The Agile Scaleup

Barter Stories Needed; Execution Webinar; Aquire Increases Intelligence; How Long Will Recession Last

"...keeping you great" Ten Minutes with the Growth Guy

HEADLINES:

"Execution" Webinar Nov 4 12:28pm EST -- details below for this 3rd in our four-part complimentary webinar series -- hope it helps! http://www.gazelles.com/webinars.html

How Long Will The Recession Last -- we polled the attendees at our Growth Summit on several economic issues -- results below, but first...

Recession Fighting Tools -- in a recent email Vince Virga, COO of $90 million DC-based SGIS (www.sgis.com) noted "I can't tell you how much the Rockefeller Habits have already impacted our organization in a positive way from top to bottom.  Our communication and morale has never been better.  We are attacking issues in their infancy before they become major problems. We are seeing opportunities more clearly and taking advantage of them faster.  We know what our priorities are and spend our time on those now vs. fighting fires all day.  As an owner, it's so great to actually feel like your piloting the ship again vs. getting dragged behind it." And thank you to their Gazelles' coach: Roger Merriam. (http://gazelles.com/coach_merriam.shtml)

Aquire's Focus on Increasing Intelligence -- Lois Melbourne, CEO of Dallas-based Aquire, (www.aquire.com) has launched a program that might be helpful to many of you.  Notes Melbourne, "we wanted more of our employees to grow and to enhance their knowledge of the industry we support (HR).  We call this domain expertise.  We set a goal for each employee to gain 10 domain credits in 2008.  They can earn these credits in many ways.  Most of them include a requirement of presenting their new knowledge to their department and writing up a summary.  We have added several ways to get domain credits as the year has progressed."  Here's a link to download a document that details the program and it's reprinted below under DETAILS. (http://www.gazelles.com/images/insights/Domain_Expertise_explanation.doc)

Jeopardy-Style Game Show - continues Melbourne "The most fun way to earn credits is a game show style event at our company lunches.  The last one was a Jeopardy style game where the three contestants were employees being quizzed on items from tests that had been developed for domain credits by our President, earlier in the year.  It was great energy and everybody got to learn industry information.  I think the next game is going to be "Who wants to be a Millionaire", so that others in the audience can help the contestants too. The level of industry discussion has greatly increased in the company. It has helped our people gain more presentation skills.  Product features have been suggested from this new knowledge.  Some of the research has been used by marketing, the executive team and product management for their daily jobs.  It is working!"  Lois, thanks for sharing.

FSB needs "barter" stories -- FORTUNE Small Business magazine (http://money.cnn.com/smallbusiness/) is focusing an article on informal barter, as opposed to bartering through organized online barter exchanges. They are looking for companies that have recently struck up informal arrangements to trade goods or services.  There are two main themes the writer wants to address in the story. 1) Barter is a great way to avoid spending cash so that cash can be preserved for necessities like paying utility bills, and 2) In a tough economy, barter is a great way to employ unused capacity (employees with downtime or unsold inventory).   Please contact Justin Martin ASAP at [email protected].

52.8% Feel the Recession Will Last 2 years -- and 34% felt it would last 1 year.  In turn, when Tom Peters asked:

"Has, or will, the downturn change your view of growth per se as an objective?"

46% answered "the same" and 44% answered "positive" - don't you love the optimism of entrepreneurs!

67% said they are actually increasing R&D during this period (as is Gazelles).

And when Tom asked:

"Do you have a major project in the works that you will fund, come hell or high water, that could be a post-recession game changer?"

78.7% said yes!!  Recessions give you an opportunity to breathe, think, renew, invent, invest!

Complimentary "Execution" Webinar Nov 4 - 12:28pm - 1:30pm EST (https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/280119980) -- as Tom Peters mentioned last week "Internal Excellence is the Deepest Blue Ocean" -- it's firms that can actually execute that win.  And it's flawless execution that drives profitability and dramatically reduces the time it takes for you to manage the business so you have more market-facing activity time.  So join Patrick Thean, author of Execution without Drama, (http://www.gazelles.com/store_b_execution.html) for this U.S. Election Day webinar (for those of you earning less than $250k, the taxman needs you to earn more; for those earning more than $250k, you'll need to earn a LOT more in the future!)

Four Best Management Words; Success for Teens; What Leaders Must Do

"...keeping you great" Ten Minutes with the Growth Guy

HEADLINES:

Success for Teens - complimentary copies of this newly released book are available at www.SuccessFoundation.org. It teaches teens, through stories told by teens, success principles not normally taught in school. Based on eight principles (listed under DETAILS below) from Jeff Olson's book The Slight Edge, schools and youth organizations can apply to receive copies for all their students or you can purchase 50 books and workbooks for $50 and donate. This is the brainchild of a close friend of mine, Stuart Johnson, owner of Success Magazine. We were excited to feature the book at the Growth Summit this week - thanks Stuart!

Favorite Quotes from this Year's Growth Summit:

Tom Peters on being "Insanely Great"

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting 'GERONIMO!' "
-Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer
(Cycle magazine 02.1982)

Do Something Scary Everyday

The four most important words in any organization are WHAT DO YOU THINK? courtesy Dave Wheeler, posted at tompeters.com, source of original unknown (0609.08)

"To develop others, start with yourself." Marshall Goldsmith

Annie McKee on Outstanding Leadership

Intelligence Capability (IQ) - only one cognitive ability, pattern recognition, differentiated outstanding leaders.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) - 85-90% of the difference between outstanding and average leaders is linked to Emotional Intelligence.

Despite our good intentions and talent, we become toxic, spreading dissent and resentment among our people. We make excuses, blame others, point to "Them" or "The Culture" as the cause...WHY? Over time and unchecked, the physical and emotional toll of leadership limits our ability to sustain high performance and resonance.

Brian Dumaine on Green Technology

Google has built the largest solar panel installation to date on a corporate campus in the United States. Though it costs $500,000 a year more than conventional electricity, if it helps attract just one or two critical PhDs that choose to work at Google instead of the competition, it's paid for itself!

Tom Travis on Doing Business Anywhere

Six Tenets of Global Trade:

1. Make Trade Agreements Work for You
2. Protect Your Brand
3. Maintain High Ethical Standards
4. Stay Secure in an Insecure World
5. Expect the Unexpected
6. All Business is Personal

Protecting your brand is not ONLY about copyrights, trademarks and patents...BUT increasingly it is about protecting your company's reputation & the goodwill associated with the company's BRAND.

Jack Perkowski on Doing Business with China

The Yuan is a Buck to the Chinese. The mistake American's make is they see something costs 100 Yuan and they immediately divide by 8 in their mind and think "hey, this just costs $13." The Chinese equate 100 Yuan to 100 Dollars - you better think the same way!

Therefore, to be successful in China, your managers must have the same cost perspective as your customers and competitors which means it's almost always best to develop and empower a local management team.

Guy Parsons on LEAN

No problem IS a problem. If a manager says they have no problem, then I don't need the manager! And if they can't see the problem, I need a new manager!

"Lead the organization as if you have no power."

"Continuous improvement comes from making mistakes and learning from them."

"Arguably what Toyota accomplished in its early days that has enabled it to continue to thrive is simply that it learned to learn."

"Leading is about getting other people to think."

"Leading is about getting other people to take responsibility and initiative."

Henry McGovern on BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

Our working philosophy is "Wszystko Jest Możliwe" "Everything is Possible"

Given our working philosophy and the fact we'll achieve our BHAG in three years (instead of ten) we discussed it and decided, hey, why not become the "#1 Restaurant Company in the World!"

Benjamin Richter on Going Green at Bradford Airport Logistics

Industry leaders have an obligation to lead!!

Jim Collins headlines next Growth Summit October 20 - 21, 2009, Dallas - come hear the results from his new research.

Tampa Bay Rays 9=8 Theme; Dow's Ink; Turnaround Specialist Keys in Volatile Times; FSB Makeover

"...keeping you great" Ten Minutes with the Growth Guy

HEADLINES:

Tom Peters' VIDEO webcast Tuesday, Oct 21, 8am - noon EST - here's the link to sign-up -- spots still left!!  OK, there's always spots left on a webcast.

David Dow "Controls the Ink" In His Industry - co-founder of TrenchSafety, with his wife Melissa, they just published a book entitled How to Make More Money with Construction Machine Control.  They also have video clips on a special page on their website that further highlights ways customers can make money that aligns with the book.  And David includes a note about the book at the bottom of his email signature.  This is the way to become the default "expert" in your industry!!

Customers "Blown Away" -- notes David Dow "we're selling the book for $29.95 but have given almost 500 copies to customers.  Initial response has been excellent.  We're doing something that no one has ever done in our industry.  Most people are blown away when we tell them we've written a book on this subject."  BTW, he followed Steve Manning's techniques for writing a book (just Google Manning), whom I've mentioned in previous emails.  And we have several ghost writers able to help as well - let me know if you're interested in contacting one of them.

Bodyguard to the Stars - FSB Needs Your "Ink".  Dana Picore owns a growing security firm in L.A. that provides protection for small businesses and for events like the Academy Awards.  In this latest "Makeover" article, FORTUNE  Small Business magazine could use your input on how Dana can get out of her "low margin swamp."  Grab some ink yourself and lend a comment or two.  Here's a link to the article and where you can help out a fellow entrepreneur!

Tampa Bay Rays "9 = 8" Theme - the baseball playoffs are in full swing in the U.S.  Red Sox fan Dave Kurlan, author of Baseline Selling, sent me a note this week "when I was watching the Red Sox-Rays playoffs, Joe Buck began to talk about the Rays' worst to first turnaround - the most games ever won by a team that went from worst to first.  He talked about Joe Madden, the Rays' manager, and his theme "9 = 8."   

9 players playing hard on every play for 9 innings.

And that would lead to:

9 additional games won by their defense
9 additional games won by their offense
9 additional games won by their pitching

And if they did that they would be one of the

8 teams to be in the playoffs

Just goes to prove that ALL teams need a theme!

Additional Ink in Gulf News -- "Playbook of Turnaround Specialists" -- Gulf News, the largest English newspaper in the Middle East, just yesterday started publishing my monthly "Growth Guy" column in the same spot they feature Jack Welch's regular column.  Take three minutes and scan lessons from turnaround specialists in managing volatile economic times.  Here's a link to the article

 

#1 Management Book; What is ooVoo; Video Conferencing Quarterly Planning; Friday Webinar

"...keeping you great" Ten Minutes with the Growth Guy

HEADLINES: 

Friday "Strategy" Webinar with Verne Harnish and Bob Bloom-- featuring the new Gazelles' One-Page Strategic Plan and the Four Step Growth Process from Bob Bloom's bestselling strategy book "The Inside Advantage." 12:28pm -- 1:30pm EST (US). Here's a link to register for this complimentary webinar. 

Save Travel! Video Conferencing used to host Quarterly Planning Meeting -- Eric Shannon, President of LatPro, Inc., a leading job board for Hispanics, held his latest quarterly planning session using video conferencing service ooVoo. Conferencing in his team from Florida, Colorado, and Delaware, Shannon noted, "It was a grand success and a great relief for those used to traveling to Florida, not to mention the significant cost reduction for the company!" Here's Shannon's blog postshowing a screen shot of his video conference and providing more details. 

#1 Management Book -- congratulations to Geoff Smart -- his latest book Who: The A Method for Hiring just hit #1 on Amazon.Who addresses every entrepreneur's #1 problem, making costly hiring mistakes, and offers a simple solution that works. They call that solution the "A Method for Hiring," which continues to add practical advice and how-to stories to advance their work onTopgrading®. It's a key book for every hiring manager to read. 

"The Gazelle Wins" Video -- Joshua Burnett, CEO of Chicago-based 9ci, a leader in providing automated cash flow management solutions, sent along this link to a clever take on the Lion and Gazelle. The Gazelles might just win in this economy! 

Double Profitability; Appletree's 4th &3; Notre Dame Fans; Financial Crisis Conclusions

"...keeping you great" Ten Minutes with the Growth Guy

HEADLINES: 

Financial Crisis Update below -- but first...

Doubled Profitability -- Hema Raney, CEO of Mumbai-basedAyushakti, a leading provider of Ayurveda (traditional India medicine based on herbs, massage, and yoga), doubled the profitability of their 8-country operation since attending our first Rockefeller Habits workshop in May 2007.  Hema brought her team to my recent workshop in Mumbai and shared with my audience that she only had 4 items checked on our Rockefeller Habits Checklist when she first attended sixteen months ago and now they have over 20.  Results?  Besides doubling her profitability, the habits freed up her time to work on growing the business!  

Do You Have the Discipline -- each quarter I encourage companies to take a few minutes at their next weekly or monthly meeting to "rate their discipline" by going through the Rockefeller Habits Checklist --please take five minutes, complete the checklist, and pick a couple habits to focus on this coming quarter.  These habits have proven over decades to save significant time and increase profitability.  Why wait!!

4th & 3 Football Video Theme -- Notre Dame fans will love this one -- John Ratliff, founder of Appletree Answering Services, who doesn't even like Notre Dame football, nevertheless used their tradition of each player touching a "Play Like a Champion" sign as they go onto the field to design their fourth quarter theme "Think Like a Customer."  Here's a no cost video they created to help kick off the theme.  By thinking like a customer their goal is to reduce customer attrition to 3% in the fourth quarter. As a side note, Ratliff noted "every company should have one Mac machine to produce their themes!"

Sportscast-themed Video and Collateral -- Ratliff also professionally produced a more extensive 7 minute introductory video (cost $5k), structured like a sportscast, to announce the theme to his employees across their twelve U.S. locations (including Puerto Rico).  Photos show examples of their scoreboards and the location of their various "Think Like a Customer" signs.  They also created an extensive "playbook" that outlines the priorities for each position in the company.  It was printed by Apple for about $11/playbook.  

Join Pete Scott of NASCAR.com in racing FORMULA Cars -- 2 spots left for our Maverick Business Adventures Race Day the afternoon of October 20 in Atlanta, just prior to our Growth Summit. Pete Scott is Executive Director of digital partnerships for Turner Sports where he oversees NASCAR.com, NBA.com, PGA.com and PGATour.com, as well as broadband channels TNT OverTime on NBA.com and TBS Hot Corner on MLB.com

Financial Crisis Update -- entitled "The Accounting Rule You Should Care About" CNNMoney published an important article this week on the "Mark to Market" rule that has created this crisis -- the point I made in last week's Insight -- and I believe its cash flow that matters, not market value.  Three key points and a link to a critical video under DETAILS below.