Boss vs. Dictator

Some people mistakenly feel that once they are promoted to an upper management position, they have been granted permission to oversee and control every detail of their subordinate's existence. To borrow a phrase from an old musical, "That ain't necessarily so."

When we try to assert our will over someone else, the other person will most likely get defensive or downright insulted. No one likes to be told what to do. If you doubt this, just remember how it feels when someone tries to tell you what to do. To avoid the natural backlash that comes with this action, you need to look at how you ask for something, what the words mean to you, and how your team member may hear them differently.

I know this sounds like a long process, especially if your motivation is just to get your co-worker to print up a proposal. But if you take this information to heart, you may eliminate a large percentage of your arguments, hurt feelings, and thoughts of using a roll of duct tape to keep a team member's mouth shut.

It's called a working relationship for a reason. Unless you agree that you want one person to have all the control, no individual has the right to make the other subservient. There is a sound psychological reason for this. If we don't treat each other as equals, the ideas can't flow equally, and if that isn't happening, you are eventually going to lose business.

Simply changing any demands to requests is a great way to start. This gives your staff member an opportunity to exercise his or her free will, which is empowering. The chances of getting your needs met are much higher if the other person feels like he or she has some choice in the matter. Acting out by yelling, withholding recognition, or just being nasty is a losing game. It will never help you get what you want. In truth, it will only serve to alienate your team.

If you think this behavior is okay, I implore you to ask your staff members what they are experiencing. Yes, it's a risk, but if you take it now, you'll save yourself a lot of grief in the future.
Working together with an empowered team is one of the best parts of life. The give and take is a dance that would put Fred and Ginger to shame. Being able to have your requests granted with a smile may only be a matter of changing a few words, adjusting your tone, and perhaps your attitude. You'll get the most out of your company and your staff member by treating him or her with the same respect you'd ask for yourself. This is not rocket science, but it's a discovery that could make your business as bright as any star.

For more than two decades Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and government organizations worldwide have relied on Dr. Barton Goldsmith to help them develop creative and balanced leadership. He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, business consultant and author. His columns appear in over 500 publications, including the Chicago Sun-Times, the Detroit News, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. Considered an expert on small business, he has spoken worldwide to groups of 10 to 5,000, and is in high demand for Keynotes, Training and Consulting. He may be contacted through his web site BartonGoldsmith.com or at (818) 879-9996.

Published November 2007

Inadequate Leadership Development Cited as Threat to Business Growth
MediaTec Publishing

Leadership development deficiencies are threatening the future performance of major global businesses, according to results announced in Corporate University Xchange’s latest study on leadership. Ninety-seven percent of study participants are concerned about leadership strength, and 73 percent say current leadership ability is not sufficient to support company growth initiatives.

Significant concern about ongoing leadership development also exists. Only 3 percent expressed confidence in their firms’ ability to develop future leaders to effectively ensure long-term success. In addition, commitment to leadership development is weak or not supported by appropriate financial investment at 70 percent of organizations polled. Seventy-three learning and business executives from Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies participated in CorpU’s study. (A complete list of participants and an Executive Summary can be found at www.CorpU.com/leadership.)

“Given the increasing complexity of today’s business environment, where companies focus on a growing number of markets, countries and regions, leadership talent is even more critical for long-term success,” said Alan Todd, chairman of the board, Corporate University Xchange. “Failure to build leadership talent at a pace on par with aggressive company growth strategies and expansion to emerging markets may severely inhibit business results.”

CorpU found that leadership talent identification and development initiatives are lacking, with 91 percent of organizations challenged to identify high potentials early in their careers. Developing talent often receives minimal attention in formal leadership development programs.

Commitment to leadership development is not supported at the executive level, the study indicated. Only 32 percent said executives demonstrate strong commitment to leadership development and are willing to finance that commitment, while 81 percent are challenged to persuade managers to release high potentials for development assignments. Yet, participants cite lack of leadership as a threat to business growth. Sixty-nine percent are concerned that insufficient leadership talent will prevent their firms from capitalizing on new markets in emerging economies.

“Human capital is becoming the competitive differentiator in today's business world,” said Peter Capelli, director of The Wharton School's Center for Human Resources. “CorpU’s latest report provides an eye-opening look at the state of leadership development in major corporations and should motivate organizational change.”

CorpU identified three areas where leadership development improvement is necessary. First, processes for leadership talent identification, selection and development are not integrated. As in other organizational functions, from marketing to finance, leadership activities need to be more formally structured and managed cohesively for efficiency in building necessary leadership capacity.

Organizations also lack a centralized infrastructure for monitoring processes that verify the potential of future leaders. Many participants employ independent systems such as 360-degree assessments and engagement studies to track leadership activities. Without integrating this information in a common data model, it is difficult to develop comprehensive evaluations of leadership talent pools. Lastly, development assignments, which are critical for cultivating successful executives, must be standardized and monitored for efficacy, which is not the case at the majority of organizations studied.

The report, titled “Leadership 2012,” includes an in-depth analysis of leadership data and trends, and detailed information about leadership development practices used by specific businesses

http://www.clomedia.com/includes/printcontent.php?aid=2003

In The News

SMART LEADER

1. Smart LEADER

1.1. Character and People Skills

Character and Personality of Highly Effective People

Effective Learning

The Role of Your People Skills

The Tao of Influencing People

Understanding People's Perceptions: Map is Not the Territory

Effective Listening

How To Make Effective Presentations

9 Principles of Effective Negotiating

Effective Coaching: Definition and the Keys to Success

Executive Coaching: Key Benefits

Coaching Yourself

Six Fundamental Patterns of Cultural Differences

Culture Dimension Scores for China, Germany, Russia, and USA

The Tao of Cultural Intelligence

1.2. Technology of Achievement

COCA Principle of Achievement

Be Different and Make a Difference

The Tao of Achievement

Self-Motivation

SMART Goals

Achieving Your Goals: 4 Attitudes x 4 Steps

Starting Change with Yourself

Creating Inevitable Success

Entrepreneurial Creativity: 4 Intertwined Pillars

The Tao of Entrepreneurial Creativity

Failure as a Stepping Stone to Success

Creative Problem Solving (CPS): Reframing

1.3. Leadership Skills

Differences Between What Managers and Leaders Do

Leader 360

Mastering Effective Leadership Roles

Leadership Lessons of Xenophon

Leadership Lessons of Lao Tzu

Best Practices: Powell’s Leadership Principles

Best Practices: Welch’s 4Es of Leadership

12 Major Causes of Failure in Leadership

Leadership Attributes: What Leaders Are, Know, and Do

Leadership Schools: Correlation

Inspirational Leadership: 10 Roles

Values-based Leadership
Principles-centered Leadership
Situational Leadership

Situational Leadership: Continuum

Creative Leadership

Leadership Challenge Model: 5 Exemplary Roles

Entrepreneurial Leadership: 10 Key Role Actions

Leader as an Entrepreneur: Talent × Temperament × Technique

2. Smart COMPANY

2.1. Balanced Business System

The Tree of Business

6Ws of Business Success

Rapidly Changing Global Scenario

High-Growth Business Development: 4 Stages

Focus Areas for a Firm's Success

Best Practices: Sam Walton's 10 Rules for Building a Successful Business

Lessons from Infosys' Narayana Murthy: How To Build a Great Company

Corporate Vision

Balanced Business System

Inclusive Company

Innovation Strategies for Top-line and Bottom Line Growth

Balancing Dynamic Organizational Dichotomies

The Tao of Business Success

Business BLISS: Balance – Leadership – Innovation – Synergy – Speed

The Tao of Balanced Management

Management by Consciousness

Business Model: Connecting Internal Inputs to Economic Outputs

Business Model: 1+6 Components

The Tao of Customer Value Creation

Customer Intimacy

Extended Enterprise

Core Competencies

Strategic Alliances

Virtual Integration

Business Architect

Business Architect: Cross-functional Expertise Requirement

Systems Thinking

Cross-functional Excellence

2.2. Winning Organization

9 Signs of a Loosing Organization

Corporate Capabilities

Shift from Industrial to Knowledge-driven Enterprise

Innovation Drivers in Industrial and Knowledge Enterprise

Managing Organizational Change: The Wheel of Business Evolution

Shared Values

Best Practices: Disney's Shared Values and Mission

Best Practices: GE Values Guide

Best Practices: HP Values

Corporate Culture: Adaptive vs. Unadaptive Organization

Entrepreneurial Organization: 10 Steps to Develop Entrepreneurial Staff

Strategies for Building a Growth Culture

Best Practices: Strategies for Building a Flexible Culture at Dell Computers

Success Story: Leading Organizational Transformation at GE

Success Story: GE Work-Out

Best Practices: Seven Steps to Implement Work-Out

New Company-Employee Partnership

Building Trust

The Tao of Employee Empowerment

Employee Satisfaction

Employee Motivation

Team Building: a Dream Team

Team Building: von Manstein Matrix

Creating Cross-functional Teams

The Tao of Leveraging Diversity

Leveraging the Power of Critical Opposites: 10-step Strategy

Fast Company

Success Story: Charles Schwab

Best Practices: Charles Schwab's Corporate Guiding Principles

Success Story: Eliminating Bureaucracy at ABB

Fast Company: Owning Your Competitive Advantage

Intellectual Assets: Growing Role in the Modern Economy

Best Practices: Knowledge Management at British Petroleum (BP)

Best Practices: 4 Strategies for Raising Corporate IQ at Microsoft

The Wheel of Knowledge Management

The Tao of Intellectual Cross-Pollination

Teaching Organization

Coaching in the Workplace: Key Benefits

Coaching in the Workplace: List of Activities

Three Types of Knowledge Organizations: Learning, Teaching, Coaching

2.3. Synergized Business Processes

Business Process: Definition and Characteristics

Best Practices: Characteristics of the Most Successful Companies

Process Management: Shift from Functional to Cross-functional Model

Benefits of Enterprise-wide Business Process Management (EBPM)

Process Thinking

EBPM Assessment Form

Eight Essential Principles of EBPM

Value Chain Management

Service-Profit Chain

Continuous Improvement Firm (CIF)

Kaizen

Kaizen and Radical Innovation

Lean Production: Removal of Waste Activities

Lean Production – Doing More With Less: Seven Wastes To Be Eliminated

Success Story: Toyota Production System

Quality Management: 8 Rules

Kaizen vs Total Quality Management (TQM)

Six Sigma: Benefits of Reaching Higher Sigma Levels

Best Practices: Making the Six Sigma Work at GE

Aligning IT and Business

11 Traits of a True IT Leader

3. Smart STRATEGIES

3.1. Enterprise Strategies

Three Hierarchical Levels of Strategy

Strategic Analysis: 5 Questions To Answer

GE Multifactor Business Portfolio Matrix

Framework for Describing Strategic Situation

Sun Tzu's "The Art of War"

Sustainable Growth Strategies

Two Corporate Strategy Logics: Strategy Pyramid vs. Strategy Stretch

Choosing Between Strategy and Opportunity Approach

Strategy Programming vs. Strategy Innovation

Strategic Programming

FutureStep

Best Practices: Dynamic Strategy Formulation by Silicon Valley Companies

SWOT Analysis

Business Intelligence: 3 Levels

3.2. Competitive Strategies

Three Generic Business Strategies

Competitive Analysis

Competitive Strategies: Survival vs. Market Leadership

Success Story: 7-Part Competitive Strategy of Microsoft

Sustainable Competitive Advantage: 3 Parts

Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Synergy of Capabilities

Erecting Barriers to Entry

Four Categories of Business Tactics

Four Types of Marketing Warfare

Synergistic Marketing and Selling

The Top 10 Laws of Marketing

Customer Value Proposition

Differentiation Strategies: Weak and Strong

Brand Equity

Strategic Brand Management

3.3. Strategic Achievement

Success Rates and Major Impeding Factors

Strategic Achievement: Thinking × Action × Learning

Strategic Intent

Strategic Thinking

Discovering Opportunities

Searching for Opportunities

Dynamic Planning

Management by Objectives (MBO)

Organizational Learning

Strategic Project Management (SPM)

Launching a Crusade

Making Big Changes: 10 Questions to Answer

6Ws Chart of Change Management

Change Failure: Main Reasons

Leading Change: 8 Stages

4. Smart MANAGEMENT

4.1. New Management Model

New vs. Traditional Management Model

Lessons from Michael Dell: Managing by Wondering Around (MBWA)

Fundamental Management Changes Engendered by Internet

The Ideal Leader

Three Common Traits of Great Corporate Leaders

Shift from Management to Leadership

The Tao of Managerial Leadership

Managing Knowledge Workers

Best Practices: Getting the Most from Knowledge Workers in Silicon Valley

Best Practices: Google 10 Golden Rules

Three Manager's Skill Sets: Manager – Leader – Coach

The Tao of Change Management

Change Management: 6 Steps

4.2. Results-based Leadership

Effective Leader: Attributes × Results

Steve Jobs' 12 Rules of Success

Results-based Leadership

Strategic Leadership

80/20 Thinking

Lessons from Dell: Mobilize Your People Around a Single Goal

Organizational Fitness Profile (OFP)

Project Management: 2 Approaches

Business Synergies Approach to Project Management

Milestone-based Thinking

Volatility Leadership: 10 Best Practices

Entrepreneurial Leadership

Entrepreneurial Leaders: Specific Attributes

Inspiring People

Freedom To Fail

Energizing Employees

Employee Performance Management: Holistic Approach

Coaching: Skill / Will Matrix

Coaching: GROW Model

Best Practices: Leadership Development at GE

Leading-edge Three-tier Reporting Model

Performance Management: Balanced Scorecard

4.3. 25 Lessons from Jack Welch

Success Story: Creating the World's Most Competitive Enterprise

Lessons from Jack Welch

Lead More, Manage Less

Lead

Manage Less

Articulate Your Vision

Simplify

Get Less Formal

Energize Others

Face Reality

See Change as an Opportunity

Get Good Ideas from Everywhere

Follow up

Build a Winning Organization

Get Rid of Bureaucracy

Eliminate Boundaries

Put Values First

Cultivate Leaders

Create a Learning Culture

Harness Your People for Competitive Advantage

Involve Everyone

Make Everybody a Team Player

Stretch

Instill Confidence

Make Business Fun

Build the Market-Leading Company

Be Number 1 or Number 2

Live Quality

Constantly Focus on Innovation

Live Speed

Behave Like a Small Company

GE Leadership Assessment Survey (LES): 10 Characteristics

1. Vision

2. Customer / Quality Focus

3. Integrity

4. Accountability / Commitment

5. Communication / Influence

6. Shared Ownership / Boundaryless

7. Team Builder / Empowerment

8. Knowledge / Expertise / Intellect

9. Initiative / Speed

10. Global Mind-set

5. Smart INNOVATION

5.1. Systemic Innovation

Innovation – the Key to Success and Survival
Evolution of Innovation from Linear to Systemic
Systemic Innovation 360: 7 Areas

Entrepreneurial Creativity 360: 5 Action Areas

Strategy Innovation: 4 Steps

The Tao of Value Innovation

The Tao of Business Process Innovation

Engaging Cross-functional Teams

Leading Systemic Innovation

10 Forces Behind New Business Models

Success Story: New Business Model of Dell Corporation

Business Innovation: Four Strategies

5.2. Innovation Strategies

Best Practices: Characteristics of Most Successful Companies

Product Innovation: Types of New Products

Radical vs. Incremental Innovation

Best Practices: Stretching Innovation Portfolio by Silicon Valley Companies

Innovation vs. Operations Management

Technology Innovation Typology

Best Practices: Assessing Innovation Portfolio by Silicon Valley Companies

Radical Innovation

Venture Strategies: Five Areas

Success Story: Spinouts by Thermo Electron

Venture vs. Corporate Management

Success Story: In-company Ventures at Corning

7 Challenges in Managing Radical Innovation

Success Story: Venture Investing by GE Equity

Best Practices: Qualities of Top Managers at GE Equity

Customer Partnership

Lessons from Michael Dell: Turn Your Customers Into Teachers

Intellectual Property Management
Benefits of Intellectual Property Management

5.3. Corporate Innovation System

Innovation System

Strategic Alignment

Innovation: Key Players

Five Steps to Entrepreneurial Creativity

Creating a Relentless Growth Attitude

Innovation-friendly Organization: 6 Components

New Product Development by Cross-functional Teams

Best Practices: New Product Design by IDEO

The Fun Factor

Innovation Process: Two Models

Best Practices: Innovation Process Attributes in Silicon Valley

The Jazz of Innovation

The Tao of the Jazz of Innovation

The Jazz of Innovation: 11 Practice Tips

The Jazz of Innovation: Key Components
Leading Innovation: Loose-Tight Leadership
Techniques to Develop Solutions

6 Thinking Hats: A Tools for Analyzing Proposals

Brainstorming

Perfect Brainstorming: 10 Rules

Facilitating Cross-pollination of Ideas

The Tao of Experimentation

Freedom To Fail

Product Innovation Metrics

Leading Innovation: Tips for Making the Vision a Reality


http://www.1000ventures.com/products/sl_smart_executive_300.html

http://leadingchange.com/ilc/ourproc.html

Knowledge and skills development are important. However, knowledge and skills alone do not guarantee success. They must be applied on a consistent basis. Positive attitudes, effective behaviors and clearly defined goals are just as important, often more so, in achieving a successful outcome. Our approach is based on our formula for success:
A (SK) + G = PBC => IR (b&p)

Positive Behavioral Change (PBC) happens when three areas are addressed: Attitudes (A), Skills & Knowledge (SK) and Goal Setting (G).

Achieving Improved Results (IR) in both business (b) and personal (p) lives is the reason organizations and individuals invest in their development.

Improved results only happen when we create Positive Behavioral Change (PBC) in individuals.

Traditional training companies and methods usually expose participants to information once in a compacted time frame, with little or no follow-up. Our approach is designed to help people make lasting changes in their lives. Our materials and methods incorporate the latest research concerning how people learn and retain skills and knowledge.



We make an important distinction between training and development. Training is basically teaching people a new set of skills. Development is getting people to use their skills more effectively, more often.

This proven model focuses on aligning management and operating systems with strategic direction. After all, if your customers can't see the difference, what has been achieved?

Results clients have achieved include:

Improved customer and employee loyalty
Increased speed and accuracy
Improved profitability
Improved market share
Increased revenue
Increased capacity and productivity
Created continuous improvement and customer-focused growth
Implement cycle-time reduction and process reengineering
Alignment of management and operating systems with strategic plan

Living is Giving (excerpted from Denis Waitley's The Seeds of Greatness Treasury book)

Living is giving your best self away,

Living is helping someone every day;

Living is giving more than you get,

It's treating an animal like a person, instead of a pet.

It's helping the handicapped across the street,

It's smiling at the new person at work that you meet;

It's respect for all nations, color and creeds,

It's sharing and caring for your neighbor's needs

One of God's greatest laws you can live and believe,

Is the more that you give, the more you'll receive!

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you celebrating here in the US! -- DW
-- Denis Waitley

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES

"Pleasant words are as honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the
body."
- Proverbs 16:24
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming
gardens who make our souls blossom."
- Marcel Proust

"You get into trouble and make mistakes when you take your mind off
your goals."
- Joel Osteen

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own
sunshine."
- Anthony J. D'Angelo

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FEATURE ARTICLE = "7 EASY - & DELIGHTFUL - WAYS TO GIVE THANKS"

Thanksgiving is almost here in the U.S. [Note: Our Canadian clients
and friends celebrated Thanksgiving in October]. This raises the
question = How can you give thanks to people who made your life better and
brighter.
Here are seven tips to give thanks now.

1st TIP = GIVE 3 COMPLIMENTS/DAY

Research resulting in my first book -- HOW WINNERS DO IT: High Impact
People Skills for Your Success -- included me "shadowing"
high-achievers and underachievers to see how they act at work.

Here is one major difference: High-achievers pay an average of three
sincere compliments each day. In contrast, underachievers typically give
no compliments. Giving compliments is easy, takes mere seconds, and
leaves you feeling good. Since "what goes around comes around," when
you compliment someone, both career and personal goodies may come back in
return.

Suggestion = Give 3 compliments each day at work plus 3 compliments in
your person life.

2nd TIP = SEND HANDWRITTEN "THANK YOU" NOTES

I printed postcards with my photo and list of books and tests I
authored (plus my appearance on "Oprah") on one side. When someone does
something great, I jot a "Thank You" note on my postcard, and mail it to the
person. Recipients often tell me mine is the only "Thank You" note
they ever received, and they cherish it.
Suggestion = Send brief, handwritten "Thank You" notes to people who
earned it.

3rd TIP = CALL A PERSON WHO HELPED YOU

Question: How do you feel when someone calls, and says you wonderfully
helped them? Answer: Fantastic!

Suggestion = Thanksgiving is a perfect time to phone people who helped
you during the last year. Tell them.
4th TIP = SEND A GIFT

When someone does something delightful for me, I often mail one of my
books or audio-books to the person. For example, when a person sends a
"testimonial" letter complimenting my speeches or our Forecasterâ„¢
Tests, I autograph a book I authored, and mail it as a gift.

Question = Who deserves a "Thank You" gift from you?
5th TIP = SAY "I LOVE YOU"
Family members love hearing you love them. But, many people seldom
say, "I love you." Thanksgiving is a good time to start.

Beware: Some people loosely tell a lot of people "I love you,"
although they really mean they "like" them. Avoid watering down the word
"love" by using it with people you "like" a lot. Family members feel hurt
if you say "I love you" to them, and then you say the same to someone
whom you do not actually "love."
[Warning: Saying "I love you" to a co-worker is a CLM - Career
Limiting Move, so do not even fantasize about saying it at work!]

Suggestion = Make sure you say "I love you" to family members at
Thanksgiving celebrations.

6th TIP = MAIL ARTICLES OF INTEREST

As I read periodicals, I search for articles that will help people I
know. Then, I mail article with a note saying exactly what I was
thinking, "As soon as I saw this article, I immediately thought of you." This
is a type of "Thank You" gesture. People benefit from the articles I
send, and it feels good to mail the articles.
Some people are so special to me that I keep envelopes with their names
on them. I continually deposit articles into each special person's
envelope. When I fill-up a person's envelope, I mail it. Then, I start
a new envelope for that special person.

Suggestion = When you read publications, clip and mail articles to
people you want to help.

7th TIP = DO UNNECESSARY ACTS OF KINDNESS

These can be small acts of kindness. If you are in a check-out line
with a lot of items, and someone gets in line behind you with only a few
items, let them get in front of you. If you get to a door a few steps
before someone else, hold the door open for that person.

Sometimes acts of kindness take remarkable twists. For example, one
day, while driving, I saw a frail, elderly lady at a busy street corner
looking at cars zooming by. I figured she was having trouble crossing
the street. So, parked my car, walked to her, and let her hold my arm
as I stopped traffic and helped her slowly cross the street.

When we got to the other side, I asked if she needed any more help.
She sweetly smiled, and said to me, "Actually, I didn't want to cross the
street." So, I asked her, "For what reason did you let me help you
cross the street?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she explained, "The
fact that you went out of your way to help me was the nicest thing anyone
has done for me in a long time. And I didn't want to detract from
your goodness." [Note: I helped her back across the street!]

Suggestion = Do one or more totally "Unnecessary Acts of Kindness"
daily.
Thanksgiving is a delightful time to give thanks. You can use these
seven tips to give thanks at Thanksgiving - and throughout your year.

Dr. Mary & I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

Personal Proactive Productivity: The Predictable Success® 3P Program

Whether you feel like you're drowning in tasks, to-do's, voicemails and commitments, or just want to crank up your already-high productivity, the Predictable Success® 3P Program (Personal Proactive Productivity) is for you.

Predictable Success® begins with you. Unless you're fully in control of your day-to-day activities (rather than them being in control of you), you cannot achieve Predictable Success® in your team, division, department or organization.

Are You totally On Top Of Your To-do's And Commitments?



..If not, which of these best describes you?:

I have no real system for controlling my day-to-day activities - I sometimes feel like I'm drowning in 'to-do's, and worry I'll miss something I've committed to do. My inbox and voicemail seem to control me, rather than the other way 'round.

I have a solid system I've used for quite a while, but I really struggle at times to keep it up-to-date. When things get crazy, my system collapses, and I have to more or less start again later, when things quieten down.

I've tried every system under the sun, and nothing really works well for me. I hopscotch from paper planners to PDA's, to web-based systems, but can't really settle down to one process that works for me in every situation.

I'm hooked on systems, and that's my problem - just when I think I've got something that really works for me, I see something else that catches my eye, and before I know it, I'm transferring everything from my old system over to something shiny and new. Sometimes I think I spend more time on productivity systems than actually getting things done!
Whichever camp you fall into, the Predictable Success® 3P Program will show you how to break the cycle, and develop a single, trusted productivity system that will never let you down.

Is Your Day, Week and Month Planned And Executed Systematically?
...If not, do you fall into one of these categories?:

I'm completely dominated by whatever the 'emergency of the day' is - I'm regularly derailed by whatever happens that day and demands my attention.

I'm pretty good at being clear about what I want to achieve each day, but I'm often interrupted by others, and the interruptions disrupt my work flow. Often at the end of the week, I feel I've accomplished little of what I wanted to do, but I seem to have done a lot for other people.

I'm really good at structuring what I want to achieve for a few days straight, then the pressure of commitments throws me off the wagon, and before I know it, I feel buried again in 'open loops' that make me feel swamped.

To be honest, I cannot work well with highly structured days - I need to have free time to engage in things that occur to me as I go about my business. Creativity and spontaneity are important to me, and the idea of having my days dominated by to-do lists and routines is not appealing at all.
If any of the above apply to you, you will benefit enormously from participating the Predictable Success® 3P Program.

We'll show you exactly how to structure your work cycle, habits and processes to meet your natural work style, and how to maximize your personal productivity - without complicated or boring 'systems'.

Are You Doing What's Important - Or Merely What's Urgent?
Many of us 'get a lot done' each day, but often feel that what we've achieved aren't necessarily the important things - instead, we've merely attended to what was urgent.

The Predictable Success® 3P Program will show you exactly how to distinguish between the important and the urgent, and how to make sure you accomplish both.

Do You 'Wipe Out' At Times, And Feel You Just Can't Get Things Done, No Matter How Hard You Work?
From time to time, does your brain go in to 'screensaver' mode, when it seems like you cannot do anything productive, no matter how hard you try?

There are a number of factors that can cause your productivity to 'shut down':

Low energy levels,

Pressure of time available to complete a task,
Not knowing where to start (the 'blank sheet of paper' syndrome),
Stuck waiting for other people to do something before you can move forward,

Not having access to what you need to get started on a task (how many times have you sat in an airport, bus or office thinking 'If only I had my laptop / PDA / customer list / files I could do 'x'?).
In the Predictable Success® 3P Program, we'll show you how to turn those 'dead times' into your secret weapon for super-productivity - without turning into an 'always-on' robot.

Is Your Home Life Suffering Because Of Work Commitments - Or Vice-Versa?
Do you regularly take work home - and often come back the next morning without even opening your briefcase?

Or do you grab a quick bite of dinner, then crack open the files to 'catch up'?

Are you regularly missing family events and 'quality time' with the people you love because you need to 'get things done'?

Perhaps your domestic and personal commitments feel out of control, and your work life is suffering as a result?

Do your home and work 'lives' clash, causing tension and stress in you and others? Are you aware of other people's concerns about your ability to juggle everything?
If so, the Predictable Success® 3P Program is for you.

We'll show you how to achieve a balance between your personal and business commitments without finding another 2 days in the week.

How Can We Do This?
The Predictable Success® 3P Program is built on Les McKeown's personal productivity system.

Les, the President & CEO of Predictable Success®, has been teaching (and practicing) this system for 25 years, based on personal trial and error, and on the teachings of the 'productivity gurus' such as Steven Covey, David Allen, Deep & Sussman, Marshall Goldsmith and others.

Built from the renowned Predictable Success® methodology for organizational business success, the Predictable Success® 3P Program is a personal 'productivity infrastructure' that provides you the bedrock you need to build your own personal Predictable Success®.

As a result of taking this Program, you will be able to contribute every day, week and month to the Predictable Success® of your business and your home life.

Who's It For?
The Predictable Success® 3P Program is for anyone who wants to be more effective, efficient and productive in their business and personal lives.

This is not a program just for managers or 'high-achievers' (although both will benefit enormously) - it's for everyone.

Rest assured - if you've read this far, the Predictable Success® 3P Program is for you!

How Does It Work?
The Predictable Success® 3P Program is a structured, step by step program that fully trains you in the Predictable Success® 3P Personal Productivity System over a 6-month period.

Once you enroll for the Program, we'll provide you with a self-assessment form to complete. This will enable us to tailor the Program specifically to your work style, and your personal productivity challenges.

After you've completed the initial questionnaire, you will receive the following:
A weekly 3P Productivity e-lesson, taking you step by step through the Predictable Success® Personal Productivity System (24 lessons in all, delivered over a 6-month period);

A monthly 3P Program TeleClass, exploring that months 4 lessons in more detail;

A personal, confidential, online journal to record and assess your personal goals and progress in implementing the Predictable Success® 3P Program;

24/7 access to personal online coaching from Les McKeown to help you with the implementation of the Predictable Success® 3P Program in your own day-to-day activities;

Sample forms, templates and checklists to help you in applying the Predictable Success® 3P system;

A recommended reading and resource list.



Why 6 Months? I Need To Make Changes NOW!

Experience has proven to us that while the 3P Program can (and will) produce immediate benefits in your personal productivity, it takes time to make a permanent change in your working habits - 6 months, in our experience.

By committing to the 3P Program, you are ensured the necessary follow-up and accountability to make that permanent change, and to avoid slipping back to your old ways.

How many times have you gone to a one- or two-day workshop, and come away with a binder full of great ideas, only to find months later that you hadn't really implemented any of them permanently?

We're committed to your personal productivity success - not just to selling you a 'system' that sits on a shelf gathering dust.

Eight Most Common Mistakes Managers Make:

In over 25 years of coaching managers - at all levels, from C-level executives to team leaders and supervisors - I've seen eight mistakes consistently impair the development of otherwise great people.

Please note that although I call the 'mistakes', I'm not implying any judgmental presumption here - it's not that managers make these mistakes because they're dumb, or uninformed.

Sometimes these mistakes occur because of ambiguity or uncertainty in the organization, or because of a lack of training or investment in the manager 'role'. Sometimes the fault lies with the manager's manager - whether by a lack of communication, or a misunderstanding of the role of a manager in the organization.

Most often, however, I see these mistakes happening because of the simple busy-ness of the manager, his or her manager, and their team members.

However, whatever the reason, once one of these eight mistakes takes hold, and unfortunate spiral comes into effect, by which the persistence of any one of these eight mistakes will in turn cause the others to develop and take root.

Here are The Eight Most Common Mistakes Managers Make:

1. No dependable machine for decision-making

2. Not aligning with organizational goals

3. Not working laterally, as well as vertically

4. Not working cross-functionally

5. Building a dependency culture

6. Not developing people

7. Not embracing hiring as part of the job

8. Not investing in their personal growth

Real Leaders Act When the Wheels are Coming Off

By Bill Catlette
Planning to take my dad to Myrtle Beach this week, I was unexpectedly faced with some time on my hands this morning resultant from a last minute decision by an overly officious Marriott timeshare rep to cancel our long scheduled site visit because my wife was unable to accompany us. Grr! (More on this one later.)

Hence, I opted to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, read the paper, and catch a round of cable news before heading to the office. In a span of less than 15 minutes, I saw one of the world's most famous women put on a virtual clinic on leadership on CNN, and then read in USA Today about a handful of American men who would have done well to heed her lesson.

Whoa! Wait. Full stop! Before you read another pixel, I am not referring to Hillary and the pack of ankle-biters nipping at her Jimmy Choos. No, the woman is Oprah Winfrey; the leadership lesson arises from her actions to investigate and resolve the claims of child abuse at her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa; the men are the CEO's (former or about to be) of Citibank, Merrill Lynch, Bear Sterns, Countrywide Financial, et. al.

According to Oprah's public account of the situation, fifteen students at her school recently summoned the courage to go to the school's CEO and inform him that a classmate was being sexually abused by a staff member, and that others were otherwise being mistreated.

Almost immediately, Ms. Winfrey was on a plane to South Africa, backed up by an investigative team she'd hired to help local authorities get to the bottom of the matter. According to her CNN statement, she met with every student of the school, encouraged them to cooperate with investigators, met with the children's parents, and in general, cleaned house. Indeed, the dorm matrons have all been replaced, and one of the school's employees has already been charged with thirteen counts of criminal behavior. Ms. Winfrey reportedly went so far as to give each of the girls a cell phone and encouraged them to call her personally if they ever felt the need.

Consistent with the organization's core purpose, she made it a point to let the fifteen students who had reported the abuse know that their brave actions were wholly consistent with being a good leader.

Conversely, since early spring, we've been hearing about the misdeeds and efforts by "investment bankers" and others to slap lipstick on the rapidly growing pig called "subprime" that is literally about to eat tens (hundreds?) of thousands of people out of house and home. Had Messrs. Cayne, Mozila, O'Neal, and Prince and company been as determined as Ms. Winfrey to get to the bottom of this mess, it is doubtful that their shareholders and employees would still be watching billions of invested dollars and thousands of jobs disappear each week.

Oprah didn't dodge, duck, delay, or obfuscate. She didn't convene a task force and give them six months to report back. Rather, acting like someone whose name is on the door (it is), she got her fanny on a plane, went to Johannesburg, and started taking care of business.

While they don't go off half cocked, at the end of the day, good leaders act decisively because they have two things going for them:
1) an abiding sense of right and wrong, and
2) the courage to face up to tough issues and act once the facts are reasonably clear.

Well done, ladies.

"The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon,
but that we wait so long to begin it"
- Unknown.

Quote of the Week

"Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving evidence of the fact."


– George Eliot

 

Q&A: Encouraging Relationships of Respect


------------------------------------------


Dear Crucial Skills,


I'd like to know more about how to improve mutual respect. Currently, my immediate boss does not respect the group he supervises. He manages in a paternalistic manner. The staff is not informed or is misinformed about pertinent information concerning the department. Our opinions are generally ignored and we do not contribute to virtually any departmental decisions. He is a self-admitted control freak. His management style encourages apathy and everyone races to leave work early. I define respect as treating others the way you would want to be treated. One of our facility mottos is that lack of respect leads to poor patient care. We do not practice what we preach. How should we develop mutual respect?


Signed,
Stumped


-------------------------

Response by Al Switzler, coauthor of "Crucial Conversations" and "Crucial Confrontations"


Dear Stumped,


Your question is very complex—it's hard to know where to start. Let me try to unravel a couple of issues, tell a couple of stories, and offer some advice.


Treat this as a "we" problem. As a team, ask, "What can 'we' do to be more effective?" Here's a story. One corporate cafeteria was so overrun with in-fighting, bickering, and gossiping that a film crew from the local news showed up. The employees couldn't hide the contention and disrespect for even one day and the embarrassing antics were broadcast on the evening news. This is when I was invited to help. What was my approach? I facilitated a meeting where the team created some ground rules—three or four behaviors that everyone is capable of doing and can commit to uphold. Too often, teams do not clearly identify the behaviors that would make them effective. Ground rules clarify what team members need to do habitually and voluntarily to contribute to an effective team. The ground rules our unruly lunchers opted for included statements like: "When you make a mess, clean it up or acknowledge it." "When you use a tool, put it back where it belongs—clean." And, "When we have disagreements, we will talk to the other person quickly, privately, and professionally." As you create your list, remember that "respect" is a descriptor and a value, not a behavior.


Coach each other. Now that everyone knows and has committed to what is expected, hold each other accountable when infractions occur. When someone fails to do the behavior, rapidly, privately, and professionally say, "We committed to putting our tools back clean. I noticed you left the toaster out and it was not clean. What happened?" Make it safe to openly address incidents like tardiness, anger, or sloppiness, etc.


If at this point, you're thinking, "You don't know my boss. He wouldn't do it, wouldn't approve it, and wouldn't live up to it." Then keep in mind that these steps are a good opening point, but if they still don't work, here are some additional options.


Diagnose differently. Often when working with someone who prefers to have a lot of control, others interpret their style as a "lack of respect" and react with behaviors that create consequences. Those consequences may be bad feelings, minimal effort, leaving early, or "poor patient care." When this occurs, try different diagnoses. Ask yourself why the boss is controlling. Could it be that he has had bad experiences in the past when he tried to involve others more? Could it be that he is actually protecting your team from another source of control? Perhaps your team's performance is lacking and this is the only way he can see to meet standards. My point is to start by focusing on the boss's needs and see if these needs can be met in ways that won't compromise respect. Ask the boss what areas he is most concerned about and then address those issues with your team. Focus on management needs. Focus on manager-staff interactions. Focus on processes and results—not just respect.


Focus on respect. Before focusing on respect, first get your motive right. What do you really want for you, for the other person, and for the relationship? If you enter a dialogue with a potentially selfish or short-term motive (and people can read your motive) then the two of you will engage in verbal games rather than dialogue—like debate or pretending. But if your motive really is aligned with learning and sharing, then you will reach dialogue. Second, create safety with a private conversation—even bosses want to save face and will act differently in front of an audience. Third, contrast what you are not trying to do with what you are trying to accomplish. And lastly, specifically state what you observe and ask if you could talk together. This point about being specific is vital. In your question, you shared many more conclusions than you did specific behaviors. Be careful to choose one specific action such as an example of where your boss didn't inform or misinformed the team, or did and didn't respond. Then say, "I've noticed this . . . and I expected this . . . The reason I'm bringing this up is that I'd like to improve how I and our team interact with you. Can we talk?"


Your issue is a tough one. The key is to try several options that allow you to evaluate our own actions and continue to be proud of your behaviors.


Best wishes,
Al

Two Different Goals for Content Management

Chris Howard
Principal Analyst


I recently hosted a panel discussion on LCMSs at the recent Training Tech Solutions conference. Joining me were Joel Huchthausen with State Farm Insurance and Chris Johnson with Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union.

Both organizations are adding business value through the use of LCMSs - albeit in very different ways.

State Farm has 68,000 employees and multiple business units, each producing hundreds of hours of online training. A major goal for the LCMS was to streamline content development. Joel discussed how the LCMS now expedites the development of online courses and greatly increases the efficiency of developers. Content developers across the enterprise now share content and standardize development through templates. This success story supports our research findings -- LCMSs do increase the productivity and efficiency of e-learning content development over time.

The Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union, with 1,100 employees, is using an LCMS as one component of an on-demand learning strategy. Instead of creating volumes of online content, the training organization uses its LCMS to enable content producers and subject matter experts to utilize many types of learning tools and collaborate. The training organization supports content creation by providing instructional design experience, authoring templates and content managers who monitor the timeliness and relevance of content.

These two different approaches, one directed at content developers and the other at learners, are fascinating examples of how organizations do, in fact, follow a maturity curve in how they create, use, and manage learning content. Orange County is an example of advanced LCMS usage as part of an on-demand strategy. State Farm uses its LCMS to address a basic content development challenge and will be well positioned to migrate to an on-demand strategy at a later time.

Why We Make All the Mistakes,
When We Can Learn From Others

by Ivan Misner

There are "tried-and-true" sales techniques that are so simplistic that it seems they cannot be really effective. Many times, we try to re-evaluate, improve upon, and complicate them. An experience I had once while on vacation reminds me of how we try to make some things harder than they really are.

I was in Hawaii enjoying the surf when, unbeknownst to me, the water became thick with Portuguese Man O'War jellyfish. Suddenly I felt a stinging sensation across my chest. I wiped my chest with my right wrist and arm and lifted my arm up out of the water. I saw the tentacles dripping off my arm and followed them with my eyes to the body of the Man O'War jellyfish about eight feet away. With mounting alarm, I shook the tentacles off my wrist back into the water and quickly swam out of the surf to the shore.

I ran up to the first hotel employee I saw, a cabana boy, who was serving drinks to a sunning couple just off the pool deck and urgently exclaimed, "I think I've just been hit in the chest by a Man O'War jellyfish! What should I do??"

"Are you feeling any pressure in your chest?" he wanted to know.

"No, none at all," I replied anxiously.

"OK, OK, here's what you need to do. Go on over to the market off the lobby and ask for some vinegar and meat tenderizer. You're going to want to spray the vinegar onto your chest and then shake the meat tenderizer onto the same spot and rub it all around. You'll be fine," he assured me.


Well, I must say that I was less than impressed with this bizarre advice. He was entirely too calm and that was entirely too easy to be a real solution--not to mention that it was just plain strange. I figured he was doing a version of "let's goof on the tourist," so I moved on to ask someone else for help. Strangely enough, I asked two more hotel employees what to do about my injury, and got the exact same answer: vinegar and meat tenderizer!

I reluctantly trucked down the hall to the store just knowing that they were all back there laughing at the goofy tourist who was actually going to do a self-imposed "meat rub" on his chest. I was sure they had some barbecue grill going for when I returned to the lobby all slathered up with vinegar and meat tenderizer.

I entered the small market off the lobby and started my search for char-grilled products when I started feeling short of breath. Suddenly, very quickly and forcefully, I began to experience a crushing weight on my chest. Was I having a heart attack? Great! I'm having a coronary after wasting so much time talking to members of the hotel staff, who were trying to get me to rub meat tenderizer on my chest. I walked out of the store and staggered to the front desk, which by now was very busy with new guests checking in to the hotel. I made eye contact with the hotel manager and almost immediately, dropped to the ground, clutching my chest, barely able to gasp, "Man O'War!"

What happened next was a total blur. I seem to remember a small child yelling and pointing at me as I lay there in my bathing suit, gasping for breath.

"Look mommy, there's a man on the floor." The mother said something about staying away from people who do drugs. I looked over and tried to say no, not drugs--jellyfish! But all that came out was gibberish.

The paramedics rushed to the scene. Finally, I was going to get the medical attention I needed. After determining what had happened, the paramedic opened his lifesaving kit, and I knew he was about to pull out a defibrillator. I made my peace with God and I braced myself for the big jolt. Instead, he pulled out--yes, you guessed it--vinegar in a spray bottle and some Adolf 's meat tenderizer! He then proceeded to spray the vinegar and sprinkle the meat tenderizer on my chest, and thoroughly rub the mixture around. Within seconds, literally seconds, the excruciating pain began to subside. Within a couple minutes it was almost completely gone.

What I thought was a big "barbeque joke" on the tourist turned out to be a well-known cure for some jellyfish strikes. You see, the meat tenderizer contains the enzyme papain, which breaks down the toxin proteins and neutralizes them. It sounds too simple to be really effective, but it is, in fact, one of the best things to do in that situation.

Thinking back on it, I am amazed at how many people gave me the solution before I had to learn the hard way. Sure, who's going to believe a cabana boy? I mean, what does he know, right? And the hotel employee--OK, maybe there's the start of a pattern here but, I have a doctoral degree--I'm "smart," and these guys have just got to be kidding me . . . Right? And then the hotel manager as well . . . OK, I admit it, at that point there's just no excuse. I should have figured out these guys knew what they were talking about, and I did not.

I made one of the biggest mistakes that people in business (and especially in sales) make--I didn't listen to the people who have experience. I assumed that I just had to know better . . . and the truth is, I didn't know better.

There is nothing like experience. It beats education every day of the week. The only thing better is a combination of education and experience . . . or a willingness to learn from other people's experience. There are many basic sales techniques that any good salesperson knows to be effective. They don't try to look for something more complicated or involved, because they know from their own experience, as well as the experience of others, what works in sales and what doesn't work in sales.

You may hear things that seem too simple to be effective or ideas that you've heard before. Never dismiss them. Embrace them. Go get that vinegar and meat tenderizer, and learn from the masters that sometimes the simplest ideas can have the biggest impact.

Ivan Misner is Founder & Chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization and co-author, with Don Morgan, of Masters of Sales: Secrets From Top Sales Professionals That Will Transform You Into A World Class Salesman (Entrepreneur Press, September 2007). www.MastersBooks.com

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Leadership

Leaders, whether in the family, in business, in government, or in education, must not allow themselves to mistake intentions for accomplishments.

Managers help people to see themselves as they are. Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are.

Leaders must not be naive. I used to say, "Liars shouldn't lie." What a sad waste of words that is! I found out liars are supposed to lie. That's why we call them liars -- they lie! What else would you expect them to do?

We must learn to help those who deserve it, not just those who need it. Life responds to deserve not need.

My mentor said, "Let's go do it," not "You go do it." How powerful when someone says, "Let's"!

Leaders must understand that some people will inevitably sellout to the evil side. Don't waste your time wondering why; spend your time discovering who.

When dealing with people, I generally take the obvious approach. When someone says, "This always happens to me and that always happens to me. Why do these things always happen to me?" I simply say, "Beats me. I don't know. All I know is that those kinds of things seem to happen to people like you."

We could all use a little coaching. When you're playing the game, it's hard to think of everything.

A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.

As a leader you should always start with where people are before you try to take them to where you want them to go.

 

High Velocity E-Zine
Choosing Your New Mindset

Dear Friend,

How do you come up with your new mindset? How do you choose new thoughts to replace your old, limiting ones? Here are some tips for creating your new mindset:

Make your mindset as real, concrete and comprehensive as possible. That means writing it down exactly as you want it to be.

Think in an unlimited way. Give yourself permission to envision yourself, your attitudes about yourself, others and how the world works exactly as you would like them to be.

Be sure to use the present tense. You must not think in terms of "someday," or write "I will be."

Write it and experience it as if it were true right now... even if the results have not yet manifested. Write, for instance, "I love making money and running a successful business, because it allows me to be generous to others." Give your unconscious mind the message that this reality is already manifest in your life.

Make your mindset emotional. In addition to writing in the present tense, include emotional words and get involved emotionally in what you are writing. Remember, feelings are the gateway to the unconscious mind... and your unconscious mind is the real power behind your success. Emotion creates motivation. You must get passionate. Unless you are passionate about your new mindset, unless you truly fall in love with it, it will not come into physical form.

Be careful to state what you do want, not what you don't want. Our minds cannot process a negative. If I tell you not to think about an ice cream cone, what do you think about? You must first think of what I told you not to think about before you can tell your mind not to think about it! All this thinking will cause you to attract the very thing you don't want. So remember to state what you do want.

Create a picture of your mindset and be in the picture... not just an observer looking at it. When I ask people to do this exercise, they almost always find that they are looking at themselves in the picture. This doesn't work. You must be in the picture of your new mindset. If you're looking at yourself in the picture, you're telling your unconscious that it's not really you, that you're not really there yet. When you're actually in the picture, you are experiencing the emotions and results that you already have your new life. You are telling your unconscious, "This is real!"

Your unconscious immediately goes about creating that reality. See what you would see if you were in the picture, not looking at yourself in the picture.

Lots of success programs tell you what to do, but only the Harmonic Wealth Weekend shows you how to think and create the life you really want...

These tips are effective whether you are working with a new mindset or with a new vision or goal.

To your continued wealth and happiness,

James Arthur Ray
President/CEO
James Ray International

Contest: SOA the Hard Way


Often in the IT world you learn by doing or, to be more exact, you learn from your mistakes. Well, how about giving others a chance to learn from your mistakes as well?

At SearchSOA.com we've found some of our most consistently popular content is SOA worst practices stories. Readers get deluged with best practices stories, but what they crave are useful warning signs to help them steer clear of avoidable mistakes, particular in an arena as new as service-oriented architecture. Obviously nobody likes to brag about their mistakes, but we're all adults here and we assume that part of the tale will include the recognition of the mistake and the fix that was applied.

In order to be eligible for the contest, a writer from SearchSOA.com needs to be able to interview you, use your name and your company's name. We're not engaging in "gotcha" journalism, we just want to write a solid story about a hard lesson learned without cluttering it with vagaries. The story is only of so much use if the details are muddled. Entrants must also be a technology end user, not a vendor or channel partner.

Things we're looking for:
Not understanding the proper way to deploy new technology or not understanding the interrelationships between different pieces of technology
Unexpected security or QA problems
Architectural and development pitfalls
Management and versioning issues
Data dysfunction
Governance and organizational blind spots
Good ideas gone wrong

Things we're not looking for:
Vendor critiques
Personal issues with colleagues
Complaints without some sort of lesson learned

We will review each and every submission. If we use your story you will win a free copy of the new book SOA: Principles of Service Design by SOA guru and SearchSOA.com site expert Thomas Erl, which hopefully will help steer you clear of a few potential mistakes in the future. Please send all submissions to mmeehan@techtarget.com with "Contest: SOA the Hard Way" in the subject line.

November 6, 2007

In this Issue:

Nine Business Plan Pitfalls
Live Growthink Teleseminar - Drafting the Business Plan

Nine Business Plan Pitfalls

In our experience of assisting with their business plans more than 1000 startups, small businesses, middle market and Fortune 2000 companies, we have noted the following common business plan pitfalls:

Pitfall #9: Not Including Successful Companies in the Competitive Discussion. Too many business plans want to show how unique their company is and, as such, list no or few competitors. However, this often has a negative connotation. If no or few companies are in a market space, it implies that there may not be a large enough customer need to support the venture's products and/or services. In fact, when positioned properly, including successful and/or public companies in a competitive space can be a positive sign since it implies that the market size is big. It also gives investors the assurance that if management executes well, the venture has substantial profit and liquidity potential.

Pitfall #8: Focusing Too Much on the Future. Investments and valuations for companies are based on a firm's projected future performance. However, the best indicator of future performance is past performance, or a company's past track record. Business plans must show what milestones and accomplishments a company has achieved. Past success in achieving goals gives investors the confidence that the team will execute in the future.

Pitfall #7: Not Tailoring Management Team Biographies to the Venture's Development Phase. The Management Team section should include biographies of key team members and detail their responsibilities. These biographies should be tailored to the company's stage since different skill sets are needed to launch, grow and/or maintain a company. A start-up company should emphasize its management's success launching and growing ventures. On the other hand, a more mature company should emphasize how team members have successfully operated within the framework of larger enterprises.

Pitfall #6: Asking Investors to Sign a Non-Disclosure. Most investors will not sign Nondisclosure Agreements. This is because a business' strategy and/or concept are typically not confidential. It is possible that a key partnership is confidential, for example, but for the most part the execution of the strategy and concept is what will make the company successful. If the concept and/or strategy must remain confidential, this often implies that there are no barriers to competitive entry. If a competitor or host of competitors can quickly copy the concept, then the business model is probably not sustainable.

On the other hand, proprietary technology is confidential. The business plan should not discuss the confidential aspects of the technology but should discuss the benefits of the technology and how these benefits fulfill a large customer need. A serious investor will review the actual technology during the due diligence process. A discussion regarding signing an Non-Disclosure Agreement would be appropriate at this point.

Pitfall #5: Indiscriminately Incorporating Investor Feedback into Your Business Plan. Investors, like the rest of us, have different tastes. One investor may love a concept and/or business plan while the next may hate both. It is important to understand this as business plans are working documents and are always undergoing iterations.

Management teams must not rush to incorporate each potential investor's comments. Instead, have several investors, partners and other business colleagues review the plan and provide feedback. Incorporate common concerns and probe other comments to determine if they are valid.

Pitfall #4: Stressing First Mover Advantage. A business plan must include strategies that demonstrate the venture can and will build long-term barriers around its customers. Simply claiming a first mover advantage is not compelling in today's funding environment.

The methods through which the company will retain customers should be detailed in the business plan. Such methods could include implementing customer relationship management (CRM) tools, building network externalities (e.g., the more people that use the product or service the harder it is for a competitor to penetrate the market), ongoing value-added services, etc.

Pitfall #3: Focusing Too Much on the Company's Proprietary Technology. While proprietary technology is a significant factor in investment decisions, it is much more important to show how this technology satisfies a large, unfulfilled customer need. Many companies fail because they do not understand the needs of their customers. Understanding true customer wants and needs, identifying which target markets most exemplify these needs, and outlining a plan to penetrate these markets are critical to funding and execution success.

Pitfall #2: Defining the Market Size for a Company too Broadly. Defining the market size for a venture too broadly provides little to no value for the investor. For example, mentioning the size of the U.S. healthcare or global electronics markets is generally extraneous since no company could capture a meaningful percentage of either market. Rather, a more meaningful metric is the relevant market size, which equals the company's sales if it were to capture 100% of its specific niche of the market. Defining and communicating a credible relevant market size, and a plan to capture a significant share within this market is far more powerful and believable to investors.

Pitfall #1: Making Financial Projections Too Aggressive. Many investors skip straight to the financial section of the business plan. It is critical that the assumptions and projections in this section be realistic. Plans that show penetration, operating margin and revenues per employee figures that are poorly reasoned, internally inconsistent or simply unrealistic greatly damage the credibility of the entire business plan. In contrast, sober, well-reasoned financial assumptions and projections communicate operational maturity and credibility. By accessing and basing projections on the financial performance of public companies in their marketplace, ventures can prove that their assumptions and projections are attainable.

Article from the Growthink Blog. Click here to comment.
Live Growthink Teleseminar - Drafting the Business Plan


Growthink is pleased to announce a live teleseminar on the strategic business plan drafting process.

Designed from Growthink's experience of assisting in the development of over 1,000 strategic business plans over the past 6 years, the teleseminar will cover:
A business plan development methodology and process that ensures high-quality results

The amount of time required to create an exciting and credible business plan

Key skills needed to create an effective business plan

The key common attributes of business plans that raise money

The teleseminar will be held on Friday, November 9th at 12:00 pm (noon) EST/11:00 am CST/9:00 am PST.

Best regards,


The Growthink Team

800-506-5728

Los Angeles/New York/San Francisco//San Diego

Mayday!: Asking for Help in Times of Need

What's your favorite reason for going it alone, figuring things out yourself and not asking for help? Don't want to appear incompetent or weak? You want something done right, so you do it yourself? It will place an unfair burden on someone else?

According to M. Nora Klaver's book, Mayday! Asking for Help in Times of Need, [Berrett-Koehler, 2007], sending up a signal will make you stronger. Klaver not only counters all the reasons why people are resistant to asking for help, she provides a 7-step process for reaching out and getting the assistance you need. In this exclusive interview with ExecuNet, Klaver sheds insight on why we don't ask for help and why we should. ExecuNet members will get an expanded version of Klaver's Q&A with case studies in an upcoming issue of CareerSmart Advisor.

ExecuNet: The answers to virtually any question can be found online. Does the easy access make people more reluctant to ask others for helpful information?
M. Nora Klaver: What did we do before the Internet? It's hard to remember. It used to be that we approached each other more often for leads, ideas, resources and help. We can get a lot of answers off the Internet, but what we miss out on is that personal connection that arises from a request for help.

The Internet is a great tool, but it's not a replacement for direct human interaction. Those who rely on it exclusively are shortchanging themselves and those they work with.

Rather, high-performing professionals are more likely to use web-based content as a conversation-starter. The content becomes a sturdy foundation for a request for help.

EUN: When is the best time to ask for help?
MNK: Many of us have to hit the wall before we realize there is help out there — just for the asking. NOT asking is so ingrained in our culture that we remain blind to the help available in the office next door.

Instead, we push ourselves harder to find the answer. We figure we are better off solving our problems alone. We tell ourselves that we just have to "work harder and smarter." We believe that getting help from others will only display our weaknesses and lack of competence.

Waiting too long often complicates a situation that could have been more simply resolved at an earlier time.

EUN: The foundation of networking is to give first before asking for anything from others. How does someone who lives by that philosophy reach out for help?
MNK: Experts know that networking is about the relationship, not just the exchange of services or leads. It is a give and take exchange between equals. Requests for help — without advance payment — can deepen the relationship making it strong enough to stand the test of time.

Scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Tit for tat. Give and take. These are all common ways or referring to the Law of Reciprocity — a key element to successful networking. The Law of Reciprocity also applies to situations where we ask for help. Payment for favors or help is usually expected. This isn't as onerous as it sounds. Reciprocating keeps the relationship balanced.

When we are in a position of always giving, always being the key resource, then we limit the affiliation. The relationship of equals becomes skewed.

EUN: Where is the best place for a senior-level executive to seek help in their organization?
MNK: It IS lonely at the top. Senior-level executives are responsible for proprietary information and for protecting the intellectual capital of the company. That means they must often remain tight-lipped even when they are bursting to confide in someone. They must be circumspect in their selection of confidantes.

The best way for these leaders to seek help is to plan ahead. Don't wait until the need is dire. Make a deliberate choice to find supporters before you need them.

Leaders can create a deliberate support team composed of those people they trust most. As long as trust is present, then it doesn't matter if the confidante is a direct report, the CEO or the company janitor. If these people can help you, and you trust them, then ask.

Make Your Contacts Count

Make the most of your networking resources and have them start working for you. Attend this webinar to learn how to create, cultivate and capitalize on networking relationships and opportunities. Author Lynne Waymon will show how those skills can help you build strategic alliances, access inside information, expand your knowledge base, and maintain a circle of professional peers to learn from.

This 90-minute program will help you create the most effective and productive network. Attend this program to learn:

How to assess the strength of your internal network and see how it stacks up against "The Ideal Network"

How to become part of the "inner circle"

What to do and say in advance through the six stages of relationship-building

To steer the conversation toward topics that lead to business opportunity.

How the unconnected employee hurts your business

The 10 things you can do now to increase networking competency and engagement of your employees

Lynne Waymon is co-founder of Contacts Count, the nationwide training and consulting firm that specializes in business and professional networking. She's the co-author of Make Your Contacts Count (AMACOM, 2007). Clients include Booz Allen, Deloitte, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Corning, DuPont, National Geographic Society, First Horizon Bank, U.S. Department of State, NIH, Georgetown University and numerous associations. Contacts Count licenses their System to corporations and also trains free-lancers to deliver their keynotes and workshops.

FREE BONUS
When you register to attend this program, you'll also receive a FREE copy of Lynne Waymon's book, Make Your Contacts Count, which is co-authored by Anne Baber.

Rise in Executive Turnover Looms

Executives may be having a hard time getting up in the morning, as the majority work at jobs they don't like. According to an ExecuNet survey of 151 executives with an average annual salary of $197,000, 76 percent report that they are not satisfied or somewhat dissatisfied with their current job; and among those who are unhappy at work, 75 percent are actively searching or preparing to search for a new opportunity.

"Executive job satisfaction levels are reaching historic lows," says Dave Opton, CEO and founder of ExecuNet. "To reverse this trend and keep management teams engaged and intact, companies need to better acknowledge that opportunities and challenges motivate far more executives than bigger paychecks."

Top 5 Reasons Why Executives are Not Satisfied with their Current Jobs:

Lack of challenge/personal growth
Limited advancement opportunity
Boss not a good match
Restricted managerial responsibility
Differences in culture

Source: ExecuNet, 2007

Nearly half (46 percent) of all executives preparing to search for a new opportunity report they would consider staying with their current company if they could transition into a new role, department or business unit.

In Sales, Focus On Goals

November 5, 2007

Issue features Paul Cherry in its Oct 22


High-performing firms exceed their goals because they have a relentless focus on customers. They scope out the big picture, zero in on specifics and hold firm on price. Above all, their salespeople:

Ask the right questions. Salespeople usually have several objectives during any given client meeting. Listing the goals ahead of time - pegging key questions to each - can help unlock hidden roadblocks and put you ahead of rivals, says leadership trainer Paul Cherry, author of “Questions That Sell.” Cherry suggests questions like these:

“What budgetary constraints are you working within?”

“How will funding for this project be determined?”

“Who else is involved in approving the budget, and what hurdles could you encounter?”

“What kind of return on investment are you expecting?”

Nuke Complaints. After a customer states an objective, latch onto a point of agreement and follow up with a clarifying question.

Example: The customer says he likes his vendor.

Your point of agreement: “Good service is critical.”

The response: “Walk me through your decision-making criteria when choosing a vendor.”

The client’s reaction could give you opportunities to tout your strengths, Cherry says.

Nail down your rivals. One of your most powerful questions, says Cherry, is this: “If you could change one thing about your current vendor, what would it be?” If the client can’t think of anything, follow up with: “On a scale of one to 10, how would you rate your current vendor relationship?” Based on the response, ask: “What would have to happen for it to move from a (pick a number) to a 10?”

Stand firm. Forget cutting your price to make the sale, says Doug Hall, author of “Meaningful Marketing.” “Discounting can backfire,” he said. “It signals to customers that the offering (isn’t) worth the price. And when customers start to doubt, no amount of discounts can motivate them to purchase.”

Zero in. Relationships with customers hinge on the quality of information you provide, says performance coach Linda Blackman, who wrote “The Sales Coach.” A sure road to trouble is to assume that a customer knows more than he does, she says. The more detailed you are in explaining terms, contracts and other information, the more time and trouble you’ll save yourself and the client later.

Check transitions. Review the pipeline that new customer orders go through. Ensure that it’s as seamless as possible, Hall says.

Position well. Define rivals by positioning your benefits effectively, says marketing strategist Harry Beckwith, author of “Selling the Invisible.” The benefits should be unique - or should easily beat your competitors’, he says.

Focus on lifetime use. Have your prospect picture how life will change after he takes ownership, says salesman Jeffrey Gitomer, who wrote “The Little Red Book of Selling.” “If you can concentrate on use and ownership, you can focus on cost and long-term value as opposed” to just the cost, he said. “The key is getting the customer to visualize this” before he asks about price.
Author: CORD COOPER

Section: LEADERS & SUCCESS

Book Excerpt

The Fiefdom Syndrome : The Turf Battles that Undermine Careers and Companies – and How to Overcome Them –

This book published in 2004 by Bob Herbold tackles the following issue:

There is a simmering and potentially infectious condition inside virtually all organizations and it can lead to massive operational inefficiencies and strategic mediocrity. The problem begins when individuals, groups or divisions try to protect their turf and reshape their environment to gain as much control over it as possible. They become fixated on their own activities, their own careers, and their own territory or turf to the detriment of those around them. People who create such fiefdoms become dangerously insular, losing perspective and awareness of what is happening in the world outside of their own control. They also tend to hoard resources and are determined to do things their own way, often duplicating or complicating what should be done company-wide.

The book tackles this problem; outlining the causes and providing numerous approaches designed to eliminate the problem or to prevent it from ever happening.

A good summary of this book was published in the January-February, 2005 issue of “Chief Executive Magazine” titled “The Fiefdom Syndrome.” To read that article, click here.

What Bill Gates thinks of the Fiefdom Syndrome:

“Turf wars and bureaucracy can undermine even the strongest corporate strategies. Drawing on lessons learned throughout his distinguished career, Bob describes innovative and practical ways to tackle this pervasive problem – and beat The Fiefdom Syndrome.”
Bill Gates, Chairman and Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Corporation


To read what Hank Paulson, Jamie Dimon, Michael Dell, and others think of this book, click here.

To place an order for this book, go to www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com and type “The Fiefdom Syndrome” in their search tool.

"Inside Microsoft: Balancing Creativity and Discipline" - Published in the Harvard Business Review, January 2002.

This publication represents a summary of some of the key learnings that Bob Herbold accumulated over his 26 years at Procter and Gamble and 7 years as the COO of Microsoft. Good insights are provided on enabling an organization to be disciplined in those areas where is pays off handsomely to be disciplined ( HR, Finance, IT, Manufacturing, certain parts of Marketing and Sales), and to be creative in the areas where there is a big payoff for creativity(R&D, Product Development, and parts of Sales and Marketing).

To obtain a reprint of this article, send an email providing your name and address to : bherbold@herboldgroup.com

"Breaking Up Corporate Fiefdoms" - Harvard Management Update, published 2003.

This article by Lauren Keller Johnson which appeared in a 2003 issue of this publication is based on an interview of Bob Herbold and summarizes his views on the issue of fiefdoms, turf wars and bureaucracy in corporations, and what to do about them. To read this article, click here.

The Daily Leader's Essential Toolkit

A Comprehensive Set of Online Tools, Assessments, and Resources for Ongoing Development

This exclusive toolkit consists of a comprehensive set of tools, assessments and resources for ongoing development.



Leaders Develop People
Required Skills: Setting Expectations & Goals, Performance Management, Management Skills, Coaching

Leaders Drive Results
Required Skills: Results-Oriented Skills, Team Management, Project Management, Conflict Resolution

Leaders Build Relationships
Required Skills: Emotional Intelligence, Communication, Trust, Influence

Leaders Drive Strategy
Required Skills: Risk Taking, Decision Making, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking

Leaders Drive Change
Required Skills: Managing the Change Process, Gaining Commitment, Leading a Change Initiative

Leaders Become Better Leaders
Required Skills: Self-Awareness, Authenticity