The last few days have been quiet and slow. Many less calls, emails, meetings etc.
At first, I was frustrated and feeling my efficiency was lower. What triggered me to notice this low efficiency was waiting for 3 minutes at the microwave for my lunch to warm. Normally I would have been emailing on my Blackberry or talking on the phone but I was just watching the microwave.
I was even going to post that having less things on can lead to lower efficiency. I was going to give some of my tips on how you can create a list of lower priority tasks, set goals to get through things, etc. even when there are not external pressures. And of course I was charged up to lead by example and get lots "done".
Then I started to notice I was thinking more strategically. I was thinking "Bigger Picture/Longer Term". The creative ideas were flowing.
There can be power in not always "doing". And I think my normal busy nature might be impeding my creativity.
The challenge I normally have in being creative is I cannot just sit down and say "for the next hour I will be creative". I normally have to set myself with the challenge or problem I want to solve (asking the right question is the most important part). I normally surround myself with lots of reading, data, background, research etc. to inspire thought.
Perhaps stillness also works.
I wish all my readers a great and safe New Year!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
7 Ways to Handle Email Efficiently
I was mentioned in the Globe and Mail today. Harvey Schachter writes about E-overload and handling email volume:
"Julie Morgenstern suggested in The Wall Street Journal that people's workloads are so intimidating now that they use e-mail as an escape: "It gives you a false sense of accomplishment."
This is a scary thought.
Jim Estill's 7 ways to Handle Email Efficiently
We all deal with the challenges of email volume. The key is to handle it efficiently.
1 - Have a great filtering system. Many of my emails are automatically filtered to go to a certain subfolder. I subscribe to a number of email publications and newsletters. These automatically go to a folder that I can then read at my leisure.
2 - Use a spam filter. Despite having a good spam filter, I still get spam. Although the volume of spam can seem daunting, it is actually very easy and fast to delete. Unlike real email that can take real time to respond to, spam can be easily deleted in less than 2-3 seconds.
3 - Have a slush file. Some emails, I think I might need to reference at a later date. I simply put these in a Nov07 or Dec07 subfolder. If I do end up referring to it, I move it forward to the current subfolder. If not, I can delete my slush folders after a few months. If I have not looked at it in a few months, it cannot be that important.
4 - Have a To Do folder and a Pending folder. This is where I put the emails that need to be done or the ones waiting on action from others or that just need checking. By having the slush folder and these 2 folders, I end up with a clean inbox.
5 - If I can deal with an email in 2 minutes, I deal with it when it arrives. When I am rushed, this time might compress to 30 seconds or even might become "emergency scanning" in 5 seconds. If I am more relaxed, I might expand the time to 5 minutes. It is easier and faster to just deal with the email than to file it and look at it again.
6 - Send less email. Not positive I agree with this tip although it is true that sending email causes email to be sent to you. The reason I am not positive I agree with this is sending email often is the way to get action and I am very big on action and sense of urgency.
7 - Have a Blackberry. Even if I was not on the RIM board, I would totally advocate this tip. It allows you to use small snips of downtime to keep on top of email. It reduces email stress by allowing it to be dealt with quickly and instantly.
Despite the pressure email puts on us, it is still preferable to the slower alternatives. Imagine trying to handle all your workload on the telephone, fax or by mail. I know we did it once but it was just not as effective and efficient.
"Julie Morgenstern suggested in The Wall Street Journal that people's workloads are so intimidating now that they use e-mail as an escape: "It gives you a false sense of accomplishment."
This is a scary thought.
Jim Estill's 7 ways to Handle Email Efficiently
We all deal with the challenges of email volume. The key is to handle it efficiently.
1 - Have a great filtering system. Many of my emails are automatically filtered to go to a certain subfolder. I subscribe to a number of email publications and newsletters. These automatically go to a folder that I can then read at my leisure.
2 - Use a spam filter. Despite having a good spam filter, I still get spam. Although the volume of spam can seem daunting, it is actually very easy and fast to delete. Unlike real email that can take real time to respond to, spam can be easily deleted in less than 2-3 seconds.
3 - Have a slush file. Some emails, I think I might need to reference at a later date. I simply put these in a Nov07 or Dec07 subfolder. If I do end up referring to it, I move it forward to the current subfolder. If not, I can delete my slush folders after a few months. If I have not looked at it in a few months, it cannot be that important.
4 - Have a To Do folder and a Pending folder. This is where I put the emails that need to be done or the ones waiting on action from others or that just need checking. By having the slush folder and these 2 folders, I end up with a clean inbox.
5 - If I can deal with an email in 2 minutes, I deal with it when it arrives. When I am rushed, this time might compress to 30 seconds or even might become "emergency scanning" in 5 seconds. If I am more relaxed, I might expand the time to 5 minutes. It is easier and faster to just deal with the email than to file it and look at it again.
6 - Send less email. Not positive I agree with this tip although it is true that sending email causes email to be sent to you. The reason I am not positive I agree with this is sending email often is the way to get action and I am very big on action and sense of urgency.
7 - Have a Blackberry. Even if I was not on the RIM board, I would totally advocate this tip. It allows you to use small snips of downtime to keep on top of email. It reduces email stress by allowing it to be dealt with quickly and instantly.
Despite the pressure email puts on us, it is still preferable to the slower alternatives. Imagine trying to handle all your workload on the telephone, fax or by mail. I know we did it once but it was just not as effective and efficient.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Value of Youth
I am thinking about my 2008 goals.
In 2007, I ran 3 marathons (although one was a training run for another one - we can still count it) but only did one Triathlon. Thinking for 2008, I might not do a marathon. I was interested to see the Globe and Mail ran an article on how there are less deaths on the road during a marathon. Excerpt:
"PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTER December 21, 2007 While the death of a runner during a marathon attracts widespread media attention, in reality fatalities fall in a community hosting a mass-participation distance race, according to provocative new Canadian research.
That is because the road closings associated with a major marathon result in fewer motor-vehicle fatalities, which more than offset the rare running-related death.
"There are fewer tombstones the day after a marathon," Donald Redelmeier, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, said in an interview.
"From a societal perspective, we're better off having people running than driving." The research, published in today's edition of the British Medical Journal, found that over a 30-year period, there were 26 marathon deaths.
But because of road closings during the races, an estimated 46 motor-vehicle fatalities were prevented, the researchers found."
I think I work out to the extent I do to fight aging and to give me the energy and vitality I need to do what I do. Jon Rohr from Exchange Magazine had a great quote in the Jan edition by Mistral:
"The young have never been old and so do not know the true value of youth - if people could wait to be young, they might make better use of time"
Jon is an excellent writer (which I guess would be expected since he does publish a magazine) and a feisty business person. He competes in the publishing world against the giants of publishing.
Enough rambling. Off to set goals.
In 2007, I ran 3 marathons (although one was a training run for another one - we can still count it) but only did one Triathlon. Thinking for 2008, I might not do a marathon. I was interested to see the Globe and Mail ran an article on how there are less deaths on the road during a marathon. Excerpt:
"PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTER December 21, 2007 While the death of a runner during a marathon attracts widespread media attention, in reality fatalities fall in a community hosting a mass-participation distance race, according to provocative new Canadian research.
That is because the road closings associated with a major marathon result in fewer motor-vehicle fatalities, which more than offset the rare running-related death.
"There are fewer tombstones the day after a marathon," Donald Redelmeier, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, said in an interview.
"From a societal perspective, we're better off having people running than driving." The research, published in today's edition of the British Medical Journal, found that over a 30-year period, there were 26 marathon deaths.
But because of road closings during the races, an estimated 46 motor-vehicle fatalities were prevented, the researchers found."
I think I work out to the extent I do to fight aging and to give me the energy and vitality I need to do what I do. Jon Rohr from Exchange Magazine had a great quote in the Jan edition by Mistral:
"The young have never been old and so do not know the true value of youth - if people could wait to be young, they might make better use of time"
Jon is an excellent writer (which I guess would be expected since he does publish a magazine) and a feisty business person. He competes in the publishing world against the giants of publishing.
Enough rambling. Off to set goals.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Seduced by Success
The winter weather has been beautiful. Reminds me of my youth.
I have been busy. Lots of book summaries to post but not enough time to write them.
One book I read recently is "Seduced by Success" by Robert Herbold. I love the central theme of the book - Successful companies and people need to be careful of constantly learning and re-inventing themselves in order to stay competitive. Past glory can work against future success especially if you let it go to your head. "Success is a huge business vulnerability".
One thing I do not like about many self help books is they start with the assumption that you are a loser. I like this one that assumes you are a success so need to deal with that handicap.
The book plays to the expression "If you do what you always have done, you get what you always have got" which I modify to "If you do what you have always done, you will go bankrupt".
The book talks about the 9 traps of Success. There is a good review on Amazon by Robert Morrison here so i will not type all 9 traps.
One of the traps (#4) is Complexity. As business become successful and grow, often they add complexity and bureaucracy. I have always felt one of the goals of a big company is to act small. Or put in this context - be simple.
It ties with Trap #5 Bloat and rationalizing loss of agility.
The book is well organized and easy/fast to read. Highly recommended for the successful.
Of course the proper response to all of the traps is constant learning and evaluation combined with the humility to recognize that past success can take our edge off.
I have been busy. Lots of book summaries to post but not enough time to write them.
One book I read recently is "Seduced by Success" by Robert Herbold. I love the central theme of the book - Successful companies and people need to be careful of constantly learning and re-inventing themselves in order to stay competitive. Past glory can work against future success especially if you let it go to your head. "Success is a huge business vulnerability".
One thing I do not like about many self help books is they start with the assumption that you are a loser. I like this one that assumes you are a success so need to deal with that handicap.
The book plays to the expression "If you do what you always have done, you get what you always have got" which I modify to "If you do what you have always done, you will go bankrupt".
The book talks about the 9 traps of Success. There is a good review on Amazon by Robert Morrison here so i will not type all 9 traps.
One of the traps (#4) is Complexity. As business become successful and grow, often they add complexity and bureaucracy. I have always felt one of the goals of a big company is to act small. Or put in this context - be simple.
It ties with Trap #5 Bloat and rationalizing loss of agility.
The book is well organized and easy/fast to read. Highly recommended for the successful.
Of course the proper response to all of the traps is constant learning and evaluation combined with the humility to recognize that past success can take our edge off.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Psychology of Misjudgement
One thing I like about blogging is the discussion and feedback I get(yes - even the negative). It provokes thought. A friend forwarded me a book and article as a result of my December 3rd post on Learn from Everyone.
The famous article by Charlie Munger (Warren Buffett's partner) is "The Psychology of Misjudgement". He is a business philosopher and has written a lot of interesting articles. He admits he is not a psychologist and comments on trying to figure out human behavior. I like the way he has a natural curiosity and tries to figure things out.
Of course the article speaks to me since it applies to all human interaction; especially sales and marketing.
In the article he cites 24 or 25 human tendencies (depending on which version you read) and explains them all in some detail. One of them is Reciprocity Tendency that I wrote about earlier. Others include things like "Social Proof (everyone else is doing it so it must be right", "Overoptimism Tendency", "Twaddle Tendency (The tendency to explain that which cannot be explained or is not understood)", "Curiosity Tendency" etc.
My observation on his 25 tendencies is each of us has each of them to varying degrees and at different times and under different circumstance, they kick in. For example, some people might have a very high curiosity Tendency but be lower than someone else on the Reciprocity Tendency.
The famous article by Charlie Munger (Warren Buffett's partner) is "The Psychology of Misjudgement". He is a business philosopher and has written a lot of interesting articles. He admits he is not a psychologist and comments on trying to figure out human behavior. I like the way he has a natural curiosity and tries to figure things out.
Of course the article speaks to me since it applies to all human interaction; especially sales and marketing.
In the article he cites 24 or 25 human tendencies (depending on which version you read) and explains them all in some detail. One of them is Reciprocity Tendency that I wrote about earlier. Others include things like "Social Proof (everyone else is doing it so it must be right", "Overoptimism Tendency", "Twaddle Tendency (The tendency to explain that which cannot be explained or is not understood)", "Curiosity Tendency" etc.
My observation on his 25 tendencies is each of us has each of them to varying degrees and at different times and under different circumstance, they kick in. For example, some people might have a very high curiosity Tendency but be lower than someone else on the Reciprocity Tendency.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Value/Time - Choosing the Right Projects
Busy weekend. I went to a "Dinner with Stanley" fundraiser Friday night in Stratford. Stanley Cup that is. Stayed the night with friends, Alex and Tim McDonald in Stratford. Tim runs Ideal Supply, a 25 branch auto parts/electrical distributor. Although he distributes different products, we still have lots in common and I can learn a lot from him.
Then Saturday, prepared for meetings in California. Saturday night was the SYNNEX Christmas party. It was a great party. Weather was good. I think people had a good time. What I like about the party is the informal time to speak to so many people. I rarely get that even though I work with these people all the time.
And now I am already at the airport catching a flight to my meetings. Slow customs line this morning.
This week will be a blur. I tend to get a bit behind while I am on the road. California meetings also inspire lots of ideas that I then feel a great sense of urgency to implement. Usually ending up with a hugely long list that is impossible to get done. So the key then is prioritization. Pick those things that have the greatest impact. Although sometimes I pick little things that have only small impacts but are easy to do.
I think of it as a "value/time" continuum that I work through in this order:
High value/low time
Medium value/low time
High value/high time
Medium value/high time
The decisions though are actually way more complex than that though since many can be done in parallel. Some need the same resources. Some have differing probabilities of success.
Then Saturday, prepared for meetings in California. Saturday night was the SYNNEX Christmas party. It was a great party. Weather was good. I think people had a good time. What I like about the party is the informal time to speak to so many people. I rarely get that even though I work with these people all the time.
And now I am already at the airport catching a flight to my meetings. Slow customs line this morning.
This week will be a blur. I tend to get a bit behind while I am on the road. California meetings also inspire lots of ideas that I then feel a great sense of urgency to implement. Usually ending up with a hugely long list that is impossible to get done. So the key then is prioritization. Pick those things that have the greatest impact. Although sometimes I pick little things that have only small impacts but are easy to do.
I think of it as a "value/time" continuum that I work through in this order:
High value/low time
Medium value/low time
High value/high time
Medium value/high time
The decisions though are actually way more complex than that though since many can be done in parallel. Some need the same resources. Some have differing probabilities of success.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Learn from Everyone
I was in Paris, France for an extended weekend this weekend.
I was walking through a park and an older woman stooped in front of me and picked up a mans ring and and said "look what I found". "This is a lucky day". She then handed it to me ostensibly to look at. The conversation continued - somewhat hampered by language barriers. She claimed to be from Yugoslavia with her son. Her son could not find work. She was hungry and asked for money for food. I responded by giving her an orange (I had a bag of them just for the purpose of giving to street people since I generally do not give money). Then she would not take the ring back saying she does not wear jewelry and it is a man's ring and I should keep it etc. Then she again asked for money and I gave her some change. She asked for more - then I knew I had been had. I gave her the ring back and this time she took it.
She was using classic marketing/sales. First the surprise - getting attention step by finding the ring. Then use the few minutes to develop rapport and make me comfortable. She also was using psychological reciprocity - make me feel indebted by giving me a gift (a ring I did not want). Then the sales pitch which was slightly successful for her - she got an orange and a bit of change.
I like psychology and sales psychology. She was a master at it.
One thing I try to do is to be able to learn some things from all people - even if much of what they have to offer I reject. Part of me says this is true wisdom.
I was walking through a park and an older woman stooped in front of me and picked up a mans ring and and said "look what I found". "This is a lucky day". She then handed it to me ostensibly to look at. The conversation continued - somewhat hampered by language barriers. She claimed to be from Yugoslavia with her son. Her son could not find work. She was hungry and asked for money for food. I responded by giving her an orange (I had a bag of them just for the purpose of giving to street people since I generally do not give money). Then she would not take the ring back saying she does not wear jewelry and it is a man's ring and I should keep it etc. Then she again asked for money and I gave her some change. She asked for more - then I knew I had been had. I gave her the ring back and this time she took it.
She was using classic marketing/sales. First the surprise - getting attention step by finding the ring. Then use the few minutes to develop rapport and make me comfortable. She also was using psychological reciprocity - make me feel indebted by giving me a gift (a ring I did not want). Then the sales pitch which was slightly successful for her - she got an orange and a bit of change.
I like psychology and sales psychology. She was a master at it.
One thing I try to do is to be able to learn some things from all people - even if much of what they have to offer I reject. Part of me says this is true wisdom.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Strategy vs. Tactics
I set up my home office better this weekend. Should add to my productivity which adds to my enjoyment. Although I am quite organized, getting organized is not an activity I enjoy doing. Interestingly, I like spending time setting and reviewing my goals. Perhaps this comes down to Strategy vs Tactics.
I enjoy strategy and could spend hours on it. I recognize the need for good tactics (implementation) so I do it (or surround myself with good people and make sure it is well done) but I do not enjoy it as much.
I also like preparing which for me means studying. I really enjoy reading business books, making notes, studying my challenge of the day and preparing for potential future challenges. For that matter learning from others about business, sales, negotiations, goal setting, etc. Nothing better for me than reading a book, listening to a business CD or attending a seminar.
The key is for me to find the right balance of Strategy vs Tactics vs Preparation.
Winter has arrived so running into the office to work is not as appealing as staying home in a nice warm house. Perhaps that is why I organized my den today - to save me the trip to the office. On the other hand, I need to quickly learn to dress warmly and get out because it is healthy. It only takes me 45 minutes to walk to work or 25 to run or 15 to cycle and 10 to drive. My challenge is to take the initiative to walk or run. Too easy to let the change of seasons keep me inside.
How do I know winter is truly here apart from the snow and ice? My brother got his Prius stuck in my driveway after dinner tonight. He recently upgraded to a Prius after driving his Honda Insight hybrid 300,000 KM. Who says hybrids do not last.
I enjoy strategy and could spend hours on it. I recognize the need for good tactics (implementation) so I do it (or surround myself with good people and make sure it is well done) but I do not enjoy it as much.
I also like preparing which for me means studying. I really enjoy reading business books, making notes, studying my challenge of the day and preparing for potential future challenges. For that matter learning from others about business, sales, negotiations, goal setting, etc. Nothing better for me than reading a book, listening to a business CD or attending a seminar.
The key is for me to find the right balance of Strategy vs Tactics vs Preparation.
Winter has arrived so running into the office to work is not as appealing as staying home in a nice warm house. Perhaps that is why I organized my den today - to save me the trip to the office. On the other hand, I need to quickly learn to dress warmly and get out because it is healthy. It only takes me 45 minutes to walk to work or 25 to run or 15 to cycle and 10 to drive. My challenge is to take the initiative to walk or run. Too easy to let the change of seasons keep me inside.
How do I know winter is truly here apart from the snow and ice? My brother got his Prius stuck in my driveway after dinner tonight. He recently upgraded to a Prius after driving his Honda Insight hybrid 300,000 KM. Who says hybrids do not last.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Go Put Your Strengths to Work
Winter is coming. I noticed on my morning walk that the Speed River is frozen today.
On my flight back from Montréal yesterday I read a Marcus Buckingham book called "Go Put Your Strengths to Work - 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outsanding Performance". I love the general thesis :
1 - Our greatest value comes from using our greatest strengths
2 - Work on strengths to become truly excellent.
Because it is a book about work, it speak to tailoring ones job around ones strengths. It offered some good examples of how to do this.
One interesting comment is that the study of strengths is disconnected from the study of weaknesses. If you study how someone fails, you do not learn how they could have succeeded (and I notice many people tend to look at the world that way - "they failed because they did not do X"). Only by studying success can you learn about success.
It cited polls that say most people are more interested in their weaknesses than strengths. Interesting...
It addresses who is best suited to judge strengths and argued that we each are best to pick our own. I am not as sure on this point. I think sometimes we have difficulty seeing the real us and choose a persona. It did make a valid point though that strengths should be those activities that give (not take) power and energy. And it would be true that only we could know that.
One thing I did not like, is it is tied closely to using a web page to do tests, watch a video etc. Partly this just seems like a money grab because you need a unique password (and as a heavy library user - not sure how that would work) and partly because for me reading a book is different that using a computer so this kills the book experience (not that there is anything wrong with computers). And of course I was on a plane so could not even try to connect if I wanted to.
On my flight back from Montréal yesterday I read a Marcus Buckingham book called "Go Put Your Strengths to Work - 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outsanding Performance". I love the general thesis :
1 - Our greatest value comes from using our greatest strengths
2 - Work on strengths to become truly excellent.
Because it is a book about work, it speak to tailoring ones job around ones strengths. It offered some good examples of how to do this.
One interesting comment is that the study of strengths is disconnected from the study of weaknesses. If you study how someone fails, you do not learn how they could have succeeded (and I notice many people tend to look at the world that way - "they failed because they did not do X"). Only by studying success can you learn about success.
It cited polls that say most people are more interested in their weaknesses than strengths. Interesting...
It addresses who is best suited to judge strengths and argued that we each are best to pick our own. I am not as sure on this point. I think sometimes we have difficulty seeing the real us and choose a persona. It did make a valid point though that strengths should be those activities that give (not take) power and energy. And it would be true that only we could know that.
One thing I did not like, is it is tied closely to using a web page to do tests, watch a video etc. Partly this just seems like a money grab because you need a unique password (and as a heavy library user - not sure how that would work) and partly because for me reading a book is different that using a computer so this kills the book experience (not that there is anything wrong with computers). And of course I was on a plane so could not even try to connect if I wanted to.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Tragically Hip and Van Halen
I lead a charmed life. I believe in leading a life with an attitude of gratitude. I have much to be grateful for. More on my charmed life...
Thursday morning I spoke at the Guelph Chamber of Commerce about Blogging. I enjoy speaking and find the network of people I have continues to grow.
By now, most people know about the huge RIM concert on Thursday night. Tragically Hip opened for Van Halen. Quite a Christmas party. It certainly was memorable. Their amplifiers certainly worked well. I was concerned when I got the tickets since they came with ear plugs.
Friday night I was a guest speaker at a UCFP strategic meeting. I presented my Time Leadership seminar.
I am sitting in the Air Canada lounge in Toronto. Going to Montreal for the SYNNEX Christmas party tonight. I am sure it will be great. For me, it will be better than the RIM party even. Not because of the notoriety of the musical group but because I get to see and talk to many of my Montreal staff.
Thursday morning I spoke at the Guelph Chamber of Commerce about Blogging. I enjoy speaking and find the network of people I have continues to grow.
By now, most people know about the huge RIM concert on Thursday night. Tragically Hip opened for Van Halen. Quite a Christmas party. It certainly was memorable. Their amplifiers certainly worked well. I was concerned when I got the tickets since they came with ear plugs.
Friday night I was a guest speaker at a UCFP strategic meeting. I presented my Time Leadership seminar.
I am sitting in the Air Canada lounge in Toronto. Going to Montreal for the SYNNEX Christmas party tonight. I am sure it will be great. For me, it will be better than the RIM party even. Not because of the notoriety of the musical group but because I get to see and talk to many of my Montreal staff.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Never Eat Alone
Busy day today. I did not even keep up on my email which is unusual for me. I spoke at a Melcrum Conference on Building a Culture of Employee Engagement. My topic was blogging. Although I felt competent to handle the blogging comment, I felt somewhat inadequate or daunted at speaking at a conference called "Building a Culture of Employee Engagement". Not sure I yet have that formula perfected.
And of course after speaking about blogging, I have to post since they will all be looking at my blog. Big pressure.
Tonight I attended a YPO event where the speaker was Keith Ferrazzi, author of "Never Eat Alone and other secrets to success, one relationship at a time". I was happy to see he is a normal sized person - I thought from all the eating he might be overweight.
The gist of his message is contained in the book title. Form relationships and nurture them to be successful. In he book fortunately he also talks about giving without expectation of return. So he is not all about networking just to "taking". My challenge is relationships take time and choosing how my time is spend is a constant struggle. So I am thinking about a pyramid approach. Some people I email occassionally, others I email and call, others I meet with etc. I used to do this in sales. I would call on certain customers every month and some every 3 months and some only once a year. Over time I learned that short periods of intense contact meant I could maintain the relationship with less contact over time. EG - make 4 sales call in 6 weeks then drop back to just email and calls etc. Good relationships are those without "contact obligations". And of course placement within the pyramid will change in time.
Although one of my strengths is my rolodex and the number people I know and who know me, I am inspired to be more disciplined in my approach.
One comment he made tied into employee engagement. 30% of the people surveyed had a close friend at work and those 30% were seven times as productive as the others. So how to make people be friends.
One of his comments tied into Blink and Hunches that I blogged about yesterday. "we tend to instantly judge people and are immediately screened by other people's prejudices". So first impressions count.
And of course after speaking about blogging, I have to post since they will all be looking at my blog. Big pressure.
Tonight I attended a YPO event where the speaker was Keith Ferrazzi, author of "Never Eat Alone and other secrets to success, one relationship at a time". I was happy to see he is a normal sized person - I thought from all the eating he might be overweight.
The gist of his message is contained in the book title. Form relationships and nurture them to be successful. In he book fortunately he also talks about giving without expectation of return. So he is not all about networking just to "taking". My challenge is relationships take time and choosing how my time is spend is a constant struggle. So I am thinking about a pyramid approach. Some people I email occassionally, others I email and call, others I meet with etc. I used to do this in sales. I would call on certain customers every month and some every 3 months and some only once a year. Over time I learned that short periods of intense contact meant I could maintain the relationship with less contact over time. EG - make 4 sales call in 6 weeks then drop back to just email and calls etc. Good relationships are those without "contact obligations". And of course placement within the pyramid will change in time.
Although one of my strengths is my rolodex and the number people I know and who know me, I am inspired to be more disciplined in my approach.
One comment he made tied into employee engagement. 30% of the people surveyed had a close friend at work and those 30% were seven times as productive as the others. So how to make people be friends.
One of his comments tied into Blink and Hunches that I blogged about yesterday. "we tend to instantly judge people and are immediately screened by other people's prejudices". So first impressions count.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Intuition and Hunches
I read a book review in Fast Company last night on "Gut Feelings: The Inteligence of the Unconscious" by psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer. It sounds like it is similar to Blink by Malcom Gladwell (one of my favourite thought leader/authors) - aptly subtitled "The power of thinking without Thinking."
The gist of the message seems to be there can be great value in instinct and gut feelings. But "In modern society, gut thinking has a bad reputation".
My experience is every time I go against my gut feelings, I regret it. The same is not true however for always being right when I have a gut feeling to do something. Perhaps I should start tracking what my hunch is at the time big decisions are made then track the outcome (tracking decisions and outcome is a good practise in any event - a practise that Edward Deming (another favourite) preached)
My brother, Glen, is a brilliant and highly logical thinker. I worked with him for many years and learned that he needed data to back up my gut feelings and a I learned to build cases for what needed to be done. Sometimes though, I got trapped into trying to prove a case using data where no clear data existed (like what is going to happen in the future). I have sometime even found my logic sometimes would beat my intuition so I end up overriding my intuition which is where the danger lies.
My goal is to increase the validity of my intuition and I think the best way to do that is to pour in more knowledge. What leads to good decisions is having lots of information and detail (ideally without passing judgement up front). So I try to constantly feed my mind so when decisions need to be made, I can make them right. And of course one principle I practise is fast decision making since usually it is better to make a fast imperfect decision that a slow perfect one.
As I have matured (and some would argue I still have a long way to go), I have learned to trust my instincts and hunches more.
The gist of the message seems to be there can be great value in instinct and gut feelings. But "In modern society, gut thinking has a bad reputation".
My experience is every time I go against my gut feelings, I regret it. The same is not true however for always being right when I have a gut feeling to do something. Perhaps I should start tracking what my hunch is at the time big decisions are made then track the outcome (tracking decisions and outcome is a good practise in any event - a practise that Edward Deming (another favourite) preached)
My brother, Glen, is a brilliant and highly logical thinker. I worked with him for many years and learned that he needed data to back up my gut feelings and a I learned to build cases for what needed to be done. Sometimes though, I got trapped into trying to prove a case using data where no clear data existed (like what is going to happen in the future). I have sometime even found my logic sometimes would beat my intuition so I end up overriding my intuition which is where the danger lies.
My goal is to increase the validity of my intuition and I think the best way to do that is to pour in more knowledge. What leads to good decisions is having lots of information and detail (ideally without passing judgement up front). So I try to constantly feed my mind so when decisions need to be made, I can make them right. And of course one principle I practise is fast decision making since usually it is better to make a fast imperfect decision that a slow perfect one.
As I have matured (and some would argue I still have a long way to go), I have learned to trust my instincts and hunches more.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
What Leaders Really Do
I have been tired this week. Likely marathon recovery and travel. I ran 10K today to get back into some working out after taking most of the week off work outs. It took me most of the weekend to catch up as seems to be the pattern I have fallen into. And another busy week coming up.
One HBR article I am inspired by is What Leaders Really Do by John P. Kotter. Summarizing the article:
"They don't make plans; they don't even organize people. What leaders really do is prepare organizations for change and help them cope as they struggle through it.
Leadership is different from management, but not for the reasons most people think. Leadership isn't mystical and mysterious. It has nothing to do with having "charisma" or other exotic personality traits. It is not the province of a chosen few. Nor is leadership necessarily better than management or a replacement for it.
Rather, leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action. Each has its own function and characteristic activities. Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment.
Most corporations today are over-managed and underled. They need to develop their capacity to exercise leadership. Successful corporations don't wait for leaders to come along. They actively seek out people with leadership potential and expose them to career experiences designed to develop that potential. Indeed, with careful selection, nurturing and encouragement, dozens of people can play important leadership roles in a business organization."
Interesting and from what I can see - true. My addition to this comment might be that leaders tend to also be managers so double duty is often in order. And what I have seen in some larger organizations is that management is more highly valued so there is a push to make leaders into better managers often to the detrement of the organization since it is the leadership that is more desperately needed.
One HBR article I am inspired by is What Leaders Really Do by John P. Kotter. Summarizing the article:
"They don't make plans; they don't even organize people. What leaders really do is prepare organizations for change and help them cope as they struggle through it.
Leadership is different from management, but not for the reasons most people think. Leadership isn't mystical and mysterious. It has nothing to do with having "charisma" or other exotic personality traits. It is not the province of a chosen few. Nor is leadership necessarily better than management or a replacement for it.
Rather, leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action. Each has its own function and characteristic activities. Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment.
Most corporations today are over-managed and underled. They need to develop their capacity to exercise leadership. Successful corporations don't wait for leaders to come along. They actively seek out people with leadership potential and expose them to career experiences designed to develop that potential. Indeed, with careful selection, nurturing and encouragement, dozens of people can play important leadership roles in a business organization."
Interesting and from what I can see - true. My addition to this comment might be that leaders tend to also be managers so double duty is often in order. And what I have seen in some larger organizations is that management is more highly valued so there is a push to make leaders into better managers often to the detrement of the organization since it is the leadership that is more desperately needed.
Monday, November 5, 2007
New York Marathon and 3 Goals
Yesterday I ran the New York Marathon. The day began early. Up before 5 to catch a special marathon bus at 5:30. They close the roads so the buses leave early. Wait a bit on the bus then arrive at the field at 6:30 or so. There are thousands of runners milling around, lying on the ground, sitting etc.
The air was cool but not cold. Perfect running weather. A bit chilling though to sit for too long. I ran for a charity - Team for Kids. They had a special tent for us. For breakfast in the tent, I had 2 bagels and some Gatorade. Team for kids does look after their sponsors well. From the start with special buses, a tent, extra portapotties (important since we all drink lots in preparation for the race) right to the end with a volunteer showing you to the special area where your bag is. Kudos to them.
It is part of the race culture to sit and talk in these pre race times. Usually about not being prepared enough (excuse #1) and comparing other races we have run. The race did not start until 10 so quite a long wait. I was with my good friend Warren Spitz. Always a fun person to be with which made the time pass quickly.
About 9:30 we walked to the start line. There are almost 40,000 runners so it is mayhem. Runners are assigned a start place but few pay attention to that. At 10, we hear the gun but the crowd does not start to move for a few minutes (too far back in the pack). Eventually we cross the start. As expected, it is impossible to pass, change position or move. Solid runners. The race starts over a bridge which means 3/4 mile hill up followed by 3/4 mile down. I run with Warren for the first 2 miles. He is faster so leaves me. My first 5 K was 27:53. Acceptable - especially considering the mass of people. Possibly too fast. Part of wht I need to do is start slow.
Great crowd support cheering most of the way. Second 5 K was 30:15 - a bit slower than the sub 30 I was planning on. Still massive crowds. Marathons are measured on the tangents and there is no way to run the tangents in the mass of runners (excuse #2). I was feeling great and the miles were melting by for the next 20K. My pace was 30:26, 30:41, 32:32 then 33:01 -I was slowing.
The run passed through different sections of New York. Interesting to see the changes in character.
I was tiring at 30K and my legs were getting sore and cramped. Water and Gatorade was served every 1 mile. Way more frequent than most marathons. I was stopping at every other one but now was stopping at all so I could walk 50 M. One cute 8 yr old was yelling "take my water, it is lower calorie and Gatorade". I should have given him my card to give him a job when he is old enough.
The next 5 K was 35:03 and I was really having to use willpower to keep going. Even this far into the race, it was a big crowd of runners. They say you should add 10 min to your time due to the number of runners (excuse # 3). 35-40 K took 37:40 - I was walking longer and running slower. Last 2.2K was 15:19 so I did pick it up a bit. Final finish was 4:32:50.
It was a great experience. Highly recommended to all.
I read once in a running book that every race should have 3 goals. I use this in non race situations also. My goals were 4:00, 4:15 and to finish. I achieved one goal.
And today I am sore. I took a brisk 15 minute walk this morning to give away my extra marathon food to the homeless people. Glad I did the walk but it was a struggle.
The air was cool but not cold. Perfect running weather. A bit chilling though to sit for too long. I ran for a charity - Team for Kids. They had a special tent for us. For breakfast in the tent, I had 2 bagels and some Gatorade. Team for kids does look after their sponsors well. From the start with special buses, a tent, extra portapotties (important since we all drink lots in preparation for the race) right to the end with a volunteer showing you to the special area where your bag is. Kudos to them.
It is part of the race culture to sit and talk in these pre race times. Usually about not being prepared enough (excuse #1) and comparing other races we have run. The race did not start until 10 so quite a long wait. I was with my good friend Warren Spitz. Always a fun person to be with which made the time pass quickly.
About 9:30 we walked to the start line. There are almost 40,000 runners so it is mayhem. Runners are assigned a start place but few pay attention to that. At 10, we hear the gun but the crowd does not start to move for a few minutes (too far back in the pack). Eventually we cross the start. As expected, it is impossible to pass, change position or move. Solid runners. The race starts over a bridge which means 3/4 mile hill up followed by 3/4 mile down. I run with Warren for the first 2 miles. He is faster so leaves me. My first 5 K was 27:53. Acceptable - especially considering the mass of people. Possibly too fast. Part of wht I need to do is start slow.
Great crowd support cheering most of the way. Second 5 K was 30:15 - a bit slower than the sub 30 I was planning on. Still massive crowds. Marathons are measured on the tangents and there is no way to run the tangents in the mass of runners (excuse #2). I was feeling great and the miles were melting by for the next 20K. My pace was 30:26, 30:41, 32:32 then 33:01 -I was slowing.
The run passed through different sections of New York. Interesting to see the changes in character.
I was tiring at 30K and my legs were getting sore and cramped. Water and Gatorade was served every 1 mile. Way more frequent than most marathons. I was stopping at every other one but now was stopping at all so I could walk 50 M. One cute 8 yr old was yelling "take my water, it is lower calorie and Gatorade". I should have given him my card to give him a job when he is old enough.
The next 5 K was 35:03 and I was really having to use willpower to keep going. Even this far into the race, it was a big crowd of runners. They say you should add 10 min to your time due to the number of runners (excuse # 3). 35-40 K took 37:40 - I was walking longer and running slower. Last 2.2K was 15:19 so I did pick it up a bit. Final finish was 4:32:50.
It was a great experience. Highly recommended to all.
I read once in a running book that every race should have 3 goals. I use this in non race situations also. My goals were 4:00, 4:15 and to finish. I achieved one goal.
And today I am sore. I took a brisk 15 minute walk this morning to give away my extra marathon food to the homeless people. Glad I did the walk but it was a struggle.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The power of How
We had a great sales retreat this past weekend at Blue Mountain. As Mitchell Martin, our President said, “We have a great team of people; it is one of our competitive advantages.”
In my closing address, I talked about asking the right question. Often when people are asked about something simple like sales, they give the reason why sales are what they are. I encourage people to ask the “How” question. The How question is much more powerful.
We had a hypnotist at the sales retreat. Originally we planned an outdoor event but due to the rain, wind, and cold, we had to change venue at the last minute so we called in a hypnotist that we used a few years ago.
The hypnotist was excellent and the previous time that I saw him, I almost cried from laughing so hard. This time I still laughed and found him funny.
The hypnotist really drove home the power of the sub-conscious mind. If you ask yourself why you can’t do something, your mind will come up with reasons or excuses. If you ask yourself HOW you can do something, your sub-conscious mind will also answer that question.
Focus on the HOW.
In my closing address, I talked about asking the right question. Often when people are asked about something simple like sales, they give the reason why sales are what they are. I encourage people to ask the “How” question. The How question is much more powerful.
We had a hypnotist at the sales retreat. Originally we planned an outdoor event but due to the rain, wind, and cold, we had to change venue at the last minute so we called in a hypnotist that we used a few years ago.
The hypnotist was excellent and the previous time that I saw him, I almost cried from laughing so hard. This time I still laughed and found him funny.
The hypnotist really drove home the power of the sub-conscious mind. If you ask yourself why you can’t do something, your mind will come up with reasons or excuses. If you ask yourself HOW you can do something, your sub-conscious mind will also answer that question.
Focus on the HOW.
For all of those people who are asking about Kaitlan, she is well on the road to recovery. She is now home and back in school and too busy to call her Uncle Jim.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Made to Stick
One of my new favourite marketing books is called, MADE TO STICK, by Chip and Dan Heath.
Of course I would like it because it is a marketing book and I tend to have a natural interest in marketing. They simplify what needs to be done to make ideas stick with an acronym - SUCCES
S simple - don't lose your core message. KISS.
U unexpected - Do the unexected to get people's attention. (they do point out the problem of tying it in though so just being outrageous is not enough)
C concrete - People have problems with theory - keep it real.
C credible - is your idea believable? One way to do this is to use experts, titles (EG PhD) etc.
E emotional - people react to emotion and it creates an empathetic bond
S stories - story telling is a way people can remember and retell easily. Sure beats statistics.
Although I have distilled the basics of the book, I have not done it justice. The book is entertaining, easy to read and uses tons of useful examples. Highly recommended if you ever want to sell or market anything.
Of course I would like it because it is a marketing book and I tend to have a natural interest in marketing. They simplify what needs to be done to make ideas stick with an acronym - SUCCES
S simple - don't lose your core message. KISS.
U unexpected - Do the unexected to get people's attention. (they do point out the problem of tying it in though so just being outrageous is not enough)
C concrete - People have problems with theory - keep it real.
C credible - is your idea believable? One way to do this is to use experts, titles (EG PhD) etc.
E emotional - people react to emotion and it creates an empathetic bond
S stories - story telling is a way people can remember and retell easily. Sure beats statistics.
Although I have distilled the basics of the book, I have not done it justice. The book is entertaining, easy to read and uses tons of useful examples. Highly recommended if you ever want to sell or market anything.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Public Speaking and Networking
I am doing a lot of public speaking lately. One of the roles of a CEO is to be a spokesperson. Technoplanet last week. I spoke to about 125 people at a Guelph Enterprise Centre event on Monday. The topic was "9 Success Habits". Today I am the keynote speaker at a venture capitalist's seminar run by Quorum. The topic is "Bootstrapping a Business (even after you have venture money)". Both will be fodder for future blog posts.
The more I speak, the easier it is. I am a big advocate of Toastmasters and Dale Carnegie - both of which I have done. I do not write my speeches (and no one else does either). I do however prepare for them and make some notes.
Speaking is a lot about networking. In networking, I tend to give without expectation of return because what I have found is I tend to get huge returns in the most unexpected places over time. Of course I am a time use person so I try to network in the right crowd (EG in my case computer resellers/vendors is a good crowd). And from a time use prospective, I like to speak to large groups. Ideally over 100 but I do sometimes do just 50.
Part of me also feels I need to give something back to the community so speaking would be a part of it.
Off for a busy day.
The more I speak, the easier it is. I am a big advocate of Toastmasters and Dale Carnegie - both of which I have done. I do not write my speeches (and no one else does either). I do however prepare for them and make some notes.
Speaking is a lot about networking. In networking, I tend to give without expectation of return because what I have found is I tend to get huge returns in the most unexpected places over time. Of course I am a time use person so I try to network in the right crowd (EG in my case computer resellers/vendors is a good crowd). And from a time use prospective, I like to speak to large groups. Ideally over 100 but I do sometimes do just 50.
Part of me also feels I need to give something back to the community so speaking would be a part of it.
Off for a busy day.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Mavericks at Work
I recently read a great book called, MAVERICKS AT WORK, WHY THE MOST ORIGINAL MINDS IN BUSINESS WIN, by William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre. This is not a book that I would have likely picked up because I didn’t find the title particularly captivating; however, as I got into the book, I found it to be one of the most interesting and inspirational books that I have read. Like almost all books I read, it was a referal.
I always look for things that provide inspiration and this would be one such book.
One quote from the book is by advertising legend, Dan Wieden, co-founder of Wieden and Kennedy. The quote is, YOU HAVE TO WALK IN STUPID EVERY DAY. What an enlightened quote. What it means to me is that you always need to learn and always need to have an open mind and once you think you know it all, that is probably when you start losing.
And to save time - a good review on Amazon by Joe Wikert follows:
Here are some of the more interesting excerpts I flagged as I read this one:
* Southwest didn't flourish just because its fares were cheaper...Southwest flourished because it reimagined what it means to be an airline.
* If you want to renew and re-energize an industry...don't hire people from that industry.
* If your company went out of business tomorrow, who would really miss you and why?
* The most effective leaders are the ones who are the most insatiable learners, and experienced leaders learn the most by interacting with people whose interests, backgrounds and experiences are the least like theirs.
* We must begin all things in ignorance...otherwise we never start at the beginning.
* The next frontier for making products more emotional is to turn them into something social -- to create a sense of shared ownership and participation among customers themselves.
* Why would great people want to work here?
I always look for things that provide inspiration and this would be one such book.
One quote from the book is by advertising legend, Dan Wieden, co-founder of Wieden and Kennedy. The quote is, YOU HAVE TO WALK IN STUPID EVERY DAY. What an enlightened quote. What it means to me is that you always need to learn and always need to have an open mind and once you think you know it all, that is probably when you start losing.
And to save time - a good review on Amazon by Joe Wikert follows:
Here are some of the more interesting excerpts I flagged as I read this one:
* Southwest didn't flourish just because its fares were cheaper...Southwest flourished because it reimagined what it means to be an airline.
* If you want to renew and re-energize an industry...don't hire people from that industry.
* If your company went out of business tomorrow, who would really miss you and why?
* The most effective leaders are the ones who are the most insatiable learners, and experienced leaders learn the most by interacting with people whose interests, backgrounds and experiences are the least like theirs.
* We must begin all things in ignorance...otherwise we never start at the beginning.
* The next frontier for making products more emotional is to turn them into something social -- to create a sense of shared ownership and participation among customers themselves.
* Why would great people want to work here?
Monday, October 22, 2007
Doing it vs Getting it Done - Delegation
I took yesterday off. Beautiful day. Hiked up the Niagara escarpment and a bit of the Bruce Trail.
I have found as SYNNEX (or EMJ for that matter) scales, I, personally, can get less done. What I am learning to do is to not necessarily do it but just make sure it is done.
The better I know myself, the better I find I can get results. When I was younger, I felt I had to do everything myself and that trait has been hard to kill. I was muscling through things that I am not well suited to do. This robbed me of time that I could spend offering the greatest value. And also tended to not get the best result.
So I delegate. Of course taking full responsibility for the result.
Of course some people might say "I don't have people who work for me so i have to do it all myself". Not true, you can often delegate to a customer, supplier, co-worker, friend etc. The key in delegation is "who can do the job significantly easier, faster or better than you".
Of course this is easy to say. If I was real good at it, I would not be in my office now just because I took a Sunday off. So - still learning (which is good).
In the end, it is all about results. And I realize that doing it myself is not likely to be the best way to get the best results. It is not about doing it, it is about getting it done.
I have found as SYNNEX (or EMJ for that matter) scales, I, personally, can get less done. What I am learning to do is to not necessarily do it but just make sure it is done.
The better I know myself, the better I find I can get results. When I was younger, I felt I had to do everything myself and that trait has been hard to kill. I was muscling through things that I am not well suited to do. This robbed me of time that I could spend offering the greatest value. And also tended to not get the best result.
So I delegate. Of course taking full responsibility for the result.
Of course some people might say "I don't have people who work for me so i have to do it all myself". Not true, you can often delegate to a customer, supplier, co-worker, friend etc. The key in delegation is "who can do the job significantly easier, faster or better than you".
Of course this is easy to say. If I was real good at it, I would not be in my office now just because I took a Sunday off. So - still learning (which is good).
In the end, it is all about results. And I realize that doing it myself is not likely to be the best way to get the best results. It is not about doing it, it is about getting it done.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Nichemanship 6 ways to Thrive as a Computer Reseller
My brother's Lyle and Glen have a running debate about who is saving the world the most. Glen has a good blog post on it. My older brother Mark and I think we could solve the world's environmental problems if we could harness the hot air between the 2 of them.
I ran to work today which uses no fossil fuel so I think I am the cleanest. Using less counts as much as producing more.
Earlier this week, I spoke at a Technoplanet reseller event. Lots of high quality resellers and vendors too. They run good events. I spoke about "Nichemanship - 6 ways to thrive". Since the audience were mostly independent reseller, I was speaking to how they could be more successful. My 6 points were:
1 - Be personal. People like to buy from people they know. Network locally. Being personally known can be a niche. There is always lots of market space for being personal and this is a tough area for larger companies to do well.
2 - Pick a vertical market. If you sell solutions to the same type of business repeatedly, you can become the expert. You can also easily identify the target market. Read their trade journals, attend their trade shows, speak their language.
3 - Be an outsourced IT dept for smaller companies. I have seen many thriving resellers who are the IT dept for companies who have perhaps 2 to 50 computers and sometimes more because most of those companies cannot afford to have a full time person in house.
4 - Specialize in a brand. The more of a brand you sell, the better you will know it, service it and inventory it. It also builds clout the manufacturer and because you focus, they are more likely to help you and supply leads etc.
5 - Specialize in a technology. For example, specialize in wireless networks or bar code reading or portable printing etc. Similar to 2. The more you sell of a specific technology, the better you will be. Your knowledge and ease of installation, service and probability of a successful implementation grows.
6 - Do training, installation, services. These tend to be tough to scale economically. For example, large companies can do it but their costs are often much higher.
I am a business optimist and think there is lots of market for all. The key is figuring out where you can gain competitive advantage. And doing business in a niche can be the way to win.
I ran to work today which uses no fossil fuel so I think I am the cleanest. Using less counts as much as producing more.
Earlier this week, I spoke at a Technoplanet reseller event. Lots of high quality resellers and vendors too. They run good events. I spoke about "Nichemanship - 6 ways to thrive". Since the audience were mostly independent reseller, I was speaking to how they could be more successful. My 6 points were:
1 - Be personal. People like to buy from people they know. Network locally. Being personally known can be a niche. There is always lots of market space for being personal and this is a tough area for larger companies to do well.
2 - Pick a vertical market. If you sell solutions to the same type of business repeatedly, you can become the expert. You can also easily identify the target market. Read their trade journals, attend their trade shows, speak their language.
3 - Be an outsourced IT dept for smaller companies. I have seen many thriving resellers who are the IT dept for companies who have perhaps 2 to 50 computers and sometimes more because most of those companies cannot afford to have a full time person in house.
4 - Specialize in a brand. The more of a brand you sell, the better you will know it, service it and inventory it. It also builds clout the manufacturer and because you focus, they are more likely to help you and supply leads etc.
5 - Specialize in a technology. For example, specialize in wireless networks or bar code reading or portable printing etc. Similar to 2. The more you sell of a specific technology, the better you will be. Your knowledge and ease of installation, service and probability of a successful implementation grows.
6 - Do training, installation, services. These tend to be tough to scale economically. For example, large companies can do it but their costs are often much higher.
I am a business optimist and think there is lots of market for all. The key is figuring out where you can gain competitive advantage. And doing business in a niche can be the way to win.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The Future
One thing I try to see is the future. Capitalizing on future trends is part of our business.
I attended a YPO event last week with many high power speakers like Alan Greenspan, Jack Welch, Craig Barrett(founder of Intel), Herb Kelleher (founder of SW airlines), Scott McNealy(Sun), Fred Smith (Founder of Fedex), Kifi Annan (UN)etc. Trying to distill the main points on what is important and what will be increasingly important in the coming decade. In no particular order:
1 - The environment is huge (did not have to attend a conference for that)
2 - Education
3 - Company Culture is key (I have been thinking a lot about that lately)
4 - Food Production
5 - Energy (sort of ties into 1)
6 - Security and stable government
7 - Poverty
8 - Be healthy and fit or you cannot handle the stress of being a CEO or President.
9 - Enjoy what you are doing.
10 -Don't take yourself too seriously but take the business and competition seriously.
11 - have courage.
Of course a list summarizing a bunch of presentations is not very inspiring compared to being there.
One thing I like about YPO events is the number of friends I meet. People I know and people I meet.
One of my new friends - Jonathan Graff President of Kaboose.com particularly liked Chris Anderson (author of "the Long Tail" and editor of Wired). He owns a lot web sites like Amazingmoms, birthdayinabox, funschool, babyzone etc. so it particularly applies to his business. Although Chris was not the biggest name speaker, his message about the power of the longtail is a powerful one. Also speaks to a trend.
I attended a YPO event last week with many high power speakers like Alan Greenspan, Jack Welch, Craig Barrett(founder of Intel), Herb Kelleher (founder of SW airlines), Scott McNealy(Sun), Fred Smith (Founder of Fedex), Kifi Annan (UN)etc. Trying to distill the main points on what is important and what will be increasingly important in the coming decade. In no particular order:
1 - The environment is huge (did not have to attend a conference for that)
2 - Education
3 - Company Culture is key (I have been thinking a lot about that lately)
4 - Food Production
5 - Energy (sort of ties into 1)
6 - Security and stable government
7 - Poverty
8 - Be healthy and fit or you cannot handle the stress of being a CEO or President.
9 - Enjoy what you are doing.
10 -Don't take yourself too seriously but take the business and competition seriously.
11 - have courage.
Of course a list summarizing a bunch of presentations is not very inspiring compared to being there.
One thing I like about YPO events is the number of friends I meet. People I know and people I meet.
One of my new friends - Jonathan Graff President of Kaboose.com particularly liked Chris Anderson (author of "the Long Tail" and editor of Wired). He owns a lot web sites like Amazingmoms, birthdayinabox, funschool, babyzone etc. so it particularly applies to his business. Although Chris was not the biggest name speaker, his message about the power of the longtail is a powerful one. Also speaks to a trend.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Planting the Seed
I am waiting in the lounge for a delayed flight. Good time management means no stress - I can use the time anyways. Or perhaps I just say this, I would rather be in the air.
I have been grappling later with some problem solving. I am using the "Planting the Seed" problem solving method.
This technqiue for creative problem solving is to spend a short but intense time thinking and brainstorming about a problem; spending time researching to obtain as much background as possible, including attempting to solve the problem. When it cannot be solved instantly, then simply drop it and do something else.
This technique of planting a seed can be used for solving a myriad of problems.
Those people who commented on planning in the evening instead of planning in the morning likely benefit quite a bit from this planting the seed technique. If you are planning the evening before, you have time for your sub-conscious to think about what it is you are going to do and psychologically prepare yourself better for the day. I suspect you also solve some of your problems as they go.
I have been grappling later with some problem solving. I am using the "Planting the Seed" problem solving method.
This technqiue for creative problem solving is to spend a short but intense time thinking and brainstorming about a problem; spending time researching to obtain as much background as possible, including attempting to solve the problem. When it cannot be solved instantly, then simply drop it and do something else.
This technique of planting a seed can be used for solving a myriad of problems.
Those people who commented on planning in the evening instead of planning in the morning likely benefit quite a bit from this planting the seed technique. If you are planning the evening before, you have time for your sub-conscious to think about what it is you are going to do and psychologically prepare yourself better for the day. I suspect you also solve some of your problems as they go.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Ottawa Fall Colours Marathon
I hope everyone is enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend.
I was in Ottawa this weekend and ran the Ottawa Fall Colours Marathon. I actually had not really planned to run it but needed a long run to train for New York which is coming up in a month. I figured it would get me out for a long run if I registered. I had been doing the minimulist training which is not the best in my experience. I deliberately ran slow since it was meant to be a training run. For those unfamiliar with marathons - they are all the same distance - 26.2 miles (42.2 Km). So it s a bit of a distance.
Thank goodness the weather was perfect, unlike Chicago where the marathon was cancelled. There was a bit of chill in the air while wating for the start but as soon as we started, it was perfect. Slightly overcast. About 17 degrees C. And as promised by the name - the fall coulours were spectacular.
I started the race too fast and deliberately eased off. The field was small with perhaps only 700 runners if you take into account the other distances being run (there was a 5K, 10K and half marathon all being run at the same time although I am not certain which races started at the same time). The first half flew by quickly and easily despite a rather nasty hill right near the start. I finished the first half in 2:07 which was a bit fast for a training run for me.
The race for the full marathon was 2 loops so after the first half, it seemed anticlimatic to start the second loop. And the number of racers on the course really thinned out. There were only 101 people in the full marathon. It was truly a solitary run from the half way point. I slowed my pace to about 7 min per Km from the 6 min I was doing for the first half.
At about 32K, my body was telling me "enough" so I really had to kick in the will power just to keep moving forward. I began walking for long stretches. I had calculated that I could actually walk the full last 10 K and still be OK for the 5 hour course time limit. Perhaps that was the wrong calucation to do because I started walking more. I repeated the "pain is temporary - pride is forever" line more than a few times to get through.
Eventually I finished. My time was 4:45 which was slower than I had intended but I am still proud of having finished an awesome training run.
But running the marathon was not the stupidest thing I did yesterday, I got in the car and drove for 5 hours after the run. Bad idea to run a marathon then sit in a car for that long.
Today I am having a fairly productive day in the office preparing for the week. Although I do notice I am less eager to hop up and go get things. Something about desk work is appealing today.
I was in Ottawa this weekend and ran the Ottawa Fall Colours Marathon. I actually had not really planned to run it but needed a long run to train for New York which is coming up in a month. I figured it would get me out for a long run if I registered. I had been doing the minimulist training which is not the best in my experience. I deliberately ran slow since it was meant to be a training run. For those unfamiliar with marathons - they are all the same distance - 26.2 miles (42.2 Km). So it s a bit of a distance.
Thank goodness the weather was perfect, unlike Chicago where the marathon was cancelled. There was a bit of chill in the air while wating for the start but as soon as we started, it was perfect. Slightly overcast. About 17 degrees C. And as promised by the name - the fall coulours were spectacular.
I started the race too fast and deliberately eased off. The field was small with perhaps only 700 runners if you take into account the other distances being run (there was a 5K, 10K and half marathon all being run at the same time although I am not certain which races started at the same time). The first half flew by quickly and easily despite a rather nasty hill right near the start. I finished the first half in 2:07 which was a bit fast for a training run for me.
The race for the full marathon was 2 loops so after the first half, it seemed anticlimatic to start the second loop. And the number of racers on the course really thinned out. There were only 101 people in the full marathon. It was truly a solitary run from the half way point. I slowed my pace to about 7 min per Km from the 6 min I was doing for the first half.
At about 32K, my body was telling me "enough" so I really had to kick in the will power just to keep moving forward. I began walking for long stretches. I had calculated that I could actually walk the full last 10 K and still be OK for the 5 hour course time limit. Perhaps that was the wrong calucation to do because I started walking more. I repeated the "pain is temporary - pride is forever" line more than a few times to get through.
Eventually I finished. My time was 4:45 which was slower than I had intended but I am still proud of having finished an awesome training run.
But running the marathon was not the stupidest thing I did yesterday, I got in the car and drove for 5 hours after the run. Bad idea to run a marathon then sit in a car for that long.
Today I am having a fairly productive day in the office preparing for the week. Although I do notice I am less eager to hop up and go get things. Something about desk work is appealing today.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Maple Leafs vs Senators
I lead a charmed life.
I was fortunate tonight to attend dinner (with HSBC) and the Leafs season opener against the Ottawa Senators courtesy of my good friend Warren Spitz. Senators won 4-3.
In the box (courtesy of Tom Bitove) was the head of the Canadian military - general Rick Hillier and deputy Toronto Police Chief Kim Derry. Both men seemed to be very nice and struck me as being good leaders and spokespersons.
I met one of my friends on the way out of the game who asked my how Kaitlin was doing. Kaitlin has touched a lot of hearts. (She is doing much better.) And then she asked me if I would work less because of Kaitlin's accident. Interesting question that had never crossed my mind. The implication is that working hard is not what I want to do. I choose to work hard because I want to and do not regret making that choice.
Does make me think though (and that is never a bad thing).
I was fortunate tonight to attend dinner (with HSBC) and the Leafs season opener against the Ottawa Senators courtesy of my good friend Warren Spitz. Senators won 4-3.
In the box (courtesy of Tom Bitove) was the head of the Canadian military - general Rick Hillier and deputy Toronto Police Chief Kim Derry. Both men seemed to be very nice and struck me as being good leaders and spokespersons.
I met one of my friends on the way out of the game who asked my how Kaitlin was doing. Kaitlin has touched a lot of hearts. (She is doing much better.) And then she asked me if I would work less because of Kaitlin's accident. Interesting question that had never crossed my mind. The implication is that working hard is not what I want to do. I choose to work hard because I want to and do not regret making that choice.
Does make me think though (and that is never a bad thing).
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
GetAbstract and Greg Brophy
One of my articles "Sixty Minutes to Clear Goals" was published on Womanslife.
I was saddened to hear of Greg Brophy's death. He was a great entrepreneur and way too young to die.
I have been reading book abstracts lately from www.getabstract.com. Because I enjoy reading, I sometimes find that the abstracts take away some of that job; however, sometimes I just want the information in which case abstracts are a great way to be informed. One interesting abstract that I read was on the Black Swan, the impact of the highly improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
The book talks about the impact of luck and the fact that some things are simply caused by luck where many times we tend to attribute them to hard work or intelligence or making great decisions.
I have long felt that I am “lucky”. I often say I live a charmed life.
As the book points out, it doesn’t mean just because you are lucky that there wasn’t some skill, intelligence, or preparedness involved. Some of the points that the book makes are:
Keep your eyes open for black swans (things that seem improbable)
Beliefs are sticky but don’t get glued to them
Know that in many cases, you cannot know
As a forecasting period lengthens, prediction errors grow exponentially
Expose yourself to “Positive black swans” – And, at the same time, hedge against negative ones. “Bet pennies to win dollars.”
Look for the nonobvious
Avoid dogmatism – think for yourself. Avoid nerds(tough in the computer business) and herds.
I was saddened to hear of Greg Brophy's death. He was a great entrepreneur and way too young to die.
I have been reading book abstracts lately from www.getabstract.com. Because I enjoy reading, I sometimes find that the abstracts take away some of that job; however, sometimes I just want the information in which case abstracts are a great way to be informed. One interesting abstract that I read was on the Black Swan, the impact of the highly improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
The book talks about the impact of luck and the fact that some things are simply caused by luck where many times we tend to attribute them to hard work or intelligence or making great decisions.
I have long felt that I am “lucky”. I often say I live a charmed life.
As the book points out, it doesn’t mean just because you are lucky that there wasn’t some skill, intelligence, or preparedness involved. Some of the points that the book makes are:
Keep your eyes open for black swans (things that seem improbable)
Beliefs are sticky but don’t get glued to them
Know that in many cases, you cannot know
As a forecasting period lengthens, prediction errors grow exponentially
Expose yourself to “Positive black swans” – And, at the same time, hedge against negative ones. “Bet pennies to win dollars.”
Look for the nonobvious
Avoid dogmatism – think for yourself. Avoid nerds(tough in the computer business) and herds.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Blogger Guilt
Bloggers feel guilt when they do not blog. Guilt is good if it prompts positive action. Bad if it causes unneccessary stress. So I let it go and just blog fast tonight.
Kaitlin is doing much better. Will be a long recovery though.
Great quote in the Globe in an article on marathoning:
"Dedication and committment are what transfer dreams into reality."
and
"Only those who risk going too farcan possibly find out how far they can go."
The same page had a piece that fit people sweat more and sooner than unfit people. This muggy hot weather is sure bad for that. Perhaps I sweat the little things (like not blogging) too much.
All for now.
Kaitlin is doing much better. Will be a long recovery though.
Great quote in the Globe in an article on marathoning:
"Dedication and committment are what transfer dreams into reality."
and
"Only those who risk going too farcan possibly find out how far they can go."
The same page had a piece that fit people sweat more and sooner than unfit people. This muggy hot weather is sure bad for that. Perhaps I sweat the little things (like not blogging) too much.
All for now.
Friday, September 7, 2007
More on Kaitlin
Thanks to all for your kind emails and calls on Kaitlin. I never knew I had that many people who read this blog (well I can see the statisitcs but it does not tell me actually who people are).
Kaitlin has spoken which is a good sign. She told the nurses to get out of her room which is typical of Kaitlin and tells me she is OK. She told the nurses she only wants to have 5 children. She does not yet recognize anyone including her family. Still - progress but a long way to go.
This incident will set a lot of who Kaitlin will choose to become. Overcoming great obstacle can create great people.
Jessalyn (Kaitlin's sister) has set up a web site with a guest book.
I cried when I read all the caring comments people made.
Kaitlin has spoken which is a good sign. She told the nurses to get out of her room which is typical of Kaitlin and tells me she is OK. She told the nurses she only wants to have 5 children. She does not yet recognize anyone including her family. Still - progress but a long way to go.
This incident will set a lot of who Kaitlin will choose to become. Overcoming great obstacle can create great people.
Jessalyn (Kaitlin's sister) has set up a web site with a guest book.
I cried when I read all the caring comments people made.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
My blog formula is 90% business with a focus on efficiency and 10% personal.
Tonight, I violate this formula and only blog personal.
Last night my beautiful 16 year old niece Kaitlin Estill was involved in a very serious car accident. This quickly changes thought and focus. She has a broken pelvis, collar bone, collapsed lung, ripped aorta, lacerated liver and fractured skull. Heart surgery allegedly went well tonight although she has a brain hemorrhage while in surgery or while coming out. No other update.
It has dominated my thoughts since it happened. It dwarfs business challenge.
I feel so helpless and powerless. I guess this is where thoughts and prayers come in. It make one feel like they are doing something.
My brother Lyle (the Bio -Diesel mogul) is an active blogger. He is an excellent writer and has posts on how she is doing.
Tonight, I violate this formula and only blog personal.
Last night my beautiful 16 year old niece Kaitlin Estill was involved in a very serious car accident. This quickly changes thought and focus. She has a broken pelvis, collar bone, collapsed lung, ripped aorta, lacerated liver and fractured skull. Heart surgery allegedly went well tonight although she has a brain hemorrhage while in surgery or while coming out. No other update.
It has dominated my thoughts since it happened. It dwarfs business challenge.
I feel so helpless and powerless. I guess this is where thoughts and prayers come in. It make one feel like they are doing something.
My brother Lyle (the Bio -Diesel mogul) is an active blogger. He is an excellent writer and has posts on how she is doing.
Monday, September 3, 2007
The Halo Effect
Phil Rosenzweig wrote an interesting book called, "The Halo Effect and Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers."
I have often said that when I am not performing well, that I am better than what people think I am and when I am performing well, I am not as good as what people think I am. The Halo Effect can have a great impact. I noticed that if a company is on a roll and successful then more people want to work there and more people want to buy from there, etc. The opposite can also be true if a company gets the reputation of not being a good place to work, etc.
The gist of The Halo Effect is it tends to accentuate either the positive or the negative and gives attributes to someone that the person does not have because of their expertise in another area. For example, business people are often asked (and listened to) for their advice on politics or sports but they may have no expertise at all in that area.
I often find because of my success in business that people ask me for advice about things that I would have little knowledge of and they tend to weigh my advice more heavily then they should. One of the reason I seek success as much as I do is because it actually means that people do tend to listen and we all like people to listen to us.
Some take-aways from the book…
-The "Halo Effect" occurs when people ascribe positive attributes to a person or company, even without evidence that the positive traits, in fact, really exist.
-The halo effect is rooted in cognitive dissonance theory: people want a cohesive picture of the world, and so they disregard facts that don’t fit that framework.
- Some famous business books were based on delusions about company performance. The authors were victims of the halo effect, snowed by fleeting success and shallow data.
- Most business studies try to extrapolate upbeat results from meager correlations.
- Real performance emanates from inside a company and its market.
- Tom Peters, co-author of In Search of Excellence, said its data was "faked." The stock prices of more than half the top companies in Built to Last did not beat the S&P 500 in five years after the book was published.
- Company performance is relative to assess it, see it in a competitive context.
- Long-term success is comprised of a series of short-term successes. Companies that adapt have a greater chance of sustained success.
- Beware of "storytelling that masquerades as science."
I have often said that when I am not performing well, that I am better than what people think I am and when I am performing well, I am not as good as what people think I am. The Halo Effect can have a great impact. I noticed that if a company is on a roll and successful then more people want to work there and more people want to buy from there, etc. The opposite can also be true if a company gets the reputation of not being a good place to work, etc.
The gist of The Halo Effect is it tends to accentuate either the positive or the negative and gives attributes to someone that the person does not have because of their expertise in another area. For example, business people are often asked (and listened to) for their advice on politics or sports but they may have no expertise at all in that area.
I often find because of my success in business that people ask me for advice about things that I would have little knowledge of and they tend to weigh my advice more heavily then they should. One of the reason I seek success as much as I do is because it actually means that people do tend to listen and we all like people to listen to us.
Some take-aways from the book…
-The "Halo Effect" occurs when people ascribe positive attributes to a person or company, even without evidence that the positive traits, in fact, really exist.
-The halo effect is rooted in cognitive dissonance theory: people want a cohesive picture of the world, and so they disregard facts that don’t fit that framework.
- Some famous business books were based on delusions about company performance. The authors were victims of the halo effect, snowed by fleeting success and shallow data.
- Most business studies try to extrapolate upbeat results from meager correlations.
- Real performance emanates from inside a company and its market.
- Tom Peters, co-author of In Search of Excellence, said its data was "faked." The stock prices of more than half the top companies in Built to Last did not beat the S&P 500 in five years after the book was published.
- Company performance is relative to assess it, see it in a competitive context.
- Long-term success is comprised of a series of short-term successes. Companies that adapt have a greater chance of sustained success.
- Beware of "storytelling that masquerades as science."
Monday, August 27, 2007
Plan the Night Before
I got lots of feedback on my Golden Hour post. There seems to be 2 types - the plan in the morning and the plan in the evening sorts. I suppose the ideal would be both.
One of my friends sums up the evening view well below:
Hello Jim,
Lots of good, useful and/or nice things to do in the morning. However, for those people, who sleep a bit more than you do, I would still recommend the "plan for tomorrow, tonight" approach. I believe that spending a few minutes at the end of the work-day with planning out the next day, is the best way to hit the road running in the morning. After having walked to work, or having done some yoga or whatever else you suggested.
Best Regards,
Alex
Alex Revai
Productivity Solutions
Email: arevai@productivity-solutions.com
Web: http://www.productivity-solutions.com/
Tel: 416-272-6972
One of my friends sums up the evening view well below:
Hello Jim,
Lots of good, useful and/or nice things to do in the morning. However, for those people, who sleep a bit more than you do, I would still recommend the "plan for tomorrow, tonight" approach. I believe that spending a few minutes at the end of the work-day with planning out the next day, is the best way to hit the road running in the morning. After having walked to work, or having done some yoga or whatever else you suggested.
Best Regards,
Alex
Alex Revai
Productivity Solutions
Email: arevai@productivity-solutions.com
Web: http://www.productivity-solutions.com/
Tel: 416-272-6972
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The Golden Hour
I love early mornings. I love the hour or so before the rest of the world stirs. It is peaceful.
Some of the things I use the golden hour for (and of course if I did them all, it would take more than an hour - perhaps I need 3 golden hours):
1 - Organizing my day. If I start the day organized, I tend to get more done but more importantly, I just feel good.
2 - Working out. I have found that working out first thing is the best time for me to do it. It starts the day off right.
3 - Journaling. OK so this is not for everyone and might be a bit out there. I do not do a diary - it is not about my feelings, it is about how I am doing on my goals. I like to spend 20 minutes writing 3 pages free hand. I modified the journalling that "The Artist Way" by Julia Cameron talks about to make it more "business and goal" focussed.
4 - Meditation and yoga. This is more one of those like to do but rarely do things. It would be a good thing to do though.
5 - Walk. Sometimes I walk to work. But even without a walk to work, a walk is a great way to start the day.
6 - Actually digging in and getting lots done. I find I can be highly productive without the usual interruptions that happen during the day.
7 - Reviewing my goals. I find days I spend time reviewing my goals that I am more fucused and more productive on getting done what I want to get done.
I am off for a productive day now.
Some of the things I use the golden hour for (and of course if I did them all, it would take more than an hour - perhaps I need 3 golden hours):
1 - Organizing my day. If I start the day organized, I tend to get more done but more importantly, I just feel good.
2 - Working out. I have found that working out first thing is the best time for me to do it. It starts the day off right.
3 - Journaling. OK so this is not for everyone and might be a bit out there. I do not do a diary - it is not about my feelings, it is about how I am doing on my goals. I like to spend 20 minutes writing 3 pages free hand. I modified the journalling that "The Artist Way" by Julia Cameron talks about to make it more "business and goal" focussed.
4 - Meditation and yoga. This is more one of those like to do but rarely do things. It would be a good thing to do though.
5 - Walk. Sometimes I walk to work. But even without a walk to work, a walk is a great way to start the day.
6 - Actually digging in and getting lots done. I find I can be highly productive without the usual interruptions that happen during the day.
7 - Reviewing my goals. I find days I spend time reviewing my goals that I am more fucused and more productive on getting done what I want to get done.
I am off for a productive day now.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Facebook Phenomenon
Long day today (and it is not over yet) and I have a very busy weekend planned.
Recently I have noticed a huge groundswell of use of Facebook. And of course I have to be on it because I need to keep on top of trends. As I look around on it, it is a bit like blogging except even more public in ways (like who you are talking to and what you are doing). At least in blogging, you decide what you want to say.
I do not like that I have to log in to get messages from it - seems inefficient. Some parts are more efficient like sharing photos and having group discussions. Perhaps I am too business oriented to fully appreciate a just social thing.
Not sure where it is going - just interesting to observe.
Recently I have noticed a huge groundswell of use of Facebook. And of course I have to be on it because I need to keep on top of trends. As I look around on it, it is a bit like blogging except even more public in ways (like who you are talking to and what you are doing). At least in blogging, you decide what you want to say.
I do not like that I have to log in to get messages from it - seems inefficient. Some parts are more efficient like sharing photos and having group discussions. Perhaps I am too business oriented to fully appreciate a just social thing.
Not sure where it is going - just interesting to observe.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Habits (again)
Stating the obvious, I have not blogged in a while. I slipped out of the habit.
I constantly look at my habits because we are the product of what we repeatedly do. Who we are is in part determined by our habits. This is a re-evaluation time for me and habits. Looking for which ones support what I want to do and be. Looking at those I need to substitute with healthier habits.
There is a good article on health habits on web MD. Of the 13 suggestions, I am good on:
1 - eating breakfast (80% of the time anyways)
2 - getting enough omega 3
4 - social connections (I might have too many)
5 - exercise
6 - dental hygene.
12- daily walk (90% of the days I walk at least 30 minutes. When I walk to work it is 45 minutes each way and I love that time to clear my thoughts. Best 45 minute commute anyone could have)
13 - plan (one of my strong points)
I am fair on
8 - protecting skin
9 - snacking
10 - drink water and eat dairy (not sure how that became one habit). I drink enough water, do not drink milk but love cheese.
11 - drink tea. I do drink tea (mostly green tea) but not as much in the summer.
And if I count business as a hobby, I am good on 7 - hobbies (for that matter, I do play bridge, run, read etc so do have some non-business hobbies)
I am bad on:
3 - sleep
Of course it is not all about health habits for me. It is about business habits, learning habits, growth habits etc.
I constantly look at my habits because we are the product of what we repeatedly do. Who we are is in part determined by our habits. This is a re-evaluation time for me and habits. Looking for which ones support what I want to do and be. Looking at those I need to substitute with healthier habits.
There is a good article on health habits on web MD. Of the 13 suggestions, I am good on:
1 - eating breakfast (80% of the time anyways)
2 - getting enough omega 3
4 - social connections (I might have too many)
5 - exercise
6 - dental hygene.
12- daily walk (90% of the days I walk at least 30 minutes. When I walk to work it is 45 minutes each way and I love that time to clear my thoughts. Best 45 minute commute anyone could have)
13 - plan (one of my strong points)
I am fair on
8 - protecting skin
9 - snacking
10 - drink water and eat dairy (not sure how that became one habit). I drink enough water, do not drink milk but love cheese.
11 - drink tea. I do drink tea (mostly green tea) but not as much in the summer.
And if I count business as a hobby, I am good on 7 - hobbies (for that matter, I do play bridge, run, read etc so do have some non-business hobbies)
I am bad on:
3 - sleep
Of course it is not all about health habits for me. It is about business habits, learning habits, growth habits etc.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
What we give
I have not been blogging much lately. I find it interesting that my readership has not dropped off much despite of that. Thinking less blogging coincides with many people taking vacations so the 2 go hand in hand.
I attended a fund raiser for the Guelph General hospital last week at the home of Frank and Margaret Hasenfratz from Linamar. Frank gave a short speech and used the following quotation, "We make a living by what we get; we make life by what we give" (Sir Winston Churchill 1874 – 1965).
A good quotation and good words to live by.
I attended a fund raiser for the Guelph General hospital last week at the home of Frank and Margaret Hasenfratz from Linamar. Frank gave a short speech and used the following quotation, "We make a living by what we get; we make life by what we give" (Sir Winston Churchill 1874 – 1965).
A good quotation and good words to live by.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
To be a Failure or Just Failure
I did presentations to staff at Ronson today. Tonight we have a welcome reception for the Redmond Group who moved into our office on Monday. It is good to see the parking lot full and the sales floors buzzing.
I spoke about failure. There is a big difference between failing and being a failure. One is a learning and an opportunity to grow. The other is an end point. I talked about some failure being good because it means you are trying hard and moving near the edge. Those who never fail never grow or learn or move forward.
Thomas Edison spoke of Overcoming Failure: I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
I have always said "fail often, fail fast, fail cheap".
Success and failure are linked. Great successes also have their fair share of failures.
I spoke about failure. There is a big difference between failing and being a failure. One is a learning and an opportunity to grow. The other is an end point. I talked about some failure being good because it means you are trying hard and moving near the edge. Those who never fail never grow or learn or move forward.
Thomas Edison spoke of Overcoming Failure: I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
I have always said "fail often, fail fast, fail cheap".
Success and failure are linked. Great successes also have their fair share of failures.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Staying Motivated
One advantage of blogging for a long time is people often send me blog topic idea. This makes it easier to blog after a while. The following blog post was forwarded to me by one of my friends. It was originally published on http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/. It is written by John Wesley. http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/ is a great Blog.
HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF by John Wesley
Staying motivated is a struggle — our drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt and depression. What separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.
There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.
Reasons We Lose Motivation
There are 3 primary reasons we lose motivation.
Lack of confidence - If you don’t believe you can succeed, what’s the point in trying?
Lack of focus - If you don’t know what you want, do you really want anything?
Lack of direction - If you don’t know what to do, how can you be motivated to do it?
How to Boost Confidence
The first motivation killer is a lack of confidence. When this happens to me, it’s usually because I’m focusing entirely on what I want and neglecting what I already have. When you only think about what you want, your mind creates explanations for why you aren’t getting it. This creates negative thoughts. Past failures, bad breaks, and personal weaknesses dominate your mind. You become jealous of your competitors and start making excuses for why you can’t succeed. In this state, you tend to make a bad impression, assume the worst about others, and lose self confidence.
The way to get out of this thought pattern is to focus on gratitude. Set aside time to focus on everything positive in your life. Make a mental list of your strengths, past successes, and current advantages. We tend to take our strengths for granted and dwell on our failures. By making an effort to feel grateful, you’ll realize how competent and successful you already are. This will rejuvenate your confidence and get you motivated to build on your current success.
It might sound strange that repeating things you already know can improve your mindset, but it’s amazingly effective. The mind distorts reality to confirm what it wants to believe. The more negatively you think, the more examples your mind will discover to confirm that belief. When you truly believe that you deserve success, your mind will generate ways to achieve it. The best way to bring success to yourself is to genuinely desire to create value for the rest of the world.
Developing Tangible Focus
The second motivation killer is a lack of focus. How often do you focus on what you don’t want, rather than on a concrete goal? We normally think in terms of fear. I’m afraid of being poor. I’m afraid no one will respect me. I’m afraid of being alone. The problem with this type of thinking is that fear alone isn’t actionable. Instead of doing something about our fear, it feeds on itself and drains our motivation.
If you’re caught up in fear based thinking, the first step is focusing that energy on a well defined goal. By defining a goal, you automatically define a set of actions. If you have a fear of poverty, create a plan to increase your income. It could be going back to school, obtaining a higher paying job, or developing a profitable website. The key is moving from an intangible desire to concrete, measurable steps.
By focusing your mind on a positive goal instead of an ambiguous fear, you put your brain to work. It instantly begins devising a plan for success. Instead of worrying about the future you start to do something about it. This is the first step in motivating yourself to take action. When know what you want, you become motivated to take action.
Developing Direction
The final piece in the motivational puzzle is direction. If focus means having an ultimate goal, direction is having a day-to-day strategy to achieve it. A lack of direction kills motivation because without an obvious next action we succumb to procrastination. An example of this is a person who wants to have a popular blog, but who spends more time reading posts about blogging than actually writing articles.
The key to finding direction is identifying the activities that lead to success. For every goal, there are activities that pay off and those that don’t. Make a list of all your activities and arrange them based on results. Then make a make an action plan that focuses on the activities that lead to big returns. To continue the example from above, a blogger’s list would look something like this:
Write content
Research relevant topics
Network with other bloggers
Optimize design and ad placements
Answer comments and email
Read other blogs
Keeping track of your most important tasks will direct your energy towards success. Without a constant reminder, it’s easy to waste entire days on filler activities like reading RSS feeds, email, and random web surfing.
When my motivation starts to wane, I regain direction by creating a plan that contains two positive actions. The first one should be a small task you’ve been meaning to do, while the second should be a long-term goal. I immediately do the smaller task. This creates positive momentum. After that I take the first step towards achieving the long-term goal. Doing this periodically is great for getting out of a slump, creating positive reinforcement, and getting long-term plans moving.
It’s inevitable that you’ll encounter periods of low energy, bad luck, and even the occasional failure. If you don’t discipline your mind, these minor speed bumps can turn into mental monsters. By being on guard against the top 3 motivation killers you can preserve your motivation and propel yourself to success.
HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF by John Wesley
Staying motivated is a struggle — our drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt and depression. What separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.
There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.
Reasons We Lose Motivation
There are 3 primary reasons we lose motivation.
Lack of confidence - If you don’t believe you can succeed, what’s the point in trying?
Lack of focus - If you don’t know what you want, do you really want anything?
Lack of direction - If you don’t know what to do, how can you be motivated to do it?
How to Boost Confidence
The first motivation killer is a lack of confidence. When this happens to me, it’s usually because I’m focusing entirely on what I want and neglecting what I already have. When you only think about what you want, your mind creates explanations for why you aren’t getting it. This creates negative thoughts. Past failures, bad breaks, and personal weaknesses dominate your mind. You become jealous of your competitors and start making excuses for why you can’t succeed. In this state, you tend to make a bad impression, assume the worst about others, and lose self confidence.
The way to get out of this thought pattern is to focus on gratitude. Set aside time to focus on everything positive in your life. Make a mental list of your strengths, past successes, and current advantages. We tend to take our strengths for granted and dwell on our failures. By making an effort to feel grateful, you’ll realize how competent and successful you already are. This will rejuvenate your confidence and get you motivated to build on your current success.
It might sound strange that repeating things you already know can improve your mindset, but it’s amazingly effective. The mind distorts reality to confirm what it wants to believe. The more negatively you think, the more examples your mind will discover to confirm that belief. When you truly believe that you deserve success, your mind will generate ways to achieve it. The best way to bring success to yourself is to genuinely desire to create value for the rest of the world.
Developing Tangible Focus
The second motivation killer is a lack of focus. How often do you focus on what you don’t want, rather than on a concrete goal? We normally think in terms of fear. I’m afraid of being poor. I’m afraid no one will respect me. I’m afraid of being alone. The problem with this type of thinking is that fear alone isn’t actionable. Instead of doing something about our fear, it feeds on itself and drains our motivation.
If you’re caught up in fear based thinking, the first step is focusing that energy on a well defined goal. By defining a goal, you automatically define a set of actions. If you have a fear of poverty, create a plan to increase your income. It could be going back to school, obtaining a higher paying job, or developing a profitable website. The key is moving from an intangible desire to concrete, measurable steps.
By focusing your mind on a positive goal instead of an ambiguous fear, you put your brain to work. It instantly begins devising a plan for success. Instead of worrying about the future you start to do something about it. This is the first step in motivating yourself to take action. When know what you want, you become motivated to take action.
Developing Direction
The final piece in the motivational puzzle is direction. If focus means having an ultimate goal, direction is having a day-to-day strategy to achieve it. A lack of direction kills motivation because without an obvious next action we succumb to procrastination. An example of this is a person who wants to have a popular blog, but who spends more time reading posts about blogging than actually writing articles.
The key to finding direction is identifying the activities that lead to success. For every goal, there are activities that pay off and those that don’t. Make a list of all your activities and arrange them based on results. Then make a make an action plan that focuses on the activities that lead to big returns. To continue the example from above, a blogger’s list would look something like this:
Write content
Research relevant topics
Network with other bloggers
Optimize design and ad placements
Answer comments and email
Read other blogs
Keeping track of your most important tasks will direct your energy towards success. Without a constant reminder, it’s easy to waste entire days on filler activities like reading RSS feeds, email, and random web surfing.
When my motivation starts to wane, I regain direction by creating a plan that contains two positive actions. The first one should be a small task you’ve been meaning to do, while the second should be a long-term goal. I immediately do the smaller task. This creates positive momentum. After that I take the first step towards achieving the long-term goal. Doing this periodically is great for getting out of a slump, creating positive reinforcement, and getting long-term plans moving.
It’s inevitable that you’ll encounter periods of low energy, bad luck, and even the occasional failure. If you don’t discipline your mind, these minor speed bumps can turn into mental monsters. By being on guard against the top 3 motivation killers you can preserve your motivation and propel yourself to success.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Strategy Paradox
I have been thinking about strategy a lot lately. I believe a leader needs to have vision and set the right strategy. The best strategy that is not implemented well will still not work. Often, I turn to books to try to learn and study. My strategy thoughts are no different.
I read The Strategy Paradox – Why Committing to Success Leads to Failure (and what to do about it) by Michael E. Raynor. As the title suggests, this book is about paradox. One of my mantras is, fail often, fail fast, and fail cheap. So I do not view failure as permanent. I also think we have to fail in order to learn, grow and move forward.
I also believe that it is not necessary people that see where the market is going that thrive, it is those that adapt to it. The same would be true with strategy and implementation. Adapt to get through wrong assumptions. Change as required by circumstance.
From the book:
Success demands commitments to hard-to-copy, hard-to-reverse configurations of resources and capabilities that are aligned with the competitive conditions of a market. These commitments take time to bear fruit and so they must be based on beliefs about the future. These beliefs can turn out to be wrong. As a result, otherwise excellent strategies can fail simply because the conditions under which those commitments would have been appropriate did not materialize. Sony’s attempts to create new consumer electronics formats – Betamax in video and MiniDisc in audio – illustrate how brilliantly conceived, carefully planned, and flawlessly implemented strategies can come to grief because of the antinomy of commitment and uncertainty.
Requisite Uncertainty extends the definition of corporate context, demanding that corporate management not only set performance targets but also define the strategic uncertainty that the other layers of the organization must manage. It is therefore no great departure from established models or practice to suggest that top management does not make strategy; in reality, it rarely has. Instead, Requisite Uncertainty provides an explicit principle upon which to base the management of both sides of the strategy coin: commitment and uncertainty.
I read The Strategy Paradox – Why Committing to Success Leads to Failure (and what to do about it) by Michael E. Raynor. As the title suggests, this book is about paradox. One of my mantras is, fail often, fail fast, and fail cheap. So I do not view failure as permanent. I also think we have to fail in order to learn, grow and move forward.
I also believe that it is not necessary people that see where the market is going that thrive, it is those that adapt to it. The same would be true with strategy and implementation. Adapt to get through wrong assumptions. Change as required by circumstance.
From the book:
Success demands commitments to hard-to-copy, hard-to-reverse configurations of resources and capabilities that are aligned with the competitive conditions of a market. These commitments take time to bear fruit and so they must be based on beliefs about the future. These beliefs can turn out to be wrong. As a result, otherwise excellent strategies can fail simply because the conditions under which those commitments would have been appropriate did not materialize. Sony’s attempts to create new consumer electronics formats – Betamax in video and MiniDisc in audio – illustrate how brilliantly conceived, carefully planned, and flawlessly implemented strategies can come to grief because of the antinomy of commitment and uncertainty.
Requisite Uncertainty extends the definition of corporate context, demanding that corporate management not only set performance targets but also define the strategic uncertainty that the other layers of the organization must manage. It is therefore no great departure from established models or practice to suggest that top management does not make strategy; in reality, it rarely has. Instead, Requisite Uncertainty provides an explicit principle upon which to base the management of both sides of the strategy coin: commitment and uncertainty.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Juggling and Prioritization
Back from travel to the SYNNEX National Sales conference in Greenville SC. Great event. Good attendance and satisfied customers and vendors. Lots of opportunities also.
One of my friends wrote me an email that I thought I would respond to in my blog:
P. S. Thanks a lot for the Nine Ways to Beat Procrastination posting on your blog. Procrastination is the problem I am fighting right now myself, so I will take a look at your suggestions ;) I was also wondering if I can apply these Nine Ways when I work on several completely different projects at once, and do not know how to prioritize them, what to start first, what second, should I accomplish one project first, and then move to another, or do them in parallel etc.
Clearly my job involves many different priorities. I routinely juggle many different tasks. Every successful person does. The following article explains
1 - I am a big beleiver in TO DO lists. Without a list of everything I have to do, I would not be able to prioritize it. And of course, prioritization is key. I like to work on only my top 3 or 4. And of course, priorities change so sometimes I review and change them.
2 - One way to break through tasks is to set rules. If I can complete the task in 15 minutes or less - I just do it. If I am swamped and behind, I modify this to 10 or even 5 minutes and if I am on top of things, I lengthen it to 20 or 30 minutes. By doing this, I do not need to switch as often and I have less things to do.
3 - The power of focus. There is great power in focusing on just one task at once. Switching and flitting tends to not produce results. Every time you stop and start something, there is a short re-learning time. Avoid this by developing the discipline to do one thing at once.
4 - I read once that a change is as good as a rest. I use this. I can switch off an intense task and do another lower priority one for a while. Especially if it is quite different than the priority task. For example, perhaps my top priority task is finishing a proposal. This is solitary desk work. Switching to meeting with someone or even talking on the phone can be a good break from it. Of course, I do keep my true priorities in mind or this would be a great procrastination tool.
5 - Sometimes leaving a project produces better results. this is particularly true of creative work like writing. Of course this can also be an excuse to procrastinate. i am not suggesting not getting back to it. I am suggesting work intensely, then go away and while you are not working on it, ideas about it tend to flow. My rule is to leave a project when I feel I am being less than productive on it.
So to try to answer the question - best to finish or best to work on more than one at once?
My view - if it is short enough - just do it. If it will not get better if you leave it - just do it. If you do not need a break - just do it.
One of my friends wrote me an email that I thought I would respond to in my blog:
P. S. Thanks a lot for the Nine Ways to Beat Procrastination posting on your blog. Procrastination is the problem I am fighting right now myself, so I will take a look at your suggestions ;) I was also wondering if I can apply these Nine Ways when I work on several completely different projects at once, and do not know how to prioritize them, what to start first, what second, should I accomplish one project first, and then move to another, or do them in parallel etc.
Clearly my job involves many different priorities. I routinely juggle many different tasks. Every successful person does. The following article explains
1 - I am a big beleiver in TO DO lists. Without a list of everything I have to do, I would not be able to prioritize it. And of course, prioritization is key. I like to work on only my top 3 or 4. And of course, priorities change so sometimes I review and change them.
2 - One way to break through tasks is to set rules. If I can complete the task in 15 minutes or less - I just do it. If I am swamped and behind, I modify this to 10 or even 5 minutes and if I am on top of things, I lengthen it to 20 or 30 minutes. By doing this, I do not need to switch as often and I have less things to do.
3 - The power of focus. There is great power in focusing on just one task at once. Switching and flitting tends to not produce results. Every time you stop and start something, there is a short re-learning time. Avoid this by developing the discipline to do one thing at once.
4 - I read once that a change is as good as a rest. I use this. I can switch off an intense task and do another lower priority one for a while. Especially if it is quite different than the priority task. For example, perhaps my top priority task is finishing a proposal. This is solitary desk work. Switching to meeting with someone or even talking on the phone can be a good break from it. Of course, I do keep my true priorities in mind or this would be a great procrastination tool.
5 - Sometimes leaving a project produces better results. this is particularly true of creative work like writing. Of course this can also be an excuse to procrastinate. i am not suggesting not getting back to it. I am suggesting work intensely, then go away and while you are not working on it, ideas about it tend to flow. My rule is to leave a project when I feel I am being less than productive on it.
So to try to answer the question - best to finish or best to work on more than one at once?
My view - if it is short enough - just do it. If it will not get better if you leave it - just do it. If you do not need a break - just do it.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Goals versus Growth
On my flight today, I listened to a John Maxwell audiobook. He spoke about Goals versus Growth orietation. He said that sometime people who are goal focussed (like me) reach goals then stop. Of course when someone stops reaching, they start to decline. He spoke of the need to be Growth oriented because that way, you keep going.
I have lone been a proponent of setting goals and having action plans to achieve them. Interesting, as I reach or even get close to reaching my goals, I set new ones. This might be the step some people make. Always keep setting new goals.
This is the way I can be both Growth and Goal Oriented.
I have lone been a proponent of setting goals and having action plans to achieve them. Interesting, as I reach or even get close to reaching my goals, I set new ones. This might be the step some people make. Always keep setting new goals.
This is the way I can be both Growth and Goal Oriented.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Nine Ways to Beat Procrastination
I have been in the warehouse since early today. Good that it is cooler out.
I recently published an article on procrastination. One reader suggested a 10th point so I added her feedback.
Nine Ways to Beat Procrastination
I am a student of Time Management and a big part of time management is beating procrastination. We all procrastinate, even those of us who pride ourselves in having good time management skills.
From my studies, I have come up with nine proven ways to beat procrastination.
Do the worst task first: I have used this technique for years and I have even created more than one first thing. There is first thing in the morning, there is first thing in the after lunch, and there is first thing in the evening. I take a look at the items on my To Do List and figure out which one I am dreading the most and spend a limited time on it at least moving it forward. This is known as, swallowing the frog first thing and the rest of the day looks good.
Break it down: Often the reason that we procrastinate is because the task ahead of us is too big. Often there are small parts of the task that can be done. How do you climb a mountain? One step at a time.
Use a friend: I wasn't actually referring to delegation (but of course I don't mind that either), I was referring to tell a friend what you want to do and get them to help you start the task. Often it is the act of starting a task that is enough to get the task done.
Do the pleasant part of the task: Often many distasteful and large jobs have some parts to it that are not particular distasteful. Do them so at least you are moving forward on your most important items.
Fifteen (15) minutes: Just spend 15 minutes on a task. I have the attitude that I can spend 15 minutes doing virtually anything and I can certainly survive spending 15 minutes on something. Often by spending the 15 minutes on a task, I either complete it or I will get it moved forward enough that it has momentum to finish.
Track it: The simple act of tracking process on a goal is often enough to keep the goal moving forward. It seems odd but simply knowing that you are going to write down whether or not you have done something is often enough to make you move forward.
Reward or punish: The reason we do something is because it is more painful than not doing something, so if we can make a task more rewarding or more painful, then we tend to move forward on things so tying successful completion of a task to a reward is often a successful technique.
Use matras, One of my favourite is "successful people do tough things". I want to be a success so this drives me to get started.
Develop success habits. If something is a habit, it happens naturally. Deliberately plan systems to support successful habits. Decide what habits you want and do them.
Remember that even successful people occasionally procrastinate. It is not a permanent condition. Just do it - it is usually not as bad as you think.
And the reader point:
10. Know yourself, know the team:
Sometimes, the procrastination is caused by the overcommitted schedule. Thus, the reasonable timeline is very important. To make out the reasonable timetable, we need to "know ourself and know the team". That is to say, know the productivity. Also, when a unreasonable milestone is expected by the boss or the customers, we should have the braveness(also the evidences) to say "No, it can not be" - maybe in a moderate expression but the attitude should be clear. Also, it was suggested that throwing out your alternative plan when saying No. Reasonable schedule is the base of avoiding procrastination, also of avoiding frustrating the yourself/customer/team/boss. It benefits all the stakeholders finally.
I recently published an article on procrastination. One reader suggested a 10th point so I added her feedback.
Nine Ways to Beat Procrastination
I am a student of Time Management and a big part of time management is beating procrastination. We all procrastinate, even those of us who pride ourselves in having good time management skills.
From my studies, I have come up with nine proven ways to beat procrastination.
Do the worst task first: I have used this technique for years and I have even created more than one first thing. There is first thing in the morning, there is first thing in the after lunch, and there is first thing in the evening. I take a look at the items on my To Do List and figure out which one I am dreading the most and spend a limited time on it at least moving it forward. This is known as, swallowing the frog first thing and the rest of the day looks good.
Break it down: Often the reason that we procrastinate is because the task ahead of us is too big. Often there are small parts of the task that can be done. How do you climb a mountain? One step at a time.
Use a friend: I wasn't actually referring to delegation (but of course I don't mind that either), I was referring to tell a friend what you want to do and get them to help you start the task. Often it is the act of starting a task that is enough to get the task done.
Do the pleasant part of the task: Often many distasteful and large jobs have some parts to it that are not particular distasteful. Do them so at least you are moving forward on your most important items.
Fifteen (15) minutes: Just spend 15 minutes on a task. I have the attitude that I can spend 15 minutes doing virtually anything and I can certainly survive spending 15 minutes on something. Often by spending the 15 minutes on a task, I either complete it or I will get it moved forward enough that it has momentum to finish.
Track it: The simple act of tracking process on a goal is often enough to keep the goal moving forward. It seems odd but simply knowing that you are going to write down whether or not you have done something is often enough to make you move forward.
Reward or punish: The reason we do something is because it is more painful than not doing something, so if we can make a task more rewarding or more painful, then we tend to move forward on things so tying successful completion of a task to a reward is often a successful technique.
Use matras, One of my favourite is "successful people do tough things". I want to be a success so this drives me to get started.
Develop success habits. If something is a habit, it happens naturally. Deliberately plan systems to support successful habits. Decide what habits you want and do them.
Remember that even successful people occasionally procrastinate. It is not a permanent condition. Just do it - it is usually not as bad as you think.
And the reader point:
10. Know yourself, know the team:
Sometimes, the procrastination is caused by the overcommitted schedule. Thus, the reasonable timeline is very important. To make out the reasonable timetable, we need to "know ourself and know the team". That is to say, know the productivity. Also, when a unreasonable milestone is expected by the boss or the customers, we should have the braveness(also the evidences) to say "No, it can not be" - maybe in a moderate expression but the attitude should be clear. Also, it was suggested that throwing out your alternative plan when saying No. Reasonable schedule is the base of avoiding procrastination, also of avoiding frustrating the yourself/customer/team/boss. It benefits all the stakeholders finally.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Perspective
Today, I went to one of my best friend's Steve Spicer's funeral. There was a story in the Record about him. Tough day.
Last week I met with a couple of YPO friends from Zimbabwe. They own a food distribution business. The government has seized their warehouse and is forcing them to sell at half their cost (see story) in an attempt to curb the rampant inflation. They have also jailed their senior executives. Of course, this results in losses that will likely force them out of business causing Zimbabwe to lose valuable entrepreneurs.
So what do these 2 things have in common? Possibly they give me perspective. I have challenges but they are small compared to what others face.
Last week I met with a couple of YPO friends from Zimbabwe. They own a food distribution business. The government has seized their warehouse and is forcing them to sell at half their cost (see story) in an attempt to curb the rampant inflation. They have also jailed their senior executives. Of course, this results in losses that will likely force them out of business causing Zimbabwe to lose valuable entrepreneurs.
So what do these 2 things have in common? Possibly they give me perspective. I have challenges but they are small compared to what others face.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Steve Spicer
I was saddened by the death of my good friend, Steve Spicer. He was the founder of Spicer Corporation and Printeron. He was 46. Very tragic.
From the KW Record:
(Jul 7, 2007) -- SPICER, Steven - Suddenly, at his residence in Kitchener, Ontario, on Thursday, July 5, 2007 at age 46. Beloved son of Louise Spicer and the late Dalton Spicer (2005). Loving brother of Lynn Hammett and her husband Richard. Loved uncle of Ellen, Claire, Marion and Jack. Dear nephew of Katrina MacAloney, Verna Hatfield (Glendon), Isabelle Doyle (Robert) and Marvis McNair. Also predeceased by his uncle, John Parkes (2006). Mr. Spicer was President and C.E.O. of Spicer Corporation and Printeron. He was an avid hunter and was a member of Y.P.O the Young Presidents Organization. Mr. Spicer was a driving force in the technology community for the past 25 years. His innovation and drive will be sadly missed. Friends are invited to visit the family at the H.L. Cudney Funeral Home , 241 West Main Street, Welland, on Monday, July 9, 2007 from 7 - 9 p.m. and Tuesday, July 10, 2007 from 1 p.m. until the time of the funeral service at 3 p.m. in the Cudney Chapel conducted by Reverend Graham Thorpe. Interment will follow in Pleasantview Memorial Gardens. As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations to the Alzheimer Society or the charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated by the family.
Steve was very serious (like me). His fastidious nature caused him a lot of stress in life. He so much wanted his business to succeed and was stressed when things were not perfect. Although he was serious, he did often do adventure trips. His adventures were mostly hunting trips.
Things like this make me realize how mortal we are.
Live in the present.
From the KW Record:
(Jul 7, 2007) -- SPICER, Steven - Suddenly, at his residence in Kitchener, Ontario, on Thursday, July 5, 2007 at age 46. Beloved son of Louise Spicer and the late Dalton Spicer (2005). Loving brother of Lynn Hammett and her husband Richard. Loved uncle of Ellen, Claire, Marion and Jack. Dear nephew of Katrina MacAloney, Verna Hatfield (Glendon), Isabelle Doyle (Robert) and Marvis McNair. Also predeceased by his uncle, John Parkes (2006). Mr. Spicer was President and C.E.O. of Spicer Corporation and Printeron. He was an avid hunter and was a member of Y.P.O the Young Presidents Organization. Mr. Spicer was a driving force in the technology community for the past 25 years. His innovation and drive will be sadly missed. Friends are invited to visit the family at the H.L. Cudney Funeral Home , 241 West Main Street, Welland, on Monday, July 9, 2007 from 7 - 9 p.m. and Tuesday, July 10, 2007 from 1 p.m. until the time of the funeral service at 3 p.m. in the Cudney Chapel conducted by Reverend Graham Thorpe. Interment will follow in Pleasantview Memorial Gardens. As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations to the Alzheimer Society or the charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated by the family.
Steve was very serious (like me). His fastidious nature caused him a lot of stress in life. He so much wanted his business to succeed and was stressed when things were not perfect. Although he was serious, he did often do adventure trips. His adventures were mostly hunting trips.
Things like this make me realize how mortal we are.
Live in the present.
Monday, June 25, 2007
On Excess Resources
My "I talk to myself" blog was quoted in the Globe and Mail today.
I was in my Guelph office today. I still feel I am only at 80% efficiency. Lots of little things are hampering full speed. I am still feeling in crisis on the building. Way too many little things that need doing. It is one of those times when I feel we are far from excellent. I guess the advantage of that is we can only go up from here.
A good well run business does not have extra resources. What makes a move of the magnitude we are doing problematic is that we ask our people who already are fully loaded (if we are running the business well) to take on more. The challenge we face is multiple moves. Integrating Redmond. And a huge building which is a huge maintenance and management challenge itself.
When faced with more than I can do, I always turn first to my systems. So this is what I am doing now and encouraging people to do. I will develop systems to allow me to cope with the volume.
I know 6 months from now, life will be good. Now to try to enjoy the process to get us there.
I was in my Guelph office today. I still feel I am only at 80% efficiency. Lots of little things are hampering full speed. I am still feeling in crisis on the building. Way too many little things that need doing. It is one of those times when I feel we are far from excellent. I guess the advantage of that is we can only go up from here.
A good well run business does not have extra resources. What makes a move of the magnitude we are doing problematic is that we ask our people who already are fully loaded (if we are running the business well) to take on more. The challenge we face is multiple moves. Integrating Redmond. And a huge building which is a huge maintenance and management challenge itself.
When faced with more than I can do, I always turn first to my systems. So this is what I am doing now and encouraging people to do. I will develop systems to allow me to cope with the volume.
I know 6 months from now, life will be good. Now to try to enjoy the process to get us there.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Guelph Lake Triathlon
I am taking a break from catch up in the office to blog. I am feeling behind from my travel this week. The move also took some extra time.
This is one week after our office move to Woodlawn. There is a huge number of small things that still need doing to make this place the way it will ultimately be. Somewhat daunting. And today, I am not doing any of the small things since I have to do my real job so have lots of email catch up, reports etc to do. I find an uninterrupted day in the office is as productive as 3 normal days.
I am stiff and sore and a bit sunburned from doing the Guelph Lake Triathlon yesterday. I did the sprint Tri which is 750M swim, 19K cycle and 5 K run. My time was in the range it usually is. I am low average on the swim (19:41) . My transitions are slow so need to practise getting out of my wetsuit more and even changing from my cycle shoes to runners. The Bike is where I lose all my time with a very slow 46:19. And my run was in the top third at 24:08 (although this is not particularly fast).
The day was fabulous although slightly hot (I am Canadian so complaining about the weather is mandatory). I found my wetsuit tight and restricting my breathing. The triathlon swim start in waves - 3 minutes apart. I was in the 4th wave based on my age. The horn went for my wave and I ran with the crowd of about 50 in my wave for 15M until it was deep enough to swim. At first there was a mass of people. I was kicked many times but never hurt and did not get my goggles kicked off which I hate. By the first bouy the crowd had thinned and I had found my pace. As I swam between the first and third bouy, I found I was zig zagging. I really need to work on swimming straight. As I approached the third bouy, we once again hit traffic - the slower swimmers from earlier waves. It seemed crowded after the turn at the third bouy to the fourth and then I realized we were being passed by faster swimmers from the 5th and 6th waves. I was tiring and struggled for the last 250 M. Although my time was low average, I really cannot complain, it was the first time I have swam this year (thats right - no swim training).
I slowly ran to the transition area and struggled to get my wetsuit off and my cycle shoes on. Ran slowly with my bike to the "bike on" mark and began cycling. There was a headwind which surprisingly seemed to last much of the course. As I cycled, I was passed by many many people (perhaps 60). Especially on the downhills where I brake a little (need to get used to the speed thing). By 2/3 of the way, no one was passing me and I was passing some people - especially on the uphills. I drank almost a full bottle of Gatoraid that I had on my bike. Very poor time but again - virtually no bike training.
I finished the bike and ran slowly to change out of my bike shoes into my running shoes. I started the run and my legs felt cramped and just weird. Running right after cycling is a strange feeling. I know some triathletes practise doing this so they get used to the feeling. I kept repeating that it was only a 5 K so would be easy. I stopped at all the water stops. As I ran, I passed about 30 other runners. It felt good to pass most people and I do not recall anyone passing me. I had prepared well for the run with the Ottawa marathon 3 weeks previous.
The bottom line for me and triathlons is if I want better times, I need to prepare more. I guess this is no different than anything in life. Those who prepare more win.
This is one week after our office move to Woodlawn. There is a huge number of small things that still need doing to make this place the way it will ultimately be. Somewhat daunting. And today, I am not doing any of the small things since I have to do my real job so have lots of email catch up, reports etc to do. I find an uninterrupted day in the office is as productive as 3 normal days.
I am stiff and sore and a bit sunburned from doing the Guelph Lake Triathlon yesterday. I did the sprint Tri which is 750M swim, 19K cycle and 5 K run. My time was in the range it usually is. I am low average on the swim (19:41) . My transitions are slow so need to practise getting out of my wetsuit more and even changing from my cycle shoes to runners. The Bike is where I lose all my time with a very slow 46:19. And my run was in the top third at 24:08 (although this is not particularly fast).
The day was fabulous although slightly hot (I am Canadian so complaining about the weather is mandatory). I found my wetsuit tight and restricting my breathing. The triathlon swim start in waves - 3 minutes apart. I was in the 4th wave based on my age. The horn went for my wave and I ran with the crowd of about 50 in my wave for 15M until it was deep enough to swim. At first there was a mass of people. I was kicked many times but never hurt and did not get my goggles kicked off which I hate. By the first bouy the crowd had thinned and I had found my pace. As I swam between the first and third bouy, I found I was zig zagging. I really need to work on swimming straight. As I approached the third bouy, we once again hit traffic - the slower swimmers from earlier waves. It seemed crowded after the turn at the third bouy to the fourth and then I realized we were being passed by faster swimmers from the 5th and 6th waves. I was tiring and struggled for the last 250 M. Although my time was low average, I really cannot complain, it was the first time I have swam this year (thats right - no swim training).
I slowly ran to the transition area and struggled to get my wetsuit off and my cycle shoes on. Ran slowly with my bike to the "bike on" mark and began cycling. There was a headwind which surprisingly seemed to last much of the course. As I cycled, I was passed by many many people (perhaps 60). Especially on the downhills where I brake a little (need to get used to the speed thing). By 2/3 of the way, no one was passing me and I was passing some people - especially on the uphills. I drank almost a full bottle of Gatoraid that I had on my bike. Very poor time but again - virtually no bike training.
I finished the bike and ran slowly to change out of my bike shoes into my running shoes. I started the run and my legs felt cramped and just weird. Running right after cycling is a strange feeling. I know some triathletes practise doing this so they get used to the feeling. I kept repeating that it was only a 5 K so would be easy. I stopped at all the water stops. As I ran, I passed about 30 other runners. It felt good to pass most people and I do not recall anyone passing me. I had prepared well for the run with the Ottawa marathon 3 weeks previous.
The bottom line for me and triathlons is if I want better times, I need to prepare more. I guess this is no different than anything in life. Those who prepare more win.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Nostalgia and Linked
I have been usy. Hence the no Blogging. Saturday we moved our Guelph offices from highway 24 to our new Woodlawn facility. It was somewhat nostagic moving out of a building and office I had been in for 20 years. It made me think of all the changes that had happened in that time. It was good reducing the amount of clutter in my life though. I had accumulated a lot of things in those 20 years.
Sunday I ran the Waterloo 10K classic than flew to California where I am writing this. The race was hot so times were long so even with a time of over 49 minutes, I placed 12th in my age out of 33 runners. Not sure it is the best idea to fly for 5 hours after a race though. I was sore.
I recently read the book, Linked - the New Science of Networks by Albert - Laszlo Barabasi. It is a good book in that it is thought provoking and well written. As the title suggests, the gist of the book is about how we are all linked to each other. It discusses the six degrees of separation and how we are likely separated to most other people by six degrees. He also speaks about the Malcolm Gladwell's concept of connectors and how some people are more connected than others. The book refers to Malcolm Gladwell’s concept of hubs and connectors.
From reading the book, I am more inspired to be more connected; however, this perhaps goes against some of my time rules because clearly the more connected, the more time it takes.
Linked also talks about the web and how the winners tend to win in a huge way and there tends to be a few major hubs that everyone refers to (for example, Google). On the web, success begats success and the more links one has, the more likely one is to get more links. Also, the more senior one is on the web – the more likely there is to be more connections (of course that depends on the content). Partly this is because some sites on the web drop out over time. On the web connections, they tend to strengthen in time.
It is interesting to think about what links I have and what value they provide.
The bottom line is that when deciding where to link on the Web, we follow preferential attachment: When choosing between two pages, one with twice as many links as the other, about twice as many people link to the more connected page. While our individual choices are highly unpredictable, as a group we follow strict patterns.
Peferential attachment rules in Hollywood as well. The producer whose job it is to make a movie profitable knows that stars sell movies. Thus casting is determined by two competing factors: the match between the actor and the role, and the actor’s popularity. Both introduce the same bias into the selection process. Actors with more links have a higher chance of getting new roles. Indeed, the more movies an actor has made, the more likely it is that he or she will appear again on the casting director’s radar screen. This is where aspiring actors have a hue disadvantage, a Catch-22 everybody knows both in and out of Hollywood. You need to be known to get good roles, but you need good roles in order to be know.
There is a similar bias in business. I find little successes make bigger ones and over time it becomes easier. Success breeds success.
Sunday I ran the Waterloo 10K classic than flew to California where I am writing this. The race was hot so times were long so even with a time of over 49 minutes, I placed 12th in my age out of 33 runners. Not sure it is the best idea to fly for 5 hours after a race though. I was sore.
I recently read the book, Linked - the New Science of Networks by Albert - Laszlo Barabasi. It is a good book in that it is thought provoking and well written. As the title suggests, the gist of the book is about how we are all linked to each other. It discusses the six degrees of separation and how we are likely separated to most other people by six degrees. He also speaks about the Malcolm Gladwell's concept of connectors and how some people are more connected than others. The book refers to Malcolm Gladwell’s concept of hubs and connectors.
From reading the book, I am more inspired to be more connected; however, this perhaps goes against some of my time rules because clearly the more connected, the more time it takes.
Linked also talks about the web and how the winners tend to win in a huge way and there tends to be a few major hubs that everyone refers to (for example, Google). On the web, success begats success and the more links one has, the more likely one is to get more links. Also, the more senior one is on the web – the more likely there is to be more connections (of course that depends on the content). Partly this is because some sites on the web drop out over time. On the web connections, they tend to strengthen in time.
It is interesting to think about what links I have and what value they provide.
The bottom line is that when deciding where to link on the Web, we follow preferential attachment: When choosing between two pages, one with twice as many links as the other, about twice as many people link to the more connected page. While our individual choices are highly unpredictable, as a group we follow strict patterns.
Peferential attachment rules in Hollywood as well. The producer whose job it is to make a movie profitable knows that stars sell movies. Thus casting is determined by two competing factors: the match between the actor and the role, and the actor’s popularity. Both introduce the same bias into the selection process. Actors with more links have a higher chance of getting new roles. Indeed, the more movies an actor has made, the more likely it is that he or she will appear again on the casting director’s radar screen. This is where aspiring actors have a hue disadvantage, a Catch-22 everybody knows both in and out of Hollywood. You need to be known to get good roles, but you need good roles in order to be know.
There is a similar bias in business. I find little successes make bigger ones and over time it becomes easier. Success breeds success.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
I am swamped. Warehouse move, Guelph office move, travel and board meetings. I feel I am needed in too many places.
A friend of mine sent me a link to an interesting time management site called pmarca.
It had a thought provoking post about not having any schedule. Of course with the scheduled life I lead, this is a challenging thought. And there is even a disclaimer in the article that if you are a CEO it will be tough to pull off.
This is a section from the post:
"Let's start with a bang: don't keep a schedule.
He's crazy, you say!
I'm totally serious. If you pull it off -- and in many structured jobs, you simply can't -- this simple tip alone can make a huge difference in productivity.
By not keeping a schedule, I mean: refuse to commit to meetings, appointments, or activities at any set time in any future day.
As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.
Want to spend all day writing a research report? Do it!
Want to spend all day coding? Do it!
Want to spend all day at the cafe down the street reading a book on personal productivity? Do it!
When someone emails or calls to say, "Let's meet on Tuesday at 3", the appropriate response is: "I'm not keeping a schedule for 2007, so I can't commit to that, but give me a call on Tuesday at 2:45 and if I'm available, I'll meet with you."
Or, if it's important, say, "You know what, let's meet right now."
Clearly this only works if you can get away with it. If you have a structured job, a structured job environment, or you're a CEO, it will be hard to pull off."
A friend of mine sent me a link to an interesting time management site called pmarca.
It had a thought provoking post about not having any schedule. Of course with the scheduled life I lead, this is a challenging thought. And there is even a disclaimer in the article that if you are a CEO it will be tough to pull off.
This is a section from the post:
"Let's start with a bang: don't keep a schedule.
He's crazy, you say!
I'm totally serious. If you pull it off -- and in many structured jobs, you simply can't -- this simple tip alone can make a huge difference in productivity.
By not keeping a schedule, I mean: refuse to commit to meetings, appointments, or activities at any set time in any future day.
As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.
Want to spend all day writing a research report? Do it!
Want to spend all day coding? Do it!
Want to spend all day at the cafe down the street reading a book on personal productivity? Do it!
When someone emails or calls to say, "Let's meet on Tuesday at 3", the appropriate response is: "I'm not keeping a schedule for 2007, so I can't commit to that, but give me a call on Tuesday at 2:45 and if I'm available, I'll meet with you."
Or, if it's important, say, "You know what, let's meet right now."
Clearly this only works if you can get away with it. If you have a structured job, a structured job environment, or you're a CEO, it will be hard to pull off."
Saturday, June 9, 2007
What I learned from Working at a Larger Company
Middle Zone Musings proposed a group writing project. The topic was something you learned from work. So here it is.
What I have learned from working in a larger company…
When I sold my company, EMJ, to SYNNEX close to three years ago, I was thrust into a company that was many times larger than the company that I was previously running. My company (EMJ) had sales of about $375 million and SYNNEX had sales in the billions.
Because I had started EMJ from nothing, I generally spend my time selling to customers and vendors and speaking to people inside EMJ who supported any initiatives that I put forward.
The first few months that I was at SYNNEX, I found it to be extremely difficult. All of a sudden, people inside SYNNEX did not automatically take my direction. I had not earned their respect. I was the new guy. Working in this situation weighed heavily on me.
So I sought the counsel of one of my mentors. He suggested that I needed to treat it like a sale. When I accepted this, a huge weight was lifted. I was accustomed to selling, getting rejected, persisting, changing tactics etc and for some reason I do not find struggle in a selling situation to be depressing.
And that is one learning. There are lots more. Constant learning is one thing that keeps me inspired.
What I have learned from working in a larger company…
When I sold my company, EMJ, to SYNNEX close to three years ago, I was thrust into a company that was many times larger than the company that I was previously running. My company (EMJ) had sales of about $375 million and SYNNEX had sales in the billions.
Because I had started EMJ from nothing, I generally spend my time selling to customers and vendors and speaking to people inside EMJ who supported any initiatives that I put forward.
The first few months that I was at SYNNEX, I found it to be extremely difficult. All of a sudden, people inside SYNNEX did not automatically take my direction. I had not earned their respect. I was the new guy. Working in this situation weighed heavily on me.
So I sought the counsel of one of my mentors. He suggested that I needed to treat it like a sale. When I accepted this, a huge weight was lifted. I was accustomed to selling, getting rejected, persisting, changing tactics etc and for some reason I do not find struggle in a selling situation to be depressing.
And that is one learning. There are lots more. Constant learning is one thing that keeps me inspired.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
The Perfect Day and Tuesdays with Morrie
On my flight to California, I read lots as usual. Uneventful flight which is always good. Now, I am trying to keep up with full days of meetings and still teh usual email load.
My seatmate on the flight to California commented that the book she was reading was excellent so I asked if I could read it. It was "Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson" by Mitch Albom. It was great to read a book that was out of the genre of books I would usually read. The book is a tear jerker. The old man, Morrie, is not that old. He is a professor who has ALS - a terrible degenerative disease. It tells a number of lessons one of his students learns as the professors health progressively gets worse. In time, Morrie learns to value the dependency he must have just to get by in life. So much energy in life is spent fighting for Independence.
I realize on an intellectual level that we are all dying. The book really drove it home. Having ALS brought this into focus for Morrie and I think caused him to have more clarity about what was truly important.
"Look at the view out that window." Morrie says. "I appreciate it more than you do. I appreciate it because I'm losing it . . . The living have it backwards. They value their work and their possessions and their money when in the end, it's only nature, and as I said before, love, that satisfies." "Everyone knows they're going to die, but nobody believes it. . . . To know you're going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time, is better. That way you can be more involved in your life while you're living."
I liked that the old man wanted his tombstone to say "Teacher to the End" which is partly why he spent his Tuesdays with the author trying to impart wisdom.
He spoke of the perfect day. I have often done an exercise where I lay out what a perfect day is for me. Of course being the ambitious sort, it would take 36 hours to do everything I would want in a perfect day but... I find this allows me to have closer to perfect days and helps me to focus. I highly suggest this to anyone who wants more from life.
My seatmate on the flight to California commented that the book she was reading was excellent so I asked if I could read it. It was "Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson" by Mitch Albom. It was great to read a book that was out of the genre of books I would usually read. The book is a tear jerker. The old man, Morrie, is not that old. He is a professor who has ALS - a terrible degenerative disease. It tells a number of lessons one of his students learns as the professors health progressively gets worse. In time, Morrie learns to value the dependency he must have just to get by in life. So much energy in life is spent fighting for Independence.
I realize on an intellectual level that we are all dying. The book really drove it home. Having ALS brought this into focus for Morrie and I think caused him to have more clarity about what was truly important.
"Look at the view out that window." Morrie says. "I appreciate it more than you do. I appreciate it because I'm losing it . . . The living have it backwards. They value their work and their possessions and their money when in the end, it's only nature, and as I said before, love, that satisfies." "Everyone knows they're going to die, but nobody believes it. . . . To know you're going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time, is better. That way you can be more involved in your life while you're living."
I liked that the old man wanted his tombstone to say "Teacher to the End" which is partly why he spent his Tuesdays with the author trying to impart wisdom.
He spoke of the perfect day. I have often done an exercise where I lay out what a perfect day is for me. Of course being the ambitious sort, it would take 36 hours to do everything I would want in a perfect day but... I find this allows me to have closer to perfect days and helps me to focus. I highly suggest this to anyone who wants more from life.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Wikinomics
I am going into a very heavy travel schedule for the next few weeks.
I recently read a book called, Wikonomics - how mass colaboration changes everything by Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams. It is a book about the social networking and collaborative sites that are becoming very popular. I found the book highly interesting since I try to follow trends and try to figure out what opportunities are available in which trends.
Wikonomics points out that many times traditional business is afraid of open source projects like Linux and Wikopedia but others see a corneacopia of participation and economy. The thesis behind the book is that the collaborative social networking type sites actually increase business opportunity and do not take away business opportunity.
The book had a number of possible subtitles including:
Edit This Book!
The Dividends of Collective Genius
We the People
Business (The Remix)
The new World of Collaborative Anarchy
Please Register to Participate
The Power of Us
Creating a New page in Business History
Unleashing Our Collective Genuis
This Book is a Stub
Harnessing the Power of Your Peers
(Your Input Needed Here)
Peer-Powered Prfit in Life, Business, and Individual Choice
The Peer Advantage: Myth or Magic?
Peer Producing the Future
The subtitles describe what the phenomenon is.
The book talks about the 4 principles of Wikonomics including being open. This flies in the face of some businesses which often try to keep their secrets to themselves.
Peering: most organizations have a higher archaric set up and the nature of Wikis is they are based on peer.
Sharing: again a conventional western society says, keep it to yourself.
Acting Globally: Wikies are a great way to get global knowledge working together.
It is a good book and a fairly quick read; fairly inspirational; however, I am still not sure what to do with it. Thinking...
I recently read a book called, Wikonomics - how mass colaboration changes everything by Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams. It is a book about the social networking and collaborative sites that are becoming very popular. I found the book highly interesting since I try to follow trends and try to figure out what opportunities are available in which trends.
Wikonomics points out that many times traditional business is afraid of open source projects like Linux and Wikopedia but others see a corneacopia of participation and economy. The thesis behind the book is that the collaborative social networking type sites actually increase business opportunity and do not take away business opportunity.
The book had a number of possible subtitles including:
Edit This Book!
The Dividends of Collective Genius
We the People
Business (The Remix)
The new World of Collaborative Anarchy
Please Register to Participate
The Power of Us
Creating a New page in Business History
Unleashing Our Collective Genuis
This Book is a Stub
Harnessing the Power of Your Peers
(Your Input Needed Here)
Peer-Powered Prfit in Life, Business, and Individual Choice
The Peer Advantage: Myth or Magic?
Peer Producing the Future
The subtitles describe what the phenomenon is.
The book talks about the 4 principles of Wikonomics including being open. This flies in the face of some businesses which often try to keep their secrets to themselves.
Peering: most organizations have a higher archaric set up and the nature of Wikis is they are based on peer.
Sharing: again a conventional western society says, keep it to yourself.
Acting Globally: Wikies are a great way to get global knowledge working together.
It is a good book and a fairly quick read; fairly inspirational; however, I am still not sure what to do with it. Thinking...
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