The Agile Scaleup

Elon Recession Advice; Glimpse vs. Glance; Mental Clarity; Cash Flow Story Today

The opposite of a glance...is a glimpse: because in a glance, we see only for a second,
and in a glimpse, the object (person) shows itself only for a second.
                  James Elkins

Leaders absorb fear and exude hope.
                  Greg Brenneman

Recession Planning?
No two economists agree on what is a recession though the US just reported its 2^nd qtr. of negative growth. Employment numbers and consumer spending don’t align with a recession. Either way, this Fortune article yesterday highlights recession planning thoughts from Elon Musk and other top CEOs.

Elon Musk’s Recession Advice – Load Up on Cash! 
Notes Elon: 

If one is making a useful product and has a company that makes sense, make sure you're not running things too close to the edge from a capital standpoint…Companies should keep some "capital reserves to last through irrational times."

The lesson? Always have or have access to plenty of cash. There are some bargains you might pick up if you have cash! And cash is key to surviving potentially lengthy downturns. Recessions also give you air coverage to right-size your firm – and grab talent from other firms!!!

Glimpse vs. Glance – First Class “Noticers”
Modern Elder Chip Conley shared another piece of wisdom in his blog a few weeks ago – sharing the quote above which I’ve been pondering. Notes Conley: 

Leadership guru Warren Bennis said long ago that the best leaders are "first-class noticers," a term he borrowed from Saul Bellow's novel "The Actual." He was referring to the idea that a combination of fresh eyes and a wise soul can help a leader see things in people and an organization that isn't as noticeable to others.

Key -- Be Present with People
Conley goes on to explain:

A first-class noticer is mindful and patient enough to catch a glimpse long enough for their pattern-recognizing intuition to offer them the wisdom they need at that moment. Live in that place, and your presence will genuinely become present to those who surround you.

Then he posits a couple key questions:

How about you? Are you open to glimpsing? Catching a glimpse of your daughter's lovely soul. Opening your aperture to notice and feel the energy of your leadership team?

Please take a minute to read Chip’s June 27 post – then grab some glimpses today (my son Cole arrives from Barcelona, so a moment for me to practice)!

Mental Clarity, Emotional Balance – Times of Stress
Inflation and recession – this kind of news creates stress. Deep breathing – pranayama breathing – is critical to maintaining your mental clarity and helps you remain present, particularly in these situations. This 3-minute BBC video highlights the breathing approach I learned from The Art of Living which has served me well (https://www.artofliving.org/us-en).   The Art of Living offers free online courses and there are sessions available in almost every city around the world.

Cash Flow Master Course with Alan Miltz 
Get serious about improving your cash flow. Have your CFO join our next “Cash Flow Story” Master Course with Alan Miltz ($2400 for single seat). The next cohort of executives is starting today – but you or your CFO have time to join over this next week since most of the learning is on-demand/online and all LIVE sessions are recorded. This link for more info on the Master Course. And to directly sign-up a single seat (discounts for 3 or more) use this link.

Scaling Up Summit – Oct 18 – 19, Denver, CO
Hosted at the beautiful Denver Center for Performing Arts, we’ll have first-class A/V to present four top celebrity CEOs and authors. And I’ll be on stage the balance of the time (with optional evening work sessions) presenting the latest in Scaling Up tools/techniques. And if you’re a CEO and attended in May, you get to attend for free if you bring along one additional person (new exec, team members, etc.). Register here.

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
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

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 [email protected].

COACHING: 
Now is the time to start planning for a strong Q4 and 2023. Implementing Scaling Up is not an overnight process but you can see quick wins if you know where to start. Our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance Program. Using our custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, we can match you with the right coach to help you scale faster.

We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. CLICK HERE! Or check out our FAQ’s. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Kathmandu, Nepal – July 30, 2022 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Fort Myers, Florida – Aug. 9, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Aug 11, 2022 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – Aug 25, 2022 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – Aug 25, 2022 (In-Person)
Scottsdale, AZ – Sept 1, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Sep 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Sept 9, 2022 (In-Person Master Class)
San Diego, CA – Sep 13, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Sep 13, 2022 (In-Person)
New Orleans, LA – Sept 22, 2022 (Virtual)
Columbus, OH – Sep 23, 2022 (In-Person)
Buffalo / Niagara Falls Region, New York – Sep 23, 2022 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 5, 2022 (In-Person)
Rochester, NY-  Oct 6, 2022 (in-Person)
Toowoomba, Australia – Oct 6, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 13, 2022 (Virtual)
Singapore & Hong Kong, China – Oct 19, 2022 (Virtual)
Singapore & Hong Kong, China – Oct 26, 2022 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Oct 19, 2022 (In-Person)
Annapolis, MD – Oct 25, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Sept 27, 2022
Phoenix, AZ-  Nov 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 10, 2022 (Virtual)
Salisbury, England – Nov 15, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 29, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 1, 2022 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – Dec 8, 2022 (In-Person)

TECHNOLOGY:
ScalingUp Scoreboard Integrated 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.

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.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights   

 

Scaling Up,
1660 NE Miami Gardens Dr, Ste 4, Miami, FL, USA

Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive.

New SMART; Chief of Staff; Traction Fail; Vail, CO

Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently.
                   Marie Forleo

Invite people into your life that don't look or think like you.
                   Mellody Hobson

One Spot Left CEO Boot Camp Vail, CO – Sept 20 – 23
Join 7 other CEOs and their #2s for three intense and fun days/evenings (including a special guest CEO!) as we dig deep to remove the constraints to scaling – plus one-on-one time where I open up my database of contacts built over 40+ years to support your BHAG! www.ceo-bootcamp.com

Better Definition of SMART Goals
We’re updating the SMART acronym with different meanings for each letter: 

Specific – implying it’s measurable as well

Meaningful – assuring it aligns with the broader goals and BHAG of the organization

Ambitious – stretching people but not demoralizing them

Review Routinely – keeping the goal front and center in everyone’s minds

Transparent – posting visually to drive accountability and peer pressure

This brings SMART goals more in the line with the broader spirit of FAST goals, an acronym I’ve been touting. In either case, implementing the fundamentals of Scaling Up (Priorities, Data, and Meeting Rhythms) guarantees you have SMART/FAST goals throughout the organization.

Walr Scales from 30 to 70 Employees in 6 Months (Scaling Up Case Study) 
Recognized as a Great Place to Work®, Lewis Reeves, CEO of UK-based Walr, a fast-growing data creation company, has scaled from 30 to 70 employees in just 2022 with the help of the Scaling Up framework and coach Neale Lewis. This blog post by Reeves details how he’s gone from Startup to Scaleup using our tools so quickly. And note, he’s using this blog post as a recruiting tool to demonstrate they have a well-run company that keeps everyone in the loop and aligned! Use Scaling Up to win awards (it always impresses the judges) and attract talent.

Chief of Staff Position
|Chief of Staff is becoming a much more popular position in scaleups. Reeves notes in his blog:

When the business was in its infant stages, our 15^th hire was a non-revenue generating role, Chief of Staff, Emily Whiting. With extensive experience in senior leadership roles at high-growth start-ups and Fortune 150 corporations, Emily leverages deep experience in management consulting, program and change management, lead strategy and people operations.

Michael Dell made a similar hire when he had 50 employees – Barb Kreisman from Motorola University. She served as the shock absorber between Michael and his people as he scaled from 50 to 40,000 employees. Barb was invaluable!!   BTW, Reeve’s Chief of Staff wrote a great piece on how they’re “Living their Values” in the company – worth a minute to read some of the practical things they are doing.

Market Veep Scales 79% in 24 Months (Scaling Up Case Study)
This Scaleups.com article details how Jennelle McGrath’s marketing firm Market Veep failed to gain traction using a competitive operating system so she turned to the Scaling Up Performance platform and has seen revenues soar 79% in two years. She’ll finish 2022 north of $3 million (possibly $5 million).

Topgrading A-Players; Cash Flow Story; Align/Scoreboard SaaS
With Scaling Up coach Herb Cogliano’s support, McGrath used multiple Scaling Up Platform systems (it’s about having systems for everything) to make her CEO job 10x easier. She used Topgrading to bring on several A-Players (each doing the work of three B-Players!); implemented the Cash Flow Story tool, improving cash flow and profitability; and instituted the daily/weekly meeting rhythm, along with our Align/Scoreboard SaaS offering, which picked up the pace of the organization.

Scaling Up Summit – Oct 18 – 19, Denver, CO
Hosted at the beautiful Denver Center for Performing Arts, we’ll have first-class A/V to present four top celebrity CEOs and authors. And I’ll be on stage the balance of the time (with optional evening work sessions) presenting the latest in Scaling Up tools/techniques. And if you’re a CEO and attended in May, you get to attend for free if you bring along one additional person (new exec, team members, etc.). Register here.

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
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

COACHING: 
Now is the time to start planning for a strong Q4 and 2023. Implementing Scaling Up is not an overnight process but you can see quick wins if you know where to start. Our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance Program. Using our custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, we can match you with the right coach to help you scale faster.

We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. CLICK HERE! Or check out our FAQ’s. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

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 [email protected].

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Adelaide, Australia – July 26, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, AUS – July 27, 2022 (In-Person Master Class)
Kathmandu, Nepal – July 30, 2022 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Fort Myers, Florida – Aug. 9, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Aug 11, 2022 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – Aug 25, 2022 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – Aug 25, 2022 (In-Person)
Scottsdale, AZ – Sept 1, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Sep 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Sept 9, 2022 (In-Person Master Class)
San Diego, CA – Sep 13, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Sep 13, 2022 (In-Person)
New Orleans, LA – Sept 22, 2022 (Virtual)
Columbus, OH – Sep 23, 2022 (In-Person)
Buffalo / Niagara Falls Region, New York – Sep 23, 2022 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 5, 2022 (In-Person)
Rochester, NY-  Oct 6, 2022 (in-Person)
Toowoomba, Australia – Oct 6, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 13, 2022 (Virtual)
Singapore & Hong Kong, China – Oct 19, 2022 (Virtual)
Singapore & Hong Kong, China – Oct 26, 2022 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Oct 19, 2022 (In-Person)
Annapolis, MD – Oct 25, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Sept 27, 2022
Phoenix, AZ-  Nov 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 10, 2022 (Virtual)
Salisbury, England – Nov 15, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 29, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 1, 2022 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – Dec 8, 2022 (In-Person)

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

TECHNOLOGY:
ScalingUp Scoreboard Integrated 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.

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.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights   

 

Scaling Up,
1660 NE Miami Gardens Dr, Ste 4, Miami, FL, USA

Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive.

#1 Question; Firebrand Exit; Rob’s List; Oct 18 – 19 Summit

The cost of something is measured by how much life you have to give for it.
              Henry David Thoreau

The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.
              Stephen Covey

Firebrand Training Exits – Credits Daily Huddle 
Co-CEO/Co-Founder of London-based Firebrand Training Rob Chapman emailed “About 7 years ago we read Scaling Up and started methodically applying the lessons. On the 16th of June, we exited.” During that time revenue doubled and profitability went from barely breakeven to double digits. Revenue per employee up 20% and NPS from 30+ to 55+. Today they offer 2000 IT training courses to over 130,000 in 45 countries. The key, when I asked Rob for “the one thing”? The daily huddle.

Rob Cont. – Value of Daily “Sparks”
Further notes Rob: 

If I had to pick one thing it would be the daily huddles (which we call Sparks). The shortening of decision cycles had a massive impact on our rhythm, sped us up, pointed the spotlight on accountability and fixed problems in the moment. The time saved by fixing problems quickly cannot be underestimated from the perspective of compounding benefits.

The rest of Rob’s “keys to scaling” are listed below.

The #1 Question Driving Engagement/Results 
Several of you emailed that Gary Hamel’s interview of Gallup CEO Jim Clifton had moved (still the best one-hour I’ve listened to all year). Here’s the correct link. In the interview Clifton, whose organization has interviewed over 100 million workers around the globe, summarized the key to driving engagement/productivity: 

• Employees do NOT want administrative-type managers – they want to be coached.
• Their immediate supervisor/coach needs to ask them one question each week and then help.

That’s it!! And what’s the question? “What is your goal this week and what are the barriers to achieving it?” Can it be this simple? Please take time to listen to Clifton’s interview.

Daily Alignment
This is why the daily huddle is so powerful. In essence, you’re asking everyone in a daily huddle Clifton’s key question every day! “What’s Up/Priority” and “Stuck/Constraint.” And checking in every day lets you see patterns in days instead of weeks – so opportunities don’t evaporate, and issues don’t grow.

Rob’s List – A Good Checklist for Your Organization?
The parts of Scaling Up that really matter to us (not to say the rest isn’t important)! 

• Cash, the 1% rule (Power of One)
• Values, Mission to Mars, & Culture
• Meeting rhythm
• What you measure gets done
• Quarterly themes, with rewards
• Staff and customer feedback
• Accountability / responsibility
• Anything by Jim Collins
• One phrase strategy for making money
• Hiring A players, Topgrading
• Being “on” not “in” the business

Concluded Rob, “It’s also a dialed-in certainty that we wouldn’t have survived the pandemic, let alone exit 2 years later, if it wasn’t for you. What you should be proud of is the amount of wealth you’ve created for others. Truly phenomenal.” Thank you, Rob, it’s a true labor of love!

Scaling Up Summit – Oct 18 – 19, Denver, CO
Hosted at the beautiful Denver Center for Performing Arts, we’ll have first-class A/V to present four top celebrity CEOs and authors. And I’ll be on stage the balance of the time (with optional evening work sessions) presenting the latest in Scaling Up tools/techniques. We’ll also release the “Revised Edition” of Scaling Up and the 20^th Anniversary edition of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits in celebration of our 25^th anniversary of helping firms scaleup! Mark your calendars – an updated site to register. And if you’re a CEO and attended in May, you get to attend for free if you bring along one additional person (new exec, team members, etc.).

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
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Louisville, KY – July 21, 2022 (Virtual)
Adelaide, Australia – July 26, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, AUS – July 27, 2022 (In-Person Master Class)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Fort Myers, Florida – Aug. 9, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Aug 11, 2022 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – Aug 25, 2022 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – Aug 25, 2022 (In-Person)
Scottsdale, AZ – Sept 1, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Sep 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Sept 9, 2022 (In-Person Master Class)
San Diego, CA – Sep 13, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Sep 13, 2022 (In-Person)
New Orleans, LA – Sept 22, 2022 (Virtual)
Columbus, OH – Sep 23, 2022 (In-Person)
Buffalo / Niagara Falls Region, New York – Sep 23, 2022 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 5, 2022 (In-Person)
Rochester, NY-  Oct 6, 2022 (in-Person)
Toowoomba, Australia – Oct 6, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 13, 2022 (Virtual)
Singapore & Hong Kong, China – Oct 19, 2022 (Virtual)
Singapore & Hong Kong, China – Oct 26, 2022 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Oct 19, 2022 (In-Person)
Annapolis, MD – Oct 25, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Sept 27, 2022
Phoenix, AZ-  Nov 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 10, 2022 (Virtual)
Salisbury, England – Nov 15, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 29, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 1, 2022 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – Dec 8, 2022 (In-Person)

COACHING:
Are you wondering if working with a coach is right for you? Take our Four Decisions Assessment to learn which type of coach is best for you.
All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. But our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach.

We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQ’s. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

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 [email protected].

TECHNOLOGY:
ScalingUp Scoreboard Integrated 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.

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.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights