Genuine Curiosity

Author Dwayne Melancon is always on the lookout for new things to learn. An ecclectic collection of postings on personal productivity, travel, good books, gadgets, leadership & management, and many other things.

 

Renegades Rule

I've been on a traveling spree lately and, while it hasn't provided me with much time to post here, it has given me the chance to catch up on some of my reading. One of the books that I read is Christine Comaford-Lynch's "Rules for Renegades: How to Make More Money, Rock Your Career, and Revel in Your Individuality." I was familiar with Christine from back in the late 20th century when she was a columnist for computer magazines (that's my industry). I've always thought she was very smart.

I bought the book because I wanted to find out how Christine --who never finished high school-- became a major "name" in the software industry and fostered multiple successful business ventures and made some high-powered friends along the way. I found an enjoyable read, with some fun stories and some good, reusable tips.

In some ways, this book reminds me (at least a bit) of Tim Ferriss's "Four-Hour Workweek" because Christine takes some of the same approaches for gaining advantages by understanding the loopholes and technicalities that let you "put one over on the system." By doing this, she was able to be a player in the early days of Microsoft, get job interviews (and get hired) for jobs she probably wouldn't have otherwise even gotten invited to interview for, and many other impressive things.

In this book, you're taken through a journey of discovery which led Christine to 10 Rules for renegades. My favorites:

Rule 1: Everything's an Illusion, So Pick One That's Empowering

This is a variation on "fake it 'til you make it" or, as I always say: "take responsibility for your own well-being." Essentially, this is a primer about how to anchor your focus and beliefs in a way that always helps you move toward something better. Christine shares a quick & dirty technique for setting, focusing on (then adjusting and resetting) compelling goals in key areas of your life.

Rule 6: Learn to Love Networking

OK, so some people love to network. Some don't. I am not a natural networker and couldn't learn to love it until I wrapped it up in a set of tricks and techniques to make it more fun. IIn this Rule, I found some great tips in "Essentials for Networking," and these didn't feel like they required superhuman stamina like Keith Ferrazzi's in "Never Eat Alone." Christine's tips sound more like "Networking for Mere Mortals," which is what I need.

Rule 9: Resign as General Manager of the Universe

The subtitle of this Rule is "The Control Freak 12-Step Program" and it is about how to keep from burning yourself out, driving yourself crazy obsession about things beyond your control, and generally throwing your priorities out of whack. The best part of this Rule is the "The Semi-Annual Assessment" - it's a reminder to step away from the hole, stop digging, and figure out if you're getting where you really want to go.

There's something to learn in each of the 10 Rules in this book, and Christine's colorful stories make this an easy read. This book has elements of "woman triumphs over old boys' club," but if you view it only through that lens you are missing a lot - anybody who wants to consciously exert more control over their future will enjoy this book.

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ruggengraat

I've just returned from a week in Japan where I was speaking at a conference on JSOX (Japanese Sarbanes-Oxley). While I was there, I visited with a bunch of customers, prospects, and partners. My goal in these meetings was to develop a more tangible understanding of some of the business drivers in the market so my company can provide a stronger solution in Japan.

In the course of these meetings, I was extremely impressed by one partner I met with - not just by what they do, but by how they have built their company. When we started the meeting, they wanted to begin by explaining their company philosophy to me - before we talked any "real" business.

They explained that, though they operate in a very technical market space, they don't hire specifically for technical skills or expertise. I was intrigued - "What do you look for when you hire, then?" Their answer: "We hire first for integrity and core values. We can teach technical skills, but we cannot teach integrity and ethics. Our customers trust us with their IT infrastructure, including things that have sensitive data on them - and we must be trustworthy. If we start with employees with high moral character, we can help them learn the skills they need."

I asked for a copy of their mission and values - which they really apply in their business (I saw some great examples of this even in my short visit with their President/Founder and members of his team). I'd like to share them with you - maybe they'll inspire you, as they do me:

Embracing a global philosophy

Here is an excerpt from the English version of their company brochure:

"All of us at [the company] firmly believe that having the strength 'to safeguard things that don't change' and 'to strive to see the things that cannot be seen' is essential, and that improving oneself is a daily challenge.

With that in mind, our philosophy is:

  • Cherish the immutable.
  • Enjoy in moderation.
  • Value the people around us.
  • Observe propriety.
  • Be attentive when communicating.
  • Persevere to the best of our abilities.
  • Apply imagination and creativity in forming ideas.
  • Share knowledge and experience.
  • Have an altruistic heart.
  • Appreciate opportunity and use a critical eye in analysis."

Very inspring.

Their results

I don't think it's an accident that this is a rapidly growing, profitable company (they've tripled in the last couple of years). And I imagine they have a very loyal employee base (they were training about 30 newly minted university grads in one of their training rooms when I was there - all hired for core values).

I think they are headed for greatness - and I think we can learn a lot from this approach. Another interesting benefit of this approach: the space they operate in has traditionally had a scarce hiring pool in Japan, but their method should be very insulated from that scarcity since they can create their own workforce on demand. Way cool.

Oh - and the significance of the title of this post? The notion that this company understands that you "can't teach integrity" reminded me of an observation I once heard from a basketball coach. He talked about how certain, uncoachable attributes made it easier to succeed in basketball. In his example, he said he could help players improve in just about any skill, but he could never coach height.

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Artistic? Want $500?

If you want to pick up $500 fast, just impress Lisa Haneberg with your artistic skillz. She's got a Web 1.0 thing going on with the current cover of her book High Impact Middle Management (a book I love, by the way), and she want to bring it up to at least Web 2.0.

You can find out more on Lisa's cover art competition here - this is your chance to make the big time!

By the way, I always thought this book should be called "Badass Middle Management" because it has some fantastic advice for anyone who wants to be more effective as a manager, particularly those of us "in the middle" of an organization. Another reason to love this book is that it takes you through an abbreviated version of one of my favorite topics: Goldratt's Theory of Constraints.

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Running With The Bulls

I just finished reading Run with the Bulls (Without Getting Trampled), by Tim Irwin. In short, I loved reading this book. If you're like me, you like when authors illustrate points using stories from their own experience. This book is loaded with lots of techniques, philosophies, and other powerful advice - all punctuated with great stories from Tim Irwin's life.

This book is a great match for anyone who feels stuck in their job (particuarly if that "stuckness" is related to your role as a manager), or if you feel like you're locked in, your personal development has stalled, or you feel like your just not stretching yourself any more.

This isn't just a book about someone else's stories, though - it's about techniques to help you live a better life, and work a better work. Among other things, you'll learn about several critical success factors, including:

  • Critical Success Factor 1: Self Management
  • Critical Success Factor 2: Relationship Management
  • Critical Success Factor 3: Forethought
  • Critical Success Factor 4: Dependability
  • Critical Success Factor 5: Resourcefulness
  • Critical Success Factor 6: Ability to Learn
  • Critical Success Factor 7: Ability to Change

Awesome stuff, well presented. Irwin's style makes this an easy read and his teachings will make it memorable. Whether you want to get unstuck, or get better at what you do, this book's a winner.

Oh - and like a lot of books these days, there is a companion site with additional material and tools - of particular interest: check out the "change graphic" PDF, and the Run With The Bulls online assessment.

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[Review] Lessons on Leadership

I picked up Jack Stahl's "Lessons on Leadership" a while back, and was curious about whether it held anything for me. Why? In spite of the old axiom to "never judge a book by its cover," I got a little judgemental on this one. After all, Jack used to be CEO of Coca Cola and Revlon, so he must have big, bureaucratic ideas about how to be a leader, right? My procrastination genes kicked in for a while.

A few weeks later, I tossed this book into my bag, boarded a plane, and started reading it. I must admit - I misjudged this book, for sure. In fact, I think Stahl's experience in bigger, stodgier companies actually pushed him to go back to first principles, and figure out the basic skills and techniques required to lead in any size environment.

In this book, Stahl presents 7 "Frameworks" to provide perspective and guidance on dealing with 7 key aspects of a business. The Frameworks are:

  1. Leadership and Management
  2. Creating a High-Capability Organization
  3. Developing People
  4. Brand Positioning with Consumers
  5. Customer Relationship Management
  6. Financial Strategy Management
  7. Influencing People

Some of these, such as Branding, bring out areas that are often overlooked by people in smaller companies. After all, weaving key principles of branding into your plans when you're small can really pay off if your company grows.

In each and every one of these sections, I found nuggets of wisdom I could apply to my current company, and ideas that could have helped me in a number of past situations. Part of the power of the book is that Stahl illustrates many of his points with real world situations - both good and bad. A small example of leading from the front / walking the talk:

"At Coca-Cola, a critical part of growing the company's business was outstanding in-store execution -- getting product to the store in a timely fashion, getting retailer shelves stocked properly with Coca-Cola products, seeing that the products were "faced," or pointed, in the right direction so the consumer could easily identify our brands, and pulling bottles of Coca-Cola and other products forward on the shelves to be within easy reach of the consumer.

"A senior leader of a large Coca-Cola bottler was relentless in this task. He traveled constantly to retail stores, focusing on quality execution by observing attention to detail. His energy sent a clear message to his operating managers on both sides of the Atlantic that attention to execution of details was a critical driver of success. He sent that message out clearly every day by example, through his own constant attention to execution at the point of sale. This focus helped accelerate growth and increased market share. Focus your own energy on the details of your business to drive results."

The book is full of object lessons from Stahl's experiences, most of which apply to large and small businesses. For example, consider the story above - if you're a sole proprietor:

  • What are the details that will make the most difference in your accessibility to your customers?
  • What details will set you apart from the competition?
  • What consistent, persistent things do you want to be "known for?"
  • And, what can you do - day in and day out - to create that bond with your customers?

Likewise, if you're an employer of others, what messages do your day-to-day actions send to your staff?

I enjoyed this book, and I think you will too. Scan the 7 Frameworks above and see if any of them need brushing up in your work. [And don't judge a book by its cover!]

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