My Favorite Books of 2016

August 25, 2017 by 2 Comments

Favorite Books 2016

Books seem to find their way into my hands at exactly the right time. This year’s selections are a perfect example of that. It’s also fascinating how one book leads to others and how, after looking back at the books I read in 2016, a theme emerges. The eight books on this list had an impact on me and I hope you get a chance to read them, if you haven’t already.  Here are my favorite books of 2016:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain – I purchased this book a few years ago and only got around to reading it this year. If I had known it was this good I would have read it immediately. This is a powerful book. Often, it’s not the loudest voice in the room we should be listening to, but the quiet ones. As a society, we need to place more value in the thoughts and ideas of introverts and work forces should understand how to draw out those responses without putting an introvert on the spot, which s exactly what they don’t want.

I originally got it to learn more about me. I’ve taking personality assessments where I’ve been shown to be a strong introvert, though I took one recently and am now a weak extrovert. I think that’s because I’ve adapted to work environments where before I worked in a team, I’m now more independent. What I didn’t expect, is that halfway through reading it I realized I was learning a lot about both of my parents. I had never considered my dad an introvert, but reading Quiet, made me see him in a new light.

Cain explores how extroverts came to be the ideal that someone should achieve and the role introverts play in society today. She gives many examples of quiet leadership and points to one example of how Warren Buffet prospered during the recession, while Wall Street failed. Cain also lays out of great tips on when to be an extrovert and how introverts can approach work, and how work places should accommodate for introverts in their work force. Those that follow Cain’s guidance will flourish. Highly recommended for introverts or anyone who knows one.

Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia – Chapman is the CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a leader in the packaging, paper, and consulting industries. This book is the blue print for how companies can treat employees with humanity and respect and, coincidentally, become more profitable in the process. From the forward, written by Simon Sinek, you know it’s going to be good. Sinek has used Chapman’s company as an example of how to run a company the right way; with caring and compassion for others.

Chapman wasn’t always that kind of leader and Barry-Wehmiller wasn’t always that kind of company; a company that placed people over profit. It took a commitment to lead in a different direction and stick with it. In the end, the company culture changed. Employees were involved in decision making. Mistakes were seen as a learning experience. The company became more caring. Time clocks were gone, locks were removed from supply rooms, everyone entered through the same door to go to and leave work. And, boy did the employees respond, even the so called “bad eggs.” The so called trouble employees became the strongest proponents of the new culture, when they realized it wasn’t just talk, but it was real.

The BW Leadership Institute, was born out of a continual need for education. Chapman is not just talking about making people cared for as employees, but cared for as people. Their lives are transformed. I read story after story about people changing in every aspect of their lives with improved marriages, stronger family relationships, and becoming better parents. If you only read a few books from this list, make sure this is one of them.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth – I grew up believing that successful people where those who showed extraordinary talent and genius, then took advantage of or exploited their gift. In fact, what Duckworth’s research has shown is that talent is only part of the equation. Talent matters, but not as much as we think. It’s effort that makes the difference in whether we succeed. It’s those people that don’t give up when others do that pushes them into another realm.

Duckworth studied grit in everyone from spelling bee champs to world-class athletes to West Point cadets and has developed a grit formula. It is this – talent x effort = skill and skill x effort = success. Successful people do difficult work and spend time in deliberate practice. This contradicts the 10,000 hour rule, a little bit. It’s not that you spend hours practicing but how you spend those hours to improve your skills. One other thing to help improve your skills is to compete with those that are slightly better than you. They will up your game and you’ll improve because of it.

I wish this book had been written 30 years ago. Reading it, I reflected on my upbringing and the role talent versus grit played in my life. I was always on the talent/genius side of things. That talent and genius would be recognize and rewarded. In fact, what I’ve realized in my life, which Duckworth’s book shines a light on so brightly, is that grit is the only attribute that allows you to achieve the things in life that make you feel fulfilled. Grit is a definite must read.

Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham and the Science of Success by Matthew Syed – Syed’s book came out a few years before Duckworth’s Grit and it falls into the same space, but Syed comes at success with a whole different perspective. He ‘s a three-time Commonwealth table tennis champion, and two-time Olympian. He draws on his own personal experience and looks at many other successful people to find out how they became so successful.

As one would guess, there are many examples of athletes used in the book, making it easy to relate to, but he also examines grand master chess players, composers, artists and students. He’s researched how they were raised, coached, and tutored. He goes back into the lives of successful people, but also looks at the science behind success. The conclusion is, success is all about mindset.

This mindset emphasizes hard work over talent. Like Duckworth, Syed has discovered that those who work the hardest at deliberate practice become the most skilled at their endeavor and end up being successful as a result. Talent again, is thrown out the window. It’s not the talented that become the dominate player in certain sports or fields of work, but it’s those who devote the most devoted hard work to their craft. Bounce is a remarkable book.

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan – I found this book at the airport in Las Vegas. Better time management was one of my goals for 2016. This book was critically helpful in achieving my goal. This book is Pareto’s Principle, or the 80/20 rule, on steroids. Instead of breaking down tasks into smaller ones to cross off of a list, this book shows how to concentrate on only one thing at a time. We are often overwhelmed at work, and life in general, with too many distractions. This leads to watered down results, depleting energy and lack of focus.

One phrase from the book stood out for me is this, “What’s the one thing I can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” It’s a focus on big picture thinking. Start there, start big. That’s the one thing you should work on to start your day. Then when that’s done, you’ll work on the next one thing. Keller argues that starting with the big thing will let the small things either fall into place or become unnecessary to do.

If you’re like me you start your day knocking off a couple of small tasks so you can cross things off your list, which makes you feel like you’re being productive. But, this only keeps you working on small goals, which lead to small and insignificant results. Multi-tasking and juggling work are myths that we need to forget if we want to achieve great things. The One Thing had an immediate impact on my work at a time when I could have easily been overwhelmed. Instead I used this book to guide me to a highly productive part of my year, which lead to great personal satisfaction and success for my organization. It is a breeze to read and the lessons can be easily applied to your life.

The Pause Principle: Step Back to Lead Forward by Kevin Cashman – I tend to take my time when making decisions and thought it was a weakness. Cashman shows that pausing to think things over before making decisions is a strength. Organization’s seek immediate answers to problems, but this could lead to dysfunctional momentum; moving forward in a direction that’s not best for the future of the organization. When we pause to think about problems allows new ideas to emerge and creativity to flourish. Moving too quickly to the “right” answer kills collaboration and innovation.

Organizations that adopt the Seven Pause Practices discussed are more innovative and, in the end, more profitable. These practices will change the culture of the organization and allow employees to grow. The Pause Principle gets at some very fundamental questions about core values of an organization. Without pausing, an organization can lose focus on why it exists. This book is for anyone who want results fast and problems solved yesterday. Read this book, try a new approach to decision making and you’ll be presently surprised at how much more effective you’ll become.

Tom Petty: A Biography by Warren Zanes – I’m a huge Tom Petty fan and thought I knew all there was to know about the man and his music. Boy, was I wrong. Zanes tells a masterful story, in part because he was given access to people in Petty’s inner circle that no one has had access to before, which allowed him to paint a complete picture of Petty like we’ve never seen before. Zanes is able to give the stories context and offer a rich account of Tom Petty’s life.

Like a lot of people who didn’t have a positive family environment to grow up in, Petty found an escape in music. Music became his world and his life’s goal was to be in a really good band and keep it together. It wasn’t easy, even after landing a record deal. Turmoil was a constant in his personal life and within the band. Every day was a fight to survive and when he cleared one hurdle another one hit him right in the face. Whether it was declaring bankruptcy, fighting with his record label, someone burning down his house, trying to keep his band together, or trying to leave a failing marriage, work was the one thing he could count on to pull him through. He wrote, recorded and toured non-stop. There was never time to take a break and appreciate his success and sadly, he doesn’t seem to have been very happy along the way. Petty’s unhappiness led to substance abuse and addiction. It’s an all too familiar rock and roll story, but his has a happy ending.

Achieving success is never an individual effort, and he had people show up at just the right time in his life to take him to the next level. I enjoyed taking a peek inside his relationships with Leon Russell, Denny Cordell, Jimmy Iovine, Dave Stewart, Jeff Lynne George Harrison and Rick Rubin. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are now in their 40th year, which is remarkable. Most importantly, he got through life with all it’s ups and downs and is finally at peace. Petty’s story is another reminder that success doesn’t make life any easier to live.

Beneath the Surface by Michael Phelps with Brian Cazeneuve – During the 2016 Olympic games in Rio I became enamored with Michael Phelps. I was watching at history being made and wondered how the best athlete the Olympics has ever seen came to be. I read something about how he practiced on Sundays when other swimmers rested that day and how that would give him and extra 52 practices a year over his competition. When I read that I had to learn more.

You’d never know it but Michael Phelps didn’t like swimming as a kid and he was afraid to get his face wet! Funny, how life turns out. This book is a great lesson in taking the talent you have and nurturing it and practicing to improve your skills. Phelps was fortunate enough to have a coach that pushed him to be the best swimmer he could. I couldn’t help think this was also a book about Bob Bowman, his coach. I don’t want to get too melodramatic, but without his coach, I doubt we’d have heard of Michael Phelps. The difference between winning a gold medal or no medal at all is sometimes hundredths of a second. That’s when you realize the practice put in makes all the difference. The drive to compete is in most of us, but the extra push from a coach at the right moment, can help give you the slight edge you need.

I didn’t know much about Michael Phelps before reading this book. This book was published in 2008, so it’s a great look into the life of someone before he became one of the greatest athletes to every grace our planet. He’s likable, honest, and humble, which I hope still defines him. I couldn’t help but feel happy for his success, knowing what’s happened since he wrote it. It would be interesting to know if his approach to training and preparation has changed since this was written.

Did any of these make it onto your list for 2016? What were some of your favorites? Here’s looking forward to another year of books that enlighten, educate, and entertain. Happy reading in 2017!

Filed Under: Books, Creativity, Inspiration, Life Lessons Tagged With: , , , ,

My Favorite Books of 2015

January 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

My Favorite Books of 2015

Another year has come and gone, but not before I read my way through some inspiring and thought-proving books. Did these books top 2014’s list? I don’t know, but they’re just as awesome. I delved into creativity, a biography, leadership, and marketing. I took away a lot reading these, and I’m positive you will too. Without further ado, here are my favorite books of 2015.

1) Powers of Two (Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs) by Joshua Wolf Shenk. The most fascinating book I’ve read on creativity. I, like most people, tend to think of creativity as something that a person does in solitude with their own special gifts. This book dispels that myth.
It looks deep into what makes someone truly creative, and how someone’s best work is always done as part of a team. Many famous pairs are analyzed in this book. As a Beatles fan, I found the look into John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s partnership eye-opening; and I’ve read a ton about them. Dozens of famous creative pairs are dissected; Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Vincent and Theo Van Gogh, are just a few.
This book made me evaluate how my best work came to be. I realize my best work happened because there was a strong partnership involved, even when the act of creating something might have been done singularly, the partner was in the back of my mind, motivating me, inspiring me to do my best work. It gave me a fresh perspective on the influence of my partners and my influence on them.
If you read only one book from this list, this is my choice. Powers of Two (Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs) is an amazing work.
2) Big Magic (Creative Living Beyond Fear) by Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert beautifully discusses what creativity and artistry are about, which is letting go of fear and getting over your ego and allowing what’s inside you to come out. She stresses the need to do the work. Inspiration doesn’t come like a flash of lightening, it comes to those who show up to work, every day. Therefore, creativity is a result of the habit of doing the work that needs to be done.
Gilbert also talks about letting curiosity take you where it wants to go. If you are curious about a topic, follow that curiosity. You never know where it will take you and what might come out of it. Also, the Muse has a way of helping you create things if you realize that it’s not you that’s the creator.
This book came at just the right time for me. It made me see myself as the artist I am. In recent years I seemed to have lost that notion of myself. This book got my creative juices percolating again. I’m seeing, hearing, and thinking creatively. Highly recommended.
3) Rising Strong by Brené Brown. I was inspired by her previous book, Daring Greatly, and eagerly awaited the arrival of this one in 2015. It does not disappoint. It’s kind of the next step, if you will, to Daring Greatly. If you are brave and vulnerable you’re going to get knocked down, without question. Rising Strong helps you to bounce back when that happens.
The first step is to know that you’re having a breakdown, let down, or what ever you want to call it. Then you need to figure out why you’re feeling and reacting the the way you are. Once that happens you can work through it, feel your emotions, and learn to be comfortable with discomfort. It’s not easy work, but this book equips you with the necessary tools to be able to rise strong. You may want to start with Daring Greatly if you haven’t read it, although it’s not necessary to enjoy this book.
4) Heaven and Hell (My Life in The Eagles 1974 – 2001) by Don Felder with Wendy Holden. Having enjoyed the work of The Eagles I was very interested to read this account of life in one of music’s biggest bands. What was most inspiring were the stories of Felder’s youth, and his life before he joined The Eagles. He grew up in Gainsville, Florida and came from very humble beginnings. He literally grew up in a shack his father built. Life was tough and the relationship with his father was strained, especially after he took to music.
What is interesting is how rich his musical experience was in Gainsville. He played with and became friends with Stephen Stills, the Allman Brothers, and Bernie Leadon. Leadon convinced him to move to LA and got him his gig with The Eagles, He even taught Tom Petty guitar. Like many rock and rollers there are the stories of the glamorous and not so glamorous gigs and the struggle get to the next level and make ends meet. That is until he joined The Eagles.
Once in The Eagles his life turned upside down. They became one of the biggest bands of all-time and they were constantly touring or recording to cash in on their success. What was surprising is how dysfunctional the band was even before he joined. There is a shocking amount of tension, fighting and drug use throughout and as Don Henley and Glenn Frey began to believe that they were The Eagles, things became even more strained. Things took a turned ugly when they started asking for a larger cut of the money and Felder questioned it. The ultimate betrayal was Felder’s being kicked out of The Eagles.
It’s sad to read this tale being such a fan of The Eagles’ music and I’m glad I can listen to the music with pleasure. What I most took away from the book were the lessons about Felder’s early years and how devoted he was to his craft. When you’re good doors open up to you and when you wish for fame and fortune it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
5) Joyworks by Michael Cudahy. I was first introudced to this book a few years ago through Michael Cudahy’s Ten Golden Rules on How to Run an Organization, which comes from this book. This book is as relevant today as when it was first published in 2002. It provides an inside look at the founding of Marquette Electronics and its rise as a multi-million dollar business.
Cudahy writes with great humor and I found it hard to put down. It doesn’t leave out the trials and mistakes along the way either. There are plenty of costly errors, but Cudahy looks at the lessons learned from each. He believed in treating his employees like family, and he took care of them like that. Just some examples he mentions include building a child care facility at their office, frequent employee celebrations and talent shows, generous rewards and pay, and treating employees fairly. He even eliminated time clocks at the company because he trusted the employees and reasoned that they would work harder and with more pride knowing they were trusted (he was right). The company cafeteria also offered another perk – beer and wine.
He writes sadly of how after he sold the company to GE, the company culture of Marquette Electronics was destroyed and many of the employees left shortly after the take over. I got a sense that this eats at him still. Overall, this is a fascinating look at how you can run a company by treating employees and customers decently and still make a profit. This is a must read for anyone in business and marketing.
6) Leaders Eat Last (Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t) by Simon Sinek. This book runs a similar path to Michael Cudahy’s book, with with many more examples. Simon makes the case for real leadership and how there are essentially no great leaders today. He discusses military leadership and leadership in companies that do things differently than most.
Sinek shows how when the economy changed employees became expendable, shifting what it meant to work for a company like our fathers and grandfathers knew. Companies not longer take care of their employees. Though it’s not the world we live in today, it is possible, as Sinek shows, to operate quite successfully by returning to old time values. Again, he draws on military references in showing how we can incorporate leadership principals into our own workplaces to make them places where employees feel safe and where we can work together trusting that our boss has our back, as we have his.
I love everything Simon Sinek stands for. This book is brilliant. A must read.
7) It’s Your Ship (Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy) by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. I originally heard Captain Abrashoff on Wisconsin Public Radio a couple of yeas ago and was impressed enough to buy a copy of his book. It took me a while to get to it, but it was worth the wait. It contains a treasure trove of ideas on how to win the hearts and minds of those you lead.
Abrashoff provides real-life examples of leadership, demonstrated by his run as commander of the USS Benfold. He took over a ship with low morale and a low re-enlistment rate. During his tenure the ship became the highest ranked in the Navy’s fleet; morale and re-enlistments soared.
What struck me is how he didn’t try to radically change things, even though there was so much that needed changing. He worked within the bureaucracy and red tape to make incremental changes. Even the commander of a Navy ship has to know when to push the boundaries and when to conform. It’s a good lesson in picking the right battles.
Captain Abrashoff didn’t shake things up to make a ruckus, but enjoyed small wins, over and over, to where he built up credibility so he had leverage to push the envelope at times. One key aspect of his leadership, is giving the men and women on the ship control to make their own decisions. He told the crew, “It’s your ship.” The crew, with the control to make their own decisions, proved him right by doing the right thing. And if mistakes were made, it was a learning opportunity. Ideal reading for anyone in a leadership role.
8) Everybody Writes by Ann Handley. Something that is so easy to read shouldn’t be this helpful, should it? But, that’s exactly what this book is. Ann Handley gives practical writing advice in 74 easily digestible chapters. I found something useful in nearly every chapter. This isn’t a boring book about grammar rules. Sure, there’s some grammar discussed, but this book is about content, and we all know the importance of content in today’s world. So, not matter what type of content your’re writing whether its blog posts, annual reports, web copy, eBooks, or some other marketing copy, there’s something for you here; even if you think you’re a pretty good writer.
It was immediately noticeable that, even before I finished this book, my writing was stronger, more concise, and my word choices were smarter. My writing was impacted by reading this book and I will read this annually. If you want to take your writing up a notch, go out and buy this Everybody Writes.
9) Brandscaping by Andrew Davis. I resisted reading this book because of the awful title. It sounds like there’s hot wax and painful hair removal involved, but I heard so many great things about it, and about Andrew Davis, that I gave in and bought it. I’m glad I did because this book is brilliant.
This isn’t your typical marketing book. Davis really does break new ground with Brandscaping, and that’s saying a lot. He believes it’s vitally important for brands to ask “what if” questions. These “what if” questions make you think about marketing and branding completely differently. It could open up a world of possibilities previously off limits. It’s not enough to think about “what if” questions, but to be brave enough to implement them.
This book is a guide on how to innovate and find partners where you may not have realized they existed. It’s packed with examples on companies that have successfully brandscaped, proving that it works, not just in theory, but in the real world. If you’re a marketer this is a must read.
Did you read any of these? What were your favorite books of 2015? What are you looking forward to reading in 2016?
Filed Under: Books, Creativity, Marketing Tagged With: , , , ,

4 Rules for Effective Communication

August 18, 2015 by 1 Comment
4 Rules for Effective Communication
I recently saw a posting for a Marketing Specialist position at Whole Foods. I clicked through to learn more and was left scratching my head because it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. The listing described a job I had back in college – a stocker.
I give Whole Foods credit for wanting to give the lowly stocker a more respectable title. I understand. I was one. You can’t get lower on the grocery store totem pole.
Even though I was a stocker I knew my role was important. Being on 3rd shift, I ended up doing more than stocking shelves. I manned the cash registers, managed the store on weekends, and worked in every department. So, although I was a stocker, I did a lot more than that, but I wouldn’t say I was a marketing specialist.
Will this job posting help Whole Foods acquire the talent they are looking for? I doubt it. If I was looking for a job to stock shelves I wouldn’t read that job posting. I’d see Marketing Specialist and move on.
On the reverse side, I was a little ticked that Whole Foods wasted my time. It’ll make me think twice before I click through any of their other job postings.
How many potentially great candidates ignore Whole Foods because there is no way to tell a real job posting from one of their “distorted” postings?
I don’t want to pick on Whole Foods, there are other companies that don’t communicate well. From what I know about Whole Foods, I can tell their heart is in the right place.
The lesson here is simple – don’t over-complicate communication. So, how do you avoid your message being ignored?
Here are 4 rules for effective communication.
1) Keep things simple. Simple beats complicated every time. Simple is easy to remember and sticks with people. Avoid jargon. Communicate as if you are trying to explain it to a six year old.
2) Be direct. Don’t let anyone doubt what you mean. Don’t leave gray area. Avoid ambiguity. Get to the point.
3) Say what you mean. What message do you want to convey? Don’t dance around the subject – get it out. Don’t leave your communication open for interpretation.
4) Use the correct words. The right words can inspire, motivate, and educate. Words have power. Choose them wisely so your audience can take action.
In the Whole Foods example the listing could have been changed to read: “We need to hire someone to stock our shelves. It’s not glamorous, but we pay a good wage and we treat our employees well, better than most stockers at other grocery stores. In fact, to us you’re a marketing rock star because you will be responsible for making sure our customers have an awesome experience every time they walk through our doors.”
The next time you need to get your message across remember the 4 rules for effective communication. It will ensure you’re understood.
Have you seen examples of over-complicated messaging? What rules do you follow for effective communication?
Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: ,

9 Tips on How to Be One of the Best in the World

August 6, 2015 by 1 Comment
9 Tips on How to Be One of the Best in the World

Jean Reynolds tees off at the PHC Classic, July 31, 2015 in Milwaukee, WI.

This past weekend I spent two days at Brown Deer Golf Course watching 144 professional golfers on the Symetra Tour battle it out in the PHC Classic. The Symetra Tour is the step before advancing to the LPGA and the top 10 finishers on the Symtra Tour at the end of the year will earn their way onto the LPGA Tour.

These players are among the top 400 women golfers in the world. I was surprised at the low attendance. Although it was the inaugural tournament, I expected more people. After all, these are some of the best golfers in the world. Who doesn’t want to watch the best?
The crowd demographic leaned towards the older spectator. There should have been more young people there. Every high school and college golf coach in Southeastern Wisconsin should have had their teams out there to watch how professionals play the game. They missed a special treat.
Watching how these women approach golf was an education. There were lessons that I can apply on the golf course, but they can also be applied in every day life.
Here are 9 tips on how to be one of the best in the world:
1) Devote time to practice. The driving range and practice green were packed. Each golfer started their practice session about two hours before their round. Then they went out and played for five hours in the hot, humid conditions. Instead of going in and calling it a day, many of them went back to practice some more; fine tuning their swing or working on their putting.
How often do we fine tune our skills? Do we take the time to get better? Do we go back over that thing that wasn’t quite right just to see if we can improve?
2) Learn from your mistakes and your successes. Players on the course take notes while they play. In their notebook, they’ll jot down what club they hit, where the ball went, what the conditions were so when they play that same hole again they’ll have an idea of how to approach things. They’ll know what’s worked for them or what hasn’t. They play from a position of strength and leave guesswork or chance out of the equation.
Keep notes of short cuts or tips that you can use later. When I was a team leader at AT&T I would keep a copy of every unique situation I ran into and what action I took to fix the problem. After time, I had built up a mini-encyclopedia. My peers and managers would send complex or weird situations my way because they knew I knew how to fix them.
3) Practice consistency. Every time the golfers step up to the ball, whether that’s on the tee box, in the fairway, or on the green, each golfer goes through their own unique routine. When they hit the ball they weren’t far off their target. And there wasn’t one miss-hit. Watching them was like observing the mechanism inside a pocket watch.
That level of consistency is hard to find. When you’re in that rhythm or groove it’s an amazing feeling. The goal is to get to that state as often as we can. Consistency can lead to good results.
4) Act like a professional. Golf is a game of tradition. These golfers respect the game, the players, the course, the volunteers, and the spectators. They play the game how it should be played. The golfers have confidence in their abilities but they didn’t show an ego.
Etiquette is another important component. There was no goofing around, foul language, temper tantrums, or loud talking. The don’t show up their opponent. They extend courtesy to the other players.
Do we act like professionals or amateurs? Do we understand the rules, the history, and the inner workings of the industry we work in? Does our ego get the best of us?
5) Know when to ask for help. Each golfer can only rely on their abilities on the course. It’s ultimately up to the golfer what shot to hit and to execute on it. At the end of the day it’s their name on the leaderboard.
Behind every golfer is a team, some on the course and some behind the scenes. 90% of the women had a caddie with them. They’d ask the caddie the distance to the hole, what club to hit, and how to read the green; getting the perspective from another set of eyes.
A friend caddied during the tournament. Because the golfer he caddied for was nursing an injury she did not play any practice rounds, so the first time she played the course was during the opening round of the tournament. My friend knew the course and he helped her when needed. She could take the information to make a better decision on what to do next.
If a caddie or coach is good enough for a professional it should just as good for us. Good advice from a trusted friend can be invaluable.
6) Play your game. 144 women competed in the tournament. Every one of them had a different swing and a different approach to the game, although there were many similarities. Some of the women could just crush the ball, others couldn’t. It didn’t matter. They played to their strengths.
We often see others accomplish something and we try to copy what they do. Copying can be good in some regards, it can give us a blue print to success but we won’t be our best until we start to consistently do things in our own unique way. We need to ignore the competition and be true to ourselves.
7) Take calculated risks. Most times playing conservative golf is the way to go, but if you play aggressively at the right time it can pay off. The question is when is the right time to take a chance?
The golfers played their game and waited until a situation presented itself where it would be okay to be aggressive. When the downside wasn’t that bad and the upside was good, the golfers took chances. They were strategic in their decision making. They may be presented with an opportunity like that a few times a round. They waited for those moments.
You won’t always guess right when taking chances, but taking them when you know your success rate is higher than normal is a good time to attempt it. Don’t force it. Wait for the opportunity to come to you.
8) Focus on what’s in front of you. Golf is the ultimate game of living in the moment. You need to have laser-like focus on the shot at hand and only that shot. You can’t jump ahead and you can’t think about the past.
The golfers took their time and studied each shot for a long time before addressing the ball. Sometimes they’d step back and reconsider the shot again.
I’m like many of you. I’ve got so many thoughts running through my head and so many things competing for my time that I am easily distracted. When I’m focused I can churn out work without even feeling time pass. I need to get to that state more often.
9) Play with the big picture in mind. The PHC Classic was a three day event. Sometimes tournaments are four days. Golfers know that one bad shot isn’t going to ruin their round. They deal with what’s in front of them and move on to the next shot.
We think one mis-step is going to doom our project or ruin our career. A golfer doesn’t think like that. For the entire three days of the tournament there were sustained winds of 20-30 miles per hour. It was windy but the golfers didn’t give up. They got on with the task at hand and dealt with the situation. We need to utilize the same mentality. We need long-term thinking.
The 9 tips on how to be one of the best in the world can help you on the course, in the office, or at home. Next time you’ve got some of the best in the world in your town, go check them out. You’ll never know what you’ll  learn. What tips have you picked up watching the best do their thing?
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4 Reasons Why Brett Favre Earned Our Respect

July 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment

4 Reasons Why Brett Favre Earned Our Respect

Brett Favre was honored by the Green Bay Packers over the weekend. The team inducted him into their Hall of Fame and retired his #4 jersey. It was a homecoming that was long overdue.

The years after Favre’s departure from the Packers have been difficult to stomach and the episode left a bitter taste in even the staunchest Packer fans’ mouth, so it was good to see him back in Green Bay where he belongs.
67,000 fans turned out at Lambeau Field to see Brett Favre talk for 20 minutes. They gave him a four minute standing ovation as he entered the stadium. He was brought to tears. In that moment the painful past vanished and the happy memories returned.
In the Atrium for the formal part of the ceremony, former General Manager Ron Wolf, the man who made the trade that brought Brett Favre to Green Bay, former head coach Mike Holmgren, who coached Green Bay to a Super Bowl victory, and former teammate Frank Winters shared their memories of Brett Favre. They were personal stories that touched at your heart, but also your funny bone.
In the audience were former coaches, teammates, Packers staff, and the Favre family. Why would so many people show up to an event in Green Bay to honor one person? It’s because Brett Favre earned our respect.
Here are four reasons why Brett Favre earned our respect:
Brett Favre had fun playing. It’s hard to imagine anyone playing the game which as much enthusiasm as Favre. In his younger days he would run off the field with a wide grin – his helmet in his hand pumping in the air. Sometimes he’d jump on his teammates, often times tackling them he was so excited about scoring a touchdown. He enjoyed his teammates, his opponents, the referees, and the media. We had fun watching him have fun. We fed off his energy.
Brett Favre played his heart out. Favre played the game like we want our heroes to play it. He gave it his best shot every Sunday. He gave everything he had  when he stepped onto that field. He played with integrity, with sportsmanship. He played hurt. He played when others wouldn’t or couldn’t play. We can never forget the game he played against the Oakland Raiders the day after his father passed away. He gave the best performance of his career. We admire people who can fight through adversity and perform at the highest level. We also marvel his 297 consecutive NFL starts – a record that will probably never be broken.
Brett Favre understood the history of the game and of the Packers. As a kid, he was a fan of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and dreamed of playing for the Cowboys. As a Packer, he grew especially close to Bart Starr, the former Packers quarterback who took the team to five NFL titles including the first two Super Bowls, and other members of those great Vince Lombardi teams. We respect him for respecting the game and the players who came before him.
Brett Favre cared for everyone in the Packers organization. During his acceptance speech the first person Favre thanked was Lee Remmel, the former Packers press agent and team historian. Remmel’s history with the team goes back to the days of Curly Lambeau. Remmel passed away earlier this year. Favre went on to thank former coaches, teammates, front office personnel, strength coaches, equipment managers, security staff, anyone who was a part of the Packers organization – at least 50 in all. It should be noted that Favre mentioned them all by name.
It says something when someone of his caliber acknowledges those in the background that never get recognition. His appreciation of them was genuine.
If there’s anything we can take away from Brett Favre’s career it’s this: in order to have a lasting impact on people you have to have fun at what you’re doing, give it your all, understand your chosen field and its history, and care about those you work with. You may not be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but you’ll leave a legacy that no one can deny.

 

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What Does Your Dream Job Look Like?

June 9, 2015 by 1 Comment
What Does Your Dream Job Look Like?
I read a book last year called The Longest Cocktail Party written by Richard DiLello. He’s a former employee of The Beatles, who worked at Apple from 1968 to 1970. The great thing about this book is that it was first published in 1972; shortly after The Beatles breakup. That means it was written while the memories and stories were still fresh and DiLello wasn’t influenced by time or outside sources (like his former employers).
The Longest Cocktail Party has been out of circulation for years, but was recently reprinted in 2014 with a new forward written by DiLello. If you’re a fan of The Beatles, or interested in seeing what it’s like working for superstars, I recommend picking up a copy. It’s an eye-opening read.
The Beatles have been a tremendous influence on me and I was eager to read this insider’s account. I always thought that working for The Beatles at Apple during the time that this book takes place would have been a dream job. The most innovative band in the world trying to create a business utopia – what could be better than that?
It turns out the Beatles had no clue how to run a business. That’s why Apple, the company, never achieved the success that Apple, the dream, envisioned. The Beatles envisioned a company where artists were in charge. Apple wanted to take power away from giant corporations and remove the barriers to market entry, basically remove the gatekeepers. Sounds like how the internet has shaped things, doesn’t it?
To kick things off at Apple, the Beatles placed full page ads in the New Musical Express and Rolling Stone announcing their idea and solicited unsigned signers, songwriters, artists, playwrights, and inventors to send in their work. They received thousands of song demos, scripts, books, plays and other manuscripts. People showed up daily at the Apple offices demanding time and money from the Beatles.
Apple though didn’t have the manpower to go through everything that was sent in. Artists that were signed to Apple were brought in by insiders or were pet projects of the Beatles themselves. No one was discovered from the piles of material sent in.
It was extremely clear from reading The Longest Cocktail Party that you were working for the Beatles, not with them. Only their most trusted advisers worked with them, and even then the influence they had was limited. The Beatles did what they wanted to do regardless of what anyone told them. And it was never a good idea to tell the Beatles no.
Those employees lower on the totem pole would rarely see them, and then when they did it was to fill an urgent personal request. You were to speak to them only if spoken to. They didn’t want to be bothered with with underlings.  It was considered a privilege to work for them, so they could justify paying a low wage.
The list of problems at Apple was long – everything from a lack of leadership and accountability to people being threatened by the Hell’s Angels, who had taken occupancy at Apple. It was a complete madhouse and even George Harrison commented that they had “every freak in the world” showing up at Apple.
Apple lost a lot of money on everything other than record releases and they eventually shut everything down except the record label.
After reading this account, I realize I wouldn’t have enjoyed working at Apple for The Beatles and it certainly wasn’t the dream job I thought it was. Even the best ideas (companies) get bogged down by people; even talented people with good intentions.
What does your dream job look like? Do you like the job itself or the idea of what that job represents? Are you drawn to the job title, what the work is, that you’ll be working for a cause, or because of who you think you’ll be working with? Are you missing out on a great job now thinking about greener pastures?
It’s okay to dream, I’d say it’s even essential. We all need something to look towards. Don’t be disappointed when your dream job doesn’t turn out exactly how you thought it would be. If you approach it as an opportunity to gain a unique experience you’ll enjoy the experience a lot more, and who knows, maybe one day you’ll write a book about it.

 

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