To appreciate
this presentation [and insure
that it is not a mess], you need
Microsoft fonts:
NOTE:
“Showcard Gothic,”
“Ravie,” “Chiller”
and “Verdana”
To appreciate this presentation,
you need Microsoft fonts:
“Showcard Gothic,” “Ravie,” “Chiller”
and “Verdana”
NOTE:
Master*
Excellence
part SIX (of 7)
excellence.
summaries.
Lists.
18 june 2007
To appreciate this presentation,
you need Microsoft fonts:
“Showcard Gothic,” “Ravie,” “Chiller”
and “Verdana”
NOTE:
Master
Excellence. Always.
part one (of 7)
“all you need to know”
(dwelling on the obvious)
not your father’s world
introduction to excellence.
18 june 2007
To appreciate this presentation,
you need Microsoft fonts:
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and “Verdana”
NOTE:
Master*
Excellence
part two (of 7)
innovate.
Or.
Die.
18 june 2007
To appreciate this presentation,
you need Microsoft fonts:
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and “Verdana”
NOTE:
Master/
Excellence. Always./
part THREE (of 7)
up, up,
up, up …
the value added ladder
(solutions-experiences-dreams-lovemarks)
18 June 2007
To appreciate this presentation,
you need Microsoft fonts:
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and “Verdana”
NOTE:
Master/
Excellence. Always./
part FOUR (of 7)
“new” Markets
(Stupendous Opportunity)
18 June 2007
To appreciate this presentation,
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and “Verdana”
NOTE:
Master
Excellence. Always.
part FIVE (of 7)
people!
(Brand you. Talent. Health.
Education. Leadership.)
18 june 2007
Part seven
Extended
Talent &
Leadership
0618.07
Tom Peters’ X25*
EXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.
MASTER/0618.2007/Part SIX
*In Search of Excellence 1982-2007
part six
Slides at …
tompeters.com
EXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.
Lists.
Irreducible209+
0513.2007
These lists are
summaries of this, that,
and the other, FYI …
The Irreducible209+
Them-Us
One Word+
Top 41 Quotes
The Cup Challenge
Think-DO
The Sales122
New “C-levels”
“Personal”
60TIBs
Tom-A-to, Tom-ah-to
The Irreducible209
A frustrated participant at a seminar for investment bankers in
Mauritius listened impatiently to my explanation of differences of
opinion among me, Mike Porter, Gary Hamel, Jim Collins, etc. Finally,
“What, if
anything,” he asked,
“do you believe ‘for
sure’?”
he’d had enough.
I mumbled something, but his query started
rumbling around in my mind. Three days later, wandering on a
Sunday in London, the idea of “the irreducibles” occurred to
me—and I started jotting down notes on stuff I do indeed believe “for
sure.” Before I knew it, a few days later, the list had grown to
209
items. Hence “The Irreducible209” that follows.
Tom Peters
1.
2.
3.
4.
Hare 1, Tortoise 0. (Hare-y times.)
Tempo. (O.O.D.A.)
MBWA.
Appreciation. (“Motivator” #1.)
(Can’t be faked. Good.)
5. Decency.
6. Hurry.
7. Time out.
8. One matters.
9. Big change. Short time. (Alt not work.)
10. Excellence. Always.
11. Passion. Energy. Hustle. Enthusiasm.
Exuberance. (Move mountains. No alt.)
12. You must care.
13. Emotion.
14. Hard is soft. (Soft is hard.)
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
Men. Women. Different. Contend. Connect.
Women. Buy. All. (RU listening?)
Quality. (“Mind-blowing.” Beyond 6-Sigma.)
Re-invent. Re-pot. (Required.)
Jaywalk.
Big change. Small # of people. (Always.)
Experiment. Now.
Failure. Normal.
Most failures, most success.
(Fail. Forward. Fast.)
24. “Reward excellent failures. Punish
mediocre successes.”
25. Women leaders. (Altered times.)
26. Extremism. (Good business. Bad politics.)
27. Innovation source. Only. Extreme irritation.
28. Smile.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
You must care.
Mentor. (Highest ROI.)
Best “roster” wins.
Wow. (Okay in biz.)
We all have customers. (Biz. Personal.)
All contacts = Experiences.
Cirque du Soleil. (Peerless.)
Leaders create space for growth.
Quests. (Only.)
High aspirations, “high” results.
(Self-fulfilling prophecy.)
39. Attitude 1, Skills 0. (Mostly.)
(Attitude 1, Skill 0.3?)
40. Sometimes: Skill 1, Attitude 0.1.
41. Must “love,” not “like.”
42. Wegmans.” (No excuses. “Mere” groceries.)
43. Less than your best. Cheating.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
Brand You. (No alt.)
Self-sufficiency. (Biggest LT turn-on.)
In the moment.
The moment wins.
Tomorrow = Never.
Action 1, Plan 0.1.
“Execution” can be a “system.”
Realism.
Own up. Move on.
Accountability.
Work hard > Work smart. (Mostly.)
Feedback. Necessary. Fast. (R.F.A. in
“RFA times.”)
56. Customers. Listen. Lead. (Paradox.)
57. “On stage.” Always. (GW, FDR, RG =
Supreme actors.)
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
Master statistical analysis.
Excellence = Set the table.
Legacy. (Will it have mattered?)
“Great.” (Why not?)
Radicals rule. (Think … Olympics.)
!!! = Good.
Red 1, Brown 0. (Red times.)
Talk. Listen. (“Big 2.” Master.)
Politics. (Normal-inevitable state
of affairs. Master.)
67. Student. Forever.
68. “Why?” (Question #1.)
69. Don’t belittle.
70. Respect.
71. All we have: this moment.
(“Moments matter most”?)
72. Now. (Procrastination. Death.)
73.
74.
75.
76.
Exercise.
Paint. (Leader. Portraits of Excellence.)
Best story wins.
“You must be the change you wish
to see in the world.”
77. Two “big ones.” Max. (Priorities.)
78. No “I” in Team. (“I” in Win.)
79. “I” in Win. (No “I” in Team.)
80. Different 1, Better 0. (Better = 0.1)
81. Imitation = Mistake. (Learn, from who?)
82. Choose/battle the “right” competitor.
83. Schools. Creativity. Entrepreneurship.
(Not.)
84. MBAs. Creativity. Entrepreneurship.
Leadership. (Not.)
85. Design. Under-rated. Wildly.
(Still.) (Everything.)
86.
87.
88.
89.
You = Calendar. (Calendar. Never. Lies.)
Laugh.
Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.)
Don’t fold your hands in front of your
chest. Ever. (Never.)
90. Grace. (“Works” in biz.)
91. Weird. Wins. (Weird times.)
92. Crazy times. Crazy orgs.
93. Internet. All.
94. Women. Boomers-Geezers. Market. All.
95. Passion.
(Repeat. So what?)
96. Energy.
(Repeat. So what?)
97. Hustle.
(Repeat. So what?)
98. Enthusiasm. (Repeat. So what?)
99. Exuberance. (Repeat. So what?)
100. Smile.
(Repeat. So what?)
101. Care.
(Repeat. So what?)
102. Simplicity. Redundancy. Resilience. Bloodymindedness. Visible optimism. (Success.)
103. Act. (Repeat. So what?)
104. Appreciate. (Repeat. So what?)
105. Fun. (Biz. Why not?)
106. Joy. (Biz. Why not?)
107. Sales = Life.
108. Marketing = Life.
109. Long-term. “Top line.” c.r.o.
110. Great company = Creates the most
individual success stories. (RE/MAX)
111. Talent first, performance byproduct.
112. Sustained Wow* 1, “Shareholder
value,” 0.2 (*Product, People.)
113. Commitment. by invitation only.
114. Creativity. by invitation only.
115. HR = #1. (Ought to.)
116. Face-to-face. (5K miles, 5 minutes.) 117.
Negotiation. Make all winners.
(Save face.)
118. Grace makes enemies friends.
119. Network.
120. Invest in relationships. (Think ROIR.
Return On Investment in Relationships.)
118. Relationship investment. Forethought.
Calendar item. Intensity.
119. Innovation. Easy. (Hang out
with weird.)
120. Weird = Win. (Weird times.)
121. “The bottleneck is at the top
of the bottle.”
122. Good Board = Weird Board.
(At least, surprising.)
123. No contention, no progress.
R.O.I.R.*
*Return On Investment In Relationships
124. “Crucial conversations.” “Crucial
confrontations.” (Study. Learn. Do.)
125. Honest feedback.
126. Gaspworthy. Yes.
127. “Insanely great.”
128. “Astonish me.”
129. “Make it immortal.”
130. “Will you remember it in 20 years?”
131. No small opportunities. (Reframe.)
132. One playmate, one playpen = Enough.
133. End run. Sensible.
134. Allies are there for the finding.
135. Find successes. Build on successes.
(Pos > Neg. Encourage > Fix.)
136. Somebody’s doing it today. Find ’em.
137. Someone is living 2016 in 2006.
(Find ’em. Study ’em.)
138. Don’t “benchmark.” “futuremark.”
139. “PMA.” It works. (Positive. Mental.
Attitude.)
140. There are no experts. (You are the expert.)
141. Life is short.
142. “Sustained success.” Fat chance.
Make today matter. (“Sustained.” Ha.)
143. Collaborate. (Networked world.)
144. Go solo. (Individual. Unit of
Intellectual Capital.)
145. There are no “perfect” plans. (Do. Wins.)
146. Plans motivate. (Right or wrong.
Sense of purpose.)
147. Never rest.
148. Get some sleep.
149. Winning = Embracing paradox.
150. Ambiguity = Opportunity.
151. Resilience.
152. Relentless-ness.
153. None. Above. Comeuppance.
No. “ultimate.” “business model.”
(GM. Sears. U.S. Steel. DEC.)
154. Be yourself. Period.
155. Never work with jerks. Including
customers. (Life. Too short.)
156. Under-promise, over-deliver.
157. Talent. (Powerful word.)
158. “Customer = Anyone whose actions
affect your results.”
159. Competition stinks. (Seek the soft
spots where you can dominate.)
160. K.I.S.S./Keep It Simple, Stupid.
161. Beauty. (Good biz word.)
162. “See the beauty in a hamburger bun.”
(Go. Ray.)
163.
164.
165.
166.
Own up. Quick. ( Denial. Cancer.)
Celebrate. Often.
78 people = 78 approaches. (Each. Unique.)
Weed. Ceaselessly. (Prune. Stupid.
Rules. Non-stop.)
167. Get out of the way. (You = The problem.)
168. Smile. Sunny. Optimism. (If it kills you.)
169. Flowers. (Cheery workplace.)
170. Enjoy. (Or get the hell.)
171. Be intolerant of “sour.” (1 = Major pollution)
172. No “quick trigger” on promotion.
(Too important.)
173. Evaluation = Lots of study-time.
174. Evaluation = “Life or death” to evaluee.
175. “360” evaluation. No fad.
176. Exit when you’re done. (Done.
Sooner than you think.)
177. Today. Now. My Project. Am. Is. I. Period.
178. “Beautiful” systems. (Good biz phrase.
Not oxymoron.)
179. Build on strengths > Fix weaknesses.
180. “To don’t” = “To do.” (“To don’t” >
“To do” ?)
181. Leaders “Do” People. (Period.)
182. Leaders enjoy leading.
183. Serious leadership training = Serious.
184. Priorities. Obvious. (Or else.)
185. 5 “Priorities” = 0 Priorities.
(3 “Priorities” = 0 Priorities?)
186. People. First. Last. Always.
187. It. Is. Always. The. People.
188. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.)
189. Don’t fold your hands in front of
your chest. Ever. (Never.)
190. Simplicity. Redundancy. Resilience.
Bloody-mindedness. Visible
optimism. (Success.) (Repeat.)
191. Employee Entrance = Guest
Entrance.
192. Put the customer … SECOND.
(Thanks, Hal.)
193. Flowers. (Or did I say that before?
No matter if I did.)
194. Big Mergers don’t work. Small
acquisitions can/do work—if you
don’t screw with their energy.
195. Instinctively “head for the front
line.” (In all contexts.)
196. Success = DDMMPR/"D-squared,
M-squared, PR” = DramDiff +
Money-Financial Acumen + Good
“Marketing” Instincts + Stellar People
+ Resilience (The “fab five”: What.
Every. Small. Biz. Needs.) (Big too.)
197. Core Mechanism (“Game-changing
Solutions”): PSF (Professional Service
Firm “model”) + Wow! Projects
(“Different” vs “Better”) + Brand You
(“Distinct” or “Extinct”)
198. 2011/2016 has already happened.
Find it.
199. Kids “know” kids. Oldies “know” oldies.
Women “know” women. (Staff accordingly.)
200. Everybody is my customer.
201. Cosset “vendors.”
202. I want to run a Housekeeping department.
(And you?)
203. The military doesn’t follow the “military
model.” (Initiative = Excellence.)
204. No such thing as “going to absurd lengths”
to serve the Customer. (HSM & Lefties.)
205. Forget the “customer.” All = “Clients.”
206. It takes decades to get over “sleights.”
(So don’t sleight.)
207. Don’t “dumb down.” Ever.
208.
209.
NO LESS THAN
EXCELLENCE.
EVER.
EXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.
Work In Progress
XXX. One size fits. One. Only. (Evaluations. Period.)
XXX. Teaching. Individualized. Only. (6 billion people =
6 billion learning trajectories.) (Montessori.)
XXX. First impression. Matters. Shapes all that comes.
Hard to overcome. (Understatement.)
XXX. Jerks. Don’t work with. (Life = Too short.)
XXX. Manage [the hell out of] first impressions.
XXX. Last impression. Matters. Dominates memory.
Hard to overcome. (Understatement.)
XXX. Manage [the hell out of] last impressions.
XXX. Plain English.
XXX. K.I.S.S. (450/8.)
XXX. $798. $55,000,000,000. 3,000,000,000.
7AM-7PM. 6:15AM.
XXX. Donnelly Weatherstrip rules.
XXX. Managers do things right. Leaders do the
right thing. NOT.
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
Them-Us
“Them”
“Us”
Strategy
Planning
Marketing
Markets
Customers
Micro-segmentation
Cost minimization
Synergy/“Efficiencies”
“Strategic” supplier
Process
Effectiveness
Men
Leadership
Standardization
Big clients
Prestigious Board
EXECUTION
Action
Selling/Sales
Customers
Clients
Big Stuff (Women, Boomers)
Revenue maximization
Decentralization
Pioneering supplier
Project
Excellence
Women
Management + Leadership
Exceptionalism (53 = 53)
COOL clients
INTERESTING Board
“Them”
Big
Growth by merger
Buy market share
Efficient, streamlined
“department”
Certainty-predictability
Fearful of losing
Plan
Careful evaluation
Revised plan
People/Employees
Effective HR department
Benchmark against the
“best”-“industry leader”
“Us”
Mid-size
Organic growth
Create NEW markets
Value-creating “PSF”
Ambiguity-opportunity
Aggressive pursuit
of winning
Prototype
Another prototype
Another prototype
Talent
Rockin’ Talent
Development Center
of Excellence
Benchmark against the
“coolest”
“Them”
“Us”
Benchmark
Orderly career progression
Head
IQ
“Professional”
Stoic, humble leaders
“Future”mark
“Up or Out” (PDQ)
Heart
EQ
Passionate
Noisy, emotional
“characters” in charge
Hire for intangibles
Relentless, pig-headed
determination
Teamwork and disruptive
individuals equal billing
Lead customers
Intimate-Seamless
customer inter-twining
Hire for Resume
Measured-thoughtful
approach
Teamwork comes first
Listen to customers
Customer “involvement”
“Them”
MBM (Management
by memo)
MBA
Shareholder Value
comes first
Work smart
Built to last
Reward successes
“Us”
MBWA
MFA
Great people-product rule
Work hard
Built to Rock the World
Reward (EXCELLENT)
failures
Design 1T
Innovation 1T
Jaw-dropping Experience
Quality first!
Quality first!
High-quality
transaction
CVs demo consistent CVs feature Magic Moments
performance
Good grades
Cool stuff
Operational excellence World-rocking INNOVATION
“Them”
Brand
Best analysis wins
“Beyond politics”
Outsource
“Motivate”
“Motivate”
Measured language
Product-Service
Pastel
Better
“Mission success”
Very good
“Us”
Lovemark
Best STORY wins
Politics-is-life, the
rest is details
Bestsource
Send on QUESTS
Invite
HOT language
Gamechanging SOLUTION,
Thrilling EXPERIENCE,
DREAM come true,
LOVEMARK
Technicolor
Different
“Mission EXCELLENCE”
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
“Excellence can be obtained if you:
... care more than others think is wise;
... risk more than others think is safe;
... dream more than others think
is practical;
... expect more than others think
is possible.”
Source: Anon. (Posted @ tompeters.com by
K.Sriram, November 27, 2006 1:17 AM)
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
THE.END
ONE WORD+
ONE WORD+
Drill more wells
R.F.A.
Accountability
Realism
Decentralization
Execution
Action bias
Most mistakes wins
6:15am
Energy
Enthusiasm
Do>Plan
Act>Think
Behavior>Attitude
Passion
ONE WORD+
5 min/5,000 miles
Women
Decency
Grace
Innovate or Die
Re-imagine
Fight irrelevance
Just Do It
Care (You Must)
Flowers (Say It With)
I’m sorry
Thank You
Insanely Great
Silence
2-cent candy
ONE WORD+
Emotion
Intuition
Sell
O.O.D.A.
Integrity
Weird
Appreciate
Celebrate
Respect
Listen
Wander
Calendar rules
Calendar doesn’t lie
“To don’t
Max priorities = 3
ONE WORD+
Gasp-worthy
Insanely great
Different>better
Impact>longevity
Dramatic Difference
Only ones do what we do
Smile
$798
7-7-7
Design rules
Beautiful Systems
450/8
VP S.O.U.B.
Women buy all
Women lead better
ONE WORD+
MBWA
Why?
PSF
Wow!
! (red)
Buy a Mirror
Know thyself
Invite
Quest
Adventure
Talent
Brand You
Lovemark
Experience
Dreamketing
ONE WORD+
Boomers-geezers own all
2.6/21
25
25
3,000,000,000
(900,000,000)
26 minutes
43 hours
Perception Is All There Is
Enthusiasm: The Ultimate Virus
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
Tom’s
Top41
Quotes
Tom Peters/01.24.06
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
“Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”—Helen Keller
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your
one wild and precious life?” —Mary Oliver
“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.”—James
Dean
“The two most powerful things in existence: a kind word and
a thoughtful gesture.”—Ken Langone, founder, Home Depot
“The deepest human need is the need to be appreciated.”—William
James
“Don’t belittle!” —OD Consultant, on the essence of a
well-functioning human community
“If you don’t listen, you don’t sell anything.”
—Carolyn Marland/MD/Guardian Group
“It was much later that I realized Dad’s secret. He gained respect
by giving it. He talked and listened to the fourth-grade kids in
Spring Valley who shined shoes the same way he talked and
listened to a bishop or a college president. He was seriously
interested in who you were and what you had to say.” —Sara
Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect
“What creates trust, in the end, is the leader’s manifest respect
for the
followers.” — Jim O’Toole, Leading Change
“If you can’t state your position in eight words or less,
you don’t have a position.” —Seth Godin
“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change
the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” —Margaret
Mead
“Make your life itself a creative work of art.”
—Mike Ray, The Highest Goal
“Have you invested as much this year in your career as in your
car?”
A man approached JP Morgan, held up an envelope, and said, “Sir, in
my hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success, which I will gladly
sell you for $25,000.”
“Sir,” JP Morgan replied, “I do not know what is in the envelope,
however if you show me, and I like it, I
give you my word as a gentleman that I will pay you what you ask.”
The man agreed to the terms, and handed over the envelope. JP
Morgan opened it, and extracted a single sheet of paper. He gave it
one look, a mere glance, then handed the piece of paper back to the
gent.
And paid him the
agreed-upon $25,000.
1. Every morning, write
a list of the things
that need to be done
that day.
2.
Do them.
Source: Hugh MacLeod/tompeters.com/NPR
“The most successful people are those who are good at plan B.”
—James Yorke, mathematician, on chaos theory in The New
Scientist
“Tom, what have you done this year?”—Jessica Sutherland,
Director, Institute for International Research/Middle East (TP:
“Yikes!”)
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that
is all.”
—Oscar Wilde
“People want to be part of something larger than themselves. They
want to be part of something they’re really proud of, that they’ll
fight for, sacrifice for, that they trust.”—Howard Schultz, Starbucks
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most
intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” —Charles
Darwin
“We may not be interested in chaos but chaos is interested in us.”
—Robert Cooper, The Breaking of Nations:
Order and Chaos in the Twenty-first Century
“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even
less.”—General Eric Shinseki, retired Chief of Staff, U. S. Army
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”—Gandhi
“We eat change for breakfast!”
—Harry Quadracci, founder, QuadGraphics
“If things seem under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”
—Mario Andretti
“You can’t behave in a calm, rational manner. You’ve got to be out
there on the lunatic fringe.” —Jack Welch, retired CEO, GE
“We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s called doing things.”—Herb
Kelleher, founder, Southwest Airlines
“I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living,
or get busy dying.” —The Shawshank Redemption (Tim Robbins)
“A man
without a
smiling face
must not
open a shop.”
—Chinese Proverb
“There are people who
prefer to say ‘Yes,’ and
there are people who prefer
to say ‘No.’ Those who say
‘Yes’ are rewarded by the
adventures they have,
and those who say ‘No’ are
rewarded by the safety they
attain.” —Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare,
Just Show Up, Patricia Ryan Madson ( “ … yes I said
yes I will Yes.” —James Joyce, Ulysses)
“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”—Steve Jobs, Apple
“Groups become great only when everyone in them, leaders and
members alike, is free to do his or her absolute best.”—Warren
Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman, Organizing Genius
“The best thing a leader can do for a Great Group is to allow its
members to discover their greatness.”—Warren Bennis and Patricia
Ward Biederman, Organizing Genius
“You are the storyteller of your own life, and you can create your
own legend or not.”—Isabel Allende
“Nobody can prevent you from choosing to be exceptional.”
—Mark Sanborn, The Fred Factor
“A leader is a dealer in hope.”—Napoleon
“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.” —Samuel Taylor
Coleridge
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
“If you’re enthusiastic about the things you’re working on,
people will come ask you to do interesting things.”
—James Woolsey, former CIA director
“Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with
it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow.
To convince them, you must yourself believe.” —Winston
Churchill
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do
more and become more, you are a leader."—John Quincy Adams
“A year from now
you may wish
You had started
today.”
—Karen Lamb
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
THE.END
For Starbucks …
The Cup
Challenge*
Tom Peters/1107.2006
*Potential Quotes for Cups
Enthusiasm!
The Ultimate
Virus!
Re-imagine!
Re-do!
Re-vise!
Re-vo-lu-tion!
“Passion!”
“Energy!”
“Enthusiasm!”
“Passion! Energy! Enthusiasm!”
"Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm!"
"Enthusiasm Moves Mountains!"
"Nothing Matches Enthusiasm as a 'Motivator'!"
“Technicolor Times Demand Technicolor Actions”
“Technicolor Times Demand Technicolor People”
“Wow. Now.”
“Re-imagine!”
“Re-imagine! Re-do! Re-vise! Re-vo-lu-tion!”
Excellence.
Always.
“No Less
Than
Excellence.
Ever.”
No Excellence.
no excuse.
"Respect!"
“Leaders ‘Do’ People. Period.”
“Credibility. Asset No. 1.”
“Tell the Truth.”
“Truth Wins.”
“Challenge. Challenge. Challenge.”
“Two Big Goals. Tops.”
“Focus. Your Calendar Never Lies”
“Good Story. Good Leader.”
“Best Story Wins.”
“Live the Story.”
“Change the World. Accept Nothing Less.”
"Dream!"
“Dream. The Only Worthwhile Reality.”
“Beware Those Who Agree With You”
“Seek Dissidents. Nurture Dissidents. Cherish Dissidents”
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
try it. Try it. Try it
ry it. Try it. Try it. Tr
t. Try it. Try it. Try it
ry it. Try it. Try it. Tr
t. Try it. Try it. try it
ry it. Try it. try it. Tr
t. Try it. Try it. Try it
iMplementation
… The “last 98%”
Do it.
Now.
start.
Now.
Most.
Relentless.
wins.
“Excellence!”
“Demand Excellence!”
“Demand Excellence. The Greatest
Gift.”
“Excellence, Life’s Gold Standard”
“Stop Talking! Start Doing!”
“Execute. Execute. Execute.”
“‘Good Execution’ Beats ‘Good
Strategy’”
“Agility Trumps Size”
"Women make the best bosses!"
“Women Rule. Believe It.”
"You must care!"
“Listen.”
“Ask. ‘Why?’”
distinct.
Or …
Extinct.
2007.
Self-reliance.
No option.
2007.
Excellence.
No option.
Excellence.
Not optional.
it’s a …
“brand you”
world.
“‘Me Too’ =
‘Me Dead’”
“‘Different’ beats ‘Better.’”
“‘Distinct’ or ‘Extinct.’”
“Innovate or Die”
“‘Me Too’ = ‘Me Dead’”
“Talent Time!”
“Best Talent Wins.”
“Best Roster Wins.
“Moderation Fails in Immoderate Times”
“Moderation
Fails in
Immoderate
Times”
“freaks win in
freaky times.”
Seek Dissidents.
Nurture Dissidents.
Cherish Dissidents.
“best
talent
wins.”
women = best leaders.
Women = biggest
market.
Women = control
wealth.
Women = rule.
Roir/return on
investment in
relationships
Respect =
magic.
“thank
you” =
magic.
“thank you”
= magic
potion #1.
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
Think!
vs.
do!
“We design intelligent strategies—
but they fall miles short of their for
one reason. Poor organizational
effectiveness which in turn leads to
a gaping ‘implementation deficit.’
Tom, I want you to get a handle on
the best thinking and best
practices from around the world.”
—Ron Daniel (1977*)
*TP/1977/first (?) Stanford Ph.D. thesis
studying implementation per se.
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”
1979-2006
Still missing
after all these
years …
“too
much talk,
too little
do”
TP/BW on BigCo Sin #1:
Think!
vs.
do!
“Never forget
implementation , boys.
In our work, it’s what I
call the ‘last 98
percent’ of the client
puzzle.”
—Al McDonald, former Managing
Director, McKinsey & Co, to a project team that included TP
The (Strange) Case of Peter Drucker &
Michael Porter vs. The “Non-linearists”
HERBERT SIMON. (Administrative Behavior.) JAMES
MARCH. KARL WEICK. (The Social Psychology of
Organizing.) EUGENE WEBB. Henry
MINTZBERG. (The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning.)
JAMES UTTERBACK. THOMAS KUHN. (The
Structure of Scientific Revolutions.) CHARLES
LINDBLOM. Daniel goleman.
INNOVATION BIOGRAPHERS.* (*Transcontinental
Railroad, Electrification, Radio, Television, Containerization, DNA,
MOST POLITICAL
SCIENTISTS. SILICON VALLEY. Etc.
Computers, Military History, Etc.)
think!
“Non-linearist”: do!
“Linearist”:
Plan it!
“Non-linearist”: Try it!
“Linearist”:
“Linearist”:
hypothesize!
“Non-linearist”:
experiment!
failure =
unnecessary
“Linearist”:
“Non-linearist”:
failure = life
a>b*
“Non-linearist”: b>a**
“Linearist”:
*Attitude shapes behavior
**Behavior shapes attitude
deliberate!*
“Non-linearist”: relentless!**
“Linearist”:
* “Do it right the first time” (Hero: Phil Crosby)
**Never retreat (Hero: U.S. Grant)
“Linearist”:
logical!
“Non-linearist”:
passionate!
give me
genius!
“Non-linearist”: give me
luck!
“Linearist”:
spotless
academic
record!
“Non-linearist”: a.d.d.
“Linearist”:
measured
pace!
“Non-linearist”: Tempo!
Tempo! Tempo!
“Linearist”:
think! Plan!
(r.a.f.*)
“Non-linearist”: Try it!
Screw it up! Fix it!
Try it again! (r.f.a.**)
“Linearist”:
*Ready. Aim. Fire.
**ready. Fire. Aim. (Or, circa 2006: fire. Fire. Fire.)
Cheap Shot
minimize cost.
“Non-linearist”: maximize
revenue.
“Linearist”:
marketing
rules.
“Non-linearist”: sales
rules.
“Linearist”:
“Linearist”
Background:
planning, marketing &
finance.
“Non-linearist”
background:
sales & operations.
“Linearist”
likes: ideas.
“Non-linearist”
likes: people.
“Linearist”
likes: parts.
“Non-linearist”
likes: wholes.
“Linearist”
office: walls.
“Non-linearist”
office: none.
“Linearist”
style: meetings.
“Non-linearist”
style: m.b.w.a.*
*Managing by wandering around
“Linearist”
reads: michael porter.
Peter drucker.*
“Non-linearist”
reads: waterman &
peters. Tom clancy.**
*Michael & peter
**Bob & tom & tom
“Linearist”
reads: michael porter.
Peter drucker.
“Non-linearist”
reads: doesn’t
“Linearist”
drives: lincoln town
car. Ford explorer
(weekends).
“Non-linearist”
drives: bmw. Harleydavidson (weekends).
“Linearist”
preferred baseball
score: 1-0.
“Non-linearist”
preferred baseball
score: 11-9.
“Linearist”
preferred football
score: 7-0.
“Non-linearist”
preferred football
score: 41-38.
“Linearist”
criminal record:
none.
“Non-linearist”
criminal record:
disorderly conduct.
Chronic jaywalking.
do!
Addendum!
“The secret of
getting ahead
is getting
started.” —
Agatha Christie
“Action is the
foundational
key of all
success.”
—Picasso
Translating Picasso
“Doing something
is the key to
getting something
done.”
In Search of
—TP (Co-author,
Excellence, first “Basic”: “A BIAS FOR ACTION”)
“Intelligent people
can always come up
with intelligent
reasons to do
nothing.”
—Scott Simon
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
GE
(more or less)
:
The Sales122:
122 Ridiculously
Obvious Thoughts
About Selling Stuff
Tom Peters/0402.2006
This list was first prepared for GE Energy
sales & marketing people in January. It
started with a half-dozen items, and grew
like Topsy. Possibly, given its origins, it’s a
little tilted toward complex, engineeringbased sales. In any event, it makes a perfect
companion to “The Irreducibles209.” This,
too, is effectively a list of “irreducibles.”
Tom Peters
1. “Strategy” overrated, simply “doin’ stuff” underrated. See
Kelleher and Bossidy: “We have a ‘strategic plan,’ it’s called
doing things.”—Herb Kelleher. “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. Action has its own logic—ask Genghis Khan,
Rommel, COL John Boyd, U.S. Grant, Patton, W.T. Sherman.
2. What are you personally great at? (Key word: “great.”) Play
to strengths! “Distinct or Extinct.” You should aim to be
“outrageously good”/B.I.W. at a niche area (or more).
3. Are you a “personality,” a de facto “brand” in the industry?
The Dr Phil of ...
4. Opportunism (with a little forethought) mostly wins.
(“Successful people are the ones who are good at Plan B.”)
5. Little starts can lead to big wins. Most true winners—think
search & Google—start as something small. Many big deals—
Disney & Pixar—could have been done as little-er deals if you’d
had the guts to jump before the value became obvious.
“Everyone lives
by selling
something.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson
6. Non-obvious targets have great potential. Among many
other things, everybody goes after the obvious ones. Also,
the “non-obvious” are often good Partners for technology
experiments.
7. The best relationships are often (usually?) not “top to
top”! (Often the best: hungry division GMs eager to make a
mark.)
8. IT’S RELATIONSHIPS, STUPID—DEEP AND FROM MULTIPLE
FUNCTIONS.
9. In any public-sector business, you must become an avid
student of “the politics,” the incentives and constraints,
mostly non-economic, facing all of the players. Politicians are
usually incredibly logical—if you (deeply!) understand the
matrix in which they exist.
10. Relationships from within our firm are as important—
often more important—as those from outside—again broad is
as important as deep. Allies—avid supporters!—within and
from non-obvious places may be more important than
relationships at the Client organization. Goal: an “insanely
unfair ‘market share’” of insiders’ time devoted to your
projects!
C(I)>C(X)
11. Interesting outsiders are essential to innovative proposal
and sales teams. An “exciting” sales-proposal team is as
important as a prestigious one.
12. Is the proposal-sales team weird enough—weirdos come
up with the most interesting, game-changer ideas. Period.
13. Lunch with at least one weirdo per month. (Goal: always
on the prowl for interesting new stuff.)
14. Gratuitous comment: Lunches with good friends are
typically a waste of (professional) time.
15. Don’t short-change (time, money, depth) the proposal
process. Miss one tiny nuance, one potential incentive that
“makes my day” for a key Client player—and watch the whole
gig be torpedoed.
16. “Sticking with it” sometimes pays, sometimes not—it
takes a lot of tries to forge the best path in. Sometimes you
never do, after a literal lifetime. (Ah, life.)
17. WOMEN ARE SIMPLY BETTER AT RELATIONSHIPS—don’t
get hung up—particularly in tech firms—on what industriescountries “women can’t do.” (Or some such bullshit.)
18. Work incessantly on your “story”—most economic value
springs from a good story (think Perrier)! In sensitive public
or quasi-public negotiations, a compelling story is of immense
value—politics is about the tension among competing stories.
(If you don’t believe me, ask Karl Rove or James Carville.)
(“Storytelling is the core of culture.” —Branded Nation: The
Marketing of Megachurch, College Inc., and Museumworld,
James Twitchell)
19. Call this 18A, or 18 repeat: Become a first-rate
Storyteller! (“A key – perhaps the key – to leadership is the
effective communication of a story.”—Howard Gardner,
Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership)
20. Risk Assessment & Risk Management is more about
stories than advanced math—i.e., brilliant scenario
construction.
21. Good listeners are good sales people. Period.
22. Lousy listeners are lousy sales people. Period.
23. GREAT LISTENERS ARE GREAT SALES PEOPLE. (Listening
“skills” are hard to learn and subject to immense effort in
pursuit of Mastery. A virtuoso “listener” is as rare as a
virtuoso cello player.) (“If you don’t listen, you don’t sell
anything.”—Carolyn Marland/MD/Guardian Group)
24. Things that are funny to me (American) are often-mostly not
funny to those in other cultures. (Humor is as fine-edged as it
gets, and rarely travels.)
25. You don’t know Jack Squat about other peoples’ cultures—
especially if you are a typically myopic American. (Like me.)
26. Are you a great interviewer? It’s a make or break skill.
(Think Barbara Walters’ skill at extracting unwanted truths from
pros in persona-protection ... in front of 10s of millions of
people.
27. Are you a great (not merely “good”) presenter? Mastering
presentation skills is a life’s work—with stupendous payoff.
28. Work like hell on the Big 2: LISTENING/INTERVIEWING,
PRESENTING. These are “the essence of [sales] life”—and
usually picked-up in an amateurish fashion. Mistake! (Become a
“professional student” of these two areas, achieve Mastery.)
29. Are you good at flowers? Think: FLOWER POWER! (see Harvey
Mackay’s “Mackay 66”—what you should know about a Client;
e.g., birthdays & anniversaries.) (My “flowers budget” is out of
control. Hooray for me.)
30. You can’t do it all—be clear at what you are good at, bad at,
indifferent at. Hubris sucks.
FLOWER
POWER
31. The point is not to “prove yourself.” (That’s ego-talk.) Let
the best person present to the Client—perhaps a “lower level”
geek. (“Control freaks” get their just desserts in the long haul—
or sooner.)
32. The numbers will more or less take care of themselves over
the long haul—if the relationship/s is/are solid gold.
33. The Gold Standard in selling: INDISPENSABLE to the Client.
No other goal is worthy.
34. Never stop growing-broadening-deepening the relationship.
The key to “indispensability” is to get the Client more and more
… and more … and then more … imbedded in “our” web. Hence
the so-called “selling process” is only the first step!
35. USE THE WORD “WE” … CONSTANTLY & RELIGIOUSLY!
(E.g.: “We”—the Client & me—“are going to change the world
with this service.”)
36. Don’t waste your time on jerks—it’ll rarely work out in the
mid- to long-term.
37. Genius is walking away from lousy “scores” (deals)—and
accepting the attendant heat. Big Business is the premier home
to Big Egos overpaying by a factor of 2 to 22 with billion$$$$ at
stake. (Think Jerry Levin and AOL Time Warner.)
“If you don’t
listen,
you don’t sell
anything.”
—Carolyn Marland/
Managing Director/
Guardian Group
38. You haven’t a clue as to how this situation will actually play
out—be prepared to move fast in a different direction.
39. Keep your word.
40. KEEP YOUR WORD.
41. Underpromise (i.e., don’t over-promise; i.e., cut yourself a
little slack) even if it costs you business—winning is a long-term
affair. Over-promising is Sign #1 of a lack of integrity. You will
pay the piper.
42. There is such a thing as a “good loss”—if you’ve tested
something new and developed good relationships. A half-dozen
honorable, ingenious losses over a two-year period can pave the
way for a Big Victory in a New Space in year 3.
43. It’s a competitive world out there. New, innovative products
are harder to sell than old stand-bys. Nonetheless, you will be a
long-term star to the extent that you are willing to push the
harder-to-sell-at-the-moment Innovative Products that cement
long-term Client success (Indispensability!) —even if it means a
#s hit this quarter. PART OF YOUR JOB: TAKE CLIENTS ON AN
ADVENTURE THAT PUTS THEM AHEAD OF THE GAME CALLED
(GAMECHANGING—hopefully) COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE!
“You can make more
friends in two months by
becoming interested in
other people than you can
in two years by trying to
get other people
interested in you.”
—Dale Carnegie
44. Think “legacy”—what the hell is all this really about for you
and the world? (“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one
wild and precious life?”
—Mary Oliver)
45. THERE ARE NO “MODERATES” IN THE HISTORY BOOKS!
46. Keep it simple! (Damn it!) No matter how “sophisticated” the
product. If you can’t explain it in a phrase, a page, or to your 14year-old ... you haven’t got it right yet.
47. Know more than the next guy. Homework pays. (of course
it’s obvious—but in my work it is too often honored in the
breach.)
48. Regardless of project size, winning or losing invariably
hinges on a raft of “little stuff.” Little stuff is and always has
been everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—or, “one man’s little stuff is
another man’s 7.6 Richter deal-breaker.”
49. In public settings in particular, face saving is all. When
something changes, allow the other guy to come out looking like
a winner, especially if he has lost. (Even if you must accept the
egg on your face—he will always remember you!)
50. Don’t hold grudges. (It is the ultimate in small mindedness—
and incredibly wasteful and ineffective. There’s always
tomorrow.)
51. IT’S ALWAYS “THE POLITICS”—wee private-sector deal or
giant public sector deal. (Every player, small or large, is angling
for something. Master the calculus of advantage.)
52. To beat the “turnover problem” in key Client posts amidst
long negotiations, invest outrageous amounts of time building a
wide & deep set of relationships with mid-level (& lower!!)
“plodding” “careerists.” The invisible careerists are the
bedrock upon which repeated success is built! (My “Capitol Hill
Axiom”: It’s the 24-year-old LA who in the end briefs the
Senator right before she goes to the Floor to vote.)
53. Speaking of “she”: Gender differences are Enormous—
dealing with a woman and dealing with a man are different
kettles of fish—you must become an A+ student of gender
differences. (E.g.: Men are typically more interested in the
short-term “score.” Women are more interested in the longterm consequences.)
54. “LITTLE PEOPLE” OFTEN HAVE BIG FRIENDS.
55. This is not war, damn it. All parties can win (or not lose,
anyway). And losing bidders can walk away from a deal with
increased respect for you and your team.
56. Never, ever dump on a competitor—the Tom Watson IBM
glory-days mantra.
57. Never forget the “Law of Cousins!” In developing nations
in particular, power brokers at all levels are at least cousins!
Consideration for a second cousin can pay off big time.
58. Speaking of “favors,” jail sucks.
59. Work hard beats work smart. (Mostly.)
60. REPEAT: HE/SHE WHO HAS THE MOST-BEST
RELATIONSHIPS WINS. RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE ESSENCE OF
THE WORK OF THE SALESPERSON. THE HARD ... AND LONG ...
WORK OF THE SALESPERSON.
61. Mano v mano “hardball” is seldom the answer—end runs
based and patient multi-level relationship building via deeperwider networks win.
62. If the deal is wired from below, truly wired, than the socalled “big negotiations” are essentially irrelevant.
63. If every quarter is a “little better” than the prior quarter—
then you are not taking any serious risks.
64. Phones beat email.
“Nothing is so
contagious as
enthusiasm.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
65. A THREE-MINUTE CALL TODAY CAN AVOID A GAME-LOSER
OF A FIASCO NEXT MONTH. There was always a time when a
little thing could have been addressed that headed off a
subsequent big thing. As to avoiding that call, didn’t someone
say, “Pride goeth before the fall”?
66. Be hyper-organized about relationship management—you
are in the anthropology business. Study the great pols! Brilliant
NRM (network relationship management) is not accidental! It is
not catch-as-catch can. (Football analogies are cute—but deep
political understanding pays the private-school tuition.)
67. Obsess on ROIR (Return On Investment In Relationships).
68. “THANK YOU” NOTES: World’s highest-return investment!!
69. The way to anyone’s heart: Doing a nice thing for their kid.
(But, gawd, does this take a gentle touch.)
70. Scoring off other people is stupid. Winners are always in the
business of creating the maximum # of winners—among
adversaries at least as much as among “partners.”
71. Your colleagues’ successes are your successes. Period.
(Trust me, my greatest personal success—financially as well as
artistically—has been creating a bigger pond in which everyone
wins, even if my “market share” is down.)
72. Lend a helping hand, especially when you don’t have the
time. E.g. share relationships—the more you give away the
more you get in return (just like they say in church).
73. Listen up: “It was much later that I realized Dad’s
secret. He gained respect by giving it. He talked and listened
to the fourth-grade kids in Spring Valley who shined shoes
the same way he talked and listened to a bishop or a college
president. He was seriously interested in who you were and
what you had to say.” —Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect.
(I.e., Respect is Cool.)
74. Mentoring is a thrill—and the practical payoff is
enormous. The best mentors have the whole world working
its buns off for them!
75. Hire for enthusiasm. Promote for enthusiasm. Cherish
enthusiasm. REMOVE NON-ENTHUSIASTS—THEY ARE
CANCERS. (“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.”—
Samuel Taylor Coleridge. “A man without a smiling face
must not open a shop.”—Chinese Proverb.)
76. IT’S ALWAYS YOUR PROBLEM—you sold it to them.
77. It’s never over: While there may be an excellent service
activity in your company, the “relationship” belongs to You!
Hence the “aftersales” “moments of truth” are at least as—if
not more than*--important to the Continuing Relationship as
the sale “transaction” itself. (*I vote for “more than.”) You’ll
get your biggest “points” with the Client for being an effective
after-the-fact go-between with your company.
78. Don’t get too hung up on “systems integration”—first &
foremost, the individual bits have got to work.
79. For God’s sake don’t over promise on “systems
integration”—it’s nigh on impossible to deliver.
80. On the other hand … winners clamber Up the Value-added
Ladder, and offer ever so much more than “mere” product. ALL
SUCCESSFUL SALES PEOPLE ARE IN THE “SOLUTIONS
BUSINESS”—no matter how jargony that may sound.
81. “Systems” / “Solutions” selling means grappling directly
with “culture change” in Client organizations. (“The business of
selling is not just about matching viable solutions to the
customers that require them. It’s equally about managing the
change process the customer will need to go through to
implement the solution and achieve the value promised by the
solution”—Jeff Thull, The Prime Solution: Close the Value Gap,
Increase Margins, and Win the Complex Sale)
82. Shit happens. That’s what they pay you for.
83. This is not a “GE” or “Ben & Jerry’s” sale—it is a Joe
Jones/Jane Jones sale. YOU ARE THE “BRAND” THE CLIENT
BUYS—especially over the long haul.
84. Duh: You make money, the company makes money—on
repeat business.
85. Master—yes, you—the “PR” Game. “Word of Mouth” is not
accidental! You want Word of Mouth? Make it happen!
86. GOAL #1: MAKE YOUR CLIENT A HERO—YOU ARE NOT THERE
TO GET CREDIT. (“Taking credit” is for egomaniacs. And losers.)
87. “Decent margins,” over the mid- to long-term, are a product
of better relationships, not better “negotiating skill.” (Mostly.)
“You can’t behave
in a calm, rational
manner. You’ve got
to be out there on
the lunatic fringe.”
—Jack Welch
88. In the immortal words of ex-GE Vice Chairman Larry
Bossidy, more or less, “Realism rocks.” (“Bullshit artist” and
“great salesperson,” contrary to conventional wisdom, are
Diametric Opposites. “Truthteller” and Great Salesperson is
more like it.)
89. Be the first to tell the Client bad news (e.g., slipped
delivery); his intelligence sources will tell him fast—you want to
be there first with your story and to enhance your rep as
Truthteller!
90. Work like hell to get a reputation as a valued industry
expert, to become an industry resource.
91. Work the Trade Association angle for all its worth—it may
take a decade to pay off—e.g., when you become an officer or
are on an important panel or testify Before Congress.
92. PAY YOUR DUES IN THE CLIENT ORG AND IN YOUR OWN
ORG!
93. It’s all bloody tactics.
94. You must ... LOVE .... the product! (Period.)
95. YOU MUST LOVE THE PRODUCT!
96. Don’t over-schedule. “Running late” is inexcusable at any
level of seniority; it is the ultimate mark of self-importance
mixed with contempt.
97. Women are better salespeople. (See Addendum.)
98. Women alone understand Women.
99. Actually, Women by and large understand Men better than
Men understand Men.
100.Women purchasers buy Stories and recommendations.
101. Women take longer to become Loyal purchasers, but then
stay Loyal.
102. Men buy Stats.
103. Men decide fast, but are fickle.
104. Men & Women are … VERY, VERY … Different.
105. Women buy most things. Consumer. Increasingly,
professional goods and services.
106. Women’s Market is Opportunity #1.
107. Boomers. Many, many. Lots & lots & lots of … $$$.
108. Boomers-Geezers are very different purchasers than those
in other categories.
Women Rock … as Salespersons (From Item #97.)
And the answers are?
“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
109. It takes time to get to know people. (DUH.)
110. The very idea of “efficiency” in relationship
development is ... STUPID.
111. MBWA (still) rules.
112. “Preparing the soil” is the “first 98 percent.” (Or
more.)
113. WORK THE PHONES!
114. Rule 5K-5M: 5K miles for a 5-Minute meeting often
makes sense. (Yes, often.) (Even with constrained travel
budgets.) (Thanks, super-agent Mark McCormack.)
115. Become a student! Study great salespeople!
(Including Presidents.) (“Natural” is a little bit true—but
then Naturals are always the ones who study hardest—
e.g., Jerry Rice.)
116. Become a student! Yes, you can study Relationship
Building. So, study …
117. Beware complexifiers and complicators. (Truly
“smart people” ... Simplify things.)
118. The smartest guy in the room rarely wins—alas,
he usually is aware he’s the smartest guy. (And
needn’t waste his time on that “soft relationship
crap.”)
119. Be kind. It works.
120. Be especially kind when there are screw-ups.
(There’s plenty of time later to Play the Great
Accountability Game.)
121. Presidents never tire of being treated like
Presidents.
122.
Luck matters.
Good luck!
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
THE.END
EXCELLENCE.
NEW VALUE
EQUATION.
NEW “C-levels”.
C
*Chief
O*
Revenue
Officer
C
*Chief e
O*
Xperience
Officer
C
O*
*Chief Festivals Officer
O*
C
*Chief
Design
Officer
C
*Chief Dream Merchant
C
O*
*Chief Storytelling Officer
C
*Chief Portal Impresario
C
O*
*Chief Conversations Officer
C
W
M*
*Chief WikiWorld Maniac
C
O*
*Chief Lovemark Officer
C
O*
*Chief Seduction Officer
C
O*
*Chief talent acquisition Officer
C
O*
*Chief freaks acquisition Officer
C
FAP
O*
*Chief freaks acquisition & Protection Officer
C
O*
*Chief quest-meister
C
O*
*Chief Thrills Officer
C
O*
*Chief WOW Officer
C
*Chief
O*
!
Officer
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
THE.END
EXCELLENCE.
PERSONAL.
EXCELLENCE.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.
(ABOUT ME.)
A Few Biases You Should Know About
*I am not a macro-economist.
*I am wholly biased by 30 years (1970-2000) in Silicon Valley.
*I would rather work for eBay than BankAmerica.
*I believe that the Giant Merger Game is the single greatest
waste of energy in the world of business.
*Economies of scale are wildly over-rated.
*I find the entire notion of “career” to be disturbing and a little silly.
*I find the notion of “built to last” hilarious.
*Between 1965 and 1980 I turned 179.9 degrees from “Mr Big
Government” to “Mr ‘Cool’ Entrepreneur.” (Thank you,
Frank Perdue.)
*Joseph Schumpeter (“gales of creative destruction”) and F.A. Hayek
are my economist “gods”; JK Galbraith is my bête noir.
*“Innovation” is a wonderfully messy & chaotic process—not
amenable to “strategic plans.”
*I believe in Luck. (Fooled by Randomness—best book
I’ve ever read.)
A Few Biases You Should Know About
*I find most strategic plans (and strategic planners) to be amusing.
*I am not … Mike Porter.
*I am not … Peter Drucker.
*I am not … Jim Collins.
*I believe that the resilience of Giant Companies is
wildly-absurdly over-rated.
*I believe that America’s productivity edge comes from car
dealers more than Giant Cos.
*No “business model” is “the last word.”
*I am a Great Believer in “the basics”: product, people,
customers, execution. (Hence there is nothing very interesting,
save one thing, in In Search of Excellence.)
*I believe that EXCELLENCE is a legitimate aspiration for each
of us; and that any lesser aspiration is unconscionable.
Execution. (Discipline.)
Accountability.
Action, a Bias for. (S.A.V./R.F.A.)
Relentless.
Experimentation. (“Innovate or Die.” “He who makes …”)
Adaptability. (Plan B; “We eat …”)
“In the moment.” (Bertolucci.)
Senility.
Exuberance.
Fun.
Technicolor. Wow! (Extreme Language.)
Quest-Adventure.
By Invitation.
Talent. Roster. ($21M.)
Weird. (Hangin’ Out + Bottlenecks.)
D-squared/“Dramatic Difference.”
Up-Up-Up the “VA Ladder.”
Trifecta: Wow Projects-Brand You-PSF. (No Option.)
Design.
Women.
4-40/D.E.A.615. (60TIBs; IRR209.)
EXCELLENCE.
EXCELLENCE.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.
“STRATEGY.”
Paul Allaire: “We are in a
brawl with no rules.”
TP: “There’s only one
possible answer—S.A.V.”*
*Screw Around Vigorously
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”
TP’s
“23Passions”
by date:
1942-2006
B>A* (R.F.A.) (*Behavior drives Attitude) … ’71-’07
Implementation = #1 … ’73-’77 (’07)
“Soft is Hard” (“Management Style”) … ’77-’79 (’07)
(Org) Structure>Strategy … ’77-’83 (’07)
Strategy-Structure+/ “McKinsey 7-S” Model ... ’77-’81
Action>Planning … ’74-’07
Mess = Reality ... ’77-’07
Skunkworks/Skunks (“Offline” Innovation/Innovators) … ’84-’91
MBWA … ’80-’85 (’07)
Excellence I … ’79-’84
Mid-size biz is cool … ’84-’89 (’07)
Customer service … ’84-’88
Innovation … ’87-’92
Free trade/Hayek … ’90-’92
New Org Models … ’92-’96
PSF … ’92-’06
WOW! (WOW Projects) … ’93-’06
Brand You … ’94-’00
Design … ’94-’06
Women (Markets-Leaders) … ’96-’06
Boomers (“insane” $$$$$) … ’05-’07
EXCELLENCE II … ’06-’07
Healthcare (Quality-Wellness-PatientCentric) … ’06-’07
Exuberance-Passion (Soft is Hard) … ’42-’06
Worth.
The.
hassle.
Why I Work/Stuff I Care About
*“Hard is soft. Soft is hard.” Social stuff, Emotional stuff =
Good stuff = The Right Stuff!
*Mess = Normal = Reality. Rationality = Delusional.
Non-linearity = Life 101. (Embrace it! Design accordingly!)
*Failure = Normal/Necessary/Good! “Reward excellent failure.
Punish mediocre success.” “Fail faster. Succeed sooner.”
“Fail. Forward. Fast.” Fail. Sam Walton Secret #1: Fail. Fast.
*Do > Think. Act > Talk. Action bias! RELENTLESS
EXPERIMENTATION! R.F.A./Ready. Fire. Aim.
S.A.V./Screw Around Vigorously.
*Decentralization = Holy writ = More independent tries.
*Success for Mortals: Indirection. SkunkWorks. End Runs.
Parallel Universe. 4F/Find a Fellow Freak Faraway.
Demos. Heroes. Stories.
*The “Missing 98%”: Implementation-Execution.
*Strategic planning, limits thereto. Severe.
*Pitiful performance of Huge Companies. Needed: C.D.O./
Chief Destruction Officer.
*Severe limits to scale advantage. Mega-mergers = Stupid.
*“Built to last.” Why??? Instead: Built to change the world.
*People First! People Power! Best “Roster” Wins. HR (should)
rule! Leaders “DO” People! Respect-Appreciation Rules!
*Freaks for Freaky Times!
Why I Work/Stuff I Care About
*WOMEN’S WORLD!/WOMENOMICS! #1 MARKET! WEALTH/ALL!
LEADERS/BETTER! (Also: Boomers/Geezers/Many/Money.)
*Aesthetics! Beauty! Grace! (Design primacy.)
*MBWA! (Managing By Wandering Around.)
*Basics Rule: Don’t over-complicate. (Product, People, Action …)
*Educate for Risk-taking, Creativity, Independence.
*B-schools suck. Teach all … except what’s important.
D-School = Cool.
*Healthcare’s Big Three: Quality. Prevention. Wellness.
*R>C. (Adding Revenue > Cutting cost.) Help Wanted: C.R.O./
Chief Revenue Officer.
*S>M (Selling > Marketing.)
SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL!
*Free markets work! Free trade works! Rise of India-China =
Good thing. Respond with Excellent Performance: Add “insane”
amounts of value! Become a “Lovemark”!!
*Brand You. Self-reliance!! Mastery !! Liberation!!
*Survival = PSF/Professional Service Firm “mindset.” Goal #1:
Enable clients to become successful beyond their dreams!
*Fun! (“Cool” is Cool.)
*Service-obsessed!/Experience-obsessed! (Object: “Raving fans.”)
*PASSION-EXUBERANCE-ENTHUSIASM.
*“Hot” Language! WOW! Insanely great!
*EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
TOM PETERS.
THE “DAMN ITS.”
To The Mat:
The “5 Damn Its”
Women.
PSF.
Brand you.
R.f.a.
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
M.I.A.
Action! *
Implementation! **
The Work Itself! ***
*R.F.A.
**Execution
***WOW Projects!
“Never forget
implementation
boys. In our work it’s
what I call the
‘missing 98
percent’ of the client
puzzle.”
—Al McDonald
“The first 90% of a
project takes 90% of
the time. The last 10%
takes the other 90% of
the time.”
—Richard Templar,
The Rules of Management
TOM PETERS.
THE DEAL.
Revolution-Transformation.
(No long runs on Broadway-Senility.)
“Soft”>“Hard.”
(Culture or Bust.)
Execution-Action.
(Do>Think.)
Clean Sheet of Paper.
(Web2.0, Transparency, New Org Form—Itinerant Potential Machines.)
PSF-Brand You-Wow Projects.
Up-Up-Up the VA Ladder.
(Gamechanging Solutions-Eyepopping Experiences-Dream Merchants-Lovemarks.)
Weird.
(Innovation “Easy.”)
Energy-Enthusiasm-Relentlessness.
Excellence. Always.
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
Tom’s
60TIBs*
*TIB = This I Believe
Sixty for Sixty: Tom’s 60TIBs
The architect Bill Caudill was a contrarian. He pioneered the
idea of working intimately with clients to create spaces that
met their needs; this flew in the face of conventional wisdom,
which held that the architect was pure artist, barely
deigning to make client contact. Caudill’s approach was
wildly successful—so much so that today it’s become
conventional wisdom.
Over the years Bill jotted notes on this and that, and began to
organize them for his children. The title of his musings: This I
Believe. After Caudill’s death, his colleagues collected the
notes and published them. That is, The TIBs of Bill Caudill.
A sixtieth birthday is a monumental occasion, and I chose,
among other things, to give myself a present to mark the/my
date in November 2002. I sat on a hill overlooking my farm
in Vermont, and scribbled down 60 thoughts, one for each
year, that seemed to capture my professional and, to
some extent, my personal journey. Those thoughts—Tom’s
60TIBs—herewith.
1. TECHNICOLOR RULES!
(Passion Moves Mountains!)
2. Audacity Matters!
3. Revolution Now!
4. Question Authority! (& Hire
Disrespectful People.)
5. Disorganization Wins! (LOVE
THE MESS!)
6. Think 3M: Markets Matter Most. ONLY EXTREME
COMPETITION STAVES OFF STALENESS. (You can
take the boy out of Silicon Valley, but you can’t take
Silicon Valley out of the boy!)
7. Three Hearty Cheers for Weirdos. (Bill Gates, Steve
Jobs, Larry Ellison, Scott McNealy, Craig Venter
et al.)
8. Message 2003: Technology Change (Info-sciences,
Biosciences) Is in Its Infancy! (WE AIN’T SEEN
NOTHIN’ YET!)
9. Everything Is Up For Grabs! Volatility Is Thy Name!
(Forever & Ever. Amen.) RE-INVENT … OR DIE!
10. Big Sucks. (Mostly.) (VERY Mostly.)
11. “Permanence” Is a Snare & a Delusion.
(Forget “Built to Last.” It’s Yesterday’s
Idea.)
12. Kaizen” (Continuous Improvement) Is …
Dangerous.
13. DESTRUCTION RULES!
14. Forget It! (“Learning” = Easy. “Forgetting” =
Nigh on Impossible.)
15. Innovation Is Easy: Hang Out with Freaks.
(Employees, Board Members, Customers,
Suppliers, Alliance Partners, Consultants.)
16. Boring Begets Boring. (Cool Begets Cool.)
17. Think “Portfolio.” (We’re All V.C.s.)
18. Perception Is All There Is. (“Insiders” …
ALWAYS … overestimate the Radicalism of
What They’re Up To.)
19. Action … ALWAYS … Takes Precedence.
Think: R.F!A./Ready. Fire! Aim. (REWARD
SUCCESS. REWARD FAILURE. PUNISH …
INACTION.)
20. He Who Makes & Tests the Quickest &
Coolest Prototypes Reigns!
21. Haste Makes Waste. (SO GO WASTE!)
22. Screw-ups are … the … Mark of Excellence.
(“Do It Right the First Time” Is a Very Stupid
Idea.)
23. Play Hard! Play Now! (Cherish Play!)
24. TALENT TIME! (He/She Who Has the Best
“Roster” Rules!)
25. Re-do Education. Totally. (FOSTER
CREATIVITY … NOT UNIFORMITY.) (THE
NOISIEST CLASSROOM WINS.)
26. Diversity’s Hour Is Now!
27. SHE … Is the Best Leader!
28. MARKETING MANTRA: Embrace the “BIG THREE”
Demographics. (1) SHE … is the Customer. (For
everything.) (2) Rapidly Aging Boomers Have …
ALL THE MONEY. (3) Green … Matters.
(TRILLIONS OF $$$$$ Are at Stake.) (NOBODY …
Gets It.) (Mere “Programs” Will Not Suffice.)
29. Re-boot Healthcare. (UNDERSTATEMENT.)
30. WHAT ARE WE SELLING? “Experiences” &
“Solutions” > “Quality” & “Satisfaction.” (The
Traditional Value-added Equation Is Being Set on
Its Ear.)
31. DESIGN = New Seat of the Soul.
32. Branding Is for … EVERYONE. He Who Has
the … BEST STORY … Takes Home the
Marbles.
33. DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE = Only Difference.
34. WORDS/Language Matters … a Lot. (E.g.:
Three Hearty Cheers for “Wow”!)
35. WHAT MATTERS IS STUFF THAT MATTERS.
(Query #1: “Are You Proud of It?”)
36. eALL. (IS/IT: Half-way = No Way.)
37. DREAM … Big! DREAM … Enormous.
DREAM … Gargantuan. (These Are XXXL
Times.)
38. THINK MIKE! (Michelangelo: “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.”)
39. There Is Only … ONE BIG ISSUE. Crossfunctional Communication.
40. Stop Doing Dumb Shit. (SYSTEMATIZE THE
PROCESS OF “UN-DUMBING.”)
41. Beautiful Systems Are … BEAUTIFUL.
42. The … WHITE-COLLAR REVOLUTION … Will
Devour Everything in Its Path.
43. Take Charge of Your Destiny! BrandYou
Moment! DISTINCT … OR EXTINCT!
44. “Powerlessness” Is a State of Mind! Think:
King. Gandhi. De Gaulle.
45. Pursue Adventure … in Every Task.
46. EXCELLENCE … Is a State of Mind.
(Excellence Takes a Minute.) (No Bull.)
47. SHOW UP! (If You Care, You’re There.)
48. YOUR CALENDAR KNOWS ALL. (You =
Calendar.) (Mind Your “TO DON’T” List.)
49. LIFE IS SALES. (The Rest Is Details.)
50. Boss Mantra #1: “I DON’T KNOW.” (“I Don’t
Know” = Permission to Explore.)
51. Management Role 1: GET OUT OF THE WAY.
(Clear the Way.) (“Manager” = Hurdle
Removal Professional.)
52. Epitaph from Hell: “He Woulda Done Some
Truly Cool Stuff … But His Boss Wouldn’t
Let Him.”
53. Change Takes However Long You Think It
Takes. (Eschew … “Incrementalism.”)
54. Respect! (Rule 1: Don’t Belittle!)
55. “Thank You” Trumps All!
56. Integrity Matters! Integrity = Credibility.
(Dennis K. Is a Jerk.)
57. SOFT IS HARD. HARD IS SOFT. (Numbers
Are Soft. People Are Not.)
58. Try Sunny! (Sunny Begets Sunny.
Gloomy Begets Gloomy.)
59. DISPENSE ENTHUSIASM!
60. FUN …Is Not a 4-Letter Word. So, too …
JOY. (And … GRACE.)
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
Tom Peters’
to-mA-to
to-mah-to
New Delhi. Thirteen September 2004. I awoke,
jetlagged and sweaty, at 3A.M. I’d had a
nightmare. Stark realism. I was, as usual,
accused of overstatement and a few (or more)
too many exclamation marks (!!!!!). Only this
time I’d acceded to “They.” The “They” who
believe in “The Plan” and “Built to Last” and
“Continuous Improvement” and “Quiet,
Humble Leaders.” No! No! I had failed, in my
dream, to live up to my Fervent Beliefs! This
must not pass! In a sweat, fearful that the time
would not come ‘round again, I turned on the
light, picked up a pad of paper, and began to
scribble frantically. Herewith the result.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say … my (Tom) language is extreme.
I say … the times are extreme.
They say I’m extreme.
I say I’m a realist.
They say I demand too much.
I say they accept mediocrity & continuous improvement
too readily.
They say “We can’t handle this much change.”
I say “Your job and career are in jeopardy; what other
options do you have?”
They say Brand You is not for everyone.
I say the alternative is unemployment.
They say “What’s wrong with a ‘good product’?”
I say Wal*Mart or China or both are about to eat your
lunch. Why can’t you provide instead a Fabulous
Experience?
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Take a deep breath. Be calm.”
I say “Tell it to Wal*Mart. Tell it to China. Tell it
to India. Tell it to Dell. Tell it to Microsoft.”
They say the Web is a “useful tool.”
I say the Web changes everything. Now.
They say “We need an Initiative.”
I say “We need a Dream. And Dreamers.”
They say Great Design is “nice.”
I say Great Design is “necessary.”
They say I “overplay” the “women’s thing.”
I say the share of Women in Senior Leadership
Positions is a Waste and a Disgrace and a
Strategic Marketing Error.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say the Women’s Market Opportunity I harp on is “doubtless
important.”
I say 9 out of 10, make that 99 out of 100, companies aren’t
within striking distance of accurately estimating the potential
of the Women’s Market … let alone exploiting it.
They say the boomer-geezer market is also “doubtless important.”
I say the boomer-geezer market amounts to a Redefining
Moment.
They say we need a “project” to exploit the women-boomer-geezer market.
I say we need Total Strategic Realignment to exploit the
Women-Boomer-Geezer Opportunity.
They say “Wow” is “typical Tom.”
I say “WOW” is a Minimum Survival Requirement.
They say “effective governance” is important.
I say bold-brash Boards that are representative of the market
served—more than a token woman or two and an empty seat
for the “forthcoming Hispanic”—are an Imperative. Now.
They say
“Better.”
I say
“Different!”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Plan it.”
I say “DO IT.”
They say “We need more steady, loyal employees.”
I say “WE NEED MORE FREAKS WHO ROUTINELY TELL
THOSE ‘IN CHARGE’ TO TAKE A FLYING LEAP …
BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.”
They say “We need Good People.”
I say “We need Quirky Talent.”
They say “We like people who, with steely determination, say,
“I can make it better.’”
I say “I love people who, with a certain maniacal gleam
in their eye, perhaps even a giggle, say, ‘I can turn
the world upside down. Watch me!’”
They say “We must speed things up.”
I say “We must Radically change the Corporate
Metabolism until Insane Urgency becomes
a Sacrament.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say, “Sure, we need ‘Change.’”
I say we need “REVOLUTION NOW.”
They say (acknowledge), “Okay, we need revolution.”
I say,
“REVOLUTION.”
They say “fast follower.”
I say “battered and bruised leader.”
They say “Conglomerate & Imitate!”
I say “Create & Innovate!”
They say “Market share.”
I say “Market CREATION.”
They say “Improve & Maintain.”
I say “DESTROY & RE-IMAGINE.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “We like words such as ‘calm’ … ‘certainty’ … ‘is.’”
I say “I like words/phrases such as ‘turbulent’
‘opportunity’ … ‘might be’.”
They vote for Republicans and Democrats.
I vote for Independents and Libertarians.
They say “Normal.”
I say “Weird.”
They say “Happy balance.”
I say “Creative Tension.”
They say they favor a “team” that works & lives in “harmony.”
I say “give me a raucous brawl among the most
creative people imaginable.”
They say “Peace, brother.”
I say “Bruise my feelings. Flatten my ego.
SAVE MY JOB.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Vanilla.”
I say “Cherry Garcia.”
They say “Basic Black.”
I say “TECHNICOLOR RULES!”
They say “Branding is for the likes of Nike.”
I say “Branding is for Everyone & Anyone with the
Passion & Tenacity to foist their Wonderful & Weird
Point of View on the world … and the New World’s
(read: Web’s) power allows-encourages such “silly”
(until recently) visions-of-ubiquity to become reality,
perhaps overnight.”
They say we need “happy customers.”
I say “Give me pushy, needy, nasty, provocative
customers who will drag me down Innovation
Boulevard.”
They say they want to partner with “best of breed.”
I say “Give me Coolest of Breed.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say we need “supply chain harmony.”
I say we need “supply chain Innovation.”
They say “We seek Harvard MBAs.”
I say I seek Certificate-free “PhDs” from the School
of Hard Knocks.
They say they want recruits with a “spotless records.”
I say “the Spots are what matter most.”
They say “Integrity is important.”
I say “Tell the Unvarnished Truth, All the Time …
or take a Long Hike.”
They read Jim Collins and grok on “quiet, humble leaders.”
I say “Give me the Bold, the Brash, the Brassy, the
Egocentric Dreamers who, like Steve Jobs,
‘Dent the Universe.’”
They say
“Improve.”
I say
“Re-imagine!”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say they need a “vision” born of McKinsey.
I say we need a “Grandiose Dream” born of a Passionate
& Intemperate Belief that the world can be a different,
better place.
They say healthcare, our biggest industry, is “a mess.”
I say our hospitals, which kill over 100,000 patients a
year, are part of a system that is “a disgrace.”
They say “obesity is a problem” … “lose some weight.”
I say Re-imagine the entire healthcare system …
NOW … to focus on Prevention & Wellness.
They say “no child left behind.”
I say “education” is leaving ALL our children behind,
as it is totally mis-aligned to deal with tomorrow’s
(this afternoon’s) uncertain, ambiguous, creativitydriven economy.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say, “Of course we believe in marketing.”
I say “Is the CMO [Chief Marketing Officer] on the Board
of Directors?”
They say “Of course we believe in marketing.”
I say “Has your customer data base won numerous major industry awards?”
They say “Of course we believe in marketing.”
I say “Is your Web site Sooooo Cool, Sooooo Fresh, Sooooo
Friendly to Use that it gives you goose pimples just to e-visit,
even though you’ve seen it 1000 times?”
They say “Of course we believe in marketing.”
I say “How many in-depth customer visits did the CEO make
last month?”
They say “Yes, the ‘Women’s thing’ is important.”
I say “Do women hold at least 1/3rd of your Board seats?”
They say “We’re coming around on the design bit.”
I say “Is, as at Braun, your Chief Design Officer on the Board
of Directors?”
Tom’ Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Of course we think the ‘experiences thing’ is
important.”
I say “Is there an ‘EVP Experiences’?”
They say “Of course innovation is important.”
I say “Is your percentage of revenue devoted to R&D
at least 1.5 (2.0? 2.5?) times the industry average?”
They say “Of course we believe in IS/IT.”
I say “Is the CIO on the Board of Directors?” (Only 5% of
Fortune500 CIOs are on the Board. One example:
Wal*Mart.)
They say “Of course we believe in IS/IT.”
I say “How many members of your Board are under 35
years old?”
They say “We believe in having a ‘flat organization.’”
I say “Is your headquarters in a Tower?”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say we need to “bring effectiveness to the supply chain.”
I say we need an IS/IT/Best Sourcing revolution based
on nothing less than an Entirely Original Vision of what
organizations are and how they interact.
They say “Globalization is a bumpy road.”
I say India and China and Asia in general are within two
decades of running the show: Get ready or get
trounced.
They say “defense” and “consolidation” are musts for a global
game.
I say encourage Offense, nurture a Generation (or 10) of
Entrepreneurs, cherish Creativity & Risk-taking from
primary school onwards … and don’t expect to be
saved by a bunch of bulky, retro behemoth commanded
by a phalanx of Old White Guys who think 30 minutes a
day on the corporate treadmill and 27 holes on the
links are a fit defense against Revolution.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Get an MBA.”
I say “Get an MFA.”
They say “If it can’t be precisely measured then it isn’t real.” (And I
suppose if it can be measured it is real? Think Enron? Adelphia?
WorldCom?)
I say “If it can be precisely measured it isn’t real.” (Think
Age of Intangibles & Relationships.) (Think: “He knew
the price of everything and the value of nothing.”)
They say “Rationality is the Bedrock of Modern Society.”
I say “Irrationality [irrational exuberance?] is the Mother
of all True Entrepreneurial Pilgrimages.”
They say “Order is the necessary precursor to measured,
sustainable success.”
I say “Dis-order is the precursor to Opportunistic Sorties,
Market Creation, Quantum Leaps, and Entrepreneurial
Adventure.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “To get anywhere, you have to know exactly where the
hell you’re headed.”
I say “If you know precisely where you’re headed and
exactly how you’re gonna get there, then you clearly
suffer from Advanced Shrivelus Imaginationus.”
(This disease is fatal.)
They say “Employees need Well-defined Structure.”
I say “Talent should be encouraged to embark on Quests
to the Unknown.”
They say “I’m here to maximize shareholder value.”
I say “I’m here to inflame each & every member of my
Awesome Staff to embark with Vigor & Determination
& Passion & Enthusiasm on a Quest of Monumental
Consequence.” (And if I come even close to succeeding,
it will, in fact, dramatically up the odds of Thriving
Amidst Today’s Chaos—and creating untold shareholder
value in the process.)
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “men.”
I say “WOMEN.”
They say Diversity is a “good thing.”
I say Diversity is a Fresh Breath of Creative Air … Absolutely
Necessary for Economic Salvation in perilous times.
They say “Wait your turn, honor those who have marched these corridors
before you.”
I say Get Off Your Butt & Go for the Gold … TODAY … or sign
the transfer papers willing your job in perpetuity to a
Chinese or Indian who Gives a Shit and Gets Up
(VERY) Early and works Saturdays & Sundays.
They say “offshoring” is a “blight.”
I say the Earth proved not to be the center of the Solar
System … and the USA is not the epicenter-in-perpetuity
of the Earth … and that we had best learn … NOW … to
prosper and take pleasure in a dynamic, exciting, creative,
multi-polar economic environment. (Damn it.)
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “It’s a fright.”
I say “It’s a Helluva Ride.”
They say it’s “daunting.”
I say it’s “a bronco-bustin’ day at the rodeo.”
They say “Life is a marathon; husband your strength.”
I say “Life is a sprint. Begin planning your World-beating
Me Inc. start-up … TODAY.”
They say lifetime employment was a boon.
I say lifetime employment was Indentured Servitude,
modern-day Slavery.
They say “safety net.”
I say “I am my safety net; give me some version of the
‘Ownership Society.’”
They say “zero defects.”
I say “A day without a screw-up or two is a day pissed
away.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Think about it.”
I say “Try it.”
They say “Plan it.”
I say “Test it.”
They say “continuous improvement.”
I say “Bold Leaps.”
They say “Keep on Improvin’.”
I say “Keep on Leapin’.”
They say “Built to last.”
I say “Built to Soar. We’re all dead in the long run …
live your Insane Fantasy. Devil take the hindmost.”
They (Jim Collins) say “Walgreens is Cool.”
I say “I love Larry Ellison.” (Oracle rules … at least
for the next ten minutes.)
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Play the odds.”
I say “Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre
successes.” (Thanks, Phil Daniels.)
They say “Eighty-hour weeks will kill you.”
I say “Work 35-hour weeks, and the Chinese will
kill you.”
They say “Install cost controls with teeth.”
I say “Ha. Ha. Ha. Blow Up the existing enterprise and
start with a Clean Sheet of Paper.”
They say “Install cost controls with teeth.”
I say “Grow the Top Line.”
They say “Radical change takes a decade.”
I say “Radical change takes a Minute.” (See AA.)
They say “Times are changing.”
I say “Everything has already changed. Tomorrow is the
First Day of Your Revolution … or you’re Toast.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “We can’t all be Anita Roddick or Maxine Clark or Stan
Shih or Les Wexner or Jerry Yang.”
I say “Why not?”
They say “We can’t all be Revolutionaries.”
I say “Why not?”
They say “We can’t all be a Brand.”
I say “Why not?”
They say “Beware the Hype.”
I say “Been to China lately? Visited Infosys in
Bangalore lately?”
They say this is just a Rant.
I say this is just Reality.
They say “The man is not nice.”
I say “The times are not forgiving.”
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
EXCELLE
ALWAYS.
End.
PART TWO
Generic
Lists …
Tom Peters’ X25*
EXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.
MASTER/0618.2007/Part ONE
*In Search of Excellence 1982-2007
tom peters’ “excellence. Always.”
1. Excellence! Always!
2. context. 3,000,000,000 new capitalists!
3. Innovate or die!
4. Revenue Matters Most!
5. Up+Up+Up+up the “Value-added Ladder”!
(commodity to “ gamechanging solution”
to “breathtaking experience” to “lovemark”)
6. Make . Much. Money. Damn it!
(women-Boomers-geezers)
7. Action!/Try It!/Execution!
8. Best “roster” wins!
9. Emotional Leadership!/
Leading for excellence!
10. Excellence! Always!
Our Story Line
Not your father’s world
Big = Pitiful.
Excellence. Always./“only-ones
-who-do-what-we-do.”
(what else?)
Innovate. Or. Die.
Up. Up. Up. Up. Up, Up,
Up the “Value Added Chain.”
(Raw materials. Goods. Services. Implemented-gamechanging
Solutions. Scintillating experiences. Dreams come true. Lovemark.)
Stupendous-underserved “New” Markets
(Women, Boomers & geezers)
Talent = Brand. /You = Brand You. /
educate-for-creativity
Leading with passion & relentlessness
(“21st Century Leadership. Ha.)
The Story
Not your father’s world
Big = Pitiful.
Excellence. Always. (what else?)
Innovate. Or. Die.
Up, Up, Up the “Value Added Chain.”
“New” Markets (Women, Boomers)
Talent = Brand.
Leading with passion
*Context/5/42/500/900.
*Weeks of Whoops!
*Built to Flop: Pitiful Performance!
*Innovate. Or. die.
*Value-added Ladder/
raw materials to “lovemarks.”
*BEDROCK: “MODEL PSF.
*“New” Markets/
women. Boomers-geezers.
* “aside”: “Eternal” Basics.
*Talent. BRAND YOU. Education.
*VIRAL Leadership.
Re-imagine! Speech: Story Line in 100 Words or Less
1. Wildly altered context (technology, China-India, global terrorism,
etc)
2. Only answer: adaptive skills and bold-breathtaking innovation
(top-line focus rather than cost-cutting focus)
3. Race way, way up the value-added curve (implemented “gamealtering solutions” rather than “services,” “experiences” rather
than “transactions,” and much more)
4. As part of value-added exercise, pursue Ripe & Enormous
“new” markets—Women, Boomers & Geezers
5. Radical (!!!) use of IS-IT
6. A “Roster” of Weird & Wondrous & Entrepreneurial “Talent”
engaged
in “Wow Projects”
7. “Metabolic Leadership” (Passionate-Radical Leaders who instill
a Discipline of Execution, a Quick Tempo-Adaptive Culture and
an appetite to “Eat Radical Change for Breakfast”)
(96 words by my count)
Hire Great People
(Resilient, Passionate)
Try a Lot of Stuff
(S.A.V./R.F.A.)
Enjoy It While It Lasts
Game plan:
The
unvarnished
Basics
Tom’s “Change Rules”
Cause. (pissed off.)
Try it. (S.A.V.)
Fail. Forward. Fast.
Quests. Demos. Heroes. Stories.
Boonies. (Parallel universe.)
<12.
Just Say No: Normal.
Attitude>Ability.
Wow. “Insanely great.”
Sell! Sell! Sell!
Master politics!
Excellence! Always!
Soft is hard. Hard is soft. (People, customers “hard,” #s “soft”)
25 (“Blinding flash of the obvious”)
Wow! (Passion! Enthusiasm! Hot language! “Insanely great”—Steve Jobs)
Wow EVERYWHERE (Jim’s Group, Basement Systems Inc)
Innovate. Or die.
Top line obsession!!! (CRO/Chief Revenue Officer; Sales>Marketing; “cost cutting = death spiral”—VH)
Innovation = Mess (“What makes God laugh?” “People making plans.”)
1/100 (Big over-rated/Mega-mergers destroy value/“Built to last” chimera
“Built to last” v “Built to rock the world” (TP’s love affair with Netscape)
“Last word” = There is no last word!
0/800 (We are who we hang out with/Weird for weird times)
Lead the customer!
Whacky Wild WikiWorld! (Electronic planetary scrum.)
Try stuff!!!!!!!!! (R.F.A., S.A.V.) (Ready. Fire. Aim. Screw Around Vigorously.)
Fail. Forward. Fast. (“Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes.)
Try MORE stuff!!! (“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”)
Parallel Universe (Jill Ker Conway, Starbucks’ 1%, Intel V.C. fund, China!)
4/40 (4 “learnings” in 40 years: Decentralization, Execution, Accountability, 6:15AM)
Lord Nelson (“Other admirals more afraid of losing …”)
Up, Up, Up the VA Ladder (Solutions/PSF, Experience; Dreamketing; Lovemark)
Women rule! (Buy all ! Control all wealth! Better leaders!)
$15,000,000,000,000/7 of 13 (Boomers. Geezers. Wealth. Half of life still to go)
Brand You (Or else!)
PSF!!! (All)
Talent = Brand (“Leaders do people,” “connoisseur of talent,” Send ’em on bold Quests,
HR rules! <CapEx$$, >PeopleX$$$ ) (Think: Wegmans)
195,000 (Healthcare: Quality-Safety/EMR/DSS, Prevention-Wellness, Public Health #1!)
“Teach to test” = Evil! (The Creative Age is a wide-open game.” —Richard Florida)
Leadership/12Ps (Purpose. Passion. Potential. Presence. Personal. Pissed off.
Playful. Persistence. People. Peculiar. Potent. Positive.)
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Basics! (Decency. Flowers. Grace. Respect. Servant. Host. Etc.)
This I Believe: Tom’s Super-TIB25
1. TECHNICOLOR Times.
2. Passion! Enthusiasm! Energy!
3. Action/R.F.A./O.O.D.A. Speed.
4. Screw-ups. BIG SCREW-Ups!
5. Mess! Improv!
6. Revolution! Re-imagine!
7. INNOVATE OR DIE!
8. Decentralize!
9. Bulk is BULL! (Mergers don’t work. FOCUS Does!)
10 “Different” > “Better”
11. eALL/Power Tools for Power Strategies!
12. Forgetting/Destruction.
13. Hot Language Matters!
14. WOW!/WOW Projects.
15. VA Bedrock: The “PSF.” (Professional Service Firm.)
16. Daring.
17. Talent Time! Leaders “Do” People!
18. Talent+/Diversity.
19. Talent++/Women Rule!
20. “Brand You” Universe.
21. Design!
22. Gasp-worthy Experiences/Lovemarks.
23. New Market Demographics/Women/Boomers & Geezers/Green/Wellness.
24. Grace.
25. EXCELLENCE!
Sir Richard’s Rules
Follow your passions.
Keep it simple.
Get the best people to help you.
Re-create yourself.
Play.
Source: Fortune/10.03
Cause
Space
(worthy of commitment)
(room for/encouragement
for initiative)
Decency
(respect, humane)
Respect.
Decency.
Wee Gestures.
Success …
Consult everyone
on everything
“Thank you” note
carpet bombing
Source: Roger Rosenblatt, Rules for Aging
All you
need to
know …
“Excellence can be obtained if you:
... care more than others think
is wise;
... risk more than others think
is safe;
... dream more than others think
is practical;
... expect more than others think
is possible.”
Source: Anon. (Posted @ tompeters.com by
K.Sriram, November 27, 2006 1:17 AM)
Life 101: A 40-year Reflection
Go on offense.
Give everybody a shot.
Decentralize.
Try a bunch of stuff.
Make it up as you go along.
Get some stuff wrong.
Laugh a lot.
Get some stuff right.
Become a “success.”
Extract “lessons learned” or “best practices.”
Thicken the Book of Rules for Success.
Become evermore serious.
Enforce the rules to increasingly tight tolerances.
Go on defense.
Install walls.
Protect-at-all-costs today’s franchise.
Centralize.
Calcify.
Install taller walls.
Write more rules.
Become irrelevant and-or die.
EXCELLENCE.
CIRCA 1982.
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”
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”
EXCELLENCE.
TOM. 2005.
Excellence2005: The Bedrock Baker’s Dozen
1. A Bias For Action Is Job One! (Construct a Discipline/Culture of EXECUTION!)
2. DECENTRALIZATION! ACCOUNTABILITY! (Tom’s “Top Two”, 1965-2005.)
3. Fail. Forward. Fast. (“Reward Excellent Failures, Punish Mediocre Successes.”)
4. “Metabolic Management” Matters! (Hustle! Adapt! EAT CHANGE! Win the
“O.O.D.A. Loop” War—Confuse Your Competitors!)
5. INNOVATE or Die. (“Game-changers” or Bust! Lead the Customer! Just Shout “NO” to Imitation!)
6. A Damn Good Product. (Pursue “Dramatic Difference.”)
7. A Damn Cool Product. (Design Rules!)
8. Ride the Value Added Curve to the Sky! (Sell “GamechangerSolutions”; Provide “Scintillating
Experiences”; Become a “Dream Merchant”; Strive to Be a “Lovemark.”)
9. Relentlessly Pursue the “Big Two” Markets.
(WOMEN Buy Everything
BOOMERS & GEEZERS Have All the Money!)
10. Best “Talent”/Roster Wins! (HR Rules! Everyone a Leader!
Women Lead Best!
“Weird” Matters Most! A Workplace to Brag About! Educate for Creativity!)
11. Wanted/Demanded: Radical Technology Strategies! (“Incrementalism” Is for Wimps!)
12. Hard Is Soft! Soft Is Hard! (People! Passion! Enthusiasm! Wow! INTEGRITY! TRUST!
Good Citizenship.)
13. Accept No Less Than EXCELLENCE!
Us Out of Bed in the Morning)
(Excellence, Pursuit thereof, Is the #1 Thing That Vaults
Successful Businesses’ Dozen Truths: TP’s 30-Year Perspective
1. Insanely Great & Quirky Talent.
2. Disrespect for Tradition.
3. Totally Passionate (to the Point of Irrationality) Belief in What
We Are Here to Do.
4. Utter Disbelief at the BS that Marks “Normal Industry Behavior.”
5. A Maniacal Bias for Execution … and Utter Contempt
for Those Who Don’t “Get It.”
6. Speed Demons.
7. Up or Out. (Meritocracy Is Thy Name. Sycophancy Is Thy Scourge.)
8. Passionate Hatred of Bureaucracy.
9. Willingness to Lead the Customer … and Take the Heat Associated
Therewith. (Mantra: Satan Invented Focus Groups to Derail True
Believers.)
10. “Reward Excellent Failures. Punish Mediocre Successes.”
11. Courage to Stand Alone on One’s Record of Accomplishment
Against All the Forces of Conventional Wisdom.
12. A Crystal Clear Understanding of the power of a Good Story
(Brand Power).
Everything You Need to Know about “Strategy”
1. Do you have awesome Talent … everywhere? (“We are the Yankees of home improvement here in Omaha.”) Do you
push that Talent to pursue Audacious Quests?
2. Is your Talent Pool loaded with wonderfully peculiar people who others would
call “problems”? And what about your Extended Community of customers, vendors et al?
3. Is your Board of Directors as cool as your product offerings … and does it have
50 percent (or at least one-third) Women Members?
4. Long-term, it’s a “Top-line World”: Is creating a “culture” that cherishes above all things Innovation and
Entrepreneurship your primary aim? Remember: Innovation … not Imitation!
5. Are the Ultimate Rewards heaped upon those who exhibit an unswerving “Bias for Action,” to quote the co-authors
of In Search of Excellence? Are your O.O.D.A. loops shorter than the next guy’s?
6. Do you routinely use hot, aspirational words-terms like “Excellence” and B.H.A.G. (Big Hairy Audacious Goal, per
Jim Collins) and “Let’s make a dent in the Universe” (the Word according to Steve Jobs)? Is “Reward excellent
failures, punish mediocre successes” your de facto or de jure motto?
7. Do you subscribe to Jerry Garcia’s dictum: “We do not merely want to be the best of the best, we want to be the
only ones who do what we do”?
8. Do you elaborate on and enhance Jerry G’s dictum by adding, “We subscribe to ‘Best Sourcing’—and only want to
associate with the ‘best of the best’.”
9. Do you embrace the new technologies with child-like enthusiasm and a revolutionary’s zeal?
10. Do you “serve” and “satisfy” customers … or “go berserk” attempting to provide every customer with an
“awesome experience” that does nothing less than transform the way she or he sees the world?
11. Do you understand … to your very marrow … that the two biggest under-served markets are Women and BoomersGeezers? And that to “take advantage” of these two Monster “Trends” (FACTS OF LIFE) requires fundamental realignment of the enterprise?
12. Are your leaders accessible? Do they wear their passion on their sleeves? Does integrity ooze out of every pore of
the enterprise? Is “We care” your implicit motto?
13. Do you understand business mantra #1 of the ’00s: DON’T TRY TO COMPETE
WITH WAL*MART ON PRICE OR CHINA ON COST? (And if you get this last idea, then see the 12 above!)
Ten Good Reasons to “Get Up in the Morning”
1. Empower one and all to vigorously seek WOW! in their work/projects. (Or else.) Foster
the “Brand You Spirit” and the “Entrepreneurial Urge” at every turn. (Or else.)
2. Blow up “education” as we know it today! Re-tool education to emphasize the arts,
creativity, entrepreneurial behavior. (Or else.)
3. Seek out the bold, the strange, the misfits, the dreamers—and welcome their presence
in our midst.
4. Drag enthusiasm, passion, Technicolor and bold commitment out of the closet! Make
Passion your Passion! (Hint: Passion makes the world go ‘round.)
5. Be a champion for: Women Roar! Women Rule!
6. Underscore the importance of/stupendous opportunities associated with the “cool new
markets”: Women, Boomers and Geezers, Hispanics, Greenies, Wellness.
7. Dramatically re-orient healthcare from after-the-fact “fixes” to before-the-fact attention
to prevention-Wellness. (And “kindly suggest” that the “acute-care” “industry” give
some passing thought to Quality.)
8. Ensure that the historically neglected “intangibles” are the prime basis for individual
and enterprise success.
9. Support Globalization as the best—if indeed messy—path to maximum human
freedom, security and welfare.
10. Swear by the motto: “Reward excellent failures; punish mediocre successes.”
This I Believe: Tom’s Super-TIB25
1. TECHNICOLOR Times.
2. Passion! Enthusiasm! Energy!
3. Action/R.F.A./O.O.D.A. Speed.
4. Screw-ups. BIG SCREW-Ups!
5. Mess! Improv!
6. Revolution! Re-imagine!
7. INNOVATE OR DIE!
8. Decentralize!
9. Bulk is BULL! (Mergers don’t work. FOCUS Does!)
10 “Different” > “Better”
11. eALL/Power Tools for Power Strategies!
12. Forgetting/Destruction.
13. Hot Language Matters!
14. WOW!/WOW Projects.
15. VA Bedrock: The “PSF.” (Professional Service Firm.)
16. Daring.
17. Talent Time! Leaders “Do” People!
18. Talent+/Diversity.
19. Talent++/Women Rule!
20. “Brand You” Universe.
21. Design!
22. Gasp-worthy Experiences/Lovemarks.
23. New Market Demographics/Women/Boomers & Geezers/Green/Wellness.
24. Grace.
25. EXCELLENCE!
EXCELLENCE.
TOM. 2007.
Hire Great People
(Resilient, Passionate)
Try a Lot of Stuff
(S.A.V./R.F.A.)
aCCEPT NO LESS THAN
EXCELLENCE/PURSUE Wow!
enjoy It While It Lasts
pursue a mission that rocks the world (Pharmaceuticals, Moldy basements)
Hire awesome/weird People for 100% of jobs (Resilient, Passionate) (Wegmans)
give ’em lots of room to experiment, fail, grow
make “respect” “decency” “integrity” our watchwords
Leaders “Serve.” (“Servant”/“Host” Leadership)
try a Lot of Stuff, fast tempo (S.A.V./Screw Around Vigorously,
R.F.A./Ready. Fire. Aim.)
Emphasize revenue (Organic growth, Sales/“Top line” rules)
have fun/exude joy
demand excellence/Make accountability instinctive
(“Insane” standards for our mates’ and community’s sake)
It’s all about Women! (Market, Leadership, Wealth, “Womenomics”)
never, never forget the “it” (It’s the PRODUCT, Stupid.)
25! (Go, Howard!) (Conrad says, “Don’t forget the shower curtain.)
be “of [‘gaspworthy’] service” (Cirque du Soleil is our standard—”even” in
finance.) (My customer is my partner.) (Remember “She”;
remember “Me” … the latter = Old & $$$. )
Create effective/imaginative/minimalist infrastructure
(K.I.S.S./Keep It Simple, Stupid; RED BUTTON on the terminal)
re-imagine as “routine” (Forget > Remember)
enjoy It While It Lasts
EXCELLENCE.
CAUSES.
ADVERSARIES.
Causes/1966-2006
Women/Market opportunity
Women/Leaders (right for the times)
Design/Design-as-soul
Wow! (Hot language)
Weird!
Passion!/Enthusiasm!/Exuberance! (as Leader Lever #1)
Brand You (or else)
PSF = Bedrock (add value or bust—every group must
demonstrate economic viability)
PSF + Brand You + WOW Projects = New Biz Logic
Sales/+R > -C (increasing revenue more important than cutting cost)
HealthCare/Wellness-Safety-H5N1
Brand = Talent (best roster wins)
New VA Ladder/Products-Services-SOLUTIONSEXPERIENCES-DREAMKETING (Dream Marketing)LOVEMARK
Different > > Better
Boomers & Geezers/marketing to new “mega-segment”
Adversaries
B-schools (crappy at soft skills, implementation, leadership)
Strategy-is-all
By-the-numbers management
Dis-passionate management
Focus groups
Intuition discounted
Leading as an intellectual task
Leading without passion
Cool language in Hot times
Dilbert (accepting cubicle slavery)
Bigness per se (severe scale limitations—even at Microsoft)
White guys! (not really, but enough already)
18-44 emphasis in marketing (geezers > youth for foreseeable future)
-Cost > +Revenue (cost cutting more important than organic revenue
growth)
CI (continuous improvement in an age of discontinuous world)
LESS THAN THE NO-HOLDS-BARRED PURSUIT OF
EXCELLENCE
Them-Us
“Them”
“Us”
Strategy
Planning
Marketing
Markets
Customers
Micro-segmentation
Cost minimization
Synergy/“Efficiencies”
“Strategic” supplier
Process
Effectiveness
Men
Leadership
Standardization
Big clients
Prestigious Board
EXECUTION
Action
Selling/Sales
Customers
Clients
Big Stuff (Women, Boomers)
Revenue maximization
Decentralization
Pioneering supplier
Project
Excellence
Women
Management + Leadership
Exceptionalism (53 = 53)
COOL clients
INTERESTING Board
“Them”
Big
Growth by merger
Buy market share
Efficient, streamlined
“department”
Certainty-predictability
Fearful of losing
Plan
Careful evaluation
Revised plan
People/Employees
Effective HR department
Benchmark against the
“best”-“industry leader”
“Us”
Mid-size
Organic growth
Create NEW markets
Value-creating “PSF”
Ambiguity-opportunity
Aggressive pursuit
of winning
Prototype
Another prototype
Another prototype
Talent
Rockin’ Talent
Development Center
of Excellence
Benchmark against the
“coolest”
“Them”
“Us”
Benchmark
Orderly career progression
Head
IQ
“Professional”
Stoic, humble leaders
“Future”mark
“Up or Out” (PDQ)
Heart
EQ
Passionate
Noisy, emotional
“characters” in charge
Hire for intangibles
Relentless, pig-headed
determination
Teamwork and disruptive
individuals equal billing
Lead customers
Intimate-Seamless
customer inter-twining
Hire for Resume
Measured-thoughtful
approach
Teamwork comes first
Listen to customers
Customer “involvement”
“Them”
MBM (Management
by memo)
MBA
Shareholder Value
comes first
Work smart
Built to last
Reward successes
“Us”
MBWA
MFA
Great people-product rule
Work hard
Built to Rock the World
Reward (EXCELLENT)
failures
Design 1T
Innovation 1T
Jaw-dropping Experience
Quality first!
Quality first
High-quality
transaction
CVs demo consistent CVs feature Magic Moments
performance
Good grades
Cool stuff
Operational excellence World-rocking INNOVATION
“Them”
Brand
Best analysis wins
“Beyond politics”
Outsource
“Motivate”
“Motivate”
Measured language
Product-Service
Pastel
Better
“Mission success”
Very good
“Us”
Lovemark
Best STORY wins
Politics-is-life, the
rest is details
Bestsource
Send on QUESTS
Invite
HOT language
Gamechanging SOLUTION,
Thrilling EXPERIENCE,
DREAM come true,
LOVEMARK
Technicolor
Different
“Mission EXCELLENCE”
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
TP’s
“23Passions”
by date:
1942-2006
Tom’s Passions
B>A* (R.F.A.) (*Behavior drives Attitude) … ’71-’06
Implementation = #1 … ’73-’77 (’06)
“Soft is Hard” (“Management Style”) … ’77-’79 (’06)
(Org) Structure>Strategy … ’77-’83 (’06)
Strategy-Structure+/ “McKinsey 7-S” Model ... ’77-’81
Action>Planning … ’74-’06
Mess = Reality ... ’77-’06
Skunkworks/Skunks (“Offline” Innovation/Innovators) … ’84-’91
MBWA … ’80-’85 (’06)
Excellence I … ’79-’84
Mid-size biz is cool … ’84-’89 (’06)
Customer service … ’84-’88
Innovation … ’87-’92
Free trade/Hayek … ’90-’92
New Org Models … ’92-’96
PSF … ’92-’06
WOW! (WOW Projects) … ’93-’06
Brand You … ’94-’00
Design … ’94-’06
Women (Markets-Leaders) … ’96-’06
EXCELLENCE II … ’06-??
Healthcare (Quality-Wellness-PatientCentric) … ’06-??
Exuberance-Passion (Soft is Hard) … ’42-’06
Worth.
The.
hassle.
Why I Work/Stuff I Care About
*“Hard is soft. Soft is hard.” Social stuff, Emotional stuff =
Good stuff = The Right Stuff!
*Mess = Normal = Reality. Rationality = Delusional.
Non-linearity = Life 101. (Embrace it! Design accordingly!)
*Failure = Normal/Necessary/Good! “Reward excellent failure.
Punish mediocre success.” “Fail faster. Succeed sooner.”
“Fail. Forward. Fast.” Fail. Sam Walton Secret #1: Fail. Fast.
*Do > Think. Act > Talk. Action bias! RELENTLESS
EXPERIMENTATION! R.F.A./Ready. Fire. Aim.
S.A.V./Screw Around Vigorously.
*Decentralization = Holy writ = More independent tries.
*Success for Mortals: Indirection. SkunkWorks. End Runs.
Parallel Universe. 4F/Find a Fellow Freak Faraway.
Demos. Heroes. Stories.
*The “Missing 98%”: Implementation-Execution.
*Strategic planning, limits thereto. Severe.
*Pitiful performance of Huge Companies. Needed: C.D.O./
Chief Destruction Officer.
*Severe limits to scale advantage. Mega-mergers = Stupid.
*“Built to last.” Why??? Instead: Built to change the world.
*People First! People Power! Best “Roster” Wins. HR (should)
rule! Leaders “DO” People! Respect-Appreciation Rules!
*Freaks for Freaky Times!
Why I Work/Stuff I Care About
*WOMEN’S WORLD!/WOMENOMICS! #1 MARKET! WEALTH/ALL!
LEADERS/BETTER! (Also: Boomers/Geezers/Many/Money.)
*Aesthetics! Beauty! Grace! (Design primacy.)
*MBWA! (Managing By Wandering Around.)
*Basics Rule: Don’t over-complicate. (Product, People, Action …)
*Educate for Risk-taking, Creativity, Independence.
*B-schools suck. Teach all … except what’s important.
D-School = Cool.
*Healthcare’s Big Three: Quality. Prevention. Wellness.
*R>C. (Adding Revenue > Cutting cost.) Help Wanted: C.R.O./
Chief Revenue Officer.
*S>M (Selling > Marketing.)
SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL!
*Free markets work! Free trade works! Rise of India-China =
Good thing. Respond with Excellent Performance: Add “insane”
amounts of value! Become a “Lovemark”!!
*Brand You. Self-reliance!! Mastery !! Liberation!!
*Survival = PSF/Professional Service Firm “mindset.” Goal #1:
Enable clients to become successful beyond their dreams!
*Fun! (“Cool” is Cool.)
*Service-obsessed!/Experience-obsessed! (Object: “Raving fans.”)
*PASSION-EXUBERANCE-ENTHUSIASM.
*“Hot” Language! WOW! Insanely great!
*EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
TOM PETERS.
THE DEAL.
Revolution-Transformation.
(No long runs on Broadway-Senility.)
“Soft”>“Hard.”
(Culture or Bust.)
Execution-Action.
(Do>Think.)
Clean Sheet of Paper.
(Web2.0, Transparency, New Org Form—Itinerant Potential Machines.)
PSF-Brand You-Wow Projects.
Up-Up-Up the VA Ladder.
(Gamechanging Solutions-Eyepopping Experiences-Dream Merchants-Lovemarks.)
Weird.
(Innovation “Easy.”)
Energy-Enthusiasm-Relentlessness.
Excellence. Always.
good words.
Bad words.
Words that may NOT be used in
my presence: “Motivate” …
“Market” … “MBA” … “Plan”
(mostly) … “Worker” … “Job” …
“Task” … “Exceeds
expectations” … “HR” …
“Employee evaluation” … “Man”
(mostly)
… “Shareholder Value”
Words that MAY be used in my presence: “Invite”
… “Sell” (v. “Market”) … “People” (we’d
like to serve) (v. “Market segment”) … “Client” (v.
“Customer”) “OJT/MFA” (v. “MBA”) … “Act”/ “Execute”
(v. “Plan”) … “Talent” (v. “Worker”) …
“Quest”/“Adventure-in-EXCELLENCE” (v. “Job”) …
“Wow Project” (v. “Task”) … “Rockin’ (profit-makin’)
PSF” (v. “Department”) … “Theater” (v. “Office”) …
“Breathtaking Experience” (v. “Transaction” that “Exceeds
expectations”) … “Talent Fanatics Inc” (v. “HR”) …
“Brand You adventure” (v “Career development”)
“Annual Report development session” … (v.
“Employee evaluation”) … “Woman” (v. “Man”) …
(v. “Motivate”)
Why in the
World did you
go to Siberia?
Synonyms
Purity
Transcendence
Virtue
Elegance
Majesty
Antonyms
Mediocrity
Enthusiasm.
Emotion. Excellence. Energy.
Excitement. Service. Growth.
Creativity. Imagination. Vitality.
Joy. Surprise. Independence.
Spirit. Community. Limitless
human potential. Diversity.
Profit. Innovation. Design.
Quality. Entrepreneurialism.
The Peters Principles:
Wow!
An
emotional, vital, innovative,
joyful, creative,
entrepreneurial endeavor
that elicits maximum
Enterprise* ** (*at its best):
concerted human
potential in the
wholehearted service of
others.**
**Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Communities, Owners, Temporary partners
An emotional,
vital, innovative, joyful,
creative, entrepreneurial
endeavor that elicits
maximum concerted
human potential in
the wholehearted
service of others.***
Enterprise* ** (*at its best):
**Excellence. Always.
***Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Communities, Owners, Temporary partners
The
Ultimate
Business:
Creative
Endeavor.
The
Ultimate
Business:
Personal
DevelopmentGrowth
Experience.
The
Ultimate
Business:
Transcendent
Service
Opportunity.
“BUSINESS
IS ABOUT
POWER.”
—Joanne Lipman,
editor, on
Portfolio
TP:
“BUSINESS
IS ABOUT ...”
“Make sure your executive team includes
top talent in design, engineering and
manufacturing, because that’s
your
only!
to build! Cars!
People! Want! to
buy!. Hot styling sells them and quality
priority—
keeps them sold.”
— Lee Iacocca,
Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
“enterprises that Matter & change the
game … offer solutions & experiences
that surprise , amaze, and transform
perceptions of what’s possible —and
stick like super-glue in customers’
minds.* such offerings are brilliantly
conceived and flawlessly delivered by
unconventional, creative, hypercommitted, energetic talent from within
& outside the organization.” —Tom Peters
E.g.: Apple, Whole Foods, Cirque du Soleil, Starbucks, Wegmans, London Drugs, Griffin
Hospital/Planetree Alliance, John Laing Homes, RE/MAX, Sewell Autos, Jim’s Group,
The Met/Big Picture, Virgin, Commerce Bank, Google, Basement Systems Inc.,
Ford (circa 1917), IBM (circa 1970), Wannamaker’s (circa 1880)
EXCELLENCE.
“the rules.”
Cause
Space
(worthy of commitment)
(room for/encouragement
for initiative)
Decency
(respect, humane)
Cause
Space
(worthy of commitment)
(room for/encouragement
for initiative-adventures)
Decency
(respect, grace,
integrity, humane)
service
(worthy of our clients’ & extended
family’s continuing custom)
excellence
(period)
Cause
Space
Decency
service
(worthy of commitment)
(room for/encouragement for initiative-adventures)
(respect, grace, integrity, humane)
(worthy of our clients’ & extended
family’s continuing custom)
excellence
servant leadership
(period)
Cause
Space
Decency
service
excellence
servant leadership
Hire Great People
(Resilient, Passionate)
Try a Lot of Stuff
(S.A.V./R.F.A.)
all “wow” all the time
Enjoy It While It Lasts
Tom’s “Change Rules”
Cause. (pissed off.)
Try it. (S.A.V.)
Fail. Forward. Fast.
Quests. Demos. Heroes. Stories.
Boonies. (Parallel universe.)
<12.
Just Say No: Normal.
Attitude>Ability.
Wow. “Insanely great.”
Sell! Sell! Sell!
Master politics!
pursue a mission that rocks the world
Moldy basements)
(Pharmaceuticals,
Hire awesome/weird People for 100% of jobs (Resilient, Passionate)
(Wegmans) (Women RULE!)
give ’em lots of room to experiment, fail, grow
make “respect” “decency” “integrity” our watchwords
try a Lot of Stuff, fast tempo (S.A.V./Screw Around Vigorously,
R.F.A./Ready. Fire. Aim.)
Emphasize revenue
(Organic growth, Sales/“Top line” rules)
have fun/exude joy
demand excellence/Make accountability instinctive
(“Insane” standards for our mates’ and community’s sake)
never, never forget the “it”
(It’s the PRODUCT, Stupid.) (25!)
be “of [‘gaspworthy’] service”
(Cirque du Soleil is our
standard— “even” in finance.) (My customer is my partner.)
(Remember “She”; remember “Me.”) (“Servant”/“Host” Leadership)
Have effective/imaginative/minimalist infrastructure
(K.I.S.S./Keep It Simple, Stupid) (Systems/No bull: beauty, grace, elegance)
re-imagine as “routine”
enjoy It While It Lasts
”
Excellence
“defined”
EG: An amazing performance
A sunrise, a bloom, a smile
“Thank you” (a gesture, an act of Grace)
Extraordinary performance in an odd place (by an
“unlikely” person—EWR) (unlikely market—Jim’s Group)
X small (Small Giants)
X med (Mittelstand)
X large
Sets the agenda
One at bat (Bobby Thompson, Kurt Gibson)
A career (Roger Clemens)
A novel, a short story, a sentence
An Olympian (any)
“Loser” with a great story (Rutgers, George Mason)
Stuff (any sort) that makes you go “wow “/ “insanely
great”/gaspworthy (“The lives of others”)
X + 5:
The “7Es”
Exuberance!
Energy!
Empathy!
Engagement!
Empowerment!
Execution!
Excellence!
The Sales 27: Out-prepare!! (huge time commitment!)
Learn the “culture”
Practice!
Care-Empathy
Listen-Empathetic listening (SC)
“Listen”-Body language
K.I.S.S. (1-page summary. 1 = 1.)
Enthusiasm-ENERGY-“Authenticity”!!
OBVIOUS belief in product
Selling: Solution-Success-Experience-Dream come true-Love-Dramatic Difference
Selling: Better STORY! (“Best story wins”)
Selling: Yourself! (Brand you)
“Obvious” Wow!
No exaggeration!
Spell out commitments!
SIMPLE timeline
Sell “inside”-First! Thorough!
Relationships-“Way down”!!
Time!!!! (E.g., build trust)
Ooze integrity
Introduce to rest of team, esp. “mechanics”
SBWA (5K for 5M)
Remember: Close!
Gotta-make-a-profit (be ready to walk away!)
“Good loss”
Don’t dis competitors!!
Make her-him-target SUCCESSFUL (in a personal way)
What “We” Know “For Sure” About Innovation
Big mergers [by & large] don’t work
Scale is over-rated
Strategic planning is the last refuge of scoundrels
Focus groups are counter-productive
“Built to last” is a chimera (stupid)
Success kills
“Forgetting” is impossible
Re-imagine is a charming idea
“Orderly innovation process” is an oxymoronic phrase
(= Believed only by morons with ox-like brains)
“Tipping points” are easy to identify …
long after they will do you any good
“Facts” aren’t
All information making it to the top is filtered
to the point of danger and hilarity
“Success stories” are the illusions of egomaniacs (and “gurus”)
If you believe the memoirs of CEOs you should be institutionalized
“Herd behavior” (XYZ is “hot”) is ubiquitous
… and amusing
“Top teams” are “Dittoheads”
CEOs have little effect on performance
“Expert” prediction is rarely better than rolling the dice
Tom’s source code:
The eight iconic
books which are the
Wellsprings
of my operating
values and core
assumptions
05.22.07
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life
and the Markets, Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable,
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We
know? Philip Tetlock
The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates
Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies, Scott Page
The Wisdom of Crowds,
James Surowiecki
Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to
Darwin, Stephen Jay Gould
Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases,
Kahneman, Paul Slovic, and Amos Tversky
Daniel
A Mind of Its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives,
Cordelia Fine
“This book
is about luck disguised and perceived as non-luck (that is, skills) and more
generally randomness disguised and perceived as non-randomness. It manifests
itself in the shape of the lucky fool, defined as a person who benefited from a
disproportionate share of luck but attributed his success to some other,
generally precise reason.”
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and the Markets, Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“A fox, the thinker who
knows many little things, draws from an eclectic array of disciplines, and is better
able to improvise in response to changing events, is more successful in
predicting the future than the hedgehog, who knows one big thing, toils devotedly
within one tradition, and imposes formulaic solutions on ill defined problems.”
Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We know? Philip Tetlock
The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies , Scott Page .
“Diverse groups of problem solvers—groups of people with diverse tools—
consistently outperformed groups of the best and the brightest. If I formed
two groups, one random (and therefore diverse) and one consisting of the best
individual performers, the first group almost always did better. … Diversity
trumped ability.”
The Wisdom of Crowds, James Surowiecki
Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin, Stephen Jay Gould
Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases, Daniel Kahneman, Paul Slovic, and Amos Tversky
“Your brain has some shifty
habits that leave the truth distorted and disguised. Your brain is vainglorious. It’s
emotional and immoral. It deludes you. It is pigheaded, secretive and weak willed.
Oh, and it’s also a bigot.”
A Mind of Its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives , Cordelia Fine
TP on Acquisitions
1. Big + Big = Disaster. (Statistically.)
2. Big (GE, Cisco, Omnicom) acquires small/specialist
= Good … if you can retain Top Talent.
3. Odds on achieving “projected synergies” among
Mixed Big “cultures”: 10%.
4. Max Scale Advantages are achieved at a smaller size
than imagined.
5. Attacked by Big, Mediocre Medium marries Mediocre
Medium to “bulk up.” Result: Big Mediocrity …
or worse.
6. Increasingly, Alliances deliver more value than
mergers—and clearly abet flexibility.
InnoTacs
revenue
matters
most
We become
who we hang
out with 1
Measure “Strangeness”/Portfolio Quality
Staff
Consultants
Vendors
Out-sourcing Partners (#, Quality)
Innovation Alliance Partners
Customers
Competitors (who we “benchmark” against)
Strategic Initiatives
Product Portfolio (LineEx v. Leap)
IS/IT Projects
HQ Location
Lunch Mates
Language
Board
futuremark
Planners
vs
Searchers
Find ’em!
invite ’em!
send ’em on
a quest!
Women as
innovation
force!
Concoct a
Parallel
universe!
Multipliers:
Broken
Windows
Multipliers, science of/butterflies/Rat Psych 101:
Broken Windows/safe city
Small plates/empty shelves/remote parking lot/
distant food court/slow elevator
Geologists/geophysicists
Contiguous offices/Office layout-location power
casual gathering places
“renegade” buildings
“Hang out factor”/inno #1
“hero galleries”/great art
welcoming reception area (Insta-smell culture)
b.P.d. decals on glasses/12.31.06
beyond escape: Bike at the door/
Running shoes next to the bed
etc
etc
Speed/
Tempo/
is-it
Speed/
Tempo/
o.o.d.a.
loops
Try it. Try it. Try it
ry it. Try it. Screw
up. Try it. Try it. Try
t. Try it. Try it. Try
t. Try it. Screw it up
t. Try it. Try it. try
SERIOUS
PLAY
Screw.
things.
try.
Miss.
Life 101: A 40-year Reflection
Go on offense.
Give everybody a shot.
Decentralize.
Try a bunch of stuff.
Make it up as you go along.
Get some stuff wrong.
Laugh a lot.
Get some stuff right.
Become a “success.”
Extract “lessons learned” or “best practices.”
Thicken the Book of Rules for Success.
Become evermore serious.
Enforce the rules to increasingly tight tolerances.
Go on defense.
Install walls.
Protect-at-all-costs today’s franchise.
Centralize.
Calcify.
Install taller walls.
Write more rules.
Become irrelevant and-or die.
No try.
No deal.
Try.
Try.
try.
Try.
Try.
Try.
Try.
try.
Try.
Try.
Try.
Try.
try.
Try.
Try.
Try.
Try.
try.
Try.
Try.
Try.
Try.
Focus.
Conscious
measurement
personal
Inno64:
Innovation
Strategies
& Tactics
Parallel universe /Exec Ed v res MBA
End run regnant powers/JKC
Find done deals-practicing mavericks/Stone-ReGo
Bell curves2016 in 2006
Non-industry benchmarking
Everything = Portfolio
V.C.s all!
Hot language/Wow-Astonish me-Insanely
great-immortal-Make something great
Lead customers/PW-Embraer
Lead suppliers /Top decile R&D
Weird alliances
Mottos/Paul Arden (“Whatever You Think
Think the Opposite”)
Hire freaks/Enough weird people?
Weird Boards!!!
CEO track record of Innovation (nobody
starts at 45! Or 35!)
System/GE-Immelt
“Strategic thrust overlay”
Calendar
Big Delta easier than Small
MBWA with freaks-weirdos/JKC
MBWA/Boonies’ labs
V.C.-formal/Intel
Acquire weird
Children’s crusade
Old farts crusade
Go Global at any size
Stop listening to customers
Talent!/Unusual sources-Hire innovators-V.C.s
Eschew giant mergers
Remember: scale economies max out early
Assisted suicide! (“Built to last” = Chimerasnare-delusion)
Burn your press clippings
“Forgetting” “strategy”
Fire all strategic planners
Tempo!
Final product bears little relation to starting
notion
Design! Design! Design! (“culture,” not
program)
All innovation: Pissed-off people
Gut feel rules!
Focus groups suck
Weird focus groups okay
Be-Do philosophy
Celebrations
Culture-little as well as big Inno (“everyonean-innovator”)
Life = Wow Projects
Acknowledge messiness-pursue serendipity
(Blitzkrieg-Containers-Science-Jim
Utterback)
R.F.A.
Culture of execution
4/40: decentralization, execution,
accountability, 615AM
EVP (S.O.U.B.)/Systems-process “un-design”
Diversity for diversity’s sake
Women-Women-Women/customers (they
“are the market,” not a “segment”)-leaders
Boomers-Geezers (“all the money”)
CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) “culture”/topline obsessed
CIO (Chief INNOVATION Officer)
Laughter
Facility-space configuration
Experiments-prototypes
“Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre
successes.”
Bizarrely high incentives (& penalties)
We are what we eat/We are who we hang out
with (E.g.: Staff-Consultants-Vendors-Out-sourcing
Partners/#, Quality-Innovation Alliance PartnersCustomers-Competitors/who we “benchmark” against
-Strategic Initiatives -Product Portfolio/LineEx v. LeapIS/IT Projects-HQ Location-Lunch Mates-LanguageBoard)
Driven by anger!! (not “focus groups”)
Great “vision,” no “strategic plan”
Whoops: conflicting “vision/s”
Execution (& vision) (“Dreamers with deadlines”)
Opportunistic
Insane optimism
Failure after failure; disappointment after disappointment
(secret to staying power: Stay pissed off!!)
Plan B rules
Changing cadres
Opportunistic alliances (here today, gone tomorrow)
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend”
Creating events and groups to serve a momentary need
Warring leaders (Freud-Jung)
Petulance (human frailty amidst a Great Struggle)
Agile re goal w/o sacrificing Vision
Go underground for long stretches
Patience (72 years) & impatience
Relentless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (WSC: “Success stems from the ability
to go from failure without losing your enthusiasm”)
Hustle (Seneca Falls, ’48: 5 days)
Fits & starts
Traitors-deserters
Radicals (“good”—MLKjr)
Radicals (“disruptive”—Stokely)
Moderates
Mentors
Schisms
Setbacks (again & again & again—incl lost ground)
(“2-9” = Great record)
“Get off” on the “politics” (TP: “Life is politics—
the rest is details.”)
Managing the goal down to get to the doable (but not losing
sight of the main game in the process)
Small wins
“Externalities” (Civil War)
Small Band of Sisters (<10; Seneca Falls 1848)
Coherent, factual, emotional story
Story altered at the margin to attract specific adherents
Story tellers (superb, relentless public communicators)
Agility (Plan B)
Relentless
Resilient
Optimistic (Unreasonably so)
Pissed Off
“Visionary”
Try It. Try it. Try it. …
Action > Plans
Virus
Small Wins
Demos-Heroes-Stories
Wee Gestures of Decency-Thoughtfulness
Politics >> Science (Get over it!)
Think: R.O.I.R. (Networker)
Sales Rules!
Passion (incl. speaking skills)
Women (Lead Local Change Agents)
Women Leaders (Woman to Woman)
What “We” Know “For Sure” About Innovation
Big mergers [by & large] don’t work
Scale is over-rated
Strategic planning is the last refuge of scoundrels
Focus groups are counter-productive
“Built to last” is a chimera (stupid)
Success kills
“Forgetting” is impossible
Re-imagine is a charming idea
“Orderly innovation process” is an oxymoronic phrase
(= Believed only by morons with ox-like brains)
“Tipping points” are easy to identify …
long after they will do you any good
“Facts” aren’t
All information making it to the top is filtered
to the point of danger and hilarity
“Success stories” are the illusions of egomaniacs (and “gurus”)
If you believe the memoirs of CEOs you should be institutionalized
“Herd behavior” (XYZ is “hot”) is ubiquitous
… and amusing
“Top teams” are “Dittoheads”
CEOs have little effect on performance
“Expert” prediction is rarely better than rolling the dice
Tom’s “Change Rules”
Cause. (pissed off.)
Try it. (S.A.V.)
Fail. Forward. Fast.
Quests. Demos. Heroes. Stories.
Boonies. (Parallel universe.)
<12.
Just Say No: Normal.
Attitude>Ability.
Wow. “Insanely great.”
Sell! Sell! Sell!
Master politics!
Tom’s “Change Rules”
Cause. (Pissed off.)
RELENTLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Try it. (S.A.V.) (r.f.a.) (hustle.)
project. Project. Project.
Wow! (hot language.)
fun. (growth opportunities.)
Sky-high aspirations.
Fail. Forward. Fast.
“SMALL WINS.” MOMENTUM. INEVITABILITY.
Quests. Demos. Heroes. Stories.
STATISTICAL INDEPENDENCE. (DIVERSITY.)
Boonies. (Parallel universe. Test stuff. Buy WeeCo)
V.C.: Roster = portfolio. everything = portfolio.
Roster = brand yous.
PARTNER WITH WIERDOS. (everywhere.)
Diversity @ top.
Buy a mirror.
FRUSTRATED “GODFATHER.”
<12.
ALREADY IN PLACE/find ’em.
JUST Say No: NORMAL.
wikiWorld.
Attitude > Ability.
Wow. “Insanely great.”
Sell! Sell! Sell! (master-appreciate politics) (r.o.i.r.)
(Decentralization/Execution/Accountability/6:15A.M.)
DECENTRALIZATION.
EXECUTION.
ACCOUTABILITY.
6:15A.M.
De-central-iza-tion!
Ex-ecu-tion!
Ac-counta-bil-ity!
6:15A.M.
DECENTRALIZATION.
EXECUTION.
ACCOUTABILITY.
2a.m.
*Planetree! Commerce! Cirque!
(Pianos! Dog biscuits!)
*Jerry Garcia … or bust (“only ones
who do what we do,” “insanely
great,” “radically thrilling,”
“gaspworthy.”)
*Think/Obsess Wegmans! (Staff: #1;
the Manager’s Handbook of
Decencies; “Kindness is free.”)
*Leaders serve. (Leader as host.)
*”Wow” is free, too.
*Hire nut cases (the “O for 800” rule
holds for DDB)
Excellence: The SE22:
ORIGINS OF
SUSTAINABLE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SE22/Origins of Sustainable Entrepreneurship
1. Genetically disposed to Innovations that upset apple carts (3M, Apple,
FedEx, Virgin, BMW, Sony, Nike, Schwab, Starbucks, Oracle, Sun,
Fox, Stanford University, MIT)
2. Perpetually determined to outdo oneself, even to
the detriment of today’s $$$ winners (Apple, Cirque du Soleil, Nokia, FedEx)
3. Treat History as the Enemy (GE)
4. Love the Great Leap/Enjoy the Hunt (Apple, Oracle, Intel, Nokia, Sony)
5. Use “Strategic Thrust Overlays” to Attack Monster Problems (Sysco,
GSK, GE, Microsoft)
6. Establish a “Be on the COOL Team” Ethos. (Most PSFs, Microsoft)
7. Encourage Vigorous Dissent/Genetically “Noisy” (Intel, Apple,
Microsoft, CitiGroup, PepsiCo)
8.
“Culturally” as well as
organizationally Decentralized
(GE, J&J, Omnicom)
9. Multi-entrepreneurship/Many Independent-minded Stars (GE, PepsiCo)
SE22/Origins of Sustainable Entrepreneurship
10. Keep decentralizing—tireless in pursuit of wiping out
Centralizing Tendencies (J&J, Virgin)
11. Scour the world for Ingenious Alliance Partners—
especially exciting start-ups (Pfizer)
12. Acquire for Innovation, not Market Share (Cisco, GE)
13. Don’t overdo “pursuit of synergy” (GE, J&J, Time Warner)
14. Execution/Action Bias: Just do it … don’t obsess on
how it “fits the business model.” (3M, J & J)
15. Find and Encourage and Promote Strong-willed/
Hyper-smart/Independent people (GE, PepsiCo, Microsoft)
16. Support Internal Entrepreneurs (3M, Microsoft)
17. Ferret out Talent anywhere/“No limits” approach to
retaining top talent (Virgin, GE, PepsiCo)
SE22/Origins of Sustainable Entrepreneurship
18. Unmistakable Results & Accountability focus from
the get-go to the grave (GE, New York Yankees, PepsiCo)
19. Up
or Out (GE, McKinsey, big consultancies and law
firms and ad agencies and movie studios in general)
20. Competitive to a fault! (GE, New York Yankees, News
Corp/Fox, PepsiCo)
21. “Bi-polar” Top Team, with “Unglued” Innovator #1,
powerful Control Freak #2 (Oracle, Virgin) (Watch out when
#2 is missing: Enron)
22. Masters of Loose-Tight/Hard-nosed about a very few
Core Values, Open-minded about everything else
(Virgin)
The Value-added Ladder/ STUFF ‘N’ THINGS
Goods
Raw Materials
The Value-added Ladder/Stuff & TRANSACTIONS
Services
Goods
Raw Materials
The Value-added Ladder/ OPPORTUNITY-SEEKING
Customer Success/
Gamechanging
Solutions
Services
Goods
Raw Materials
The Value-added Ladder/ OPPORTUNITY-SEEKING
Implemented
Gamechanging
Solutions
Services
Goods
Raw Materials
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”
The PSF35: The Client Experience
11. Always team with client: “full partners in
achieving memorable results” (Wanted: “Chimeras
of Moonstruck Minds”!)
12. We will seek assistance Anywhere to assemble the Best-inPlanet Team for the Project
13. Client Team Members routinely declare that working with us
was “the Peak Experience of my Career”
14. The job’s not done until implementation is
“100.00% complete” (Those who don’t “get it” must go)
IMPLEMENTATION IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL
THE CLIENT HAS EXPERIENCED “CULTURE
CHANGE”
16. IMPLEMENTATION IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL
SIGNIFICANT “TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER HAS
TAKEN PLACE-ROOT (“Teach a man to fish …”)
17. The Final Exam: DID WE MAKE A DRAMATIC,
LASTING, GAME-CHANGING DIFFERENCE?
15.
The PSF35: The People & The Leadership
18. TALENT FANATICS (“Best-Coolest place to work”) (PERIOD)
19. EYE FOR THE PECULIAR (Hiring: Go beyond “same old,
same old”)
20. Early Opportunities (vs. “Wait your turn”)
21. Up or Out (Based on “Legacy”/Mentoring as much as
“Billings”/“Rainmaking”)
22. Slide the Old Aside/Make Room for Youth (Find oldsters
new roles?)
23. TALENT IS OBSESSED WITH RENEWAL FROM DAY #1 TO
DAY #“R” [R = Retirement]
24. Office/Practice Leaders Evaluated Primarily on
Mentoring-Team Building Skills
25. A “PROPRIETARY” TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS (GE)
26. Team Leadership Skills Valued Early
27. Partner with B.I.W. [Best In World] Outsiders as Needed
and to Infuse Different Views
The PSF35: The Firm & The Brand
28. EAT-SLEEP-BREATHE-OOZE
is my message”—Gandhi)
INTEGRITY (“My life
29. Excellence+ in EXECUTION … 100.00% of the Time
30. “Drop everything”/“Swarm” to Support a Harried-On
The Verge Team
31. SPEND
ON R&D LIKE A TECH FIRM.
32. A PROPRIETARY METHODOLOGY (FBR, McKinsey,
Chiat Day, IDEO, old EDS)
33. BRAND
MANIACS (Organize Around a Point of View Worth
BROADCASTING)
34. PASSION!
35.
ENTHUSIASM!
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
(1) Translate ALL departmental
activities into discrete
W.W.P.F. “Products.”
(2) 100% go on the Web.
(3) Non-awesome are
outsourced (75%??).
(4) Remaining “Centers of
Excellence” are retained &
leveraged to the hilt!
Static/Imitative
Integrity.
Quality.
Continuous Improvement.
Superior Service (Exceeds Expectations.)
Completely Satisfactory Transaction.
Smooth Evolution.
Market Share.
Dynamic/Different
Dramatic Difference!
Disruptive!
Insanely Great! (Quality++++)
Life-(Industry-)changing Experience!
Game-changing!
WOW!
Surprise!
Delight!
Breathtaking!
Punctuated Equilibrium!
Market Creation!
EXCELLENCE =
Flawless EXECUTION
+ Continuous IMPROVEMENT
+ Brilliantly Trained PEOPLE
+
Gamechanging QUESTS +
WEIRD Rosters +
GASPWORTHY Results
EXCELLENCE =
Flawless EXECUTION
+ Continuous IMPROVEMENT
+ Brilliantly Trained PEOPLE
+
Gamechanging QUESTS +
WEIRD Rosters +
GASPWORTHY Results
Psf.
Bedrock.
PSF/Professional Service Firm/Beliefs
Profession: Calling/Passion to make a
difference/Excellence (always)
point of view: know exactly what we
stand for/
“Dramatic Difference”
Client: enduring, test-the-limits
relationship/Trusted advisor
Solution: Rock His-her World/ “wow”/
implemented “Culture change”/
>>>>>> “satisfaction”
Big Idea:
“Corporation” as
Mega-“PSF”
(Professional Service
Firm*)
* “Virtual” Collection of Entrepreneurially-minded
Professionals (“Talent”/“Roster”) Creating/Applying
Intellectual Capital (“Work Product”)
Core Mechanism:
“Game-changing Solutions”
Brand You(S)
(“Distinct” or “Extinct”/The Talent)
+
Wow! Project(s)
(“Different” vs “Better”/The Work)
=
PSF(S)
(Professional Service Firm “model”/The Organizing Principle)
=
“Corporation” as
“Mega-PSF”
The FEVP/Fundamental Enterprise Value-Added
Proposition-Equation/Mark2007
(1) 100% “WOW PROJECTS”
(New Org “DNA”/“The Work”)
+
(2) Incredible “TALENT” Transformed into
(3) Entrepreneurial “BRAND YOUs” and
(4) Given Room-to-Roam & Launched on
Awesome “QUESTS”
=
(5) Internal “Rockin’ PSFs” (Staff Depts. Morphed into
Wildly Innovative Professional Service Firms) …
(6) Which Coalesce to Transform the FEVP/Fundamental Enterprise
Value Proposition from “Superior Products & Services” to
“ENCOMPASSING SOLUTIONS” &
“GAME-CHANGING CLIENT SUCCESS”
Big Idea/“Meta”-Idea/Premier “Engine of Value Added”
(1) The Talent: “Best Roster” of Entrepreneurialminded Brand Yous.
(2) The (Virtual) Organization: Internal or
External “PSF”/Professional Service Firm
working with “Best Anywhere” = Engine of
Value Added through the Application of Creative
“Intellectual Capital”
(3) The Work Product: “Game Changer”/
“Gaspworthy” WOW Projects
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!)
Subversive Change
Be(very)ware “genetic constraints” (history’s looong arm)
You must “do” Gandhi
Hire weird (fulltime or temp)
Find the extant crazies (troll for them via offers to join
weird project teams)
Create a (quiet) “Crazies Club”/Keep extendin’ the Web
Create “boondocks projects” by the truckload (with
partners of every flavor)
Understand: Yours is a “protection racket”
Sky High Standards!! (There’s a deadly serious reason for
“all this”—life or death)
TP Heroes: Allan Puckett; Bob Stone; Jill Ker Conway;
Kelly Johnson; John Boyd
The Value-added Ladder/ MEMORABLE CONNECTION
Spellbinding
Experiences
Gamechanging Solutions
Services
Goods
Raw Materials
Words!
— Magician of Magical Moments
— Maestro of Moments of Truth
— Recruiter of Raving Fans
— Impresario of First Impressions
— Wizard of WOW
— Captain of Brilliant Comebacks
— Director of Electronic Customer Experiences
— Conductor of Customer Intimacy
— King of Customer Community
— Queen of Customer Retention
— CEO of Ownership Experience
— Managing Director of After-sales Experience
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
The “Small Guys” Guide: Wallop Wal*Mart16
*Hands-on, emotional leadership. (“We are a great &
cool & intimate & joyful & dramatically different team working to
transform our Clients lives via Consistently Incredible
Experiences!”)
*A community
out of it!)
star! (“Sell” local-ness per se. Sell the hell
*An
incredible experience, from the first to last
moment—and then in the follow-up! (“These guys
are cool! They ‘get’ me! They love me!”)
*DESIGN DRIVEN! (“Design” is a premier weapon-inpursuit-of-the sublime for small-ish enterprises, including the
professional services.)
The “Small Guys” Guide: Wallop Wal*Mart16
*Employer of choice. (A very cool, well-paid
place to work/learning and growth experience in at
least the short term … marked by notably progressive
policies.) (THIS IS EMINENTLY DO-ABLE!!)
*Sophisticated
use of information
technology. (Small-“ish” is no excuse for “small
aims”/execution in IS/IT!)
*Web-power! (The Web can make very small very
big … if the product-service is super-cool and one
purposefully masters buzz/viral marketing.)
*Innovative! (Must keep renewing and expanding
and revising and re-imagining “the promise” to
employees, the customer, the community.)
The “Small Guys” Guide: Wallop Wal*Mart16
*Brand-Lovemark* (*Kevin Roberts) Maniacs!
(“Branding” is not just for big folks with big budgets. And modest
size is actually a Big Advantage in becoming a local-regionalniche “lovemark.”)
*Focus
*
on women-as-clients. (Most don’t. How stupid.)
Excellence!
(A small player … per me …
has no right or reason to exist unless they are in Relentless
Pursuit of Excellence. One earns the right—one damn day and
client experience at a time!—to beat the Big Guys in your chosen
niche!)
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)
GREAT Logo.
DESIGN!
“OVERDO” Marketing Materials.
WOMEN Roar. WOMEN Rule. WOMEN Buy.
Diversity = $$$$$$
Be RELENTLESS. Cut And RUN.
Product Includes-Features the PACKAGING.
Define Your DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE (R.P.O.V.8)
Best STORY Wins.
DRESS For Success.
First Goal: AMUSE Yourself.
Know YOURSELF.
DON’T Do Stuff You Hate.
“Over-invest” In RELATIONSHIPS.
(R.O.I.R.: Return On Investment in Relationships)
SYSTEMATICALLY “Manage” Relationships.
“Work” The SUPPORT PEOPLE In Client Orgs.
BLOG As If Your Life Depended On It.
SOPHISTICATED Use Of Infotech.
RESPONSE To Problems.
Make ’Em PAY.
CLOSE The Sale.
Invest BIGTIME In PR.
Media FRIENDLY.
Live-To-SCHMOOZE.
Fun/Laughter = $$$$
MBWA: Stay In Touch.
“You Must Be The Change You Wish
To See In The World”/GANDHI
5K For 5M.
Your CALENDAR Never Lies.
OUT: Pastels. IN: Technicolor
JUST SAY “NO” TO C.E.O.: CIO/Chief Innovation
Officer. CSO/Chief Sales Officer. CWO/
Chief Wow Officer
EXCELLENCE Is Very Cool.
“MICRO-MANAGE” Your Reputation.
Wear Your Integrity On Your SLEEVE.
KEEP Your Promises.
EXECUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“A Man Without A Smiling Face
MUST NOT Open His Shop.”
RECOGNITION!
Work HARD, Not Smart.
“Insanely Great.” THE STANDARD.
Small Giants:
Companies That
Choose To Be
Great Instead
Of Big
—by Bo Burlingham
Small Giants/Bo Burlingham
"First, I could see that, unlike most entrepreneurs,
their founders and leaders had recognized the full
range of choices they had about the type of company
they would create."
"Second, the leaders had overcome the enormous
pressures on successful companies to take paths they
had not chosen and did not necessarily want to follow."
"Third, each company had an extraordinarily intimate
relationship with the local city, town, or county in
which it did business -- a relationship that went well
beyond the usual concept of `giving back.'"
"Fourth, they cultivated exceptionally intimate
relationships with customers and suppliers, based on
personal contact, one-on-one interaction, and mutual
commitment to delivering on promises."
Small Giants/Bo Burlingham
"Fifth, the companies also had what struck me as
unusually intimate workplaces."
"Sixth, I was impressed by the variety of corporate
structures and modes of governance that these
companies had come up with."
"Finally, I noticed the passion that the leaders brought
to what the company did. They loved the subject
matter, whether it be music, safety lighting, food,
special effects, constant torque hinges, beer, records
storage, construction, dining, or fashion."
Planetree:
A Radical Model for New
Healthcare/Healing/
Wellness Excellence
The 9 Planetree Practices
1. The Importance of Human Interaction
2. Informing and Empowering Diverse Populations: Consumer
Health Libraries and Patient Information
3. Healing Partnerships: The importance of Including
Friends and Family
4. Nutrition: The Nurturing Aspect of Food
5. Spirituality: Inner Resources for Healing
6. Human Touch: The Essentials of Communicating
Caring Through Massage
7. Healing Arts: Nutrition for the Soul
8. Integrating Complementary and Alternative Practices
into Conventional Care
9. Healing Environments: Architecture and Design
Conducive to Health
Source: Putting Patients First, Susan Frampton, Laura Gilpin, Patrick Charmel
The Value-added Ladder/ MEMORABLE CONNECTION
Spellbinding
Experiences
Gamechanging Solutions
Services
Goods
Raw Materials
Better By Design
The Design49
Tom
Peters/Auckland/30March2005
Better By Design: Tom’s Design49
1. There are only 2 rules.
2. Rule #1: You can’t beat Wal*Mart on price or China on cost.
3. Rule #2: See Rule #1.
4. Econ Survival = Innovate and Sprint Up the Value-added
Chain … OR DIE!
5. DESIGN (WRIT LARGE) (“DESIGN MINDFULNESS”) IS THE
“SOUL”/ENGINE OF THE NEW VALUE-ADDED IMPERATIVE.
6. Design as Soul-Core Competence #1 is a “cultural imperative,” not
a “programmatic” or “process” or
“throw $$$ at it” issue!
7. CDEs (Culturally Design-driven Enterprises) use DesignExperiences-Dream Merchantry-Lovemarks as the Lead
Dog(s) in the OlympianInnovation-“Strategy”-Value
Proposition Struggle.
8. “Dream Merchant” makes as much sense for IBM or GE or UPS as
for Starbucks!
Better By Design: Tom’s Design49
9. At CDEs, Design is the Heart of the “Emotional Branding”
Process.
10. CDEs wholeheartedly embrace ideas such as “mystery,”
“surprise,” sensuality.”
11. CDEs love “WOW!” and “B.H.A.G.” and “Insanely Great”
and “Gasp-worthy” and “Passion” and “Love”! (Axiom: Extreme
language breeds extreme products and services.)
12. Staff at CDEs laugh and cry a lot! (Axiom: “Calm” enterprise =
Crappy enterprise.)
13. CDEs love “strange” and “weird.”
14. CDEs scour the earth for “strange” and “weird” people. (CDEs
know: FREAKS RULE!)
15. CDEs are “extremists.” (KR: “Avoid moderation.”)
16. CDEs know that … EXCELLENCE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
(We must use non-linear measures!)
Better By Design: Tom’s Design49
17. CDEs seek Discontinuities. (JG: “We don’t want to be the best of
the best, we want to be the only ones who do what we do.”)
18. CDEs are “respectful” of their customers, but not slaves to their
customers! CDEs … LEAD THEIR CUSTOMERS! (Axioms: “Listening
to customers” is over-rated! Focus groups suck!)
19. But: “Lead” customers are an entirely different matter!
20: Yet: CDEs turn “customers” into “Raving Fans.” (Think: “Tattoo
Brand”!)
21. CDEs abide by Phil Daniels’ Credo: “REWARD EXCELLENT
FAILURES. PUNISH MEDIOCRE SUCCESSES.”
22. At CDEs the Design Director is at least an Exec Vice President, a
Member of the Senior Executive Team, perhaps on the Board, and
has an office within 10 meters of the CEO (unless she is the CEO).
23. Design Directors at large companies not worth $5,000,000
per year aren’t worth hiring! (DD$21M.)
Better By Design: Tom’s Design49
24. Great Designers are “10,000X” better than “good designers.”
25. At CDEs CFOs are never former CFOs! The CEO always doubles
as the Chief Innovation Officer.
26. CDEs are “Top-line Obsessed.”
27. CDE execs know there is a chasm between “excellent design”
and “game-changer design.”
28. Gasp-worthy design is a moving target!
29. No Broadway shows last forever. So too, great designers!
(Hire them! Pay them! Cherish them! Nurture them! Fire them!)
30. Great design wrestles incessantly with the issue of “cool”
and/versus “usability.”!
31. Designers “get” the stunning principles of Wabi Sabi. (Great
designers side with Chris Alexander against the A.I.A.)
32. CDEs “get” the “feminine side” of life.
Better By Design: Tom’s Design49
33. CDEs Know I: WOMEN BUY EVERYTHING!
34. CDEs Know II: MEN ARE INCAPABLE OF DESIGNING PRODUCTS
FOR WOMEN.
35. CDEs understand that “We’re getting’ older”—and vigorously
embrace the Boomer-Geezer market.
36. CDEs understand: Boomers-Geezers have “ALL THE MONEY” …
are by and large healthy … and have 20 or so years left!
37. CDEs wonder: Can 28-year-olds design “experiences” for 68-yearolds?
38. CDEs seek the sweetest “sweet spot”: Woman-Boomer-GreenieWellness.
39. “Design-mindfulness” is as apparent in the CDE’s facilities as in
its products-services!
Better By Design: Tom’s Design49
40. “Design mindfulness” is as apparent in HR and
Engineering and Logistics and IS/IT as in NPD.
41. CDEs will settle for nothing less then “beautiful,” “gaspworthy” Business Processes/Infrastructure!
42. CDEs obsess on K.I.S.S. (Beware creeping feature-itis!)
(450/8.)
43. “Design-mindfulness”/“aesthetic sensibility” is a requisite
for Every Hire—including waiters and waitresses in Fast Food
outlets and Housekeepers in hotels.
44. Gasp-worthy Design is as essential to “service
companies” as to “manufacturers.”
45. Gasp-worthy design can transform any “commodity,”
including ag!
Better By Design: Tom’s Design49
46. DESIGN MANIA IS A NATIONAL ECONOMIC ISSUE OF
THE FIRST ORDER.
47. “Small” is no disadvantage in an Age of Creativity!
48. There is no such thing as a “National Design
Advantage” unless the current school system is Destroyed
& Re-imagined—to emphasize creativity and risk-taking and
acceptance of failure. (Design Mindfulness … the
suppression thereof … typically begins at Age 4.)
49.
How sweet it is!
(If your head is screwed on right.)
First Steps: “Beauty Contest”!
1. Select one form/document:
invoice, airbill, sick leave policy,
customer returns claim form.
2. Rate the selected doc on a scale of
1 to 10 [1 = Bureaucratica
Obscuranta/Sucks; 10 = Work of
Art] on four dimensions:
Beauty. Grace.
Clarity. Simplicity.
3. Re-invent!
4. Repeat, with a new selection,
every 15 working days.
The Value-added Ladder/ EMOTION
Dreams Come True
Spellbinding Experiences
Gamechanging Solutions
Services
Goods
Raw Materials
The Marketing of Dreams (Dreamketing)
Dreamketing: Touching the clients’ dreams.
Dreamketing: The art of telling stories
and entertaining.
Dreamketing: Promote the dream,
not the product.
Dreamketing: Build the brand around
the main dream.
Dreamketing: Build the “buzz,” the
“hype,” the “cult.”
Source: Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni
Six Market Profiles
1. Adventures for Sale
2. The Market for Togetherness,
Friendship and Love
3. The Market for Care
4. The Who-Am-I Market
5. The Market for Peace of Mind
6. The Market for Convictions
Rolf Jensen/The Dream Society: How the Coming Shift from
Information to Imagination Will Transform Your Business
Six Market Profiles
1. Adventures for Sale/ IBM-UPS
2. The Market for Togetherness, Friendship
and Love/ IBM-UPS
3. The Market for Care/ IBM-UPS
4. The Who-Am-I Market/ IBM-UPS
5. The Market for Peace of Mind/ IBM-UPS
6. The Market for Convictions/ IBM-UPS
Rolf Jensen/The Dream Society: How the Coming Shift from
Information to Imagination Will Transform Your Business
The Value-added Ladder/ ECSTASY
Lovemark
Dreams Come True
Spellbinding Experiences
Services
Goods
Raw Materials
Brand …………………………………………………. Lovemark
Recognized by consumers ………………. Loved by People
Generic ………………………………………………… Personal
Presents a narrative ………………….. Creates a Love story
The promise of quality ……………… A touch of Sensuality
Symbolic ………………………………………………….. Iconic
Defined ………………………………………………….. Infused
Statement ………………………………………………….. Story
Defined attributes ……………………... Wrapped in Mystery
Values ………………………………………………………. Spirit
Professional …………………………... Passionately Creative
Advertising agency ………………………….. Ideas company
Source: Kevin Roberts, Lovemarks
Top 10 “Tattoo Brands”*
Harley .… 18.9%
Disney .... 14.8
Coke …. 7.7
Google .... 6.6
Pepsi .... 6.1
Rolex …. 5.6
Nike …. 4.6
Adidas …. 3.1
Absolut …. 2.6
Nintendo …. 1.5
*BRANDsense: Build Powerful Brands through Touch,
Taste, Smell, Sight, and Sound, Martin Lindstrom
Ladder.2007: 4 of 7!
Lovemark
Dreams Come True
Spellbinding Experiences
Gamechanging Solutions
Services
Goods
Raw Materials
New (4 of 7) Value-added “Ladder”:
Plays to Women’s Inherent Strengths!
Lovemark/F
Dreams Come True/F
Spellbinding Experiences/F
Gamechanging Solutions/F
Services/F
Goods/M
Raw Materials/M
women
BOOMERS
?????????
Home Furnishings … 94%
Vacations … 92% (Adventure Travel … 70%/ $55B travel equipment)
Houses … 91%
D.I.Y. (major “home projects”) … 80%
Consumer Electronics … 51% (66% home computers)
Cars … 68% (90%)
All consumer purchases … 83%
Bank Account … 89%
Household investment decisions … 67%
Small business loans/biz starts … 70%
Health Care … 80%
USA/F.Stats: Short ’n (Very) Sweet
>50% of stock ownership, $13T total wealth (2X in 15 years)
>$7T consumer & biz spending (>50% GDP; > Japan GDP);
>80% consumer spdg (Consumer = 70% all spdg)
57% BA degrees (2002); = ed & social strata, no wage gap
60% Internet users; >50% primary users of
electronic equipment
>50% biz trips
WimBiz: Employees > F500; 10M+: 33% all US Biz
Pay from 62% in 1980 to 80% today; equal if education,
social status, etc are equal
60% work; 46M (divorced, widowed, never married)
Source: Fara Warner, The
Power of the Purse
Women > 50% of Household Income in >50% of households.
In 48% of the 55% of households/married couples, women
provide >50% of income. 27% of households are headed by
a single female. 75% of married female execs with the rank
of VP or above out earn their spouse. Women control 51% of
private wealth in the U.S.; head 40% of households with
>$600K assets; 47% of market investors are women.
Major Credit Union: pre Y2K, modal customer was 53-year-old
family man; today, 46-year-old single working woman.
Commercial: 51% purchasing managers are women.
Women make >80% consumer purchases; businesswomen
make >90% of household purchasing decisions. Women:
70% of travel decisions; purchase 57% of consumer
electronics; write 80% of personal checks; purchase >50% of
cars (primary influence >80%).
Source: Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy—and How to
Increase Your Share of This Crucial Market, Lisa Johnson & Andrea Learned
Purchasing Patterns
Women:
Harder to convince; more
loyal once convinced.
Men:
Snap decision; fickle.
Source: Martha Barletta, Marketing to Women
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.
Cases! Cases! Cases!
McDonald’s (“mom-centered” to “majority consumer”; not
via kids)
Home Depot (“Do it [everything!] Herself”)
P&G (more than “house cleaner”)
DeBeers (“right-hand rings”/$4B)
AXA Financial
Kodak (women = “emotional centers of the household”)
Nike (> jock endorsements; new def sports; majority consumer)
Avon
Bratz (young girls want “friends,” not a blond stereotype)
Source: Fara Warner/The Power of the Purse
EXCELLENCE.
OPPORTUNITY.
WOMEN.
BUSINESS.
OWNERS.
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
WOMEN.
DOMINATE.
ECONOMIC.
GROWTH.
“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
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 &
value-added 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?
COROLLARY.
EXCELLENCE.
WOMEN.
RULE.
Lawrence A. Pfaff & Assoc.
— 2 Years, 941 mgrs (672M, 269F);
360º feedback
— Women: 20 of 20; 15 of 20 with
statistical significance, incl.
decisiveness, planning, setting stds.)
— “Men are not rated significantly
higher by any of the raters in any of the
areas measured.” (LP)
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”
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
BOOMERS
GEEZERS
2000-2010 Stats
18-44: -1%
55+: +21%
(55-64:
+47%)
See me.
Watch me.
respect me.
Suck up to me.
Serve me.
Love me.
Love my longevity.
Love my m-o-n-e-y.
See “her.”
Watch her.
respect her.
Be obsequious to her.
Serve her.
Love her.
Love her long longevity.
Love her m-o-n-e-y.
(which is damn near a-l-l
the mon-$$$$$$.)
Boomers’-Geezers’-Women’s Trifecta+
*Buy/all
*Wealth/all
*time left/ lots
*Eclipse of males/retire-die
Median Household Net Worth
<35: $7K
35-44: $44K
45-54: $83K
55-64: $112K
65-69: $114K
70-74: $120K
>74: $100K
Source: U.S. Census
BoomerBucks!
Boomer turns 50: every 7 seconds. 2009: majority of
U.S. households headed by someone over 50. 20062016: U.S. population up 22.9 million; 22.1 million in
over-50 group. 2006: 1 in 5 adults is F, over 50.
Women between 50-70 who are single: 35%. Age
45-54: highest average income, $59, 021 (national
average is $42,209). FASTEST GROWING INCOME
CATEGORY: WOMEN, 55-64 (4X men in same
category). Women, age 60-64: 50% still in
workforce. Highest net worth: families, 55-64
($182,000). People over 50: 70% to 79% of all
financial assets; 80% of all savings accounts; 62% of
all large Wall Street asset accounts; 66% of $$
invested in the stock market. Age 50+: 29% of
population, 40% of total consumer spending, 50% of
discretionary spending. Next 2 decades: BOOMERS
WILL INHERIT $14 TRILLION-$25 TRILLION (“largest
intergenerational transfer of wealth in history”).
—Marti Barletta, PrimeTime Women
55-64 vs 25-34
E.g.: New cars & trucks: 20% more
spending. Meals at full-service restaurants:
+29%. Airfare: +38%. Sports equipment:
+58%. Motorized recreational vehicles:
+103%. Wine: 113%. Maintenance, repairs
and home insurance: +127%. Vacation
homes: +258%. Housekeeping & yard
services: +250% to +500%.
Source: Marti Barletta, PrimeTime Women
50+
$7T wealth (70%)/ $2T annual income
50% all discretionary spending
79% own homes
40M credit card users
41% new cars/48% luxury cars
$610B healthcare spending/
74% prescription drugs
5% of advertising targets
Ken Dychtwald, Age Power: How the 21st
Century Will Be Ruled by the New Old
Possession Experiences /“Desires
for things”/Young adulthood/to 38
Catered Experiences/ “Desires to
be served by others”/Middle
adulthood
Being Experiences/“Desires for
transcending experiences”/Late
adulthood
Source: David Wolfe and Robert Ageless Marketing
2006/Top 10% of U.S. Earners*
Luxury goods for the home …. -5.7%
Fashion & jewelry …………...… -8.7%
Luxury cars …………………….. -0.9%
Experiential luxury** …..… +10.7%
* “The wealthy are increasingly spending more on doing things
than owning things” /Unity Marketing
**Travel, dining, entertainment, spa & beauty
Source: European Business (04.2007)
Brand Loyalty: Stable
or Unstable/Fickle?
Serial Monogamy:
A Personal Odyssey
Tom Peters/0411.07
Beer: National Boh to Bud to Anchor Steam to Zilch
Car: Chevrolet (1942-1962) to misc to Subaru
Biz Clothes: Various warehouses to Brooks to Nordstrom to Milan
Biz: Big (U.S. Navy, McKinsey) to Small (de facto self-employed)
Sports clothes: Misc-cheap to Northface
Spouse: “Sexy broad” (wife #1) to Best friend/Brainy (+sexy)
School: Cornell to Stanford to RISD (Go Nads!)
Pens: Cross to Bic
Food: Safeway to Whole Foods
Music: Beatles to Queen
Home Furnishings: With it to Comfortable
Home: SF Bay Area to West Tinmouth VT
Favorite sport: Lacrosse-Crew to Speed Walking-Trekking-Rowing
Favorite MLB, NFL: Orioles-Baltimore Colts to A’s-Raiders (Warriors!)
Favorite magazine: Life to Wired
Favorite media: Print-Radio to Web-Radio
Favorite airline: TWA to American to Lufthansa
Home: East to West
Vacations: USA to New Zealand
Price: Cheap to Varied (Wal*Mart to Milan)
Hotel: Ramada/Holiday Inns to Four Seasons/Leading Hotels
Restaurants: McDonald’s to Hole in the wall
Stores: Misc/Big to Little shops
Loyalty: Serial monogamy (just as loyal now as then; “love ’em, then leave ’em”)
EXCELLENCE.
INDIVIDUAL.
BRAND YOU.
1. Can someone overseas do
it cheaper?
2. Can a computer do it
faster?
3. Is what you’re selling in
demand in an age of
abundance?
Source: Dan Pink
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)
New Work SurvivalKit.2007
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!)
Thriving in 24/7 (Sally Helgesen)
*START AT THE CORE.
Nimbleness only
possible if we “locate our inner voice,” take
regular inventory of where we are.
*LEARN TO ZIGZAG.
Think “gigs.” Think
lifelong learning. Forget “old loyalty.” Work on
optimism.
*CREATE OUR OWN WORK.
Articulate your value. Integrate your passions. I.D.
your market. Run your own business.
*WEAVE A STRONG WEB OF
INCLUSION. Build your own support
network. Master the art of “looking people up.”
Personal “Brand Equity” Evaluation
– My current Project is challenging me …
– New things I’ve learned in the last 90 days include …
– I am known for [2 to 3 things]; next year at this time I’ll
also be known for [1 more thing].
– My public “recognition program”
consists of …
– Additions to my Rolodex in the last 90 days include …
– My resume is discernibly
different from last year’s
at this time …
Advice to techie
mid-career “Brand
Yous: Smith
college (06.05)
TP’s “Top Dozen” Commandments
1. Enthusiasm, Optimism and Energy carry the day.
2. She who delivers the Best Projects wins. (Be-Do.)
(Your inherent advantages enhance the odds of delivering
“ladle dropper” projects. USE THEM.)
3. There are sympathizers. FIND THEM. (“Make your
own McKinsey.”)
4. Indirection rules; frontal attacks are for boneheads.
(“My mission is that of a mole—my existence only to be known
by upheavals.” —John Fisher)
5. Accept a Lateral Move to get X-functional
experience. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
6. Take a crappy line job whenever it’s offered!
(There’s no such thing as a “crappy line job”!)
TP’s “Top Dozen” Commandments
7. Understand the “Soft” New Value-added Equation …
and Master/Exploit it.
8. DO GREAT THINGS FOR CUSTOMERS! (It’s the best
form of protection from idiots!)
9. Always Champion Change … and find a Protector!
10. Life (SUCCESS) = Mastery of Sales & Politics.
(Believe it!)
11. Get involved in Recruiting and Development
Activities! (“We’re all in HR.”) (Find Radical Young Women
and become their Champion.)
12. If it ain’t working, get the hell out. (What about joining
the “Mighty Eleven Million” and starting your own business?)
My Kinda Folks!
Tom Peters/0720.2005
My Kinda Folks!*
*“Do” vs “Be”** (The task, not the title, is important)
(**Military strategist extraordinaire Col John Boyd: 2 kinds of
people. “Do” … focus obsessively on “the work itself”—and damn
the torpedoes. “Be” … obsess on the politics, the rank, the next
promotion or assignment.)
*Intuitive > Purely logical. (Routinely make strange
connections)
*Incredible passion for the work/Lingering
idealism (though also cynical—paradox)
*Persistent/Relentless (to a fault)
*Like the long shots (Don Quixote-ish)
*Stay on the case long after being ordered to
drop it
*See James Lee Burke, Ian Rankin, John Harvey, etc.
My Kinda Folks!
*Cases no one else wants (hot potatoes, dead ends,
political nightmares, “unimportant” victims)
*Constant
thorns in the side of
bureaucracy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Repeatedly exiled to professional “Siberia” (so
annoyingly good and so annoying per se that others try to do him
terminal professional harm)
*Little
in the way of career prospects
*Have a “Godfather” (need internal protection—though
even protectors lose patience)
*Work
mostly solo (Secretive)
*“Work” “old pals network” to get info-leads
beyond their charter
My Kinda Folks!
*Master of the End Run!
*Mentor (often to an incredibly talented young woman fighting
the sexist culture)
*Curmudgeonly
*Often
their own worst enemies
*Drink too much
*Don’t work out enough
*Sneak fast food
*Excessive work has estranged from family
*More or less shabbily dressed
*Drive shabby cars
*Not money/security oriented (can’t help
themselves, just gotta get involved)
My Kinda Folks!
*Not money/security oriented (can’t help
themselves, just gotta get involved)
*Carry a secret/hidden motivator in their
kit (e.g. someone close he feels he let down, leading to
their death)
*GET THE DAMN
JOB DONE!
much appreciation)
(and don’t expect/get
Brand you tool #1:
Mastering Sales …
The Sales25.
Great Salespeople …
1. Know the product. (Find cool mentors, and use them.)
2. Know the company.
3. Know the customer. (Including the customer’s consultants.)
(And especially the “corporate culture.”)
4. Love internal politics at home and abroad.
5. Religiously respect competitors. (No badmouthing, no
matter how provoked.)
6. Wire the customer’s org. (Relationships at all levels &
functions.)
7. Wire the home team’s org. and vendors’ orgs. (INVEST
Big Time time in relationships at all levels & functions.) (Take junior
people in all functions to client meetings.)
Great Salespeople …
8. Never overpromise. (Even if it costs you your job.)
9. Sell only by solving problems-creating profitable
opportunities. (“Our product solves these problems, creates these
unimagined INCREDIBLE opportunities, and will make you a ton of
money—here’s exactly how.”) (IS THIS A “PRODUCT SALE” OR A
WOW-ORIGINAL SOLUTION YOU’LL BE DINING OFF 5 YEARS FROM
NOW? THAT WILL BE WRITTEN UP IN THE TRADE PRESS?)
10. Will involve anybody—including mortal enemies—if it
enhances the scope of the problem we can solve and
increases the scope of the opportunity we can
encompass.
11. Know the Brand Story cold; live the Brand Story. (If
not, leave.)
Great Salespeople …
12. Think “Turnkey.” (It’s always your problem!)
13. Act as “orchestra conductor”: You are responsible for
making the whole-damn-network respond. (PERIOD.)
14. Help the customer get to know the vendor’s
organization & build up their Rolodex.
15. Walk away from bad business. (Even if it gets you fired.)
16. Understand the idea of a “good loss.” (A bold effort that’s
sometimes better than a lousy win.)
17. Think those who regularly say “It’s all a price issue”
suffer from rampant immaturity & shrunken imagination.
18. Will not give away the store to get a foot in the door.
19. Are wary & respectful of upstarts—the real enemy.
20. Seek several “cool customers”—who’ll drag you into
Tomorrowland.
Great Salespeople …
21. Use the word “partnership” obsessively, even though
it is way overused. (“Partnership” includes folks at all levels
throughout the supply chain.)
22. Send thank you notes by the truckload. (NOT E-NOTES.)
(Most are for “little things.”) (50% of those notes are sent to those in
our company!) Remember birthdays. Use the word “we.”
23. When you look across the table at the customer, think
religiously to yourself: “HOW CAN I MAKE THIS DUDE
RICH & FAMOUS & GET HIM-HER PROMOTED?”
24. Great salespeople can affirmatively respond to the
query in an HP banner ad: HAVE YOU CHANGED
CIVILIZATION TODAY?
25. Keep your bloody PowerPoint slides simple!
Brand you tool #2:
Getting Things Done …
The Power &
Implementation34.
*Send “Thank You” notes!
It’s (always)
“all about relationships.” And at the Heart of Effective Relationships is …
APPRECIATION. (Oh yeah: Never, ever forget a birthday of a co-worker.)
*Bring donuts! “Small” gestures of appreciation (on a rainy day, after a long day’s
work the day before) are VBDs … Very Big Deals.
*Make the call! One short, hard-to-make call today can avert a relationship crisis
that could bring you down six months from now.
*Remember: There are no “little gestures” of kindness. As boss, stopping by
someone’s cube … for 30 seconds … to inquire about their sick parent will be
remembered for … 10 years. (Trust me.)
*Make eye contact! No big deal? Wrong! “It” is all about … Connection! Paying
attention! Being there … in the Moment … Present. So, work on your eye contact,
your Intent to Connect.
*Smile! Or, rather: SMILE. Rule: Smiles beget smiles. Frowns beget frowns. Rule:
WORK ON THIS.
*Smile! (If it kills you.) Energy & enthusiasm & passion engender energyenthusiasm-passion in those we work with.
*It’s all … RELATIONSHIPS. Remember: Business is a relationships business.
(Period.) We’re all in sales! (Period.) Connecting! Making our case! Following up!
Networking! “Relationships” are what we “do.”
*You = Your Calendar. Your true priorities are “given away” by your calendar. YOUR
CALENDAR NEVER LIES. What are you truly spending your time on? Are you
distracted? Focused?
*What’s in a number? EVERYTHING! While we all “do a hundred things,” we may
not/should not/cannot have more than 2 (or 3) true “strategic” priorities at any point
in time. BELIEVE IT.
*She (he) who is best prepared wins! Out study, out-read, out-research the
competition. Know more (lots more!) than “the person on the other side of the table.”
*“Excellence” is the Ultimate Cool Idea. The very idea of “pursuing excellence” is a
turn on—for you and me as well as those we work with. (And, I find to my dismay, it’s
surprisingly rare.)
*Think WOW!
language!
Language matters! “Hot” words generate a Hot Team. Watch your
*Take a break! We need all the creativity we can muster these days. So close your
office door and do 5 (FIVE) minutes of breathing or yoga; get a bag lunch today and
eat it in the park.
*You are the boss! Old ideas of “lifetime employment” at one company (maybe
where Dad/Mom worked) are gone. No matter what your current status, think of your
self as CEO of Brand Me, Inc. We are all Small Business Owners … of our own
careers.
*Do something in … the next half hour! Don’t let yourself get stuck! There is …
ALWAYS … something little you can start/do in the next thirty minutes to make a wee,
concrete step forward with a problem-opportunity.
*Test it! NOW! We call this the “Quick Prototype Attitude.” One of life’s, especially
business life’s, biggest problems is: “Too much ‘talk’, too little ‘do’.” If you’ve got a
Cool Idea, don’t sit on it or research it to death. Grab a pal, an empty conference, and
start laying out a little model. That is, begin the process of transforming the Idea to
Action … ASAP. Incidentally, testing something quarter-baked in an approximation of
the real world is the quickest way to learn.
*Expand your horizons. Routinely reach out beyond your comfort zone. TAKE A
FREAK TO LUNCH TOMORROW! Call somebody interesting “you’ve been meaning to
get in touch with;” invite them to lunch tomorrow. (Lunch with “the same ole gang
means nothing new learned. And that’s a guarantee.) (Remember: Discomfort =
Growth.)
*Build a Web site. The Web is ubiquitous. Play with it! Be a presence!
Start You.com … ASAP!
*Spread the credit! Don’t build monuments to yourself, build them to
others—those whose contributions we wholeheartedly acknowledge will
literally follow us into machine gun fire!
*Follow Tom’s patented VFCJ strategy! VFCJ = Volunteer For Crappy
Jobs. That is, volunteer for the crummy little assignment nobody else
wants, but will give you a chance to (1) be on your own, (2) express your
creativity, and (3) make a noticeable mark when it turns out “Wow.”
*VOLUNTEER! Life’s a maze, and you never know what’s connected to
what. (Six degrees of separation, and all that.) So volunteer for that
Community Center fund raising drive, even though you’re busy as all get
out. You might end up working side-by-side with the president of a big
company who’s looking for an enthusiast like you, or someone wealthy who
might be interested in investing in the small business you dream of starting.
*Join Toastmasters! You don’t need to try and match Ronald Reagan’s
speaking skills, but you do need to be able to “speak your piece” with
comfort, confidence and authority. Organizations like Toastmasters can
help … enormously.
*Dress for success! This one is old as the hills and I hate it!! But it’s true.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS DO MATTER. (A lot!!!)
*Follow the Gospel of “Experience Marketing” in all you do. The shrewdest
marketers today tell us that selling a “product” or “service” is not enough in
a crowded marketplace for everything. Every interaction must be reframed
as a … Seriously Cool Experience. That includes the “little” 15-minute
presentation you are giving to your 4 peers tomorrow.
*Think of your resume as an Annual Report on Brand Me Inc. It’s not about
keeping your resume “updated.” It is about having a Super-cool Annual
Report. (Tom Peters Inc 2004.) What are your “stunning” accomplishments
that you can add to that Report each 6 months, or at the most annually?
*Build a Great Team … even if you are not boss. Best roster wins, right?
So, work on your roster. Meet someone new at Church or your kid’s birthday
party? Add them to your team (Team Tom); you never know when they might
be able to assist you or give you ideas or support for something you are
working on.
*She or he who has the Fattest & and Best-managed Rolodex wins. Your
Rolodex is your most cherished possession! Have you added 3 names to it
in the last 2 weeks? Have you renewed acquaintance (email, lunch, gym
date) with 3 people in your Rolodex in the last month? “MANAGE” YOUR
ROLODEX!
*Start your own business! Sure that’s radical. But people are
doing it—especially women—by the millions. Let the idea percolate.
Chat about it, perhaps, with pals. Start a file folder or three on
things you Truly Care About … that just might be the basis for Cool
Self-employment.
*There’s nothing cooler than an Angry Customer! The most loyal
customers are ones who had a problem with us … and then
marveled when we went the Extra Ten Miles to fix it! Business
opportunity No. 1 = Irate customers converted into fans. So … are
you on the prowl for customer problems to fix?
*All “marketing” is Relationship Marketing. In business, profit is a
byproduct of “bringing ’em back.” Thus, systematic and intense
and repeated Follow-up and After-sales Service and Scintillating
New Hooks are of the utmost importance.
*BRANDING ain’t just for Big Dudes. This may well
be Business Mistake No. 1 … the idea that “branding”
is only for the likes of Coke and Sony and Nike.
Baloney! Branding applies as much for the one-person
accountancy run out of a spare bedroom as it does for
Procter & Gamble.
*Credibility! In the end … Character Matters Most.
Does he/she give their word, and then stick to it …
come hell & high water? Can you rely on Her/Him in a
pinch? Does she/he … CARE?
*Grace. Is it “a pleasure to do business with you”? Is
it a pleasure to “be a member of your team”?
Brand You Tool #3:
Presentation
Excellence …
The PresX56
Presentation Excellence
1. Total commitment to the Problem/Project/Outcome
2. A compelling “Story line”/“Plot”
3. Enough data to sink a tanker (98% in reserve)
4. Know the data from memory; ability to manipulate the
data in your head
5. Great Stories/Illustrations/Vignettes
6. Superb “political antennae” (you must “play the room”
like a Virtuoso and be hyper-attentive to the likes of
Body Language)
7. By hook or by crook … CONNECT
7A. CONNECT! CONNECT! CONNECT!
8. Punch line/Plot Outline/WOW/Surprise in first
one to two minutes
Presentation Excellence
9. Once you’ve “won” … stop pushing (don’t “rub it in”)
10. Be “in command” but don’t “show off” (if you’re
brilliant they’ll figure it out for themselves)
11. Pay attention to the Senior Person present, but not
too much (don’t look like/act like/be a “suck up”)
12. Brief the hell out of your “champions” before the
presentation; insist that they make changes/fine tune ...
they must “own” the outcome before the fact!
13. Don’t try to “score off” your detractors … be
especially courteous to them (even if/especially if they’re
jerks)
14. Adjust as you go: LET THE GROUP ARRIVE AT
“YOUR” CONCLUSION! THEY MUST OWN IT (“I knew
that”) IN THE END!
Presentation Excellence
15. No more than THREE key points! Come at them in several
different ways.
16. No more than ONE point per slide!
17. Slides: NO CLUTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (no wee print/ charts/graphs)
18. Slides: Good quotes from the field. (Remember you’re “telling a
story”)
19. Be aware of differing cognitive styles, especially M-F
20. There must be “surprise” … some key facts that are not
commonly known/are counter-intuitive (no reason to do the
presentation in the first place if there are no Surprises)
21. Summarize the argument/story from time to time
22. Include an Action Agenda that involves some small items that will
be started/accomplished in the next 72 HOURS
(this ices commitment/practicality)
Presentation Excellence
23. If you don’t know something … ADMIT IT! (this is actually a good
thing—as opposed to appearing as a “know it all”)
24. ASK FOR THE SALE! (Remember to be a “closer”)
25. This is War (a war for Hearts & Mind), but never forget that you
are the Supplicant!
26. Data are imperative, but also play to Emotion.
27. Consider bringing along a “customer” (internal or perhaps
external) for support
28. Be precisely clear where/when you intend to prototype … and
that the prototype guinea pig is lined up (better yet, do the first, at
least partial, prototype before the presentation)
29. Compromise but don’t yield! (Lost battles are normal, no matter
how agonizing)
30. Assume that you may be cut off at any moment, and be prepared
to give on the spot a compelling 30-second to one- minute (no
longer!) Brilliant Summary including Sales Pitch
Presentation Excellence
31. Follow the Law of Recency: Make sure that you have been in the
field with the key “operating” players more recently than anyone in
the room
32. Make it clear that you’ve done a Staggering Amount of
Homework, even though you are exhibiting but a tiny fraction …
allude to the tons of research that are available if desired by
participants; offer deeper one-on-one briefings if desired
33. SMILE! RELAX (to a point) (fake it if necessary) (“up tight” is
disastrous) (remember you are doing them a favor by sharing this
Compelling Opportunity!)
34. EYE CONTACT!!!!!!!
35. Be shrewd: Override some interruptions; be attentive to others
(distraction is okay and normal … within limits!)
36. Becoming an Excellent Presenter is as tough as becoming a
great baseball pitcher. THIS IS IMPORTANT … and Presentation
Excellence is never accidental! (Work your buns off!)
Presentation Excellence
37. Practice … but don’t leave your game in the locker room.
38. Seek tips on how various participants “play the [presentation]
game”
39. A Presentation is an Act (FDR: “The President must be the
nation’s number one actor”)
40. Remember, the presentation is about Change … RESISTANCE IS
NORMAL (in fact if there’s little resistance then your Project is hardly
a “game changer”)
41. Dress well. Don’t over-dress.
42. Be early (obvious, but worth saying)
43. GET THE A/V RIGHT/PERFECT.
44. Don’t bring a supporting horde … a couple of back-ups is
okay/enough
45. No matter how good you are you’ll have crappy days … WEEP
AND THEN GET BACK ON THE HORSE
Presentation Excellence
46. Speak in “Plain English” … keep the jargon to a
minimum
47. Make your Personal Commitment clear as a bell!
48. Emphasize “competitive advantage” and timeliness
(act now), without stooping to ridiculous war-like
language (“tear the heart out of the competition”) (in
audiences with heavy female component, if you are
male, avoid repetitive “football analogues”)
49. Underscore the USP/Unique Selling Proposition
50. Emphasize the Positive
51. Sell Novelty yet “fit” with “core values”
52. Remember JFK’s immortal words: “The only reason
to give a speech is to change the world”
Presentation Excellence
53. Say what you have to say Clearly … and then Say It
Again & Again from slightly different angles
54. Make it clear that you are a Man/Woman of Action …
and Execution Excellence is your First, Middle, and Last
Name!
55. Energy! Enthusiasm! (don’t know the answer to, “If
you ain’t got it, how do you get it?”)
56. Enjoy it! This is a Hoot! THE ULTIMATE TURN ON!
Remember your Goal:
Change the world!
Brand You Tool #4:
Interviewing
Excellence … The
IntX31
Interviewing Excellence
1. INTERVIEWING IS AN “ART” WORTH MASTERING! (Think
Christine Amanpour, Mike Wallace)
2. Don’t overschedule—2 or 3 in depth interviews are a solid day’s
work. (More than that is lunacy and will lead to shallow results.)
3. Save, if possible, the “Big Guy/Gal until last—that is, until you
know what the hell you’re doing!
4. Find a comfy/“safe”/neutral setting. THIS IS ALL IMPORTANT!
(Worst case: You on the other side of his/her desk.)
5. Start with a little bit (LITTLE) of local small talk. But get some tips
on the interviewee ahead of time; he may be one of the “brusque
ones” who considers any small talk a waste of his Imperial Time.
6. DO YOUR DAMN HOME WORK! (On the interviewee, the subject
matter.)
7. Concoct a … LONG LIST … of questions. (You’ll only use 10% of
it, but that’s okay.)
Interviewing Excellence
8. Prepare a … SHORT LIST … of questions you must get answered.
9. Begin by briefly reviewing your assignment—why you’re here.
10. ALWAYS ASK FOR EXAMPLES! (When she says “Customer
Service is in good shape,” you ask for specifics—hard data, recent
Customer Service successes (and failures). And: PRECISELY WHO
YOU CAN FOLLOW UP WITH TO GET MORE DETAIL.
11. STORIES! STORIES! STORIES! (You are in the “Story Collection
Business.)
12. Dress well. DON’T OVERDRESS. (Look like they look, more or
less; perhaps a touch more formal—this is a Serious Affair you are
engaging in.)
13. Assume you’ll never get another chance to talk to this person.
14. Be personable, but more or less match the interviewee’s style.
(THIS IS HARD WORK!)
15. THINK … SMALL! “Please walk me in great detail through the
[complaint resolution] process. Here, let’s diagram it.”
Interviewing Excellence
16. For God’s sake, get to the Front Line! (The devil is in the details,
and the details are to be found on the loading dock at 3a.m.) (YES …
3A.M.)
17. Don’t quit until you understand. THE INTERVIEWEE ALWAYS
TALKS IN SHORTHAND—using the jargon of the Corporate Culture.
You’ve got to crack the code. (THIS IS ABOUT THE HARDEST THING
TO DO, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE YOUNG AND UNCERTAIN: Tell
yourself you are here to ask “Dumb” Questions—this is not a job
interview. Again, think Mike Wallace: “So did you in fact murder Mrs.
Smith?”)
18. Ignore generalizations! YOU ARE HERE IN SEARCH OF
SPECIFICS!!!
19. CONTEXT! “Get” the “corporate culture”—e.g. Shell is not
ExxonMobil! Find out (from a set of interviewees) “Core Values” (in
theory and in practice).
Interviewing Excellence
20. Engage the Interviewee! GET HER TO DO SOME OF THE WORK!
E.g., write out her view of the Ten Key Operative Core Values—or
some such.
20A. ENGAGE! ENGAGE! ENGAGE!
21. You must come across as “trustworthy.” YOU ARE A DUMBO
HERE TO LEARN—NOT AN FBI AGENT IN DISGUISE.
22. “Take me through yesterday.” Get past the theoretical crap. Give
me in excruciating detail an average day: YESTERDAY! (One
hour/meeting at a time.)
23. “If you’re comfortable, let’s go over your Calendar for the last
month, so I can understand the flow of things.” (Remember TP’s
Rule #1: YOU = YOUR CALENDAR.)
24. DON’T LET YOUR NOTES AGE!! Immediately after the interview
set aside some time to do a “stream of consciousness” recap. And
to clean up the obscure scrawl on your notes.
Interviewing Excellence
25. Ask the interview if you can get back to her by phone tomorrow to
fill in holes that your tin ear missed. NO MORE THAN TEN MINUTES.
26. LEARNING! Tag along with “great interviewers” in your
organization. (I made three PBS films with a Director who had been
Mike Wallace’s director at 60 Minutes—oh my God, how much I
learned—or, rather, how little I learned: He could drag stuff out of
people that you couldn’t believe. (Secret: “I’m just a dumb old fart
trying to figure out what goes on here. HELP ME. PLEASE.”)
27. “Work on” your Level of Dis-satisfaction: BE MAD AS HELL
WHEN YOU SPENT 1.5 HOURS ON AN INTERVIEW WITHOUT
REVALATIONS!
28. No, you’re not FBI—BUT YOU ARE HERE TO FERRET OUT THE
NON-OBVIOUS. So: Keep Digging! (Think Woodward & Bernstein.)
Interviewing Excellence
29. Repeat: INTERVIEWING IS A CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT “ART.”
Study it! Work on it! It’s no different than golf or underwater basketweaving. The more & harder you work, the better you get.
30. Yes, we need “facts” (e.g., stories), but remember always:
INTERVIEWS ARE PURE & SIMPLE ABOUT EMOTIONAL
INTERACTION!
31. Tom Wrap-up Note: FEW THINGS IN LIFE PISS ME OFF MORE
THAN GOING THROUGH SOMEONE’S INTERVIEW NOTES AND
FINDING A DEARTH OF “SOLID EVIDENCE”—examples., stories,
detailed process maps, etc. (I BLOODY HATE Generalizations!)
(Think doctor’s office: Come hell & high water they start with weight,
blood pressure, pulse.)
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
TALENT.
Hire very
good
people!
INVITE THEM TO
JOIN US IN A
JOURNEY TO
EXCELLENCE!
EMPHASIZE
THE “SOFT
SKILLS.”
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)
Diversity =
profit
Build on
strengths
SO YOU’RE A
“PEOPLE
PERSON”?
PROVE IT.
“Do”
TALENT!
LIVE FOR
TALENT!
Internal
“brand
promise”!
Words
Matter.
Brand =
Talent.
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.
AWOL.
THE SCHOOLS
FIASCO.
MBA.
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
M.I.A.*: Talk. (Present.) Listen. (Interview.)
Sell. (Life = Sales.) Do. (Execution-Implementation.)
Talent. (Recruit-Develop-Retain.) Project
Management. (Create. Solicit support.
Execution. Adoption-Client “Culture Change.”)
Product. (“It.”) Innovation. (Design.
Creativity. “Buzz-building.” Politics.) Leadership.
(USMA, etc.) E.Q. (Connect.) “Culture”
Change. (Lasting impact.) Diversity. (Crosscultural Effectiveness.) Career Creation.
(Brand You life-lifestyle.) Wellness. (Life.)
*B.Schools (“M.I.A.” or at most “B.I.A.”—barely in action)
TP’S
EDUCATION
MANIFESTO
RD
FOR THE 3
MILLENEUM
Education3M
Learning is a normal state.
Children are learnavores.
Prodigious feats of learning are common as dirt.
[Watch an H.S. QB studying game film.]
We learn at different rates.
We learn in different ways.
Boys and girls learn [very] differently.
In a class of 25, there are 25 different trajectories.
Learning in 40-minutes blocks is bullshit.
Learning for tests is utterly insane.
There are numerous rigorous evaluation schemes,
of which testing is but one—and abnormal,
by “real world” standards.
Education3M
We learn most/fastest/most completely when
we are passionate about what we are
learning and it matters to us. [Salience rules!]
Think EBI/LBI: Education by
Interest/Learning by Internship.
Classrooms are abnormal places.
We need changes of pace. [e.g., Japanese recesses
after each class.]
International test scores are not correlated
with hours-per-year in class.
Big classes are slightly problematic. Big
schools suck. Period.
Education3M
“All this”—the right stuff—fits the NWW/New
World of Work hand-in-glove. [NWW = Age of Creativity.]
U.S. schools circa 2001 are a vestige of the
Prussian-Fordist model, more interested in
shaping behavior than stoking the fires of
lifelong learning.
Cutting art-music budgets is truly dumb.
Learning is a matter of Intensity of Engagement,
not elapsed time. [Aargh: 11 minutes on the Battle of
Gettysburg.]
Teachers need enough space-time-flexibility to
get to know kids as individuals.
Scientific discovery processes and the teaching
of science are utterly at odds. [Exploration vs. spoonfeeding.]
Education3M
Our toughest “learning achievement”—
mastering our native language—does
not require schools, or even competent
parents. [It does require a desperate need-to-know.]
Great teachers are great learners, not
imparters-of-knowledge.
Great teachers ask great questions—
that launch kids on lifelong quests.
The world is not about “right” &
“wrong” answers; it is about the pursuit
of increasingly sophisticated
questions—just ask a ski instructor or
neurosurgeon.
Education3M
Most schools spend most of their time
setting up contexts in which kids learn
not to like particular subjects. [Evidence
shows that such anti-learning sticks!]
Vigorous exploration is normal … until
you are incarcerated in a school.
“Bite size” education-learning is neither
education nor learning.
Learning takes place rapidly on the
cheerleading squad, the football team,
the school newspaper, the drama club,
at the after-class job--just not in the
hyper-structured classroom.
Education3M
The “school reform” “movement” is a giant step
… backwards … embracing the Prussian-Fordist
paradigm with renewed vigor—at exactly the
wrong time.
There are large numbers of superb schools,
superb principals, superb teachers; sadly, they
not only fail to infect the [largely timid] rest, but are
ordinarily supplanted by wusses & wimps.
Alas, the teaching profession does not
ordinarily attract “cool dudes & dudettes.”
Schools of “education” should by and large
have their charters revoked.
Education3M
“Education” must “develop in youth the
capabilities for engaging in intense
concentrated involvement in an activity.”
[James Coleman, 1974.] [Hint: It doesn’t.] [Hint:
Understatement.]
Stability is dead; “education” must
therefore “educate” for an unknowable,
ambiguous, changing future; thence,
learning to learn & change is far more
important than mastery of a static body of
“facts.” [Was the “War of the Roses” really
over roses? (1) I don’t remember. (2) Not
remembering has not been a handicap.]
Education3M
I never took a speech course.
Hemmingway couldn’t spell.
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
To the NAESP*
…
*National Association of Elementary School Principals
Attributes of Those Who “Made”
the 10th Grade History Book
– Committed!
– Determined to make a difference!
– Focused!
– Passionate!
– Irrational about their life’s project!
– Ahead of their time / Paradigm
busters!
– Impatient! / Action Obsessed
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade History
Book
–Made lots of people mad!
–Flouted the chain of
command!
–Creative / Quirky / Peculiar! /
Rebels! / Irreverent!
–Masters of improv / Thrive on
chaos
/ Exploit chaos!
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th
Grade History Book
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their followers’
aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
TALENT PLUS.
HEALTH.
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
Quality!
DSS!
Prevention!
Wellness!
Chronic care!
Elder care!
Convenient care!
Childhood obesity!
H5N1!
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
Sexy Cures vs Quality/Safety
Surgeons vs
Family Practice Physicians/CIOs
Fixing vs Preventing
Healthcare vs Health
Tom/$53K vs 1,000 Africans
[Stanford?] vs Griffin/Planetree
SF Internist vs
Tom/Canyon Ranch
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
PLANETREE/
PLANETREE
ALLIANCE: A
DIFFERENT
MODEL
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
The 9 Planetree Practices
1. The Importance of Human Interaction
2. Informing and Empowering Diverse Populations: Consumer
Health Libraries and Patient Information
3. Healing Partnerships: The importance of Including Friends
and Family
4. Nutrition: The Nurturing Aspect of Food
5. Spirituality: Inner Resources for Healing
6. Human Touch: The Essentials of Communicating
Caring Through Massage
7. Healing Arts: Nutrition for the Soul
8. Integrating Complementary and Alternative Practices
into Conventional Care
9. Healing Environments: Architecture and Design Conducive
to Health
Source: Putting Patients First, Susan Frampton, Laura Gilpin, Patrick Charmel
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
LEADERSHIP.
L23. 7Es.
9Ps. 12Ps.
EXCELLENCE.
THE LEADERSHIP23.
Leadership23/ML
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Enthusiasm. Energy. Exuberance.
Action. Execution.
Tempo. Metabolism.
Relentless.
Master of Plan B.
Accountability.
Meritocracy.
Leaders “do” people. Mentor. (“Success
creation business.”)
9. Women. Diversity.
10. Integrity. Credibility. Humanity. Grace.
11. Realism.
12. Cause. Adventures. Quests.
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
Leadership23/ML
13. Legacy.
14. Best story wins.
15. On the edge. (“Wildest chimera of a
moonstruck mind.”)
16. “Reward excellent failures. Punish
mediocre successes.”
17. Different > Better. (“Only ones who do
what we do.”)
18. MBWA. Customer MBWA.
19. Laughs.
20. Repot. Curiosity. Why?
21. You = Calendar. “To Don’t.” Two.
22. Excellence. Always.
23. Nelsonian! (“Other admirals more afraid
of losing than anxious to win.”)
The “7Es”
Exuberance!
Energy!
Empathy!
Engagement!
Empowerment!
Execution!
Excellence!
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
LEADERSHIP.
“9 Ps.”
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
LEADERSHIP.
“12 Ps.”
Tom Peters/04.18.2007
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
pissed off.
Playful.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Peculiar.
Potent.
Positive.
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
pissed off.
Playful.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Peculiar.
Potent.
Positive.
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
Kevin Roberts’ Credo
1. Ready. Fire! Aim.
2. If it ain’t broke ... Break it!
3. Hire crazies.
4. Ask dumb questions.
5. Pursue failure.
6. Lead, follow ... or get out of the way!
7. Spread confusion.
8. Ditch your office.
9. Read odd stuff.
10.
Avoid moderation!
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
The Re-imagineer’s Credo … or, Pity the Poor Brown*
Technicolor Times
demand …
Technicolor Leaders and Boards who recruit …
Technicolor People who are then sent on …
Technicolor Quests to execute …
Technicolor (WOW!) Projects in partnership with …
Technicolor Customers and …
Technicolor Suppliers all in pursuit of …
Technicolor Goals and Aspirations fit for …
Technicolor Times.
*WSC
Attributes of Those Who “Made” the 10th Grade
History Book
–Forgiveness > Permission
–Bone honest!
–Flawed as the dickens!
– “In touch” with their
followers’ aspirations
–Damn good at what they do!
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
pissed off.
Playful.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Peculiar.
Potent.
Positive.
“Excellence can be obtained if you:
... care more than others think is wise;
... risk more than others think is safe;
... dream more than others think
is practical;
... expect more than others think
is possible.”
Source: Anon. (Posted @ tompeters.com by
K.Sriram, November 27, 2006 1:17 AM)
Hire Great People
(Resilient, Passionate)
Try a Lot of Stuff
(S.A.V./R.F.A.)
aCCEPT NO LESS THAN
EXCELLENCE/PURSUE Wow!
enjoy It While It Lasts
EXCELLE
ALWAYS.
End.
PART ONE