Deep Work / Cal Newport

Rules for success in a distracted world – sounds good. Professor Cal Newport reflects on the way the world is going and what it means for our work. In his 2016 book he picks up on the increasingly rare ability to put your mind to demanding mental tasks. We are much rather busy than to think. But thinking is the muscle that is need in many settings.

Focus wins over time

Newport positions Deep Work as the differentiator in today’s world. With the advent of social media, instant messaging and open collaboration, we have lost an environment for reflection and focus. Most workplaces are noisy, distracted and not suitable for extended periods of deep dives. But many problems require deep involvement to unlock new insights and progress.

Deep Work proposes to develop this skill afresh. With an intern disposition and training the discipline for focus you can create better value. Deep Work over the course of time will yield many benefits to yourself and those you work with.

Rituals for Deep Work

Newport tracks the biography of many world-class thinkers. From Carl Jung to Albert Einstein to Marie Curie. Deep Work didn’t just happen for them. They turned it into a ritual. And this ritual allowed them to find Deep Work often and make the most of it.

To help with developing rituals, Newport offers these four avenues: find a place (where) that is reserved for your Deep Work. Whether a building, a place in nature, a cafe – tag it for getting yourself into reflection mode. Next, find a time that is reserved for Deep Work. Some do morning, other take a Think Week (like Bill Gates), others do it on set times in the week.

Third, find a kickoff activity. Whether it is putting your shoes on to walk for a routine, sitting down in a dedicated chair or starting your journal. Habit connections help to ease the mind into Thinking Avenue. Finally, find ways to support your Deep Work ritual. Whether it is a cup of coffee, a timer, a dog you take on a walk etc. Deep Work benefits from tangible support items.

4 Ways of Deep Working

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to Deep Work. Newport identifies four approaches how to fit Deep Work to your schedule, demands and personality. The monastic approach dedicates all (or most) of one’s work to one topic. Either set in an isolated location or blocked from distraction it has the most benefit. You may know it from papers for school or uni. Extended single focus. Expensive but great.

Next, the fixed-slot model. Find a few spots in the week to Deep Work. Friday afternoons, Sunday nights, Wednesday morning. I witnessed Senior Managers who went to home office every friday and blocked all meetings. I assume they were sorting things and found time for some serious reflection.

Then, rhythmic schedule. Either yearly, twice-yearly, quarterly to get away for a day or days. This is the Bill Gates mode. It is ideal to have place that allows for staying there and is natural, beautiful and distraction-free, such as our Tiny House.

If all this chunking of time does not work, a journal can get you there. Zuck has one, Darwin, Einstein and Edison were into it. Moleskineing your way into a thought is a way to capture inspiration when it strikes or notice strange questions. This is a good way to stay flexible and fit Deep Work into a busy bodies life.

The Four Superpowers

Newport highlights four mental disciplines that make Deep Work the Big Thing. In his view, just taking time is not enough. Approaching the time in a certain way makes the difference.

First, focus on the wildly important. Rather than just trailing thoughts and questions, Newport suggests to go for the biggest levers. Use the time for Deep Work on the biggest opportunities. Keep them at the forefront of your focus.

Next, act on lead measures – the behaviors that make the difference. Rather than focus on the results. The current KPI-drenched workplace is almost completely geared towards outcomes. For you personal development and digging into the biggest opportunities, eye find a way to count what makes a difference in the leads, not the lags. Thinking rather than likes, fans rather than revenues, writing rather than page views.

Third, keep a compelling score card. Newport suggest good old paper and pencil to track the progress on Deep Work. How many times to you spend in deep work? How many insights are gathered? etc.

Finally, build in accountability. Either through a buddy, a tracking or simple setup that gears towards doing the things that matter. Social media and endless consumption is easy and non-productive. Shut off what doesn’t support a-priorities and stir your habits towards fruitful endeavors.

 

Deep Work is a timely reminder on working on what matters. The structure of our current world drifts towards the easy and superficial. Value is created by digging. Newport’s approach is not new or completely revolutionary. A good does of common sense with a framing for why it matters is enough to make this a standout work. And a pragmatic guide on how to get going and making the most out of Deep Work.

Getting to Yes – how to negotiate / Fisher & Ury

Negotiation is the king of business transactions. Many goals can only be achieved with the help of others. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a way to influence them and get them to YES? That is what Roger Fisher and William Ury set out to describe in the popular 1981 book Getting to Yes. The framework features heavily in business schools of various kinds and so here is a quick visual summary of the key ideas in the book.

The big picture: principles over positions

Fisher and Ury set out to describe a framework for negation. They emphasize that their approach follows a principle-based view, rather than position-based. So, they build some flexibility into the approach to negotiation and warn against going into any deal-making with fixed ideas. This principle-based approach works through four areas: separate people from problems; focus on interests not positions; invent options for mutual gain; insist on using objective criteria.

People over problems – the perceptions

Initially, Fisher and Ury warn the negotiator to put people in a problem-box. Nothing could be more harmful than seeing the other people as the problem. So, the art lies in separating people from problems. For this, they suggest five areas to check your perceptions and make sure that you do not see the person on the other end of the table as the problem.

A first best practice is to step into their shores. Take time to see (and feel) the world from their point of view. What drives them? What are their pressure points? Why are they here? That will be a good guide to have a more open approach to negotiations.

Most people come to the negotiation with some fears on what might be going wrong. Be conscious to not link your fear to their intent. Just because you have a negative-scenario does not mean that is what they have in mind. Stay clear of putting words and intentions into their mouths.

Next, it might be helpful to openly discuss perceptions. That will allow you to get some input from them, clear the air and each party to share their fear. Again, this practice unlinks persons and problems.

Fourth, the authors warn you to not identify your pressures with them. Your problem is not them. They are just players in an issue that involves you. Don’t blame others or try to overpower them. It is much nicer and effective to come to the negotiation with an open mind to explore what can satisfy both of you.

Finally, sometimes you sense that you are put in a box. All the things that are warned against can be brought against you. Next to sharing perceptions openly, it might work to act contrary to expectations that you are feeling against you. This can tip the situation and allow them to not link you to the problem too closely.

People over problems – the emotions

A second approach to unlink people and problems have to do with emotions. They are always there, often in the tense situation such as negotiations can be. Fisher and Ury offer six tactics that can help you deal with the emotional side and help you really see the person.

First, understand their emotion. Pay attention to what they are saying. Feel their emotion and ask yourself – why are the feeling that way? Where does emotion come from? This might be a key for finding solutions that are useful to them.

Closely to that is the question, what is driving their feelings? Are there people in their organization that have expectations that affect their personal standing? Understanding these will help you see the person rather than an opponent that is a problem to you.

Once you understand emotions and motivations, acknowledge them. Speak about them and allow the other person to feel that way. There is no point in trying to argue emotions out of other people. For many, emotions reflect a deep reality of their being. Let them know you understand and appreciate.

If things get tense, give them room to share their beef. It needs to happen anyway. If people are upset or under pressure, they often don’t have the capacity to listen. Let them blow of steam and respect them in it. That will allow them to regain perspective and reenter the quest for solutions.

If there are outbursts that can be perceived negatively, don’t react to them. Most people are tempted to justify themselves or counter-attack. That usually does not lead anywhere useful. If people become personal, let them have their 5 minutes and wait for the air to clear. Remaining above criticism takes strength and nobility.

Finally, you can use symbolic gestures to communicate good will. A gift, a word of praise, a meaningful symbol – they can signal to the other person that you like them and are willing to work with them. Use it as you see fit and influence emotions positively.

People over problems – communication

The final piece in seeing the people rather then the problems has to do with communication. This builds on the aspects of perception and emotions, but goes further. There are five aspects that you can keep in mind.

Initially, the authors suggest making sure that you circle back to your negotiation partner what you heard. This is important. If you jump right into the response, often people feel that their point has not been included. Giving a summary of what you heard can go long ways to reassure the other person that their points came across. Don’t we all like if other people get what is important to us?

Listen well – this is the next key skill in negotiation. We touched on this already – emotions, motivations, their point of view. Take extra care to listen to their side of the story and get as good a picture as you can get. Chance are that if you listen well, they are also open to listen to you.

Third, when you speak that keep things simple and straight. Make sure you clarify your points and state what you want and need. Try to lay out your side of the story that is easy to grasp. Maybe you need to prepare for that and rehearse your points. Then rehearse. It is verbal hospitality to make yourself clear.

Next, it helps if you talk about points in terms of personal relevance and personal history. Journeys are hard to argue with and making things personal keeps things interesting and relevant.

Finally, when you speak, know what you aim for. Be clear yourself about your purpose and put it out there for others to understand. This will allow them to understand your motivation and what you are hoping to accomplish. Being open and transparent builds trust, more so than hidden tactics.

Interests over positions

Next, we move to the heart of principle-based negotiation. Fisher and Ury suggest to not enter a negotiation with a fixed position that you somehow try to sell to the other party. Rather, you come to the table on a quest that satisfies both of you. Seems impossible? Here are seven aspects they suggest keeping your focus on interests rather than positions.

First, you start with understand their interest. As you talk to your partner, try to understand the issue from their point of view. This is similar to what we said above, but you really want to understand their position on the issue and their motivation. If you get a good grasp on the why from their side, you are in a good place to work for mutual satisfying solutions.

Equally important is to understand their constraints. Why are some of the options not workable for them? Understand their options space and limitations can be a huge help in your common search. Make sure you explore that and get a picture on which paths don’t work for them.

Third, if you enter negotiations there is chance that more than one person is representing your partner. Maybe there are many needs – try to understand their power and decision-making power. Focus on the main negotiator and what their interests are. You might not be able to satisfy everything but you should understand which interests are key and powerful.

Along with that, you should dish out plenty of love and affirmation. Not just asking and brokering, but being equally affirming to their needs, desires, personality and history. That keeps the air clear and shows your goodwill. That is a great asset in negotiations.

Fifth, make sure that your interests are understood. That helps the other party know what you are working for. Make sure that your interests are personal and vivid, that they carry conviction and weight.

Sixth, you should make sure that you are looking for solutions that are mutually satisfying. Making their interest part of the problem helps you search for ways that they need to be included in the process.

Finally, make sure that you have a good grasp of the interests in the room and work towards them. Solutions flow out of them. You should avoid being in love with a solution or stuck on a certain path. Principle-based negotiation is a quest to find something – and it is often not clear in the beginning what that might be.

How to work with interests

This idea of working towards solutions that satisfies everyone sounds good. Here are four things that might hinder that approach, and three things that can support you in this quest.

First, a limiting factor in finding solutions are pre-mature judgments. If you exclude certain options or are not willing to entertain explorations in certain areas, that might make you stuck and slow the process. Try to avoid early judgments and give some time to develop and think about things.

Next, searching for a single answer can stifle the process. Often, there are many ways that a compromise can be reached. Be open for various options and remain flexible in mapping out various paths.

Third, a fixed pie mentality can kill the quest for anything. If you view the table a zero-sum game, things get rough. If your win means my loss, then we will not get very far. Basically, we end in a tug-of-war. Most problems are not fixed-pie issues. There will be solutions that help both of us and make the pie grow.

Finally, being resistant to their position is no good. If you leave their problem as their problem, you will likely struggle to find good answers. Include their problems in the quest for a solution. If they feel that their issues are addressed, they are much more likely to agree to a path.

So, what can help? First, you can start a brainstorming session for finding solutions. The idea is to generate many alternatives and thoughts, without going into judging right away. This will allow you to explore ways that might not seem obvious at first sight. You can brainstorm together with the other party and jointly develop solutions. That is even more powerful.

Next, take existing options and broaden them. Think about them in different ways and see if you find ways that they extend the pie. This might take some development, talking and thinking, but can be a powerful tool in the process.

Finally, search for solutions that satisfy both your interests. That is key to principle-based negotiation and helps you get to yes. If both your interests are reflected, a deal seems very possible.

Develop options for mutual gain

Building on these early thoughts, Fisher and Ury share five tactics on how to find agreements even in tricky circumstances.

First, start off by focusing on shared interest. No matter the issue, there is always an overlap in interest. Find that and work from that position. Make it clear to your partner what it is and that you are willing to work with it.

Next, as you think of options, make them explicit so that everyone understands them. Then, take each individual option and develop it further so that more interests are covered by it. Maybe something emerges that leads you to an agreement, maybe it leads you not there yet but closer.

Third, often agreements are not reach due to different values being assigned to an outcome. Be clear about your values and try to understand what is priority for the other party. If you change the order of values then sometimes different options can emerge. Either you reflect and adjust your own priorities, or find a way that your partner might have a different set of priorities.

The fourth tactic can help you when you are stuck. You can draft multiple agreements that seem good to you. Share them with your partner and ask them which one comes closest to what they find acceptable. Then, work with their preferred option and develop it further. Go through this multiple times and it seems likely that their interests are reflected.

Finally, you can craft simple statements that capture key points and share them with your partner. See if they can agree to one simple statement. Getting to yes can start with many small yesses. And then you have a set of agreements and find what issues need to be resolved to move forward.

Objective standards

A last approach to principle-based negotiation centers around standards. What are the standards where we call an issue satisfactory or good? The authors offer five tactics to work this approach:

First, prepare your own standards that meet your interests. These are not positions or solutions, but criteria that would indicate a good solution. Write them out and be clear what you are going for.

Next, when you start discussing frame the issue as a search for standards. Ask your partner: how will we know we have a good solution? How can we judge if we arrived? This will open the discussion to mutual criteria as well as take a step back from the issue.

Closely aligned is the third approach – ask for their standards. Explore what they are looking for and how they will judge a good outcome. This question can be powerful and revealing.

Next, once you have standards bring them to play. Insist on standards if a certain direction is not helpful or solution proposed that runs counter to these standards.

Finally, with good standards you have a solid base to carry our points. Don’t yield to pressure or power-plays but go with good reasoning that has an eye on the standards. That will help you be clear and consistent.

Conclusion

Getting to Yes is a helpful book. It covers many good aspects of negotiation and puts the reader in a position to reach better results. The principle-based approach opens to conversation to look beyond initial starting positions and fixed standpoints and invites on a journey that can be mutually beneficial.

Peak – Anders Ericsson. How to learn anything.

What makes for extraordinary performance? PEAK by Ander Ericsson kicks off with an unbelievable story. Ericsson wanted to test the flexibility of natural abilities by teaching a student (Steve) at his university how to memorize a string of numbers. Anyone knows this with phone numbers: the max seems to be seven on good days. That is how Steve started – 7 digits. Over the span of several weeks, Ericsson trained him and Steve’s skills expanded. After 200 sessions he could recall 82 random numbers. 82!

Talent is overrated, so a central tenet of PEAK. We all see brilliant people and think of their luck. They must be born with special abilities. Ericsson disagrees. It is all in the practice. The only way is the right practice over a long period of time. Ericsson analyses various “supergifted” people and unearths many, many years of practice and development.

But the practice has to be right. Not any kind of practice will do. It is purposeful practice. Trying to get better. This means, having a clear goal in mind and getting feedback on where you are in the process. This practice helps you progress over time towards this goal.

A mentor is super helpful in this endeavor. They will help you focus on one thing at a time. They will give you feedback and what you are doing wrong. They will insist that you keep at it till you mastered it. They understand the field well and know the building blocks of great performance – therefore, they can help you build the elements in your own behavior.

Sometimes you have to master some field where there is no guide or no systematic knowledge. How do you do it? First, practice usually happens outside of one’s comfort zone. Purposeful practice puts emphasize on those things that are weak, maybe hurt and don’t come naturally. To get to this, any behavior or process should be broken down into individual components. You should analyse yourself, understand the weak spots and then focus on them to really improve. Try different approaches till you get it down. Only then, move on and master the next piece.

What happens with this kind of practice? You build mental representations about your area. As in the case of number memorization – you find strategies to encode what you hear into packages and how to access them easier. You develop different strategies for mental representations that allow you to take in more. Athletes, managers, surgeons and artists build a repertoire of good mental representations through years of practice and observation. This allows them to find answers to complex situations easier and frees up their attention to take in more and different clues in the moment. That is why practice takes your full attention and should not be done, just going through the motions. Building superior mental representations is the secret sauce in deliberate practice.

To get there, motivation over a long time is inevitable. Since expert performance will materialize over 10+ years you need a strategy to maintain motivation over that long a time. Ericsson proposes two strategies to manage yourself. One is to enlist a mentor that will carry you through valleys of frustration and fight the urge to give up. Also, he suggests to celebrate milestones and small events. They are key to show yourself progress and fuel your hope.

If you want to PEAK in some area, Ericsson offers three steps to develop extraordinary skills in your life. First, find experts in the field. Who has mastered what you are trying to master? Next, study them and how they do it. How have the learned? How do they see the world? What are their mental representations? Try to get as much as you can from them. Finally, imitate them and train till their skill fuels your skill.

This study carries major relevance for education. How would you take those lessons to classrooms and trainings? Ericsson suggests six steps: 1) focus on skills rather then knowledge. Too much education is concepts and getting people to repeat them. Focus on behavior rather then information. 2) Identify experts – who is good in that area? 3) understand the mental representation of those experts – how do they see the world and approach their skills. 4) break down the skills into components. This helps the students to focus on individual steps they can master. 5) practice repeatedly. Stay on a building block until it is well mastered. Keep pushing students outside their comfort zone so they learn. 6) give feedback. Help students with motivation and keep showing them progress.

PEAK is a great study with many colorful stories. The concept is simple: hard effort pays. It underlines the power of consistency over long time. And it speaks powerfully to the potential of everyone that has the mindset to improve.

Mindset – Carol Dweck

When Mindset burst onto the scene in 2006, it combined a life of research for psychologist Carol Dweck. She was fascinated by how people cope with failure and obstacles. “I was curious about why some students love challenge,” she said in a 2012 interview, “and others who may be equally talented, shy away from challenges – play it safe. I just wanted to figure that out.”

The standard smartness-meter in psychology has been for many years the famous IQ test. Some are smarter than others, and 75-90% of IQ scores are influenced by your genes. Born smart, or not. Well, Dweck found something else – and that might have opened up a world of possibility. In her studies show found that people have a different mindset on how they approach the word. And this mindset influences how they see themselves, how self-confident they are and how they behave. How you see the world makes a world of difference.

Dweck points out two extremes in mindset. A fixed mindset vs a growth mindset. In a fixed mindset, people see abilities as inborn – your intelligence, status, attributes are given to you by birth. In a growth mindset people that success is based on hard work, practice and grit – abilities grow, attributes change, status can be earned. This mindset might not be something conscious, but it still will shine through in behavior and thinking. These are extremes and people can have different approaches to situations in different areas of their lives.

Approaching obstacles differs widely based on the mindset. The fixed-mindset sees obstacles as scary and tend to avoid them. Since they see abilities as innate, a failure would either question their positive self-image or confirm their negative one. It is noticeable that fixed-mindset people tend to avoid situations that could lead to criticism and failure. Successful fixed-mindset people see themselves as entitled and above others. The growth-mindset sees obstacles as opportunity to grow and learn. Since abilities are dynamic, they see the chance to improve and become stronger through the experience. Successful growth-mindset people question themselves, don’t take things for granted and in further need of hard work.

How do these mindsets develop? As often, our upbringing plays a big role. When parents praise their kids it can go in both ways. If the praise affirms their internal qualities it might support a fixed mindset. “Oh, you are so smart,” tells the kid that they have some special ability. Studies show that kids with those self-image tend to avoid complicated situations where they could lose. If praise affirms the process and effort put in it might support a growth mindset. “Oh, you really put in great effort and excelled,” sends the message that attitude makes the difference. Studies confirm this: kids with that sort of praise rise to the occasion more often in challenging circumstances.

So, how do you change your mindset to a growth-mindset? How do you promote it in yourself, in your organization and in others? Dweck suggests five aspects in MINDSET: first, become aware of the different mindsets. This can help you catch your thinking and reposition your thoughts. Second, growth mindset is more about process than results. Love the way not only the wage. Third, there are no no-gos with a growth mindset. If someone branded you as incapable in a certain area: challenge that idea. Overcome no-gos, sometimes by attacking them directly. Fourth, embrace challenge. It is an opportunity to grow – therefore see its value and embrace it. Finally, see relationships as growth opportunities. Other people see the world different, bring some challenges in your life in some area or simply don’t play along with your ideas. Great way to grow, learn and stay curious.

The power of Carol Dweck’s study lies in its simplicity and appreciation of human potential. No one is limited by their genes or circumstances. Dweck touched on a central tenant that we all know: how we see the world matters. A lot. There are many questions on hinted at in the study, but the contribution is solid. Now, it is time to follow some of these ideas and provide some solid approach how to improve our organization with it.

Grit – Angela Duckworth

What happens when you grow up and don’t feel talented enough? This story kicks off the study of GRIT by psychologist Angela Duckworth. An instant best-seller, the book explores the nature of long-term passion and persistence – which happens to be THE key ingredient for success. Cases such as Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Jamie Dimon (JP Morgan) and Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks) all underline the importance of grit.

Talent is overrated. There is a infatuation in our cultures with the oh-so-bright and oh-so-talented persons. We relish and exalt people with superior genes to the rest of us. Which is funny, since it is so obviously untrue. Focusing that much on talent is a huge distraction. Talent basically means: you learn some things faster. But there is still the learning and long way to develop those talents. What matters is Grit – the long-term view to succeed in an area.

What, then, is grit? Duckworth defines grit as passion and perseverance over the long-term.  Achievement builds on long-term development, not on IQ, birth rights or resources. Success is in your own hands. And whenever you see a successful person you will find a long story of a deep-running passion that was nurtured, developed and maintained over a long time. Obstacles come, setbacks occur – but the gritty overcome them by staying committed and figuring it out. This is the secret sauce to success, so Duckworth.

Effort counts twice – this is simple idea is one of the most memorable quotes in her book. The logic is simple. Talent is the ability to learn faster than others. But it takes effort to turn talent into skill. Well, once you have skill, it takes effort to turn skill into achievement. Simple message: effort is the differentiator. Hard work, long hours pay off. Nothing else does.

The long run matters. In this age, we like enthusiasm. We want to find short-cuts and drawn by promises thereof. No good, say Duckworth. Endurance trumps enthusiasm. Every time. The way this works in grit: a long-term commitment to top-level goals. These are a life-purpose or mission. These stay the same for the successful ones, and drive their passion forward. Mid-level goals might change, and short-term goals adjust frequently. It is this clarity on mission and purpose that powers the gritty ones.

What are the elements of grit? Duckworth shares four components of grit. First, there is a fascination and deep running interest in an area. Discovering this is a key element. Next, a routine of practicing and improving in this interest. A desire to become better and never resting. Third, a purpose (see above: top-level goal). This is a passion that has ripened and shapes the life. Finally, hope and motivation over the long term. This is a growth-mindset, believing that obstacles can be overcome and anything can be learned.

How do you grow grit in others? Duckworth share two major components to develop grit in others. First, you need to model it. Embodying long-term passion and determination to reach it is infectious and sets the tone. Next, you verbalize and request grit in others. Explain it to them and ask them to stick to their passions even despite lack of progress or positive results.

Duckworth shares a special section on families. Since grit is a trait that pays rich dividends, it would be in the interest of parents to cultivate grit in their kids. How? By introducing the “hard thing rule”. Basically, everyone in the family (including parents) picks one thing that is really hard. A thing that is outside of the comfort zone a requires perseverance to reach. Next, there is a no-quit-rule. You can quit in the summer but not during the year. This builds perseverance and teaches to overcome moments of low motivation. Finally, every hard thing is chosen by the person themselves. No imposing, no forced choices.

And in organizations? Wouldn’t it be a great payoff to have a grit-mindset embedded. Duckworth shares two aspects: stick to your vision. Don’t constantly change and try new things. Figure out your purpose and uphold it in your organization. Next, build and reward diligence. Rather than building on talent or heroic actions, shine the light on perseverance and grit. This will shape your culture.

Grit is a great study on an important trait. Long-term beats short-term – and Duckworth nails that well. The case studies are impressive and highlight what can be achieved with the right mindset. The implications are good but could be more elaborated or colorful. The corporate level is underserved in this book and needs further research. Still a great read with lots of inspiration and guidance.

Great by Choice – Jim Collins

Jim Collins rocked the business world in 2001 with his mega-hit GOOD TO GREAT, and we rocked the world with our visual summary of it. A few years later he came along with another killer question: how come some thrive in chaotic circumstances? And clearly, others don’t. A super relevant questions, especially since the world is ever more chaotic. VUCA, anyone?

Fear not, dear surfer, here comes the visual summary. Five neat pictures unpack the core contents of Great by Choice, by Jim Collins. Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck–Why Some Thrive Despite Them All.

The Big Question

Why do some people thrive, even in VUCA circumstances. Risk, change, uncertainty and chaos is threatening. Normal plans seem to not work as conditions always change. Many don’t make it. But some thrive. What is going out? What is their secret sauce?

10xers

Early in the book, Jim Collins shares the comparison of two south pole pioniers. In 1911, two explorers and their teams made one of the most challenging trips to unknown territory. Roald Amundsen vs. Robert Scott. One made it, the other died. What set them apart? Jim Collins develops his idea of “10x”ers. Teams that make it in tough conditions. Teams that are the best of the best. He finds companies that beat the average by 10 times – and the reasons are similiar to the approach of Amundsen on the South Pole. These companies in his studies are Amgen, Biomet, Intel, Microsoft, Progressive Insurance, Southwest Airlines and Stryker.

The 10xers have a set of attitudes that keep them not only going, but beating the odds and delivering stunning performance. They follow a fanatical discipline that keeps them on track. They posesses empirical creativity that keeps them vibrant. They are driven by a productive paranoia that keeps them alive. And they show Level 5 ambition (see good to great for summary) that guides their motivation. Let’s explore those…

20 Mile March

Amundsen’s team displayed a stunning discipline. They marched 20 miles every day on their way to the South Pole, rain or shine. This steady pace kept them from overpacing or slacking. It instilled in them a self-confindence to perform in the face of adversity, it reduced the likelihood of catastrophe and it gave them contril in an out-of-control environment.

On the other hand, Scott’s team had a wide fluctuation in pace and reach. That exposed them to danger and risk – which eventually killed them. So, the fanatical displine is one of the ingredients to thrive in chaos and stay on track.

Fire bullets, not cannon balls

Jim Collins noted next how many companies (as the Scott team in the expedition) tend to make big bets on getting results. He calls that “firing cannon balls”. For companies, this might be big product developments, huge investments or big marketing pushes. Those are all-in approaches that carry high risks, high cost and take much attention.

On the contrary, the smart approach is to first fire bullets – small bets. They allow you to test, evalute and calibrate. Once you have found your mark, then go ahead with cannon firing. The thrivers in the chaotic world have an empirical creativity that guides their target setting and keeps them relevant.

Lead above the death line

In order to stay alive, you have to avoid death. Simple. 10xers know that they cannot predict future events – so they prepare obsessively, ahead of time, all the time. They know that bad events can come, and then come quick and in succession. So, buffers and shock absorbers are introduced that help them withstand setbacks and push on. Specifically, the show a productive paranois that…

• builds cash reserves. They act like oxygen canisters to help them stay alive when bad events unfold.
• limit risks. They avoid risks that could wipe them out in one stroke, analyze and resist assymetrical risk (where downside is great than the upside) and try to stay away from situations that are beyond their ability to act.
• zoom in, then zoom out. They narrow in on plans and execution to act prudent and clear; at the same time the step back to take a look at the big picture and see trends and changes.

So, the Thrivers took less risks and were more concerned with bad events than the others. That productive paranois helped them stay alive and pull ahead over the long term.

Simple Recipes

One more great idea of this study. The more chaotic the circumstances, the better are simple guides. Jim Collins introduces SMAC Recipes – simple, methodical and consistent practices that guide you. A SMAC recipe is a list of up to 10 guidelines that unify your efforts and can be relied on (because they are empirically tested) in tough times. A SMAC recipe reflects empirical validation and insight about what actually works and why.

Developing a SMaC recipe, adhering to it, and amending it (rarely) when conditions merit correlate with 10X success. This requires the three 10Xer behaviors: empirical creativity (for developing and evolving it), fanatic discipline (for sticking to it), and productive paranoia (for sensing necessary changes). Here is an exerpt:

Let’s look at an example from 1979 Southwest Airlines and Howard Putnam’s 10 points of their SMaC:

1. Remain a short-haul carrier, under two-hour segments.
2. Utilize the 737 as our primary aircraft for ten to twelve years.
3. Continued high aircraft utilization and quick turns, ten minutes in most cases.
4. The passenger is our #1 product. Do not carry air freight or mail, only small packages which have high profitability and low handling costs.
5. Continued low fares and high frequency of service.
6. Stay out of food services.
7. No interlining … costs in ticketing, tariffs and computers and our unique airports do not lend themselves to interlining.
8. Retain Texas as our #1 priority and only go interstate if high-density short-haul markets are available to us.
9. Keep the family and people feeling in our service and fun atmosphere aloft.  We’re proud of our employees.
10. Keep it simple.  Continue cash-register tickets, ten-minute cancellation of reservations at the gate in order to clear standbys, simplified computer system, free drinks in Executive service, free coffee and donuts in the boarding area, no seat selection on board, tape-recorded passenger manifest, bring airplanes and crews home to Dallas each night, only on domicile and maintenance facility.

Note that #4-6 are about not doing things versus doing something.  Often times what we don’t do is as important as what we do.  Less is more is not just a good axiom for priorities.  It’s ideal for building a business.  You can’t be good at everything.

Choosing what not to do so you can concentrate on what you are extremely good at separates you from your competition.  It also tells your customer what you are good at opening up a whole range of promises that you can deliver to differentiate yourself from your competitor.

Conclusion

Great by Choice is another killer book. While managing risk might not strike you as particularly innovative insight, it fits well within the context of change. We all know that the world is a dynamic arena where we sometimes wake up to shocking changes. Jim Collins gives us some good and solid advice on which attitudes while give us stability and long-term growth.

Jobs to be Done – Clayton Christensen

Harvard Business Prof CLAYTON CHRISTENSEN has been leading innovation theory for some time. In 2016, he published „Competing Against Luck“ – which introduces the key idea of Jobs-to-be-done (JTBD). This is a visual summary.

Key insight: people hire products and services to get a job done. This JTBD explains the motivation of why people choose this product or service. They don‘t by drills, but holes in walls, or pictures on walls. Understanding the job unlocks innovation.

Traditional research looks for attributes (such as male, income etc). This leads to correlations or target groups. JTBD looks at the reason for hiring a product or service. Who solves the job better is poised for leadership and impact. Innovation solves jobs in people‘s lives. The better you understand the reason for hiring a product, the more insight and innovation you get.

A lot of products simply copy features of other products and want to improve on certain aspects. Forget copying, says Christensen. Develop integrated processes that solve problems people have and you are in a league of your own. It is all about taking the complexity out of the customer experience and dealing with it for them. That is the differentiation that is hard to beat.

Think of jobs not as products or services. Jobs are all about the progress that people want to experience in their lives. Movement towards a goal, whether clearly stated or implicit. Innovation helps people resolve struggles on their way to the goal, or fullful their aspirations. If you understand the progress that people want to make, you understand the reason behind a purchase. And then you can give them better progress and have unresistable innovation.

Jobs are not just defined by functional aspects. Key to unlocking jobs are the circumstances in which a job gets down (when, where, with whom etc). Also, social and emotional aspects are key for understanding the choice people make. Nobody wants to feel lonely or mean or stupid, or be dispised for their choices.

How do you identify jobs? Take videos of people trying to reach their goals. Try to observe these five questions: 1) what progress do they want to make? 2) what circumstances are they in? 3) what obstacles do they face? 4) which other imperfect solutions do they choose? 5) what is the hiring criteria that they look for?

Competitive advantage is certain – whoever nails the understanding of JTBD will be the winner. Usually, companies are so in love with their solution that they will have trouble looking further. Understanding the customer‘s movitation is more important than analyzing any other aspect of customers.

How do you find the heart of JBTD? Five options. 1) understand unresolved jobs in your own life, 2) look at people who are not hiring any solution, 3) where do people work around existing solutions to get stuff done, 4) observe how people are actually using your product (different than you envisioned), 5) drill for the emotional and social draw of solutions. Perspective is worth a lot. These actions can help.

For a new product to be hired, an old one needs to be fired. Which one is it (how did people do the job in the past)? This might lead to barriers for change, such as habit, anxiety, ease etc. These forces are real. You need to have an approach to make it easier for people to hire your solution.

Move from a product spec to a job spec. See how people use the product and uncover the job in a job description. Then, design an experience that enables them to find the progress they are seeking, including the emotional and social functions. Finally, align everything you do and offer to provide the desired experience. Products can be copied, processes mature over time.

Three important shifts that you need to consider: 1) Organise your teams around the JTBD, helping everyone to integrate around the customer‘s job. (products can be copied, processes are the secret sauce). 2) shift the measures. From internal, financial-performance measures to externally relevant customer-benefit measures. 3) All data is build on human bias and judgement. Data follows the agenda of the person who created it. Beware. Focus on the story and the reason behind customer‘s experience.

Touchpoints – managing in the between spaces

Small moment carry big meanings. This is the insight behind Touchpoints – a book on leadership that came out in 2011. Some good insights here, so I will provide a visual summary.

Let’s start off with the idea of touchpoints. These are the moments of interruption, of chance meeting, of encounter opportunties that can easily be overlook or pushed aside. But these chance enounters are the stuff where leadership comes alive. Every touchpoint is a chance to influence.

In every touchpoint, there are three ingredients presend. The leader – the person – the issue. As the issues surface, it is a chance to live out leadership and provide clarity and guidance.

As you listen to the issue, three items might appear. First, the issue is their issue. They own the responsiblity and know most about the topic. The leaders chance is to teach how to drive better decisions. Rather than taking the decision, the leader teaches the other how to move forward. Second, the issue really is the leaders issue. If this is brought up in a touchpoint, the leader makes the call and provides clarity and the issue and direction. Finally, the issue might be shared between leader and employee which provides a chance to share insights and emphasize teamwork.

The leader enacts touchpoints well if he brings together head, heart and hand. The head identifies and frames the issue. The heart means emphathizing with others, being clear why you lead and who you are. And the hand is all about clear and confident action. Let’s look at these in turn.

The heart of well-executed touchpoint is the commitment to reflect. It is about acting with integrity and being clear, why you lead and what your code of operation is. These standards are all about walking the talk and making sure you stay true to yourself.

The hand in a touchpoint is about commitment to practice. It is about listening to where people are and understanding well how they perceive an issue, as well as getting the data and issue surfaced. It is about being tough-minded and tendered-hearted in interacting with people.

And the head is about being specific about your personal leadership model. You have an edge and clear understanding of what brings out the best in people, as well as what supports ever better performance.

The emotional touch combines the head, heart and hand with the four magic words: “how may I help?”. In connection with people around them, the leader is able to provide an atmosphere of support and encouragement that leads people on.

As three musical notes form a chord, so the three ingredients of the masterful touchpoint are here. First, you listen intently and deeply understand people – their energy, their concerns, the heart of issues. Second, you frame the issue in summarizing what you learned and understand the world from their point of view. Finally, you put the issue on the agenda and make calls to find resolution and forward momentum. That is what leadership all about.

Sometimes people say actions speak louder than words. Well, it is the action in little moments that speak volumes. When people encounter leaders, the air is ripe with teachable moments and relationship building and forward momentum. This book is a great guide to maximize those moments and make the most of it.

Good to Great – Jim Collins

This a MEGA bestseller in the business world in 2001. Former consultant and business prof Jim Collins reasearched the difference between good companies and those ever-coveted great ones. Data-driven and with a long-term view, Good to Great was a revelation to many. The catchy phrases in the concepts added to the appeal, and many ideas have become staples in our thinking.

The big question

What makes companies great? Over long period? Collins had a simple defintion for greatness: at least 10 years with a good performance (as measured in stock performance relative to peers) and then 15 years of greatness (continuous outperformance of peers). What happened at that turning point?

The inflection point

Collins found 11 great companies that had this turning point. He matched them to 11 similar companies in the same industry and with similar characteristcs that stayed “good”. His analysis lead to 7 characteristics of moving from good to great. They can be group into three categories: disciplined people, disciplined thought, disciplined action.

Level 5 leadership

The right people make a big difference. It starts with the leadership. Great companies have “level 5 leaders”, which is a combination of steely determination AND personal humilty. The 5 stages of leadership are in the picture: at the low end, individual contributor. Next, team member. Then, manager and organizer. Fourthly, visionary mobilizer. And finally, the determination-humility mix.

On success, level-5 leaders look out of the window and praise others. On failure, they look into the mirror and attribute the misgivings to themselves.

First who, then what

Getting the right people on the bus was of major concern for these great companies. First, the looked a building the great team and only then worked on vision and the tasks. This also meant to get rid of the wrong people, or of people in wrong places. When looking at hirings, the went for character (integrity), competence (past contributions) and chemistry (personal fit).

Confront the brutal facts

Great companies are super fact-focused, Collins found. They face the harsh realities, listen deeply, raise red flags and get involved in problems. AND YET, they never give up hope. This combination of facts and hope is named, “the Stockdale paradox”.

The Hedgehog principle

The most popular idea from the study is the focus of your business. The interseaction of passion, skill and economic engine is well known to great companies and strictly adhered to. Like a hedgehog, great businesses focus on a few things really well.

Culture of Discipline

The word “discipline” comes up a bit in Collins’ study. Great companies are marked by discipline. They know their hedghog principle and focus hard on it. They measure systematically how they are tracking. And they have self-disciplined people that they can give freedom to within a framework. Large decisions are made by councils and after solid reviews.

Technological Accelerators

Collins observed how great companies used technology, but never as a fad. They decided the introduction of technology after having a careful understanding of their hedgehog. Tech was always an accelerator, never a toy. A great phrase that encapsulates this: “pause.stop.think.crawl.walk.run”.

The Flywheel

Great companies run many small initiatives that all add to the progress of the company. Like compound interest, they build on each other and accelerate the process.

“Good to great” is super helpful and full of insights. Jim Collins has a number of tools on his website to work with in any team. The breakdown even to smaller groups is helpful. The companion on the social sector is another great feat.

 

 

 

4 Hour Workweek – Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss broke onto the scene in 2007 with a bold claim: you don’t need money to be rich. “The new rich” are the ones who dream, do what they want to do and escape the 9-5 dreadmill. This is visual summary of his key ideas – there are four sections. Ferriss calls them DEAL – define, eliminate, automate and liberate. Here we go…

1) DEFINE

We start joining the new rich by defining the life we want. What do we hope for? What excites us? Tim Ferriss offeres us an exercise Dreamlines (blank PDF) including spelling out the cost (excel sheet). Once you have this, you are off to a good start.

2) ELIMINATE 

The second big idea is to eliminate effort that does not support your dreams. The Pareto principle is well known and gets big airtime in Ferriss. Some activities are more important than others, and so you should focus on those.

The Parkinson principle says that wor spreads to the time alloted to it completion. So, work with deadlines to manage the effort going into time.

Finally, go selective on information. Only what is actionable and needed should be attended to. So, skip the interesting stuff and trash everything you don’t need.

3) AUTOMATE

The third big idea is to shift as much work as possible to someone else. Delegation has many good aspects: you need to define what is wanted, how it should be done and how decisions are taken. That in itself will be benefical. Either, you can give to other people, or outsource (even to the likes of virtual assistants in India).

Income autopilot is another nice idea – setting up businesses that generate cash without your involvement. This might be the weak point of the book – while the idea is intruiging, this is not easy to do or to replicate for people without Tim’s skills. However, if you can pull it off, the results might be stunning.

4) LIBERATE

The final step is another biggie: remove yourself from the busyness and oversight of others. Only then are you able to realize some of the more exotic life setups. Home Office is an easy way. Technology allows us to work from anywhere and access our infrastructure via internet. With that, you can sip your cocktail in Thailand and still be connected to your work.

A good book with many intruiging concepts. While I didn’t get down to 4 hours, I spend much more time with what I love doing. And it saved me many hours.