The best way to get the attention and respect of exceptional people is to do exceptional work.
James Clear
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
George Eliot
AI and Wine
See below – a fun video on how AI is being used by a professor to find some great deals on expensive wines!! It’s all about prediction!!
Warren Buffett’s Protégé Feb 22, 2:22pm – 5:22pm ET
This ScaleUps.com article (scaleups.com) details how Tracy Britt Cool got her start at her family’s farm stand. The Harvard Business School graduate became a master of building businesses at Berkshire Hathaway, the Pampered Chef and now her investment firm Kanbrick. Please join us Feb 22, 2:22pm – 5:22pm ET – 8 leading edge biz/thought leaders including Tracy for Leading@Scale! Sign up for no charge for this global virtual event.
Anti-fragile vs. Resilient
Nature designed us to be anti-fragile – to get stronger as we come under stress/attack – our bones, our immune system, etc. What you want to build is an anti-fragile company, city, country, family – not resilient. Notes the article: “This idea of being anti-fragile versus simply resilient is at the heart of her (Tracy) business philosophy. Modern organizations must adapt faster than the world around them and are using the principles of “teeming” to do so.” Regenerative (anti-fragile) is one of the five Teeming principles of organizations that scale easier – again, join us Feb 22 to learn more.
AI Guidelines Published – Business Round Table
Are you finding ways to incorporate AI into your business? If not, give us a call – we can help. Clearly the unicorns – and Fortune 500 – are using machine learning to drive efficiencies and effectiveness in all aspects of their business. As such, the Business Round Table (BRT) has published a set of guidelines given that AI (or anything) which has the power to do good, has an equal power to do evil.
Best AI Biz Book
The way to think about AI as a business leader is to read Prediction Machines by three U of Toronto professors. In short, ask the question “where would knowing something sooner than later (better prediction) make or save us millions.” The new HR systems can predict if someone is looking to leave; same with systems that predict if a customer is likely looking at a competitor. Predicting if a machine is needing service, etc. – or where we should open our next distribution center. These are all areas where machine learning can prevail.
Look to Your Local University
Most U’s have a data analytics department, including Webster U in St. Louis where my daughter is attending. Call up the local professor and offer to sponsor a project or two ($10k?) and let some unbiased fresh eyes take a look at your “prediction question” and see what they come up with. J.D. Ewing is doing this at COE Distributing. BTW, my daughter is studying music theatre and data analytics and wants to see if she can build a system that better predicts the success of a Broadway show before millions are spent. These are the kinds of questions AI can help answer.
The Spirit of the AI Guidelines
According to Fortune, the guidelines focus on (please scan to get a feel for the issues/concerns):
• Ensuring A.I. systems are developed by diverse teams, with diverse oversight
• Employing safeguards to ensure unfair biases aren’t built into A.I. systems, and building A.I. systems that mitigate human bias
• Designing A.I. systems that are transparent, explainable, and interpretable
• Ensuring A.I. systems are constantly evaluated; that data is collected and used responsibly; that companies have culture and • governance systems to support responsible A.I.; and that security safeguards exist from the outset
• Investing in an A.I.-ready workforce.
Jack Stack Great Game of Business Webinar Feb 8, Noon ET
The more engaged, bought-in, and inspired your employees are, the more value they’ll drive throughout your company. Don’t miss this training with Great Game of Business expert Steve Baker and legendary business strategist Jack Stack. In 90 minutes, they’ll detail everything you need to know about creating that engagement through financial literacy, incentive programs, and bringing a laser focus to every level of your organization. Happening next Tuesday, 2/8 @ noon ET. https://hubs.li/Q013js_d0
AI and Wine
Economist Orley Ashenfelter, Princeton, has built a system to predict if a wine is going to be spectacular before it’s available – giving him an opportunity to purchase great wines at a cheap price!! Enjoy this 5-minute video. Then figure out where prediction would be most helpful to you!! A perfect question for your weekly “council.”
Weekend Countdown – 1-Minute of Wisdom
Enjoy this kickoff to your weekend – some bits of wisdom from a fresh set of wise teachers, updated each weekend.
https://vimeo.com/showcase/weekendcountdown
Order a box of 20 Scaling Up books
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TECHNOLOGY:
ScalingUp ScoreboardIntegrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.
Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.
EDUCATION:
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course
We’re still in business coaching and training firms:
Melbourne, Australia – Feb 16, 2022 (In-Person)
Indianapolis, IN– Feb 17, 2022 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Feb 24, 2022 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX - Feb 24, 2022 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – March 21 & 22, 2022 (2 Day In-Person Workshop)
Amsterdam – March 22, 2022 (New Cohort starts)
Brisbane, Australia – March 23, 2022 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – April 6, 2022 (In-Person)
Auckland, New Zealand – May 11 & 12, 2022 (In-Person 2 Day Master Class)
Melbourne, Australia – June 7, 2022 (In-Person)
Salisbury, England -June 23, 2022
Sydney, Australia – Aug 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Sep 13, 2022 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Oct 6, 2022 (In-Person)
Salisbury, England – Nov 15, 2022
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 22, 2022 (In-Person)
Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.
Write Your Own Book
Whether you want to make it to the bestseller lists or just sell a lot more of your goods or services, with a profound competitive edge over the competition, Book The Business: How to Make BIG Money With Your Book Without Selling a Single Copy is for you! Request your free copy of this ground-breaking book at advantagefamily.com/scalingup.
COACHING:
Ready to scale but looking for guidance?
Work with a Coach! Scaling a company is hard, but you don’t have to go it alone. Our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance Platform, all with a custom and diagnostic approach to each unique company.
Learn more about what it’s like to work with a Scaling Up Certified Coach™ by scheduling a complimentary, personal follow-up. CLICK HERE! Or check out our FAQ’s. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com.
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