A Logo Is Not a Brand

Lots of organizations come to our company, Advertising for Humanity, asking for "a new brand." They typically mean a new name, or icon, or a new look and feel for their existing name. Lots of people think that brand begins and ends there — that once we shine up the name they can stick it below their email signature, pop it on their website, and, voila, they have a new brand. Much of our work consists of disabusing people of this notion.
Brand is much more than a name or a logo. Brand is everything, and everything is brand.
Brand is your strategy. If you're a consumer brand, brand is your products and the story that those products tell together. Ikea's kitchen chairs' tendency to fall apart after two years is part of the company's brand. If you're a humanitarian organization, brand is your aspirations and the progress you are making toward them. Share Our Strength's audacious goal to end child hunger in America in five years is its brand. The work the organization is doing to get governor after governor on board is its brand. Its seriousness is its brand. Back in 1969 NASA didn't have the best logo. But man did it have a brand. It has a nicer logo now — but the brand no longer stands for anything. If you don't know where you're going or how you're going to get there, that's your brand, no matter what fancy new name you come up with.
Brand is your calls to action. If Martin Luther King had offered people free toasters if they marched on Washington, that would have been his brand. Are your calls to action brave and inspiring or tacky? Are they consistent with some strategy that makes sense? Getting more Facebook "likes" isn't a strategy, in and of itself. If you're a humanitarian organization, the things you ask your constituents to do are your brand.
Brand is your customer service. If donors call your organization all excited and get caught up in a voicemail tree, can't figure out who they should talk to, and leave a message for someone unsure if it's the right person, that's your brand. It says you don't really care all that much about your donors. If they come to your annual dinner and can't hear the speaker because of a lousy sound system, that's your brand. It says that you don't think it's really important whether they hear what you have to say or not. If the clerk at your checkout counter is admiring her nails and talking on her cell phone, she's your brand, whether she's wearing one of the nice new logo caps you bought or not.
Brand is the way you speak. If you build a new website and fill it with outdated copy, you don't have a new brand. If the copy is impenetrable — a disease of epidemic proportion in the humanitarian sector — that's your brand. If you let social service jargon, acronyms, and convoluted abstractions contaminate everything you say, that's your brand. If your annual report puts people to sleep, that's your brand. If it's trying to be all things to all people, that's your brand.
Message is a central part of your brand, but message alone cannot make a great brand. How many times have you encountered a product or service that didn't live up to what the copy writers told you about it? That disconnect is your brand.
Brand is the whole array of your communication tools. Brand is the quality of the sign on the door that says, "Back in 10 minutes." It's whether you use a generic voicemail system with canned muzak-on-hold, or whether you create your own custom program. The former says you are just like everyone else and you're fine with that; the latter says you are original. You might have a pretty sale banner that adheres to all the right visual standards, but if it's sagging and hung up with duct tape, that's your brand. It says you don't pay attention to the details. Can you imagine seeing a crooked banner with duct tape in an Apple store? Never. And that's their brand. It says that the motherboard in the Mac isn't hanging by a thread either.
In the digital age, user interface is your brand. If your website's functionality frustrates people, it says that you don't care about them. Brand extends even to your office forms, the contracts you send out, your HR manuals. Do you rethink traditional business tools or default to convention? The choice you make says a lot about how innovative your brand is.
Brand is your people. Brand is your people and the way they represent you. Having a good team starts with good hiring and continues with strong and consistent training and development. No matter how well your employees adhere to your new brand style guide, if they couldn't care less about the job they're doing, that's your brand.
Brand is your facilities. Are the lights on, or is your team working in darkness? Is the place clean and uncluttered? Does it have signage that's consistent with your visual standards? Does it look and feel alive? Your home is your brand.
Brand is your logo and visuals, too. A great brand deserves a great logo and great graphic design and visuals. It can make the difference when the customer is choosing between two great brands. But these alone cannot make your brand great.
Ultimately, brand is about caring about your business at every level and in every detail, from the big things like mission and vision, to your people, your customers, and every interaction anyone is ever going to have with you, no matter how small.
Whether you know it or not, whether you have a swanky logo or not, you do have a brand. The question is whether or not it's the brand you really want.

12 most costly business development mistakes

Along the way I've made plenty of business development mistakes, and learned from the mistakes of others around me. Here are my 12 most costly business development mistakes.

1. Ignoring existing clients

So much time, energy and money are spent chasing new business with new marketing campaigns, new bid opportunities, new introductions. While new sources of revenue are essential, many forget to tap into the needs and interests of existing clients. Worse yet, existing clients don't always know about all the other things you, or other members of your team, can do for them. Before targeting unknowns, don't forget to continue nurturing your existing clients. The old adage (it costs more to win a new client than to win business from an existing client) is definitely worth remembering.

2. Assuming great work means satisfied AND loyal customers

Having customers who pay your bills is great, but don't mistake a paying customer for a loyal customer. There are many studies that show the gap between service provider and client perceptions of whether the work delivered was high value. In many industries, even if you're one of the big four, six or whatever number, you are usually still just one of a homogenous group. If there isn't something standout about your work, your service or your relationship with your client, they are just waiting for something better to come along. What are you going to do to make sure that your clients wouldn't dream of going to anyone else? When was the last time you asked your clients what else you can do for them, to ensure that you are fully meeting and exceeding their business needs?

3. Assuming your clients will refer you

Your clients have their own business to run. They don't automatically think of you when opportunities arise. Unless you ask them…. Anytime your client says thank you for something you've done, ask them if they know anyone else who might need similar help. If your client mentions they have a connection with an organization you'd love to work for, ask if they would be able to facilitate an introduction.

4. Thinking your client contact will always be there

Sticking with the existing client theme – don't get caught on the wrong side of a spring clean. When new people come into a leadership position they inevitably want to make their mark. As part of your client relationship planning, consider the tenure of your contacts, their political acumen, the likelihood of them being promoted, headhunted or terminated. Try to identify the other movers and shakers in the business who may be earmarked for new responsibilities. Who's being copied on messages? Who's being invited to meetings? If your contact was to go, who else in the sphere of ​influence​ do you have a relationship with?
P.S. If your contact does leave, you obviously should follow them too….support them in transition, congratulate them on a new role, show an interest in the changes they are
living through and you may just get 2 accounts for the price of 1.

5. Assuming you KNOW what the client needs

When you know your area really well, it's easy believe that you know what the client needs – better than they know themselves. If only they would listen! What you offer may well be a better solution than the one the client is looking for, but unless you focus on understanding and meeting their needs first – before demonstrating how what you do will exceed their expectations, you are wasting your time and potentially losing a sale.

6. Not understanding the client's business decision making process/budgetary constraints

Your contact may love what you are offering. They may even be convinced that it's exactly what they need to solve their business issues, but that still doesn't guarantee a sale. Once you have convinced them, who do THEY now have to convince? Where does this project fit within the wider organizational initiatives? Where do they sit in the investment pecking order? What can you do to help your client secure the funding to deliver on your project.How can you help them make the internal business case/influence their decision makers to secure closure to your deal?

7. Not bringing MORE to the table

I get it, your service, value proposition or product offering is the best available. That's a given! You wouldn't even be AT the table unless you had something good to offer. That's why they call it "table stakes". Only offering whats expected is isn't going to secure the work. Now bring them that one little thing that no one else thought of. What's something you can do to help them in their business? Who are you able to introduce them to?

8. Assuming that people you meet will think of YOU next time they need something

Some seem to believe that networking is about accumulating contacts, adding more names into a database and handing out business cards. Some go so far as to occasionally send out a newsletter or an annual greetings card. Seriously, is this all it takes to secure your referral? So why would you think it's enough to ensure that people will consider you the next time someone asks them "do you know someone…."?

9. Not factoring in probability of winning before time is invested

I've been asked to work on way too many requests for proposal (RFPs) where the probability of failing dismally could be predicted with confidence. No pre-existing relationship, no advance warning that an RFP was coming, very little defendable expertise in the required areas, the list goes on. Why do people insist on using time, energy and resources to pitch for a piece of low probability work. Instead of viewing an RFP as potential work, it should be viewed as an opportunity cost. How much more productive and profitable could you be if you were to invest that same time and resources in face to face meetings with existing clients. Before putting in a bid on an RFP, quantify the probability of return on investment.

10. Discounting too quickly/without cause

Giving it away isn't selling! With all the time and effort invested in setting rates and prices, why feel the need to drop your price in order to secure the work? If your prices are competitive, and you are offering value, your clients will be interested in negotiating. If you offer a deep discount right off the bat, they will wonder how much further you might be prepared to go. Instead, if clients request a discount and you are willing to deal, keep the reduction slight and provide a reason why you are willing to shift ( i.e. investment in relationship, Existing knowledge reducing your learning curve etc. It should be a goodwill gesture at best, not an indication that you lack confidence in your pricing structure.

11. Believing you have to have a specific 'hook' or reason to call

I hear this all the time as a reason why people don't follow up with the people they meet. They don't have a good reason to call, they don't want to waste the contacts time, they don't want to feel awkward. Business is about relationships. Relationships are built on contact and exchange. If the only time you ever contact someone is when you are trying to 'sell' them, the relationship will be very stilted. Instead, find excuses to call. Read the news, follow their industry, monitor their business, see what their competitors are doing. Make up excuses to call them e.g. "I was just going back through old messages and I wondered how you are doing…"

12. Thinking BD is something you're born good at

If we limited what we do to only those things we are instantly great at, without pain of experience and practice, we would never cook, dance, play music, cycle, swim, read, and the list goes on…. Yes, business development can feel awkward, uncomfortable, requires effort, requires discipline, requires practice, requires failure so we can learn from mistakes. But then again, doesn't anything worth doing…..

What do you think? What are some of the most expensive business development mistakes you have made?

How to remain relevant when you are over 40

​By ​Penelope Trunk​ | June 7, 2011​

​Your earning potential pretty much tops out at age 40. This is because your skills become increasingly valuable until you amass fifteen years' experience, at which point you've hit a peak. According to statisticians at ​PayScale.com​, in all fields except law, people are not paid more money for experience beyond fifteen years.

This means that to remain relevant and continue to increase your value, you are going to have to learn skills outside of your field. Here are five skills you should pick up as your earning power is due to drop.

1. Community building.

Yes, this is an irritating buzzword for social media mavens who are probably fresh out of college and run their whole life on Facebook and tumblr.  But the reality is, social media infiltrates everything, in the same way that email  became essential 10 years ago. Ninety percent of messages today are via social media link, according to ​The Pinnacle Group​, a New York City think tank. Only ten percent are via email. So we are already at that tipping point where you need to learn social media or go home. People who are exceptional with social media can build a community around themselves in order to get jobs, promotions, and do good works for their company. Here's a first step: ​How to start a blog​.

2. Information processing.

Remember the term "information overload"? That went out of fashion when hipsters made productivity blogs one of the most popular genre of blogs, and time management books hit the ​New York Times ​bestseller list. Today you are in a knowledge market, where knowledge workers trade on their ability to synthesize information faster and in more collaborative ways - or faster and in ways that are so innovative that their ideas stand out above the rest. Information processing requires a clear understanding of one's priorities, and an insatiable curiosity. Starting point: ​Time management tips for multitaskers​.

3. Bridge building.

People who change jobs frequently build a wider set of skills and a wider network - both of which make them more employable. Job hopping enables you to create a series of bridges as you move between companies. The workplace no longer provides secure jobs, but you can provide security for yourself by creating a dynamic career where you move from job to job.  You can develop contacts and build relationships outside of a job, for sure, but if people don't get the chance to work with you, then they can't endorse your ability to work. Likewise, if you work in a company where people tend to job hop, you can still build this wide network providing you remain in touch with them after they move on.The best way to build a wide network is to actually work with a wide range of people.

Your ​resume, if you are doing this right,​ should reflect a significant, positive impact wherever you work, and you should leave in your wake a swarm of happy managers and co-workers who felt lucky to be on projects with you. That's how strong the performance of a good job hopper is. Subset to this skill: ​How to quit a job​.

4. Manage your personal brand.

If you try to build a community without having a clear sense of who you are, people will not feel connected to you. Each person you meet needs to have a clear understanding of your place in the industry. In a world in which people Google you before they meet you, it's important to show a good face on the front page of those search results.

Of course, this means it's important to have updated LinkedIN and Facebook profiles, and, if you are full of ideas, you can ​have a blog ​as well. But what you really need is a sense of who you are - what you are good at and where you are going. It can change, it always does, but you have to have your own elevator pitch. If you don't understand who you are and what you do, then no one else can either. So give it a shot. It's a work in progress, but it's how you will maneuver through the workplace.  Starting spot for overachievers: ​How to sell anything to anyone​.

5. Commit to life-long learning.

One of the most difficult aspects of this quickly moving information age is how quickly skills and knowledge become obsolete. If you are constantly committed to learning, you are less likely to become obsolete (and therefore, unemployable). The faster you can adapt and recognize shifts in markets the better off you'll be.

In general, it's not about how old you are but how open you are to new ways of communicating. Aim to be open, widely networked, and adaptable to new ways of thinking. And in that vein, you should ask yourself routinely, ​what generation am I​?

3 Things to Avoid when Scheduling Meetings

3 Things to Avoid when Scheduling Meetings

Scheduling meetings is hard. Finding a time that works for 15 people in four time zones can be a logistical nightmare. Here are three things to keep in mind next time this arduous task falls in your lap: Don't forget who's most important. All meetings have someone whose attendance is most critical: the client, a senior partner. Find out what times work best for those people. Don't send a blanket request for availability. Asking people when they are free "in the next few weeks" is too open-ended and ambiguous. Once you have some options, ask people to respond to specific times. Don't commit without sign off. Hold the time on the calendar until you confirm it with the key players. You never want to go back to clients or senior people and tell them their preferred time doesn't work.

5 Myths: What It Takes to Become a Million-Dollar Consultant

A management consultant, according to one definition, is a man who knows 101 ways to make love but doesn’t know any women. That’s incorrect, of course, because a lot of consultants are women. According to Working Mother magazine, 37 percent of consulting giant Accenture’s 30,000 employees are female. (Working Mother doesn’t say whether they know any men.)

But this is far from the only myth that dogs the consulting game, according to Alan Weiss, a management consultant and author for whom the word “prolific” might have been coined. His latest, “The Consulting Bible” (Wiley, 2011) is the 43rd book by the Rhode Islander. Weiss’s tenure in consulting has exposed him to many myths, misunderstandings, and misconceptions about the business. He picks these five as the most important for new and would-be consultants to get over:

Myth 1) The consulting business is about consulting. “It’s not. It’s about marketing,” Weiss maintains. “No matter what your methodology is, it does you no good unless you’re in front of a buyer who can give you a check. Unless you learn how to bring people to your door, you’re going to starve.”

Myth 2) Most consultants’ biggest problem is that they’re undercapitalized. “The problem isn’t a lack of capital,” according to Weiss. “It’s lack of a sense of self-worth, so you can look at a buyer in an expensive corner office and tell them what they need.”

Myth 3) A solo consultant must take a back seat to the giant firms of the industry. “Nimble independents are having a field day if they know how to market themselves,” Weiss says. “And since they don’t have the expense baggage, they keep what they make. Trying to become a partner in a major firm is insane when you can make more money on your own.”

Myth 4) You’ll be happier as your own boss. “The fact that you’re out there on your own doesn’t make you a better boss,” Weiss warns. “Many consultants feel that if they’re not busy 12 hours a day they’re not doing enough. So their very horrible and unfair bosses force them to keep busy.”

Myth 5) The more money you make consulting, the richer you get. “The reality is that wealth is discretionary time and the ability to do what you want, when you want,” Weiss says. “There are too many consultants running around trying to earn money and actually reducing their wealth.”

Going forward, Weiss sees another myth that is about to get unseated, namely, that technology is the great savior that consultants can count on to make them more effective. “The reality is that technology is plateauing,” he says. “This is a high-touch business and it’s high touch that’s going to carry the day. Consultants who rely on technology to keep in touch are going to be at a disadvantage to those who keep in touch in person.”

Mark Henricks is an Austin, Texas, freelance journalist whose reporting on business, technology and other topics has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and other leading publications. Learn more about him at The Article Authority. Follow him on Twitter @bizmyths.

Oprah's Empire-Building Strategy

Bet Big on Yourself

You’ve got to believe in yourself because there is no guarantee anyone else will--that is the classic advice for those setting out on any long and difficult road. But how many people take it to fully to heart? Oprah did, buying ownership of her own show from Capitol Cities/ABC in 1988, which meant she took on all the risk if the show went south and all the reward if it soared. We know how that turned out.

Use Your Image for Good (and Protect It)

In 1996, Oprah decided to share her passion for literature with America and introduced the Oprah’s Book Club segment to her show. The effect of her picks might be visible on beaches and trains where nearly everyone was reading her selections, but the place they were truly felt was in the offices of publishing companies who soon realized that whatever Oprah picked would skyrocket up the bestseller lists.
“The Oprah Effect” was born and her power to sway consumer decisions – even to the extent of getting Americans to buy musty classic literature – was revealed.
But this power was double edged for businesses. Oprah may have the power to sell a million extra copies of a book, but she also zealously protects her image as a force for good. James Frey found this out.

Expand Your Brand

Oprah’s interest in the publishing biz doesn’t just cover telling her audience what to read. She’s also produced reading material, launching O magazine in 2000 (and reinforced her public image as a dream boss by handing out $10,000 checks to staff to celebrate the publication’s 10^th anniversary a decade later).
Oprah behaved like empire-builders throughout the ages, using her dominance in her home kingdom of TV as a staging point to invade neighboring territories. Leveraging the Winfrey brand, the magazine started strong, reaching more than 2 million subscribers (though those numbers have fallen along with the rest of the industry following the recession).
Let the march continue to radio then…

Nurture Others' Talent

Oprah isn’t only the "Queen of Talk;" she’s also a kingmaker. Just ask Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Rachel Ray and the other assorted celebrities that owe their careers to Winfrey.  By incubating talent, Winfrey scored a triple whammy for her career, developing lucrative material for her production company, increasing perceptions of her as a tastemaker and powerbroker, and reinforcing her brand of caring, concern and maternal urging towards our better angels among her audience.
After all, there’s no better way to prove your power than by helping to raise the profile of the future president.

Ever Onwards?

In a long and impressive career, perhaps one of the most amazing attributes displayed by Winfrey is her refusal to coast. Most would be tempted to spend some time kicking back and spending those billions, but Oprah just keeps on trying new things and finding ways to stretch even her impressive abilities.

The latest: her OWN cable network, which is proving that even icons don’t always instantly turn everything they touch to gold. Compared to some of her earlier ventures, OWN is struggling to meet expectations as advertisers remain leery of paying high prices to the fledgling network. But Oprah is no stranger to adversity (even if they’ve been out of touch for awhile), so based on past performance it’s a good bet Oprah’s instincts to push herself won’t end in disaster. Fans will just have to wait and see.

El Acuerdo No. 40 que contempla el régimen impositivo del Municipio de Panamá.

Anteriormente se habían pretendido establecer en el Acuerdo anterior (derogado a partir de esta norma y, que se encontraba suspendido por orden municipal) reglas sobre agentes de retención y el pago de impuestos de conformidad con tarifas porcentuales sin límite.

Este nuevo acuerdo, elimina cualquier referencia a agentes de retención y tarifas porcentuales, estableciendo un tope impositivo límite de USD$2000.00, de conformidad con la tabla correspondiente a cada actividad.

Como elemento innovador se establece la obligatoriedad de presentar una declaración anual de rentas obtenidas dentro del Municipio de Panamá, la cual debe ser presentada dentro de los 90 días calendarios luego de terminado el período fiscal de cada contribuyente, so pena de multa de USD$500.00 y el cierre del establecimiento comercial.

Para aquellos interesados en conocer si el nuevo Acuerdo afecta o no el ejercicio de la abogacía, les confirmamos que el ejercicio de las profesiones liberales sigue exento de impuestos municipales.

Do you have a great place for people to work?

If you hesitate when answering that question, it may be time to give it some thought. Having a high turnover rate means that there are problems with the company culture. The last thing you want to do is spend your time recruiting, hiring, and training, only to see those people walk right out the door.

 

​The Final Whistle​

 

So why is it, exactly, that an employee leaves a company? Some of the top reasons that employees report for leaving a company are:

 

​1.​  They don't have any friends at their office. This is a big one, because nobody wants to spend 40-plus hours per week at a place where they are surrounded by people that don't think like them or that they don't like. Talk about having anxiety on the way to work!

 

​2.​  They don't like the boss for whom they work. Sorry, I know that may bruise some egos, but it is the truth.

 

​3.​  And if you want to know what the distant third reason is, it is because the pay just isn't good enough. This is an issue that may or may not be something you can address, but it can impact the company culture if people feel woefully underpaid or find out the pay of those around them (and feel it is unfair).

 

​Creating Comfort​

 

It goes without saying that if you want to have a great place to work, you need to build a common culture in your company. What this means is that people need to share similar values, energy, and attitude. By doing so, this will automatically engender friendships. Plus, you need to be a great boss – someone who is loyal, trusting and fair to all employees.

 

The Difference Between Good and Great Photographers

I have always said that the difference between a good photographer and a great photographer is in what they choose to show to the world. Cartier-Bresson said that "showing your contact sheet is like taking your pants off in public."

The photographer who is willing to show everything to the public, puts their weaknesses on display and waters down the potency of their vision.

When photographers flood their portfolio with inferior images for the sake of volume, the images become an albatross hung around the neck of the collection and they drag the work down.

On the other hand, when a photographer is a harsh editor and honest with himself when selecting his portfolio, he will reject the simply adequate in favor of the great, resulting in the elevation of the entire portfolio.

The public then sees each photo in the collection as brilliant, and they then assume that everything the photographer shoots is brilliant. When in reality, the number of images the photographer shows is only a fraction of one percent of the number of images taken.

This is not a trick or a marketing ploy to fool the public into thinking you are a better photographer than you are. This is a simple recognition that photography is more than just selecting a subject matter and exposing the image.

It is continued in the act of post-production selection, which is as important to the process as is the act of taking the picture itself. Whether this act is accomplished by one person or a team of people, the act of photography is incomplete without both the capture process and the culling process.

The sooner a photographer realizes this and puts his or her mind to perfecting the skill of selection, the sooner that photographer will be seen as truly great.

Are you the right person to speak?

Think about meetings you lead, presentations you give, or announcements you make:  Are you the right person to speak?  If your answer is based on some version of, “Yes, because I’m the one in charge,” your answer is often wrong — and your audience knows it.
Here’s a better way to decide.

When you deliver good news: Never speak. Okay, maybe you really did do all the work.  Maybe you really did overcome every obstacle.  Maybe you really did lead a diverse, cross-departmental, multi-functional, high-performance team.  Maybe you really were the hero.
Doesn’t matter.  Give someone else the glory.  Pick a key subordinate who played a major role.  Pick a person who could use a confidence boost from a dose of public acclaim.  Everyone already knows you were in charge, so celebrate the accomplishment through others.  Stand back and let your team shine.
And if you don’t run your own business, do your best to keep someone higher in the company food chain from making the announcement, especially if that person had no direct role.  Otherwise your team’s efforts are devalued in the eyes of the eyes of others and, much worse, in their own eyes.

When you deliver bad news: Always speak. I don’t care if ultimately it was not your decision to cut jobs.  I don’t care if you had no input but are still required to enforce a major shift in policy.  When you are in charge, you deliver all bad news.  To your employees, to your team, to customers and clients, you are the company.  Support decisions, even if you privately disagree.  Answer tough questions.  Take responsibility.  Model the behavior you want your employees to display.

When you have no news: No one speaks. Everyone hates a useless meeting — except the person who called the meeting.  We all cringe when a meeting kicks off with, “I know there isn’t much for us to talk about, but I thought it was important we still meet.”
I once worked on a long-term project with four regularly scheduled, hour-long meetings per week.  We met, no matter what, because the team leader felt we needed to “develop the habit” of attending regular meetings.  In the spirit of habit formation, I decided to develop my own: I showed up but was frequently called away mid-meeting.  (To all the people who paged me right on cue — thanks!)
If a meeting will not result in decisions or plans or actions, cancel it.  Let team members do something productive so next time you do have a reason to meet.
No matter the setting, take a moment to choose the right person to speak.  Never assume the right person is you.
What is said is certainly important, but who says it can make a tremendous difference to the impact of the message… and sometimes to your employees.

6 Preceptos para Guiar a los Emprendedores

Una filosofía más antigua que el cristianismo propone 6 preceptos para guiar a los emprendedores en sus carreras. Sorprendente como pueda parecer, contiene la misma información que hoy disponemos a partir del desarrollo de la sicología y la economía modernas.

Esta sabiduría antigua, sin embargo, está maravillosamente presentada en frases simples, contundentes y profundas. Es un verdadero tesoro.
¿Cuál es esa filosofía, dónd
e apareció y qué es lo que propone? Véanlo ustedes mismos.
Hace poco me encontré por casualidad con un artículo del Dr. Randy Borum, un sicólogo forense y profesor de la Universidad de South Florida que presentaba algunas de las ideas más importantes de los estoicos, como principios rectores para los deportistas de combate.

Los estoicos fueron una escuela filosófica de la Antigua Grecia, que floreció en Atenas durante el período helenístico y fue fundada por Zenón de Citio en 301 AC. Fue muy influyente en su tiempo, especialmente entre los guerreros espartanos y más tarde la élite romana. Su búsqueda principal, sin embargo, giraba alrededor de la felicidad, lo que hace felices a las personas.

Conociendo de antemano la información básica sobre los estoicos, comencé a leer el artículo con curiosidad por saber cómo se aplicaba su filosofía a la práctica del boxeo o las artes marciales. Lo que iba a descubrir, sin embargo, era mucho más sorprendente.

A poco de comenzar a analizar el material uno se da cuenta que los mismos principios estoicos pueden ser aplicados tanto para el éxito en el combate, como para el desarrollo exitoso de empresas.
¿Extraño? Puede ser, pero de hecho esos antiguos principios coinciden asombrosamente con lo que pregonan actualmente grandes empresarios, teóricos del management y los últimos desarrollos en neurología y ciencias de la conducta.
Es tan precisa la correspondencia que asusta.

Uno se pregunta cuál es la fuente de esta información para que haya estado disponible tanto para personas que existieron en la época en que se creía que la tierra era plana, como para quiénes cuentan con los beneficios de investigar el cerebro y la conducta utilizando resonadores magnéticos.

Pero esto no es lo más importante. Lo realmente relevante es QUÉ DICEN esos principios y cómo pueden ser aplicados en la vida de un emprendedor.
Estos son los seis principios:

1. Primero dite a ti mismo lo que vas a ser. Luego, haz lo que tengas que hacer. Epícteto.
Definición clara de objetivos y determinación. ¿No es eso lo que nos dicen que hace la diferencia? Definir claramente un objetivo (si es posible por escrito), incrementa dramáticamente las posibilidades de alcanzarlo.
No es autoayuda, es sentido común. Sin claridad de objetivos no sabemos a donde vamos. Nuestra mente no sabe qué queremos de ella o de la vida.
Definir primero qué queremos ser (fíjense que no dice “cuánto queremos ganar”), permite que luego podamos definir qué es lo que tenemos que hacer para alcanzarlo.

2. Tu vida es lo que tus pensamientos hacen de ella. Marco Aurelio.
Lo dice un emperador romano, no Deepak Chopra. ¿Se entiende? Los pensamientos dan el tono de nuestras vidas. Son la guía. Prefiguran lo que luego va a transformarse en la realidad de nuestras vidas.
Por eso es tan importante el punto 1. Decirse a uno mismo qué va a ser, qué quiere ser, equivale a desarrollar eso que otros denominan “la visión”.
Los pensamientos no tienen porqué estar expresados solamente en palabras. De hecho, la mente tiende a pensar en imágenes. Las impresiones sensoriales le dan fuerza y permanencia a los conceptos que manejamos en nuestra mente.
Por lo tanto, pensar qué queremos ser y sostener esos pensamientos de manera dominante (en forma de conceptos, imágenes o la forma que nos sea más natural), por sobre otros, es lo que nos acerca a nuestros objetivos, Lo que va a hacer realidad nuestra visión.
Más aún, visualizar objetivos es una técnica que utilizan hoy los mejores deportistas (Tiger Woods, entre ellos), pero que está avalada por el trabajo y los avances de la sicología deportiva y la neurología.
De todas maneras, lo importante aquí es que recuerdes: tu vida es lo que tus pensamientos hacen de ella. Define lo que quieres ser y piensa de acuerdo a ese ideal o visión. Sostén y clarifica permanentemente esa visión.

3. Lo que nos perturba no son las cosas, sino cómo las vemos nosotros. Lo que importa no es lo que te ocurre, sino cómo reaccionas a eso. Epícteto.
Este principio es fundamental para poder manejar los avatares y problemas que, indefectiblemente, todos encontramos en el camino. Esto es lo que nos da la capacidad de la perseverancia. Lo que nos da serenidad.
Una cosa es la realidad objetiva (lo que nos sucede) y otra lo que nosotros interpretamos de esos hechos. En buena medida lo que percibimos como “realidad” es una interpretación. Es el filtro coloreado con el que observamos las cosas.
Que un fracaso sea algo “malo”, por ejemplo, es sólo una interpretación. No lo sabemos. Puede que sea la semilla de algo mejor.
Grandes inventos (como la penicilina), surgieron por accidentes de laboratorio y hasta el Viagra surgió del intento por crear una droga para el corazón. Muchas de las grandes empresas actuales (Federal Express o Apple, por ejemplo) estuvieron en algún momento al borde de la bancarrota, a veces en las etapas tempranas de su vida.
Un fracaso puede ser un aprendizaje.
Obviamente, no tenemos control sobre todo y quejarnos o lamentarnos por aquello que sucede fuera de nuestro control es una pérdida de energía y de foco. Recuerden: concentren sus pensamientos en lo que buscan, no en lo que los aleja de ello.

4. Tienes poder sobre tu mente, no sobre los eventos externos. Date cuenta de esto y encontrarás fortaleza. Marco Aurelio.
Está muy ligado con lo anterior. Lo que está sin dudas bajo nuestro control es nuestra mente. Aunque controlarla sea uno de los trabajos más duros del mundo.
Controlar lo que pensamos y cómo interpretamos los sucesos que enfrentamos en la vida (en la vida empresaria, por ejemplo), es lo más cerca que estaremos nunca de controlar nuestra experiencia.
Eso afecta nuestras posibilidades de éxito, por supuesto. Pero el camino que nos lleva a él está plagado de incertidumbres y eventos ajenos a nuestra voluntad. El único poder que tenemos está dentro nuestro y es la base de nuestra fortaleza.

5. Estar en todos lados es no estar en ningún lado. Séneca.
Foco. Concentración. Es monotasking más que multitasking. La mente humana tiene la capacidad de procesar unos 110 bits de información por segundo. Solamente escuchar a una persona dando una conferencia consume unos 60 bits por segundo de esa capacidad de procesamiento.
Tenemos un recurso valioso que hay que saber utilizar sabiamente. ¿En qué lo vamos a utilizar?
Enfocarse en una actividad requiere cierto gusto y placer por esa actividad. La concentración deviene así naturalmente.
Esto es lo que los sicólogos denominan estado de flujo o “estar en la zona”. Entrar en un estado en que todo lo demás no importa, el tiempo pasa sin darnos cuenta. Estamos totalmente concentramos en el Ahora, en lo que estamos haciendo en este momento. No estamos ni en el futuro, previendo el resultado de nuestras acciones, ni estamos en el pasado, lamentándonos por algo que hemos hecho mal o por algún error que cometimos.
El trader de acciones (en el sistema de EZ, un Mercader), está enfocado en su pantalla, igual que el programador (un Arquitecto o un Inventor). El vendedor (un Capitán o un Artista), está totalmente entregado a la presentación que está haciendo y el Canciller se halla absorto en la negociación de un deal.
No tienen la mente dividida, están en un sólo lugar y en un solo momento. Aquí y ahora.

6. Controla tus pasiones, no sea que se venguen de ti. Epícteto.
Equilibrio y serenidad. Cualquier empresario de éxito los tiene y los recomienda. ¿Y cómo se obtienen? En parte tomando distancia entre lo que nos sucede y nuestros propios estados de ánimo.
Por supuesto, uno puede reaccionar a una pérdida con dolor y es natural hacerlo. Pero hay una diferencia entre expresar naturalmente el dolor y entregarse a la depresión o la ira porque las cosas no son cómo uno quiere.
Los estoicos decían que hay que distinguir entre lo que podemos controlar y lo que no. Lo primero podemos intentar cambiarlo y lo segundo hay que aceptarlo.

Por otro lado, las emociones son como ondas, mientras más alto es el pico, más profundo viene a ser luego el valle. La serenidad que mantengamos en el fracaso, por ejemplo, está relacionada también con el equilibrio que tengamos en el éxito. Y viceversa. Cuando las cosas salen bien, celebrarlas, pero con equilibrio. De ese modo los fracasos nos encontrarán mejor parados.

En pocas palabras: limitar los extremos de nuestras emociones.

Esto no quiere decir que no tengamos pasiones, entendidas como un llamado, una vocación, un placer por hacer ciertas actividades. Significa que no conviene dar rienda suelta a emociones extremas, porque terminan cobrándose su precio con el tiempo. Odio, miedo o ansiedad intensas, son enemigos del juicio claro para tomar decisiones.

¿Se imaginan a Richard Branson tomando una decisión por miedo? ¿O a Warren Buffett actuando por ansiedad?
Cada gran empresario de la historia ha seguido, a veces por conocerlos intuitivamente, la mayoría de estos principios. Los aplican con naturalidad, sin pensarlo.

Para el resto de nosotros, tener esta lista a mano y repasarla a menudo puede ser una gran ventaja. Es como llevar un tesoro en el bolsillo.

Employers can learn a lot about creating motivating work environments by studying video game design.

Let's take a closer look at each of these factors and how they can be incorporated into today's workplace setting.

In control of the environment.  Better known in business circles as Autonomy, this is a key component to creating a motivating work environment.  People need to be allowed the freedom to choose how and when work tasks are performed.  Once goals are set, managers need to provide direct reports with the tools and resources they need to get the job done.  What people don't want—and what they find demotivating—is a manager who wants to control every detail and use the employee as just a pair of remote hands.  Not much fun in that type of game.Rewards and recognition on a regular basis.  In any good video game, players are constantly achieving objectives and receiving rewards.  Whether it is a new asset, a pot of jelly beans, or a cool new weapon, game programmers build constant opportunities for self-achieved rewards along the way. 

Employers can learn a lot from this approach by building in small opportunities for reward and recognition into the work environment. 

As simple as this sounds, the reality is that most employers do just the opposite.  As long as an employee is succeeding, they rarely get feedback.  In most organizations the only time you hear something about your performance is when you are off-track or not achieving your goals. 

How long would you play a video game like that?  My guess is that it would not be a very popular game.

Growth and mastery.  The final aspect of a motivating environment that we can learn from video games is the importance of growth and mastery.  Both are important to employees.  People need to feel a sense of growth and accomplishment, especially if they are to perceive that their current job is in alignment with their overall career goals.  While achievement at work may never equal the kick you get from achieving the next level in Angry Birds, it can probably get a lot closer.

3 Steps to Choosing what to Delegate

Delegation is both a critical skill that successful managers must demonstrate, and one often neglected by overworked managers.

Here are three steps to decide what can come off your plate:

1. Identify tasks only you can do. Take a look at your workload and identify tasks, projects, or functions that require your specific skills or level of authority.

2. Sort the rest. Take a look at everything else on your list and determine what others can easily do, what requires coaching for others to do, and what needs outsourcing.

3. Keep what makes you happy. Don't give away the things that you most enjoy even if others can do them. Delegation should increase your job satisfaction, not detract from it.

Managing Yourself: Extreme Productivity

Bob Pozen does a lot. He's been a top executive at two mutual fund giants, Fidelity and MFS Investment Management. He's also been an attorney, a government official, a law school professor, a business school professor, and a prolific author. And he has often been several of those things at once. Yet Pozen never comes across as overwhelmed, frazzled, or even all that busy. We know this because he's a frequent contributor to HBR and hbr.org—with a reputation around our offices for writing faster than we can edit. Our experiences with him led us to wonder if he might have something interesting to say about personal productivity. So we asked him about it. The result was a series of blog posts for hbr.org (http://s.hbr.org/eDJ4g4), which Pozen has here distilled into six principles for a more productive work life.

Principle 1: Know Your Comparative Advantage

Many CEOs I've encountered say, "Here are the top five priorities for the company. Who would be the best at carrying out each one?" Then they propose themselves for all five areas. That might be the right answer, but it's the wrong question, because it's based on a self-centered concept of comparative advantage. It focuses on what an executive does best rather than on what the organization most needs from him or her.

The correct question is, "Which functions can only you as the CEO perform?" You may be the only executive who can meet with a top regulator or persuade a key client to stay. You may also be essential to recruiting senior staff. But a CEO has to hold back from taking on other responsibilities even if he or she excels at delivering on them. When CEO Rob Manning recruited me to join MFS as chairman, in 2004, we explicitly divided the high-priority functions. Although I had run the investment management group at Fidelity, Rob is a talented investment guy and a natural leader who wanted to take charge of that group at MFS. We agreed that I wouldn't even show up on the investment floor.

The same applies to midlevel executives. You may be outstanding in finance and solid in marketing, but if your company is stacked with good finance people and very weak on marketing, your highest and best use is probably in the latter. So don't focus just on what you do best. You're more likely to succeed if you look around and gauge how you can be most useful.

Many executives also spend too much time on operational details, such as the best flight to take or the seating plan at a corporate dinner. Such tasks should be delegated, if possible, to an executive assistant. Of course, the boss must be able to rely on this person to get the tasks done correctly, quickly, and politely. Once confidence is established, he or she should go to great lengths to support and retain such an assistant, who is crucial to being productive.

Principle 2: It's Not the Time You Spend but the Results You Produce

Most executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs put a huge amount of time into their jobs. In a crisis it may be necessary to burn the midnight oil, but the ambitious have a tendency to stay late every night. This tendency arises from the implicit assumption that more hours equal more value added. That is too simplistic. Your success should be measured by the results you produce, not the number of hours you log.

When I joined a law firm in Washington, DC, I soon realized that charging clients for the number of hours worked made no sense. That billing method encouraged lawyers to work lots of hours rather than to get good results quickly. After a few years, my clients knew that I was efficient, so I ran an experiment. I sent them a letter explaining that in the future I would bill them for double the time I actually spent on their work—unless they objected. Not one client did.

Focusing on results rather than hours has the added benefit of allowing a better balance between family and work. When I had young children, I came home most weekdays at 7:00 to have dinner and spend some quality time with them. Later in the evening, if necessary, I would work in my home office. On the weekends my children usually slept late, so I would work from 7:00 to 11:00 in the morning and have most of the day left to be with my family.

Robert C. Pozen

The Best Advice for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

As a former speechwriter, publisher, and frequent presenter, I understand what drives many people to buy books about public speaking: Fear. I know because I’ve shared it.
I remember times when I walked up on a podium and took my place at the lectern in front of an audience, and suddenly felt dry mouth, sweaty palms, shaking hands, pounding chest, even my voice ringing in my ears. I’d prepared a slick speech, but not my brain for the inevitable shock of taking the stage.
Anxiety about public speaking is most commonly rooted in our past negative memories and experiences, according to Randolph and Kathleen Verderber’s classic text, The Challenge of Effective Speaking. The authors–emeritus management professors and communications scholars–say that  typically people will relive those times in their past when they were criticized, admonished or deemed in some way as unworthy of the center stage.
My book shelf contains a couple of books on overcoming fear of public speaking, and they all recommend these strategies:

• Practice, practice, practice: You need to desensitize yourself to the panic and fear of failure you associate with public speaking, Practice not only to become more comfortable with your material, but to experience the gamut of emotions that come with speaking.  Rehearse in front of friends and family members who will give you constructive feedback. Steve Jobs reportedly has become a world-class presenter through over-practicing.  ”Few speakers rehearse more than Steve Jobs,” Carmine Gallo writes in his excellent book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs (McGraw-Hill 2010). ”His preparation time is legendary among those closest to him.” Gallo’s book recounts how Jobs begins preparing weeks in advance, and typically spends two full days rehearsing, asking for feedback, making adjustments, and tightening his flow.
• Memorize and make eye contact.  Familiarize yourself with the stage or space where you will speak, and commit key points to memory so you can make effective eye contact with your audience. By connecting with your audience when you speak, you will benefit from the feedback of their reactions and you will find your voice.   Experts also advise: don’t practice to the point that you are bored or exhausted with the material.
• Visualize a Positive Outcome: In Small Message, Big Impact, author Terri L. Sjodin recommends visualizing how you will feel when you’re done with the speech, “on the other side” in that “space of completion, invigoration, and accomplishment.”  By visualizing a job well-done, you replace negative self-talk and put the speech in its perspective–as one event among many.
• Connect with the Audience: In Harrison Monarth and Larina Kase’s The Confident Speaker, the authors suggest speakers visualize what they have in common with the audience and collect information about your audience–from their jobs to their likely questions. By doing so, you will replace the anxious self-talk in your own mind with a new externally-focused challenge: what are the people like I will be speaking to?  If you are speaking in front of an audience that is unfamiliar to you, get an attendee list, learn about a few of the people on the list, even call a person or two who will be in attendance. or ask your host about the group.  This process is about easing your preparatory anxiety by presenting your brain with a visual and cognitive challenge–put real people and real faces in those chairs, not executioners.
• Rewrite the Negative Script: Write down the negative or fearful thoughts you have about your abilities as a speaker, including criticism you’ve heard in the past.  Then note how you felt after previous presentations were over, and how you’ve addressed or changed certain behaviors so that you are thinking more positively.  I remember being told that I spent too much time leaning away from the audience during a presentation, and I’ve consciously visualized the satisfaction of correcting that in my next speech.
• Remind Yourself, You’re Communicating, Not Performing.  If you see your speech as a chance to communicate with a group of people about something important to you, rather than a performance, the experience will feel more familiar.  In fact, the audience is far more interested in the substance of what you are presenting, than how theatrical you are in your presentation. Remind yourself of that, jotting down what you consider to be the best aspects of your speeches–in content and style. Monarth and Kase call this creating “positive expectancy”: develop a few words “that exemplify the way you want to feel as you’re talking.”

The experts also agree on these basics, which bear repeating:

• Get enough sleep for a few days ahead
• Thoroughly check out the technology you’ll be using a day ahead
• Lightly exercise a few hours before the presentation
• Never, ever drink alcohol before your appearance

Rebuilding Trust, Commitment, and Morale

Years ago, business owners were asked, “If you had to choose between a fire that wiped out your facilities versus having all of your people quit and walk out at the same time, which option would you take?” Almost everyone said they'd rather lose their buildings and equipment because to rebuild their human organization would require a lot more effort and be more difficult to accomplish.
The recession of the past two years put many organizations into a position of having to decide between people and profits in order to stay in business. Some of those decisions were painful, and in some cases, the way decisions were made had an adverse impact on the human side of the organization. As a result, trust, commitment, and morale have all taken a hit. The facilities and the equipment are intact, but the people are not present in the same way as before.
As a result, employees are watching senior leadership more closely than ever before, says Ken Blanchard, best-selling author and cofounder of The Ken Blanchard Companies. “People are looking for clues to see if their organization is only interested in the bottom line or if they are equally concerned with the people side of the business.”
As Blanchard explains, “When you look at the leaders in great organizations like Chick-fil-A in the quick service business, Nordstrom in the retail industry, Wegmans in the grocery business, and Southwest in the airline industry, you'll find leaders who make necessary business decisions yet their people still feel that they have their interests in mind also. In these organizations, the employees trust their leaders.”

Rebuilding Trust Takes Time

Building or rebuilding trust can be a challenge. It isn’t something that can be addressed directly. It is a byproduct of how people perceive your actions and intentions over time. While senior leaders and immediate managers cannot command trust—because trust must be earned—there are things they can do to rebuild a sense of respect and confidence over time.

What Can Senior Leaders Do?

A good place for a senior leader to start is to look at where the organization is headed. What is the strategic direction and how will the organization get there?
Senior leaders need to create a compelling vision that defines or redefines the organization’s business. The key here is to have a clear focus on the customer and make that everyone’s goal. During the past recession, people saw what looked like self-serving behavior on the part of a lot of leaders. In many organizations, it seemed as if top leaders saw the organization only as a way to achieve personal ends.
A variation of poor visioning, while not quite as bad as pure self-serving behavior, is an organizational vision that makes the bottom line the “be all, end all” reason for existing. These leaders start to think that the only reason they are in business is to make money and to watch their bottom line. The unspoken message to rank-and-file workers is that people are a side venture—a means to an end.
Without a clear vision, people do not have anything to serve except themselves. When senior leaders identify a compelling vision of the future and align the organization’s goals and values toward this vision, everyone can move in the right direction and focus their energy on the customer.

Advice for Frontline Managers

Frontline managers are the implementers. They have a responsibility to understand the vision, goals, and values of the company and communicate them effectively to their people. Make sure that each and every employee’s work is connected to an overall department or organizational goal and that the employee can see how their work has an impact. Everyone needs meaningful work; it unleashes energy and raises morale.
To build trust and respect with direct reports, frontline managers should schedule regular one-on-one meetings with their people. Managers should use these sessions to clarify expectations, solicit input, answer questions, and provide feedback. Nothing shows that you care and respect a person—and their work—more than spending time with them, checking on their progress, and providing help when necessary.

What about Individual Contributors?

Individual contributors have a responsibility to make sure they are clear on the goals of the organization and have the authority and resources necessary to serve the customer. If individual contributors are not clear on what the vision is, or don’t feel they have the resources necessary to succeed, they need to ask their immediate manager for help using “I need” statements. They must push for help on behalf of serving the customer better.

Conclusion

Trust and respect are cornerstones in rebuilding the soul of an organization. Immediate managers and senior leaders must include people in the decisions that affect them as much as possible. Inclusion sends a message to employees that leaders really care about what they think. When employees sense this, they are more willing to trust leaders. But when people see their leaders go behind closed doors to make important decisions, they get a feeling that their input doesn’t matter. Organizations that trust and respect their employees include them in the decision-making process.
To rebuild trust, you have to see your people as business partners and respect them for their contributions. Senior leaders need to set a clear vision of something bigger than themselves for people to serve. Frontline managers need to operationalize the vision and goals and bring the values to life. Finally, employees need to ask for the resources they need to serve customers. When everyone in the organization works together to live according to the values and accomplish the goals, then you have a great human organization that is focused on both results and people.

Rebuilding Trust, Commitment, and Morale

Years ago, business owners were asked, “If you had to choose between a fire that wiped out your facilities versus having all of your people quit and walk out at the same time, which option would you take?” Almost everyone said they’d rather lose their buildings and equipment because to rebuild their human organization would require a lot more effort and be more difficult to accomplish.

In the latest issue of The Ken Blanchard Companies’ Ignite newsletter, co-founder Ken Blanchard shares how the recession of the past two years put many organizations into a position of having to decide between people and profits in order to stay in business. Some of those decisions were painful, and in some cases, the way decisions were made had an adverse impact on the human side of the organization. The facilities and the equipment are intact, but the people are not present in the same way as before.

As a result says Blanchard, “People are looking for clues to see if their organization is only interested in the bottom line, or if they are equally concerned with the people side of the business.”
For leaders looking to rebuild trust, commitment, and morale in their organizations, Blanchard recommends senior leaders focus on creating a compelling vision, while immediate managers work to implement plans by connecting individual work to overall goals.
As Blanchard explains, “Senior leaders need to create a compelling vision that defines or redefines the organization’s business. The key here is to have a clear focus on the customer and make that everyone’s goal. During the past recession, people saw what looked like self-serving behavior on the part of a lot of leaders. In many organizations, it seemed as if top leaders saw the organization only as a way to achieve personal ends. In contrast, when senior leaders identify a compelling vision of the future and align the organization’s goals and values toward this vision, everyone can move in the right direction and focus their energy on the customer.
“Frontline managers need to make sure that each and every employee’s work is connected to an overall department or organizational goal and that the employee can see how their work has an impact. To build trust and respect with direct reports, frontline managers should schedule regular one-on-one meetings with their people. Managers should use these sessions to clarify expectations, solicit input, answer questions, and provide feedback. Nothing shows that you care and respect a person—and their work—more than spending time with them, checking on their progress, and providing help when necessary.”

Four Leadership Behaviors That Build or Destroy Trust

When people don’t trust their leaders, they don’t come toward something; they pull back and withdraw instead. They doubt rather than cooperate.
According to Dr. Pat Zigarmi, Founding Associate of The Ken Blanchard Companies, and Randy Conley, the Trust Practice Leader at Blanchard, a self-centered, “What’s in it for me” attitude robs an organization of the best that employees have to offer. When employees perceive that an organization—or its leaders—are less than forthcoming, employees become unwilling to contribute any discretionary energy or make any commitments to their organization’s well-being beyond the absolute minimum.
Conley adds that, “Often, the result is that employees will stay with the organization and do their job because they need a paycheck, but not much more. It becomes purely a transactional relationship with employees asking themselves, “If the organization does not do right by me, why should I do right by them?”
Four Areas to Focus On
For leaders looking to turn things around in their organization, Zigarmi and Conley recommend that leaders take a hard look in the mirror and examine their own behaviors. Here are four key areas that leaders have to be aware of when they are looking at building or restoring trust with the people they lead:
Able is about demonstrating competence. Do the leaders know how to get the job done? Are they able to produce results? Do they have the skills to make things happen—including knowing the organization and equipping people with the resources and information they need to get their job done?
Believable means acting with integrity. Leaders have to be honest in their dealings with people. In practical terms, this means creating and following fair processes. Believability is also about acting in a consistent, values-driven manner that reassures employees that they can rely on their leaders.
Connected is about demonstrating care and concern for other people. It means focusing on people and identifying their needs. It is supported by good communication skills. Leaders need to openly share information about the organization and about themselves. This allows the leader to be seen as more of a real person that a follower can identify with. When people share a little bit of information about themselves, it creates a sense of connection.
Dependable is about reliably following through on what the leaders say that they are going to do. It means being accountable for their actions and being responsive to the needs of others so if leaders promise something they must follow through.

Don't BE Great, DO Great!

It’s said that Abraham Lincoln often slipped out of the White House on Wednesday evenings to listen to the sermons of Dr. Finnes Gurley at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. He generally preferred to come and go unnoticed. So when Dr. Gurley knew the president was coming, he left his study door open.
On one of those occasions, the president slipped through a side door in the church and took a seat in the minister’s study, located just to the side of the sanctuary. There he propped the door open, just wide enough to hear Dr. Gurley.
During the walk home, an aide asked Mr. Lincoln his appraisal of the sermon. The president thoughtfully replied, “The content was excellent; he delivered with elegance; he obviously put work into the message.”
“Then you thought it was an excellent sermon?” questioned the aide.
“No,” Lincoln answered.
“But you said that the content was excellent. It was delivered with eloquence, and it showed how hard he worked,” the aide pressed.
“That’s true,” Lincoln said, “But Dr. Gurley forgot the most important ingredient. He forgot to ask us to do something great.”
Great Action Is the Source of Greatness
Abraham Lincoln didn’t expect people to BE great. He expected them to DO something great –to take great action.
Although we won’t all be recognized by history as being great, we are all capable of striving for greatness in our actions.  Greatness can lie in the small everyday actions we take.  If a friend of colleague needs our attention, it is an act of greatness when we put what we are doing aside and listen with our full, undivided attention.  The small, specific things we do can become a platform for greatness.
Most of the good of the world builds on the accumulated efforts of everyday people doing small things in a great way.  A life should strive for greatness, as Mr. Lincoln seemed to know.
Great and Perfect Are Not the Same
You don’t have to do something perfectly for it to be great.  Focus on what is most important about your action and ensure you do that well; the other trappings are not as important. Conversely, the pieces can be excellent, like the content and the delivery of Dr. Gurley’s sermon, and it can still fall short if what is essential is missing.
The Five Keys to Making An Action Great

1. Be clear about what is essential: Understand what higher purpose your action serves.
2. Know what greatness looks like: Have a clear sense of what an excellent job looks like.  Start with the end in mind.
3. Bring a serving heart:  Ensure your action provides value, and is not simply self-serving.
4. Give it your all: Make a full effort, with your full attention.
5. Learn as you go: Be willing to make mistakes; treat them as learning opportunities.

What does striving for greatness mean to you? What do you do to make your actions great?

Schedule your life repair Day

Ever sit at your desk, jump into email, only to just get overwhelmed by all the stuff?  Every unread message, every unpaid bill, every piece of paper is like a little voice calling out to be heard and responded to.  When the clutter in our lives gets overwhelming, it's almost automatic that we fall into Stage Two-the zone of "my life sucks."  The purpose of this tip is to get you out of this mess, quickly, and back on track to Stage Three and beyond.
Some of the most popular advice we give came from a childhood friend of Dave Logan's (and now good friend of our company), Robert McNally.  More than 25 years ago, Robert told Dave that life is like a car, and unless you repair it from time to time, it just breaks.  His advice led to our admonition that every once in a while you need to schedule a solid time for a life repair day.  (Years after starting to give this advice, we came across David Allen's suggestion of making something like the life repair day a weekly event.  We're big fans of David's ​​​Getting Things Done​​​ system, especially for people stuck at Stage Two.)
By the end of a "life repair day," the following needs to be true:
Every email is answered (yes, every one-in that other email address, too).
Every bill is paid or put in place where you'll pay it later.
Every piece of paper, envelope, and post-it is in a file or thrown away.
Your system of physical files is up-to-date.
Every text on your iPhone or BlackBerry is answered.
Your physical desktop is clear, and your computer desktop is free of those stray files.
Your in-box (literal and virtual) is empty.
Everything is backed up.
Most people who've just had a life repair day say that the feeling is-and were not exaggerating here-bliss.  Others say they feel naturally creative and productive, as though someone just appointed them CEO of their life.  Most people say they feel great when they're done.  It's not unusual to visit Stage Three for at least a few moments, the zone of "I'm great!"
Needle Moving Challenge
Before your next big strategy session or meeting to chart the future of your business, ask everyone involved to conduct a life repair day prior to getting together.
You'll find that people are more even-tempered, innovative, and ambitious-perfectly set up to reconnect with their values and engage the challenge as Tribal Leaders.

The Single Best Time Management Tip Ever

I spent most of my life at war with time–and time usually won.  I'd read every book and taken every course along the way, and with a few exceptions (like David Allen's excellent ​​Getting Things Done​​), most of it seemed to rehash common sense.  The feeling of being overwhelmed and underproductive was relentless.

The big breakthrough came when I was first teaching at USC and a student with severe dyslexia asked for help.  Not knowing what to do, I turned to an expert on learning disorders.  She advised that I let the student take the exam in my office, giving him short breaks every 20 minutes.  The student did very well, surprising us both, and I was intrigued.  After years of working with 20-minute segments, the Multiple Put Down technique was born.   I've used it to write four books, a dissertation and thousands of speeches.

Here it is: work on a task in 20-minute increments, with absolute focus, and then put it down, over and over, until you're done.  In this case, the gold is in the details, so please follow them exactly:

Alert your brain that a task is coming that will require its recall, creativity, and brilliance (yes, your brain is brilliant–thank your parents).  Then let some time pass–a day, perhaps.

When you're ready to start, set a timer for 20 minutes, such as the stopwatch feature on an iPhone.  Set your cell phone to airplane mode, turn off your email, and silence all other distractions.  Then hit start on the timer.

During the 20 minutes, you must focus on that task without interruption. And unless the building burns down, do nothing but work on that task until the timer goes off.  You may hit the wall, but keep going.  The vast majority of people find they can work on that task "in the zone" until the timer goes off.

After 20 minutes, you have a choice: keep working or take a break.  If you keep working, reset the timer to 20 minutes and go through the process again, without interruption until the next 20 minutes are up.  If you decide to take a break, it can be short (such as refilling your coffee cup), medium (returning a phone call) or long (going into a meeting, or working out).

That's it.  You pick it up and put down over and over, hence the name "Multiple Put Down."  Some data, my own experience, and reports from the thousands of people who have learned the technique is that you are much more efficient–often finishing a task in 30-50% of the time it would take if you worked on it in one sitting.  Even better, the quality of the work is far superior than if you followed your mother's advice of "start early and just get it done."  There are other benefits, too: less stress, reduced frustration, and a general feeling of being brilliant.  Multiple Put Down will save you hours and it can be even more powerful when combined with a ​Life Repair Day​.

There are several advantages to the Multiple Put Down technique.  The first is that your brain is brilliant at running processes in the background, but is awful at multitasking.  While you're driving to work, in the shower or answering email, your brain will be working in the background on the task, so that when you're ready, it'll drain through your fingers, into your computer or notepad, for about 20 minutes.  The break allows your brain to restock the supply of brilliance.  Each time you go through the process is a "productivity unit."

Here are some tasks that are perfectly suited for Multiple Put Down: writing a report, preparing a pitch for a client or boss, figuring out how to solve a tough problem.  Fans of ​​T​​ribal Leadership​​ might be interested to know that the book was written in 1106 productivity units.

Here's my challenge to you: right now, take a task that's nagging at you and use Multiple Put Down on it.  I hope you'll share how it goes by posting a comment below.

RV: Making Credibility Your Strongest Asset

Executive Summary:

Dealmakers often forget the power of a good reputation. In this article from Negotiation, HBS professor Michael Wheeler tells why having a storehouse of credibility will put you head and shoulders above the competition.

About Faculty in this Article:


Michael Wheeler is the MBA Class of 1952 Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School.

Negotiation is a breeze if you're selling a unique product or service that others desperately need: Just sit back and let the bidding begin. Likewise, if you're a buyer in a buyer's market, getting a bargain is a snap.

But what happens when lots of other people are selling what you've got, or many others are bidding for what you want? One solution to distinguishing yourself in competitive environments is to build your bargaining endowment—storing up credibility and resources by developing relationships, burnishing your reputation, and controlling key assets.

When you're trying to prevail amid fierce business competition, your bargaining endowment can spell the difference between closing the deal and being shut out. A healthy bargaining endowment explains how Darren Rovell won a job on national television while other journalism graduates were lucky to be doing programs on cable access. It's also how Tony Lucci got box seats for the World Series when thousands of others were shut out. And it explains how Bob Kraft positioned himself to buy a professional football team.

Although Rovell, Lucci, and Kraft operated in very different contexts, they all met their goals by enhancing their own credibility and discerning the interests of other key players. Their three stories illustrate different elements of the process of building your bargaining endowment: (1) grab someone's coattails, (2) foster a reputation for generosity, and (3) plan several moves ahead.
Grab someone's coattails

Lots of people have great ideas for new products and services, but most lack the imagination and doggedness to actually get them launched. Darren Rovell is a notable exception. As a college student, he had a passion for the business of sports—licensing deals, complex stadium financing, and hardball negotiations between free-agent players and teams.

Media coverage of this terrain had been haphazard. Rovell saw that omission as a great opportunity, but he had two problems. First, media giants such as Sports Illustrated and ESPN didn't think the business beat would appeal to the average fan. And—oh, yes—Rovell was just a kid in his teens.

Nevertheless, he launched a business-of-sports talk show on Northwestern University's student radio station, WNUR. His "producer" (actually, a roommate) aggressively pursued big-name players, general managers, and agents. Most declined, but a few said yes. Once Rovell recruited a celebrity, that person often would cheerfully give him another star's direct line. Rovell quickly built an impressive Rolodex.

You can succeed without explicitly swapping favors.

Tapes of the show enhanced his credibility as an interviewer and also demonstrated the power of his idea. But Rovell knew that T.V. and newspaper sports departments are flooded with resumes and demo tapes from thousands of wannabe reporters. To ensure that his material wouldn't be lost in the shuffle, he mailed it in the largest box that the post office would deliver.

The gambit worked. Right after graduating in 2000, Rovell landed a job at ESPN.com as its first business-of-sports anchor. He's now regularly featured on the network and writes prolifically for its online magazine.

On the surface, Rovell's story illustrates the value of confidence and persistence. Dig a little deeper, and important negotiation lessons emerge.

First, you can succeed without explicitly swapping favors. After all, Rovell had nothing of substance to offer successful sports figures. But by being respectful, persistent, and doing his homework, he persuaded them to appear for free.

Second, Rovell was careful to build and test a prototype. His college radio show was small potatoes in terms of listeners, but he proved his ability to pull off the new concept.

Finally, and perhaps most important, he rapidly built his own credibility by "coattailing" on the credibility of others. The athletes he attracted had never heard of him, but they knew the name of the All Star who had appeared on the show the prior week. As Rovell's reputation grew, his past success became a resource. Today his calls get answered, and people phone him with stories.

What's remarkable is that Rovell did all this without a patent or a copyright. In theory, anyone could try to horn in on his territory. Surely some are trying; there are no formal barriers to entry. Rovell's competitive advantage is his reputation.

Foster a reputation for generosity

Now consider Tony Lucci, who founded, and whose family still operates, a sporting goods store in suburban Boston. Having worked in business for decades, he was well known in his niche but not beyond it. In a telling anecdote, Tony relayed to me how, one October afternoon, he got a call from a stranger, a television producer frantically looking for a radar gun. The producer's network was broadcasting the World Series that night, and the radar gun—the device that tracks the speed of pitches—was on the blink.

The producer had made several fruitless calls, and many people had said, "Try Tony. He might be able to help." As it happened, Lucci didn't have a gun, either, but said he'd ask around.

He tried several coaches and the operator of a baseball camp, but these leads came up dry. Then, out of the blue, he got a call from someone else looking for a favor, a coach involved in a police athletic league for troubled kids. "Some Red Sox players have agreed to autograph baseballs that we can auction off for fundraising," the officer told Lucci. "Could you could contribute a couple dozen?"
"Absolutely," said Lucci. "By the way, Officer, could you look the other way while a radar gun leaves your precinct for the evening?" When Lucci explained the situation, the cop said he'd drop the equipment off in twenty minutes.

Lucci called back the television producer. "Good news!" he said. "You've got your radar gun."
In return, Lucci might have asked the network to cover the cost of baseballs or asked for free publicity for his store. Instead, Lucci said, "Do you have tickets for tonight's game?" That's how he got eight box seats for the World Series in Fenway Park.

This story offers two important lessons. First, the deal worked only because each party brought different resources and needs to the table.

Second, over time, Lucci built a reputation as someone who could get things done. There are lots of sporting-goods stores in Greater Boston and lots of radar guns, too. Yet Lucci went to the game while others watched it at home on TV.

Why? In part, because he was careful not to squeeze people. When the network asked if he could find a radar gun, he didn't ask, "What's in it for me?" Likewise, when the officer asked for baseballs, Lucci didn't say, "You can have them if you'll loan me a radar gun."

The fact that Lucci didn't condition his helpfulness made it more likely he'd get calls in the future. Much like Darren Rovell, Lucci built his bargaining endowment by stockpiling a network of valuable relationships. There probably are similar people in your company or community whom others turn to when they're under pressure. Odds are, they're willing to help even when they are busy, and they're unlikely to haggle about return favors.

The same dynamic applies to external relationships with longtime customers, vendors, and clients. Negotiating successfully in a competitive environment isn't just a matter of driving a hard bargain or maximizing joint gain. Also important is how each transaction enhances—or compromises—one's reputation for treating other people. Reputation is relevant, of course, only when people are known and past relationships are remembered. Yet even in e-commerce transactions, where negotiators rarely meet, rating systems have emerged to reward good service and integrity.

Plan several moves ahead

Bob Kraft owns the New England Patriots, one of the most successful franchises in professional sports. Notably, he didn't get the team by outspending other prospective buyers. Instead, years in advance, Kraft put himself in a position to make a smart move when the time was right.

When the Patriots first went on the market in the late 1980s, Kraft was wrapped up in other businesses and apparently didn't have the wherewithal to put a deal together. The team was purchased by Victor Kiam, then the president of Remington Products Co. However, Kraft and a partner did place the winning bid for the Patriots' stadium, which was sold separately from the football team.
The fact that [Tony] Lucci didn't condition his helpfulness made it more likely he'd get calls in the future.

Many people were surprised by Kraft's offer, as the Foxboro stadium was poorly designed and in terrible condition, and depended on the Patriots for most of its income.

Kraft and his partner were astute enough, however, to spot obscure provisions in the lease that not only stipulated that the team pay a reasonable rent but also required the Patriots to play in the stadium through 2001. Most real-estate investors wouldn't have cared about that latter clause; they would value the lease for its guaranteed rent, regardless of where the team actually played. But Kraft had his eye on eventually buying the team. Enforcing the operating clause would scare off anyone who might wish to buy the Patriots and move the team to another city. It would also deter local buyers who might have hoped to swing a public-private deal to construct a new facility.

For Kraft, it was a double win. With better management in place, the stadium deal was a profitable venture from the start. Several years later, when the Patriots were once again on the market, Kraft had greatly increased his leverage to buy the team by knocking out most of the competition.

The old ownership tried to force Kraft to put a price on the lease, and there were threats of lawsuits on all sides. Two other groups reportedly topped Kraft's bid, but, in the end, the seller reluctantly chose to settle for less rather than get involved in protracted legal battles. Afterwards, Kraft attributed his success to having recognized, years earlier, the advantages gained from controlling the stadium. "If we didn't have that lease," he said, "there's a high probability that the team would have gone to St. Louis."

As Kraft understood, credibility is essential to survival in hardball environments. Sometimes credibility is a matter of expanding what you can bring to the table; in other instances, it allows you to block the moves of potential competitors. Building your bargaining endowment requires accurate identification of key players and then taking visible action that sends the appropriate signals.

As all three stories reveal, deals can be both means and ends. Whether it was Rovell landing a guest, Lucci solving a caller's problem, or Kraft acquiring the stadium, each transaction made sense in its own right. But each one also enhanced the odds of making the next deal—and enhanced each player's bargaining endowment. How you negotiate today can determine what you end up with tomorrow. 

About the author

Michael Wheeler is the MBA Class of 1952 Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School where he currently teaches Negotiating Complex Deals and Disputes.

Want to Join a Corporate Board? 7 Tips

​By ​Kimberly Weisul​ | December 15, 2010​

​Everyone knows that getting appointed to a corporate board can be a huge boost to your career. What's less well-known is the role that flattery plays in getting nominated to a board seat. Now two business-school professors, Ithai Stern, of the Kellogg School of Management, and James Westphal, of the University of Michigan, have completed ​a research study about ingratiation and social interaction among high-level managers​ that uncovers the kind of subtle flattery most likely to land you on a corporate board.

​Stern​ and ​Westphal​ surveyed 134 CEOs and 765 board members, asking them to divulge their most effective tactic for boosting a boss' ego without arousing suspicion. Reassured that the study was backed by two prestigious business schools, the executives did just that. Ithai and Westphal then looked to sources such as Standard & Poor's and annual reports to track board movements and social affiliations among the CEOs and board members. That allowed them to get a handle on which executives managed to nab the most board seats, and which forms of flattery seemed to work best. Ithai and Stern now believe that the success of lawyers, politicians, and salespeople in landing disproportionate numbers of board seats is at least partly attributable to the fact that they need to be adept at currying favor just to get their jobs done.

Of all the tactics the executives used to ingratiate themselves, Stern and Ithai found these seven were most effective:

1.- Complimenting while asking for advice. Position the other person as your superior on some important matter, then ask their opinion. (i.e. "How were you able to launch that project so quickly?")

2.- Argue, then give in. Agreeing with your manager right off the bat, all the time, is far too obvious. So put up a little bit of a fight, then cave in. (i.e. "I didn't see what you meant at first, but now it's clear. I'm glad you explained it to me.")

3.- Compliment the manager to his or her friends. If you and your manager have overlapping social networks, you can talk about how great the manager is in hopes the praise will eventually get back to him or her-with your name attached, of course.

4.- Admit that flattery can be uncomfortable. Preface your obsequious remarks with a phrase such as "I don't want to embarrass you, but…"

5.- Emphasize similarities with your manager. Don't just agree, point out that you agree. (i.e., "I feel the same way. We should relocate the Miami office.")

6.- Point out agreements your boss didn't know existed. Research your boss's opinions by talking to third parties, then drop your own similar opinions into conversations with the boss.

7.- Find common social affiliations and talk them up. If your boss serves on the board of a cancer charity, make sure he or she knows how important cancer research is to you. (It is, right?)

Worried that these tactics are too obvious, too transparent? You can use them in moderation and still dramatically boost your chances of winning a board appointment. Ithai and Stern found that if an executive merely offered an unsuspecting nominating board member two ingratiating compliments a year and agreed with him or her enthusiastically twice a year, the chances of being nominated shot up an astounding 68%.

Now does it seem worthwhile to give sweet-talk a try?

​​Kimberly​ ​Weisul​ is a freelance writer, editor and editorial consultant. She was most recently a senior editor at ​BusinessWeek​ and founding editor of ​BusinessWeek SmallBiz​, an award-winning bimonthly magazine for entrepreneurs. Follow her on ​twitter.com/weisul​.