Phoenix Rising

Is Life Fair?

"Life isn't fair. Get used to it."  Bill Gates

I shared this quote the other day on Twitter, noting that it seemed a bit cynical to me. I immediately received an RT from someone who didn't think it was cynical - it was the truth.  Life isn't fair. More people agreed - and frankly, I was shocked.

 I kinda pushed back and one person responded using the earthquake in Haiti as an example that life is not fair - and how could anyone think it was?

I think life is fair.

Before you jump to the assumption I've never had anything bad happen to me so of course life's fair - think again. I've had more than my share of ugliness - sickness, death, betrayal and just plain horrible stuff. But I still think life is fair in the balance of all things.

But then, it does depend on how you define 'fair', now doesn't it?  

• If 'fair' means that everyone gets exactly what they want all the time - then the world probably isn't fair. 
• Or is 'fair' getting what you want part of the time -with a few tough times thrown in as reasonable balance?
• Does fair apply as a balance across the populace or is it just about our own personal experience of fairness?
• What if something you think is fair is actually perceived as unfair by someone else? What's fair then?

So when is life 'fair'?

Life surely seemed fair when we were on a roll.

Think about life during the boom years. Money was flowing, everyone was enjoying the BIG upside and life was viewed as fair by most.  In the Silicon Valley  life was REALLY fair. We bought houses using options that wouldn't vest for six or more years. We knew life was fair and we'd be rewarded like everyone else in the valley. (I'd like to note: that popular home buying trend wasn't exactly a secure or sensible way to take on big debt.) 

Today, life isn't viewed as fair in the Valley. Those homes are going into foreclosure, the big dollar salaries for folks with minimal experience have vanished.  You can hear the protests all around that life just isn't fair! 

I'm not saying that times right now are not tough for a lot of folks.  I know they are. But - is that 'unfair' or simply a balance to the over the top 'fairness' we enjoyed five years ago?

What about Human responsibility for fairness?

I also believe that  acts of Humanity influence our collective energy - and the fairness of our lives.  Wall Street was a great example of that. Those leaders did things that were beyond unfair - and their actions brought a wide spread, and unfair, impact to our economy.  Does that mean life isn't fair?  Seems to me a select few brought that unfairness on all of us.

Tomorrow I'll share my own personal beliefs about fairness - and our power to create our lives.

In the meantime, what do you think about life and fairness? I want to know - because I only have my own answer - and I'd love to hear yours!

Experts Behaving Badly. Why? Drama Sells!

The great minds of Apple gave us innovation today.

Thanks to the iPad, I can access anything I want on the web, watch  videos, write a blog post, create a presentation, run a spreadsheet,  read my book or magazine and email as I like.  I can carry one small iPad onto the plane or in the car and do everything I need to do.  Wow -I just lost ten pounds of luggage! 

Too bad some smaller minds had to show up at the party.

As soon as Steve said the name 'iPad' - they started attacking.  'Bad name' screamed the cynics.  'iMaxi' or 'iTampon' joked these brilliant gurus.   

You have to be kidding me? 

The iPad changes the way we can work and play. It obsoletes netbooks, Kindles and Nooks and more.  Apple just delivered the answer to many of us travelers' dreams.  Just think what it can do for our work life, our personal life and our kids!   Star Trek - here we come!

So why are 'experts' so focused on dissing the name?  

They're doing what they are paid to do. They can't find a major flaw - but they have to create negative drama to get attention, to earn their paychecks.  After all -  a vendor can't deliver a product that hip experts say is GOOD, right?  Hip experts are always cynical and sarcastic. So they create conflict, look for anything negative. If it means attacking the name iPad - so be it.  After all, drama sells, right?

We are better than this!

• Do any of us really believe someone won't buy an iPad because of the name?  No.
• Is the iPad any less innovative because of the trash talk about its moniker?  No.
• Do any of us think the name will in any way impact the coolness of this new Apple iPad?  No. 

Why do we  listen to and even pass along such drivel?  Those comments were rude, vulgar and unprofessional at best.  They certainly had nothing to do with an expert opinion (even a hip expert) on a new product offering. 

I'm ditching the drama. I've had enough.

I stopped watching the news because of drama and manipulation by supposed 'experts'. As of today I've stopped listening to the new generation of sarcastic, negative experts in all aspects of my life. I'm reclaiming my power to decide for myself, based on real facts that matter, not on petty drama.  

I'm surely not listening to self-adorned experts who resort to crass name-calling.

I'll buy my iPad, enjoy the innovation and laugh all the way to the plane. And for those who don't like the name - WHO CARES?  Shame on you!  I'm not using the name to do my work, watch movies, send email, write a note or surf the web, now am I?

Let's focus on what's important - creating positive value. 

A Lesson From a Ski Hill

I learned a life lesson at Squaw Valley yesterday.

It was a rough day. Over a foot of our famous Sierra Cement and more coming down.  Sierra Cement is heavy, heavy snow - think skiing slurpies. It changes with every inch - sometimes you move along, sometimes you get grabbed and stop suddenly.  It's an art to find your balance and stay down the hill when you're getting thrown all over the place. Even the tiniest mistake and you get slammed.

I was skiing with my good buddy Jim - who also happens to be a Mountain Guide and one of the best skiers I've ever seen.  He was being gracious and helping me relocate my ski legs in this stuff.

We had a GREAT day - I found my balance on my new skis and had a blast in the stuff that I used to hate. I was focused and felt really 'on it' as we skied some of the steepest, narrowest trees at Squaw (trees force you to make turns and get on balance).  I was thrilled- I've never skied that well in this stuff and it's something I needed to learn again after a few years in UT. But with a lot of focus, and by paying attention to the changing conditions under my feet - I got it!

We stopped about 30 feet above the groomer on our last run to decide what we were doing. We'd come down the hill and it was pouring rain - the snow had turned into glue under my skis.  I decided to head home after such a great day - so we headed toward the base. 

As we were heading to the groomer - I looked up to check out KT (a famous Squaw mountain) and lost my focus. My skis left the tracks in this super glue and the next thing I know - I'm face planted on the groomer with a yard sale all around me. I heard my head go Crack as it hit the hardpack and trust me, I felt the pain. I laid there for a minute and thought - "Now that was a bonehead move. What was I thinking?" 

We're not sure if my nose is broken. Hopefully it's just the cut I got from my goggles. Then there's my headache - which is surely hurtin' this am. And my neck has a new position on my spine - which we need to fix too.

My point?  I LOST MY FOCUS.  I wasn't thinking about what I was doing! I started looking around at KT, which was NOT important to my efforts at that moment.  And I went Splat! That made me wonder...

How often do we look around, get distracted and lose our focus?

What does that cost us in business and in our personal lives?

No DMs Please

Just when I thought it was bad - it got worse.

We all know how annoying all the Twitter 'Thanks for following' DMs are, right?  Mine have become downright out of control these days.  I miss my friends DMs thanks to all the SPAM in my DM column. Sigh. It's worse than email because I can't block Tweets.

I wouldn't mind the DMs so much if they really were thanking me and/or offering something valuable. But we know that's not true either.  It's a rare DM that offers anything other than 'Follow me on FB', 'Get 1,000 followers in under 60 seconds', 'Use my MLM and you'll be a millionaire tomorrow'. Blah Blah.

Recently I've been paying a bit more attention to those pesky DMs. I wanted to see if anyone had a clue about an effective use of Direct Messages in response to Follows.  I'm sad to say - I haven't found a single one yet that made me jump up and scream "Yes!!"

I did find one yesterday that made me scream "NO!" more loudly than usual.  The Tweep has over 32,000 Followers so you'd think he'd know better.  Obviously not.

Here's the DM...with a few changes to protect the guilty.

I'm honored for the follow! I create sustainable business systems. Can I help? See my site: http://XXX.com   (NO DM's pls)

No DMs Please? Excuse me Mr. Tweep, I must be confused. Didn't you just DM me to sell your services?  Didn't you just take my time, invade my space, without asking permission?  And now you're telling me you're too busy to accept a DM back from me? 

You gotta be kidding me. 

I am amazed at the Power of Twitter and other Social Media platforms to network with like-minded folks.  ISM is a fabulous tool when used appropriately.

I'm also continuously shocked at the seeming lack of just plain common sense (or maybe in this case it's common courtesy) from folks on social media - especially Twitter.

So, here are a few little clues for anyone  using Twitter.  Forget the DMs, stop annoying people and just be yourself. Let your voice shine through your Tweets, share your value freely and let people see why they want to be a Follower of you and your  thoughts. That's the key to creating a loyal SM following - on any of the platforms.

• Don't send blind, pointless DMs.
• Stop Spamming with your promises of thousands of followers.
• Forget the millionaire overnight promo and most of all...

Don't insult people by telling them your time is more valuable than theirs.

Keepers of the Truth

Reality comes from our markets, not ourselves.

I seek customer, prospect and partner feedback before I ever begin to brainstorm a strategy.  Clients often ask me why I don’t take their word for where they are and what they do.  It’s not that I don’t believe them. I do. 

It’s that I don’t believe any of us can clearly see today’s reality through the eyes of our buyers.  We’re too busy managing the day-to-day in our overloaded lives. We need clear perspective - and that comes from the keepers of the truth – our audiences.

We all think we know our markets, know that we can promote what we believe to be best for our buyers - which happens to be our products. Unfortunately - that's just not the case anymore. There was a day when advertising and marketing could sway a market - but no more.  The internet and social media changed that forever.

Today's buyers control their own destinies through information.

Everything we need to know about our present and future is in the eyes and hearts of our customers. They know their present needs and can offer advice to improve and enhance our value.  They  also know  the progress they want to make, the challenges they expect to face.

Our audiences put their money where their beliefs are.

Since those dollars represent the holy grail we seek – I follow them, not internal opinions. I care what internal players believe - but I also know that the customer is my Keeper of the Truth. Customer opinions are the only ones that matter. Creating strategies in the vacuum of our own corporate legends is how we fail. 

Ask yourself- when was the last time you made a decision based on real-world audience input, instead of the opinions of your executive team, or that engineering manager or sales leader?

What customers see as true value is  very different from what we believe. That’s a fact that must drive every value, opportunity and growth decision we make.

If we haven’t validated our decision with multiple and varied customers and prospects, then that decision is just an assumption.  Usually it’s an assumption based on our own status quo thinking.

And we all know what happens when we assume, now don’t we?

Changing My Game

Hanging onto old recipes limits our success.

We all have old recipes running around in our brains.  It's human nature to find and follow a pattern. We creatures of habit feel more comfortable that way.

I became aware of an old, and dangerous, recipe in my own life not too long ago.

I've helped companies grow for over two decades now as a consultant.  In 2009, I decided it was time to step into the life of my dream as an author and speaker, sharing my consulting experience to help  people think differently about how to grow their business.

I've always been an independent person, rarely taking the tried and true approach to anything.  Must be my name.  When I began to write Defying Gravity, I wanted to self-publish, primarily to have control of my content and direction. 

Everyone I spoke with strongly suggested that I stick with the a known recipe for success as a first time author.  That recipe declared I needed a NY publishing house to be taken seriously with my first book. After many discussions, including a big argument with my own intuition, I changed my plans and headed down that path. When a well-respected NY agent signed me, I was thrilled.

But as things progressed, it became apparent that the houses, and my agent, wanted to change my book pretty dramatically.  They didn't 'get' what I wanted to write - they only knew their traditional formulas and focus areas.  I wasn't about to sell out for the NY houses. I know my audience and I understand the value I offer.

I finally drew the line about what I wanted to write.  My agent fired me. OMG - how's that for a wake up call?  I was a little lost for a bit, but then I remembered my original dream.  On the recommendation of my friend Scott McKain, I connected with Clint Greenleaf or Greenleaf Book Group.  Three weeks later I signed with them - and I’ve never looked back. Greenleaf is everything I dreamed of in a publisher - innovative, supportive professionals who are creating new recipes for authors to power unprecedented success.

That old recipe for author success? Forget it. It may work for a few, but not for most, and certainly not for me.  I'm working with Greenleaf on some pretty exciting things - beyond the book itself, which I am finishing as we speak.  Defying Gravity is my book, written my way - with superb and out-of-the box additions from the smart, innovative thinkers on the Greenleaf team.

The traditional publishing approach felt so wrong for me.  Greenleaf feels so right. I just know I'm on the right path - creating my own recipe for success as I go along.  I'm learning every day and adjusting with every conversation.  And I'm cookin' up some pretty fun ideas along the way!

What about you?  Have you ditched an old recipe and found a new way to cook up your success?  I'd love to hear about it!

Recipes for Success

Those B School recipes for success need an update.

Why?

First of all - we're moving too fast to follow any set recipe. What was true last month may be old news today.  Our value slides from 'Oh Wow' to 'Ho Hum' in a matter of months as our markets spin in new directions.  Buyers change, fads change, the economy changes.  Market ingredients will change, so we'd better be ready to improvise quickly. Following that recipe just may end up cooking our goose! 

Secondly - no two companies can follow the same recipe and be successful. The patterned recipe for cooking up business success doesn't work in today's dynamic markets. Every business situation is unique. That means every business has to create its success using whatever situational ingredients they have at a given point in time,  evolving their recipe in real-time as their markets change.

The Bottom Line? We have to think for ourselves.

We say we've always thought for ourselves- but have we really? We've sliced the pie, jumped across the big chasm, dived into the bright blue ocean, following that recent popular strategic recipe. That's not a bad thing - it's just not the best way to be different - and successful.

Situational thinking is today's recipe for success.

I think we all have to throw out our old and tired recipe books and start thinking differently. We have the chance to improvise, to create value and distinction in a world of limitless possibilities. We can spin on a dime, evolve in real-time and cook up compelling new value and go-to-market strategies to power our success.

I think that's exciting.  Tomorrow, I'll share a bit about how I'm changing my own recipe... In the meantime, what do you think about all these tried and true recipes for success? 

Fair Play

Fair Play ruled in my upbringing - in everything from horses to golf to piano competitions to life itself.  It's a simple principle promoting that how you play the game is more important than winning.

The rules have changed.

We have cheating bankers getting federal bailout money while honest people are losing their homes and lives.  Then there are companies like GM who ignored the markets and followed their own egos all the way to bankruptcy - well they are bailed out by our tax dollars. Now that I think about it - we've even lost the concept of Fair Play in our sports heroes.

I won't keep going - we all know the examples, in business, government, sports and our own personal lives. We all know that Fair Play is becoming more rare every day in certain circles. 

I wonder if we've let Fair Play slide because life is easier without that rule. 

Fair Play means that we have to be better than others to succeed. When we deliver a quality product and service to our customers, we have a significantly better chance of winning than the guys who do shoddy work. 

Fair Play also means we take responsibility for our actions. We step up and deliver - focusing all our energy on our assignment - rather than on who has the power and how we can get more.

Fair Play means we focus our efforts to get better and better at what we do.  Our skill and knowledge, our performance, becomes our path to accomplishment. We can't use other forms of manipulation to get ahead anymore - they won't work.

Think what the return of Fair Play could do for our lives.

In business we'd return to the premise that when we deliver quality - we get the rewards. When we deliver crap - we go out of business. Now that would solve a lot of problems, wouldn't it?

In our personal lives we'd learn to trust again - knowing that everyone we encountered was playing according to the rules of Fair Play. Wouldn't that be a great step.

I believe we Fair Players are the majority in this world. 

So why do those who break the rules get by with it so often - and for so long?

I don't have the answer to that question.  Nor do I know how to bring Fair Play back as the name of the game.  What I do know is that I don't like it when others get to play by a different set of rules - actually break the rules - and still win. 

I want to do something about it. I wonder if I can get my tax dollars back from all those guys?  Hmmm...

Legends

Legends keep the past alive in our world.

Legends are handed down from generation to generation. As they are passed along, they gather strength.  In many cultures - legends act as guidelines for behavior.

We have corporate legends as well, rules and 'knowns' that we accept as truth. If you're wondering what legends I'm talking about, here are some examples. 

•    Our product is just too cool.
•    We can’t win in that market, so why bother trying.
•    Our sales cycle is unpredictable, but that’s just our business.
•    We have to discount to beat that competitor.
•    Changing plans will just disrupt our business.
•    We’ll just have to cut expenses to keep profit margins.
•    We can’t grow in a down economy, everybody is hurting.

Often we can’t even remember the source of those legends. Some come from our own internal beliefs, some from external sources – like those business school truths handed down from mentor to student.

We tend to hang onto those legends, the knowns about our businesses. They become ingrained in our business cultures - just as the legends of King Arthur and more are ingrained in our personal stories.

But what if those legends are just plain wrong?

That's why they are dangerous. What happened in the past isn't necessarily a reliable truth today. Our world is moving too fast. Our 'wow' value from six months ago may already be 'ho hum' in today's market. Certainly the rules of business from a decade ago are ancient history for today - but perhaps even our beliefs from last year are already past their prime.

When corporate legends live long - we don't prosper.

Our success depends on our full attention to today - and tomorrow. Letting the past decide our future is a sure step down a slippery slope.  Legends hold us on the wrong course, blind us to opportunities and give us a false sense of security. Sometimes - they help us avoid the change we fear.

The key to success in our dynamic world is to focus forward - leveraging the lessons learned in our past, while questioning everything in light of today's reality.  Great leaders do just that - asking for the logic behind every legend and known, taking nothing for granted as a given. Great leaders plan their course for today based on what they see ahead of them, not what they've already passed.

What are some of your legends? How can you evolve beyond them?

Little White Lies

There's nothing wrong with a little white lie, right?

So we deliver an upbeat message to our team to keep everyone engaged. Why share the reality that the we're in a bigger mess than we want to admit, even to ourselves? It will only make things worse.

Or we over-promise our capabilities to win a new customer. We will find a way to satisfy their needs, and they'll just love us when they get to know us.

Maybe we stretch the truth about ourselves - our experience, our skills.  We're sure we can learn on the job and do well - we always have before.

Little white lies can lead to great big problems.

When we set an expectation - that expectation is taken as a commitment. If we set that expectation with a little white lie - we begin our commitment out of integrity.  

Sooner or later, the truth comes out. In the worst case, we lose the respect and trust of those we 'mislead'.  In a better case, we sneak by with only a minor ripple - we met that customers' needs, even if it did take an extra month or so.  But we still lost some of their confidence when the truth emerged. 

In the best case - no one ever knows about that little white lie. We get by and live to tell another - the next time we don't want to face reality.

White lies quickly become dirty dark secrets.

No matter how we rationalize them, white lies are still lies. We can't base our business, or our lives, on untruths.  When we start from a faulty foundation, we're setting ourselves up for the fall.

Just read the business section and you'll still see examples of that sad, sad truth.  The names you see there didn't start out by telling their ultimate whoppers. They began with tiny steps across the line of truth.

As part of my New Decade commitments - I'm watching myself for those little white lies. I took a good hard look and realized I was guilty of stepping across that line - and I didn't like it. Not big stuff - just baby steps.  But no more.  I'm sticking to my truth. And yes, I'm learning to share it more graciously as part of the journey.

How about you?

Where's Your Focus?

Do you notice how many people around us are grumbling - sometimes even in expectation of something yet to come?

Negative is the enemy of success.

Negative attitudes spread through an organization like a virus.  The grousing and groaning become part of the company's culture. The next thing you know there's an excuse for every slip or stumble. We lose responsibility for our actions while we do the very thing to bring us down. We get more negative.

We do the same thing in our personal lives - the grousing becomes a habit - and we bring that negative to every relationship.

We spend so much time planning for our business success in the practical ways - managing our resources, planning our product strategy, learning how to sell more efficiently.  We focus on keeping our personal selves healthy and in good form.

Why don''t we spend time creating an upbeat and can-do attitude?

2010: The Year of the Positive

We move so gradually to the dark side that we don't realize we're expecting the negative. So how about we consciously move to the positive?

What if we all made it a point of sharing one positive thing with our co-workers and teams every day of this year? What if we even incented folks who focused on the positive - bringing the success that comes with that positive focus?

Work would be more upbeat. Our employees would learn to seek resolutions instead of excuses. We'd move forward, united in positive expectations. That, in and of itself, would change our future in business.

I know that we get what we focus on in our lives - business and personal.  Last year I focused on the life of my dreams. I lived every day as if that life was already true. Today - that life is coming to me in such a blaze of joy and wonder - I can't wipe the smile off my face.  You can do it too....

What's your focus?

That Personal Touch

Marketing departments in all kinds of companies are using the power of being 'personal' as a way to attract customers and win business.  Personalized profiles are all the rage in outbound marketing.  We insert recipients' names into email campaigns that are tailored to what we assume are their requirements, thanks to a tailored sentence or two.

Somehow - that doesn't seem like a truly personal approach.  A mass production of 'personalized' information is just that - a mass communication.  Customers and prospects, friends and family see right through those approaches, especially when we aren't thoughtful about our personalization.

Sometimes, we just plain blow it.

My name gives me lots of opportunities to experience pretty poor attempts at personal communication. The emails claiming to be an old friend of Mr. Rebel Brown always give me a giggle.  Then there's the offers of all those boy toys that companies just know Mr. Rebel wants.  That's a problem born of assumption - so we'll leave it at that and suggest care in assuming anything.

Then there are the communications that don't mess up my name - but fail at the personal equation.  One professional has sent me the same holiday email, with the same picture for four years running. Each year their message is the same.  "I wanted to share my best wishes with you for your new year, and thank you for your support of my business this year." Blah blah, I delete them  - and by the 2nd year, I stopped doing business with that professional.  Somehow, I just didn't feel special.

Bob Burg recommends a great approach.

If you're trying to connect on a more personal level with your audience, then really be personal. He suggests we write personal thank you notes to those who touch our lives.  I did this for decades, taking time to personally thank each and every client and partner who helped me through the year.  I fell out of the habit a few years back when I was sick for a while.  But now I'm thanking folks personally again - with emails and kind gestures. For those who really touch my world, I'm sharing a gift that keeps on giving, thanks to Colin Lewis and Wisdom Notes.

For a large business, that may seem daunting, but it's not. If everyone steps up to communicate with their own focused audience in ways that really matter to that audience - it's an easy and powerful approach to truly connecting  with each audience member.

So what's my point?

Stop trying to act like you're personally communicating in a mass way.  Take the time and effort to truly be personal with your audiences. Yes, it will consume more resources and time. But the results will more than cover those extra costs - you'll be distinct simply  because of that personal touch.  Always remember, business is done on a personal level.

While you're at it,  do the same in your relationships .  Don't be the guy who acts like he's your best friend for show in front of the boss - but who really doesn't know a thing about you. 

Faking it doesn't work.

You're either truly taking the time to communicate with someone in a personal and relevant way - or you're not.  Its obvious to your audience which you're doing -and the repercussions will follow.

Stop faking it in that middle ground.  It's insulting and it drives people away from your business and you.  Just like it drives me away from anyone who calls Mr. Rebel his or her friend.