marketing phrases, words to use to enhance your marketing message, and why you should never use teaser ads. Some of what he says is counter-intuitive, but his reasoning is sound – even when he tells you to almost never put your phone number on your trucks (taxis and certain service companies being the rare exception). CCS employees should take to heart the customer service message buried in Marketing Superstar. Our message is clear and concise, not fluff and nonsense. 0904
There is much talk in corporate circles concerning Six Sigma, a productivity improvement technique made popular by Jack Welch at General Electric. Although originally developed at Motorola in the 1980’s, it was GE that made the concept popular by positively proving its effectiveness. Six Sigma, in is essence, is a way to measure quality by comparing the number of defects to the total number of opportunities. As the table below shows, six sigma indicates that there are only 3.4 defects in one million opportunities – nearly perfect.
One of my favorite quotes from Mark Twain is that no one is a complete waste – they can always serve as a bad example. While you won’t find that quote in this collection, you will find a totally irreverent look at some of the biggest, boldest, and most amazing blunders in the history of business. You will see the story behind “new” Coke, how the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar airplane led to convictions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and how a Wal Mart door guard dutifully placed a return item sticker on an axe as a man entered to rob the store. This is an easy read; the kind of book that you just pull off the shelf and randomly open to any page for a quick “pick-me-up” before or after a long meeting or a frustrating experience. Highly recommended, just for the fun of it. 0604
This is less of a business book and more of a research treatise on how non-profit associations should be governed. For those of you who seek leadership roles in the National Contract Management Association, this is required reading. If you are planning on serving on the board of another non-profit, whether a foundation, a church board, or other professional or eleemosynary group it is highly recommended. There is a BIG caution, however – reading it can be laborious. It is packed with great ideas and solid research. You will absolutely be better informed and better equipped to serve on any such Board. But as a research report, complete with case studies, it is a very slow read. 0604
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