Practice This

Powerful Consulting - #3

alik levin — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:11:50 +0000

This post is a continuation to Powerful Consulting - #1 and Powerful Consulting - #2 where I tried to put The 48 Laws of Power, a book by Robert Greene, into Consulting practice.

This post runs through the laws #21 to #30. It has original laws and my own interpretations that seemed to me more proper fit for Consulting practice.

Consultant or not, read on.

Law #21: Play A Sucker To Catch A Sucker – Seem Dumber Than Your Mark

Greene writes:

No one likes feeling stupider than the next person. The trick , then, is to make your victims feel smart – not just smart, but smarter than you are.

My interpretation of law #21: Empower others with your smarts

To avoid “smart-ass” trap try to not shoot the answers off the heap, do not jump into conclusions and offer last gig solutions right away. Ask principle based questions. Lead the horse to the water. Help the customer solve his problems on his own. Empower the customer by offering tips along the way. Further reading.

Law #22: Use The Surrender Tactic: Transform, Weakness Into Power

Greene writes:

When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait fir his power to wane… Make surrender a tool of power.

My interpretation of law #22: When you do not know the solution – shut up

As simple as that – lose with self respect. Or better off do not get involved in something that is just not YOU, use the The Power Of Saying “No” to avoid such situations. Further reading:

Law #23: Concentrate Your Forces

Greene writes:

Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to another – intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.

My interpretation of law #23: No interpretation, adopted as is

Let my friend Voltaire speak for me:

No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.

Law #24: Play The Perfect Courtier

Greene writes:

The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatter, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the most oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtiership and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court..

My interpretation of law #24: Maneuver

Being SME (Subject Matter Expert) is one thing. Getting others to use and apply your expertise is the other. Only because you are SME does not mean the customer will blindly buy in and start using your ideas. There are many forces that you must be aware of – customer’s manager, your manager, your colleagues, customer’s customers and many more. Learn the theater of operations and maneuver. Further reading:

Consultant Deceive The Heavens To Cross The Ocean. And Wins.

Law #25: Re-Create Yourself

Greene writes:

Do not accept the roles that society foists on you.. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions- your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.

My interpretation of law #25: No interpretation, adopted as is

On of the principles I adopted long ago is “Create yourself before someone else does.” You do it by first identifying your strengths and then sticking with your values. Further reading:

Law #26: Keep Your Hands Clean

Greene writes:

You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and car’s paws to disguise your involvement.

My interpretation of law #26: Stick with your values, use your strengths

It is natural continuation of law #25. Your values and your strengths are your guiding light. Stick with your values, use your strengths and you’ll never need to look for scapegoats. Further reading:

Law #27: Play On People Need To Believe To Create A Cultlike Following

Greene writes:

People have and overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new believe system will bring you untold power..

My interpretation of law #27: Find a niche and be the best, better off create one and be the only one

As I look back at my work experiences (career?) I can clearly say I was striving to be in places that are not crowded. Now it looks natural to me but back then it seems to me as a subconscious choice. The choice paid off nicely – I worked on tough problems, with interesting people, established my brand, learned a lot. I achieved a lot too. Pick your niche and be the best, or better off create one and be the only one. But remember:

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.” - Mark Twain

Law #28: Enter Action With Boldness

Greene writes:

If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit though audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold. on one honors the timid.

My interpretation of law #28: Think less – do more, revise and improve

Actions are louder than words. “Talk is poor a substitute for action” is another core principle I adopted long ago. Better ask for forgiveness than ask for permission. I learned that result speak for itself – it’s pretty hard to argue with facts. Although I know quite a few folks that do not let facts get in a way, results is the best weapon for effective persuasion. Ready, set, go! Further reading:

Law #29: Plan All The Way To The End

Greene writes:

The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others. By planning ti the end your will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.

My interpretation of law #29: No interpretation, adopted as is

Here is a little story. We just finished our fiscal year and I am looking at my results. As a consultant my main goal is hitting my utilization target. Exactly year ago I set my goal of the utilization that is much higher than the target and planned it all the way back. Then I just executed against the plan day by day, week by week, month by month. At any moment I could tell whether I am on track or I am off of it. It helped me to correct my course of actions and …hit the mark in the end. Planning ahead pays off – take my word for it. Further reading:

Law #30: Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless

Greene writes:

Your actions must seem natural and executed with ease. All the toil and practice that go into them, and also all the clever tricks, must be concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptations of revealing how hard your work – it only raises questions. Teach no one your tricks or they will be used against you.

My interpretation of law #30: Make personal effectiveness your second nature

Take your personal effectiveness to the max and you will never need to tell your customer/manager/friends/wife/kids “if I’d only have more time I’d …” Instead you’d be able to go beyond and exceed expectations, you’d be able to put results on the table and you’ll have peace of mind – the true success. Further reading:

My Related Posts

Powerful Consulting - #2

alik levin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:46:00 +0000

by iChaz

This post is a continuation to Powerful Consulting - #1 where I tried to put The 48 Laws of Power, a book by Robert Greene, into Consulting practice.

I have incorporated a feedback from the readers. Some laws looked too selfish and the choice of words have not really resonated with the readers. Some have not resonated with me neither.

This time I will be adding the interpretation to the laws too.

Law #11: Learn To Keep People Dependent On You

Greene writes:

To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have.

My interpretation of law #11: Do not be useful, be critical

Being useful is nice, being critical is vital. Earn your criticality by building your deep expertise based on first hand practical experience. Align your expertise to what counts the most. Further reading.

Law #12: Use Selective Honesty And Generosity To Disarm Your Victim

Greene writes:

Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will.

My interpretation of law #12: Build vulnerability based trust

Building trust is a bedrock for lasting relationship. Returning customer is a great proof for established trust and healthy business. I hardly believe a customer would call a consultant with broken trust, even if the consultant is a top performer. I wouldn’t, would you? Build your trust by slowly revealing your vulnerabilities, make sure the other side does the same. When the trust is broken – resort to thirty six stratagems. Further reading:

Law #13: When Asking For Help, Appeal To People’s Self Interest, Never To Their Mercy Or Gratitude

Greene writes:

If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him tat will benefit him and emphasize it out of all proportion.

My interpretation of law #13: Build your WIIFM network

WIIFM – What’s In It For Me. It is a basic skill of Influence Without Authority. You build alliances offering value in first place. Collect as much information as possible. Ask questions. Build a profile for your potential ally then offer what he values the most. Ask for value in return. Further reading:

Consultant "Kills" With A Borrowed Knife

Law #14: Pose As A Friend, Work As A Spy

Greene writes:

Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead…Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions.

My interpretation of law #14: Ask questions, reveal latent problems

Collecting detailed information is crucial. Only trust verifiable information. It’s not that people will lie to you, the opposite is true – people will flood you with the information. Chances are the information misinterpreted or not first hand. Ask more question and correlate. Further reading:

Law #15: Crush Your Enemy Totally

Greene writes:

All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely… The enemy will recover, and will see revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.

My interpretation of law #15: Give real solution, not workaround

See the problem at hand as you enemy. Fight it until you destroy it. Never settle for a workaround. It’ll backfire at you later. Take my word for granted, you will be called onsite by a customer to fix old problem, …free of charge – you cannot charge twice for one thing, right? Remember about your trust – guard it by building real solutions, not workarounds. Further reading:

Law #16: Use Absence To Increase Respect And Honor

Greene writes:

Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear… Create value through scarcity.

My interpretation of law #16: Focus on value generation vs. hourly utilization

Time is the scarcest resource for a Consultant. It is the scarcest resource for anybody, including your customers. If you master to manage it right you will increase respect and honor. In fact - do not try to manage time – treat it as a budget and invest in most impactful stuff, stuff that matters. Further reading:

Law #17: Keep Other In Suspended Terror: Cultivate An Air Of Unpredictability

Greene writes:

Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control.

My interpretation of law #17: Work by the book, offer creative solutions

Here is a little story. I was working with a customer. The customer was asking me tough questions right from the start demanding very precise solutions. I was shooting classic answers off the heap, but then he told me this: “I do not accept it only because it’s written in the book.” I was kind of disarmed, but I insisted: “Well, this is how everybody does it and it proves it’s effectiveness time after time, that is why we will do it to.” Then I added: “… as a start. And if it’ll prove it’s working we’ll continue with it, if not – we will put our Creative Hat.” There was some tension toward the final solution which was in the end a mix of classics and new creative stuff. Further reading:

Law #18: Do Not Build Fortresses To Protect Yourself – Isolation Is Dangerous

Greene writes:

A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes your to more dangers than it protects you from – it cuts you off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people, find allies, mingle. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.

My interpretation of law #18: Be in the field (including online)

You can be a superhero but if no one knows about it your expertise won’t get be utilized, let alone used. Go off and be there in the field. Experience stuff first hand – know the jargon, speak their language, feel their pain, solve their problems. If you do – they will market you on your behalf. Share the solutions on your blog – break the limit of time and space. Further reading:

Law #19: Know Who You’re Dealing With – Do Not Offend The Wrong Person

Greene writes:

Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.

My interpretation of law #19: Do not offend yourself, stick with your values

I am pretty sure the most important thing for me is being aligned to my personal values. It is one of the 4 Dimensions Of Personal Power. If I want to keep my personal power high, I stick with my values. The other secret weapon that worked for me to keep me out of troubles is applying Emotional Intelligence Core Skills. Stick with your values and keep cool. You’ll beat them all if you win yourself first. Further reading:

Law #20: Do Not Commit To Anyone

Greene writes:

It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others – playing people against one another, making them pursue you.

My interpretation of law #20: “It depends” is Consultant’s best answer to anything

It is interesting that the original law resonates with one of the principals of Lean Software Development – defer commitments. Consultant should offer options and tools for decisions. It’s up to the customer to make the final decision. The Consultant can take sides but offer alternatives. Do not fall in trap of becoming decision maker on customer’s behalf. Further reading:

My Related Posts

Powerful Consulting - #1

Powerful Consulting - #1

alik levin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:41:07 +0000

by kevindooley

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is a book about Power in general.

I thought it’d be interesting to test it for consulting. What does Powerful Consultant mean? What’s Powerful Consulting all about?

Greene offers 48 laws of power – let me test them all. This post lists first 10 Laws of Power for Consultants.

Law #1: Never Outshine The Master

Greene writes:

Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

Customer is a Consultant’s master. The ultimate goal for a consultant is solving Customer’s problems, it is not about explaining the Customer is wrong. Keeping customer satisfied is a skill, creating returning customer is a powerful skill. Help the Customer solve his problems by himself, empower him with your knowledge – stay in control. Further reading:

Law #2: Never Put Too Much Trust In Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies

Greene writes:

Be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily amused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical.

It all depends on your definition for friend. Make partnerships, not friendships with Customers. It is always about WIIFM. There are situations when the customer must stop the contract or the consultant must say No due to business reasons. Friendship does not count in this cases. Better off keep healthy partnership vs. lame friendship. You do not want to hear your friend saying “you are fired. Still friends, eh?” You do not want to tell your friend “Sorry, can’t do that for that price.” Further reading:

Law #3: Conceal Your Intentions

Greene writes:

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense.

Creating clear goals and objectives, shared vision is the way to go. In fact I found such approach very effective in order to be in control. Do I disagree with Greene? Not really. Almost always consultant works with quite a few people simultaneously. Naturally everyone has his own WIIFM. It is not uncommon that others WIIFM contradicts with your goals. They call it politics. If you cannot get enough allies on your side, better keep your goals secret. It works with tough bosses too.

Law #4: Always Say Less Than Necessary

Greene writes:

Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

To me it boils down to simple “Under promise – over deliver.” Actions speak louder than words. Results are king. Further reading:

Four Ways to Exceed Clients’ Expectations Put In Consulting Practice

Law #5: So Much Depends On Reputation – Guard It With Your Life

Greene writes:

Reputation is the cornerstone of power… Make your reputation unassailable…Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputation. Then stand aside and let public opinion hand them.

It is so hard to build a reputation (read Trust) – it is so easy to lose it. Consultant’s reputation is built on top of results he achieves. The more problems the Consultant solves the better his reputation. The more complex problem he solves the les vulnerable his reputation. When under attack, the simplest way to defend is showing your past results and asking for the evidence from the opponent. Further reading:

Law #6: Court Attention At All Cost

Greene writes:

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in the oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention…

Marketing is the right word here. There are times that the Consultant in high demand and there are times that is not. To reduce those dead gaps the Consultant must always be on the surface. And that includes: speaking with customers from previous engagements, talking with colleagues from other teams, making new connections, blogging, speaking on public events. Further reading.

Law #7: Get Others To Do The Work For You, But Always Take The Credit

Greene writes:

Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your won cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what other can do for you.

The law might sound too selfish… Let me put it this way – when Consultant is onsite he is responsible for the solution, he is expected to provide the verdict. He is also expected to do it fast. The credit is always his for better or worse. It is very hard to do it alone in the field. Create your network at customer’s, deliver faster with better context precision. Further reading:

Law #8: Make Other People Come To You – Use Bait If Necessary

Greene writes:

When you force other person to act, you are the one in control.

The best bait so far that worked for me is focusing on specific niche. It helped me to acquire expertise that helps me to solve complex problems fast, it also created buzz around me making me a go-to person for that matter. The downside is when I am moving to other niche – people just kept coming to me with older stuff that is not of my interest any more. Further reading:

Law #9: Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument

Greene writes:

Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory… It is much more powerful to get other to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.

Action are louder than words, no one can argue with facts. Deliverable is king. When you are truing to “sell” new ideas make sure they are solid enough, better off try it out first hand and show off the results. Never get into emotional fight, keep your energy for better investment such as trying out new ideas in practice.

Law #10: Infection: Avoid The Unhappy and Unlucky

Greene writes:

You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as diseases… Associate with happy and fortunate instead.

Consultant loves Unhappy and Unlucky – why calling the Consultant in first place? They call Consultant to make a change. Most people hate change, that is why there is resistance. Worse, it is not uncommon there is lots of pessimism, critics, and cynics. Seek for Unhappy and Unlucky and offer your help – that way it is easier to show results. Chance Successful and Happy do not need consultancy. But remember – keep positive attitude and never become a victim of cynics. Further reading:.

The laws covered in this post are taken from Robert Greene’s book The 48 Laws of Power. I only tried to add a little twist applying it to consulting. Stay tuned for next 10 laws.

Single Step Toward A Journey Of Thousand Blog Posts

alik levin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:52:16 +0000

by emdot

I speak 3 languages and each one has a saying that goes along the lines:

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. - Lao-tzu

What’s the simplest single step you can take to jump start massive blogging?

Here is my take.

Create a high level architecture and design of your blog posts. In this post I share a collection of practical resources that helped me publishing consistent content on my blogs.

Post Title

Think of the Title that should be both SEO and human friendly. Daniel Levis offers 10 Winning Headline Formulas … :

The “How To” headline: How to Avoid the Flu this Year, Guaranteed!
The “How” headline: How This 57-Year-Old Nurse Works With Coughing, Wheezing, Sneezing People all Day Long and Never gets Sick — Not Even During Flu Season …
The “Why” headline: Why Flu Shots Are a Bad Idea for Most People …
The “What” headline: What Never to Eat When You Have The Flu …
The “Where” headline: Where Flu Germs Cluster And How to Avoid Them …
The “Question” headline: Are These Common Flu Medicines Safe for Your Family? TIP: Never ask a yes or no question. Make it impossible to answer the question without reading the copy.
The “Numbered” headline: Three Delicious Veggies That Boost Your Immune System and Keep The Flu Bug Away …
The “One and Only” headline: The Easiest Way to Stay Flu-Free This Winter …
The “Irony” headline: Respected Doctor Says “Leave Your Hat and Mitts at Home and You’ll Never Catch the Flu”
The “Who” headline: Who Can You Trust When It Comes to Flu Fighting Vitamins?

Blog Post Templates

Create blog post template and follow it when writing the post. Chris Knight offers Article Templates = Blueprints to Success:

Test Yourself

After you finished writing, test your work. Make sure you offer value to your readers. Skellie shares How to Avoid Fools Gold and Create Value-packed Content:

It doesn’t alleviate problems a little — it solves them.
It doesn’t make your readership think about doing things differently — it changes the way they act.
It’s audacious — it tries to do many things at once.
It expresses something your target audience didn’t already know.
It answers a question your target audience didn’t know how to ask.
It makes your target audience feel better about themselves.
It helps them move towards whatever they’ve defined as their ’success’.

Practice This - Get Results

Create SEO and human friendly titles – attract traffic.
Create post templates – follow simple procedures and save time when writing.
Test your work – make sure you deliver value to your readers, build trust.

Four Ways to Exceed Clients’ Expectations Put In Consulting Practice

alik levin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:13:00 +0000

by nyki_m

I was reading Four Ways to Exceed Clients’ Expectations by Steven DeMaio.

The title intrigued me a lot as I am a filed consultant working with customers day and night on their small, medium, and supersized problems. Meeting customer’s needs is my highest priority. Exceeding the customer’s expectation is my stretch goal.

I decided to test the advice against what works for me in the field.

1. Agree To A Deadline You Know You Can Beat

Agreed.

I have simple mantra – “Under-promise, over-deliver”. To beat deadlines I apply pattern of productizing services I deliver. That way it is easier to set clear scope and deliverable. It also allows massive reuse of related materials saving tons of time. The materials include:

Service marketing brochures.
Readily available SOW’s and costs breakdowns.
Deliverable document templates
Checklists for conducting the service.

2. Be An Astute Questioner, Not A Silent Sage

Agreed.

I strongly believe that in most cases customers know solutions to their problems, they only need to be guided to the solution. And that is done by asking the right questions.

It is not uncommon when after asking a several questions I can recognize an a-ha look on a customer’s face. Sure sign that we are heading to the right direction of the solution.

The anti-pattern is shooting directions without getting solid understanding of the context. Good consultant brings in experience based on solid principles. Principle based questions lead to the specifics associated with customer’s uniqueness.

3. Be Collegial

Agreed.

Getting jobs that are not of your expertise won’t get you any closer to meet the customer’s expectations, let alone exceeding it. Say No to what you cannot make shine. It does not mean sticking always with what you know – that way you will become obsolete very soon. Build your new skills proactively so that when the opportunity for something shows up you will be ready to offer your newly acquired skills. Better off… create the opportunity yourself.

4. Offer Constructive Suggestions At The End

Agreed.

This approach serves a solid ground for future engagements in case the current one was successful. By successful I mean the one that met its goals and exceeded expectations.

5. Prioritize

This is my addition to the list (trying to exceed the expectations from the article).

I cannot stress it enough. Always (usually I refrain from being absolute but not this time) – ALWAYS be aware of the progress toward the goals. It’s impossible to exceed the expectations when they are not met. It is not uncommon that during the gig a customer or even a consultant (including truly yours) tempted to add more scope due to excitement or demand by superiors. The way I cope in such situations is stopping and reflecting on the original goals, its progress, and the available resources. The I offer the customer to decide on his own what he’d compromise –schedule, scope, quality. I brainwash myself and the customer with a simple mantra – core requirements come first.

Practice This - Get Results

Under-promise, over-deliver – good surprises are better than bad surprises.
Ask principle based questions – let the customer solve their own problems, make him a hero.
Track and prioritize – make sure you hit your core goals first, the foundation to exceeding them.

My Related Posts

Meet Me 2.0

alik levin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:21:16 +0000

by wili_hybrid

J.D published incredibly insightful yet very dense e-Book called You 2.0. The promise is simple but powerful:

Success by design.
Living your purpose.
Living your values.
Playing to your strengths.
Improved results.

It was enough for me to go through it and see where I stand. Meet Me 2.0!

Step 1 - Find Your Purpose

What’s my purpose in life?

What sticks with me is something that is related to distilling massive information into practical/pragmatic approach and spreading it as wider as possible. Something that goes along these lines (I truly believe I belong to Levite tribe as per my last name and according to my passion for teaching):

“When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the Levites were the only Israelite tribe who received cities but no tribal land "because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their possession". The Tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites and had political responsibilities as well.” - Wikipedia

Here is my purpose in life:

Serve the masses by spread pragmatic practices.

I know that today religion and politics have very little in common with “pragmatic”. But I believe that back thenitI has a lot to do with practical guidance.

Step 2 - Find Your Why

Why do I do what I do?

While I am far from being a fatalist I strongly believe in my life purpose as it was set by Deity [read previous subtitle and the Wikipedia’s quote]. I tried many ways to express myself. The only true fulfilling way for me is sharing the experience with people and making them successful. That explains why I love so much consultancy – I am field software consultant working day and night with my customers to solve their small, medium, and supersized problems.

Step 3 - Find Your How

How do I get my best results … what’s the pattern?

Since I treat everybody as my customers – my family (my best and the first customer), my managers, my colleagues and friends, my real customers – I can safely apply the same pattern/approach to everyone:

Understand and speak their language.
Feel the pain.
Offer the solution – do not prolong the problem.
Grow together.
Emotional Intelligence is your best friend – apply it constantly.
Distill working patterns and reuse – AND SHARE THEM!
Celebrate joint wins, analyze losses to avoid them in the future.
Time is most precious and scarcest resource – prioritize it for investing in most impactful stuff that matters.

Step 4 - Find Your Values

What are my top 5 values?

I have chosen the following values from the list J.D. offers in his e-Book:

Family Happiness
Achievement
Freedom
Inner Harmony
Personal Development

Step 5 - Find Your Strengths

What are you really good at?
What comes naturally for you?
What activities make you feel great?

I have completed this exercise some time ago - Find Your Strengths, Know Your Life Purpose. I have reviewed the strengths I identified back then and it seems to stick so far:

Achiever - You have a relentless need for achievement.
Analytical – Your Analytical theme challenges other people.
Communication – You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write.
Focus – “Where am I headed?”
Arrange – You are a conductor.

Tagline

My tagline is “Take you life for a test drive”. No, it is not about crashing into a wall, it is about testing new ways, sticking with what works, tossing what is not.

My most motivational quote comes from Thomas A. Edison:

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it. “

Metaphors

Metaphor for me:

“I am Winston Wolf - I solve problems.” – Pulp Fiction.

Metaphor for life - You Are 95 And You Are Dying.

Practice This - Get Results

Read J.D.’s You 2.0 – find out whether you are set for success or for failure.

Realize The Difference Between Activity And Productivity

alik levin — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:47:16 +0000

by WordRidden

Working hard is not going to help you to fly right any more. Working smart is the name of the game. Change your mindset from “doing” to “achieving.”

Change is no easy, especially when it comes to changing a mindset. A famous book by Spencer Johnson Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life helped me to focus on dealing with Change and focusing on Productivity vs. Activity.

”They were disappointed but believed they could solve the problem. So they started earlier, stayed longer, and worked harder. But after a while, all they had was a large hole in the wall.”

“Haw was beginning to realize the difference between activity and productivity.”

Change To Keep Growing

Johnson writes:

”If You Do Not Change, You Can Become Extinct”

Family. If you do not change you relationships become boring. If you do not change your kids adopt the wrong role model. If you do not change you stop driving, you become driven.
Work. If you do not change your skills become obsolete. If you do not change you miss career opportunity. If you do not change you create the wrong personal brand.
Network. If you do not change your network disappears. If you do not change you have less to outsource. If you do not change you become weaker in the Age of Social Power.

Enjoy Your Cheese

Johnson writes:

Imagining Yourself Enjoying Your New Cheese Leads You To It.

Family. Imagine dating your wife weekly. Imagine you prepare a home work with your 4th grade. Imagine you spend an hour daily with your preschooler. Imagine you go outdoors weekly with the whole family. Imagine you move to a bigger house in a better neighborhood. Imagine your vacation next summer.
Work. Imagine you work on stuff that matters. Imagine you are part of the team of top performers. Imagine you ask for a rise. Imagine you get a promotion. Imagine you take a break. Imagine you retire.
Network. Imagine you meet an old friend. Imagine you become a member of the professional community. Imagine you get a mentor. Imagine you become a mentor.

What stops you from achieving all that? Stop doing, start achieving.

Keep Searching

Johnsons writes:

It Is Safer To Search In The Maze, Than Remain In A Cheeseless Situation.

Family. Had a fight? – Argue, Do Not Fight! Improve Your Outcomes By Changing Your Responses.
Work. Stuck at work? - Do You Have The Dream Job? Fear No Recession - Surpass Your Career Potential Do you have The Courage To Quit?
Network. Attract more people by Putting Positive Spin On Everything

Cheese Rules

Change happens. Your next Change is just around the corner. Adopt Johnson’s rules of Cheese:

Change Happens.The Keep Moving The Cheese.

Anticipate Change. Get Ready For The Cheese To Move.

Monitor Change. Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old.

Adapt To Change Quickly. The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese.

Change. Move With The Cheese.

Enjoy Change! Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!

Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again & Again. They Keep Moving The Cheese.

Practice This - Get Results

The only constant is Change – keep growing.
Imagine your cheese – see your success through.
Keep searching for the Cheese – he who searches will always find.
Read Who Moved My Cheese? – it is a classic book they must teach in schools but they don’t.

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You Are 95 And You Are Dying

alik levin — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:06:02 +0000

by foxypar4

Are you living life you won’t regret about when you are 95?

It is simple yet powerful question that you should answer before it is too late.

Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter, the authors of the book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful ask it very colorfully:

“Imagine you’re 95 years old and ready to die.
…The 95-year-old you understands what was really important and what wasn’t, what mattered and what didn’t What advice would this wise “old you” have for the “you” who is reading this page? ”

They also provide the answer. It is about doing meaningful work, being surrounded by beloved ones, and following the dream. The answer is based on surveying most talented leaders among 120 organization. It is also based on the intervening people on their deathbed…

Happiness And Meaning Now

Goldsmith and Reiter write:

One recurring theme was to “reflect upon life, to find happiness and meaning now,” not next month or next year.

Either your are a leaf or a manager, are you investing yourself in something meaningful? Does it make you feel happy? Do you make an impact?

It is helpful to have a clear career model as described in Fear No Recession - Surpass Your Career Potential. It helps to Apply 80/20 Principle. When you focused you get results, you make the difference, you create something meaningful. How does it feel? Happy?

Family And Friends

Goldsmith and Reiter write:

A second recurring theme was “friends and family”. Consider this: You may work for a wonderful company, and you may think that your contribution to that organization is very important. When you are 95 years old and you look at the people around your deathbed, very few of your fellow employees will be there waving good bye. Your friends and family will probably be there only people who care. Appreciate them now and share a large part of your life with them.

One of the career models is about “What do you want to do more/less of each day?”

I adopted this model lately. I want to “do” my kids more. I want to do my “wife” more. I want to “do” myself more. As I started to do that more I realized how powerful and meaningful it is both ways. What I need to do more is to “work” less each day, and that can be accomplished by productizing myself. I need to package myself and massively reuse myself. That way I get predicted results faster which should lead to more free time with beloved ones.

Follow Your Dream

Goldsmith and Reiter write:

Yet another recurring theme was “follow your dream”…Figure out your true purpose in life, and go for it! This doesn’t apply just to big dreams; it is also true for little dreams. Buy the sports car your always wanted, go to that exotic locale that’s always held your fascination, learn how to play the piano or speak Italian, If some people think your vision of a well liver life is a bit goofy or off-beat, who cares? It isn’t their life. It’s yours.

That is the hardest part. I am having hard times to define what dream is for me. Can you? On other hand I can relate the dream definition to success, and success for me is John Wooden’s:

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable”

My mind is peaceful (it wasn’t until not long ago). Does it mean I am successful? Does it mean I am living my dream?

Practice This - Get Results

Work on meaningful stuff that matters – be happy.
Invest in your first and the best customers – your family and your friends.
Read What Got You Here Won’t Get You There - make your dream come true.

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Personal Development Books: The Structure Distilled

alik levin — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:00:00 +0000

by MissTurner

Personal development books seem to follow a well-defined structure. Knowing the structure is helpful when you want to distill practical nuggets. After all, that is the main reason you read such books in first place, no? You want to efficiently distill nuggets of effectiveness.

After reading quite a few books on personal development I have a feeling that these three follow the pattern:

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter

The basic ingredients are failure story, credibility, problem/myth, solution approach, success story.

Tell A story – Hook The Reader

The first part usually describes a fellow who tries hard to succeed but repeatedly fails. The purpose of this part is to make a connection with the reader, to intrigue him, to hook him. The most important skill here is storytelling. It is essential to tell a story that will speak to the reader’s heart. The author picks the persona that represents his target audience and he builds the story around it. It’s easy that way for the story to resonate with readers. This enhances the odds that people stay engaged and actually finish the book.

Street Credentials - I Have Been Around

Once the reader is hooked by the failure story he needs an answer: “Sounds like I have similar problem. How can I solve it?“. The reader wants not just an answer, he wants the answer from the guy who’s been around – the one who knows, the maven. One great way to establish your credibility is by listing wins with high profile names: Google, Microsoft, GM, US Government, etc.

Failures, Problems, Myths, Disappointments

At this point the reader is completely hooked. He has a similar problems and the author has proven solutions. The author continues with other failure patterns, thus paving the path for providing additional solutions in subsequent chapters. To fill a 200-page book, he must first provide context. This is done by characterizing the problems for which the solutions are designed to solve.

In my consulting practice I call these latent requirements. Many customers call me onsite for one reason yet they appreciate it when I provide additional insights outside the context of the original problem.

Why Failure Happens - The Broken Rules

Naturally the reader asks a simple question – “Why do all these failures happen? What’s the reason?” At that point the author explains that there are basic rules that were broken. He lists the cases cited earlier and for each one describes the rule being broken. This happens in no particular order. What’s important here is that the author prepares the reader for the main part or the book – the rules of success.

Follow The Rules To Succeed

This is the raison d’être of the book. Here the author lays the prescriptive guidance, the practical rules. The message is clear – “You have seen many failures. It happens when fundamental rules are broken. I made it to the top, I am successful, I am the one in the know, and I will show you the rules that worked for me. Follow the rules and you will make it to the top too.”

Inspire The Reader - Tell Success Story

“Whoa! What a ride! So much to learn and try out. But hey… does it really work? Can you show me? Can you walk me through your success so I can feel it?” The author happily does so, calling out each rule and how it contributes to success. This convinces the reader in author’s authenticity. It inspires him to implement the rules right away. Success awaits!

Practice This - Get Results

If you write a personal development book (or a blog post) consider following this pattern:

Tell a story that speaks to reader’s heart – hook the reader.
Show your street credentials – make the reader believe you are in the know, make him trust you.
Tell more failure stories – create plenty of room for solutions.
Explain why the failures happen – make the reader want your rules list.
Offer the rules – the reader should be well prepared for them.
Tell a success story – create a mental image of success. Inspire the reader to follow your rules.
Read a personal development book – you have nothing to lose

Editor in chief – Jimmy May

My Related Posts

Stress Test Your New Idea For Success – The Checklist

alik levin — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:55:00 +0000

by jurek d.

The best way to reduce the risks associated with new product is putting it in target operating environment, or better off under much higher stress than it suppose to carry. Carmakers do it, aircraft makers do it. I do it – I am software performance engineer. It proves time and again – software failure guaranteed without stress testing it beforehand.

How can I stress test a product before it’s even created? How can I test my new business idea without significantly investing efforts? In software we call it threat modeling and performance modeling – it is based on straightforward checklists and guidelines. In business they have business models to test it. Got something lighter?

Richard Koch provides interesting quick “stress” test for success of new idea in his book - The 80/20 Individual: How to Build on the 20% of What You do Best. Koch writes:

The chances of success for your new business, product, or service are dramatically higher of all of the following are true:…

The Idea Has Already Been Proven

Koch writes:

The idea is a version of one that has already proved to be successful.

Internet search has been around for ages – only few made it shine… Now Twitter threatens search engines with its instant-ness. Journalism is pretty old profession. Bloggers completely redefined it. Television was major mass media, not anymore – YouTube channels and others take its cut from the pie. The new ideas are not really new, they are a new versions of the old good ideas.

For me as a consultant the “innovation” seems to hide behind packaging service offerings. Today’s common approach for selling and delivering services is Time & Materials model. The customer pays for hours invested by the consultant. The other model is Fixed-Fee. Fixed-Fee services is easier to market, easier to buy, easier to sell, and easier to deliver. It is more risky model but it’s much more scalable and more profitable one, at least this is what my personal experience proves.

The Idea Is Superior To Other Proven Ones

Koch writes:

The version you decide to pursue has a very large number of variations and has survived process of business selection, by proving itself superior to the other variations.

The best way to offer superiority to your competitors is offering fast service or product. Time is in demand as never was before. If my product can save time to my customers I’d be in a better position. Think of fast cars, fast electronics, fast search engines, fast software. Now think about the opposite… What would you choose?

For me as a consultant, time is critical. Surveying my customers it shows time and again – customers value time a lot. Customers value consultant’s availability. Customers value time taken to solve the problem at hand. Customers value solutions that require less time to implement. Time, Time, Time. Be fast.

The Idea Is Unique

Koch writes:

The idea, although a variant of another successful idea, is unique – nobody else is pursuing it.

This one seems to be essential. But hey – do not let it fool you. It does not have to be ground breaking revelation in any way. Have you read the first checklist item - “The Idea Has Already Been Proven”? Add a new twist to an old idea. This is where the uniqueness lies.

For me as a consultant, offering packaged service fast is quite unique. Imagine McDonald’s for software performance. Imagine Pizza Hut for personal development. The expectations already set before the service even started. The customer knows how much he pays, he knows what he pays for. He can even smell it. He can watch it getting out off the oven. Fast. Yummy!

Show Me The Money

Koch writes:

The idea is more economical than the original idea: a better product or service at the same cost, or a similar product or service at a lower cost. Superior economics always translate into higher returns on capital.

It sounds like a huge fun. How I can make it? Or a better question is “How can I make money out of it?”

For me as a consultant it all spins around time savings. Here are few that help me:

Invest time in getting prepared for specific service. Acquire unprecedented depth of knowledge related to the service. Do not waist your time for un-related stuff.
Save time on logistics – more online collaboration, less in person meetings.
Have a good folders structure and a good desktop search engine. Do not rely on online search.
Save time on writing documents – have ready to use templates with inline guidelines.
Prioritize big rocks over less impactful stuff.
Package and re-use. Everything can be recycled – document it, then re-use it in your next gig.

Passion Is In The Center

Koch writes:

The idea compliments and takes advantages of the 20 percent spikes of you and your partners – it reflects, and can be reinforced by, your idiosyncrasies..

Geez, it seems like it is the longest post I have ever written… It only proves I just love consulting and personal development stuff. I am passionate consultant.

20 percent spikes that Koch mentions is about focusing on stuff you love doing. Successful idea is about bunch of people that love doing different things. One likes creating, the other likes selling, and another guy loves delivering, etc. Each one has his little narrow spike of passion. Together they bring the idea to life. Boom!

For me as consultant… uhm… Although I think of myself as a lonely warrior thrown in the field I’d never succeed alone. Fortunately, I am surrounded with plenty of passionate brilliant people.

Practice This - Get Results

Use what works – reduce chances for failure.
Add a twist, give a second life to what works – make it work better/faster/cheaper.
Make it unique – create your category and be the first, better off the only one. Ask Seth, he knows.
Test for $$ – if it does not get you $$ revise and improve.
Form alliance with like minded that have different skills – outsource your other 80% of what you are not good at.
Read The 80/20 Individual: How to Build on the 20% of What You do Best - for fun, it really is.