Stuff

Are We There Yet?

Isn't everything in the future? Isn't everything over there? As I write I am pondering the answer. Every once in a while the world isn't way out over there - just occasionally it's right here, inside you. Every once in a while you sit back and realise you have set the compass, the sails are full and you are headed in the right direction. All the effort to find the exact co-ordinates, to hold the tiller in the right place, to judge the weather, to stand firm and chart the course consistently and determinedly have paid off and you are flying onwards to the destiny you imagined. Of course, the wit in me wants to be naughty and puncture this magnificent scene by some mishap - a sort of Carry On Pioneering pic where someone falls overboard. 

But why spoil this moment? 

Destinies are hard won and there's no guilt required. Anyone who has lived, has already fought another day and another and another and so enjoy the moments you get when happiness is not way out over there, those days when it's right here surrounding you.

Photo courtesy of a dear friend Stefan Lubo 

Projections Without Numbers

Name me three people you admire. Go on write it down. Here are mine. Annette Bening, Diane Keaton and Boris Becker. Name me three people you loathe. Gone on. Here are mine ******, ***** and ************.

Now forget about them and think what it says about you. When we notice qualities in others we admire it's because we share some of the qualities and ideals. There's part of them that we relate to and we like about ourselves. We see aspects of our nature or character and they 'resonate' with us and we enjoy them in others. On the other hand the people we loathe reflect parts of us we have tried to forget, hide, ignore, or just pretend aren't there. These people annoy us and irritate us and remind us of these unloved characteristics we have.

So now you can start to understand more of your own self by looking around you and considering the reactions you have to other people. The projections without numbers. If you admire someone or at least a part of their nature then think about that and how it relates to your nature. If you dislike someone, same story. 

The clever little trick is to look at the aspects that you dislike and own them, understand them and recognise them for what they bring to you. This is harder than it sounds, but each time you do it two things happen, you grow wiser and you vaporise the irritating person too. Not literally obv, but you find them less irritating and frustrating. It's equally important to own the good stuff too. To see yourself in those you are admiring. It's a balancing act - don't get big headed but don't be downbeat either.

 

 

The Four Basics of Marketing

If you are dedicating your time to earning a living in a business then there are four basic things that need to happen in your marketing activity.

1    You need a strategy. A direction. A way forward.

2    You need to stand apart from the crowd. Be significant. Stand for something. Be known.

3    You need to have habits and systems that support your marketing strategy and make the most of your 'stand apart' position. You need contact.

4    You need a real budget so you can measure your returns. Marketing is an investment just like any other. 

Many businesses that perform but don't soar have none of these in place. It takes focus to get these sorted. 

Hint: businesses rarely do these basics on their own without outside help. 

This is week 4 of 2012. No time like the present.

 

Owning Up

There's a dark side to everyone in real life. Good people do bad things. We spend a lot of time trying to hide the dark side. Whether it's something small like we are untidy or something rather more substantial like we are druggies; whether it's we eat too much or like gossip mags, there are so many guilty pleasures that we all have and guilty characteristics that we all conceal.

The odd thing is that when we own these bad traits we discover something else about ourselves that is new and enriching. We discover texture to our nature and to our personality, we discover hidden facets that point to a new more nuanced character. We become more attractive, not less, more accomplished not less.

When we own up to the dark side we find more compassion for others, less irritation from colleagues, friends, neighbours...less struggle to hide and oddly we shine more light on our true selves.

Our relationships meld into more intimacy and our outer skins soften and ripen.

Think of someone you know who has a rigid nature where they are disciplined or definite on what they believe or don't believe and you will find there is a dark side they are concealing. Aspects of their nature they are so afraid to share that, if only they knew, would be more interesting, more tantalising and more exciting than the façade they have put up.

Social media is a watershed time because it means we can own up to who we are, warts and all. I don't mean we have to put up every little bit of minutae, that is dull and boring. I don't mean that we have to tell everything to everyone, that's pointless. I do mean we can mature and share more facets of ourselves and our being than ever before. I do mean we can do business with people we have a more shared understanding of. 

Every moment we spend covering up is a moment we can't shine out. The vast majority of things we are hiding are tiny and inconsequential to those around us. Our mistakes and weaknesses make us who we are just as much as our triumphs and strengths. 

Experiment with owning up to some of your less desirable traits, first to yourself, then to others and finally to a wider world. When you are owning up to them - think about what quality they actually show about yourself - the silver lining, so to speak. 

For example if you are jealous of someone's achievements it's really signalling you have unachieved ambitions of your own and what's wrong with that? You are seeing the other person as having something you want and what's wrong with that? Just own up to being jealous and you can take hold of your own ambitions openly and honestly. 

If you are ashamed you are disorganised then perhaps you are hiding a creative streak that means you spend your time creating new ways of doing things - own your originality along with your untidiness. 

Our natures are a balanced book and the more we own the more we own.

Have a great week out there.

 

 

 

 

Building In Freedom

When you build a future it's easy to forget to build in freedom. Successful people don't always have the freedom you might imagine them to have. Don't you remember Simon Cowell knew his diary for the next year or more...Right now Sam Cam is probably negotiating the summer holidays with Dave who is struggling to find a 'window'. 

I know a man who has squillions and can't retire or do his own thing because he has so many ties. 

We're all creating futures in one way or another, brick by brick, word by word, call by call...freedom is the gift inside.

If you have it all but can't take a breezy day out or kick your heels for a while you are missing out. The world spins with or without you. Children grow whether you are there or not. Life happens moment by moment whether you notice or not.

Sure it's right and proper and downright inevitable to have busy periods and burn the candle at both ends for a while.

But freedom is what we all want in one way or another and so freedom must be built into the plan as an integral part and not just an end game strategy. Your brilliance craves it, and have it she must.

So in your plan for 2012 put in a line which is 'freedom' and make sure you do it and don't keep robbing your freedom bank no matter what the world demands of you. If your idea of freedom is crafting or golfing or walking or reading, if it's playing the guitar or staring at the sunset, if it's noodling in water colours or going out with no agenda and no watch or if it's even looser than that - put it in and honour it. It's an essential element in the plan and building it in at the beginning makes it easier in the longrun.

PS Freedom is not just the default weekend setting where you go along with what the home crowd wants. It's a separate line that satisfies your freedom needs whatever they may be.

 

 

Encouraging Genius

There's a woman selling The Big Issue near where I live. She's taken over from Dean who used to sell The Big Issue and then got a job with Pizzahut. She's from Romania. She's fed up. She stands outside Tesco. We walk past. I wave. We have briefly spoken. I am not sure she's selling many. Dean had a thriving trade in exactly the same spot. He was very outgoing and friendly. He bravely and gently crossed the line from stranger to someone we 'knew'. He got on with the job in hand and enjoyed it - I hope he's doing brilliantly at Pizzahut or was it Dominos?

So how does this woman from Romania move past The Big Issue to her next chapter? How can I do something easily to spark her genius, her inner zest? Nothing too onerous, just in the daily course of things. Is a wave enough? Should I take her for tea, listen to her story, point out the good things, encourage her? If I do that, I have begun a 'friendship' of sorts. Do I want that? Does she?

Is a wave as I walk past conveying my hopes for her success? Do you think she knows that I wish her well? 

If I were her, what would I hope for? I would hope people wouldn't think I was nobody. I would hope people would see beyond The Big Issue jacket.  I would hope they would recognise how talented and brave I was and how far I had come in order to be selling The Big Issue. I would hope they would realise that I could be stealing or selling tricks to earn the money to eat. I would hope they would be compassionate about me and my situation. I would hope they would see me and smile and yes, wave. I am not sure I would want someone prying into my situation or trying to understand me or befriending me. 

I would hope someone would show an interest in me and my journey and then I think that would be enough for the time being. 

Encouraging genius is a tricky business and needs a delicate touch, it's not always the same, everyone is different. Sometimes it's a wave and sometimes it's a call and sometimes it's just a look.

We can all encourage genius, and who knows what might happen then.

 

Just One Thing...

Pick one thing you want to 'bust'. If it's an area of debris in your business or a situation in your personal life, just name it and clean it up.

Often we tolerate situations and irritations until we forget they are there. But they still nag at us quietly in the background. Today at the start of week 2 in 2012 decide what you are going to challenge. Just one thing and go for it. 

Me, it's to clear out the 'dregs'.

When I tidy up or clear out I have a formula.

1    Put all the stuff in one place out where I can see it.

2    Organise it into groups. 

3    Throw away the things I can.

4    Put away the things I can.

5    Give away the things I can.

6    Create new folders or places for the items with no home.

7    Put the remaining 'dregs', things I can't throw, won't throw, into a bag til another day.

The 'dregs' always get stuffed somewhere out of sight. Where they stay. So this tidy up, I have begun to finish the job. I tackled it yesterday and I will tackle it today. I will tackle the dregs bag until it is gone, over, yesterday.

Once I have drained the bag clear of all its random items then I will have peace of mind. The inner knowledge that yes, I can focus on one tiny, irritating thing and vanquish it.

Yes I am a superpower that can bring about world peace. Well at least peace in my own world.

And that's a start...

Take Stock - Be Honest - Make Changes

Everyone starts somewhere in a New Year. Here are a few suggested places you may be right now.

A great place - you have a vision and you are working your way towards it, you have associates and contemporaries that you spark well with, you have momentum, don't feel overwhelmed most of the time and are optimistic about your chances of success. You know clearly what you have achieved and what's on the horizon for you. You have back up plans and the resources to ride out the storms if and when they arrive.

A good place - you have made mistakes in the past but you have learnt from them and accepted the part you played in them. You have thought through what you want and where you need to be. You have developed good networks around you and have a clear idea of where you are going. Even with dwindling or scarce resources you are confident that you can be successful.

A challenging place - you have always been successful in the past, but things were different then. Everything is so much more complicated now and what with the technology and twitter and all the extra demands on your time, it's easy to be overwhelmed. You are hazy on what to do next and the direction you are heading in. There are a lot of areas that frustrate you in your life. You have few friends and confidantes that would understand your situation and you feel hemmed in. You'd really like to just pack it all in and get away from it all, but you can't. So you battle on.

A precarious place - you have tried to make a go of your work or your business but it just doesn't work. You are exhausted and baffled by your situation. You work hard, have always been straight and honest but nowadays people demand something for nothing. You have little or no energy or enthusiasm for your work and have no idea what to do next. Your finances are of significant concern to you and you really are not sure what the future holds.

Whatever you are facing up to in 2012 whether the future looks dazzlingly bright or horrendously dark it holds far more possibilities than you can imagine. That's why it's a good idea to engage a mentor or a coach to support you getting what you want and where you want to be. If you're on the up, then a mentor can help you decide how to handle your success and how to put sustainability into your business so you don't burn out. If you are plateauing then a mentor can help you see where the roadblocks are and why you are finding it difficult to surmount them and if you are falling fast, then a mentor can help you come to terms with your situation, work through it and survive, then begin to flourish again.

Running a successful business is really an extraordinary feat. Balancing so many things correctly, from the books to the staff, to the markets. It is no wonder so many fail and so many people struggle. But if it's in your blood there's not much you can do but get on with it. Running a successful business that employs people and stretches people's talents and creates wonderful work is rewarding and worth fighting for.

So if you're on your way to your 15th million, hooray - write to me with your secrets, if you're on the ropes head down ready to bail out, then you are not alone - face up to where you are, take stock, be honest and make changes. If you want help, call.

Laver's Law

Some people are just brilliant and this James Laver obviously was when he invented his law concerning attitudes to fashion as illustrated below. Thanks to Pauline at Fashion Era - great site for nerds like us.

Laver's Law
Indecent	10 years before its time
Shameless	5 years before its time
Daring	1 year before its time
Smart	----------
Dowdy	1 year after its time
Hideous	10 years after its time
Ridiculous	20 years after its time
Amusing	30 years after its time
Quaint	50 years after its time
Charming	70 years after its time
Romantic	100 years after its time
Beautiful	150 years after its time

 

Invest In What's Working

Sometimes the most obvious ideas elude us when we overcomplicate our lives. Over the holidays I played Monopoly and it's a pretty basic reminder of the rules of capitalism. I only had the reds - others had much more than me. I only had one house on each red. Others had much more real estate than that. I didn't have much hope.

So I spent and bought another house on each. Then I realised that the upside of buying 3 houses on each was huge compared to one or even two on each. So with every bit of cash I had, I bought. We were playing a version where the rent on the reds with three houses was $9000 and that was a lot. Then I got a bit of luck with people landing on me, then I had to pay house repairs which set me back but people kept landing. I invested again and then had hotels and bit by bit my opponents fell. I took their properties in lieu of payments and the dye was set.

This reminded me of an episode of The Apprentice where the teams had to decide what they would sell on a street market. They then had to buy more of the items that were going well. Just keep on investing in the stock that was selling fast.

It was too easy for most of them, they wanted to beat the system, defy the odds and buy things that weren't selling - organising their stall to try to retail stuff that wasn't attractive.

These two examples clearly illustrate that sometimes business life can be simple. Take a look at your 'stall' - what's selling well, invest time and a little money in that and the chances are high that you'll be well rewarded. Just too simple for you, eh?

Happy New Year out there.

 

 

Failure Is Always An Option

Living in the media age where we consume fast images and even faster storylines it's inevitable we have bought into the idea that 'failure is not an option'. It has been inserted into so many gung-ho movies and speeches you'd have to be totally disconnected not to have heard it at some point.

The trouble with this notion of black and white, success and failure where success is the only possible option is that it makes the stakes unbearably high. It's a testosterone filled idea. Determined to bring out the warrior spirit in everyone. 

The truth is however, less dramatic. Everytime someone says 'failure is not an option' in The Apprentice and other reality shows, we, the audience, know just what to expect and it begins with 'f'.

The truth is that failure is always an option. Failure is part of success. Failure is woven through the fabric of society like fine thread. We know failure is just around the corner. We instinctively know we could fail and by denying its existence we turn into cartoon characters running around in ever decreasing circles.

If we don't teach children about failure we are not being responsible adults. Failure lives with us all and that doesn't make us failures. It makes us human. We all fail whether it's falling off the wagon or eating an extra biscuit, buying that must have accessory or just running off with the wrong lover, we all know failure is one of the options open to us.

By realising failure and the reality of a life fully experienced we get more real not less so. 

We are all facing up to failure in 2012 - whether it's failed dreams, failed credit cards, failed businesses, failed marriages, failed exams, failed diets, failed currencies - there's no shame unless you make it so.

I had a tooth extracted recently - I felt bad that I had allowed that to happen. Ashamed that I hadn't taken better care of a tooth and allowed it to become fragile and break. Turns out it's happened to quite a lot of people I have spoken to. Turns out it's not quite such an epic fail as I thought it was.

When you look at your failures this year - and tell a few trusted people about them, you'll find that you aren't as alone as you thought. 

New Years are brilliant moments for realising failure and renewal, past and future. Sure I would have done many things differently with hindsight. Sure I am learning how to succeed more frequently. Sure I have dreams that I should have fulfilled by now. 

But that's what the future is for - to realise those dreams and experience those failures fully and fairly.

Hope you had an excellent Christmas and are getting ready for a prosperous New Year.

 

 

Happy Christmas

What more is there to say?

See you the other side in 2012.

 

 

Doing Good or Doing Your Duty?

At this time of year when we all need to show each other how much we care I think it's good to reflect on the ideal of goodness and what it means and what it doesn't mean.

Let's take a scenario - you have an aging relative who is in a home, can't hear very much, bit blind, immobile - do you let the nursing staff do their duty and ensure that she's well cared for or do you bring her to your home if possible or visit her if she can't leave? 

Sometimes we want to show we are doing good but really we are doing our duty. If you go through the motions of giving at Christmas or playing the game of being Christian or going to a charity ball to help those others in need - then it's worth deciding what you are giving and what you are getting.

Doing good is complicated - more complicated than say eating. You get hungry you eat. You are very involved in the feeling. With doing good you can be involved or you can be distant.

It's highly possible many philanthropists are very business like about their giving and donations. It's highly possible that many of the people putting money in the tins don't really care about the cause.

Walk along any high street and you'll find people raising funds for a cause. The chance of finding someone on the high street when they in the mood to care and then finding a cause they really do care about is minimal.

We're all in this dance of care and duty constantly balancing our identity as a good person.

We have a lot invested in being good, we are brought up to be good, told constantly to be good, good triumphs over evil, the good guy wins the girl, the prince wins the princess. Bad guys are punished. We know we must be good, we know we should do our bit.

But the more we are told to and we don't feel like it the higher the barriers become. The more confused we are about who we are and how compassionate we feel.

Here are two stereotypical giving situations - the rich toff giving some of his 'ill-gotten' gains to salve his conscience or the poor wretch (tart with a heart who never had a chance) giving succour to the other poor wretches who have even less than she does. One giving downwards and another giving across the social strata. The grinning faces of the good people who have just painted the scout hall compared to say, the grinning face of Elton John at his white ball.

The middle class is a bit confused about the Big Society. We aren't sure which picture we want to be part of. The 'let's all pull together' at the coal face or the let's do great things and have fantastic experiences while helping others who can't. Antartica anyone?

Finding our altruism, finding the part of ourselves that we want to give to others, that we have to share is not something that many of us spend much time considering.

But it's something we should consider at length. We need to walk freely along the street and know we are doing good and doing our duty and knowing these are not always the same.

This is complex and we don't spend enough time thinking about it. Good time to ponder the question on the week before Christmas.

To help you ponder here are two versions of the carol 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen', this is the calming one with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra and this is a challenging version showing troops in Iraq. And in case you just want a rest from all this deep thinking here's a clip from the Fast Show about mobile phones, technology and a spoof on the small matter of Andy Gray.

Forcing Only Breaks Things

Sometimes we're tempted to just push something into place. Forcing ideas into meetings, forcing people to do things. It works for a while but mostly the things know best and quietly come undone, come unstuck, go missing by themselves.

There's a big difference between forcing things and creating conditions for new things to emerge. The latter is more difficult, more complex and more uncertain. But when things are allowed to emerge through their own energy and creativity then the chances are that sustainable changes will come about.

At the moment when we want things done, changed, re-ordered, cut back and all the other ways we bring about shift; those of us who can hold the line and allow emergence to take place have to dig in deeper to our reserves and say 'it's OK it's all happening, it's all unfolding perfectly'. We have to know the difference between force and power. The Occupy movement is extraordinary - it's being described by some as a psychic shift - watch and wonder at the variations we have as a species to evolve. What if Occupy is not dumb or stupid or even anarchic, what if it's very intelligent and wise. A way to let the steam out of the pressure cooker, to take charge of the anger and channel it effectively and efficiently. Giving the shift a voice and a physical construct.

No issue is black and white, it's just we'd like to make it so. No one is simply wrong or right, it just suits us if they were. The world is complex and intricate. These things take time.

Don't rush the vintage this will be a brilliant one, rich, deep and with a complicated structure - these are momentous times - enjoy the ride. 

Nobody Can Stop You - And They Will Try

Whose responsibility is it anyway, our success...? 'Oh, it's mine, all mine', most of us 'in the know' say. 'Oh yes, I am totally responsible for my experiences, my take on life, my attitudes, my successes and my failures'. Then we quietly abdicate responsibility to others around us...asking others' opinions and then backtracking on ideas we've had, asking for permission and waiting for it to be given, thinking the next person is more right than us. 

Being a team player is about making a significant contribution to the team, a contribution that is all yours. The team relies on each and every one of its players. Winning teams are full of individuals who both understand and respect the team values and direction and then use all their own talent and drive to achieve results. Rio Ferdinand said the number one thing he hated about being a footballer was losing. That means he totally owns his responsibility for winning.

You don't see footballers waiting around the pitch for the rest of the team to give them permission to strike or tackle. They are in the game, they triumph, they screw up, probably in equal measure.

In business teams that are at the top of their game then it's the same thing. They have good leadership and they believe and respect the values and the vision for the business. They know the part they play and they play it as an individual, bringing every ounce of their talent to the table.

In weak business teams the balance is off, one person dictates the way individuals play, struggles are going on under the surface, hidden, unspoken. Everyone worried in case the other doesn't agree, everyone doing their own thing.

As we are heading into more squalls next year it's best if you are in the right team and giving your contribution fully.

Here are a few thought provokers...

1    Whose team is it anyway? - Who is the leader? What is the vision? What is the strategy to get there? Who is performing and how?

2    Who are we serving? - Become closer to the customers you are serving. Who are they? What do they want? And what must you do to deliver that?

3    What needs to change to make that happen? People, skills, technologies, processes, pricing, supply chain, branding?

4    How will you know when you get there? What will you measure to decide that you are going in the right direction? Cashflow? Profit? Orders? Happiness? Opportunities? Prestige? 

5    How will you build innovation and progress into your team activities? How will you redefine the vision? How will you bust market myths that you have believed up until now?

It's all about you. It's all about what you will do and what you won't do. As Robert De Niro brilliantly said in Raging Bull,

'The Talent Is In The Choices'.

Have a great day. But not just because I said so ;)