The Agile Scaleup

Dead at 107; Bum Prize; Metal Biz Card; Gamify Values

I have two invisible tattoos, which are pieces of wisdom passed on to me by the late Peter Drucker. They are think first, speak last; and ask, don’t tell.
                                                Frances Hesselbein

To Serve is to Live. This is my battle cry.
                                                Frances Hesselbein

Frances Hesselbein Dead at Age 107
Revered by Peter Drucker, Jim Collins, and many others, the beloved longtime leader of the Girl Scouts of the USA passed away Sunday at the age of 107. This Chief Executive magazine article was one of her last interviews: 

• On leading in disruptive times – key is community collaboration
• On the employer-employee dynamic – requires “circular leadership” with everyone in the firm feeling heard and seen
• On go-forward priorities – look deep into your organization and invest in the next generation of leaders

Please invest 2 minutes to read the article and soak up the details within each of her key points above. RIP Frances.

My Metal Business Card (Scaling Up Case Study)
This Scaleups.com article details how Craig Martyn uses the Scaling Up tools, with the assistance of his coach David Chavez, to scale his 100-employee firm manufacturing metal business cards for top brands and VIP passes for musicians. A weekly review of “customer and employee hassles” keeps the team focused on continuous improvement which has helped the firm double revenues the past 36 months. Please take 2 minutes to read the three qualities Martyn looks for in all employees; his use of the OPSP; and how the Scaling Up Platform has empowered employees to make decisions, unburdening Martyn. Then get some metal business cards!!

Gamifying Core Values – Avoid the BUM Prize!! 
22-employee Concept Electrical Estimating (CEE) provides estimating services to electrical contractors. Based in Brunswick, VIC, each month the team decides on which team member lived the values each month. Then that member gets to spin the wheel (1 spin). The wheel has great prizes. Hotel nights, lunches, dinners, etc. BUT on one section is a bum prize. If you land on it, you have to clean the kitchen and take out the rubbish for a month. As luck would have it, the very first employee to win a “reward and recognition” spin landed on the 'cleaning and taking out rubbish' prize. Here’s a video showing the moment it happened. And after a year he’s the only one to win the “bum” prize. Thanks to their coach Jonathan Mond for sharing.

CEE’s Visual of Values and Brand Promises
Here’s a visual of their four core values – notice they are phrases, not single words – and each includes a description and visual symbol. I also like that it lists their three brand promises.


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.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up 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.

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

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

Denver, CO – Dec 19, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Jan 13, 202 (In-Person)
Hong Kong – Jan 18, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jan 19, 2023 (Virtual)
Columbus, Ohio – Jan 20, 2023 (In-Person & Virtual options)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Jan 25, 2023 (Virtual)
Ann Arbor, MI – Jan 26, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Feb 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 9, 2023 (Verne Live In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 10, 2023 (In Person)
Costa Mesa, CA – Feb. 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Feb 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Feb 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – March 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Hong Kong/Singapore – March 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – March 29, 2023 (Virtual)

Your Brand as Marketing Powerhouse with a Forbes Books Content Partnership
If you want to be “top of mind” with your audience, then you need a strategy to build your authority in your field. Investing in media services with your personal brand can help you grow your audience and distinguish you as a trusted authority because you are educating, not selling. Learn how your brand can work harder for your business with a free brand audit.

COACHING: 
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. 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 FAQs. 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

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.

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].

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

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights   

Steve Jobs Was Right; Simon Sinek; #1 Restaurant; Dec 14 – 15 Master Class

When things change inside you, things change around you.
                                                Unknown

Learning’s a gift, even when pain is your teacher.
                                                Michael Jordan

Mastering the Complex Sale – Webinar Dec. 14, 11 am ET
In this environment, all sales are complex! Jeff Thull, author of Mastering the Complex Sale (I named one of the top biz books the year it came out) is leading a webinar next Wed. More info here and below.

Unreasonable Hospitality – Simon Sinek Interview
Will Guidara co-founded the #1 restaurant in the world, Eleven Madison Park. Today he’s author of an outstanding book Unreasonable Hospitality which draws a clear distinction between service (transactional) and hospitality (how did it leave you feeling). This 33-minute Simon Sinek interview of Guidara is an entertaining and insightful look at this important distinction. Are you providing good/great service or going beyond to deliver hospitality? Go to 18:00 in the podcast for a great summary – and go to 14:00 for the very best hotdog story!!! Then listen to the rest!!

Steve Jobs Was Right – the Best Managers Don’t Want to be Managers
This Inc. article shares science that backs up what Steve Jobs experienced decades ago. Notes Jobs in the article: 

We're going to be a big company, we thought. So let's hire "professional managers." We went out and hired a bunch of professional management, and it didn't work at all.

They knew how to manage, but they didn't know how to do anything.

With science confirming what Steve learned the hard way, the article goes on to note:

The next time you make a promotion decision, make sure you consider the great individual contributor who may not want to be a manager, but desperately wants to get things done.

Please take 2 minutes to read the details behind all this with examples. Who you choose to lead a team is a critical decision. Get it right!

Mother/Daughter Switch Roles – Double Revenues – Win “HIRE Vets” Award
Our latest Scaleups.com article details how Savannah-based scDataCom doubled revenues the last 12 months since founder Alaina Meyer and her mom, colonel Kathleen Ford, brought on Scaling Up Coach Jennifer Berkowitz. Berkowitz first suggested the mother and daughter switch roles, which they did. A better advisory team, more frequent partial billing, a focus on process, and discovering the right core values to drive all decisions are some of the many Scaling Up tools/techniques Berkowitz has helped Meyer and Ford initiate. The result – twice the revenue with only 50% more people – a significant productivity gain. Please take 1-minute to read the details.

100 Greatest Innovations of 2022 – Popular Science
Topping the overall list is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). There are Grand Prize winners in each of 10 categories. The Automotive winner is Mercedes’ Vision EQXX vehicle that has a range of 747 miles on half the battery weight – a 4x efficiency improvement, the same you can find inside your own organization’s processes!! The Home and Sports categories were specifically interesting. Pls take 5 minutes to scan down thru the list, though like YouTube, you’ll get distracted. Have fun and maybe some holiday gift ideas!!

Mastering the Complex Sale Webinar -- Dec 14, 11am ET
Selling in today’s environment calls for a different approach, and there are 3 main challenges you need to be aware of. To show you exactly what those are and how to overcome them, we've invited world-class sales expert Jeff Thull to spill his secrets. Jeff is the man behind helping high-level businesses like Shell, 3M, Siemens, Boston Scientific, and HP scale to become some of the biggest brands in the world. On Wednesday, December 14th @ 11 AM ET, he'll dive deep into the exact process he used to make this happen. So, if you want to make this the year you separate from your competitors, then don't miss this training. Sign up here: https://hubs.li/Q01vhk7s0

Scaling Up Virtual Master Class – 3-Hours Each Day -- Dec 14 & 15
Energize and prepare for 2023 by having you and your team review the fundamentals of Scaling Up. Verne will lead a 3-hour session Dec 14 and 3 hours Dec 15 (with a 90-minute CEO-only session Dec 13). Over 80,000 firms are using our tools to scale with less drama, like the following firm which jump-started their use of our tools at a similar workshop (in-person vs. virtual). For more info and to register you and your team, go to this link.

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)

Denver, CO – Dec 15, 2022 (Virtual)
Denver, CO – Dec 19, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Jan 13, 202 (In-Person)
Hong Kong – Jan 18, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jan 19, 2023 (Virtual)
Columbus, Ohio – Jan 20, 2023 (In-Person & Virtual options)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Jan 25, 2023 (Virtual)
Ann Arbor, MI – Jan 26, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Feb 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 9, 2023 (Verne Live In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 10, 2023 (In Person)
Costa Mesa, CA – Feb. 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Feb 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Feb 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – March 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Hong Kong/Singapore – March 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – March 29, 2023 (Virtual)

COACHING: 
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. 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 FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

Your Brand as Marketing Powerhouse with a Forbes Books Content Partnership
If you want to be “top of mind” with your audience, then you need a strategy to build your authority in your field. Investing in media services with your personal brand can help you grow your audience and distinguish you as a trusted authority because you are educating, not selling. Learn how your brand can work harder for your business with a free brand audit.

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:
Scaling Up 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.

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].

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

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights   

Critical Book; Gold; Restaurant Wokuni; Holiday Discount

There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will to execute them.
                                                Seth Godin

A skill is something you learn. Talent is what you can’t help doing.
                                                Caroline Ghosen

Upcoming Executive Education Events 

• Growth Institute’s “Stages of Growth” Webinar Dec 7, 3pm ET
• Scaling Up Master Course Dec 14 – 15 (3hrs each day)
• Chief Executive’s “Advanced Compensation Strategies”  Dec 15, 1:30pm – 4pm ET Virtual
• Sydney Scaling Up Summit Feb 9

More information and links to register below. And a discount on holiday decorations!!

Beating Inflation – Strong Book Recommendation 
Pricing guru Hermann Simon has released an outstanding and critically important book titled Beating Inflation. Please, please, please read it – the 3-page Preface is a must, framing why simply raising prices during inflationary times could kill your business. He then goes on to detail the various strategies to use in combatting the worst inflation we’ve seen since the ‘70s. Most of us don’t have the instincts or experience to navigate inflation – Simon and his firm do!! It’s a very quick read and you can skip the first 2 chapters if needed.

Gold and Inflation
One historical note from Simon’s book. It’s not that the price of goods has inflated; it’s that our money has been devalued and replaced with “fiat money.” Notes Simon: 

In Rome 2000 years ago, a tailored tunic cost about an ounce of gold; today, you can get a tailored suit for an ounce of gold. The price of a garment measured in gold, has not changed significantly over 2000 years; the same is true of bread.

Simon also details how inflation is beneficial to governments, allowing them to pay back debt with devalued money and extract a greater percentage of taxes (in progressive tax systems) due to inflated wages. Inflation is in their best interest! High interest rates aren’t.

Restaurants Adopting Dynamic Pricing Models – You Too?
This Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) article details how restaurants are adopting technologies that allow them to price dynamically, an option since menus and ordering systems have gone digital. Notes one of the users: 

For us, it was all about consumer reaction. The concern was if you’re going to raise prices, you’re going to sell less product and it turns out that really wasn’t the case.

 The key is using machine learning (AI) to drive these decisions. Notes the article:

The whole idea is to leverage machine learning models to understand when to apply correct pricing based on demand – filling in slower time periods and increasing prices during peak hours to maximize profit and ease the burden on the kitchen.

Please take 2 minutes to read the details and then discuss how you’re going to move to more dynamic pricing in your company/industry.

Wokuni -- Restaurant Recommendation 
Speaking of restaurants, last weekend, in NYC, I enjoyed the finest Japanese cuisine experience ever at Wokuni. Located in an unlikely spot (39^th and Lexington), I was first struck by the beautiful build-out/ambiance. Owned by Scaling Up fan Daichi Sakamoto, he owns 80+ restaurants in Japan and this one in NYC! Their triad of sashimi tuna; the wagyu beef skewers; the finest of green tea; and surprisingly the best cheesecake I’ve tasted (not expected at a Japanese restaurant); the quality of every morsel is exquisite. Enjoy when you’re next in NYC!

Help You Beat Inflation -- Balsam -- Product Recommendation 
In need of the finest artificial Christmas trees and holiday decorations for the office or home(s)?  Balsam Brands is sharing an exclusive promotion code with the readers of this post to use at www.balsamhill.com: BALSAMHILLVH50 ($50 off $200 or more, valid through 12/19/2022). Balsam Brands has been utilizing the Scaling Up System for the last 5 years, leveraging Scaling up Coaches with a full-time coach. In that time, Balsam has averaged CAGR of over 20% revenue growth. While Scaling Up has guided the organization with its strategy, the company has found massive value in the execution of the meeting rhythms.

Stages of Growth – Webinar Dec 7, 3pm ET
Knowing your company’s stage of growth and development helps you effectively allocate resources and make the best decisions. Learn more at Growth Institute’s upcoming FREE webinar with one of Mexico’s 100 best CEOs, Daniel Marcos, CEO of Growth Institute. Great companion course to Scaling Up. Dec 7 @ 3 pm. Save your seat here.

Scaling Up Virtual Master Class – 3-Hours Each Day -- Dec 14 & 15
Energize and prepare for 2023 by having you and your team review the fundamentals of Scaling Up. Verne will lead a 3-hour session Dec 14 and 3 hours Dec 15 (with a 90-minute CEO-only session Dec 13). Over 80,000 firms are using our tools to scale with less drama, like the following firm which jump-started their use of our tools at a similar workshop (in-person vs. virtual). For more info and to register you and your team, go to this link.

Chief Executive Magazine – Advanced Compensation Strategies Dec 15
Compensation is the #1 topic among CEOs as inflation is putting pressure on wages. Join me and two other compensation experts Dec 15, 1:30pm – 4pm ET for an in-depth look at some advanced compensation strategies which you can use to attract and retain better talent while lowering your total wage costs. Chief Executive will also share the results from their latest compensation data from 1400 private firms. For more information.

Sydney Scaling Up Summit – Feb 9, 2023 – Keep Playing to Win!
Hosted right on Sydney’s magnificent Harbour at the International Convention Centre, we’ve curated a stunning lineup of successful CEOs and Leaders. And I’ll be on stage the balance of the time presenting the latest in Scaling Up tools/techniques. We’re also celebrating 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 scale up! Click to register. https://performance7.global/scaling-up-summit/  Early bird closes 7 December.

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)

Wilmington, NC - Dec 2, 2022 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Denver, CO – Dec 15, 2022 (Virtual)
Denver, CO – Dec 19, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Jan 13, 202 (In-Person)
Hong Kong – Jan 18, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jan 19, 2023 (Virtual)
Columbus, Ohio – Jan 20, 2023 (In-Person & Virtual options)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Jan 25, 2023 (Virtual)
Ann Arbor, MI – Jan 26, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Feb 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 9, 2023 (Verne Live In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 10, 2023 (In Person)
Costa Mesa, CA – Feb. 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Feb 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Feb 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – March 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Hong Kong/Singapore – March 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – March 29, 2023 (Virtual)

COACHING: 
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. 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 FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

Become an Authority and Reduce Your Marketing Investment
Top leaders know that branding is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Becoming an authority means you and your brand are synonymous with trust and confidence. Growing brand equity translates to greater pricing power and the ability to reduce marketing costs. If you’re interested in proven strategies to help outflank your competition and grow your audience, request a free copy of Authority Marketing. 

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:
Scaling Up 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.

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].

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

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights