100 Ways To Help You Succeed/ Make Money (#1 - 50)

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100 WAYS
TO HELP YOU SUCCEED/MAKE MONEY
This is the rst half, suc cess tips # 1-50,
of a two-part ins. tcaonltlimne u>netd
by Tom Peters
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In the interest of getting
100 WA .Y .. S
these success tips into
your hands more quickly,
FOUR days a week (if humanly possible), 25 weeks running. ThatÏs my
weÏre releasing the Ørst 50
before all 100 are writptreno.m ise. (Or, at least, my Goal.) One hundred short but (hopefully)
Numbers 51-100 will be
sweet Blogs, collectively titled: 100 Ways to Help You Succeed/Make
published at a later date.
Money. It was all triggered by a trivial experience this past
Saturday ...
100 WAYS TO SUCCEED/MAKE MONEY #1:
THE CLEAN & NEAT TEAM! (TEAM TIDY?) ...
I·ve been preaching the ´Experience Thingµ for a few years. (´Not just a ¶Product· or a
¶Service,· but an ¶Awesome Experience.·) I beliBeuvte .m.y. act.
I was in a giant retail mall last Saturday. Visited a renowned retailer·s space. ´Experience
Marketingµ? No one does it bBetutt e.r.. .
THE PLACE WAS A MESS.
Got me thinking. I ´go o! onµ various tacks, like the Experience bit. But let·s not forget the
Boring Basics along the way! Such as: Clean-Neat Rules! (Or, at least, Messy-Sloppy-Dirty is a
Top 5 Turno!.)
I·m not a ´neat freak.µ To the contrary, I·m a slob. But that·s home. Not- my profession. I se
lect hotels in large measure based on whether or not they have 1-hour, 24-hours-per-day
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pressing services. I get paid (very) well for what I do. I don·t get paid to show up for a speech
looking like I slept in my clothes!
The retail space in question was crowded with customers and visitors. (Good for them.) But
it·d gotten very messy in the course of the day. Goods scattered, or at least untidy stacks of
goods. Trash on the !oor. Boxes stacked unattractively near the checkout desk. Etc. (Etc.) To
me the space ... SCREAMED ... ´We Don·t Give a S___.µ (I started to use ´We don·t care.µ Or:
´We don·t give a hoot.µ But that·s not it. It is: ´WE DON·T GIVE A SHIT.µ)
There·s a lot to Great Retailing, or great whatever. But right near the head of the line is: ´WE
CARE!µ And near the head of the ´We careµ line is ´Looks like a million dollars.µ
Hence ... THERE IS NO EXCUSE WHATSOEVER FOR SLOPPINESS, UNTIDINESS, LESS THAN
S-P-A-R-K-L-I-N-G RESTROOMS, ETC., ETC.
Money-maker Message #1: KEEP IT CLEAN! Kudos to ... TEAM TIDY. Brickbats to ... the Dirty
Dozen.
100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #2:
PRONOUN POWER
Was editing a trainer·s manual, replete with suggested dialogue, for a friend today. Good
stu!! (Content: A+) But one ´smallµ thing caught my attention. Most of the scripts for trainers
addressing their charges read like this: ´I [Trainer] suggest that you [Client/Student] approach
the Objection as follows ...µ What·s my problem? Simple. I/trainer am the Subject, the teller of
truth. And the Student/Client is the Object, the recipient of my pearls of wisdom.
NO! NO! NO!
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Here·s the Big Word I want us to obsess on in tWoEda! y(·sA nTdi:Up S:! )
Here, for example, is my re-write of the abovWee socfrtiepnt :h e´ar the following
Objection blah blah blah. What if it weren·t an objection at all? uWsh awti tihf aint provides
Opportunity to goeutr oar in about this blah blah blah [product bene!t, say]-. ...µ Note, obvi
ously, in my rewrite the three uses of ´weµ and ´us.µ From long experience, I suggest that this
changes the Fundamental Nature of Community-Interaction between the Instructor and the
Student. Instead of being an imparter-of-knowledge to the Unwashed, I/train-er am now a fel
low-toiler-in-the-trenches hunting for a fruitful solution to ´ourµ shared dilemma. Right?
Student and teacher are now³via Pronoun Power!³engaged in a Joint Venture toward
Excellence. (Or some such.)
This trick (more on who gets ´trickedµ in a moment) was taught me by my !rst McKinsey
partner-mentor back in 1974. ´Tom,µ he said, none too gently, ´when you address the Client,
never fail to use the word ¶We.· As inw e¶ Tmhie gwhta yg et at this blah blah blah.· The idea
is that it·s us and the Client foraging mightily as a Team in hot pursuit of the truth.µ
I·ll be the !rst to admit that this is indeed a ´trick.µ But beginning in those McKinsey days, I
contend that it was me who was mostly tricked! Use ´weµ and ´usµ enough ... and I began to
feel that I was on the Client·s Team, not vice versa.
To this day, 30 years later, by instinct, I religiously use ´Weµ and ´Usµ³and a team of wild
horses could not elicit an ´Iµ or ´You.µ
It is a trick ... and it is a Fundamental Value concerning Groups on Joint Ventures in Quest of
Better Understanding.
We agree, right?
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NB #1: Also observe, Trick #2, the ´religiousµ capitalization of Client. Another McKinsey fruit
that makes a big di!erence to me.
NB #2: Back to Success Tip #1 on cleanliness. I mentioned in passing, regarding Team Tidy,
´sparkling restrooms.µ I simply want to underscore the idea ... worthy of status as #1 of my
100, in fact. There·s no greater giveaway to the I CARE (or don·t) query than the status of the
Restroom. Movie theater, Gas Station, McDonald·s, $75-an-entrée restaurant ... check out the
Restroom. ´Messyµ gets a C-. ´Dirtyµ gets a D. ´Foulµ gets an F. (I·d guess 70% of Restrooms
get a D or F in my experience.) Give a B- to a ´cleanµ Restroom. And a B+ to a ´squeaky
cleanµ Restroom. And reserve the rare A/A+ for the squeaky clean Restroom that becomes
´an experienceµ in and of itself. Great furnishings! Flowers! A (Great) chair in which to take a
30-second respite! Etc.
100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #3:
THE RAREST OF GIFTS
The rarest of gifts: THANK YOU!
Alas, it (a nod of appreciation, a hastily penned, 2-line T-note) is so rare. (And thence ... ever
so powerful!)
Among TP·s favorite quotes:
The two most powerful things in existence: a kind word and a
thoughtful gesture.Í
ËKen Langone, VC and Home Depot founder
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The deepest human need is the need to be appreciated.Í
Ëpsychologist William James.
We look for listening, c aring, smiling,
saying Thank you, being warm.Í
ËColleen Barrett, p resident,
Southwest Airlines, on hiring criteria
Think: THANK YOU POWER! (And ´powerµ it is!)
Hints:
1. Make it ´permanentµ³send a note.
2. HANDWRITTEN notes beat emails!!!!!!!
3. This applies equally at age 18 in a ´powerlessµ job, as well as at age 48 as Honcho.
4. Do this especially when you ´don·t have timeµ³at the end of a stressful day.
5. Make it a ´formalµ habit³do it at the end of the day, say, every 2 or 3 days.
6. If you can·t think of anything or anyone to say ´Th ank youµ to³
I suggest you go see a shrink.
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(Remember: Performance stems from Engagement ... Encouragement ... Passion ...
Appreciation ... Public recognitio´nT h.a.n.ki Rnegsµp eisc ta. big part of that.)
Uh, Thank You for taking the time to read this!
100 WAYS TO SUC CEED #4:
MAKE THE CALL! TODAY! NOW!
Only a sad few seek out contention. Then there·s another group (I·m a Charter Member) that
goes to almost any length to avoid it ... and routinely lets little, salvageable messes fester
into big, intractable ones.
Answer: MAKE THE CALL! TODAY! NOW!
In short, a 5-minute call made right now to deal with a slightly bruised ego or a minor
misunderstanding can avoid a situation tomorrow that leads to divorce court, a lost (major)
client, an employee lawsuit, etc.
I·ve learned that invariablyw a´st hae rmeo mentµ when the situation (DAMN NEAR ANY
´SITUATIONµ) was reversible. In fact, easily reversible. But pride or emba-rrassment or unwill
ingness to further mess up an already nasty day led to ´just one more day·sµ evasion & delay
... and that day became a second day ...
No, I·ve not joined a Busted Relationships 12-step Program. But I have done one, for me,
little Big Thing. As part of my morning priority-setting meditation I go to an item on my
desktop labeled ´NOT TOMORROW!µ It·s simply a list of names, or perhaps situations, that
I must remain conscious of ... and work on in the course of the day. I try to confront myself
brutally about what I·m putting o!. AND ADD TO MY LIST ONE (no more than o-ne ... do-abil
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ity is paramount) UNPLEASANT CALL I MUST MAKE TODAY. We·re all di!erent, but I·ve found
that just having the damned ´NOT TOMORROW!µ de facto !ashing at me is a spur to action.
(Incidentally, it·s right next to another doc/icon labeled ´VITAL SIGNSµ³that·s the one, a PP
slide, with red on black, that heralds the results of my most recent weigh-in and the number
of consecutive days I·ve exercised.)
By the way (we all know this, too), don·t let me make this sound so grim. I !nd that in 9 of
10 cases the call goes far better than imagined (maybe it·s just relief?); not only does it ´deal
withµ a thorny problem, but it also often launches a positive trajectory f-or a fraying relation
ship; and it always makes me feel better about myself, makes me feel a bit of a hero, actually.
MAKE THE CALL. TODAY. NOW.
100 WAYS TO SUC CEED #5:
TARGET #1: ME!
Stand in front of the mirror ... Smiling. Saying ... ´Thank you.µ Doing ... Jumping Jacks.
Whatever. (See below.)
Fact: ´Itµ begets ´it.µ
Fact: ´Not itµ begets ´It-less-ness.µ
Smiling begets a warmer (work, home) environment.
Thanking begets an environment of mutual appreciation.
Enthusiasm (those Jumping Jacks) begets enthusiasm.
Love begets love.
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Energy begets energy.
Wow begets Wow.
Optimism begets Optimism. (I·ve been devouring Martin Seligman lately.)
Honesty begets honesty.
Caring begets caring.
Listening begets engagement.
Etc.
Etc.
How do you ´motivate othersµ? Take a B-school course on Leadership?
No! (You were joking, right?)
Answer: Motivate yourself !rst.
By hook or by crook.
Call it: Leadership By Unilateral Attitude Adjustment.
Are there things that can be labeled ´circumstancesµ?
Of course.
Do bad things happen to good people?
Doubtless.
Is there such a thing as ´powerlessnessµ?
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No!
No!
No!
Take charge now!
Task one: Work on ourselves.
Relentlessly!
If you can !gure out how to go to work with a smile today, I (trained as I was as an engineer,
and indeed carrying the baggage of an MBA from a ´quant schoolµ) will guarantee you that
you will not only ´have a better day,µ but will (eventually) infect others!- (And, uh, ´productiv
ityµ will soar ... once ´theyµ³your boss, your peers, your subordinates³get over the shock.)
Smile!
Enthuse!
Thank!
Wow!
Win!
Now!
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100 WAYS TO SUC CEED #6:
THINK (OBSESS) LEGACY!
Consider this a variation on a debate in the Tom Peters Weblog over the number of priorities
a person can have. Well, I·m settling it.
One!
Here·s the deal. It·s 5 a.m. (09.28.2004) as I write. I have a day crammed full of miscellaneous
(that dreaded word!) activities ahead, ending with a !ight from Boston/Logan to London/
Heathrow. But the ... THE ... Pressing Question is: WHAT WILL (in One Sentence) THE LEGACY
OF THIS DAY HAVE BEEN FOR TP?
Yes, I believe a Single Day can have as much of a ´legacyµ as a lifetime. In fact that had better
be the case! Why? Because the day ... stretching out before me ... !lled (at the moment) with
limitless opportunities ... is ... ALL I HAVE!
Right?
Just another day?
Hardly!
THIS IS IT!
All those things ... grand and mundane ... I want to do with my life will either be abetted or
thwarted or put o! or ignored in the course of ... THIS ONE, UNFURLING DAY.
So: What (One Sentence) will Today·s Legacy be ... for You?
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100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #7:
IF NO ÈWOW,É NO GO!
Does ´itµ Pop?
Does ´itµ Sparkle?
Does ´itµ make you Grin?
Is ´itµ ... WOW?
If ´itµ (grand or mundane) isn·t WOW ... re-do it! Or don·t do it!
This is ... Your Day.
Not ´theirµ day.
This Day belongs ... ULTIMATELY ... to You.
Not ´them.µ
Cubicle slaves Unite!
Technicolor Titans rejoice!
Throw o! the shackles of Conformity!
Just say/shout a throaty ´No!µ to Non-WOW!
So ...
WOW!
Now!
(No bull. Thiis sd o-able.)
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100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #8:
FOUL UP. FESS UP. FAST. FASTIDIOUSLY.
SHIT HAPPENS.
SHIT HAPPENS TO YOU AND ME BECAUSE WE SOMETIMES DO STUPID SHIT.
WE RARELY GET IN TROUBLE FOR THE SHIT THAT HAPPENS AS A RESULT OF THE STUPID SHIT
WE DO.
WE OFTEN GET IN TROUBLE FOR THE STUPID SHIT WE DO TO AVOID TELLING ABOUT THE
SHIT THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE STUPID SHIT WE DID.
MESSAGE.
FOUL UP.
FESS UP.
FAST.
FASTIDIOUSLY. (Tell the Whole Truth.)
TO ANYONE YOU CAN FIND TO FESS UP TO.
BOSSES.
SUBORDINATES.
THE GUY AT THE BAR.
OR IN THE WEIGHT ROOM.
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THEN GET ON WITH LIFE.
I am not a moralist.
I am not arguing that ´telling the truth is a ... GOOD THING.µ (Though I generally think it is.)
I am arguing that telling the truth ASAP is a ... USEFUL-PRAGMATIC-CAREER ENHANCING
THING TO DO ... BECAUSE THE BOOGEYMAN IS GOING TO GET YOU IF YOU DON·T. (I-.e. blog
gers cornering Dan Rather. Rather has a habit of being chased by weird people, come to think
of it.)
And, actually, people think it·s ´coolµ when you/me tell the truth³foul up, fess up, fast,
fastidiously. (Soooo Cool, that maybe you should fess up to things you haven·t done?) (Just a
thought.)
Seriously: PEOPLE HAVE VAST RESERVOIRS OF FORGIVENESS FOR SINS INCLUDING STUPID
SINS ... AND ARE THIN-SKINNED AS ALL GET OUT ABOUT EVASIVENESS AND CONVOLUTED
EXPLANATIONS.
(´It depends on what the meaning of ¶is· is.µ)
´I screwed up with the customerµ beats (by a country mile): ´We lost the customer because
the customer·s people tripped all over themselves and couldn·t come to a decision ... blah
blah blah.µ
Or: ´THE LIGHTS IN THE ROOM WERE TOO LOW BY WHICH TO SEE MURDEROUS DICTATORS.µ
(Hey, even, ´I like the old brute, used to go water skiing with him ...µ would have been better.
Right?)
FOUL UP.
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FESS UP.
FAST.
FASTIDIOUSLY.
100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #9:
OLDÉ RULES!
Young is Cool.
Old is Rich.
Think about it.
I·ll speak later today to the AHCA/American Health Care Association ... the trade association
that represents assisted-care centers, nursing homes, etc. Problems? Sure. Lousy rep? Alas,
yes. Opportunity? YOU BET!
I·m not one to provide ´market tips.µ But I·ll break the rule here. The ´Boomer-Geezer Marketµ
is more ignored than the women·s market. Period.
Almost 80 million Boomers. The !rst turn 60 in 2 years. Tons of money. (Make that: Tons &
Tons.) Not aging gracefully. Up for experiences. (Up for damn near anything, for that matter.)
Long time left, given today·s life expectancies in developed countries. Add in Geezers ... and
... Kaching!!
And ... underserved. Astonishingly so. Why? ´Oldµ is de!nitely not cool in America. Never has
been. (Even among the old.)
Hence ... OPPORTUNITY is not ´knocking.µ It·s pounding on your door. Products. Services.
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Experiences. Mass markets. Niche markets. International markets (Japan and Western Europe
are getting older even faster than we are).
As I said: Think about it.
100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #10:
GET UP EARLIER THAN THE NEXT GUY.
Flying to Boston from London on Saturday morning. 7 hours. Professional woman sitting in
front of me. I duly swear, she did not look up for 7 hours. She produced more on her laptop
than I do in ... a week ... a month.
I·m not touting workaholism here.
I am stating the obvious.
She or he who works the hardest has one hell of an advantage.
She or he who is best prepared has one hell of an advantage.
She or he who is always ´overpreparedµ has one hell of an advantage.
He or she who does the most research has one hell of an advantage.
I don·t know about you, but I wouldn·t have wanted to challenge ´the women in the row in
frontµ in whatever presentation venue she was approaching.
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100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #11:
MBWA LIVES & RULES & IS UBIQUITOUS!
A commentary an October 200N4e wsweek by Jonathan Alter begins, ´No wonder President
Bush lost round one in Miami: He got rusty living in the bubble.µ
Mr. Bush·s bubble is indeed airtight. But, reader-bosses, you·d be surprised (just as the
President was apparently surprised), I·d vouch, at how little air gets into your bubble, too!
Which takes me back to 1982.I nM yS earch of Exce lcloaenuctehor Bob Waterman and I were
about to go on tThoed ay show. We were practicing in Bob·s Manhattan hotel room. And we
got into a tussle. Turns out we both most loved the same thing in the book³and both wanted
to utter the words on national TV. Having no dueling pistols at hand (even though we were
right across the river from where VP Burr had killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel), we !ipped
a coin. Bob won ... and I·m still frustrated 22 years later!
The bragging rights at stake? MBWA. Remember? Managing By Wandering Around. (Courtesy
a much smaller, more intimate Hewlett-Packard.)
Well ...
Welcome to 2004. MBWA would have helped Pres Bush ... and it will help y-ou. And the ab
sence thereof will ... DOOM ... you.
The nice thing about MBWA is: ´What you see is what you get.µ The ... BIG IDEA ... is ... uh
... to ... WANDER AROUND. I.e., stay intimately in touch. I could go on for countless words (I
have gone on in the past), but I·ll keep it simple here:
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GET THE HELL OUT OF THE CUBE!
DESERT THE TERMINAL! (´Terminals are terminalµ? Not all bad.)
CHAT UP ANYBODY WHOSE PATH YOU CROSS ... ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE NOT AMONG YOUR
NORMAL CHATEES.
GO STROLLING IN PARTS OF THE ORG WHERE YOU NORMALLY DON·T STROLL.
SLOW DOWN. STOP. CHAT. (´Stop. Look. Listen.µ³a shrink·s advice to me, courtesy railroad
crossing lingo.)
NB: Email ... DOES NOT COUNT ... as ´chat.µ ´Wanderµ = WANDER. One foot in front of the
other.
Okay?
Extended IdeaW:a nder Writ Lar. gPeut ´wanderingµ on your permanent agenda! Consider:
I was recently giving a speech to retailers. I had studied my butt o!. Read a ton. Hung onto
the Web for dear life. Phoned a dozen experts. My data was analyzed. My speech was locked
into PPFinal status. I was in my hotel room in Chicago, at 3 p.m. On a lark, I decided to take
a stroll. I·m not ordinarily much of a shopper, but this day I strolled -the streets and ´wan
deredµ into shops, apparently aimlessly, for a little over two hours. Got back to my room.
Unlocked my PPFinal. And started all over again. (Outcome: Speech was a roaring success.) I
actually can·t tell you ´preciselyµ what I gleaned on that 2-hour excursion-wander. I can tell
you it ´changed everything.µ That is, I got ´in the zoneµ re retailing; I physically inhabited my
Client-of-tomorrow·s world ... and it infused almost every sentence of what I subsequently
presented.
Message: I am a zealot. I SWEAR BY MBWA. In any and all circumstances. Wanna join me? One
last tip-idea: ´Aimlessµ ´wanderingµ takes disciplitnreu!l yA nld a dsoitnger ession: Mr. Bush
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also serves us a reminder to ´Mind your body language,µ especially ´when no one is looking.µ
Those ´littleµ cutaways could have cost the Commander-in-Chief and World·s-Most-Powerful-
Human dearly.
100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #12:
MICROMANAGE FIRST & LAST IMPRESSIONS!
First & Last impressions are your and my personal-career keys, and the keys to a company·s
customer service report card. We both get that, of course. But: I don·t know about you, but I
need ..C.o nstant Remindi nFgo.r example, my wife rags on me semi-constantly fo-r not look
ing people directly in the eye when I·m introduced. At !rst, I thought she was nuts, especially
as I get paid sometimes to attend post-speech G & Gµ (Grip & Grin) sessions with execs or
top salespeople or key customers. But she·s right, I belatedly had to admit³I think it·s my
soul-deep shyness. (No baloney; a lot of people who sparkle at a podium are withdrawn in
more intimate settings³and vice versa.) Upshot: I·m working on it³and work it is; but worth
it.
Back to the overall issue. Fox News· and uber-spin doctor Roger Ailes claims I/you/we have
... 7 SECONDS ... to make a !rst impression. And he gives Fuisr ts ht´i:Asm pa duvpi cyeo:u r
attitude.µ Some people radiate energy, some don·t. But the don·ts at least can square their
shoulders, and pump themselves up a bit. (´Energyµ is not to be confused -with aggressive
ness. Energy is, in my opinion³I don·t know about Roger³mostly seen iSne ctohned eyes.)
rule per Ai lGesi:ve your message a mission.µ That is, if you·ve got something you want to
get from the interaction ... STAY ON MESSAGE. President Bush gets some low scores on oral
presentation³but one and all agree he is the all-time master of staying -precisely on mes
sage.A iles # 3´:Recognize ¶face value.·µ A ´poker faceµ works well in poker³but is a disaster
in more normal human interaction, including in professional settings. Call it ´animationµ or
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´engagementµ (my terms, not Ailes·); but it is di!erent than raw energy; it·s something about
being in the moment. And again, the idea is not to do jumping jacks³animation to me is
mostly the intensity of concentration. (My wife³this time I think it·s a positive³claims my
intensity of listening-concentration scares her half to death if it·s aimed her way. I wouldn·t
know.) The ´bottom lineµ here is more important than the speci!c points: PAY MINDFUL
ATTENTION TO HOW YOU ENGAGE!! IT·S AS IMPORTANT AS CONTENTµ³LIKE IT OR NOT.
(Idea: Imagine that Karl Rove and Karen Hughes were looking over your left- and right shoul
ders respectively, as you approach an interaction. Think about what they·d be whispering in
your ear right before ... contact.)
Organizationally, the notion is essentially the same. See the blog entry ´Kindness Is Free,µ
10.05.04, on www.tompeters.com that included kudos to Grin Hospital. Grin says the !rst
impression begins with ... Driving Directions! Prospective patients are already in a tizzy; lousy
directions will only fuel their angst³and reinforce the idea that they are not in charge of their
circumstances. Winners like Grin obsess on driving directions, signage, music choice for
the lobby, etc., etc. Of course Disney, no surprise, is the quintessential player here. My simple
advice: BEGINNINGS AND ENDS ARE OVERWHELMINGLY IMPORTANT³AND SURELY COUNT AS
´STRATEGIC SUBSTANCEµ IN ANY INTERCHANGE. Think through ´B & Esµ very carefully. Invest
Time & Money & Training in ´B & Es.µ Hey: How about a new C-levelµ job? Chief of Beginnings
and Ends? Chief Start ·n Stop?
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100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #13:
MAKE THIS DAY MATTER.
If ... ´My life is my messageµ(Gandhi) ...
Then ... what will you/I do today to clarify and amplify your/my message?
Choose wisely. (WHAITS YOUR MESSAGE?)
Review (and report ... to yourself) at the end of the day.
Repeat.
Daily.
Forever.
100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #14:
READ (AND ACT ON) THESE THREE BOOKS ...
I think 99 out of 100 self-help books o!er prescriptions that are too good to be true³or
require commitments that are implausible. But as to the 1 in 100, or 1,00-0: I think the fol
lowing three (ALL METICULOUSLY RESEARCHED) self-help/how-to books are worth 100X their
weight in gold³and are as good as Dale CarHnoegwi et·os Win Friends and Influen ce People
and Napoleon HillT·hsi nk and Grow Rich.
Namely ...
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GETTING TO YE S... Roger Fisher, William Ury, Bruce Patton.
LEARNED OPTIMIS M... Martin Seligman.
CRUCIAL CONFRONTATION S... Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler.
I avoid such books like the plague. HOWEVER: I HAVE BENEFITED ENORMOUSLY (personally &
professionally) FROM EACH OF THESE THREE. They ´!ll a compelling needµ ... AND ARE DO-
ABLE!
NB: Each of these authors/co-authors has produced a consistent body of work³c.f.,
Seligman·sA uthentic Happin³ethsast is worth the price of admission; I·ve simply chosen my
fav of each lot.
100 WAYS TO SUCCEED #1 5:
YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION!
And the question WiHsA:T ·S THE DREAM?
Plan.
Vision.
Brand statement.
Animating idea.
Beliefs.
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All 5 of these notions are important. (Very important.) But none compare with: WHAT·S THE
DREAM?
Great Performances are the result of a DREAM. (And, to be sure, a helluva lot of hard work
and good luck and ... and ...)
But ´itµ begins with and is sustained by a ... DREAM.
A DREAM is ´requiredµ for an Awsome Business Process Re-de!nition project. For a training
course. For a Great Night ($300 in tips) ... Waiting Tables.
I will go so far as to say that any dream-free project/performance will b-e less than memo
rable. ´Ecientµ? Quite possibly. ´Usefulµ? Quite possibly. ´Entertainingµ? Quite possibly. But
... RATTLES THE EARTH? Not without the ... DREAM.
Can DREAMS be ... ´worked onµ?
Absolutely!
I give about 75 speeches a year. Each begins and ends with ... THE DREAM. -I start by imagin
ing myself in the conference room-auditorium a month hence, facing 60 or 6,000 people. I
AM (I truly am!!) DESPERATE TO MAKE A MARK, LEAVE A MEMORABLE, STARTLING, UPLIFTING
CALL TO ARMS BEHIND. I cogitate and meditate on ... THE DREAM. An image eventually
begins to appear (based on a boatload of research and an eon of enforced- intuitive re!ec
tion). As the image sharpens (THE DREAM), I work like the devil over the next several days
or weeks on the details (95% of my e!ort). When I·m ´!nished,µ I ask myself if the PowerPoint
I·ve prepared as my skeleton ... Measures Up To The Dream? (And then I adjust and adjust
and adjust ... and sometimes start over ... if The Dream has become blurred by too many
´clever distractions.µ) Finally, it·s a few minutes to show time. As I meditate back stage, I am
working internally on only one thing: AM I CLEAR ON THE ... DREAM? IS THE DREAM CLEAR?
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And it begins. NOW I MUST CONNECT!!! I must ... CONVEY THE DREAM ... one person at a
time!!! ... even in that audience of 6,000. (Message: Dreams are ´soldµ retail, not wholesale.
ONE-AT-A-TIME. UP-CLOSE-AND-PERSONAL. Aside: That includes Blogging?!)
So ... imagine your current project.
WHAT·S THE DREAM?
100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #16:
HAVE YOU SOUGHT CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
FROM ... ONE CUSTOMER ... TODAY?
Never.
Ever.
Get Out Of Touch.
With Customers.
Easy to lose touch.
G.W. Bush.
Me.
You.
BigCo.
WeeCo.
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Must not happen.
Stop.
Now.
Call a Customer.
Out of the Blue.
Ask (use these words): ´How·s It Goin·?µ
Listen.
LISTEN.
Take notes.
Meticulous.
(Record in Special Notebook.)
Follow-up.
FAST.
Repeat.
48-hours hence.
Hint: This applies to 100% of us. Not just ´bosses.µ
We.
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All.
Have.
Customers.
Hey, tompeters.com Clients (Ye, the Beloved!) ...
How·s It Goin·?
100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #17:
WORK ON YOUR STORY!
He/she who has the best story wins!
In life!
In business!
The White House!
Consider the following:
ÌA keyËperhaps the keyto l eadership
is the e
ËHoward Gardner, Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership
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ÌLeaders donÏt just make products an d make decisions.
Leaders make m.eÍaning
ËJohn Seely Brown, Xerox PARC
ÌManagement has a lot to do with answers. Leadership is a function of
questions. And the Ørst question foÎr Wah ol edaod ewre ailnwateynsd is:
to b eN?oÏt ÎWhat are we going to do?Ï but ÎWho do we intend to be?ÏÍ
ËMax De Pree, Herman Miller
ÌThe essence of American presidential leadership, and the secret of
presidential success, is storytelling.Í
ËEvan Cornog, The Power and the Story: How the Crafted Presidential
Narrative Has Determined Political Success from George Washington to
George W. B ush
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ÌYou are the storyteller of your own life, and you can create your own
legend or not.Í
ËIsabel Allende
ÌWe are in the twilight of a society based on data. As information and
intelligence become the domain of computers, society will place more
value on the one human ability that cannot be automated: emotion.
Imagination, myth, ritualthe language of emotionËwill a
everything from our purchasing decisions to how we work with others.
Companies will thrive on the basis of their stories and myths. Companies
will need to understand that their products are less important than
their stories.Í
ËRolf Jensen, Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies
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ÌThe last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a
certain kind of mindËcomputer programmers who could crank code,
lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers.
But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands. The future belongs
to a very di
creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers.
These peopleËartists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers,
big picture thinkersËwill now reap societyÏs richest rewards and share its
greatest joys.Í
ËDan Pink, A Whole New Mind
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ÌIn Denmark, eggs from free-range hens have conquered over 50
percent of the market. Consumers do not want hens to live their lives
in small, conØning cages. ... [They] are happy to pay an additional 15 to
20 percent ... for the story ... about animal ethics. This is what we call
classic Dream Society logic. Both kinds of eggs are similar in quality, but
consumers prefer eggs with the better story. ... After we debated the issue
and stockpiled 50 other examples, the conclusion became evident:
Stories and tales speak directly to the heart rather than the brain. In
a century where society is marked by science and rationalism ... the
stories and values ... return to the scene.Í
ËRolf JensTehne D/ ream Society: How the Coming Shift from Information
to Imagination Will Transform Your Business
(FYI: Look ownw w.tompeters.cmo for a ´Special Presentationµ: ´The Power Is the Story.µ)
I have concluded that ´the brandµ is encompassed by ´the story.µ There is a slide in the
Special Presentation that simply reads: Story > Brand.
Storytelling is a re!ned art. Maybe it comes naturally to your or my 79-year-old Grandpa, but
it didn·t/doesn·t to me! I WORK LIKE HELL AT IT!
Do you ever make ´presentationsµ?
I bet the answer is, ´Yes.µ
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Well ... STOP.
NO MORE PRESENTATIONS.
EVER AGAIN.
I stopped years ago.
I NEVER GIVE PRESENTATIONS.
I DO ... for pay, no less ... TELL STORIES.
As I prepare I am conscious ... 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME ... of the evolving story, of the plot,
the narrative that unfolds.
For example: Regardless of the intensity of the urging, I never submit my presentations ahead
of time. That·s because I rework them³keep re!ning the plot, the !ow, the rhythm³until
moments before I go on stage. I suspect that in the last few hours before a speech, I go
through my ´scriptµ well over 100 times.
Your task³TODAY³is a short story.
Your current project is ... a story.
Your career is ... a story.
HE/SHE WHO HAS THE BEST STORY WINS!
SO ... WORK ON YOUR STORY!
MASTER THE ART OF STORYTELLING/STORYDOING/STORY PRESENTING!
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100 WAYS TO SUCC EED #18:
ÈLUNCH MANAGEMENTÉ
We·re all in sales! That·s one of my recurrent themes. Or, to make it more personal: IF YOU
CARE, YOU·RE IN SALES. That is, if your project Matters to you, if you have a Burning Urge to
get it done ... then the Only Route is the ... Sales Route.
Which brings me to #18. I·m not begging you to become workaholics. (Whoops, maybe I
inadvertently am. Since my work is my love, I·m a ´Love-a-holicµ³not a ´workaholicµ³when
I spend another hour blogging. Right?) At any rate, Loveaholics-Workaholics-SalesFanatics ...
DON·T WASTE A LUNCH! (Or, at least not many.)
Work is Love.
Work-Love implemented is Sales.
Sales is Relationships.
Relationships is ... LUNCH.
Clear enough, eh?
Consider each lunch an ´at bat.µ (Hey, it·s playo! time.) Four workweeks at !ve days each (I·m
going lite on you) adds up to 20 ´at batsµ each month.
20 opportunities to ... have lunch with your pals.
20 opportunities to start New Relationships.
20 opportunities to nurture Old Relationships.
20 opportunities to patch up Frayed Relationships
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20 opportunities to ´Take a Freak to Lunchµ³and learn something new.
20 opportunities to test an idea with a potential Recruit-Alliance Partner.
20 opportunities to ... MAKE A SALE.
No, I·m hardly urging you to ignore your pals. And if you ´usedµ all 20 -monthly ´opportu
nitiesµ to the utmost I·d think you were over the top. (Or determined to become the next