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by Rick Baker
On Dec 30, 2010
Maybe, your plate is too full.
On top of having a too-full plate, you may be missing the forest because of the trees.
Those idioms exist for good reason…I mean, where there is smoke there is fire.
Questions: How do people’s plates get too full? Why do people miss the forest because of the trees?
Answer: Because people often do not Seek Simple.
There are several ways to Seek Simple:
- We can look for the essence of the thing at hand…we can do that by peeling off the layers of complexity until we approach ‘the essence’. For example: at our home we have a white, four-legged, domesticated mammal, which others [not so close to the trees] would call a dog.
- We can pay attention to our intuition, like Obvious Adams1. When our gut feel says this or that we can accept that our gut feel is often able to help us.
- We can strip away complexity…when stuff doesn’t make sense we can assume it is mumbo jumbo until someone proves it is not.
- We can do a good job of delegating.
- There are many other ways to Seek Simple.
As we peel off and strip away layers of complexity…we are subtracting.
Subtracting is one key way to Seek Simple.
And subtracting provides several benefits, including:
- Subtracting is one way to initiate the Creative process. The ‘look for the essence’ point above is actually a step recommended by creative-thinking experts. When we know the essence we can begin to use creative-thinking processes. It is not the only way to go about a program for creative thinking…but, it is one way that works.
- Subtracting is a key to good communication. For example, it is key to marketing messages. Chip and Dan Heath2 provide tremendous advice in their books Made to Stick and Switch. Here is a link to a Thought Post that provides an introduction to the Heaths’ views.
- Subtracting is a key to problem solving. Remove the chaff so you can see the wheat of the problem. As you remove the chaff good solutions will jump out at you. Here is a Thought Post on problem solving.
- Subtracting also works in mathematics. In fact, it is one of the first mathematics functions we learn. When we want people to understand us we must build our messages, from arithmetic to algebra to calculus. We can not assume people follow our jargon or our complicated spreadsheets or our complicated charts. We need to start with subtracting.
by Rick Baker
On Oct 20, 2010
From time to time it is good to check out expert advice for holding productive meetings.
Expert advice reminds us of the importance of controlling the meeting process and helps us set better meeting guidelines….this is about clarifying what you mean by Good Habits for Meetings.
To maximize meeting results, here’s what Brian Tracy recommends in his book, ‘Time Power”
7 Ways to Make Meetings More Efficient
- Is the meeting necessary, if not then don't have it. Consider alternatives to holding a meeting. Who should attend? - Only invite those people. And ask - is it necessary for me to attend?
- Have a written agenda for the meeting. Write out the purpose of the meeting. Send the agenda to participants at least 24 hours ahead.
- Start and stop on time. Don't wait for latecomers. Perhaps, lock the door from the inside so latecomers can not get in…this helps them develop self-discipline.
- Cover important items first. That way you ensure they get done.
- Summarize each conclusion.
- Assign specific responsibility for next action steps. Include deadlines for their completion.
- Send out meeting minutes shortly after the meeting. This will confirm what action will be taken, who agreed to be responsible for taking that action, and when that action will be completed.
by Rick Baker
On Oct 6, 2010
If you sometimes feel your major sales efforts are a little out of control then an injection of organized sales process will help.
If you have any of the following symptoms then your major sales process could use a tune-up:
- You have this feeling of discomfort about your overall sales...you know budgets are not being met or you worry they won't be met
- While enough major deals are being done you believe money is being left on the negotiation table when your team works with major Clients
- Your sales team is doing lots of deals but the deals are too small; you wonder if your sales people are afraid or unable to take on larger challenges...when you talk about this with your sales team you get the sense results could be much better
- You do not have enough major 'Marquee Clients'...or, borrowing from the Heath brothers, you are not passing 'The Sinatra Test'
There are several ways to solve this problem.
One way is to use R.A.D.A.R.
For military applications, R.A.D.A.R. was developed to provide early information - early warning - and that allowed smaller forces to do the right things, at the right time, in the right place.
In his book 'Hope Is Not A Strategy, The 6 Keys to Winning the Complex Sale', Rick Page outlines the R.A.D.A.R. process he developed to help sales teams manage a portfolio of sales opportunities. Page presents his R.A.D.A.R. Sales process as: R.eading A.ccounts and D.eploying A.ppropriate R.esources™.
Concentration of force is Page's first principle of strategy. 'You must pick the battles you can win, then win the battles you pick.' That means sales people can not waste time on lower-quality prospects.
Page outlines 6 keys to winning a complex sale:
| Challenges |
|
R.A.D.A.R. Process |
| Value. |
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1. Link solutions to Pain (or Gain) |
| Resource Allocation. |
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2. Qualify the Prospect |
| Competition. |
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3. Build Competitive Preference |
| Strategy. |
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4. Determine the Decision-Making Process |
| Politics. |
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5. Sell To Power |
| Teamwork. |
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6 Communicate the Strategic Plan |
The first 5 steps are inputs and the last step is the plan. The steps are performed simultaneously.
The sales team receives the following benefits when (Step 6) Communicate the Strategic Plan is fully performed:
• Increases competitive advantage from consistent, effective execution • Crystallizes your thinking and forces a decision • Provides early detection of blind spots and visibility into the future • Leads and empowers your team with a clear direction • Prioritizes the urgent from the important • Increases your ability to control and manage multiple accounts • Develops respect with peers and management
R.A.D.A.R. can be used on its own if your sales team presently has no defined major-sales process. Or, R.A.D.A.R. can be used to complement your existing major-sales process. And, small sales teams or even individual sales people will benefit from the injection of some discipline like that provided by R.A.D.A.R.
by Rick Baker
On Sep 8, 2010
‘Obvious Adams’ is a curious little book, roughly 6,000 words placed on 50 pages. The book, first published by Robert R. Updegraff in 1916, can be read in a lunch hour…or quick readers can finish it in a coffee break.
It is the story of a successful business fellow – Obvious Adams – who is able to see through the fog of the details around problems and find excellent solutions in the obvious. Obvious Adams sees the obvious while others do not.
The little book is a great introduction to marketing and problem solving.
I will write more about Obvious Adams, Seeking Simple, and Making It Stick in the near future.
Today, I am introducing more of Updegraff’s thinking…
In 1953, almost 40 years after he first published ‘Obvious Adams’, Updegraff added a section describing the “Five Tests of Obviousness”.
Updegraff’s Five Tests of Obviousness
Test One: The problem when solved will be simple. The obvious is nearly always simple--so simple that sometimes a whole generation of men and women have looked at it without even seeing it.
Test Two: Does it check with human nature? If you feel comfortable in explaining your idea or plan to your mother, wife, relative, neighbours, your barber and anyone else you know, it's obvious. If you don't feel comfortable, it probably is not obvious.
Test Three: Put it on paper. Write out your idea, plan or project in words of one or two syllables, as though you were explaining it to a child. If you can't do this in two or three short paragraphs and the explanation becomes long, involved or ingenious--then very likely it is not obvious.
Test Four: Does it explode in people's minds? If, when you have presented your plan, project or program, do people say, "Now why didn't we think of that before?" You can feel encouraged. Obvious ideas are very apt to produce this "explosive" mental reaction.
Test Five: Is the time ripe? Many ideas and plans are obvious in themselves, but just as obviously "out of time." Checking time lines is often just as important as checking the idea or plan itself.
PS: I am fortunate to own an original printing of Obvious Adams, complete with a touching hand-written father-to-son note that reads”
John
A tip here, boy, towards Success.
Dad
by Rick Baker
On Aug 19, 2010
My friend Terry De Witte says that. I mean, he says “strategic first, creative when necessary, and always specific”.
The last time he said it, I said I planned to write a blog about it.
Now, the challenge is – I didn’t ask Terry to explain what he means when he says “strategic first, creative when necessary, and always specific”.
I intentionally didn’t ask him to explain what he meant because some thoughts came to mind quickly and I wanted to test if the initial thoughts I received were similar to or different from the message he was trying to deliver.
So, Terry will have the right to veto everything to follow.
“Strategic first, creative when necessary, and always specific”
- Strategic first: This resonated because the first time I read them I borrowed Napoleon Hill’s words ‘Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan’. While the thoughts have more texture than a simple sequence that starts with planning and follows with working, the guidance of plan first then work later is solid. And strategic planning is the elite business function…it envelopes the other business functions. It is tough to argue with the wisdom of doing at least a little strategic planning ahead. It would be unwise to ignore advice such as this, which comes in so many forms [and I will spare you from those forms and clichés…except for mentioning ‘Measure twice and Cut once’].
- Creative when necessary: My immediate thoughts were ‘don’t make change for the sake of change’ and ‘don’t fear change’. Also, Seek Simple….Seeking Simple is one of my philosophies. Sometimes very simple solutions are unhidden yet unseen right before our eyes. We don’t see them because we are seeking the complex. Sometimes we are seeking the complex because we feel a need to create…we place a high value on creativity. And, sometimes the perception of that high value clouds our ability to Seek Simple. Putting it another way, often creativity is overkill. However, we better be creative when necessary. We must take a balanced approach to creativity.
- and always specific: Again, my immediate thought was a lesson learned from Napoleon Hill. Napoleon Hill taught 11 Major Attributes of Leadership. Attribute 9 is “MASTERY OF DETAIL. Successful leadership calls for mastery of details of the leader’s position.” Carrying that to another level, most achievements of significance require mastery of details. We are more efficient and more effective when we master the specifics: examples include specifics of process, specifics about people, specifics of communication, and, of course, specificsabout ourselves.
OK Terry – how did I do?
References:
by Rick Baker
On Jul 28, 2010
Stephen Covey & Michael Gerber have provided great advice…and much of it overlaps…these two ‘gurus’ have presented similar messages but they have expressed them in different ways. Here, I am referring to Dr. Stephen R. Covey…the father of Stephen M.R. Covey [who is continuing the family tradition of using the name ‘Stephen’ and teaching business folks].
About roles in business…Gerber and Covey each set 3 levels:
Leaders [Covey] or Entrepreneurs [Gerber]
Set the Vision Set the Mission Set Overall Corporate Goals Are proactive not reactive Define Success Then what do they do?
- They provide Hands-Off Latitude [Covey]
- They oversee The Mapping [Gerber]
Managers
Follow the Leader’s Instructions on Goals Report Progress to the Leader/Boss, at agreed-to Timing Their levels of Delegated Authority range from Go-fer [the minimum] to Results Reporting [ the maximum] Create the Maps…to take the business from “Here – where it is” to “Goals – where it wants to be” Organize, Prioritize, Establish and Document Process, & Supervise People, who are called:
- Technicians [Gerber]
- Producers [Covey]
Technicians [Gerber] or Producers [Covey]
Understand the Goals
Do the day-to-day Work
Are Specialists in their selected areas
Follow Instruction
This outline of roles, whether applied to business roles or to roles in not-for-profit organizations, is a good benchmark.
From time to time, I like to refer to this Covey-Gerber benchmark.
It aligns with Seeking Simple…:
- role clarity removes ambiguity
- role clarity improves the hiring process
- role clarity improves the performance-review process
- role clarity removes inefficiency and duplication of effort
- role clarity ensures all the bases are covered
- role clarity creates a starting point for decisions [example - who to invite to brainstorming sessions]
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