Archive for January, 2010
Jan
31
In tennis, and business, avoiding unforced errors is key – The Globe and Mail.
I really like this blog post, by a guy named Harvey Schachter. He's quoting a writer named Jeffrey Krames, who's written a book called Unforced Error.
The tennis metaphor is great – I'm a sucker for a good metaphor – but more important, Krames says some true and simple things about what managers and leaders need to avoid in order to be successful.
The basic premise is that in tennis, the player with the fewest number of unforced errors – mistakes that are totally that player's responsibility, vs. being "forced" by someone else – usually wins. Krames proposes that the same is true in business: that successful leaders and managers stay attentive to and avoid the avoidable mistakes.
This may seem simple, but it's actually quite powerful. In effect, he's saying that your best shot at being successful in business is 1) to take full responsibility for being the best leader you're capable of being, 2) stay open and curious about what you may need to do differently or better, 3) keep learning.
Jan
22
How Panera Bread Defies the Recession – TIME.
This article made me happy for two reasons.
First, I really enjoy eating at Panera. Good, reasonably healthy food, well-prepared and served quickly by almost invariably pleasant people. (I'm an especially big fan of the black bean soup.)
Second, I'm pleased to read that they've succeeded during the recession by doing pretty much exactly what we've been encouraging our clients (and ourselves) to do for the past 18 months: Don't panic. Get clear about what you do that's most valuable to your customers, and do it really well. Make sure you're operating as efficiently as possible. Take a deep breath and keep on going.
Panera's stock was up 26% last year, and the CEO, Ron Shaich, says:
"We understood that the fundamentals of the marketplace really haven't changed. Unemployment went from 5% to 10%. There's 90% of society that is still employed. I couldn't capture all those people that are unemployed. They weren't eating out at all. All I could do was stay focused on who my target customer was, and not be reactive."
I raise my iced tea to you, Ron – may you and your delicious paninis live long and prosper!
Jan
12
A 2010 Personal Leadership Checklist : The World :: American Express OPEN Forum.
I've never been much of a fan of New Year's resolutions – they seem all too often pro forma and doomed to failure. But I am a big fan, as you know of reflecting deeply and accurately on your current state and then envisioning the future you want to create for yourself, given where you are now.
Here's a great blog post about how to do that regarding your future. The author, Matthew E. May, starts by encouraging readers to ask the question "Am I making the most of what I have to offer the world?" then offers 12 things to ask yourself to help assess where you are relative to that question.
This post makes me want to read his new book (In pursuit of Elegance) – I found his thinking provocative and useful, and hope you do, too.
Jan
7
I have a feeling this is going to be a good year. Now, that might be simply because I'm (as someone who reviewed one of my books once said) a "relentless optimist." But it might also be true.
I suspect that the economic upheavals over the past 18 months could actually provide – are actually providing - all kinds of impetus for new growth, fresh thinking, alternative pathways to success.
It's like a forest fire. It's a scary, awful thing when it's happening: animals die, people lose their homes. In fact, though, forest fires are necessary – beneficial in the long-term. Here's a paragraph from an article I found on the science buzz blog:
"Even as the fires were crackling through the branches of pines, birch and spruce, the start of new tree growth was already popping. The heat from the burning trees pops open the cones on those trees, releasing seeds that have been waiting to get loose for years. Millions of those seeds were dumped on the forest floor and within less than a month, some of them germinate, pop through the soil and start growing into little seedlings…In fact, fire is a natural part of the forest’s regeneration system. Most forest trees need to be exposed to fire every 50 to 100 years to invigorate new growth."
Don't get me wrong – this has been dreadful, and I know a lot of people are still feeling the effects (I have a beautiful house in Kingston, New York that I've been trying to sell since 2008 – interested?). I just think that the destruction of some outmoded assumptions and ways of operating might clear the way for more thoughtful, balanced approaches, and for companies that have something new and useful to bring to the party.
What do you think?
Jan
1
12 Wishes for Leadership in 2010 | Mary Jo Asmus.
One of the wonderful things about having smart, authentic, interesting friends is that they turn you on to other smart, authentic, interesting people. Case in point: my friend Wally Bock recently introduced me, via email, to his friend Mary Jo Asmus. I’ve just been reading her blog, and I love this post – it’s what she hopes leaders will do more of this year, and what she hopes all of us will recognize and do differently relative to leaders. I agree with every single thing she says, and she says it so simply and clearly (a writer after my own heart).
Like Mary Jo, I hope that we all become more of who we want to be this year, and that our efforts to do so support the great good…
Happy New Year!
In tennis, and business, avoiding unforced errors is key – The Globe and Mail.