I had the good fortune of delivering the Day 2 keynote address this morning at the International Customer Management Institute ACCE 2012 Conference & Expo.

The event, positioned as the global gathering for the customer contact community, delivers a powerful agenda of curriculum intended to elevate the customer experience.

Customer contact and brand experience are where business is won and lost.  Where relationships are fleeting or forged.  Where customers are transformed into ambassadors and evangelize a brand or end up in the hands of the competition.

Who cares?  Anyone in business should.

Without customers you don’t have a business.  Without satisfied customers you don’t stay in business.  Without raving fan, brand ambassadors you aren’t very well positioned to accelerate growth in the new economy. You earn those kind of relationships today by delivering extraordinary experiences.  Nothing less.  If the experience isn’t meaningful and memorable enough where customers are compelled to tell somebody else it simply isn’t good enough.  Today, you have to be better than good.  You have to be RockStar good!

This event breaks it down and tears it apart from every angle.  Touch points, tools, technology, measurement, analysis.  You get the drill.

Who is telling other people how wonderful it is to do business with you?  Is how you do business a driver of growth?  Is your culture a competitive advantage?

Worth considering.  Today customer service is a catalyst to accelerate sales, organic growth and brand equity.  Or it will stop you cold.  No middle ground.  The status quo is dead.

If you are in the customer contact game and want to stay relevant Seattle is a great place to be today.   If you aren’t here you can follow #ACCE12.

Today reinforced for me the notion that customer experience is a full time, contact sport.  Every touch point matters and it pays to care more than the other guy.

It also pays to spend time around people that really do care than much.

Thanks ICMI for including me in your extraordinary experience this week!

I glanced over at Don MacPherson.  He didn’t look much better than I was feeling.  A few minutes past 8:00 am we were both standing on an asphalt parking surface, barely able to catch our breath.  He handed me a sledgehammer and I heard TJ’s voice:

“10 more seconds…”

I wasn’t sure I was going to get the sledgehammer over my head but somehow I managed and for what seemed like an hour (but was probably closer to a minute) I pounded the sledgehammer into a large tire under the MN sun.   I know it sounds miserable.  It was.  I can’t wait to do it again.

Creating something new is hard work.  This endeavor might be more akin to sustaining something over time, but the idea is the same.

It requires doing things I would rather not be doing to get the outcome I desire.  It does seem counter intuitive.  Probably because it is.

Short term pain.  The barrier that makes it so easy to procrastinate or completely ignore what we know we should be doing today.

I know a few incredibly disciplined people that easily attack the hard, short term effort required to achieve extraordinary results.  I am not necessarily one of those people.  I have to trick myself into doing what must be done or that little voice of doubt might have me entering the procrastination zone or avoiding the hard work all together.

Here are a few tricks for doing the hard work that you absolutely don’t want to do but know must be done:

A Game Plan: You have to “plan your work, and work your plan.”  Plans change.  The ability to adapt to new circumstances is essential.  The notion that plans can change and need to be flexible isn’t a good reason not to plan at all. Begin with the end in mind.

A System of Accountability:  Being accountable to people you care about elevates your own sense of purpose and puts you in the right frame of mind to make meaningful progress toward results.  Going it alone gives you an easy way out.  The team effort provides a little pressure to do your part.  So, enlist some support for your work.  Offer your support in return. Hold people accountable.  Start with you.

Expertise:  Enlisting the ideas and information of the expert makes the work effort more efficient and helps you avoid mistakes. Coaching has been a catalyst for growth in my business and propelled my own professional development.  Expertise can also push you past your comfort zone and accelerate progress.  When I am working with TJ or Jane I work harder.  Coming out of pocket also elevates my personal commitment to showing up prepared to work.  Invest in you.

Execution: We are conditioned to search for the next big idea when so often an adjustment in our approach and personal discipline that will produce the desired outcome. Measure progress.  Manage for consistency.  If you want to accomplish a BIG thing personally or professionally it requires alignment of a lot of little things along the way.  Sometimes success simply comes down to effort and execution around the fundamentals.

Make it Interesting:  Big ideas and breakthrough moments often remain elusive the monotony of the routine.  So mix it up. Inspired experiences can translate into inspired thinking and action.  Also, pay very close attention to the people inside your circle of trust.  The people around us have enormous impact on our being.  How we think, act and experience the world around us.  New people bring forward new ideas, insights and perhaps the best opportunity to share, give, learn and grow.

The cycle to success can be a long, arduous process.  Momentum is required to finish the work.  We’ll likely face periods of feeling stuck, afraid, overwhelmed and quite mediocre. A time perhaps when the hard work might not seem worth it.

Give procrastination an adversary. Put right plan, process and people around you.

Pass the sledgehammer.

How can I get paid speaking engagements?

It is a question I have been asked so often in the last few months that I promised a few people I would devote a couple posts to exploring the topic of speaking professionally a bit further.  There are all kinds of good reasons to speak.  To teach, help, inspire, raise awareness and share your ideas with others who can benefit.  Additionally, speaking can be a lucrative path to accelerating sales to build your business.  From where I stand it beats trade show booth duty any day of the week.

What follows are a few thoughts and resources that have certainly been beneficial on my journey and I hope prove useful to you.

Two books I recommend include The Wealthy Speaker and Confessions of a Public Speaker.  The Wealthy Speaker is a valuable “how to” guide and Confessions breaks down the business from the entertaining perspective of a pro.  The Why Speakers Earn $30,000 an Hour excerpt offers a bit of insight into the getting paid part of the business.

Five key considerations on getting started:

1. Speak: The more you speak the more speaking opportunities you’ll generate.  The more you speak the better you’ll get.  Most people I know that speak professionally did a lot of FREE speaking prior to getting good enough to get paid. If you speak and immediately generate more requests to speak as a result, that is a good sign you are good enough to do the work.

2. Write: A bestselling book is a gateway to getting paid speaking engagements.  Short of that writing helps organize your thinking, accelerate your credibility and connect you to people and opportunity. This blog has been a catalyst for growth in my business.  The secret to writing is that, as Seth Godin and Tom Peters explain in this video, you are ultimately doing it for yourself.

3. Study:  I recommend checking out the National Speakers Association.  I am a graduate of both their Professional Development programs for emerging speakers. You can subscribe to their Speaker Magazine for a great monthly update on the business.  You can also follow other speakers via twitter, the blogosphere and tune into Ted Talks to see expertise in action on the platform.  You can also tune in tonight on Learn it Live for the class from speaking pro Simon Bailey on How to Create a Successful 6 Figure Speaking Business.  One hour with Simon will be invaluable for anyone who wants to know more about the art and science of professional speaking.

4. Invest: While the barrier to entry and fixed capital costs to start a speaking business are low the best professional speakers run it like any other business. That means establishing a budget and a business plan with specific and measurable objectives.  That also means investment.  Website.  Video.  Marketing. One of the best investments I’ve made is a professional coach.

5. Sell:  You have to know how to sell yourself first before anyone else can succeed selling for you.  We have scheduled selling time built into the calendar every week.  There are wonderful 3rd party partnerships that can accelerate sales growth for a professional speaker, however, it takes time and patience to cultivate the right Bureau and Meeting Planner relationships.  It also takes a demonstrated track record of success.

Speaking is competitive. It typically takes patience and persistence to push through and eventually get paid.  It can also be very rewarding and worthwhile as a hobby, part time endeavor or full time career path depending on what is right for you.

Your experience is unique.  Your expertise is valuable. Your ideas and insights are worthwhile and can most certainly have an impact.  If you let them go.

Every opportunity to speak is an opportunity to make a difference.

That seems like work worth doing.  I hope this helps.

Who cares? Turns out a lot of people.

So often, we set it up that way (contracts, incentives, scorecards, KPI’s etc).

When competing for credit becomes more important than competing for the outcome you have a problem.

Competition for the credit can be a barrier to collaboration, innovation, trust, teamwork and performance.

Stockpiling credit was a way for managers to hide.  Pretty easy to spot.  Killer to morale.

In a more transparent time where talent trumps tenure or title that increasingly won’t work.

Of course credit counts.  But what if the credit score mattered less?

What if all that really mattered was the result we achieved together?

I do a fair amount of  keynote speaking.

That means I usually have 60 -90 minutes.

A short time to inspire action.  Initiate change.  Make a moment memorable enough to make a difference.

I am up for the challenge.  I believe the decision to change often happens in an instant.  One compelling conversation.  One powerful connection.  One meaningful moment that inspires action.

I also understand and respect the notion that not everyone believes you can create enough momentum for meaningful change in 60 minutes.  It doesn’t leave a lot of time for discussing, debating, dissecting and doing the deep dive on subjects that call for that kind of inspection.  I know that next level leadership and the future of work qualify as those kind of subjects.

That is why I am always excited when the conversation can expand a bit and explore the territory in more detail.

This Friday I am going to spend the entire day with a group of business leaders in the home state of Minnesota discussing business performance in the new economy, next generation leadership and the future of work.

I will present some ideas.  Ask and answer questions.  And guide our conversation as we look for insights into what is working when it comes to managing people, improving productivity and accelerating performance in the new world of work.

Minnesota West Community & Technical College is hosting the day at Prairie’s Edge Casino in Granite Falls, MN.

Capacity is 150 to keep the conversation interactive and a few more spots are open as of this morning.

Register and join us. Cost is $89 and includes lunch.

We’ll finish up around 3:00 pm so you have plenty of time to double down before you roll into the weekend!

I look forward to making some new, meaningful connections this Friday and hope to have more opportunities to engage in this kind of programming as we progress with our 2012-2013 schedule.

The world of work is a complicated place.

Technology, globalization and the great recession have accelerated the pace of change and brought about category disruption, new competition and what can feel like never ending chaos.

In a time where we need people to step up and become the very best of who they are capable of becoming, job satisfaction is at unprecedented lows and trust and confidence in senior leadership has plummeted.

We can do better. Leaders and Managers have to recognize that the legacy, command and control style of leadership we relied upon for so long isn’t working.

Change is hard.  It is also the one constant we can count on.

The LeaderShift required to compete today is to a more collaborative, connected approach where everyone has a voice, the best ideas are brought forward, people are valued and culture is viewed for what it is…the only long term, sustainable advantage.

4 keys to developing a more collaborative leadership style.

Lead to Inspire: Employees want to be inspired. Leaders need to lead from the front and live the change they want to see in others. The best way to inspire is to truly care. Through active mentoring and coaching you have the powerful opportunity to elevate performance and help people stretch to achieve their potential.

Lead to Influence: Authority is overrated. Talent trumps tenure or title. The work is the boss. The ability to earn “followership,” by aligning people around shared objectives is essential. Influence is rooted in credibility and connectedness and today’s leaders needs to forge meaningful connections inside and outside the organization. You don’t need permission to have influence.

Lead to Innovate: Leading change means facing internal resistance and taking some calculated risks. It’s too easy to say that you believe in something new, but then back down at the first sign of failure. Stopping short doesn’t serve as a catalyst for change. You’re inevitably going to make some mistakes. Failing forward is something that progressive leaders readily accept.  Are you ready to go all in for something you believe in?

Lead for Impact: Impact is a daily commitment to action and outcomes. Collaboration doesn’t mean consensus, and daily progress is a vital force for engagement. By working together we all have the opportunity to contribute and add value to the business.

How committed to collaboration and connectedness is your CEO?  Senior leadership?  You?  Worth considering.

The way we organize work, elevate productivity and improve performance is changing.  Right now.

It will be incumbent upon Managers and Leaders to be increasingly more open, transparent, flexible, creative, and collaborative.  Collaborative Leadership is simply the new and improved model for navigating this ever complex, constantly changing business landscape.

This next generation approach to business (Generation Flux) is opening up opportunity for those willing to embrace change, challenge the status quo and connect people to each other and a common purpose.

Seems like work worth doing.

{Note:  We are now offering a full day Corporate University course on Collaborative Leadership. Contact us if interested in learning more}

Lesson #22

I walked into my neighborhood coffee shop this morning.  Peter asked me how business was going.  It offered me the opportunity to chat him up about his work as well.  Ironically, we both arrived at the same conclusion.

This is going to be The Best Year Ever.

This conversation wasn’t isolated for me.  I have heard these sentiments a number of times over the last few weeks..  People I know planning to lean into the myriad of challenges and changes to architect their best year ever.

Blind optimism?  Ignorance to all that ails us?

Hardly.  However, there is a common thread.

Action.

The coffee shop has gone through expansion, upgrades and evolution during the great recession.  Making moves to make it happen.  Stuck in the status quo is a dead end.  Fourteen years on the block and this is going to be another breakthrough year.

The truth is we all need to go through expansion, upgrades and evolution to avoid getting stuck in the status quo.

Today I spend a lot more time time doing the work and less time thinking about it.  That does require a plan.  The plan needs updates.  In fact, this week is update week for us.  Tax day.  Tomorrow is a the quarterly coaching call. Thursday is devoted to curriculum design and some production work with the Capture crew.  Friday we’ll do some planning.  That’s enough thinking for me.  Next week I will look forward to getting back out there.

The other truth is that doing the work is more fun.  I can remember exactly when work stopped being fun. It took me two years to do something about it.  Two years of opportunity wasted.  Worrying.  Wishing. Wanting.  Waiting.  That perfect moment doesn’t ever arrive.  You create it. Funny how action simply mitigates most of that.  The massive mind shift in focus and concentration on the work instead of the worry is a whole lot more fun. {TIP: If you need a Fun Pass take a little inspiration from Cain’s Arcade}.

Performance guru Tony Robbins talks about the habit of courage this way: “Taking action, even though you’re afraid, is how you become courageous—because courage, like fear, is a habit. The more you do it, the more you do it, and this habit—of stepping up, of taking action—more than anything else, will move you in a different direction.”

Forbes outlines Five Reasons People Stay Stuck in Their Careers and offers some useful ideas to help you find the satisfaction and success you deserve.

The best way to get un-Stuck?

Today’s post is an invitation to join our FREE webinar event Thursday April 12, 2012.

Engage. Inspire. Empower.

The objective of this webinar will be to provide actionable content that today’s business leader can leverage to elevate productivity and performance. We will provide a state of the union with the current data set from Modern Survey research related to employee engagement and discuss the implications and agenda necessary for moving forward.

We will introduce data and trends we believe to be worthy of consideration and hope to contribute to the work you are doing in a relevant way. I’ll be teaming up with colleague, collaborator and Modern Survey President, Don MacPherson to deliver our message about what today’s leader can do this Thursday, at 11:00 a.m. CST. We hope you can join us. Did I mention, it’s free?

Click this link to register for our FREE WEBINAR!

Here is a little excerpt from Don and I discussing engagement circa 2010.  The world has changed.  So has the data. We look forward an update this Thursday.

Lesson #40

We have a motto around our office (which usually consists of a steady rotation of coffee shops in the Twin Cities).

“Be humble.  Stay hungry.  Always hustle.”

It works for us.  Has for a long time. When you get off track it’s also important to have someone to simply remind you to get back into the groove.  A little built in accountability.  For me that someone has been Lynn for most of my professional career.

In our Ad Agency days she was my right hand.  For the second act when I was running out of hands the phone call to her was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

A few weeks ago we were working through the calendar and considering a couple of intense weeks of travel and training that prompted me to hit the pause button. She pushed back and issued a bold challenge in the form of this question:

“Ryan, what kind of person do you want to become?”

It was a funny moment that has actually provided a lot more moments of long range thinking as it relates to our business planning and performance targets.

It also made me think hard about the kind of people I want to be doing business with.

I’ve never wanted yes people around me.  I want to work with people that challenge me and the status quo to make things better.  I want to work with people that can solve problems and help invent the future.  I want to work with people that want to compete and win.

So should you.

I’d also prefer to work with people who aren’t just like me.  I have a lot to learn. Different people and perspectives help me grow and make my world of work a better place.

However, it is critical to work with people I like.  Employees, partners, collaborators and contributors.

And clients.

Our guiding principles help us make sure we are working on the right projects and with people and partners that align.  Without that alignment it is impossible to do your best work.  Next to impossible to enjoy it also.

That BIG question…

What kind of person do I want to become?

Professionally I want to do work that I love and that makes a difference in the lives of others.

Now that seems like work worth doing.

Getting there is always easier if you begin with the end in mind and surround yourself with the right people.

{Note:  Meet Lynn.  I hope she is enjoying her vacation with the family this week.}

Today’s post is dedicated to the Ohio University Bobcat basketball team.

My Alma Mater and the 2012 March Madness Cinderella fell just short in OT last night taking on on #1 seed and perennial powerhouse North Carolina.

OU was overwhelmed at the onset then settled in for a fight giving Roy and his team of future first round draft choices one big scare.

Ohio plays the underdog role well and has given all of the Bobcat faithful plenty of reason to Stand Up and Cheer!

Most of all I think that they have given us moments of pause and reflection back to our own time in Athens, OH.  Those precious and priceless memories of a few of the very best years of your life. Yes, we are proud of our tradition as “the best party school in the country.”  Yes, we are proud of the enduring friendships.  Yes, we are proud to have “survived” Athens with diploma in hand!

We are also proud as hell of shocking everyone into the Sweet 16 and battling UNC until the end!

Here are 16 Sweet Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Ohio University!

Congratulations OU!  Proud to be a Bobcat.