Innovation thats more than just lip service...

Talk is cheap (unless it's with an attorney of course) and when it comes to innovation that is exactly what many companies settle for, but they don't have too. I recently read a piece published in the Harvard Business Review that put innovative entrepreneurs under the microscope and examined when and how they came up with the ideas on which their business was built. I wanted to share a few of the insights they found to the secret sauce of business success, "innovation".

The authors studied the habits of Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Herb Kelleher, David Neeleman just to name a few and out of this in-depth research they were able to identify patterns of behaviors that help answer many questions but most notably this one:

Can we learn to be innovators?

The answer is unequivocally yes, the article outlines research that has lead to the assertion of five "discovery skills" that clearly distinguishes the most creative executives and their results.

1. Associating: In my field of work as a consultant and trainer we must have a developed competency to connect seemingly unrelated questions, problems or ideas from different industries in a way that can clarify or add value to a business. In the HBR article Steve Jobs said "Creativity is connecting things." The article then outlines the example of Pierre Omidyar who in 1996 was able to link three seemingly unconnected dots (1) a fascination and passion with creating more efficient markets; (2) his fiancés desire to locate hard to find collectible Pez dispensers; and (3) the ineffectiveness of local classified ads in locating such items. As a result Ebay was founded.

Entrepreneur Frans Johansson described this ability and discipline as the "Medici effect" referring to the explosion of talent and new ideas that resulted from a family bringing together sculptors, scientists, poets, painters, philosophers and architects. The article continues by saying "As these individuals connected, new ideas blossomed at the intersections of their respective fields, thereby spawning the Renaissance, one of the most inventive eras in history."

In my opinion associating is one of the most overlooked skill sets in people today. Developing a mind-set that systematically solves problems and creates opportunities by learning to connect the seemingly unconnected in a way that’s productive and clarifying will set you apart in both personal and professional endeavors.

2. Why? Why not? What if?: Much of our work with helping organizations achieve their best results is centered around challenging the false generalizations and testing untested assumptions that exist in their culture. In the article Meg Whitman, former CEO of Ebay, describes the innovative drive of leaders such as the founders of Ebay, Skype and Paypal as "getting a kick out of screwing up the status quo," what a great way to put it! The best businesses understand the importance of consistently asking themselves these 3 questions: Why? Why not? What if?.

Look for most of us, business is not life threatening its ego threatening and if you want to create sustainable success you have to be able to ensure your culture is always open to questioning itself and that employees respect the difference between challenging questions and criticism.

3. Observing: Ideas, solutions and opportunity exists everyday right in front of our faces yet few tend to pick up on them and fewer actually do anything about it when they do see it. The articles example here is Intuit founder Scott Cook and his idea for Quicken financial software, after watching his wife struggle with keeping track of their own finances. Scott observed a behavior then acted on his observations as a result grabbed 50% of the market for financial software in the first year.

So, develop your ability to look for small behavior niches that can be exploited in the context of design, brand, service or product.

4. Experimenting: As adults we have such a love hate thing with success and failure. Meaning we love success but hate failure. Further many tend to harbor a view of experimentation as mainly something reserved for smart people in white coats. The truth is the world is a laboratory and observing, questioning and associating are very much pointless unless you actually begin to put the ideas to work.

We can learn much from watching a kid learn to walk, falling down isn't the end of the world and most times its greeted with laughter. They somehow know they are trying something new, experiencing a different feeling and want the freedom of getting around a little more efficiently then just on their stomachs…to be innovative experimentation and forcing failure is not just a good idea...its good business.

5. Networking : I am not talking about handing out businesses cards at your local chamber mixer here. What I am talking about is the amount of talent that is a phone call away from you and who would be willing to meet for lunch. Your ability to draw artists, academics, scientists, thinkers, adventurers and entrepreneurs close to you will serve as the greatest predictor of how well you will be able to enhance your innovative spirit and mind-set. Conferences, seminars, civic events and fund-raisers you have interests in are all great places but resist the urge to sell, instead buy, listen, connect and most importantly follow up.

The more you learn to associate, question, observe, experiment and network the more creative your problem solving and idea generation will get. Hope this helps!

To read the article visit http://hbr.org/ and search for spotlight on innovation!

We were reminded...

I forget keys, I forget my phone, I forget things all the time but November 5th, 2009 was one of those nights you just don't forget. I had the honor and privilege to meet Rev. Billy Kyles, he was the keynote speaker at the Annual Benefit Dinner for the Facing History and Ourselves organization. Their work is based on the premise that "we need to- and can- teach civic responsibility, tolerance, ethics, understanding and social action to young people." They accomplish this through innovative and relevant studies, personal accounts and emotional connections to the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, Civil Rights Movements and other violent human experiences representative of our not so better history.

I was lucky enough to attend that night on behalf of MPACT Memphis and as a guest of Michael Terry, a board member of the organization. Our table was center stage and only one row back from the front of a room with over 700 people in it (this proved to be a great seat too). I immediately noticed the size and set up and began to think this may not be a typical dinner event, yet in all honesty I wasn't exactly sure what I was trekking into. That changed and did so pretty quickly. The night was filled with remarkable accounts and stories from both educators and students alike all of whom participating in a program that reaches over 1.8 million students in countries all over the world.

For those not familiar with Reverend Billy Kyles, he was a young local civil rights leader involved in the integration of Memphis's school system, restaurants, buses and other public areas of the city and oh, did I also mention that he happen to be the only one standing next to Dr. King just outside of room 306 at the Lorraine Motel on April 4th, 1968. The only one standing out there when the shot was fired that silenced Kings physical heart, while simultaneously amplifying the heartbeat of his cause. Forty one years, seven months and one day later, less than 1 mile away from where he was standing in 1968 it was now an older Rev. Kyles at the lectern this time, yet still delivering a fiery, detailed and gripping account of the assassination and its surrounding events.

We were reminded vividly of the genuine courage that was evident with all those involved during this deadly fight to simply be treated as human beings, no more no less.

We were reminded honorably that their fame and attention wasn't about fame at all, no self-serving reasons, no internal scandals, schemes or ulterior motives. King came to Memphis and lost his life fighting for 1300 sanitation workers to get a .10 cent per hour raise and did so knowing full and well that his time on earth could certainly be cut short for it.

We were reminded passionately that you cannot sway, you cannot quell, you cannot break, beat nor defeat a sympathetic and humane cause propelled by people willing to sacrifice everything for it. In Kyles own words "you can kill the dreamer but you cannot kill the dream."

And most profound to me, we were reminded that we are never to young to do something worth writing about. You see at the ages of 39, 33, 35 and 27, not one of them in the photograph (pictured above) was over the age of 40.

Now in his seventies, and speaking to a world far removed from where it once was Rev. Kyles (to an absolute standing ovation) started making his way back down to his table which happened to be behind us. Now when 700 people stand up, start to cheer and then just turn every which way to look at you, I imagine it could become a bit difficult to see. He came through the isle right in front of me and at a slow pace, just looking around not in admiration the applause or people, but more of exploration. He walked right to me as I shook his hand and leaned towards him I just said "thank you" to which he smiled patted my shoulder, looked me in the eye (people still standing and applauding loudly) and said "hmm...I lost my seat". We both laughed as I offered him mine then as the crowd began to conform he found it, but not before I got to say thank you and shake the hand of man who over his lifetime helped so many others find their own way.

In the words of George Bernard Shaw "The reasonable man looks to adapt himself to the conditions that surround him...The unreasonable man adapts the conditions that surround him to himself. All progress depends on the unreasonable man."

A special thanks goes to the Facing History Organization, Mr. Terry and MPACT Memphis for allowing me such a great experience.

Dropping the axe?

Be sure it's sharpened first and watch your foot; two very important things to keep in mind when making the tough call to lay off or cut back on talent. See, there is a paradigm that exists in business today, one that reflects the missions and goals of organizations to be progressive, innovative and agile in the marketplace they compete in yet a documented history of dangerously handicapping their ability to do so. Innovation, progress and agility are capabilities and values that rest on things like R&D, training, experience, teamwork and a synergistic confidence in a companies ability to make something happen. When cash becomes tight what are the first areas up on the chopping block tend to be? You guessed it, training, R&D and talent. See, you can have one, you can have the other but you cannot have both. Take head before making the tough call of giving the axe to 1 or all 3 of these necessities of progress.

A 18 year study by the University of Colorado of S&P 500 firms showed no link between downsizing and a subsequent return on their assets. A Bain study also of a similar model found that the 158 firms that used lay offs for cost cutting suffered drops in stock price. Bain warned "it can take 18 months to realize the cost savings from a layoff, and by then the person may be needed again (not to mention law suits, morale issues, lost productivity). A separate study done over 5 years found that "surviving" workers had increased time out of work and medical claims ranging from 100%-900%.

We are not saying don't make the tough call if survival is in question just don't overlook or underestimate the hidden costs of such a decision, perhaps there is another way...

You big dummy....

The business world can be a challenging, chaotic and often funny place. In the spirit of reminding ourselves that our situations are often more ego-threatening than life-threatening, enjoy some "insight" from those who just don't seem to get it...(all taken from various list of dumb things)

Quote: "I like Mackey's haircut. I think he looks cute."- Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, posting under the screen name Rahodeb, on a Yahoo Finance stock forum. The Federal Trade Commission later revealed that Mackey authored this and numerous other posts over an eight-year period, hyping his company and himself while trashing the competitor Wild Oats. TNT? To build buzz for its animated show Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network placed electronic lightboards depicting a character from the show saluting passersby with an upraised finger. Problem was it triggered a bomb scare that shut down two bridges, an expressway, a subway station, and a stretch of the Charles River. Best Buy...at this kiosk:The state of Connecticut sued Best Buy for setting up in-store kiosks set to a website that looks identical to bestbuy.com but lists higher prices than those they would actually find online. Wet paint of the 21st century: To test Google's ability to block harmful advertising, Belgian IT security consultant Didier Stevens posts an ad that reads "Is your PC virus-free? Get it infected here!" It is accepted by Google and displayed 259,723 times; 409 web surfers actually click on the ad. (source: CNNmoney.com) No comment: Upon her death, Leona Helmsley leaves $12 million to her white Maltese, Trouble. How did that work out for you? "I believed fundamentally that the balance sheet was strong. I believed that then and I believe that now." - Ken Lay, court testimony (April 06')

Getting Linkedin to pay-

I am going out on a limb here and saying that right now I believe Linkedin to be the most undervalued tool many of us have in our social networking belt. Twitter this and Facebook that but whether you are looking for a job, friend, ex-coworker or a sale to close the month it has the easiest and probably most productive platform of what I have seen so far. Now, I admit that I have had an account for over a year now and just over the past 2 weeks really been digging into the capabilities of this site and encourage you to do the same!

Some interesting things to check out:

1. Search capabilites by industry and company (also tells you how far down the connection line you are to them)

2. See who has viewed your profile (specifics available for the premier member)

3. Q&A section...lets you post and answer questions from others. They have a ranking system that gives incentives for people to take time and answer truthfully so some great free advice is possible.

Take some time and revisit your page update and make a few connections a day. I can think of much less effective ways to spend 15 minutes!

Is your coach earning his keep??

With all of the career changes happening now and the business landscape looking like it does, life coaching and business coaching business is picking up for those who can provide results. Coaching can be a powerful tool if done right. The one-on-one relationship is designed to engage a person in a deep and honest exploration of goals and the actions required to accomplish them. It’s about knowing when to kick and when to hug and holding you accountable to make consistent (sometimes dramatic) progress towards your most important aspirations.

If your considering a coach or mentor a few things to consider and principles that we and 360 Solutions believe are the most important for a successful venture!

1. Clients are capable, resourceful and whole. We believe this is the most important principle of coaching. Many of the helping professions treat people as though they were broken, dysfunctional or less than capable. To us the best coaches recognize the brilliance and power of their clients to solve their problems. In short they don't need to be told what decisions to make just guided to help them make better decisions themselves. The true power of it is not in answers but in the questions.

2. The agenda should come from the client. Clients are in charge of the coaching relationship. The job of the coach is to “hold the client’s agenda” and ensure that they are continually moving towards the results they want. The coach is not an expert who can tell clients what is most important in their lives or how to live their lives. The coach helps clients give voice to what is most important and then focuses on the process of how to get there. This principle honors and respects the full capability of clients.

3. The focus is on outcomes. Coaching “begins with the end in mind.” The coach is continually helping clients clarify the outcomes they want. As such, the focus of coaching is on creating the future rather than getting over the past. Helping clients articulate the outcomes they desire guides the entire process, whether setting goals to achieve a larger life vision or solving day-to-day problems.

4. The process addresses a client’s whole life. Coaching helps clients achieve fulfillment in all areas of their lives. Clients are “whole people” and success or failure in one area of their lives affects other areas as well. For example, physical health influences relationships, career and spirituality. And so on. The process of coaching includes a perspective and assessment of many areas of life as well as learning to make choices that lead to greater balance in all areas of life.

5. The relationship is the catalyst. The relationship between clients and coach acts as a catalyst which “calls forth” the full potential of clients. Through their interactions with a coach, clients tap into their power and abilities to create the life of their dreams. However, the focus of the relationship is not on the coach, per se. The power is derived from the relationship, tailored to the unique needs of each client, and mutually designed to empower clients to achieve their highest goals.

Pocket Consultant? A colleagues perspective..

Below was an interesting look at a new technology by a colleague that is representative of just the next step of adding just-in-time philosophies to all aspects of life. People, information and technology will be the 3 main drivers of change in the 21st century, how is your business preparing to harness potential like the widgets, I-phone apps and on-demand functionality that we are moving into?

I would like to thank Stephen of Stephen J. Gill consulting for allowing me to repost. His contact info is at bottom of his blog!

Instant Coaching

Are trainers and coaches being replaced by a 99 cent app? I knew it was only a matter of time. You can now download iPocket Coach for your Apple iPhone. This Web 2.0 tool promises to give managers "the guidance they need to manage their people - on demand." Clearly, technology is changing the field of management training and development as fast as it is changing everything else in our lives.

I'm intrigued by this idea of making helpful advice easily accessible and timely. Much of the time, it is impractical for managers to wait for their next scheduled training session or even for their next coaching session...if they even have a leadership coach. Managers need just-in-time alternatives and more can be done to use technology to prepare managers for learning and to sustain that learning over time.

However, I bristle at the notion that all they need is a list of recommended behaviors on an iPhone to get through the next difficult management situation. The marketing video at the iPocket Coach site is a great example of the best and worst aspects of instant coaching. In the video, a manager uses the app to prepare herself for a difficult performance review conversation with one of her employees. That's fine; however, we can't tell from this short demonstration if she asked helpful questions, gave useful responses, or made this a learning opportunity for the employee. And the supervisor of the manager, who pops his head in the door to remind her that she should have the performance review and then he returns later to make sure it was done, displays a very typical but very poor example of supervision. He's the problem, not the manager who needs a little guidance on conducting a performance review.

I believe Web 2.0 tools of all types, including iPhone apps as well as wikis, blogs, Twitter, and other social media, have tremendous potential for supporting manager learning and leadership development. As with any new technology, we need entrepreneurs who are willing to experiment with new learning tools in the marketplace and then continuously improve these tools. At the same time, we need to continuously ask ourselves, "Are we oversimplifying the learning process to the point where we might be doing more harm than good?"

Stephen J. Gill Consulting
My blog: http://theperformanceimprovementblog.com

If speaking effectively is an art then last Tuesday in Memphis, my masterpiece had more than a few blemishes in it. That said, it got me thinking about some simple but tough lessons I have learned the last few times out. The good news is speaking isn't life threatening (good thing for me) it's just ego threatening, had I reminded myself of some simple principles I probably would of felt better about the outcome...

1. Don't overload it.
2. Don't over think it.
3. Don't let them lose sight of "the main thing"
4. Don't forget they may not remember everything you say but won't forget how you made them feel.

Recently unemployed or laid off? Try this...

How many people do you know in the last 6 months who have lost their job? I was recently speaking with a friend in Nashville who was going through such a transition. He had good tenure and a good record of performance with the company yet was still let go. With an unexpected change like that we all will run the gambit of emotions from shock to anger to denial, resentment then worry, uncertainty, chaos moving into acceptance and then excitement of a new opportunity. See, the question is not "if" you will go through these emotions because we all will it's "how fast can you move through them?"

To speed that process up ask yourself these questions and start writing them down.

What is the change? Describe it completely and write down everything your thinking about the change itself as soon as you can.

What does it mean to you? Say you lost your job, your gut feeling inside, does it mean the end of your job, the end of your world, a great injustice to you, an opportunity to try something new you've always wanted to do or a forced hand to start to look for something different? What is your initial mind set? Write it down.

Where are you looking? When you answered the above two questions where is your mind set? Are you making these judgments based on looking in the past, present or future. Write it down.

What can you control? Influence? Not Control? This is where we tend to put ourselves in the worst positions to quickly move through the emotions of change. List ALL the things that deal with this situation that you can control, then jot down the ones you may not completely control but do have influence in, finally list the things that no matter what you do they will not change. Your focus should at the first moment be solely centered on category 1 until everything is marked off then move to the influence category. Put everything you have into marking those two lists off and chances are you will be out of the chaos stage and into acceptance before you have a chance to worry about the things you cannot change or control. And you know what they say about worry, "it's like a rocking chair, it may give you something to do it just doesn’t get you anywhere."

Workforce 2012....

Still think human development training is just a "touchy-feely" nice thing to do? We're about to change all that...Diversity, change management, positive impact, engagement, generational impact and technology- Are you ready for this??

Take a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

A minding our business minute....

"Let statistics and data serve as framework for the decisions we make...but let the fact that people everyday and in every walk of life defy those statistics, be the foundation of who we are and what we expect of ourselves." -
As always we appreciate your continued support!!
John M Sylvester- Founder

5 workforce trends not to be overlooked or underestimated...

1. Surplus of degrees, deficit of judgment- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the US unemployment rate at 9.7% (July 17, 2009). So with so many out of work it is easy to think that you would have no shortage of qualified, talented people ready to come to work. Yet organizations are still finding the process of finding the right people very challenging. This gap will only widen with time, as our economy continues to transition to that of a “knowledge based service economy” factors such as new technologies, changing demographics, aggressive competition and the more sophisticated consumer will continue to create a work environment that exposes, in dramatic fashion, those who have underdeveloped social, interpersonal and emotional business skill sets. Pick up a newspaper, it doesn’t take long to look through the headlines and find example after example of smart people making bad decisions.



2. Yes ma’am, right away ma’am- A 2007 study found that over 60% of college students were women, more than half of all mid tier management jobs are already held by women and they continue to be the fastest growing demographic in that segment as well as small business entrepreneurs. Women are continuing to find career and family balances that tip further and further to the board room.
   


3. From the Jones’ to the Jones Smiths’- Fundamental shifts have occurred in the US with regards to family structures. Data suggests that from the 1960’s to 2007 the percentage of our workforce that the “traditional family” (defined as husband working and wife at home) fell from and estimated 56% to 17%. Every year more and more people are saying “I don’t anymore” rather than “I do”, they are postponing marriage or deciding all together it best to raise children in two homes rather than one.
   


4. Bucket list generations- More and more men ranging from late 20’s to early 40’s are saying they are less willing to compete up a shaky corporate ladder if it means costing them too much with regard to their family and personal lives. In addition the workforce continually documents upward trends with both men and women who insist that their work be meaningful and contributes to something larger than themselves.
   


5. Impact of technology- Researchers have been citing technology as a game changer for years so why is it still something to plan around? Changes are coming faster and they are much more complex than in the past, they happen in multiples and our ways of dealing with them have much shorter shelf life. There is a saying that goes “The genius of American ingenuity is that we are designing products that last ten years yet make them obsolete in two.” The exponential growth of the technology based research, development and business focus is causing head aches, stress and information overload for those tasked with working in concert with these new tools.
   

The complexity of the world we live in is challenging us in ways we often overlook, underestimate and rarely have imagined before. Think about this, we would never expect a copy machine or computer to work very well if we were forced to set them up outside. Stresses and impact of the environment would ensure you never tap the full potential of that technology. When production seems to decline or become ineffective, even under ideal conditions, few hesitate to call a professional to update, upgrade or fix what is broken…Don’t your people deserve at least that same attention??

TREC appeal (Real Estate)

For about 8 months I was working on getting some content approved for continuing education credits in the field of Real Estate. We have worked with agents, brokers and investors successfully before but to my suprise even in this day in age we still have old guard habits that at least seem unwilling to test out true progress. Below were my comments of appeal to the board made about three months ago. I wanted to share with those interested as many may struggle with bodies or boards that are created to be the visionaries and promoters of progress yet do not want to change a thing.....

(comments made in Jackson, TN in front of TN Real Estate Commision)
Good afternoon,
If it pleases the board I would like to thank you for your attention and time this afternoon. I understand I only have about 15 minutes for my appeal and since healthy debate is a vehicle of progress I have made sure that time will allow for such discussion.

Now, I am not here today saying that the previous ruling was necessarily unfair or unfounded. In a room full of presumably intelligent people, any one of us could read the rule this board currently supports and justify the decision handed down based on the verbiage in and of itself. (Excluding the trust factor which should qualify under your ethics code)

My appeal is rather simple and is based on a fundamental belief that no matter the amount, technical training alone cannot achieve the mission that this organization has laid claim.
I am not a Real Estate professional, I stand here today as a professional in people, process and strategy. It’s drawing from those backgrounds and experiences that I respectfully submit we are missing the boat here.

Improving competence and responsibility of real estate professionals will not be a result of attending 16 hours every two years on courses teaching (to name a few) settlement procedures, time-shares, contracts and one course of ethics in real estate. If this commissions responsibility is to protect the public. Then I think we all agree that the goal is to have educated, trustworthy professionals who understand the factors that influence not just their industry but also their own decision-making.

Article on AP WIRE.,(two weeks before) FBI deputy director told congress they are now conducting more than 1,800 mortgage fraud investigations, more than double the number of such cases just two years ago. In fact, there are so many mortgage fraud cases, that the bureau is moving some of the 2,000 agents from counterterrorism efforts back to the white collar crimes division. Real Estate related fraud is such a problem that the bureau is not even focusing on individual purchasers anymore, but industry professionals generating fraud schemes totaling as much as hundreds of millions of dollars.

"It is a matter of lawyers, brokers or real estate professionals that are systematically trying to defraud the system," Pistole said.

The point is we don’t have to look very far before we are reminded of the menace to society we create by developing minds before mind-sets. The purpose of the courses that we recently submitted specifically addresses many of these factors and influences. The idea of “general education” is to focus not just on the accumulation of information itself but the integration of the gained knowledge, skills, attitudes, and experiences so that people can engage effectively in the process of learning not what decisions to make, but how to make better decisions.”

I don’t know what drove the ruling handed down two months ago but after reading the “rule” itself and understanding in part the depth of experience and success of the members that sit before in front of me today, I have got to believe that some of you share at least in part the notion to completely and absolutely reject the value of a course because its based in universal principle and not tactical industry relevance cannot possibly be the best solution to the challenges this industry faces. Bridges are so much more productive then walls. We have got to be better than that even if the rule isn’t.

Now, T&D is a 57 plus billion dollar industry so there is no shortage of content out there.
When I set out to decide on ours, I was very specific about what I thought would be the most important skill sets in the 21st century and focused solely on those. Out of the 22 courses and 115 modules we work with I specifically selected 5 for this proposal.

1. Competing to Win
2. Thriving in Chaos (leading in changing times / trust)
3. The Trust Factor (change / trust)
4. Power of Persuasion (gaining influence, trust and understanding how other make decisions)
5. Executive Agent Training.

These courses have all been used successfully with industry personnel, have been approved in a number of other states already. More importantly despite the general education tag, each one has a very specific purpose and proven track record. Due to time I can only touch on two…

Emotional Intelligence (Competing to win) Emotional Intelligence not some new age, touchy-feely concept. In fact we discuss exactly the opposite! The program is built around the belief that emotionally competent people have self-confidence, delay gratification and have ability to act on principle rather than on emotion. It lets participants see how principles determine perspective; how we judge success or failure; and how maintaining an optimistic outlook on life, helps manage stress, anger, envy and over come obstacles.

Good training in Emotional Intelligence will help the professionals in this industry. It will help them make the choices that are most productive without wasting time blaming, resenting or complaining. This training can also help brokers positively influence staff members and take responsibility for choices. All of which helps to build productive relationships and complete difficult tasks, making them more capable professionals.

Trust, one of the most used and abused triggers in the business world, today. And even though trust is a key aspect of relationships, it is often misunderstood or mismanaged in many companies, which leads to serious consequences over time. Psychological research suggests that trusting relationships have three characteristics:
• Predictability
• Caring
• Loyalty

A composite of dictionary definitions adds three others:
• Reliance: certainty based on past experience
• Belief: confidence in or about something;
• Faith: complete and unquestioning confidence in a person, plan, etc.

In any and every Real Estate business, these six characteristics of trust are present in greater or lesser degrees across five different dimensions which have enormous impact to the effectiveness of their communication and customer perceptions.

So my question here today is…How does developing skills sets like that for the people that I rely on as industry professionals not specifically promote responsibility and fairness? While you may still regard the fact that your previous ruling was justified….you cannot possibly disregard the fact that the courses do have real value to this organizations mission.

You know there is a specific reason why every time you get on a plane part of the protocol is to remind passengers of the importance of survival priorities in the most challenging of times. They remind us that in some situations to best protect those we are bonded too, we must first help ourselves. When the oxygen mask drops, your instructed to put yours on first because you are of no benefit to anyone if you can’t breath yourself.

In an Industry where the only thing that is certain is that it will get worse before it gets better; In an industry where integrity and flexibility will continue to be tested, there are still millions counting on people to handle the more complicated conflicts, evolving cultures and increasingly complex communications of our real estate process. I am willing to bet that those who will provide the most value to people like me in this industry, will be the ones who are breathing themselves first. They will be the ones who learned to collaborate, influence, develop and enhance their skills both socially and professionally.

Thank you

(please share your comments)

Tomorrow's Success Stories

There are plenty of them out there, everyday gaining insight, perspective, momentum and confidence in their ability to make something happen. Who am I talking about? Growth Companies, the Kauffman foundation report (http://www.kauffman.org/) concludes that almost half of the fortune 500 companies today were born during recessions or bear markets. So, the question is not whether wealth, prosperity and opportunity will come out of the biggest economic challenge of our lifetimes, the question is...what are we doing to put ourselves in a position to create or take advantage of it?

Try on these three ideas today that will better position you for tomorrow.

LOOK FOR SMART...(goals, people and research)
Smart Goals: Nothing new here, yet so few follow it?!? Smart goals are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time sensitive. Create a few that aim at identifying, what you want tomorrow to be? Do you want to own your own business? Become a partner in one? Work for a big company? Work for small company? There are pro's and con's to all and make no mistake not everyone is cut to run or start their own business. Having this honest conversation will ensure that before you climb the ladder of success, you have it leaned up against the right house in the first place.

Smart People: Who do you know that can best help put a plan together, offer advice and encourage you to continue? Answer that and reach out, offer them something in return (create a win-win). This is critical because it will provide you with something that is a MUST HAVE in trying anything worth doing...Accountability!

Lack of accountability is the number one reason we don’t accomplish the things we want. As you lay out your strategy be sure the core of your system revolves around Accountability. Skipping this step can prove to be detrimental!

Smart Research: Where can you research? (magazines, interviews, internet, newspapers and networking) find best practices, outline previous attempts, learn from others mistakes, ask tons of questions, identify a model that embodies something you want and get as much info as you can.

TAKE RISKS (calculated ones)
I use to date this girl who would always have a reason not to do something and the truth is if we look hard enough we can always find one (a reason, not a good girlfriend). However, in that same amount of focus it takes to find all the reasons NOT to take a risk, there, in the other direction (which in most cases happens to be straight ahead) we find the biggest reason to try…which is…It's why you’re here, so why not?

There is a reason we get ideas in the middle of the night, a purpose behind our dreams and desires and a path to follow, its just not a perfect one. The fact is there will be few people around telling you your opportunity is something you should be doing. Ask ten trusted friends and if two say yes, chances are you're on to something worthwhile! Remember, the masses by design are incapable of making good decisions! Why? Because less than 3% will do step one in this article and if that’s not done you can bank on the fact that your opportunity has been over-generalized, underestimated and flat out misunderstood!

Life is about risks, but calculated ones, we can and should always minimize what our exposure is. Look for opportunities that if you fall it wont kill you or someone else, short of that its been overcome before and probably overcome tens of thousands of times before, so go for it! Sometimes I wish she would of…Ha!

DO WORK
Success is probabilities, the more you do the more likely it is you will be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing with the right people around. Your big picture thinking is essential during strategy sessions but once laid out its about the everyday little ordinary events getting done consistently that creates extra ordinary results. Bill Bradley, a U.S. Senator and hall of fame basketball player once said "Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in." Translation- do work and start today.

Hope this helps and for more information or tips and articles visit http://jmsstrategies.com/whatnext.asp
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Encourage. Inspire. Motivate. Lead. Empower. Educate.

JMS Strategies is an organizational effectiveness firm dedicated to developing the skill sets that will lead people to sustainable success in the 21st Century. Our Sales, Leadership, Supervisor/Manager and Personal Development content is facilitated in high energy, results driven seminars, private training events and keynotes speeches. Our mission is to improve revenue, morale, engagement and the profit of organizations by teaching them how to make better decisions, not what decisions to make.

The future of Business Opportunities...

Our world is not changing, its changed and if your under the age of 45 you should be grinning ear to ear because of it.

Why? Three reasons...
Because people are going to look to you for answers like never before
Because big problems always offer big opportunities
Because NEVER before has there been a chance like there is today to throw your hat in the ring and lead the charge in a different industry.

See, years past you pick an industry and that’s it, that was your career unless you wanted to start at the bottom all over again. Opportunities of the past were awarded based on ones experience of industry and product. Success in one industry didn't always translate as an asset to another. Make no mistake, that bus has left!

All gloves are off and now, opportunities, responsibilities and positions of leadership are being awarded to those who can problem solve, put things in perspective, gain influence and not lose sight of "The most important thing" in the opportunity itself.

Want an example? Check this article out then read below for how it could change your life! http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/business/01deese.html

Article said: “It was a little scary.” But now, according to those who joined him he has emerged as one of the most influential voices in what may become President Obama’s biggest experiment yet in federal economic intervention.
Lesson to use: Its okay to be scared, a little fear will keep you honest, aware and focused on making progress. Think about walking across a dark room in your house to flip on a light. The first few steps are short and cautious but as you feel a wall or table you begin to get a visual picture of where you are. Once that happens you begin to walk more assured with every step, then the light comes on. In our opportunities, we may not have everything we need to start out but the light will come on if you keep making progress! You may just have to make those first few steps without being able to feel or see a damn thing yet.

Article said: "Mr. Deese’s role is unusual for someone who is neither a formally trained economist nor a business school graduate, and who never spent much time flipping through the endless studies about the future of the American and Japanese auto industries. In short, he had never set foot in an automotive assembly plant until he took on his nearly unseen role in remaking the American automotive industry."
Lesson to use: Regardless of age, scope of the problem or years of experience, opportunities, responsibilities and positions of leadership will go to those who can best solve problems, put things in perspective, gain influence and not lose sight of "the most important thing" in the opportunity itself.

Article said: "While far more prominent members of the administration are making the big decisions about Detroit, it is Mr. Deese who is often narrowing their options."
Lesson to use: There is perceived power, then there is the power of influence. Its about influence! Title, position or direct industry experience are only items of perceived power. If you have them it’s a great asset, but you don’t need them be influential and make a big difference!

Article said: “Every time Mr. Deese ran the numbers on G.M. and Chrysler, he came back with the now-obvious conclusion that neither was a viable business"
Lesson to use: With big decision check and recheck your numbers, give the data time to speak, listen to it- then act!

Article said: “he came back with the now-obvious conclusion that neither was a viable business, and that their plans to revive themselves did not address the erosion of their revenues."
Lesson to use: Be careful not to confuse eyesore problems with root causes. While to most a car can look great if you put new tires, paint, upgrade the sound system and condition the seats but it won't change the mileage you get out of it. For that, focus on what makes the thing go!

Article said: “The president’s instruction to us was that we had to come up with a solution that would work on a commercial basis and that didn’t involve indefinite federal financing,” Mr. Deese said. “But we didn’t want liquidation, which would have even worse effects. So the question was how do you design a very substantial restructuring, and do it fast.”

Lesson to use: Identify the boundaries, know where you can and can't go then ask yourself what is "the thing" in your opportunity? No matter the scope of your project, focus can be boiled down to fundamental questions. Figure that out and never lose sight of it. Nothing will serve you better as a framework for success!


A special thanks to Ian Marshall of http://ianmarshall.com/ for the heads up on the article, great read!

Hiring a winning sales team!

Good salespeople are hard to find, here are 5 tips to use when building your sales team. Remember Hiring the right people will make your job more enjoyable, less frustrating and will ultimately allow you to accomplish more with less, so choose wisely!

1. Clean your house before inviting them over- High performers thrive in healthy environments so take a close look and be sure your work place is one that the staff feels important to the organization, that you show a focus on personal growth and development, offer a fair and attractive compensation package and be sure you have a reputation of taking care of your people.


2. Recruit don't hire- When building teams you have to have a proactive mindset! Success is probabilities, the more people you meet and assess, the more likely it is you will find the right person for the job. Chances are the best people out there are already doing good things for other companies or for themselves. Don't be afraid to ask, offer and on board your next star from next door!


3. Law of two lists- Before you start your search take out a blank sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle of it. On the left side write the qualities you are looking for, remember while its okay to start by thinking of your "top performer" during this phase don't limit yourself and understand that dynamically speaking another "Jim" or "Sally" may not be the most effective addition to the whole team. On the other side of the line make a target list of people, businesses and organizations you want to visit, observe and engage. Ask current team for input here and keep this list with you at all times, making notes adding people and marking them off. Recruiting should never stop.


4. Contact candidates within twenty-four hours of observing and engaging them. You want to strike while the iron is hot. If he or she remembers the qualities they displayed that got your attention in the first place they will not forget them and chances are without the first day of training "assumed" expectations have already been made.


5. On boarding (handle with care)- Once they have been hired be sure expectations from both sides are transparent and communicated clearly. People typically don’t leave companies, they leave their bosses, embrace this trend because if you become one with the reputation of a team builder and leader, talent will always want to be around you!

If your or your organization is interested in learning more about building high performance teams click this link and let us know! http://jmsstrategies.com/contactus.asp

A few years back during my corporate career, I was taking one of many trips to Carroll, Iowa and this time with my boss. Now, getting to Carroll, you have a choice to fly into either Des Moines, IA or Omaha, Nebraska. By choice, I really mean that whichever you choose you still have about a two hour drive to get to Carroll and by choice, I also mean that either way you choose you would have to pass by pig farms and cow fields pretty much the entire way.

One in particular trip stands out more than others and has to this day left me with a perspective on opportunities that I am very grateful for. For those who are not familiar with pig farms and cow pastures, one thing you notice right away (usually well before seeing the actual location) is the "aroma". I still remember it was a smell to the degree that I was just about ready to lose my $15.00 airport sandwich on the side of the rental car! Half jokingly, I say to my boss, "how do you live with that smell?!?" His response was as matter of fact as if asking the color of the car you drive, "What smell? Oh, the pig farms?" I quickly responded "Yes, it smells like...(Explicative)" and just then he takes a deep breath through his nose and exhales saying "To us that's the smell of money." With my shirt over my nose and mouth, I responded saying "well, to me that's the smell of pig (explicative)" and we both got a good laugh.

I can't tell you how many times I go back to that single exchange when working with leaders today for solutions to some situations or circumstances that just plain stink. How true it is though, that opportunity does present itself even in the most seemingly appalling of circumstances. Where one man buries his head down and only senses the worst asking himself "how can anyone live with this?" another takes in a deep breath, understands what's behind it and knows that prosperity for someone is close by.

My lesson that day was that opportunity, progress and prosperity can come from...(explicative)... Sometimes we just have to shovel our pride and our lack of understanding to the side in order to see it. Thanks Dave!

The Business "fear factor"....

What is your biggest fear? Think about it as you read.

Fears are funny because they are often based on false constructs or untested assumptions…A fear of swimming has nothing to do with ability, but you don’t overcome it by “just jumping in” or asking a “good swimmer” how he or she learned, you reach out to someone who can explain the relationship between water and your body. When you do you learn that kicking has less than 4% impact to successfully keeping your body afloat. You learn it’s more about horizontal positioning, buoyancy and simple arm movements.

You see by deconstructing our fears to understandable bite-size facts we make it easier to move past them! If you want to over come a fear of flying, don’t seek someone who has flown several times before, instead buy a ticket for a pilot to sit next to you and have him explain step by step what is going on and WHY it’s being done. When we understand relationship, cause/effect and the WHY behind the things that get in the way of us accomplishing what we want in life, it’s called knowledge. When we actually put those understandings to practice, it’s called wisdom. While I have never been afraid to swim or fly (that I can remember), I know my most recent fear was starting my own business during the toughest economic time of the last 70 years! So deconstructing this fear, I decided to study the great depression and found some fascinating things about innovation and wealth creation that came out of the post depression era. Company’s like Standard Oil, Proctor and Gamble, Dupont and Sears all thrived in the circumstances that others gave up on. Other ventures were launched, including Carvel ice cream, Clairol hair coloring products and A.C. Neilsen, all of which went on to create futures often unheard of… Deconstructing my fear completely changed my perspective, attitude and expectation of what is possible.

I once heard that “worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair, it gives you something to do just doesn’t get you anywhere.” The fact is, we are more than justified to be concerned, apprehensive or fearful of the challenges and circumstances ‘hard times’ brings. But if we look close enough, hard times also offer opportunities to rethink and reinvent ourselves and the organizations we are apart of!

Where would you go?

Remember the question "Who would you like to meet if you could go back in time?” Well, on my way back to meet the likes of JFK, FDR, MLK, Lombardi, Churchill, Larry, Mo, Curley, Jackie Robinson, Lincoln, Adams, Jefferson and Washington to name a few (Hey when you can travel in time for real, I will for real, pick one.) anyway, one stop for me would be to Stanford University year 1996. Goal in mind- would be to meet with two PHD students on campus and discuss their dissertation project titled "BackRub".

See, in 1996 these two ridiculously intelligent people were creating a business model that most would laugh at because it was solving a problem that didn't even exist and creating a business that didn't sell a thing! Not bad for a company that today has over 20,200 employees, $21 billion in revenues, $100 billion in market cap and....yes, ladies and gentleman, their very own word in the English dictionary...

"Google" was first called "BackRub" because the system checked backlinks to estimate the importance of websites as opposed to the keyword criteria that was common then. Here's the funny thing, that's not what even impresses me about the vision of Sergey Brin and Larry Page. What does; was their ability to measure the immeasurable. By truly valuing much of what other companies take for granted, their people, Google has been able to tap human capital like few have. How so? Well, Google engineers were and are today encouraged to spend 20% of their work time (one day per week) on projects that interest them. What has this passion and talent delivered? Those of you on one of Google's newer services may recognize them, as Gmail, Google News, Orkut, and AdSense, all originated from setting boundaries but not tasks and allowing people the chance to ask "Why not?"

Take it from Google, not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts, can be counted...

Keeping the change...

I don't think its any real secret that we live in a constant state of change, its become almost a way of life, yet I recently read a study suggesting that almost 2/3rds of major change efforts in organizations fail! When interviewed, many Fortune 500 executives said that resistance was the primary reason change efforts fail. Not lack of skill or ability or resources, but the human reaction of resistance.

Looking even deeper we may find that the root cause of an organizations resistance to change feeds more from policies in the break room then they do the board room. In fact I'm 95% confident that change has never been the problem, its trust. Everyone has already successfully handled a lifetime of change (or they wouldn’t be there complaining in the first place). Its dealing with the unknown that gets people complaining, scared, insecure and skeptical. If you have their trust in the far corner of the break room you have their willingness to change when tough decisions come from the board room.

Ruff year....

Calling on all leaders, high potential, undiscovered or miscast talent: the business world is ready, is calling and needs you now more than ever! We have all suffered through some very tough times in 2008 culminating with the very public and very tragic Bernard Madoff scandal. The 70-year-old former stock market chairman was arrested Dec. 11 after he "Madoff" with as much as $50 billion in a giant Ponzi scheme. While there no doubt are many lessons we take from this I believe none are more important than understanding the fundamental consequence of educating a man in mind before morals.



As we look to the new year executing the strategy of our existing businesses, ideas of new businesses or brainstorming on those yet to come, lets first look around and answer the most important question of "who?"...That is, who is involved, what do they bring and where do they best fit? As individuals lets ask, am I engaged and is my work aligned with my passions and talents? Use the chaos of today to make the changes necessary to prosper tomorrow!



The dog days of last year are now behind so lets do our part in moving on by ignoring the urge to pass blame, make excuses or complain about current situations. This new year will be no better unless we all commit to finding a creative and consistent approach to tackling 2009.


To your prosperous new year!