This is part two. In part one of this series, I spoke about 25 things I’d learned in business. You can view those items here. Remember, this is built off of the parody invented by Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell in The Office, an American TV show).
For the record, I want to acknowledge the powerful influence of a variety of people I had the pleasure of working with all those years. Leaders such as Jerry Kleeman in South Australia, Ric Brutocao in Southern California, Louise Martire in San Francisco, Roy Strutt in London, and Scott Davis (and his dad, Bill, CEO of Emerson Electric) in St. Louis. There were many others, including Dan Fowler at Microsoft (Reno), Dean Calvo (CFO at The Claremont Graduate Schools), and Lynn Blodgett at Xerox Business Services in Dallas (the CEO of that unit and my boss for many years — a visionary if there ever was one).
I am always mindful, as well, of the incredibly powerful influence of the Stoics, including Epictetus who once said, “Man is not bothered by things but by his view of things.” Think about that for a moment.
In part two of this series, I list out the next 25 or so things I’ve learned. Remember, this is all about How I Managed: Managed to get through without ever being fired, and to get through with a modicum of success.
Here we go!
26. No organization in history has ever delivered 100% the first time and every time. At Microsoft, the closest we got was what we called the “five nines.” 99.999%
27. Understand your product’s life cycle. All products have a life cycle. Know when to double-down on investment in the product but also know when to milk the cash cow. And, then, know when to exit a business or a product line.
28. Those so-called “loss leaders” you’ve heard about? Well, they’re all bullshit. Taking a loss on a product to somehow gain a market foothold is nonsense. Go into any venture with an eye toward profitability, period. Failure to do that amounts to a “going out of business strategy.”
29. Dress for success. Dress in clothes that befit the organization and your role in it, but which are one step up from what others are doing. If the organization has sworn off ties for men, for example, then wear nothing but buttoned-down, crisply starched shirts and pants that telegraph a message of impending success.
30. Speak truth to power but have facts to back up your play. Imagine getting into an elevator with Donald Trump (OK you Dems – with Hillary – satisfied?). Have ideas always at the ready, with the reasons why. Focus on what you can do to improve operations. Bring cheese with the whine. Practice your elevator speech.
31. Never gossip. Avoid the water-cooler. Speak softly and engage only in life-sustaining discussions. Gossip is life-sucking.
32. Have a sense of humor. Remember to never take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Self-care is critical. Understand what you need to do to stay sharp and healthy.
34. Find out what the most indispensable employee in the organization is doing right. Ask them questions about THEM. Draw them out. Mimic what they do but be your own person. Know your product, know your customers, know your processes inside and out. Become a go-to person. Become an oracle of knowledge. Become indispensable.
35. Honor your competition, for it is they (along with your customers) who keep your organization on its toes. Understand that paranoia is usually a good thing when in business. There really ARE people coming after you. Stay in touch with your competition. Buy them coffees. Send them notes via the good old US postal service, the Royal Mail, or Aussie Post. Know your competition’s numbers. Know how they stack up against your organization’s. In short, know thy enemy. Keep them close.
36. Never steer by the wake. An old nautical term, it is nevertheless applicable in business, and in life. Where you have been can never be an indication of where you need to go. See comment below about why airplanes do not have rear-view mirrors.
37. Practice OODA Loops: observe, orient, decide, then act. Change is the only constant in life and in business. Always be observing, then practice hypothetical orientations for the change that is sure to come.
38. Aviate, Navigate, and Communicate during times of trouble and in crisis planning. Fly the plane, set the course, and let everyone know what you are doing and where you are going. There are reasons why airplanes do not have rear-view mirrors: Where they have been is never a good indication of where they need to go. They are flying too fast for that to be of any practical concern.
39. Pay your taxes. Pay every penny of your obligation but not a penny more. Avoid tax problems. Factor taxes into every decision and then set aside the money as you make the money.
40. Stay out of the legal system. Do not sue and avoid being sued (see comments about knowing thy enemy). That said, have good lawyers who are willing to learn the ins and outs of your business and your business landscape.
41. Avoid top-heaviness. Invest money in those roles in the middle that are the engine of success. Sales and marketing, business process and service delivery, customer relations, quality improvement, research and development. If you think about adding a new vice president, think again. Keep the organization lean.
42. On that subject of being lean, “stay lean” is what Steve Jobs had to say about life. Stay hungry. Give away money. Make yourself vulnerable. Go back to your roots and re-create that sense of “betting the company” on the next venture. After all, it was what got you to where you are now. Want a new Mercedes to celebrate your success? Buy a used Ford truck instead.
43. Avoid being a “no” man. Avoid being the organization’s wet-blanket whom everyone knows will pooh-pooh any idea. Practice, instead, becoming a “Yes, and…” man.
44. Let your staff whine, but always demand that they bring the cheese to the whine tasting. Bring me problems, yes, but bring me solutions too. And there is no such thing as a dumb question.
45. Ask questions. Drill down. Drill down again. Get to the root of any and all matters. Learn to analyze details – get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
46. Understand your “why.” This is akin to, “be a professional to your chosen profession.” Even if you’re a prostitute, know your why. And if you cannot divine the “why,” then get the hell out. Do not waste a second of your life in an endeavor that cannot be, in large measure, in service of your why. Decide on your true dreams and goals – write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them
47. How you think is everything – always be positive. Think success, not failure.
48. Take action – goals are nothing without action. Don’t be afraid to start. Just do it.
49. Ancaro Imparo (I am still learning, said Michelangelo). Go back to school and read books. Get training and acquire new skills. Never stop learning.
50. Be persistent and work hard. Someone once said, “success is a marathon not a sprint.” Never give up. Keep moving forward.
51. Never make fun of anyone. Avoid the water cooler. Deal and communicate with people effectively and remember that no man is an island. Stay away from gossip mongers. They exist everywhere. Be polite but firm: exchanging gossip is not the kind of behavior anyone should engage in. Always be a force for change and avoid the water cooler.
Thoughts? I’d love to hear from you!
