Double Double

I have long advocating asking big questions in order to get big results. It is much more powerful to ask how to double sales than how to increase them by 6% because asking for a 6% increase can cause no fundamental change - just doing things a bit better. Asking for a double usually requires a major change.

I am also an advocate of asking "how" rather than "why". Why can spawn "excuse thinking" and reinforce why something cannot be done.

So I was attracted to a book by Cameron Herold "Double Double - How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less"

Of course the first thing he did was to break the big problem down - Double in 3 years is only 25%/yr. He also advocates visioning and goal setting. "Think where (you want to go) - not how".

At first I was disappointed that he did not give the ONE big secret to doubling. Rather he wrote about all the little things. And of course I realize that it is all the little things that create success and not one big thing.

He advocates Preparation and talks about the 6 Ps. "Proper Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance" Memorable.

At the end of the book he has a great list of 58 musings. Ideas he wrote in his journals for himself. Some of them:

3. Don't React: I move too fast without thinking about the ripple effects of my actions or words. I make decisions too quickly without thinking about the effects on other departments or about whether we're even ready for the large initiatives to happen. People think I'm shooting from the hip even when I'm not. I need to stop and try to clearly think about what I'm going to say before I say it.

9. Running: It's amazing for me. It relaxes me, helps me think, clarifies my mind and quiets me. I always feel better and more confident not only during the run but afterward too.

16. Intuition: I have it. I am learning to trust it, to listen to it, to call on it.

31. Deadlines: Build the habit of "doing it" at a specific time in the calendar vs. saying it'll "be done" by a date. Schedule time to do the tasks or projects right into the calendar.

35. Top 5: Easily one of the most impactful tools if it's used daily. It's the daily focused effort that moves mountains. What are the Top 5 things I need to do today? This simple tool should be used in every company.

55. Nice People Are Nice at ALL Times: If someone is rude to a taxi driver, waiter, etc., that person will be a kiss ass, rude, arrogant, etc., with leadership, customers, and coworkers too.