Tom Peters’
EXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.
Talent.
Time.
Society for Human Resource Management
El Conquistador Resort/28September2006
EXCELLENCE.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.
EXCELLENCE. THE
CHALLENGE.
THREE
BILLION NEW
CAPITALISTS
—Clyde Prestowitz
“There is no job that
is America’s God-given
right anymore.”
—Carly Fiorina/HP/January2004
“One Singaporean worker
costs as much as …
3
8
13
18
…
…
…
…
in
in
in
in
Malaysia
Thailand
China
India.”
Source: The Straits Times/2003
Spain
Portugal
Italy
Ireland
Singapore
Taiwan
Thailand
Malaysia
Singapore
Philippines
UAE
Oman
Chile
Botswana
Romania
New Zealand
“Better By Design”: A National Strategy
NZ = Design
Excellence
“THE FUTURE BELONGS TO …
SMALL POPULATIONS …
WHO BUILD EMPIRES OF
THE MIND … AND WHO IGNORE THE
TEMPTATION OF—OR DO NOT HAVE THE
OPTION OF—EXPLOITING NATURAL
RESOURCES.”
Source: Juan Enriquez/As the Future Catches You
EXCELLENCE. THE
CHALLENGE.
“If you don’t like
change, you’re
going to like
irrelevance even
less.”
—General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff.
U. S. Army
“It is not the
strongest of the
species that survives,
nor the most
intelligent, but the
one most responsive
to change.”
—Charles Darwin
EXCELLENCE.
STARTERS.
BASICS.
People.
Product.
Clients.
Execution.
Enthusiasm.
Excellence.
People.
Product.
Clients.
Execution.
Enthusiasm.
Excellence.
Relentlessness.
People.
Product.
Clients.
Execution.
Enthusiasm.
Excellence.
Relentlessness.
Senility.
Forget>“Learn”
“The problem is never how to get
new, innovative thoughts into your
mind, but how to get the old
ones out.”
—Dee Hock
EXCELLENCE.
STARTERS.
BASICS.
LEADERS.
Enthusiasm
Energy
Exuberance
Voracious Curiosity
Irritability/Dis-satisfaction
artistic inclination
Relentlessness
Self-reliance
“Closer” (Execution)
engagement
excellence
EXCELLENCE.
THE WORD.
Synonyms
Purity
Transcendence
Virtue
Elegance
Majesty
Antonyms
Mediocrity
EXCELLENCE.
MESSAGE82.
Excellence1982: The Bedrock “Eight Basics”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
A Bias for Action
Close to the Customer
Autonomy and Entrepreneurship
Productivity Through People
Hands On, Value-Driven
Stick to the Knitting
Simple Form, Lean Staff
Simultaneous Loose-Tight
Properties”
ExIn*: 1982-2002/Forbes.com
DJIA: $10,000 yields $85,000
EI: $10,000 yields $140,050
*Forbes/Excellence Index /Basket of 32 publicly traded stocks
EXCELLENCE.
ANYBODY
LISTENING?
Hardball: Are You Playing to Play or Playing to Win?
by George Stalk & Rob Lachenauer/HBS Press
“The winners in business have always played hardball.”
“Unleash massive and overwhelming force.” “Exploit
anomalies.” “Threaten your competitor’s profit
sanctuaries.” “Entice your competitor into retreat.”
Approximately
640 Index entries: Customer/s
(service, retention, loyalty),
worker/s),
4. People (
0. Innovation (
employees, motivation, morale,
product development, research &
development, new products),
0.
GOOD WORDS.
BAD WORDS.
Words that may NOT be
used in my presence:
“Motivate”
“In the end, management
doesn’t change culture.
Management
invites
the workforce itself to
change the culture.”
—Lou Gerstner
EXCELLENCE.
ASPIRATION.
“Why in the
world did
you go to
Siberia?”
The Peters
Principles: Enthusiasm.
Emotion. Excellence. Energy.
Excitement. Service. Growth.
Creativity. Imagination. Vitality.
Joy. Surprise. Independence.
Spirit. Community. Limitless
human potential. Diversity. Profit.
Innovation. Design. Quality.
Entrepreneurialism. Wow.
An emotional,
vital, innovative, joyful,
creative, entrepreneurial
endeavor that elicits
maximum concerted human
potential in the
wholehearted service
of others.***
Business* ** (*at its best):
**Excellence. Always.
***Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Communities, Owners, Temporary partners
“To me business isn’t about
wearing suits or pleasing
stockholders. It’s about
being true to yourself,
your ideas and focusing on
the essentials.” —Richard Branson
EXCELLENCE.
HTSH.
HTSH/Hands That Shape Humanity: Engage!*
Commit! Engage! Try! Fail! Get up! Try
again! Fail again! Try again! But never,
ever stop moving on! Progress for
humanity is engendered by those who join
and savor the fray by giving one hundred
percent of themselves to their dreams!
Not by those timid souls who remain
glued to the sidelines, stifled by tradition,
and fearful of losing face or giving offense
to the reigning authorities.
Key words:
Commit! Engage! Try! Fail! Persist!
*HTST/Hands That Shape Humanity, Tom Peters’ contribution
to a Bishop Tutu Foundation exhibit
EXCELLENCE.
YOU & ME.
“The First step in a
‘dramatic’
‘organizational change
program’ is obvious—
dramatic personal
change!”
—RG
“Work
on me
first.”
—Kerry Patterson,
Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler/Crucial Conversations
EXCELLENCE.
NEW MARKETS.
ENORMOUS.
OPPORTUNITIES.
“Idiot” is
too kind a
word.
“That’s a very
diverse* team.”
—Patrick Cescau, CEO, Unilever**
*1 of 14 Board of Directors members is a woman
(not an exec); 2 of 7 Exec Team members
are … Indians. (Source: FT/24-25 June.)
**Approximately
85%
of Unilever’s
products are purchased by … women.
“That’s a
VERY
diverse team.”
—Patrick Cescau, CEO, Unilever* **
*1 of 14 Board of Directors members is a woman
(not an exec); 2 of 7 Exec Team members
are … Indians. (Source: FT/24-25 June.)
**Approximately 85% of Unilever’s products
are purchased by … women.
“That’s a
VERY
man.”
—Tom Peters
sick
EXCELLENCE.
FOUND.
DUH.
“To be a leader in
consumer products,
it’s critical to have
leaders who
represent the
population we serve.”
—Steve Reinemund/PepsiCo
EXCELLENCE.
OPPORTUNITY.
WOMEN.
“Women are
the majority
market”
—Fara Warner/The Power of the Purse
“She
knows more about the
[Volvo] than the salesman who greets
her at the door. But how is she
treated? As if she has a low IQ , is
slightly hard of hearing , and really
has no right to be buying a luxury
car; and if she brought a male friend
with her, odds are 10:1 that the
clueless salesperson spent most of his
time speaking to him .” —Selling to Men, Selling
to Women, Jeffery Tobias Halter
1. Men and women are different.
2. Very different.
3. VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
4. Women & Men have a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y
nothing in common.
5. Women buy lotsa stuff.
6. WOMEN BUY A-L-L THE STUFF.
7. Women’s Market = Opportunity No. 1.
8. Men are (STILL) in charge.
9. MEN ARE … TOTALLY, HOPELESSLY
CLUELESS ABOUT WOMEN.
10. Women’s
Market =
Opportunity
No. 1.
EXCELLENCE.
OPPORTUNITY.
WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS.
“The growth and
success of womenowned businesses is
one of the most
profound changes
taking place in the
business world
today.” —
Margaret Heffernan, How She Does It
U.S. firms owned or controlled by Women: 10.6
million (48% of all firms)
Growth rate of Women-owned firms vs all firms: 3X
Rate of jobs created by Women-owned firms vs all
firms: 2X
Ratio of total payroll of Women-owned firms vs total
for Fortune500 firms: >1.0
Ratio of likelihood of Women-owned firms staying in
business vs all firms: >1.0
Growth rate of Women-owned companies with
revenues of >$1,000,000 and >100 employees vs all
firms: 2X
Source: Margaret Heffernan, How She Does It
COROLLARY.
EXCELLENCE.
WOMEN.
RULE.
“AS LEADERS,
WOMEN
RULE:
New Studies find that
female managers outshine their male
counterparts in almost every measure”
TITLE/ Special Report/ BusinessWeek
Women’s Strengths Match New
Economy Imperatives: Link [rather than rank]
workers; favor interactive-collaborative leadership
style [empowerment beats top-down decision
making]; sustain fruitful collaborations; comfortable
with sharing information; see redistribution of power
as victory, not surrender; favor multi-dimensional
feedback; value technical & interpersonal skills,
individual & group contributions equally; readily
accept ambiguity; honor intuition as well as
pure “rationality”; inherently flexible; appreciate
cultural diversity. —Judy B. Rosener,
America’s Competitive Secret: Women Managers
Women’s Negotiating Strengths
*Ability to put themselves in their
counterparties’ shoes
*Comprehensive, attentive and detailed
communication style
*Empathy that facilitates trust-building
*Curious and attentive listening
*Less competitive attitude
*Strong sense of fairness and ability to persuade
*Proactive risk manager
*Collaborative decision-making
Source: Horacio Falcao, Cover story/May 2006, World Business, “Say It
Like a Woman: Why the 21st-century negotiator will need the female touch”
“TAKE THIS QUICK QUIZ: Who manages more things
at once? Who puts more effort into their
appearance? Who usually takes care of the
details? Who finds it easier to meet new
people? Who asks more questions in a
conversation? Who is a better listener? Who
has more interest in communication skills?
Who is more inclined to get involved? Who
encourages harmony and agreement? Who has
better intuition? Who works with a longer ‘to
do’ list? Who enjoys a recap to the day’s
events? Who is better at keeping in touch
with others?”
Source: Selling Is a Woman’s Game: 15 Powerful Reasons Why
Women Can Outsell Men, Nicki Joy & Susan Kane-Benson
The Core Argument: Women [Ought to] Rule!
1. We are in a War for Talent.
2. The war will intensify.
3. There is a severe shortage of effective leaders
at all levels.
4. Women are under-represented in our
leadership ranks at or near the top.
5. Women and men are different; “new science”
reinforces this view.
6. Women’s strengths match the New Economy’s
leadership needs—to a striking degree.
7. Women are also the principal purchasers of
goods and services—retail and commercial.
8. Ergo, women are a large part of “the answer”
to the War for Talent/leadership shortage
issue/opportunity.
WOMEN.
DOMINATE.
ECONOMIC.
GROWTH.
“Forget China,
India and the
Internet: Economic
Growth Is Driven
by
Women.”
—Headline,
Economist, April 15, 2006, Leader, page 14
“Forget China, India and the
Internet: Economic Growth Is Driven
by Women.” [Headline.] “Even today in the modern,
developed world, surveys show that parents still prefer to have
a boy rather than a girl. One longstanding reason boys have
been seen as a greater blessing has been that they are expected
to become better economic providers for their parents’ old age.
Yet it is time for parents to think again. Girls may now be a
better investment.” “Girls get better grades in school than boys,
and in most developed countries more women than men go to
university. Women will thus be better equipped for the new jobs
of the 21st century, in which brains count a lot more than
brawn. … And women are more likely to provide sound advice on
investing their parents’ nest—e.g.: surveys show that women
consistently achieve higher financial returns than men do.
Furthermore, the increase in female employment in the rich
world has been the main driving force of growth in the last
couple of decades. Those women have contributed more to
global GDP growth than have either new technology or the
new giants, India and China.”
Source: Economist, April 15, Leader, page 14
Continuing on page 73:
“A Guide to Womenomics: The
Future of the World Economy Lies Increasingly
in Female Hands.” (Headline.) More stats: Around the
globe since 1980, women have filled “two new jobs for
everyone taken by a man.” “Women are becoming more
important in the global marketplace not just as workers, but
also as consumers, entrepreneurs, managers and investors.”
Re consumption, Goldman Sachs in Tokyo has developed an index
of 115 companies poised to benefit from women’s increased
purchasing power; over the past decade the value of shares in
“Goldman’s basket has risen by 96%, against the Tokyo
stockmarket’s rise of 13%.” A couple of final assertions: (1) It is
now agreed that “the single best investment that can be made
in the developing world” is educating girls. (2) Also,
surprisingly, nations with the highest female laborforce
participation rates, such as Sweden and the U.S., have the
highest fertility rates; and those with the lowest participation
rates, such as Italy and Germany, have the lowest fertility
rates.
Source: Economist, April 15, page 73
Q: No. 1 contributor to
developing country
economic improvement?
A: More education for women.
Source: Many* (*On a related note, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar
and his wife just gave $100M to Tufts—its biggest gift ever—to
support micro-lending; women typically are
the recipients of 90% of micro-loans because they use
the $$$ more productively than men.)
Repeat: “Goldman Sachs in Tokyo
has developed an index of 115
companies poised to benefit from
women’s increased purchasing
power; over the past decade the
value of shares in Goldman’s
basket has risen by 96%, against
the Tokyo stockmarket’s rise
of 13%.” —Economist, April 15
Impact! Add It Up!
Primary markets/Everything
(“Men buy
things that other men will buy for women. I buy things that women want.”—
successful jeweler/F. “Women are the majority market” —Fara Warner/The
Power of the Purse. Women as Purchasing Officers, CIOs, etc.)
Greater global workforce
participation rate (“bigger contributor to GDP
growth than technology, China, India”—Economist)
Higher wages
(more seniority, promotions—even if not to
CEO; greater pay equity—even if not equal)
Business “decision makers”
(more
seniority, promotions—even if not to CEO)
Women-owned businesses
(answer to the
Glass Ceiling—10.6M in USA; recipients of “micro-lending”—developing
world)
10 UNASSAILABLE REASONS WOMEN RULE
Women make [all] the financial decisions.
Women control [all] the wealth.
Women [substantially] outlive men.
Women start most of the new businesses.
Women’s work force participation rates have
soared worldwide.
Women are closing in on “same pay for same
job.”
Women are penetrating senior ranks rapidly
[even if the pace is slow for the corner
office per se].
Women’s leadership strengths are exceptionally well
aligned with new organizational effectiveness
imperatives.
Women are better salespersons than men.
Women buy [almost] everything—commercial
as well as consumer goods.
So what exactly is … the point of men?
EXCELLENCE.
4/40.
De-central-iza-tion!
Ex-ecu-tion!
“Execution is a
systematic
process
of rigorously
discussing hows and whats, tenaciously
following through, and ensuring
accountability.”
—Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The DISCIPLINE of Getting Things Done
“The person who is a little less conceptual but is
absolutely determined to succeed will usually find the
right people and get them together to achieve
objectives. I’m not knocking education or looking for
But if you have to choose
between someone with a staggering
IQ and an elite education who’s
gliding along, and someone with a
lower IQ but who is absolutely
determined to succeed, you’ll
always do better with the second
person.” —Larry Bossidy/Execution:
dumb people.
The Discipline of Getting Things Done
Ac-counta-bil-ity!
“Realism is
the heart of
execution.”
—Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/Execution:
The Discipline of Getting Things Done
6:15A.M.
????????
Work Hard >
Work Smart
EXCELLENCE.
DRAMATIC.
DIFFERENCE.
DOABLE.
$415/SqFt/Wal*Mart
$798/SqFt/Whole
Foods
#1/100
“Best Companies to
Work for”/2005
Wegmans
7X. 730A800P.
F12A.*
*’93-’03/10
yr annual return: CB: 29%; WM: 17%;
HD: 16%. Mkt Cap: 48% p.a.
“A man
without a
smiling face
must not open
a shop.”
—Chinese Proverb
EXCELLENCE.
#1T.
Donnelly’s
Weatherstrip
Service
Weymouth MA
EXCELLENCE.
#1T.
Jim’s Group
Jim Penman/“Empire Builders”/MT /
Jan/Feb 2006/Australia
Jim’s Group: Jim Penman.*
1984: Jim’s Mowing. 2006: Jim’s Group.
2,600 franchisees (Australia, NZ, UK).
Cleaning. Dog washing. Handyman.
Fencing. Paving. Pool care. Etc.
“People first.” Private. Small staff. Franchisees
can leave at will. 0-1 complaint per year is
norm; cut bad ones quickly.
*Ph.D. cross-cultural anthropology; mowing on the side
Source: MT/Management Today (Australia), Jan-Feb 2006
WallopWal*Mart16*
*Or: Why it’s so ABSURDLY EASY
to BEAT a GIANT Company
The “Small Guys” Guide: Wallop Wal*Mart16
*Niche-aimed. (Never, ever “all things for all people,” a “miniWal*Mart.)
*Never attack the monsters head
business and lukewarm customers.)
on! (Instead steal niche
*“Dramatically
Different”
(La Difference ... within our community, our
industry regionally, etc … is as obvious as the end of one’s nose!) (THIS IS
WHERE MOST MIDGETS COME UP SHORT.)
*Compete on value/experience/intimacy, not price. (You
ain’t gonna beat the behemoths on cost-price in 9.99 out of 10 cases.)
*Emotional bond with Clients,
ON EMOTION/CONNECTION!!)
Vendors. (BEAT THE BIGGIES
tom peters: what
I’ve Learned
about “Small
Business”
Passion for PRODUCT.
OBSESSION With Product.
LOVE The Product.
Aim To Be “ONLY ONES WHO DO WHAT WE DO.”
Keep ADDIN’ Stuff.
Invest “UNWISELY” in R&D.
Reside Permanently In The DISCOMFORT Zone.
“Unhealthy” PARANOIA Is A Good Thing.
Add Clients That PUSH-PULL.
SELL. SELL. SELL. SELL.
Go For Broke: CUSTOMER CONTACT PEOPLE.
PERFECTION: Customer Contact People.
Hire for ATTITUDE.
INVITE On An Adventure.
GREAT CFO/Biz Guy-Gal.
NASTY CFO/Biz Guy-Gal.
QUADRANGULAR LEADERSHIP: Visionary-Talent FanaticProject Manager-I.P.M. (I.P.M. = Inspired Profit Mechanic)
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
TALENT.
Hire very
good
people!
“We believe companies can increase their market cap
50 percent in 3 years. Steve Macadam at Georgia-
changed 20 of his
40 box plant managers
to put more talented,
higher paid managers in
charge. He increased profitability from
Pacific …
$25
million to
$80
million in
—Ed Michaels, War for Talent
2
years.”
C
O*
*Chief talent acquisition Officer
INVITE THEM TO
JOIN US IN A
JOURNEY TO
EXCELLENCE!
“In the end, management
doesn’t change culture.
Management
invites
the workforce itself to
change the culture.”
—Lou Gerstner
Organizing Genius / Warren Bennis
and Patricia Ward Biederman
“Groups become great only when
everyone in them, leaders and
members alike, is free to do his or
her absolute best.”
“The best thing a leader can do for a
Great Group is to allow its
members to discover their
greatness.”
Leadership’s Mt Everest/Mt Excellence
“free to do his or her
absolute best” …
“allow its members to
discover their
greatness.”
“The role of the Director is to
create a space where the
actor or actress can become
more than they’ve
ever been before, more
than they’ve dreamed
of being.”
—Robert Altman, Oscar
acceptance
“No matter what the situation,
[the great manager’s] first response is
always to think about the
individual concerned and how
things can be arranged to help
that individual experience
success.” —Marcus Buckingham,
The One Thing You Need to Know
C
O*
*Chief quest-meister
EMPHASIZE
THE “SOFT
SKILLS.”
“It’s simple, really,
Tom. Hire for s,
and, above all,
promote for s.”
—Starbucks middle manager/field
A Few Lessons from the Arts
Each hired and developed and evaluated in unique ways
(23 contributors = 23 unique contributions = 23 pathways =
23 personalities = 23 sets of motivators)
Attitude/Enthusiasm/Energy paramount
Re-lent-less!
“Practice is cool” (G Leonard/Mastery)
Team and individual
Aspire to EXCELLENCE = Obvious
Ex-e-cu-tion
Talent = Brand = Duh
“The Project” rules
Emotional language
Bit players. No.
B.I.W. (everything)
Delta events = Delta rosters (incl leader/s)
PUT HR AT THE
HEAD OF THE HEAD
TABLE. BEST
PEOPLE. NOBLEST
MISSION.
DD$21M
A review of Jack and Suzy Welch’s Winning claims there are but
two key differentiators that set GE “culture” apart from the herd:
First: Separating financial forecasting and performance
measurement. Performance measurement based, as it usually is, on budgeting
leads to an epidemic of gaming the system. GE’s performance measurement is
divorced from budgeting—and instead reflects how you do relative to your past
performance and relative to competitors’ performance; i.e., it’s about how you
actually do in the context of what happened in the real world, not as compared to a
gamed-abstract plan developed last year.
Putting HR on
a par with finance
and marketing.
Second:
SO YOU’RE A
“PEOPLE
PERSON”?
PROVE IT.
“Leaders
‘do’ people.
Period.”
—Anon.
From
sweaters to …
Les Wexner:
people!
PARC’s Bob Taylor:
“Connoisseur
of Talent”
“The leaders of Great
Groups love talent and
know where to find it. They
revel in the talent of
others.”
—Warren Bennis &
Patricia Ward Biederman, Organizing Genius
LIVE FOR
TALENT!
Our Mission
To develop and manage talent;
to apply that talent,
throughout the world,
for the benefit of clients;
to do so in partnership;
to do so with profit.
WPP
EVP/
IBP?*
What’s your company’s …
*Employee Value Proposition, per Ed Michaels et al.,
The War for Talent; IBP/Internal Brand Promise per TP
EVP/IBP = Remarkable
challenge, rapid professional
growth, respect, satisfaction, fun,
stunning opportunity, exceptional
reward, amazing peer group, full
membership in Club Adventure,
maximized future employability
Source: Ed Michaels, The War for Talent; TP
“We are a
‘Life Success’
Company.”
Dave Liniger, founder, RE/MAX
Brand =
Talent.
“The key difference between
checkers and chess is that in
checkers the pieces all move
the same way, whereas in chess
all the pieces move differently.
… Discover what is unique
about each person and
capitalize on it.” —Marcus Buckingham,
The One Thing You Need to Know
Re-imagine
People Power:
The Talent50
The Talent50
1. People first!
2. Soft is Hard.
3. FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE: We are in an
Age of Talent/ Creativity/Intellectualcapital Added.
4. Talent “excellence” in every part of the
organization.
5. P.O.T./Pursuit Of Talent = Obsession.
6. HR sits at The Head Table.
7. HR is “cool.”
The Talent50
8. Re-name “HR.” (Talent Department, Center of
Talent Excellence)
9. There’s an HR Strategy
10. There is a FORMAL Recruitment Strategy.
11. There is a FORMAL Leadership Development
Strategy.
12. There is a “world class” Leadership
Development Center.
13. There is a FORMAL-STRATEGIC HR Review
Process.
14. The “Top100,” and every unit’s Top10, are
consciously managed.
The Talent50
15. “People/Talent Reviews” are the
FIRST reviews.
16. HR Strategy = Business Strategy.
17. Make it a Cause Worth Signing Up For..
18. Set Sky High Standards.
19. Enlist everyone in Challenge Century21.
20. Pursue the Best!
21. Up or Out.
22. Ensure that the Review Process has
INTEGRITY.
23. Pay!
The Talent50
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Training I: Train! Train! Train!
TII: 100% “business people.”
TIII: 100% Leaders.
TIV: Boss as Trainer-in-Chief.
Open Communication I: NO
BARRIERS.
Open Communication II: Share
Information. (ALL!)
Respect!
INTEGRITY!
Treat the Whole Individual.
The Talent50
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
Places of “grace.”
MBWA: The “Rudy Rule.”
Thank You!
Promote for “people skills.”
(ALL ELSE IS SECONDARY.)
Honor youth.
Early leadership assignments.
Fast Tracking is the norm.
Create a System of Mentoring.
The Talent50
41. Diversity!
42. Diversity starts on the Board of
Directors.
43. WOMEN RULE.
44. Weird Wins.
45. We are all unique.
46. Bosses “win people over.”
47. GOAL: Adventures of Mutual
Discovery.
48. Foster Independence.
49. Enthusiasm!
50.
Talent =
Brand.
EXCELLENCE.
NECESSITY.
OPPORTUNITY.
“ ‘Disintermediation’ is overrated. Those who fear
disintermediation-outsourcing should in fact be
afraid of irrelevance; ‘outsourcing’ is just another
you’ve
become irrelevant to
your customers.”
way of saying that …
—John Battelle/Point/Advertising Age/07.05
Chicago:
HRMAC
Sarah:
Mom:
“ Mom, what
do you do?”
“I’m ‘overhead.’”
“support function” /
“cost center”/
“overhead”
or …
Are you …
“Rock
Stars of the
Age of
Talent”
Department Head
to …
Managing
Partner,
IS Inc.
[HR, R&D, etc.]
Answer:
Core Mechanism:
“Game-changing Solutions”
PSF
(Professional Service Firm “model”/The Organizing Principle)
+
Brand You
(“Distinct” or “Extinct”/The Talent)
+
Wow! Projects
(“Different” vs “Better”/The Work)
The “PSF35”:
Thirty-Five
Professional Service Firm
Marks of Excellence
The PSF35: The Work & The Legacy
1.
CRYSTAL CLEAR POINT OF VIEW
(E very Practice Group: “If you can’t explain your position in eight
words or less, you don’t have a position”—Seth Godin)
2. DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE (“We are the only ones who do what
we do”—Jerry Garcia)
3. Stretch Is Routine (“Never bite off less than you can chew”—anon.)
4. Eye-Appetite for Game-changer Projects (Excellence at Assembling
“Best Team”—Fast)
5. “Playful” Clients (Adventurous folks who unfailingly Aim to Change
the World)
6. Small “Uneconomic” Clients with Big Aims
7. Life Is Too Short to Work with Jerks (Fire lousy clients)
8. OBSESSED WITH LEGACY (Practice Group and Individual: “Dent the
Universe”—Steve Jobs)
9. Fire-on-the-spot Anyone Who Says, “Law/Architecture/Consulting/
I-banking/ Accounting/PR/Etc. has become a ‘commodity’ ”
10. Consistent with #9 above … DO NOT SHY AWAY FROM THE
WORD (IDEA) “RADICAL”
Pointed
Point of
View!
“PSF” Nirvana
Counselor
Trusted Advisor
Answer:
“Technology
Executive” (workin’ in a hospital)
HCare CIO:
Full-scale,
Accountable (life or death)
Member-Partner of XYZ
Hospital’s Senior
Or/to:
Healing-Services
Team
(who happens to be a techie)
WOW!
The
Project.
Your Current Project?
1. Another day’s work/Pays
the rent.
4. Of value.
7. Pretty Damn Cool/Definitely
subversive.
10. WE AIM TO CHANGE THE
WORLD. (Insane!/Insanely
Great!/WOW!)
If you are not
prepared to be
fired over your
beliefs … you are
working on the
wrong project.
—TP
WOW! Projects:
Nuts & Bolts
(a few)
Where to look for “Playmates”:
F.F.F.F.
(Find a Fellow Freak Faraway)
The
“Sri Lanka
Stratagem”
Forward, march:
BIG
Division, BIG Customer,
Where NOT to look for “Playmates”:
BIG Vendor,
UP
Demos!
Heroes!
Stories!
Best
story
wins!
EXCELLENCE.
TALENT PLUS.
EXCELLENCE.
(HEALTHCARE.)
HEALTH.
State of Healthcare/U.S.A.
*Spend more per capita
*Overall system
performance/WHO: 37th
*Relatively low life expectancy
*High # of uninsured
Source: Consulting, 07-08.06
State of Healthcare/U.S.A.
*Spend more per capita
*Overall system
performance/WHO: 37th
*Relatively low life expectancy
*High # of uninsured
Source: Consulting, 07-08.06
Quality!
Prevention!
Wellness!
Chronic care!
Childhood obesity!
H5N1!
Childhood
Obesity >
Terrorism
Source: Mike Levitt/Secretary HHS
Wash your hands.
Apply #50 sunscreen.
Banish trans fat
Banish high fructose corn syrup.
Exercise “30-7.”
Breathe.
Stockpile for H5N1.* (*not Tamiflu!)
Avoid hospitalization.
Take charge of your health.
“If God spoke to me by saying, ‘Mark, you’re down to
your last three words: What would you want to say to
your fellow humans that would make the most positive
impact?’ It would be a close call between Love Thy
Wash Your
Hands .
Move,
Neighbor and
A close third would be
Move, Move.” —Mark Pettus, M.D., The Savvy Patient
“The most important thing you can do to keep
from getting sick is to
hands. ”
wash your
—CDC/National Center for Infectious Diseases
EXCELLENCE.
INDIVIDUAL.
BRAND YOU.
“One of the defining
characteristics [of the change] is
that it will be less driven by
countries or corporations and
more driven by real people. It will
unleash unprecedented creativity,
advancement of knowledge, and economic
development. But at the same time, it will
tend to undermine safety net systems and
penalize the unskilled.” —Clyde Prestowitz, Three
Billion New Capitalists
“If there is nothing
very special about
your work, no matter
how hard you apply yourself
you won’t get noticed, and
that increasingly means you
won’t get paid much either.”
—Michael Goldhaber, Wired
New Work SurvivalKit.2006
1. MASTERY! (Best/Absurdly Good at Something!)
2. “Manage” to Legacy (All Work = “Memorable”/“Braggable” WOW Projects!)
3. A “USP”/UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION 4. Rolodex Obsession
(From vertical/hierarchy/“suck up” loyalty to
horizontal/“colleague”/“mate” loyalty)
5. ENTREPRENEURIAL INSTINCT (A sleepless … Eye for Opportunity!
6.CEO/LEADER/BUSINESSPERSON/CLOSER (CEO, Me Inc. 24/7!)
7. Master of Improv (Play a dozen parts simultaneously, from
Chief Strategist to Chief Toilet Scrubber)
8. Sense of Humor (A willingness to Screw Up & Move On)
9. Comfortable with Your Skin (Bring “interesting you” to work!)
10. Intense Appetite for Technology (E.g.: How Cool-Active is your
Web site? Do you Blog?)
11. EMBRACE “MARKETING” (Your own CSO/Chief Storytelling Officer)
12. PASSION FOR RENEWAL (Your own CLO/Chief Learning Officer)
13. EXECUTION EXCELLENCE! (Show up on time! Leave last!)
12January2006
th,
Happy 300
Brand You!
“In Tom’s world, it’s
always better to try a
swan dive and deliver a
colossal belly flop than
to step timidly off the
board while holding
your nose.”
—Fast Company
“Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in a pretty and
well-preserved body—but
rather a skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally
worn out, and loudly
proclaiming, ‘Wow, what
a ride!’ ” —anon.
“Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in a pretty and
well-preserved body—but
rather a skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally
worn out, and loudly
proclaiming, ‘Wow,
what a ride!’ ” —anon.
"Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in one pretty
and well preserved piece, but
to skid across the line
broadside, thoroughly used
up, worn out, leaking oil,
shouting ‘GERONIMO!’ ”
—Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer
(Cycle magazine 02.1982)
“This is the true joy of Life, the
being used for a purpose
recognized by yourself as a
mighty one … the being a force of
Nature instead of a feverish,
selfish little clod of ailments and
grievances complaining that the
world will not devote itself to
making you happy.” —GB Shaw/
Man and Superman
Distinct
…
… or
Extinct
Joe J. Jones
1942 – 2006
HE WOULDA DONE SOME
REALLY COOL STUFF
BUT …
HIS BOSS WOULDN’T
HIM!
LET
Getting to WOW
Through Mastery of …
The Sales25.
Getting Things Done:
Power &
The
Implementation34.
Presentation
Excellence: The
PresX56
The Interviewing
Excellence:
The IntX31
EXCELLENCE.
AWOL: THE
SCHOOLS
FIASCO.
“My wife and I went to a [kindergarten] parent-teacher conference
and were informed that our budding refrigerator artist, Christopher,
would be receiving a grade of Unsatisfactory in art. We were
shocked. How could any child—let alone our child—receive a poor
His teacher
informed us that he had
refused to color within the
lines, which was a state
requirement for
demonstrating ‘grade-level
motor skills.’ ”
grade in art at such a young age?
—Jordan Ayan, AHA!
Ye gads: “Thomas Stanley has not only found
no correlation between success in school and
an ability to accumulate wealth, he’s actually
found a negative correlation. ‘It seems that
school-related evaluations are poor
predictors of economic success,’ Stanley
concluded. What did predict success was a
willingness to take risks. Yet the successfailure standards of most schools penalized
risk takers. Most educational systems reward
those who play it safe. As a result, those who
do well in school find it hard to take risks
later on.”
—Richard Farson & Ralph Keyes,
Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins
15 “Leading” Biz Schools
Design/Core: 0
Design/Elective: 1
Creativity/Core: 0
Creativity/Elective: 4
Innovation/Core: 0
Innovation/Elective: 6
Source: DMI/Summer 2002/Research by Thomas Lockwood
EXCELLENCE.
ENTHUSIASM.
ENERGY.
PASSION.
“Nothing is so
contagious as
enthusiasm.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Whenever anything is
being accomplished, I
have learned, it is being
done by a monomaniac
with a mission.”
—Peter Drucker
Q: “If it were your $100K
[life’s savings] and my $100K,
what sort of Waiters would
we look for?”
A: “Enthusiasts!”
Ex-uber-ance!
EXCELLENCE.
RELENTLESSNESS.
RE-LENTLESSNESS
"The reasonable man adapts
himself to the world. The
unreasonable one persists in
trying to adapt the world to
himself. Therefore, all
progress depends upon the
unreasonable man.” —GB Shaw,
Man and Superman: The Revolutionists' Handbook.
“This [adolescent] incident [of getting from point A to point B] is notable
not only because it underlines Grant’s fearless horsemanship and his
determination, but also it is the first known example of a very important
Grant had an
extreme, almost phobic
dislike of turning back
and retracing his steps.
peculiarity of his character:
If he
set out for somewhere, he would get there somehow, whatever the
difficulties that lay in his way. This idiosyncrasy would turn out to be one
the factors that made him such a formidable general. Grant would always,
always press on—turning back was not an option for him.”
—Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant
EXCELLENCE.
SHOWING UP.
MBWA
“You must
be
the change you wish
to see in the world.”
Gandhi
Try it. Try it. Try it
Try it. Try it. Try it
Try it. Try it. Try it
Try it. Try it. Try it
Try it. try it. Try it
Try it. try it. Try it
Try it. Try it. Try it
Try it. Try it. Try it
Try it. Try it. Try it
Try it. Try it. Try it
Try it. try it. Try it
Try it. try it. Try it
“This is so simple it sounds stupid, but it is amazing
how few oil people really understand that
you only find
oil if you drill
wells.
You may think you’re finding it
when you’re drawing maps and
studying logs, but you have to drill.”
Source: The Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian O & G wildcatter
“We have a
‘strategic plan.’
It’s called doing
things.”
— Herb Kelleher
“Experiment
fearlessly”
Source: BW0821.06, Type A Organization Strategies/
“How to Hit a Moving Target”—Tactic #1
READY.
FIRE!
AIM.
Ross Perot (vs “Aim! Aim! Aim!” /EDS vs GM/1985)
S.A.V.
“You miss 100
percent of the
shots you never
take.”
—Wayne Gretzky
Excellence1982: The Bedrock “Eight Basics”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
A Bias for Action
Close to the Customer
Autonomy and Entrepreneurship
Productivity Through People
Hands On, Value-Driven
Stick to the Knitting
Simple Form, Lean Staff
Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties”
tolerate
[encourage?]
failure
tolerate
[encourage?]
failure
“FAIL, FAIL
AGAIN. FAIL
BETTER.”
—Samuel Beckett
“Fail . Forward.
Fast.”
High Tech CEO, Pennsylvania
“Fail faster.
Succeed Sooner.”
David Kelley/IDEO
Sam’s
Secret
#1!
“Reward
excellent failures.
Punish mediocre
successes.”
Phil Daniels, Sydney exec
EXCELLENCE.
STRETCH.
The greatest danger
for most of us
is not that our aim is
too high
and we miss it,
but that it is
too low
and we reach it.
Michelangelo
EXCELLENCE.
KABOOM.
No Wiggle Room!
“Incrementalism
is innovation’s
worst enemy.”
—Nicholas Negroponte
“Beware of the tyranny
of making Small Changes
to Small Things. Rather,
make Big Changes to
Big Things.”
—Roger Enrico, former Chairman, PepsiCo
Five
MYTHS About Changing Behavior
*Crisis is a powerful impetus for change
*Change is motivated by fear
*The facts will set us free
*
Small, gradual changes
are always easier to
make and sustain
*We can’t change because our brains become
“hardwired” early in life
Source: Fast Company
EXCELLENCE.
OFFENSE.
“[other]
admirals more
frightened of
losing than
anxious to win”
On NELSON:
Enthusiasm
Energy
Exuberance
Voracious Curiosity
Irritability/Dis-satisfaction
Relentlessness
Self-reliance
“Closer” (Execution)
excellence
Leaders:
gotta
say it!
“No leader sets out to be a
leader per se, but rather
to express him- or
herself freely and fully.
That is, leaders have no
interest in proving
themselves, but an abiding
interest in expressing
themselves.” —Warren Bennis,
On Becoming a Leader
“Everyone lives
by
selling
something.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson
“A year from now
you may wish
You had
started today.”
—Karen Lamb
"Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in one pretty
and well preserved piece, but
to skid across the line
broadside, thoroughly used
up, worn out, leaking oil,
shouting ‘GERONIMO!’ ”
—Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer (Cycle magazine)
You only
find oil if
you drill
wells.
—The Hunters, by John Masters,
Canadian O & G wildcatter
“It’s always
showtime.”
—David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare
EXCELLE
ALWAYS