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Firma ve Entitiler için Data Füzyon Analitiği

2021-04-12T05:16:00.004-07:00

Amaç : Veri Asimetrisini Deşifre Etmek

2000'li yıllarda kar topu etkisiyle büyüyen veri analitiğinin bugünkü en büyük oyuncularının aslında girişim amacı olarak sosyal medya şirketi veya e-ticaret sitesi olduğunu unutmamak gerekiyor. Facebook veya Amazon kendilerini data şirketi olarak konumlandırıyor.

Günümüz şirketlerin dijitalleşmesinden dolayı yapılan işlemlerden oluşan veri de ticari anlamda değer ifade edebiliyor. Şirketler bugüne kadar bu veriyi data analitik altyapılarında tahminleme, operasyonel verimliliği arttırma gibi amaçlarla kullandılar.

Şirketlerin dijitalleşme süreçleri içerisinde, oluşan bu verilerle alternatif dış kaynak verilerinin beraber harmanlanması ve ek olarak şirketlerin verilerini ticari hale getirerek bilançolarında satış değeri olarak dönüştürmeleri gerekiyor.

Firmaların bu yapıya geçebilmesi için,

1- Alternatif veri kaynakları konusunda şirketi besleyebilecek ekosisteme ihtiyaç,

2- Büyük veri altyapı mimarisinin alternatif veri kaynakları ile birlikte yeniden tasarlanması,

3- Hukuki altyapının buna uygun düzenlenmesi,

4- Şirket verisinin ilk 3 maddelerden gelen çıktılar neticesinde ticarileştirilmesi gerekiyor.

Hem de şirketlerin veri tarafında da kullanılması hukuki, teknik ve ticari çerçevede şirket bilançosunda değer olarak gösterilebilen bir hale getirilmesi gerekmektedir.

Bu veri gelecekte, gerek şirketlerin değerlemesi, gerekse ticari modellerini güncellemeleri açısından stratejik öneme sahiptir.

Akıllı telefonlar, internet, uygulamalar, cihazlar, sensörler, dijital ödeme çeşitleri gibi hayatlarımızı akıllı hale getiren ürün ve servislerde bıraktığımız ayak izleri anonim şekilde piyasa ve pazar ile ilgili bilgi üretmek ve farklılaşmak için kullanılıyorlar. Sektörler arasında geçerlilik kazanmaya başladığında, alternatif veri kaynakları ve şirket veri kaynaklarının ticari modelle dönüşümüyle ilgili şirketlerin yeni bir ticari yapıya geçebilmeleri için büyük fırsat, aynı zamanda bu değişimi yakalamak adına sorumluluk bekliyor.

Veri asimetrisini ticari değerlere dönüştürme alternatif ve iç data kaynaklarının kullanımıyla artacak. Bu yapıyı önce kuran şirketler rekabet ve piyasa koşullarını anlık takip edebilen konumlanarak öne geçen, yeni tekliflerle rakip müşterileri kendine çeviren şirketler günümüz belirsizliğinde yeni büyüme fırsatları yakalayarak öne geçecekler.

Data Füzyon nedir ve sektörler için neden önemlidir?

Veri füzyonu farklı verilerin harmanlamasını sağlayan data mimari altyapısıdır.

Ses, uydu görüntüleri, IoT sensörleri veya mobil hareketlilik verileri gibi birbirinden farklı veri tipleri data füzyonu sayesinde harmanlanarak birlikte analiz edilebilmektedir. Şirketlerinde data analitik yapılarını geliştirmeleri için öncelikli olarak çoklu veriye geçiş yapmaları gerekiyor. Bu süreç genellikle verilerin arayışı ve temini ile başlıyor. Ancak, bu süreçle birlikte verileri belirledikten sonra, verilerin işleneceği altyapının da tekrar gözden geçirilmesi kritik.

Piyasada bilinen ve sık kullanılan veri tipleri

1. POI Verisi (Markalar, Bayiiler, Mağazalar, Rakip Lokasyonlar…)

2. Telco Verisi (Hareketlilik, Coğrafi Konum, İnternet Kullanımı…)

3. Mobil Uygulamalar (Enlem/Boylam, İlgi Alanı…)

4. GPS Verisi (Enlem/Boylam, Geçirilen Süre, Beklenen Süre…)

5. Navigasyon Verisi (Araç, Hız, Trafik, Rota…)

6. PoS Ödeme Verisi (Zaman Damgası, SKU, Satış Kaydı…)

7. SosyoEkonomik Veri (Gelir, Yaş, Meslem, Gelir Durumu…)

8. Sektörel Veri (ADS-B, AIS, Elektirik Tüketimi..)

9. Şirket CRM Verisi (Ürünler, Müşteriler, Satış, Sadakat…)

10. Şirket Finansalları (EBITDA, Satış, OPEX, Nakit Akışı…)

11. Meta Data (Market Fiyatları, Sosyal Medya and Konum…)

12. Uydu Görüntüsü (Enlem/Boylam, 0.3m Keskinlik, SAR…)

13. Fiyat Indeksleri (Web tarayıcısı rekabet analizi)

14. Keyword Indeksleme (Anahtar kelimeleri diğer veri kaynaklarıyla eşleştirme …)

15. Cookie Verisi (VYP verilerini analitikle birleştirmek)

Veri füzyonunun şirketler için en büyük fırsatı, alternatif dış veri kaynakları ile iç veri kaynaklarını birleştirerek veri asimetrisi avantajı yaratmalarını sağlamaktadır. İç veri şirket operasyonlarını gösterirken, bu verileri dışarıdaki müşteri hareketlilikleri ile data füzyon sayesinde verileri birbirine “joint” ‘lemeden eşleştirebilirsiniz.

Gelişmiş piyasalarda neredeyse %100 pazar penetrasyonuna ulaşmış mobil cihazlar içerisindeki araç ve uygulamalar aracılığıyla anonim hareketliliği ölçmektedir .Bugün üretilen verilerin %80'i konum bilgisi içermekte. Dolayısıyla her sektörden şirketin kendisine entegre etmesi gereken ana alternatif kaynaklardan biri olarak öne çıkmaktadır.

Dünya çevresinde 2200 uydu dünyadaki herhangi bir koordinata 30cm keskinlikte fotoğraf çekebilmektedir.

Dolayısıyla, Bilgi çağının en değerli metası bilginin kendisi haline geliyor diyebiliriz. Veriden stratejik değerler üreten üretmek bugün daha kolay ve günümüz piyasa koşullarında herşeyin resetlendiğini, sadık müşteri kavramının yok olmaya yaklaştığı, müşterinin ihtiyaçlarına sadık
firmaların ayakta kalacağı bir yapıya geçiyoruz.

Bu nedenle firmaların önümüzdeki stratejik kararlarını ve pazarlama aksiyonlarını olayları ön görmelerini sağlayacak ya da müşterinin ihtiyaç
ve tüketimini net açığa vurarak yaklaşmasını sağlayacak bilgilerle hareket etmeleri gerekmektedir.

2020 Big Data’yı Hadoop ve Spark’da data işlemenin ötesine taşıdı,

Yukarıda özetlemeye calistiğim veri tipleri birçok analitik departman için büyük yük oluşturuyor.

Büyük veri serverları şuana kadar hep işlemci üzerinden analiz edildi, işlendi ve süreçlerden geçildi. Bunun yanında veri formatları da buna paralel şekilde belirli boyutlarda kaldı. Ancak, veri füzyonu, artan veri büyüklüğü, şirketlerin yapay zeka, derin öğrenme altyapılarını eğitmelerini sağlayacak, alternatif veri kaynaklarıyla tüm pazara ait iç görü raporlarını çıkaracakları altyapının işlemci ile olması büyük maliyetler ve yavaşlık açığa çıkarıyor.

Bu nedenle altyapı tarafında da büyük veri dünyası için paradigma değişimi yaşanıyor. Tüm server altyapıları verinin işlenmesini x100 kat daha hızlı, depolanma maliyetlerinin %85 daha düşük olacağı, görselleştirilmesi anlık olarak yapılabileceği GPU bazlı serverlara taşınması gerekiyor.

Şuan mevcuttaki data analitik altyapılarının %99'u bu kapsamda tekrardan değiştirilecek.

bunu işlemci ile yapmak şirketlerin büyük server operasyon maliyetlerine girmelerini gerektirmeden yapılabiliyor

Size management ve processing power management diyeceğimiz 2 ana konu nedeniyle büyük veri altyapınızı yenilemeniz gerekiyor.

Dijital reklamcılık programatiğin ötesine taşınıyor,

Şirketler in house ve/veya Ajanslar üzerinden hedefledikleri müşterilerine, ürün ve servislerini tanıtabiliyorlar. Günümüzde en çok kullanılan reklam kanalları Google & Facebook networkü üzerinde bulunan mecraların bütünü diyebiliriz. Buradaki reklam platformu belirli veri hedeflemeleri yapmanızı, data yüklemenizi ve müşterilere ulaşmanızı sağlıyor. Ancak buradaki hedefleme filtreler i

Alternatif Veri kaynakları şirketleri dönüştürüyor,

.........

Hukuki Altyapı buna uygun mu ?

Data 1.0'da yani alışıla gelmiş data analitiğinde firmaların kendi verileriyle ön görüler üreten
ve BI platformlarında bu öngörüleri yansıtabilen şirketler haline getirmeye çalışıyor. Şimdi ise
Palantir gibi unicornlaşmış data analitik firmalarının geliştirdiği servislerin direkt tüm piyasa ile
kendi verilerinizin konuştuğu yapılarla yürütüldüğünü gösteriyor. Bu da devasa boyutta bir veri demek.
Bu verileri işleyecek doğru veri gölleri oluşturmak. Doğru şekilde saklamak ve anında birleştirip işleyebilmek
Data analitik 1.0 ‘da olduğu haliyle inanılmaz maliyetli ve hatta esasında büyük veriyi işlemeyi, yansıtmayı
olasılık dışı hale getiriyor.

Bu nedenle Data analtik 2.0'ın piyasada yaygınlaşacak bir terim olacağını öngörüyorum. Şuana kadar yapılan veri
analitiği yaklaşımlarında belirli doygunluklar veya limitlerin görülmesi ve gelişim alanlarının farklı altyapılarla
mümkün olması nedeniyle bugün birçok firma data için yaptığı altyapı için yaptığı software ve hardware yatırımını
değiştirmesi gerekiyor.

Bu tabi piyasada nasıl bir kabul ve anlayış görür bilmemekle beraber, veri analitiğinin dijital ikizlere dönüşeceği
yolculuk olarak öngörürsek data füzyonun ve devasa verilerin çok daha yüksek performansla ve verimli şekilde yansıtılacağı
ve kullanılacağı altyapılar için gelecek bu alanda. Dolayısıyla, mevcut analitik işi yapan şirketleri bir noktada kabullenişle
yeni altyapılara geçiş yapması gerektiğini ve bu alandaki fırsatlar konusunda sektöründe öncü olmak isteyeceğini düşünüyorum.

Data Analitik 2.0

DataDijital reklamcılık programatiğin ötesine taşınıyor,

Thinking Like a Programmer

2017-12-12T00:59:00.001-08:00

A large goal of this Nanodegree program is to give you practice thinking like a computer programmer. Longtime programmers will often talk about how the programming thought process has helped them in other areas of their life, but what does it mean to "think like a programmer?" In this Nanodegree program we will focus on five specific ways of thinking that all programmers have to use all the time. We will come back to these ideas repeatedly throughout the Nanodegree program.

1. Procedural Thinking
Procedural thinking involves creating perfectly clear and unambiguous instructions for a computer to follow.

It may be easy to tell a person how to sort a deck of cards, but getting a computer to do that requires more thought. But once you've learned to think this way you'll find that computers can do it much faster.

2. Abstract Thinking
Abstract thinking means finding similarity, or as programmers would say, generality amongst seemingly different things.

In this Nanodegree program you will visit hundreds of Udacity web pages. It would be impractical for a programmer to specifically program each of these pages individually. The Udacity programmers used the power of what's called abstraction to avoid unnecessary repetition of work.

3. Systems Thinking
Systems thinking happens when you break a big problem down into smaller pieces. Programmers do this when they create a plan (often on paper) for how a program will work. It involves big-picture thinking and decision-making about a problem and how different pieces of a program can work together to solve it. If this is unclear now, don't worry! You'll understand what this means much more clearly by the end of the Nanodegree program.

4. Technological Empathy
"Technological empathy" comes in many forms. For example, computer empathy is the ability to understand what a computer is, how it works, and what it's good and bad at doing.

A computer is a tool, as are the programs we use and the programming languages used to write them. It's almost impossible to program anything substantial without a basic understanding of how these tools work.

5. Debugging
Debugging is a systematic process of relentlessly identifying the cause of a computer program that doesn't work.

When a program doesn't work, it's because there is a mistake (also known as a "bug") somewhere in the computer code. Since these mistakes are an unavoidable part of programming, every good programmer has a system for fixing them and that system usually looks something like this:

Collect evidence (what makes this program fail?)
Generate theories (what may have caused this problem?)
Test those theories (if my theory is correct, how could I find out?)
Fix the problem

Book Resume - The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership BY JOHN C. MAXWELL

2017-08-08T10:23:00.007-07:00

SYNOPSIS

“Many people view leadership the same way they view success, hoping to go as far as they can, to climb the ladder, to achieve the highest position possible for their talent. But contrary to conventional thinking, I believe the bottom line in leadership isn't how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others. That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives.”
The quote above sums up the foundation of the 21 laws and the philosophy behind them. Based on 40 years of leadership and the observations of successful leaders in business, politics, sports, and other industries, these principles are the core elements of being a leader. The laws are based on the premise that leadership is not just about a business or organization, but also about self-development and the development of others.

SUMMARY

1. The Law of the Lid

The ability to lead determines a person’s level of effectiveness.
That level of effectiveness is the “lid” on personal and organizational development.
The level of the leader always determines the level of the organization and the effectiveness of his followers.

2. The Law of Influence

Influence determines the effectiveness of a leader.
Effective leadership is not determined by a title or tenure, but by how much influence the leader has with others.
The ability to influence others will determine success or failure for the leader and the organization.

3. The Law of Process

There are no “born leaders.”
Part of the effectiveness of a leader is the time and commitment they put into developing their skills.
Leadership is a skill that can be learned and developed over time.
Leaders must be willing to commit to the sometimes long process of learning leadership skills to become an influential leader.

4. The Law of Navigation

Leaders must be the navigators for their organizations.
Beginning with a vision, or destination, leaders must plot the course and prepare for any obstacles.
Leaders keep everything on course to make it easy for followers to know where they are going.

5. The Law of E.F. Hutton

When a real leader speaks, people listen.
A leader can be identified by his ability to get others to listen.
Leadership is only as effective as the followers who are willing to listen to the vision.

6. The Law of Solid Ground

Effective leaders must lead from a solid foundation.
Leaders must have the trust of their followers, and this trust can only be developed by exhibiting character, competence, and connection.

7. The Law of Respect

Most people will willingly follow someone that they respect.
By showing respect for others, and themselves, leaders position themselves as someone worthy to lead.
Even with great competence and ability, a leader without respect will never be effective.
“When people respect you as a person, they admire you. When they respect you as a friend, they love you. When they respect you as a leader, they follow you.”

8. The Law of Intuition

Leaders have to know the vision, facts, obstacles, and other elements that affect an organization.
But they must also learn to rely on intuition to be the most effective.
Leadership is more art than science, and the ability to read people or a specific situation requires experience and instinct.

9. The Law of Magnetism

We attract people who are most like us.
Leaders naturally attract followers who reflect their values and their vision.
By developing the skills of an effective leader, that leader will find followers who will eventually be leaders themselves.

10. The Law of Connection

Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.
People don’t care how much a leader knows until they know how much that leader cares.
Leaders find ways to connect with people before they ask them to follow.

11. The Law of the Inner Circle

Leaders never lead alone.
All effective leaders rely on a strong inner circle that shares their vision and values.
A leader's effectiveness is determined by those closest to him and their ability to influence followers.

12. The Law of Empowerment

A true leader isn't afraid to give some of the power away.
The achievements of a leader's followers are determined by the leader's ability to empower them and show their trust in them.
Leaders have to lead, but they also know that sometimes they just have to get out of the way.

13. The Law of Reproduction

All organizations need to foster and develop leaders.
An effective leader mentors others by sharing their knowledge, creating future leaders that will be critical to the growth of the organization.
Great leaders are also great teachers.
“The bottom line in leadership isn't how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others.”

14. The Law of Buy-In

People must be committed to a vision or cause to have an impact.
The only way to get followers to “buy-in” to an idea or vision is to have them first “buy-in” to the leader.
The influence and passion of the leader will determine the investment people are willing to make.

15. The Law of Victory

Leaders understand the importance of unity in their followers.
By developing an atmosphere of teamwork, leaders can create wins for their team as opposed to individual wins.
When a team wins together, they become more unified and committed to the cause.

16. The Law of the Big Mo

Leaders create momentum and focus on helping others keep that momentum going.
It's simply impossible to further a vision or cause without moving forward.
Leaders know how to get the ball rolling and keep it rolling.

17. The Law of Priorities

Leaders understand that activity doesn't necessarily result in production.
Effective leaders have the ability to determine the most important priorities and know how to help their followers focus on those priorities.

18. The Law of Sacrifice

Leaders inevitably have to make sacrifices to be a good leader.
A leader makes sacrifices on the path to leadership and must be willing to sacrifice things to effectively lead.
Sacrifice is a constant in leadership.

19. The Law of Timing

Leaders understand that the trust their followers have in them is largely based on the leader's actions.
A good leader understands that the right choice at the wrong time or the wrong choice at the right time can dilute their influence.
Effective leaders learn how to develop their “timing” to make the best decisions possible.

20. The Law of Explosive Growth

Organizations can only grow with effective leadership.
Leaders understand the importance of not only having followers but also the importance of developing future leaders for continuing growth.

21. The Law of Legacy

A leader’s legacy is measured by the future leaders he develops and how effectively the organization operates without him.
Leaders understand that the greatest contributions they make are the ones that outlive their reign.

Book Resume - On Becoming a Leader BY WARREN BENNIS

2017-08-08T10:23:00.004-07:00

SYNOPSIS

“Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It’s precisely that simple, and it’s also that difficult."
Like most good books on leadership, this one makes it clear that developing the skills of a leader is very much about self-development. A leader must know himself and the climate in which he leads. That climate includes circumstances, other people, policies, and a host of other factors. To become a leader, we must understand the rules of the game AND know how to play it.

SUMMARY

Mastering the Context

All situations that require leadership have a specific context that impacts decisions. Many leaders allow the situation itself to have too much influence on their decisions. To lead effectively, a leader must make decisions based on the big picture and not on current circumstances.

Bennis uses the story of Norman Lear, a leader in television production, to make his point. Lear created shows that went against the norm of sitcoms in the 60's. He understood the context and saw an opportunity to do something different instead of staying with the status quo. Lear cites four steps for his process of mastering the context.

Become self-expressive
Listen to the inner voice
Learn from the right mentors
Give one's self over to a guiding vision
By having faith in his own vision and confidence in his ideas, Lear created cutting-edge sitcoms that featured topics and situations that broke new ground.

Understanding the Basics

There are some basic ingredients for becoming a leader. These are not traits that leaders are born with, but skills that are developed through years of experience and learning. These are the must-haves for effective leaders:

A guiding vision
Passion
Self-knowledge
Candor
Maturity
Trust
Curiosity
Daring

Knowing Yourself

We are our own best teachers if we accept the responsibility of educating ourselves. Bennis explains that we are capable of learning just about anything and that learning involves reflecting on our own experiences. A leader who knows his strengths and limitations has the confidence to become a leader.

Knowing the World

Knowing how the world we live in affects our decisions is critical. We learn about the world through our experiences and our mistakes. We learn about the world from mentors, books, and formal education. But it's not just the knowledge we accumulate that helps us; it's the commitment to learning for the sake of learning that helps us understand a world that keeps changing.

Operating on Instinct

At a certain point, leaders must learn to trust their intuition. Whether we call it the “inner voice” or “just a gut feeling,” that instinct is the accumulation of knowledge and experience and is worth listening to.

Deploying Yourself: Strike Hard, Try Everything

Leadership skills can't grow stronger unless we put them to the test over and over. Every leader fails. The best leaders learn to use failure as a chance to try a new approach. The point is to accept failure as part of the process and learn to face the situations we fear by learning new skills.

Moving through the Chaos

The true test of a leader is knowing how to lead when everything is falling apart. Leading in chaotic situations requires a leader that is willing to accept change as inevitable. Managing that change requires adaptability, flexibility, and patience, all while keeping the focus on the overall vision.

Getting People on Your Side

The only way to get people to follow is to gain their trust. Bennis outlines four keys for developing that trust:

Constancy - Leaders stay on course and lead with consistency.
Congruity - Leaders walk the talk. They lead by example.
Reliability - Leaders are dependable and ready to lead in any situation.
Integrity - Leaders remain committed to their vision and are always true to their word.

Organizations can Help or Hinder

To become a leader, the constraints of the organization must not stop a leader from leading. Whether it's bureaucratic red tape from above, or lack of interest or commitment from below, leaders stay the course. They continue to lead with the skills they have learned, believing in their effectiveness.

Forging the Future

Leaders do much more than lead others. They know how to innovate to keep their organization competitive. They promote effective communication at all levels and create strategic alliances. Leaders know how to tie it all together and lead their followers, and their organization, into a brighter future.

Book Resume - The First 90 Days BY MICHAEL D. WATKINS

2017-08-08T10:23:00.002-07:00

SYNOPSIS

A lot of professionals are familiar with taking over in a new position or a new company, and the first 90 days can determine success or failure. This book provides proven strategies to make those 90 days count. The framework here applies to start-ups and established businesses and helps anyone successfully take on a new role. To jump-start a new position, there are five focus points for diagnosing the new situation, creating strategies, and taking control quickly.

SUMMARY

Assessing Your Strengths and Weaknesses

It's critical to self-evaluate strengths and weaknesses and how they relate to the responsibilities of the new role before creating a 90-day plan. By relating current skills to the specifics of the new role, it creates a smoother, faster transition and increases the chances of success.

It's important to remember that what may seem like strengths can sometimes be interpreted as weaknesses in a new role. While having attention to detail may have been a strength in a prior role, it could be seen as micro-management and lead to resentment. Once strengths and weaknesses are identified, and their impact is understood, it's time to create a strategy for filling in any gaps in skills and fine-tuning current skills.

Diagnosing Your Situation

With a clear understanding of how current skills relate to the new role, diagnosing the situation can begin. It's a common mistake for someone taking over a new role to want to make changes quickly before they understand the company climate. How the company operates and how they define the new role must be part of an effective diagnosis. Only when someone understands the company culture and politics will they be able to take the next steps.

What kind of business situation is it? Start-ups, turnarounds, realignments, and sustainable businesses all have unique climates requiring specific skills.
What are the specific challenges of the new role?
Is the company or department stagnant or growing?

Securing Early Wins

Once a strategy for success is in place, it's time to secure that all-important early win. This early win should be carefully designed based on the diagnosis of the situation. It's critical that any changes reflect an understanding of the people above and below and how that change affects the overall climate of the company or department. The goal here is to win support and begin building the foundation for trust and acceptance.

The best way to pull this off is to identify long-term goals and work backward. By understanding the end goal, it makes it easy to discover steps that have a good chance of being accepted. Keep in mind that wins don't have to be major changes, they can be small steps towards a worthy goal. The key is to find a win that is widely accepted and has a positive impact.

Negotiating With Your Boss

It's just as important to understand how the boss views the situation as it is to gain acceptance with peers and subordinates. Only when someone understands the boss's management style and viewpoints can they effectively take on their new role.

How does the boss see the current business situation?
What are the main concerns and expectations?
What resources are available in this new role?
What skills does the boss see as the most important and what skills does the boss see that need development?
What are the expectations for giving and receiving feedback?

Building Your Team

Once the groundwork is laid, it's time to build a successful team. Future success in any role will require a motivated and talented team with a common vision. The only way to build this team is to evaluate the current team members and have the willingness to make the necessary decisions. From possible promotions to letting someone go, these adjustments must be handled delicately to keep morale in place. As the new team comes together, it's important to define expectations and roles and how they relate to a common vision.

Book Resume - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team BY PATRICK LENCIONI

2017-08-08T10:22:00.006-07:00

SYNOPSIS

This book focuses on how team dynamics can make or break a company. Written as a leadership fable, this story follows a leader and his team as they struggle with the dysfunctional behaviors that will probably be familiar to most professionals. The company has great people with talent but just can't compete because morale is low and the team members just can't agree on common goals.

“If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”
The team is unable to make important decisions, and the company is losing the battle for market share. By identifying the five dysfunctions that are disabling the team, the leader eventually eliminates the issues holding everyone back and turns a dysfunctional group into an effective, committed team.

SUMMARY

Absence of Trust

Trust among a team means all the members can show their weaknesses and be vulnerable without fear that they will be judged or ridiculed. Without this trust, it's hard for team members to be open to new ideas and makes it challenging to present their own ideas. Teams without trust are just a groups of people who feel the need to be right and to play it safe.

“Remember teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.”
Trust requires that team members have faith in each other's intentions and confidence that their vulnerabilities won't be used against them. The way to overcome this distrust is for the leader to encourage shared experiences, open dialogue, and an atmosphere of integrity. The leader must lead by example and allow themselves to be vulnerable first to create a safe environment. With clear expectations and accountability, it is possible for a leader to change the unwanted behaviors.

Fear of Conflict

Trust leads to the ability to use conflict productively. Without this foundation of trust, conflict becomes just another hurdle instead of a healthy way to interact and create. As long as a team fears conflict, it will be difficult to break new ground, gain overall consensus for decisions, and lead to people avoiding any conflict.

“I don’t think anyone ever gets completely used to conflict. If it’s not a little uncomfortable, then it’s not real. The key is to keep doing it anyway.”
Leaders must encourage debate and teach people that conflict can be a positive thing. Once a team begins to see that conflict is not something to fear, they will become a healthier, more productive team. Because they have support from their leader and other team members to go beyond their comfort zone, creative conflict will be accepted as a normal part of the team's process.

Lack of Commitment

When teams use productive conflict, it makes it easier for them to commit and buy-in to decisions. Without debate, there is no commitment. People just won't buy into something if they feel that their opinions and thoughts weren't discussed. A lack of commitment will make it impossible to achieve a consensus among a team, leading to disinterest, resentment, and stagnation.

“Commitment is a function of two things: clarity and buy-in.”
Leaders can help develop this commitment by encouraging each team member to contribute to every discussion. The leader must promote this open exchange over and over again until it becomes accepted. Once the atmosphere is one of the individuals agreeing to disagree, real progress is not far behind. By reviewing team decisions after every meeting and defining roles and deadlines, the leader can keep the focus on on-going commitment.

Avoidance of Accountability

Without team commitment, team members will always avoid accountability. Team members who commit to an idea or decision do it because they feel that their input matters and they expect to be held accountable. If their input seems unimportant, they feel that they aren't responsible for results. This lack of accountability in the individual will always weaken the accountability of the team.

“People aren’t going to hold each other accountable if they haven’t clearly bought into the same plan.”
The only way to hold each other, and the team, accountable is by measuring progress. The leader must set the foundation by clearly defining standards, expectations, specific tasks, and deadlines. It's up to the leader to make sure every team member understands what is being measured and how important their contribution will be.

Inattention to Results

It there's no accountability, then there is no focus on results. Team members who don't feel accountable will always put their interests ahead of the team's. Until the desired results are agreed upon by the whole team, nothing worthy will ever happen. With accountability in place, the focus on team results happens naturally and creates a tighter bond among team members. The leader makes sure the desired results are clear and that final results are shared and rewarded in a team setting.

“Our job is to make the results that we need to achieve so clear to everyone in this room that no one would even consider doing something purely to enhance his or her individual status or ego. Because that would diminish our ability to achieve our collective goals. We would all lose.”

Book Resume - The Team Handbook BY PETER R. SCHOLTES, BRIAN L. JOINER, BARBARA J. STREIBEL(550+ WORDS)

2017-08-08T10:22:00.003-07:00

SYNOPSIS

There's really no other way to put it. This book is 'the' handbook for building great teams. There is no fluff, no elaborate theories. Only practical advice proven to work. Managers and leaders already know how important a team can be and they know how hard it is to build a great one. This book has all the tools for building those great teams.

“To succeed, organizations must rely on the knowledge, skills, experience, and perspective of a wide range of people to solve multifaceted problems, make good decisions, and deliver effective solutions. This is where dynamic, productive teams can make the difference.”
Full of useful templates and step-by-step guidelines, this a workbook in the best sense of the word. There's lots of white space for notes and plenty of worksheets to help keep everything together. Each area of team development, team management, and team dynamics is covered in great detail.

SUMMARY

To build effective teams, it's important first to determine what kind of team is needed. Depending on whether it's a department team, special task team, or some other type, these teams may be permanent or temporary. A sample of different types of teams provides a good understanding of the differences and how they contribute.

Functional Teams

These types of teams are some of the more traditional and are usually permanent. They may be departmental teams, production teams, or safety teams. Regardless of their department or focus, they are an essential part of the day-to-day operations. These teams can often be self-managing as long as expectations are clear and results are monitored.

Project Teams

These are specialized teams built to address a specific issue or design a specific solution. They are usually temporary and are often made up of members from different areas of the organization. A project team requires clear direction, deadlines, and detailed focus. These teams need strong leadership and a variety of resources.

Virtual Teams

Virtual teams are becoming more and more commonplace. These are teams that are physically located outside the organization. They may be in different cities or even in different countries and use technology to interact. They are usually made up of team members with very specific skills and should require very little supervision.

Overall

The book expands on even more types of teams and how they are designed for particular needs. The extensive detail provided on the types of teams is a good sample of how this book treats just about every aspect of team building and team management. There just doesn't seem to be any aspect of a team that goes unaddressed, from detailed roles to handling conflict.

Some key points in putting a team together include the need for a team leader, coach, and sponsor. Each of these roles has their own responsibilities to make the team effective and the book provides the details for each role. It's recommended that regardless of the type of team, it's best to have five to seven members in addition to the above roles.

Every team needs certain things to be the most productive. Goals, purposes, boundaries, and access to people in-the-know are just a few of the important points that must be in place. There is plenty of practical advice for managing a team including how to have effective discussions and step-by-step modules for problem-solving.

From improving teams to managing specific types of team members, the book breaks down just about every possible obstacle that great teams face. It's a lot of material and will take time to implement, but the pay-off is finally realizing the full potential of effective teams.

Book Resume - The Art of War BY SUN TZU

2017-08-08T10:21:00.006-07:00

SYNOPSIS

The Art of War was written by a Chinese general named Sun Tzu more than 2,500 years ago. Revered for its practical advice on warfare, the lessons here apply to anyone who leads others. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of war, along with practical advice for leading effectively. Three of the more important elements of success in battle, leadership, strategy, and tactics, are critical for victory.

SUMMARY

Leadership

The first chapters focus on leading effectively, not just in regards to strategy and tactics, but in how to instill confidence and purpose in followers. The focus here is on being strong and confident, but also on caring and being responsible for the well-being of others.

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:

Recklessness, which leads to destruction.
Cowardice, which leads to capture.
A hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults.
A delicacy of honor, which is sensitive to shame.
Over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.
“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”
Generals must lead by example, and they must exhibit behaviors and traits that give confidence to their men. When a leader takes unnecessary risks or makes decisions without thinking them through, his recklessness affects everyone in his command and weakens his authority. Soldiers expect their leaders to keep them on the right path to victory and keep them out of danger.

Leaders who are afraid to make decisions allow doubt and fear to take hold in their followers, causing confusion and unrest. Avoiding making decisions is another form of recklessness because doing nothing can be just as dangerous as doing something recklessly. When a general delays making the decision to advance or retreat, that hesitation can mean life or death, defeat or victory.

Leaders who are quick to anger are seen as out of control, unpredictable, and even unstable. If the leader has no self-control, it makes it difficult for his men to take his direction and leadership ability seriously. All leaders need a core of followers who help with strategies, planning, and other aspects of a successful campaign. When this core is afraid to speak out, valuable input and feedback are lost because of the fear of reprimand.

A strong leader should have a sense pride and dignity, in themselves, their men, and their purpose. This pride shouldn't be confused with self-importance. This type of pride is about having pride in the efforts of a campaign and the men who are responsible for making it a success. The strong leader reacts quickly to any external attack, or to any internal dissension among the ranks. This pride serves as the foundation for a cohesive unit.

A good leader cares about his followers but understands that there is a fine line between caring and enabling. When men know that their general cares, they respect him and the overall efforts of what they are trying to accomplish. But when a leader becomes more concerned with the troop's favor than the campaign itself, the results are destructive. Men become complacent, lose their motivation, and their commitment wanes.

Strategy

Once a general or manager learns how to lead, he must learn how to use strategy. In battle, effective strategies require knowing the enemy and what conditions are most likely to be encountered. These strategies must be well-designed to address as many potential obstacles as possible, but they must also be flexible when encountering the unknown.

Which army is stronger?
On which side are the officers and men more highly trained?
Which of the two generals has the most ability?
In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
An army must know the strengths and weaknesses of their enemy to have any chance of victory. Understanding if the enemy is stronger or weaker determines how to create a winning strategy. When facing an army of superior strength, tactics and creativity play a big part in minimizing the opponent's advantage. Going head-to-head with a superior army is simply not practical. It takes cunning, extensive preparation, and the ability to change tactics quickly.

When an army is faced with an enemy that possesses superior training and leadership, the strategies of a campaign must reflect that. This is where creativity and alternative methods must be used to dilute the opponent's advantage. An effective general knows how to create sound strategies using proven techniques, but he also knows how to make adjustments and when to deviate from traditional tactics.

Perhaps one of the greatest strengths a general can have is knowing and accepting when they are less capable than an opposing general. Personal pride and the desire to appear invincible can be a weakness if it prevents a general from seeing reality clearly. With an understanding of how they compare to their foe, an effective general can build a strategy that includes elements to negate that disadvantage.

Discipline is necessary for keeping campaigns focused and for instilling a sense of group purpose. Knowing how men are rewarded and punished, and the consistency of the consequences, indicates the level of discipline. If the enemy punishes their men too harshly or inconsistently, there is a good chance those men will be less disciplined in their commitment to the campaign. Of course, the same applies to a general's own troops. Knowing this important factor identifies weaknesses that can be exploited through focused strategy.

“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.”

Tactics

While strategies focus on what to do, tactics focus on how to do it. Even the best of strategies will fail if they can't be implemented with effective methods. Men who follow blindly are certainly loyal, but men who understand the tactics of a strategy are far superior.

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.
Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision.
Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.
Facing a stronger enemy requires understanding where the enemy is weak to increase the chances of victory. No matter how strong, or how well-trained, every army has weaknesses that can be exploited. By attacking these weaknesses, the chances for success are greater, and these successes help create confidence. These attacks minimize the enemy's advantages and can slowly neutralize their strengths.

A general who leads effectively, instilling confidence and purpose in his men, has prepared his troops for swift action. With sound strategies and tactics in place, a general and his men are prepared to attack quickly and ferociously. They are confident in their leader, confident in the strategies, and confident that they have the very best chance of being victorious.

Generals understand the importance of arriving for battle first. When an army can get to the battlefield before their opponent, they have some distinct advantages. They are able to prepare, both physically and psychologically, for the battle to come to them. When the enemy arrives, they are tired from the journey and then must face an opponent who is rested and ready.

“Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.”

Book Resume - Deep Work BY CAL NEWPORT

2017-08-08T10:21:00.003-07:00

SYNOPSIS

This book divides work into two categories: 'Deep Work' and 'Shallow Work.' Shallow work is meetings, emails, phone calls, and the all those other daily tasks. The internet and social media have added even more distractions, creating more problems in time management. Getting these constant interruptions under control allows more time for deep work. Deep work is the tasks that need undivided attention and a distraction-free place. The book offers a simple formula for understanding how it works: High-quality work produced = (Time spent) x (Intensity of focus).

“Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.”

SUMMARY

The need for uninterrupted concentration has become more important than ever because of the amount of information and the never-ending digital distractions. While social media and other digital distractions are notorious time killers, they also provide networking opportunities that can only happen online. The key is to strike a balance with sufficient attention to the important work that needs to be done.

The digital world provides opportunities to develop skills, promote services or products, and interact, but using these powerful tools requires discipline. Developing the ability to know what's important and what isn't is the key to taming shallow work. To understand the concept of deep work, it helps to take a look at the revered concept of multitasking.

Long thought to be a desired trait for any successful person, multitasking has now been shown to be ineffective and a hindrance to deep work. Recent research shows that multitasking is nothing more than single-tasking performed by switching from one task to another rapidly. This switching makes real focus almost impossible because attention is divided and diluted. When someone switches their attention to checking email or a quick news update, it can take 10-20 minutes to get the mind to re-focus. This lapse in focus makes it difficult to give deep work the attention it needs.

“The ability to concentrate is a skill that gets valuable things done.”
Deep work is “the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time.” Newport describes how deep work allowed him to not only complete this book but also write several peer reviewed papers during the same year. This kind of focus could only be achieved by single-tasking and getting shallow work under control.

Taming Shallow Work

Getting a handle on shallow work is tough. It takes effort, focus, and practice to break the habits that may have taken years to develop. The book offers some effective strategies for minimizing distractions and getting control of all that wasted time.

Stop using social media. Deciding which digital tools and applications provide positive benefits requires a very selective approach. Being selective means objectively identifying time wasters and being ruthless in eliminating them.
Use website blockers to prevent all those attention grabbers from stealing the time needed for deep work. There are also numerous applications that can be used to create more focused workspaces by cleaning up the computer desktop to eliminate distractions.
Allot specific time slots for those daily time killers like checking email and returning phone calls. By handling day-to-day routines at the same time and in the same amount of time, they become more manageable.
Schedule every day as tightly as possible to prevent the shallow work from finding it's way into the daily routines. When the important work is scheduled, it simply stands a better chance of being completed efficiently.
“Great creative minds think like artists but work like accountants.”
A case study reveals the benefits of identifying and eliminating the damaging distractions that prevent deep work. The Boston Consulting Group conducted their own “deep work” experiment by cutting out nearly all distractions and shallow work. This “no contact day,” as they called it, was a commitment by employees not to check emails, respond to phone calls, etc. This focus on deep work instead of shallow work revealed some important and positive points. Employees became more productive and satisfied with their performance because they were able to focus their efforts. Maybe more telling, the company's customers were still happy and oblivious to this change in focus. Without all those day-to-day distractions, work got done quickly and effectively, and no one was any worse for the wear.

Why Deep Work?

Deep work is simply more productive and effective. It's an important element of success that is becoming more and more necessary.

Deep work creates an environment where complicated concepts can be learned faster. This ability to understand key concepts is critical to working on important tasks.
The more deep work skills are developed, the better able someone is to produce high-quality results promptly. As the skills of deep work continue to develop, guarding against the distractions of shallow work becomes easier.
While deep work is becoming more necessary, it is also becoming increasingly rare because of all the distractions that compete for the time available. By protecting the time needed to focus, results are better, and the work is more satisfying.
Becoming immersed in deep work that requires specific strengths and abilities brings greater meaning to work. There is something deeply satisfying about getting lost in work that is important and requires great focus.
“Instead of scheduling the occasional break from distraction so you can focus, you should instead schedule the occasional break from focus to give in to distraction.”

Tools for Deep Work

Learning how to focus on deep work consistently is a process that includes commitment, practice, and a diverse toolbox. Knowing the importance of deep work is one thing, but learning how to develop deep work skills requires different approaches and different ways of thinking.

The Rhythmic approach to work, scheduling deep work for the same time each day, creates a routine that increases the chances of deep work becoming a habit.
The bi-modal method is an alternative if the rhythmic method isn't effective. By scheduling only specific days for deep work, the important work still gets done, and the habit continues to develop.
A third alternative is a journalistic approach, where specific blocks of time are woven in between meetings and other responsibilities. This method requires planning schedules ahead of time and knowing where these windows of time are available.
Deep work skills can be developed by using a variety of tools. The key is to be willing to experiment and take different approaches to find the time necessary and develop the right skills. With commitment and practice, these skills can be learned and used to create important work better and faster.

Book Resume - The Ten Faces of Innovation BY TOM KELLEY & JONATHAN LITTMAN

2017-08-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

SYNOPSIS

Design firm and idea factory IDEO has developed ten personas for innovation. These talents, or roles, help teams focus from different points of view to create more useful solutions. These ten “faces” are not just theories on the advantage of seeing things from different viewpoints. They are practical, tested methods that help create better solutions, more insightful team members, and a culture of innovation.

Each persona represents a unique approach to looking at innovation and solving problems. The ten “faces” are categorized into three categories: learning, organizing, and building. These three categories are the basic building blocks of the innovation process, and the personas fine-tune the approach to take with each phase.

SUMMARY

The Learning Personas

The first three personas are learning roles focused on the continuous need for new information. Each of these roles is designed to avoid the stagnation that plagues many organizations. Their focus is typically external because they understand how fast the world is changing and how important it is to keep up. These personas aren't afraid to question accepted views, even when they are their own, and are open to new ideas and new insights. The learning personas are responsible for laying the foundation for the rest of the innovation process with solid information and progressive ideas.

The Anthropologist

This persona focuses on the human factor to discover new knowledge and insights that affect different areas of an organization. How people interact and connect with services, products, and spaces develops a deeper understanding of the customer experience. These cultural observers fulfill their role by putting themselves in a variety of real-life situations.

The Experimenter

Experimenters take a curiosity or “what if” approach. This persona develops new prototypes using “experimentation as implementation,” learning by trial and error. They take calculated risks and aren't afraid to take on established practices. BMW reaped the benefits when they took the experimenter view with their successful short films. The car company turned away from their usual advertising channels and created theater-quality films to promote their brand. They had no guarantee that the approach would work, but the risk paid off when the films became a huge success.

The Cross-Pollinator

By exploring other business cultures and industries, cross-pollinators can bring revelations that can only be found in a different environment. Being able to connect and combine ideas and objects is essential for innovation. Organizations can only learn so much within the confines of their own routines and structures. Innovation requires seeing possibilities that couldn't exist without combining familiar and unfamiliar ideas or products.

The Organizing Personas

The next three personas are all about organizing. These personas understand how organizations move through the innovation process and their job is to pull things together. The roles here require the ability to create strategies that keep the focus on the product or idea throughout the process. They understand that even the best ideas compete for attention, resources, and time. Organizing roles use the information from the learning process to create a strong plan for the building phase.

The Hurdler

The hurdler understands that innovation requires the ability to overcome obstacles. Roadblocks and unexpected delays are just part of the process, and this persona focuses on getting past those obstacles. The 3M worker who invented masking tape had the idea rejected in the beginning, but he stuck with it and kept the idea alive. Since his budget was $100, he used a series of $99 purchase orders to buy the equipment he needed to produce the first run. By bending the rules, he created a product that made the company millions.

The Collaborator

This persona focuses on bringing groups together, serving as a sort of hub for the whole project. The collaborator creates new combinations of personas to create a variety of solutions. Kraft Foods collaborated with Safeway to redesign the transfer of goods from supplier to retailer. By combining different viewpoints, they were able to decrease labor and carrying costs which resulted in greater sales. Capri Sun juice drink sales increased by 167% as a direct result of this collaboration.

The Director

Just like in the movies, the director puts together a talented cast and crew and focuses on bringing out their creativity. This persona knows how to pull together a team with diverse skills and point them in the right direction. A Mattel executive used the director persona to build a team of project leaders and designers. After three months of hard work, a new $100 million toy platform was created resulting in significant profits and recurring revenue.

The Building Personas

The last four personas are building roles that combine the insights and knowledge from the learning phase and the road map from the organizing phase. These personas are responsible for taking the results of the first two phases and setting the innovation process into action. Building personas understand the relationship between customers and a product or service. Their emphasis is always on the customer and how to innovate in ways that benefit the customer. This focus on the customer combined with the skills of design, psychology, and intuition give builders the tools they need to turn ideas into products.

The Experience Architect

This role focuses on the connection between customers and products. Experience architects understand the importance of the entire customer experience and how it can make or break a product or service. Cold Stone Creamery uses showmanship to prepare their frozen desserts, turning a common task into an elaborate and fun performance. This well-designed customer experience creates attention in marketing and allows the company to charge premium prices.

The Set Designer

The set designer creates a stage for innovating teams that inspires and motivates them. They see the physical environment as a tool for influencing behaviors and creativity. Google is one of the best at using the set designer persona. They create work spaces that are very different from traditional spaces.

The spaces at Google range from quiet, solitary corners for deep contemplation to fun, boisterous common areas for building excitement and camaraderie. The company understands how creatives work and builds the very best stage for displaying their talents.

The Caregiver

This persona typically focuses on services by anticipating customer needs and dissecting current services. Caregivers naturally take the customer viewpoint to identify opportunities and areas that need to be improved. Wine retailer Best Cellars uses the caregiver persona to increase sales and profits by taking the typical snobbery out of wine shopping by making the process simple and fun. By appealing to a different type of consumer, they increased their market share and profits.

The Storyteller

The storyteller persona creates internal and external narratives that strengthen a brand or product. Using the power of basic human values and reinforcing specific aspects, they create a personal connection between customers and products. Starbucks uses stories about their history and innovative corporate legends to enhance their brand and build strong connections within their teams. Medtronic, a leader in product innovation that consistently experiences high growth, uses firsthand narratives from patients to tell their stories about how their products benefit consumers.

Book Resume - The Art of Innovation BY TOM KELLEY & JONATHAN LITTMAN

2017-08-08T10:20:00.005-07:00

SYNOPSIS

“Good companies embrace a culture of mini-failures.”
A tour through the systems used by design firm and idea factory IDEO provides an insider's view of how innovation works and why it's a necessity for any business. The sometimes vague concepts that are a part of innovation, like brainstorming and creativity, are broken down and explained clearly enough to make them more practical to use for start-ups and established companies alike. Real-life examples and applications help bring insight into how seeing things from a fresh point of view can result in better services and products that help companies stay competitive.

SUMMARY

“It’s not about just coming up with the one genius idea that solves the problem, but trying and failing at a hundred other solutions before arriving at the best one.”

Innovation at Work

LEGO was nominated in 2015 by Forbes as the most powerful brand in the world. But just over ten years earlier, in 2004, the toy company was on the edge of bankruptcy. Suffering losses of $300 million and facing the potential end of their once successful company, they realized that typical innovation efforts weren't going to save them. They didn't want a new product; they wanted to revive the popularity of their existing product and brand. Like many companies in similar situations, they hired a new CEO and restructured. But it was by embracing innovation that they were able to bring the company back to life.

The toy maker's first step was to tap into their loyal, and obviously creative, fan base. They hired adult fans of the LEGO brand for their design team and began using crowdsourcing for new toy kit ideas. When the crowdsourcing efforts began to produce useable results, they adopted an open innovation policy by opening up the LEGO Ideas portal. Through user feedback, their online platform began to generate hundreds of new product suggestions each year. They began to use a variety of innovate techniques, from social media to peer selection to encourage fans to contribute new designs.

This invaluable feedback and the willingness to take new and different approaches for their existing product and brand, LEGO found themselves back in business. They eventually implemented a process of rapid prototyping to keep the momentum going. David Gram, head of marketing at Lego's Future Lab, describes this new approach: “We only develop the few key features that are really needed. A typical engineering mistake is wanting to invent all the things the product might consist of in one go … we throw that into the market and get feedback from consumers.”

Innovation in Motion

Just like LEGO discovered, companies must learn to innovate to compete, and the IDEO method identifies some basic steps to working with an innovative mindset. Innovation is all about asking questions that reveal opportunities and pitfalls.

Understand the market, client, technology, and constraints.

Who is the end user and what do they want or need?
What other companies offer similar products or services?
What technology is available and is it enough to create the product effectively?
What are the obstacles that must be overcome?
Observe people, products, and services in real-life situations.

Data and analysis approaches can provide a lot of useful, necessary information but people's behavior can reveal critical, practical points that must be considered.
How does the end user use similar products or services?
Can the concept be designed in a way that makes it easy to use?
Look for flaws or inconsistencies with a critical eye. These are the very things the end user will see all too quickly.
Evaluate and refine prototypes quickly and frequently.

Even the crudest prototype reveals something useful.
A rough sketch or basic outline is the beginning of understanding if the concept will have value.
As a concept begins to take shape, it can be fine-tuned with more sophisticated methods to move it towards realization.
Implement new concepts and get them to market.

Innovation is all about moving quickly and steadily forward.
Time is the enemy of innovation. The first one to market has the advantage.
It doesn't have to be perfect; it just has to be out there. The market will eventually provide the feedback needed to tweak and improve.
IDEO didn't wait till they had everything perfect to launch their innovation company; they forged ahead using the resources available. By getting their service to market quickly with a concept that was “good enough,” they eventually landed key accounts with Silicon Valley staples like Apple. Had they waited until they had the “perfect” offering, they would have missed out on valuable feedback and collaboration.

“Noticing that something is broken is an essential prerequisite for coming up with a creative solution to fix it.”

Prototyping is the Shorthand of Innovation

Prototypes should be created rapidly to get a project moving forward. Building something and getting it into people's hands is the best way to learn how to fine-tune a design. This lesson is well illustrated by using Amazon as an example. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, quit his job after learning about the explosive growth of internet commerce. He didn't wait until he had the perfect model to launch his own e-commerce business, he used trial and error by throwing out prototype after prototype. By using the feedback from users, he was able to improve upon each trial until he eventually created the world-wide phenomenon that is Amazon.

The Perfect Brainstorm

IDEO uses hour-long brainstorming sessions to create and improve upon ideas. These sessions are frequent and have a certain “wide-open” atmosphere where (just about!) anything goes. The result is a flurry of activity and conversations that are focused on quantity, not quality.

Sharpen the focus.

What is the goal? Is it a better mouse trap or a more economical mouse trap? Unless everyone understands the goal, those ideas flying around have no real relevance.
Create a vision of customers and their needs. Who is the typical user and how will the concept benefit them?
What does the end product or service look like? Even in the beginning stages, there has to be a somewhat defined picture of what it will look like when it's completed.

Use playful rules.

Creativity doesn't have to be fun, but it sure helps. If everyone takes themselves too seriously, it makes it hard to think outside the box.
Just like in any other learning environment, games can often be the best teaching and learning.
Playing the devil's advocate may not seem playful, but by doing rounds where ideas are dissected using a sort of mischievous give and take can keep things lively. Just make sure everyone gets their shot.

The space remembers.

Using different methods for creating and recording ideas can lead to different views and more ideas. It's the variety and diversity that keeps the ideas flowing.

Use the wall and fill it up with sticky notes. Move them around, organize them into categories.
Write on windows, whiteboards, and other big spaces, so they are within view of the whole group. These diverse methods keep ongoing ideas front and center, creating a foundation for new ideas.
Draw pictures and diagrams with different types and colors of markers.
Physically act out scenarios presented from a manufacturer's or customer's point of view.

“Good brainstorms are extremely visual. They include sketching, mind mapping, diagrams, and stick figures. You don’t have to be an artist to get your point across with a sketch or diagram.”

IN SEARCH OF THE "WET NAP" INTERFACE

Even the most innovative and creative products or services can't succeed if they are difficult to use. Consumers want, and expect, a certain ease-of-use and tend to lose interest quickly at the first signs of difficulty. This “user interface” element is so critical, but it is often overlooked. Nearly everyone has experienced user interface issues at one time or another.

The website that doesn't provide clear directions or steps for using their service or buying their product is an all-too-common experience. The instructions for putting together an end table or swing set can often seem like they require some special knowledge to follow the directions. This confusing and frustrating lack of simplification sends many brands and products to the bottom of the customer's @#%& list!

A simple, but revealing, example of a useful interface can be found with the common Wet Nap. Their directions for their product are right there on the packaging and couldn't be any more clear:

“Tear open and use.”
While it probably didn't take a lot of brainstorming, it serves its purpose beautifully. By making a product as easy to use as possible, this ease-of-use becomes a significant feature with clear benefits.

Sometimes, the bells and whistles that seem to be benefits are more harmful than useful. Innovation should be about simplifying without devaluing.

Creating Experiences for Fun and Profit

The customer experience has become as important as customer service and customer satisfaction. Consumers don't just buy things and services; they buy experiences. When the experience of using a product or service evolves into a genuine feature, that experience can become the major selling point. A good idea can outperform a great one if it provides a better or more entertaining experience.

Experiences should be entertaining. Customers who are entertained stay longer, spend more, and come back more often. Think Disney. Disney understands entertainment obviously, but they also understand that by appealing to children, parents are certain to follow.
Tell a story. The story of a brand or service must be clear and consistent. Most people know that their life won't be completely changed by buying a new car, but the commercials and other media sure make it seem that way.
Fix it. Progressive companies look for flaws in the customer experience and fix them. The popularity of cell phones with large, easy-to-read buttons with seniors is a perfect example of how finding a problem and addressing it leads to more sales.
Rethink services often. By focusing on making services easier and better, companies can often find ways to stand out from the competition and provide a better experience. Staples understood this concept, and it led them to create the “Easy Button.” While the “button” isn't really a tangible feature, it's extensive use in marketing helps promote their commitment to making their services “easy.”
Little experiences make a big difference. A great illustration is the JanSport warranty card. The card uses humor to change the traditionally dry topic of product warranties into something a little more personal. It reads: “Hi. Warranty Service Camp is really cool. They say they're sending me home soon...gotta run...we're doing zipper races today!” A little humor goes a long way.

ZERO TO SIXTY

A climate of innovation must have a sense of urgency. The world of business, entertainment, and especially the digital world are moving fast, and the only way to compete is to innovate faster. The quicker the innovation, the quicker the service or product goes to market. Just like with prototypes, the overall innovation efforts have to be put out there fast. Creating this atmosphere of speed not only fuels innovation, but it also creates an exciting and dynamic climate where innovation thrives. Remember, the first to market often wins in the end.

Coloring Outside the Lines

It's tough to break old habits and question the status quo. Innovation requires breaking away from traditional methods and ideas and getting outside that comfort zone. Pushing the limit requires a thick skin and a willingness to fail, sometimes miserably.

Fail often to succeed sooner. There is no success without risk.
Don't focus on what might be lost, but on what might be gained. Fear cripples creativity.
Break the rules. Rules breakers are traditionally the people who have positively changed the way things are done or made.
Don't go too far! At least color on the same page.

Live the Future

Knowing what the future holds just isn't possible, but that uncertainty is at the heart of innovation. There's just no way to know, but there are plenty of ways to make an educated guess. Learn what products or services are currently state-of-the-art by doing research and seeking out other innovators.

Seek out empowerment products that make people more effective, smarter, prettier, popular, etc., and build ideas off of them. Find the hotspots for an industry, from physical locations to publications and observe to learn.

Book Resume - Six Thinking Hats BY EDWARD D. BONO

2017-08-08T10:20:00.002-07:00

SYNOPSIS

Most leaders and managers are familiar with meetings that aren't as productive as they should be. By using “parallel thinking,” where participants focus on one part of a discussion at a time, productivity is increased. This method uses the analogy of different colored hats to represent six modes of thinking. By having everyone wear the same color “hat” at the same time, it creates a group focus with a single point of view.

“A discussion should be a genuine attempt to explore a subject rather than a battle between competing egos.”
By moving from hat to hat, the group is able to focus more specifically on each part of the issue individually. These switches from hat to hat are also effective in keeping things moving when roadblocks pop up. At times, individuals or individual groups may wear a particular hat, focusing on a specific point of view. This allows people to step into unfamiliar roles and helps them to look at things differently, understand other roles better, and gain insight.

SUMMARY

The Blue Hat

This hat is all about control, planning, and organizing. This hat should be worn by the leader of the meeting from the beginning to help define issues and maintain focus. The blue hat can be used individually for effective daily planning, scheduling, and other activities that depend on organized thinking. This hat is useful in analyzing the results that come from wearing other hats and helps tie things together.

The White Hat

When it's time to gather the facts objectively, it's time to put on the white hat. The thought processes here should be about what information is available and what additional information is needed. This provides an opportunity to make sure everyone involved is aware of the facts and how they impact the issue at hand. Individually, the white hat represents a mindset for research, intense reading, and other tasks that create better understanding.

The Red Hat

Wearing the red hat promotes the expression of feelings and intuition. No decision in business or life is purely logical. All decisions have an element of emotion that should always be taken into account. This way of thinking allows people to tell how they “feel” about an issue without judgment and can often lead to important ideas that may be missed with other ways of thinking. Thinking about how a decision will affect people's lives is an example of red hat thinking.

“The simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity.”

The Black Hat

Black is the color of critical thinking. Playing the devil's advocate is an important part of making decisions and requires objectivity. Wearing this hat enables people to view ideas and decisions with a focus on flaws and errors. Evaluating the decision making process as it is unfolding provides the chance to find inconsistencies, vague points, and anything else that prevents the final solution from being effective.

The Yellow Hat

The yellow hat is the “positive thinking” hat. This mode of thinking focuses on constructive, progressive points of view. Balanced thinking requires the ability to see best case scenarios and rewarding outcomes just as much as it depends on critical analysis. Wearing the yellow hat means keeping negatives in check and a willingness to take a leap of faith that things will come together and work out in the end.

The Green Hat

Green represents creativity. This is the brainstorming hat, where lots of thoughts and ideas are coming fast. The focus here is about “what ifs” and generating as many ideas as possible without judgment or criticism. This flow of ideas will create a lot of potentially irrelevant material, but it will also uncover some revelations that just couldn't be seen when wearing a different hat. Even the seemingly “bad” ideas may become useful when viewed with a different hat.

Overall

The idea of “thinking hats” may seem like something from grade school, but this separating and combining of thought processes can be very effective. It provides focus, versatile thinking, and a way for individuals to broaden their thinking skills and learn unfamiliar roles.

Book Resume - Change by Design BY TIM BROWN

2017-08-08T10:19:00.005-07:00

SYNOPSIS

The leader of one of the most successful design companies, Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, shares what he has learned about how to make “change by design.” Tim draws from his years of experience to present the fundamental principles of the design process, from idea to realization. These principles apply not only to products, but to services, procedures, and virtually any other kind of problem. Change By Design isn't a “how-to” book, but rather an introduction and explanation of the methods used successfully by design thinkers. These methods aren't just for creatives and designers. The principles here are practical ways of thinking for anyone who needs solutions for problems.

SUMMARY

“Design thinking taps into capacities we all have but that are overlooked by more conventional problem-solving practices. It is not only human-centered; it is deeply human in and of itself.”

Design Thinking

When most people think of “design,” they think of creative types working feverishly in a studio working up sketches, drawings, and prototypes. These creatives seem to have some innate gift, or talent, for innovative ideas and for bringing those ideas to life. This book is designed to change that thinking by explaining how design is a process that applies to many areas in business and life. The design process is relevant to processes, social issues, and policy making, not just innovative products or services.

“Design thinking relies on our ability to be intuitive, to recognize patterns, to construct ideas that have emotional meaning as well as functionality, to express ourselves in media other than words or symbols.”
By seeing design as the ability to understand the big picture, it takes some of the mystery out of the concept of design. This new understanding turns design thinking into a practical tool to help solve problems. Innovative design isn't reserved just for the most insightful and creative; it is a process that can be used by nearly anyone. From the mundane day-to-day issues that most people face in business to more complex issues, design thinking is a process that helps create effective solutions.

“The faster we make our ideas tangible, the sooner we will be able to evaluate them, refine them, and zero in on the best solution.”
Innovation, whether it's used for solving global warming or finding a better distribution structure, can come from any environment. As long as people have the freedom to explore, experiment, and take risks, they can design effective solutions for nearly any problem. Through stories and examples, the book presents guidelines on how to create the right environment for design and innovation.

The story of Kristian Simsarian, IDEO designer, illustrates how design thinking works in real life. Simsarian was assigned the task of redesigning the hospital emergency room experience. His approach was to check in as a patient and videotape the experience. The results of his undercover operation provided insights from a unique, but practical, viewpoint. Simsarian recalls spending a lot of his time lying on his back on a gurney staring up at the ceiling. He describes the feelings of anxiety and uncertainty that made him feel out of control and helpless.

“Whether we find ourselves in the role of customer or client, patient or passenger, we are no longer content to be passive consumers at the far end of the industrial economy.”
The insights from this experiment started a series of discussions that led to efforts to improve the overall emergency room experience. The result was a plan to focus on treating patients less like commodities and more like human beings in a vulnerable position. This unique approach helped redefine the ER logistics, creating a less stressful environment for patients. By putting himself in the position to experience what a typical patient encounters, Simsarian was able to help design solutions that had a positive impact on the patient experience.

Putting People First

“The evolution of design to design thinking is the story of the evolution from the creation of products to the analysis of the relationship between people and products, and from there to the relationship between people and people.”
In the end, innovation and design are more about people than they are about ideas or things. The concept of putting people first is that solutions to any problem need to be designed with a focus on the human element. It's tough to figure out exactly what people need because they adapt to their situations so readily, often without understanding what they actually need. This natural adaptability prevents people from realizing a problem exists because they simply adapt and move on.

The book presents three keys to understanding these unrealized needs by focusing on the human elements in designing solutions: insight, observation, and empathy.

Insight. Unique insights are discovered by learning from the real-life experiences of other people. When people just aren't able to realize their needs, watching their behaviors provides clues to what's really going on. While far from a scientific or data-based approach, “people watching” often reveals insights that aren't found with a typical analysis using hard data. Observing how people behave can be the best resource for truly understanding their problems.

“Good design thinkers observe. Great design thinkers observe the ordinary.”
Observation. Keen observation requires more than just watching how people behave. Sometimes, the deepest insights come from what people don't do. Things left unsaid can be just as important as the things people say. By playing detective, an observer can find valuable information in day-to-day activities and situations. When the simple question “why” is asked over and over again, the often hidden insights come to light for a deeper understanding.

Empathy. Just like in the example of IDEO designer Kristian Simsarian, by experiencing firsthand what someone is feeling, a deeper understanding emerges. By empathizing with a customer or anyone else, the resulting solutions are shaped by the effects they have on people. When someone feels that a solution, product, or service was created with an obviously human element, the more likely they are to accept the idea.

“Empathy is the mental habit that moves us beyond thinking of people as laboratory rats or standard deviations.”
Learning to think like a designer and how the human element plays such a large part in innovation are the foundation of designing change. The book goes into great detail on prototypes and other innovation elements to deepen the understanding. But it's the focus on how design thinking can actually make a difference not only in business but in people's lives that make these concepts so important. It's this underlying theme of creating a better future that is at the core of change by design.

Book Resume - Awakening Your Inner Genius BY SEAN PATRICK

2017-08-08T10:19:00.002-07:00

SYNOPSIS

“You see, genius is a path, not a gift. Studies of history’s greatest geniuses have shown that there is a 'genius code,' if you will. A combination of very specific traits that we can develop in ourselves, and thus, operate at a genius level.”
This book is based on research from a variety of sources and proposes that genius is not some mystical, elusive trait, but a combination of many personality characteristics. Genius is not innate; it is a goal that can be achieved by developing separate traits or behaviors to create the “genius code.” Becoming a genius certainly isn't easy, but it is achievable.

The concepts are the results of attempts to discover the common traits of “geniuses” from all walks of life, throughout history. Initial research attempts provided few results and did not identify common genius traits. This lack of common ground among the likes of Edison, DaVinci, Socrates and even Ted Williams, uncovered the notion that genius may actually be an extensive combination of skills, traits, and behaviors.

“Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered—either by themselves or by others.” — Mark Twain

SUMMARY

In the end, over two dozen traits were identified as separate elements of what came to be known as the “genius code.” While many of these traits are based on specific attitudes and approaches, the more important ones are all about taking action, persevering, and honing skills through repetition and practice. It turns out that becoming a genius is as much about hard work as it is about thoughts and habits.

It's a common thread in the self-help and motivational publications that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery or genius. This widely-accepted concept illustrates the often unseen efforts that are behind becoming a genius. The willingness to invest large amounts of time and the ability to persevere are requisites for the development of skills needed to achieve a genius state.

“Swing batter, swing!”

Drive, courage, devotion to goals, enthusiasm, optimism, dynamic energy, patience, adaptability, and imagination are all key traits within the “genius code” and traits that Ted Williams developed to become a “genius” in the game of baseball. Williams is considered to be one of the most gifted hitters of all time. He has been described as having almost inhuman natural abilities like eagle-like vision, extraordinary hand-eye coordination, and uncanny instincts. While most people would revel in this sort of praise, Williams was actually offended by these accolades. He knew that his success was a combination of developing the above traits and a lot of hard work over a long period of time. He called such stories “a lot of bull.”

“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” — Thomas Edison
Williams began his journey to greatness at the age of seven when he chose to dedicate his life to one singular task: hitting a baseball perfectly. Williams spent every free minute he had at San Diego’s old North Park field hitting balls, every day, year after year. His childhood friends recall seeing him on that field smashing balls with the outer shells completely beaten off, using a splintered bat, held by blistered, bleeding hands. He would give his lunch money to other kids to shag his balls so he could hit as many as possible every day. When the field lights turned off, he would go home and swing a rolled-up newspaper in the mirror until he went to bed. This obsession continued throughout Williams’ entire professional career, and the results are no surprise.

“Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” — Biz Stone

The 24 Characteristics of Geniuses

From Mozart to Bill Gates, genius's diverse journeys toward excellence in their respective fields shared a common denominator: the accumulation of thousand hours of unwavering “exercise” of their crafts and the commitment to developing the “genius code.”

Here are the characteristics that make up the “genius code.” While many of these traits and habits may seem like common sense or simply familiar jargon, it's important to remember two things:

It's the combination of multiple strengths or characteristics and how they play off one another that is the key to achieving genius status.
All of these individual traits can be learned, practiced, and mastered.
DRIVE. Geniuses are driven to work long and hard. They're willing to give all they've got by focusing on their future success.
COURAGE. It takes courage to try something different or commit to a singular goal.
DEVOTION TO GOALS. Geniuses know what they want, and they go after it. Day after day, they keep the focus on the prize.
KNOWLEDGE. Developing a love of learning and making it a constant in daily life opens doors and creates insights.
HONESTY. Geniuses are honest with others and with themselves. They take responsibility for their success and their mistakes.
OPTIMISM. Developing the habit of looking at the good instead of the bad helps geniuses take those necessary “leaps of faith.”
ABILITY TO JUDGE. A genius evaluates objectively and approaches obstacles and opportunities with an open mind.
ENTHUSIASM. Constant attention to keeping themselves “up” is the hallmark of geniuses. They understand how enthusiasm builds upon itself.
WILLINGNESS TO TAKE CHANCES. Geniuses can learn to take chances by learning to master their fears. They learn from mistakes to minimize the risks of future endeavors.
DYNAMIC ENERGY. Success and genius won't come knocking. It takes action and energy to go out and find them. Keep the mind and the body sharp and healthy.
ENTERPRISE. Geniuses seek out opportunities in unlikely places. They learn to know a good idea when they see it.
PERSUASION. Geniuses know how to motivate people and turn them into resources.
OUTGOINGNESS. Developing the willingness to interact with others helps geniuses discover different points of view that can be invaluable for their journey.
ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE. Geniuses can effectively get their ideas across and thrive on feedback.
PATIENCE. Becoming a genius takes time and requires the patience to put in the work.
PERCEPTION. Geniuses learn to create clarity in their understanding of people, ideas, and concepts.
PERFECTIONISM. Striving for perfection is a worthy endeavor. But geniuses know how to keep that perfectionism in check to keep it from holding them back.
SENSE OF HUMOR. Geniuses don't take themselves too seriously. They know that humor can often dilute stressful situations and setbacks.
VERSATILITY. A genius looks for variety and different ways of thinking. They know that there are many ways to reach a goal.
ADAPTABILITY. Being flexible keeps geniuses ready for opportunities and open to new ideas.
CURIOSITY. Geniuses develop the hunger for learning and the desire to understand how things work.
INDIVIDUALISM. At some point along their journey, all geniuses must veer away from the ideas of the masses and learn to trust themselves.
IDEALISM. Geniuses aren't afraid of the impossible. They know that many great successes began with a seemingly impossible dream.
IMAGINATION. Geniuses know how to see things from different viewpoints and understand the power of asking: “What if...”

Book Resume - Creative Confidence BY TOM KELLEY & DAVID KELLEY

2017-08-08T10:18:00.002-07:00

SYNOPSIS

Anyone can be creative. That's the message this book drives home by showing that creativity is an innate ability that requires courage to uncover. It's not so much a case of learning how to be creative, but rather learning how to release creativity by overcoming fears and doubts. The key to being creative is to learn how to take action. Everyone has good ideas at one time or another, but those creative ideas never see the light of day because most people don't have confidence in their creative abilities. They are afraid of failure or being judged.

“If you want more success, you have to be prepared to shrug off more failure.”
Learning how to control all those doubts takes the willingness to forgive failure and learn from the lessons those failures hold. No great breakthrough or innovation succeeded without failures. Through tenacity and commitment, creative efforts can survive the uncertainty and setbacks that are always a part of innovation. By refusing to give in and following through, by taking action, confidence in creative abilities grows. With practice and repetition, the creative confidence to experiment and implement becomes a skill that can be learned by anyone.

SUMMARY

Ideas

The first step to putting a creative idea into action is to come up with one. Many people struggle with getting the creative juices flowing which leads to them thinking that they just aren't creative. But it's simply not true. Creative thinking requires learning how to reveal those ideas just waiting to get out. Like any other skill, there are certain steps or prompts that make creativity easier.

“Look for ways to grant yourself creative license, or give yourself the equivalent of a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
Choose creativity. It takes a conscious commitment to wanting to be creative to get things going. Don't second guess or question, just choose.
Think like a tourist. Inspiration is not usually just hanging around waiting to show itself. It can often only be found in a different environment with new experiences and ideas. Get out of the office and find a different view, read something different, get exposure to something new.
Take a break. Creativity seems to thrive during periods of relaxation. Stop focusing on the specific task and allow the mind to wander. This wandering will often uncover connections that can't be seen during focused work.
Who is the end user and what do they want (or need)? Asking this question, whether about an idea, a problem or a product, creates empathy and the ability to focus on some of the more important points.
Field work. Another reason to get out and about, field work involves simply observing. By observing with no set agenda, it's possible to find those “aha” moments of clarity and revelation.
Why? This may be the most important question ever when it comes to understanding and creating. By asking “why?”, over and over again, the big picture starts to break down into smaller pieces that can expose core elements or issues.
Re-frame. By re-framing questions or views, a problem or idea can be seen from different angles providing different information. These questions can start with “I wonder what...” and “What if...” or a host of other similar approaches.
“What it means is there is no such thing as a flash of genius. What may appear as a flash of genius is a result of some new connection made by the discoverer’s relaxed mind building upon years of study and hard work.”

Action

Until someone learns how to put ideas into action, no amount of creativity is going to amount to anything. The action stage is where the ability to overcome fear and doubts is critical. It took courage to commit to creativity and to learn the steps for creative thinking. Now that same courage has to pick up speed and move things forward quickly. Instead of elaborate, detailed plans, the action stage requires moving fast and ignoring the fear of failure and judgments. By setting small goals and checkpoints, the process of taking action becomes less overwhelming and gets the ball rolling.

Here are some of the “action catalysts” suggested by the book to get rid of some of that fear.

Ask for help — Two heads are better than one, especially in creative efforts. It doesn't have to be someone with particular expertise or even experience with creativity. Just bouncing ideas back and forth with someone who can be objective is often more than enough.

Peer pressure — It worked in high school, and it works here. Publicly announce the decision to take action and see what happens. It will be nearly impossible to not follow through without at least a little shame!

Take the stage — By gathering an audience, whether it's a formal focus group or coworkers around the copier, the goal is to have everyone chime in on those creative ideas. The results are often surprising and useful.

Be bad — Perfectionism is the enemy of action. When someone gives themselves permission to produce something completely horrible, it takes the pressure off. The key is to get something, anything, out there and tweak it later. Besides, it's good practice.

Lower the bar — Similar to the willingness to create something awful, lowering the bar means relieving some of the pressure by putting expectations in the right perspective. Very few activities are “life and death” issues. Not everything rides on a single decision, so it's OK to be less than perfect.

Overall

“Like a muscle, your creative abilities will grow and strengthen with practice.”
The approach a pottery class took and the results illustrate why taking action is so important in creativity. Half of the students were told that they would be evaluated on the quality of a single clay pot to be completed by the end of the class. The other half were told they would be evaluated on the number of pots they made. It seemed to be a race between quantity and quality.

The students in the first group worked intensely and deliberately week after week to create the very best pot they could. The second group threw pot after pot as quickly as they could with little concern for quality. In the end, the most well-crafted pots came from the second group. The repetitive act of just putting something out there honed their abilities through trial and error, resulting in well-developed skills.

Creativity is not some mystical concept, reserved for those “special” people and their vivid imaginations. It's a skill that can be learned. By practicing ways to put fears and doubts in their place, it's possible to build confidence and skill.

Book Resume - Up The Organization BY ROBERT C. TOWNSEND & WARREN BENNIS

2017-08-08T10:16:00.002-07:00

SYNOPSIS

The sub-title of this book sums it up pretty well: How to stop the corporation from stifling people and strangling profits. The ideas here are irreverent, humorous, and most of all, relevant. Creativity. Initiative. Boldness. These are the qualities that most professionals wish their employees and peers possessed. But too often, these same professionals never realize that it is the company or organization itself that stifles these important qualities. This book challenges readers to humanize business by bringing out the best in the people they work with by getting out of their way.

The views here aren't in any particular order because the book is designed to serve as a way to promote thought and to question the traditional workings of business. By opening any page, readers will find useful ideas and thought-provoking observations. A typical view from the author gives a great example of the tone throughout the book. Addressing the traditional perk of upper management and reserved parking places, he says:

“Get rid of it. If you are so bloody important, be the first one at work each morning.”

SUMMARY

“Most people in big companies today are administered, not led. They are treated as personnel, not people.”
As long as companies treat employees as commodities instead of assets, progressive thinking and creativity will never happen. For employees to feel like they have a purpose, they need a leader who cares. For employees to feel like their contributions are appreciated, they need a leader who is involved and gives feedback. What employees DON'T need is administrators that simply police and regulate.

“If people are coming to work excited. . . if they're making mistakes freely and fearlessly. . . if they're having fun. . . if they're concentrating on doing things rather than preparing reports and going to meetings-then somewhere you have leaders.”
Too often, leaders and managers are so afraid to let go of the reigns, even for a moment. They seem to think that controlling people is the same as controlling the business, but it's simply not true. Only when a manager can create an atmosphere of creativity without judgment will employees find enthusiasm in their work. Employees want to work, and they want to contribute. They don't want their manager holding their hand or standing over their shoulder. Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is to just get out of the way.

“Managers must have the discipline not to keep pulling up the flowers to see if their roots are healthy.”
If an employee is performing their job well, why go digging? Some managers feel like they have to have to have their hands in everything, even when everything is going well. In the end, an employee's behaviors and results are all that really matters. Why someone does what they do, what they are thinking when they do it, and other underlying factors just aren't important when the results are there.

If it isn't broken, don't try to fix it.

"Top management is supposed to be a tree full of owls-hooting when management heads into the wrong part of the forest. I'm still unpersuaded they even know where the forest is.”
Real leaders have to be involved, and they have to understand what their employees deal with on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, the higher the level of management or leadership, the more out of touch leaders seem to be. If employees don't have a connection with senior leaders and their vision, how can they be expected to connect with the vision of the company?

Book Resume - The Effective Executive BY PETER F. DRUCKER

2017-08-08T10:15:00.005-07:00

SYNOPSIS

For executives, the job is not simply to ensure that “things get done;” it’s to ensure the right things get done, at the right time, and in the right way. The Effective Executive teaches that the role of leadership in every organization is to set clear objectives, focus their strengths on priorities, and make tough choices about what to do and what not to do in different circumstances. These aren’t innate abilities. They are skills that can be learned through study, practice, and experience.

SUMMARY

Effectiveness can be learned

An executive must first be able to effectively manage themselves before they can manage others by making effectiveness a habit. Effectiveness is a skill that is learned by practice. By focusing on what behaviors are effective and using those behaviors consistently, effectiveness becomes a habit. It takes a conscious effort to learn how to be effective, and it requires five basic habits.

Managing time
Focusing on contributions and results
Building on strengths instead of weaknesses
Setting priorities
Making effective decisions

Managing Time

Time is the resource that must be managed effectively to be able to build the other habits. Most executives are self-directed. How they use their time is largely up to them and requires a constant awareness of how time is spent. Executives spend a lot of time on planning, reports, meetings, and human resources. The larger the organization, the more time spent in those areas. The best way to get a handle on managing time is by focusing on three key points.

Time-monitoring — By recording the amount of time spent on particular tasks and projects, it becomes easy to see where all that time is going. Day-to-day activities should receive the most attention because of their frequency.

Control time — When executives begin to ask what activities are necessary, what tasks are inefficient, and similar questions, they begin to find chunks of time that are wasted. If done objectively, this process will result in revamping activities or eliminating them altogether.

Consolidate time — Effective executives must learn to plan their time. Between all those meetings and reports are blocks of time. By knowing where these “windows” of time exist, it's possible to carve out uninterrupted blocks for completing activities.

Contributions and Results

What someone contributes to an organization should be measured by the results. By focusing on contributions and taking responsibility for the results, it becomes easy to see opportunities for self-development. Understanding what contributions are productive and what areas need improvement makes it possible to set high standards and ambitious goals. Analyzing and fine-tuning contributions leads to more effective results.

Building on Strengths

When executives recruit people with particular strengths, they can create a strong foundation for their own effectiveness. The goal here is to focus specifically on the strengths that an organization needs in specific roles and ignoring the weaknesses. By recruiting someone for a particular role that matches their strengths, the weaknesses become irrelevant. Don’t focus on problems and limitations; focus on opportunities and abilities. The key is to hire people with exceptional qualities, not generalists.

Setting Priorities

Effective people understand what activities are the most important and have the greatest impact. These priorities are the things that simply must be done. They should be first-up when it comes to time management, and they must have undivided attention. Multitasking sounds great, but completing these important tasks one at a time often produces better results. By combining time, strengths, and resources in focusing on a specific priority, it actually makes efforts more time efficient.

Making Effective Decisions

Executives have the responsibility of making decisions that have a significant impact on the organization and the people who work there. Decisions must be more than just problem-solving to be effective. These decisions must be based on sound principles with an understanding of how they affect the whole organization. Effective executives understand that compromises are a part of the decision-making process and that all decisions require a lot of thought on how that decision will be put into effect. Above all, decisions must be implemented and accepted before they can be effective.

Book Resume - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People BY STEPHEN R. COVEY

2017-08-08T10:15:00.002-07:00

SYNOPSIS

Our effectiveness is a compilation of habits. Our habits are a compilation of knowledge, skill, and desire. This book focuses on how to develop the most effective habits with a character-driven approach as opposed to approaches that are personality-driven and developed from the outside-in. This “inside-out” approach is composed of three stages.

Dependence: Relying on others for our survival and happiness.
Independence: Relying on ourselves and making our own decisions.
Interdependence: Learning to combine independence and dependence to achieve results that aren't possible independently.

The first three habits focus on self-mastery and moving from dependence to independence. The next three habits focus on collaboration, communication, and moving from independence to interdependence. The seventh habit focuses on maintaining a balanced foundation for effectively using the other habits.

SUMMARY

Habit 1: Be Proactive

This habit teaches that change begins within and how developing a sense of self-awareness gives us more control. Being proactive means taking responsibility for our choices and minimizing the influence of external forces. It means putting an end to being reactive by choosing our own priorities instead.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

Covey uses the analogy of a funeral to emphasize the foundation of this habit. For developing our own principle-centered character and by understanding the traits we desire, we can imagine what things we would like to hear about ourselves at our own funeral. This exercise helps us determine what values are the most important to us, providing a template for the life we want to live.

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Using the strategies and tools outlined in the third habit, we can identify the key roles in our life and learn how to focus on the most important ones. This means learning how to maintain a balance while keeping the most important values prioritized, so we don't lose sight of our mission.

Habit 4: Think Win/Win

By focusing on agreements and relationships that benefit each party, we learn to take the “win/win” approach. This habit isn't about compromise. It's about committing to deals that are good for everyone using collaboration and understanding or deciding to make “no deal” and walk away. Whether in business or personal life, the benefit of thinking “win/win” is interdependent relationships with no “losers.”

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Covey considers this habit to be the most important principle for effective interpersonal relationships. This habit teaches us that by listening effectively, without filtering what we hear with our own biases and views, we can understand the other person's view before presenting our own. This understanding creates an atmosphere of empathy and a commitment to resolution.

Habit 6: Synergize

Synergy: When one plus one equals three or more, when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This habit teaches that trust and understanding in relationships can help create solutions that are often better and more beneficial than either person's original solution. It's like an even better version of “win/win” that further develops the habit of interdependence.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

By taking the time to renew ourselves physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially, we create the foundation for learning and living the other habits. From exercise and eating right to keeping our mind sharp and developing deep, meaningful relationships, we take the time to maintain ourselves from the inside-out.

Book Resume - Now, Discover Your Strengths BY MARCUS BUCKINGHAM & DONALD O. CLIFTON

2017-08-08T10:14:00.008-07:00

SYNOPSIS

Many people spend a lot of time worrying about their weaknesses and shortcomings, and a lot of business books focus on that concern. This book takes the opposite approach by showing that many successful people focus on their strengths instead of their weaknesses. They continue to fine-tune their strengths while learning how to manage their weaknesses. This book provides the tools for identifying strengths with self-evaluation and offers ways to manage weaker skills.

"One thing that holds us back is fearing our weaknesses more than having confidence in our strengths."

SUMMARY

Chapter 1: Strong Lives
A great example of how this focus on strengths can create success is the compelling case of Tiger Woods. To most, it would appear that this professional golfer has mastered the game of golf. But closer inspection reveals that he is actually playing to his strengths. Woods is a mediocre player when it comes to getting out of bunkers, but he is a master of putting and driving. By continuously focusing on the skills of putting and driving, and managing his weakness in bunkers, he has developed into one of the greatest players ever.

“At an early age, you started hearing it: It's a virtue to be "well-rounded."... They might as well have said: Become as dull as you possibly can be.”

Chapter 2: Strength Building

A skill is something that can be learned. A talent is something that is inborn. Many successful people exhibit specific strengths that are usually a combination of talent and skills. A successful speaker may be born with charisma and a natural stage presence, but it is usually the learned skills of tone, cadence, and the finer points of rhetoric that turn his talent into the strength of public speaking.

Chapter 3: Strengths Finder

The book encourages readers to identify and understand their top five strengths by reviewing their behaviors in various situations. By evaluating the situations where their responses are the most instinctive or natural, they can begin to see some patterns in their behavior. These patterns of “gut reactions” reveal specific strengths. To further develop an understanding of these strengths, the book also offers an extensive list of strengths as a basis for strength finding.

“Our definition of a weakness is anything that gets in the way of excellent performance.”

Chapter 4: The Thirty-Four Themes of Strengths Finder

By offering a list of thirty-four detailed strengths, the book provides an effective way to objectively self-evaluate. This exercise helps clarify areas of mastery and identify areas that need work. The resulting information will become the foundation for improving those strengths and managing the weaknesses. While the exercise is designed to keep the focus on strengths, the act of identifying weaknesses often leads to some productive revelations.

Chapter 5: The Questions You’re Asking

By using the question and answer session in the book, readers can learn the most effective way to identify specifics in strengths and weaknesses. These questions promote a deeper understanding of how and why certain strengths are well-developed, and others need work. Understanding weaknesses and learning to manage them is as much a part of the equation as identifying strengths. For example, knowing areas of weakness means knowing when to delegate a specific task to someone more capable.

Chapter 6: Managing Strengths

This section is geared towards managers and helps them identify strengths in the people that work for them. By identifying the strengths of these individuals, a manager can capitalize on those strengths in a number of ways. Creating teams where the strengths and weaknesses of team members compliment one another helps build a more balanced and effective team. Understanding the strengths of a particular person leads to a better understanding of how to manage that person.

“The only possible failure would be never managing to find the right role or the right partners to help you realize that strength.”

Chapter 7: Building a Strengths-Based Organization
With a good understanding of how focusing on strengths can help individuals improve, it's possible to begin building a strengths-based organization. By identifying the strengths needed in a specific role and understanding the strengths of individuals, it makes it easier to match up the right people with the right job. It takes a lot of work and planning to take this strengths-based approach from the individual level to an organizational level, but it pays off with more effective teams and more successful individuals.

Book Resume - Chasing Daylight BY EUGENE O'KELLY & CORRINE O'KELLY

2017-08-08T10:14:00.005-07:00

SYNOPSIS

This is a book that will resonate with anyone who is on a fast paced career path. Eugene O'Kelly, the previous CEO and chairman of the large accounting firm, KPMG, was diagnosed with brain cancer at 53. He was given three months to live, and this is the story of his final days and how he chose to live them. He takes readers along for the experience through his downward spiral, from diagnosis to the process of dying. O'Kelly's story recounts the steps he took to simplify his life and how he learned “to be in the present moment, how to live there at least for snippets of time.” This is a story of how someone faces death purposefully with retrospection and resolution.

“It’s a blessing. It’s a curse. It’s what you get for saying hello to people. At some point, a good-bye is coming, too. Not just to all the people you love and who love you back, but to the world as well.”

SUMMARY

O'Kelly attained his professional success after he landed his dream job as CEO of KPMG. He was happily married to a woman he loved, had a daughter he adored, and seemed to be living a life that many would aspire to for themselves. Yet, when he was told that he only had three months to live, O'Kelly said he “felt blessed.”

O'Kelly explains that the diagnosis and the wake-up call of his impending death inspired him to “unwind” his relationships. He saw his situation as a chance to finally take a step back and see his life from a unique perspective. The result of this different view was the realization that he needed closure and completeness in his relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. O'Kelly had been given the gift of knowing how much time he had left on this earth and to self-reflect and focus on the things that mattered most to him.

Once the shock of his unexpected diagnosis had settled in, O’Kelly and his wife, Corinne, put together a plan for living his last three months as fully as possible. The attention to detail and the thoroughness of their approach to death allowed him to fill his remaining time with meaning, substance, and joy. The tears and pain eventually led to acceptance, allowing O'Kelly the rare opportunity to design the end of his life on his terms.

“But if you start to live in the present now, not only do you get to enjoy it (which is huge), but you also prepare yourself for the future, which someday will be your present, breathing in your face.”
"As for those considering taking the time someday to plan their final weeks and months, three words of advice," he advises: "Move it up." This sound advice is something that anyone should take to heart because it comes from someone who knows. O'Kelly left his job, took his focus away from the future, and cast away a lifetime of habits. He was determined to create a new perspective and turn his death into a final, meaningful success.

O'Kelly's account of his final days captures the common mortality everyone shares. His unique perspective on the Type A personality reveals the tendency for driven professionals to think they have everything under control. It's only when someone comes face to face with their mortality are they able to see their life clearly, maybe for the first time. This clarity often brings an abrupt change in priorities and focus.

The story reinforces an adage that is all too familiar: People spend so much time building wealth and creating material successes that their personal relationships become secondary. O'Kelly shares his end-of-life revelations in a way that should give anyone their own wake-up call. He writes with emotion and insight about his transformation from fearing death to accepting it. He shares how his renewed focus on the truly important things in his life changed his life for the better while facing the inevitable.

Book Resume - Methods of Persuasion BY NICK KOLENDA

2017-08-08T10:14:00.002-07:00

SYNOPSIS

Nick Kolenda is an entertainer who “reads minds” for a living. His apparent ability to read minds is a process of persuasion. Using proven methods of psychology to influence his subjects, he can give the appearance of being able to read thoughts. While his displays of “mind reading” are entertaining and a lot of fun, the principles he uses to pull it off are based on sound principles of human nature.

Kolenda has taken these basic tenets of psychology and created a guide for anyone that wants to influence or persuade. These methods may seem manipulative and even a bit deceptive, but their application in the real world can be just as much for the good of others as it can be to manipulate them. Whether these methods are used for good or bad, their effectiveness is undeniable.

SUMMARY

The methods outlined in the book include changing people's perceptions and getting them to “buy-in.” From presenting messages in a certain way to using peer pressure, the methods here are all part of a strategy to get others to think and act in a certain way.

Mold their perception

A recent study by the California Institute of Technology illustrates how powerful perception is and how easy it is to mold. By creating a study that measured the relation between perception of quality and price, the group was able to prove that higher priced items are perceived as having more value. Twenty people who had an average knowledge of wine were brought together for a wine tasting. They sampled what they thought were five different brands of wine while being monitored with an MRI. The reality was that there were only three wines.

“If you want people to perceive something more favorably, you should convey high expectations because those expectations will become a lens that will mold their perception.”
Two brands of wine were offered twice and were the same price. The $5 bottle of wine was marked with its real price and again with a price tag of $45. The $90 bottle of wine was also marked with its real price and again with a price tag of $10. The results showed that the tasters’ brains registered more pleasure when drinking from the higher priced bottles, even though they contained the same wine as the cheap bottles. The results proved that consumer satisfaction can be directly influenced by the expectation of quality whether that quality is real of not.

Elicit congruent attitudes

A congruent attitude simply means an agreement or alignment with a particular idea or product. This alignment with a particular concept can be achieved both in how a message is presented and how others react to that concept. If a company uses a tennis star to deliver their message of how great their tennis gear is, they elicit a congruent attitude because consumers will associate the “messenger's” qualities with the quality of the products.

“When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.” — Eric Hoffer
Similarly, social proof also has a strong influence in aligning attitudes. People typically reflect the actions they see in others to ensure they are behaving “correctly.” If everyone else buys a Thunderbolt tennis racket, then it must be good. This line of thinking may be illogical, but it is a very powerful tendency in human nature.

Trigger social pressure

In high school, they called it peer pressure, but when everyone's all grown up, they call it social pressure. No matter what it's called, the influence of groups on individuals is a powerful force in changing behaviors. Everyone has that basic need to be accepted, and they will typically conform to a group's ideas or attitudes usually without even realizing it.

"People can undergo a sudden change of thinking and loyalties under threat of death or intense social pressure..." — Keith Henson
Researchers from Arizona State University discovered that before Billy Graham's televised crusades, his organization had coached thousands of volunteers in certain behaviors. They were instructed on when to come to the stage, when to sing, and when to clap. This appearance of great religious intensity primed the rest of the crowd to behave in similar ways. The infectious atmosphere created a zeal that made the audience ready to accept the message being presented.

Habituate your message

Repetition is one of the easiest, and most powerful, methods of persuasion. By habituating the same message over and over, the power of persuasion takes on a life of its own. Repetition is used so often that its use has become almost invisible on a conscious level. Just listen to any politician or some other influential speaker. They repeat the same message over and over, planting it firmly in the subconscious.

“The power of ads rests more in the repetition of obvious exhortations than in the subtle transmission of values.” — Michael Schudson
Psychology studies conducted in the 1970s revealed what has come to be known as the “illusory truth effect.” This effect refers to the tendency to believe the information to be correct after repeated exposure. The more someone hears a message, the more believable it is. Psychologists point to the fact that familiarity breeds liking. This familiarity makes a message appear to be truer than if it were being presented for the first time.

Optimize your message

For a message to have maximum effect, it must be optimized. In marketing, optimizing a message simply means personalizing the message based on the preferences of an intended audience. The book outlines the major consumer markets by age and provides traits and tactics for each audience.

Millennials — ages 15 – 35: This group is immersed in the digital world, and digital media is the best way to get a message to them. Texting, chatting, and instant messaging are their preferred way to communicate. This young consumer group is influenced more by engagement than attempts to convert them.

Generation Xers — ages 36 – 50: More savvy and skeptical, this group is all too familiar with traditional marketing tactics and prefers a direct approach. They are more concerned with quality and value than the popularity of a product or message. A brief email or voicemail is effective as long as they are to the point.

Baby Boomers — ages 51 – 69: Baby boomers prefer to engage on a personal level. They value communication skills and relationships. While they are comfortable with digital correspondence, they respond better to phone calls or meeting in person.

Traditionalists — ages 70 – 88: Traditional values and trust are the hallmarks of this group. Their emphasis is on honesty and being open. They typically like to take their time in making decisions.

Drive their momentum and sustain their compliance

By giving someone incentives and periodic rewards over time, their familiarity with an idea or product is reinforced. This reinforcement keeps the relationship constant. Making it easy for someone to continue using a product or service or to have access to a specific message is another way to keep that momentum going.

Mobile applications use “momentum drivers” by sending reminders or special offers. Application developers understand that to sustain user's interest, they must engage end users frequently and in innovative ways. The goal is to make the application a part of the end user's day-to-day routine by creating a subconscious habit. The key to momentum and sustainability is to expose people over and over to the product or message.

Book Resume - How To Win Friends and Influence People BY DALE CARNEGIE

2017-08-08T10:13:00.002-07:00

SYNOPSIS

Written over 80 years ago, this is a book that is as relative today as it was when it was first written. The principles are a broad mix of personal and professional advice based on the psychology of relationships. From making friends to succeeding in business, the principles outlined here serve as a proven guide for anyone who wants to build better relationships and get the most out of them.

SUMMARY

PART ONE: FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN HANDLING PEOPLE

Principle 1: Don't criticize, condemn, or complain.

Psychologists have proven that rewarding good behavior increases the chance that the behavior will continue. Criticizing bad habits only leads to resentment and makes effective communication almost impossible. It's important to understand that people are influenced by emotion, pride, and ego.

“Criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes them strive to justify themselves.” — Dale Carnegie

Principle 2: Give honest and sincere appreciation.

The need to be appreciated is one of the most basic of human needs. Everyone wants to feel good about themselves and the effort they put forth. When we take the time to sincerely show someone how much they are appreciated, they feel good about themselves and good about the person showing the appreciation.

Principle 3: Arouse in the other person an eager want.

When we want someone to do something, we must relate the request to what is important to them.

By taking the time to understand what is important to someone and framing our needs with their desires, we make it easy for that person to actually want to do something. When a task is relevant to what they consider important, they have a personal stake in making sure the task is done effectively and efficiently.

PART TWO: SIX WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people.

It's human nature to be mostly concerned with ourselves. When we take the time to really look at another person, we can often find things that are of genuine interest. People like people who show interest in them and if that interest is genuine, it creates a strong foundation for a real relationship.

Principle 2: Smile.

The simple act of smiling has a positive effect on the person smiling and anyone who sees them smiling. Smiling just makes everyone feel better! Even smiling when talking on the phone has positive effects because the power of smiling comes through in tone and in words, even when it isn't seen.

Principle 3: Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

A person's name is a very personal and important part of their self-worth. Remembering someone's name makes them feel important; forgetting someone's name makes them feel unimportant. Remembering names, and spelling them correctly, is a skill that will help personal and business relationships.

"The average person is more interested in his or her own name than in all the other names on earth put together." — Dale Carnegie

Principle 4: Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.

Good listeners are often seen as good conversationalists. Developing this skill takes practice, but the payoff is worth it. When we listen to someone intently, without interruption, it shows that we find them important and worth our time. A great rule of thumb is to focus on listening 75% of the time and talking 25% of the time.

Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person's interests.

Learning what topics interest someone and encouraging them to talk about those topics takes being a good listener to a whole new level. It makes them feel important, interesting, and understood. This skill also benefits the listener. The more someone talks about themselves and their interests, the more we can learn about them and further advance the relationship.

Principle 6: Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

Whether it's an acquaintance, or a complete stranger, when we make an effort to acknowledge someone or something positive about them, we make them feel important. When we make someone feel important, we let them know that they matter to us.

PART THREE: HOW TO WIN PEOPLE TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING

Principle 1: The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

Arguments simply have no positive outcome. Disagreements are inevitable but how we handle those disagreements means the difference between resolution or indifference. Instead of confrontation, listening to understand will often lead to insights that lead to a beneficial resolution.

"A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still." — Benjamin Franklin

Principle 2: Show respect for other people's opinions. Never say, “You're wrong.”

A great skill for avoiding arguments altogether is a legitimate respect for other people's opinions. When we tell someone that they are just wrong, we are often insulting them without even realizing it. Wrong, or right, everyone is entitled to their opinion. By being open to other's opinions and listening to what they have to say without judgment, we often find common ground for discussion instead of arguing.

Principle 3: If you're wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

Being wrong isn't a weakness, it's a part of being human. All too often, people make a simple mistake into a bigger problem because they just can't admit that they are wrong. By admitting a mistake quickly and clearly, we actually show strength of character and the desire to make things right.

Principle 4: Begin in a friendly way.

No matter how right or seemingly justified someone feels about an issue, their goal should never be to simply prove a point. The goal should always be to express an opinion or have a discussion, as opposed to proving who is right. The best way to do this is to use friendly or neutral words and tone instead of just going head-to-head. The results are much more productive, and the relationship stays intact.

Principle 5: Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.

Disagreements are a part of relationships, but when we take the time to find some common ground or something to agree on before jumping right in, we set a positive tone for the conversation. By finding these terms of agreement, we get the other person saying “yes” instead of “no.” Whether it's specific points or the outcome itself, getting someone to begin seeing the things that both parties agree on keeps them open and less defensive while a solution is found.

Principle 6: Let the other person do a great deal of talking.

When we let someone do most of the talking, without interruption and while listening intently, we are telling tell that what they have to say is important. By letting someone express themselves completely and encouraging them to share their thoughts, we give them the chance to be heard and understood, which leads to more open and honest relationships.

Principle 7: Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.

It's human nature to feel more passionate about our own ideas than the ideas of others. No one likes being told what to do, but everyone likes having their own ideas validated. By asking questions and offering suggestions, it's often possible to help someone come to the desired conclusion as if it were their own. When the idea they are working with comes from themselves, people are much more invested in seeing that idea come to light.

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” — Dale Carnegie

Principle 8: Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.

One of the key skills in effective relationships is the ability to see something from another person's point of view. Not only does this skill make the other person feel important and understood, it often uncovers points that weren't so obvious at first. By understanding why someone has a certain view, the goal becomes more about what is right than about who is right.

Principle 9: Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.

When we put ourselves in someone else's place, looking at their views from where they stand, we find it easy to have positive interactions instead of an argument or disagreement. Carnegie offers a simple phrase to show that empathy: “I don't blame you one iota for feeling as you do. If I were you, I would undoubtedly feel just as you do.” This statement is sincere because it's true and it sets the foundation for a constructive conversation.

Principle 10: Appeal to nobler motives.

By appealing to someone's desire to be moral, ethical, or some other noble value, we can often move them to cooperate or be willing to see a certain point of view by simply framing it differently. When someone can justify their change of heart because of a positive value, they are much more likely to do it.

Principle 11: Dramatize your ideas.

Whether it's presenting an idea with a funny story or an elaborate presentation, ideas need a little drama to get noticed. By presenting ideas in a unique or interesting way, we stand a much better chance of getting that idea accepted.

Principle 12: Throw down a challenge.

People love to compete, and they love winning even more. Even with the most mundane task or idea, a good dose of healthy competition is often enough to get more involvement and more productivity. The “prize” for the challenge isn't even that important. The challenge itself and the competition that results serve as some very motivating rewards.

PART FOUR: BE A LEADER.

Principle 1: Begin with praise and honest appreciation.

The first step in changing someone with our words is to focus on the positive before the negative. By pointing out the strengths of a person, we put them in a positive mindset. When we get to the negatives, they are much easier to hear and more likely to be accepted.

Principle 2: Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.

Direct criticism causes resentment and puts people on the defensive. By avoiding giving honest praise with a qualifying “but” that leads into a negative observation, we can often make people more receptive. “You ran great today, BUT you would have won if you had run harder.” is much different than: “You ran great today, AND if you run harder next time you will probably win!” What a difference a word makes.

Principle 3: Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.

People are more likely to take criticism better if they feel that the person criticizing them is not afraid of pointing out their own flaws. By creating the common ground that “nobody is perfect,” it's much easier for someone to feel that the criticism is being given for their own good.

Principle 4: Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.

No one likes to be told what to do. By asking people to do something directly or indirectly, it makes it easier for them to comply. “Bring me those books.” is quite different than “Could you bring me those books, please?” A small change in words has a great impact.

Principle 5: Let the other person save face.

Never criticize or give negative feedback in public. When we deliver negative information, we can be most effective by doing it privately and in a way that keeps the other person's dignity intact. By considering how we would feel if the roles were reversed, we can usually find a positive way to talk about a negative.

Principle 6: Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.”

By noting even the smallest steps and minor improvements, frequently and sincerely, we increase the chances of continuing improvement. Think of how we typically respond to babies as they learn to walk: lots of praise and lots of forgiveness when they fall down. The same approach works just as well for adults.

Principle 7: Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.

When we praise someone in public, or praise them for exhibiting desirable traits or actions, it gives that person a certain reputation that they will naturally want to live up to. If we sincerely tell someone that they are great at something often enough, they will begin to believe it themselves and make it a part of their reputation with themselves.

Principle 8: Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.

When we minimize faults and encourage improvements, we create a sense of motivation and belief in a person that makes them feel that they can improve easily. When we focus on the faults, we make them seem much more negative than they often are, killing any motivation to improve.

Principle 9: Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

Offering incentives, praise, and authority are all great ways to make a person happy to accept decisions and do what we want them to do. If someone doesn't get a promotion, but we make sure to point out how important their current role is and why their performance made them a candidate in the first place, we soften the blow and minimize the resentment.

Book Resume - The Great Game of Business BY JACK STACK & BO BURLINGHAM

2017-08-08T10:05:00.006-07:00

SYNOPSIS

The laws of business this book teaches are basic, common sense rules that most readers will have heard either from a boss or maybe even a parent! The laws apply not only to business managers but to anyone that cares about running an honest and fair organization. These laws are relevant from the bottom of an organization to the top.

SUMMARY

The First Law:

“You get what you give”
Hard work pays off. By rewarding employees in a way that is equivalent to what they put into their job, they will be happier and more productive. They will also feel like they are part of a team and an important part of a company's success.

The Second Law:

“It’s easy to stop one guy, but it’s pretty hard to stop 100”
This law emphasizes the power of teamwork. Readers will learn how the power of a group cooperating towards a common goal is so much greater than individual contributions. This law also reflects the benefits of the first law by building a team atmosphere with happy employees.

The Third Law:

“What goes around comes around”
By understanding this age-old law, readers can begin to create a work environment where everyone is more aware of the impact they have. Whether it's through words or actions, everything an employee expresses has consequences. Make sure they are good ones.

The Fourth Law:

“You do what you gotta do”
As the author states, the fourth law is all about “taking the hill.” It teaches the lesson that by creating an atmosphere of not only getting things done, but also an atmosphere of looking at things in creative ways. Moving forward in the midst of challenges or mistakes, and simply doing what has to be done to reach a goal is a mindset that reveals potential and provides empowerment.

The Fifth Law:

“You gotta wanna”
If someone doesn't want to do something, they won't do it. Nothing new there, but readers can find practical advice for motivating employees to “wanna.” To make people want to do something, you have to show them how their stake in the game is valuable and important and convince them that their contributions will be good for them and the organization.

The Sixth Law:

“You can sometimes fool the fans, but you can never fool the players”
Just like anyone reading this book, the people on the inside always know more about the state of things than the people on the outside. The sixth law means that even when things are in turmoil within an organization, everyone needs to have their game face on. Employees know all about the strengths and weakness of a company, but the customer should only know the strengths.

The Seventh Law:

“When you raise the bottom, the top rises”
This one is all about understanding how important each role is within a company, even the seemingly small ones. Readers will learn that by recognizing the efforts of the lowest employees, they can elevate the entire organization. Happy, confident employees make for happy, confident bosses.

The Eighth Law:

“When people set their own targets, they usually hit them”
This law ties right into the fifth law. It's hard for a person to set a goal and then say they don't “wanna.” It's all about getting an employee to buy in by creating a climate where employees set their own targets based on a clear outcome. Most readers already know the time and energy it takes to micro-manage, so stepping back and letting employees take the reigns for a bit may be a welcome change.

The Ninth Law:

“If nobody pays attention, people stop caring”
The ninth law teaches readers a very basic law of human nature and how it relates to business. Acknowledging and recognizing how each and every employee contributes to a company is one of the best ways to let employees know that they matter. If the boss doesn't pay attention to the efforts of an employee, then that's the same as not paying attention to the employee. If the boss doesn't care, then why should the employee?

The Tenth Law:

“As they say in Missouri: ‘Shit rolls downhill.” By which we mean change begins at the top”
The power in most organizations is at the top, so any real change must come from there. But readers will learn that change may come from the top, but it begins with honest feedback from the field and from other managers. If the person at the top cares about creating a healthy, profitable work environment, then it's up to the rest of the organization to make sure the concerns and issues reach the top.

The Ultimate Higher Law:

“When you appeal to the highest level of thinking, you get the highest level of performance.”
This really makes 11 laws, but this one is important. Readers will understand this law best by reading what the author has to say in his own words:

“I don’t want people just to do a job. I want them to have a purpose in what the Hell they’re doing. I want them to be going somewhere. I want them to be excited about getting up in the morning, to look forward to what they’re going to do that day.”
That means treating employees with respect. It means respecting their efforts, their intelligence, and their creativity. This is the essence of all the laws and readers who take these lessons to heart and start using these principles will see a new and better culture arise in their own organization.

Book Resume - The Balanced Scorecard BY ROBERT S. KAPLAN & DAVID P. NORTON

2017-08-08T10:05:00.003-07:00

SYNOPSIS

The Balanced Scorecard believes that business leaders often times fail to connect the necessary strategy with the appropriate action. The book covers a company’s vision and strategy can be translated into a coherent set of performance measures. The authors believe that when a company has a “balanced scorecard” it is easier to complete goals and continue on the journey to success.

SUMMARY

The Balanced Scorecard translates a company's vision and strategy into a coherent set of performance measures. Throughout the book, the authors illustrate the innovative measurement practices from many companies. The bulk of the comprehensive use of the Balanced Scorecard technique is exemplified through case studies of companies that were followed closely for over three years. The case studies include companies such as: Rockwater, Metro Bank, Pioneer Petroleum, National Insurance and Kenyon Stores.

Companies must first learn how to build the scorecard, and then also understand how to make it work for everyone involved. The book cover four basic perspectives:

Financial Perspective — This is measured by the return on the investment and the economic value that is added
Customer Perspective — This covers customer satisfaction, retention, market and account share
Internal Perspective — This is where the company will measure response time, quality control, costs and new product launches
Learning and Growth Perspective — This area focuses on employee satisfaction and information system availability
Chapter Three covers in detail how the Financial Perspective should operate. The reader is encouraged to link their financial objectives to the strategic planning of the business. The scorecard should tell the story of the strategy, starting with the long-term financial objectives, and linking them to the sequence of actions that must be taken with financial processes, customers, internal processes, and finally, employees and systems to deliver the desired long-run economic performance.

Chapter Four covers the Customer Perspective, and the reader is challenged to really discover who their customers are, and where they fall in the market sector the company has chosen to compete. In order to obtain and sustain a Balanced Scorecard in the Customer Perspective area, managers and executives must go beyond the usual methods of trying to satisfy and delight customers. This is where many companies fail in trying to be “everything for everyone,” which in most cases, translates into being “nothing for anyone.” It is crucial for managers to identify the market segments in their existing and potential customer populations and then focus on what it takes to win them over, and keep them as long term customers.

The Balanced Scorecard contains a wealth of information that will benefit senior leadership and their teams. Once everyone has embraced the concept and ideas behind having a Balanced Scorecard, a company will be on the fast track to fulfill their mission statement and enjoy success.

Book Resume - First, Break All the Rules BY MARCUS BUCKINGHAM & CURT COFFMAN

2017-08-08T10:04:00.007-07:00

SYNOPSIS

By breaking the rules of traditional management, readers will be able to see things differently and find innovative ways to manage. Based on interviews with 80,000 managers in 400 companies, the lessons taught here show that the best managers are the ones who break from the conventional methods of management.

Readers will learn how effective their current management style is by using the list of twelve questions in the book to assess where they stand. By learning, and using, the four keys to unlocking employee's potential, readers will begin to understand how misguided the old rules of business really are and learn how to get more from their employees.

SUMMARY

The four keys for breaking the rules teach readers that effective managers focus on talent, outcomes, developing strengths, and finding the right fit.

“Talent is the multiplier. The more energy and attention you invest in it, the greater the yield. The time you spend with your best is, quite simply, your most productive time.”
The first key is to select employees based on talent above other factors. Readers learn here that talent is not as special as they may have thought, but simply a recurring pattern that is effective. The lessons of the first key teach readers that their job is to help each employee make the most of their talents, why talent can't be created, and that every role requires talent. Once a manager adopts this foundation of hiring for talent, the easier it will be to use the rest of the keys.

“In most cases, no matter what it is, if you measure it and reward it, people will try to excel at it.”
The second key is to define the right outcomes. This key teaches readers that management is not about direct control; it's about remote control. By defining what the end result should be, readers will find that they don't have to waste time trying to control the steps along the way. Define the outcome and get out of the way. Readers will learn that their time is better spent on enhancing employee performance and keeping the focus on the goal. The result will be employees who take responsibility and become more self-reliant.

“...the manager creates performance in each employee by speeding up the reaction between the employee's talent and the company's goals, and between the employee's talent and the customer's needs.”
The third key to better management is to focus on strengths and forget about “fixing” employees. This break from traditional management rules teaches that a better way is to focus on employee's strengths and manage their weaknesses. In the end, the goal is to help employees make the most of the talent that is already there and make sure they are in a job that best uses those talents. With this focus in place, managing the weaknesses will be that much easier.

“The talented employee may join a company because of its charismatic leaders, its generous benefits, and its world-class training programs, but how long that employee stays and how productive he is while he is there is determined by his relationship with his immediate supervisor.”
The fourth key teaches that great managers must find the right role for an employee's talents. Readers will find that this key is more complex than it might seem. The conventional wisdom is that promotions are just part of the system, and are often seen as inevitable. But most readers will be familiar with the unfortunate trend to promote employees until they reach their level of incompetence.

By rethinking how raises and other forms of reward are structured, readers will learn that it is possible to keep an employee in a role where they are most talented. The lure of climbing the corporate ladder will lose some of its appeal when employees know they can achieve more prestige and earn more money by continuing to excel in a position that fits their talents best.