Connection

He’s richer than Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined. And he started off as a broke Scottish immigrant. I’ve been dreaming of interviewing him for my book. The only problem? He died 96 years ago.

How did Andrew Carnegie, the man with the world’s largest steel empire, rise from no money, no opportunity, and no connections — to the richest man alive?

I’ve spent hundreds of hours researching Carnegie’s success, and here are the 5 best lessons from the man himself.

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1. Get Out Of The Shade

One afternoon, a young man walked into Carnegie’s office to interview him about his success. Carnegie could have told the young man about his journey from poverty to riches or about his wild dealings with John Rockefeller. But instead, Carnegie talked about something else.

His optimism.

Carnegie said the most important thing in his life was his “ability to shed trouble and to laugh through life.” He said that seeing life through a lens of positivity was worth more to him than millions of dollars.

“Young people should know that it can be cultivated,” Carnegie said. “The mind, like the body, can be moved from the shade into sunshine.”

And it makes good business sense, too. By not getting weighed down by the negative, Carnegie could keep his focus on the positive, bounce back from failures faster, and see opportunities where other people didn’t know they existed.

Ask yourself: do you sometimes slip into pessimistic thoughts and negative self-talk? Are you missing opportunities because you let your mind fall under “the shade”? How much would your business grow if you taped a note above your desk that reads: “move your mind into the sunshine”?

2. Tell Him to Keep the Ten Thousand

Carnegie and J.P. Morgan were once partners in a business. One day Morgan wanted to buy out Carnegie’s stake, so Morgan asked how much he wanted for it.

Carnegie said his shares were worth $50,000, plus he wanted an extra $10,000 on top — so a total of $60,000. Morgan agreed to the terms. But the next morning, Carnegie got a call.

“Mr. Carnegie, you were mistaken,” Morgan said. “You sold out for $10,000 less than the statement showed to your credit.” Morgan had calculated that Carnegie’s stake was actually worth $60,000, and with the additional $10,000, that made $70,000. So Morgan sent Carnegie a check for the full $70,000.

Carnegie responded by telling Morgan to keep the extra $10,000 — which, adjusted for inflation, is over $130,000 today. Morgan replied, “No thank you. I cannot do that.”

When reflecting on this story, Carnegie wrote, “A great business is built on lines of the strictest integrity.” He learned from Morgan that it is better to lose money in the short-term if that means maintaining your reputation for the long-term.

Think hard about this: Is your business doing everything it can to ensure that reputation comes before profits?

3. Follow the Rule of Nine-Tenths

There was a story that changed Carnegie’s life. It’s about an old man who lived a life of many tragic events. People in the town pitied him, but the old man said, "Yes, my friends, all that you say is true. I have had a long life full of troubles. But there is one curious fact about them – nine-tenths of them never happened."

Carnegie learned from that story that most of the problems and “what if’s” we imagine almost never occur. Our brains have a tendency to dream up the worst-case scenarios and act accordingly — yet most of those almost never happen. And even if they do occur, they’re almost never as bad as we imagine.

By reminding himself of the “rule of nine-tenths,” Carnegie freed himself from the fear of the unknown and was able to take the risks he needed to achieve his radical success.

Be honest with yourself: Do you get caught up on the “what if’s”? Would your life be better if you followed the rule of “nine-tenths” and reminded yourself that most of those problems won’t actually happen? Are you willing to make a commitment right now to live by that rule?

4. Jump On 'Flashes of Lightning'

When Carnegie was hired for his first job, the interviewer asked him how soon he could start. Most people would have asked for a couple of weeks to transition. But Carnegie’s answer? “I can start right now.”

“It would have been a great mistake not to seize the opportunity,” Carnegie wrote. “The position was offered to me; something might occur, some other boy might be sent for. Having got myself in I proposed to stay there if I could.”

Carnegie didn’t overthink it. He preferred to act quickly and risk something going wrong than to act slowly and risk losing the opportunity entirely.

And this rule worked in reverse, too. When Carnegie realized he owned shares in a company he didn’t like anymore, he told his partner to sell all the shares right away. When his partner said there’s no rush, Carnegie shot back, “Do it instantly!” And good thing he did… that company soon went bankrupt.

Of course, it’s important to study the facts, but if you’re presented with a real opportunity, don’t risk losing it by taking your time. As Carnegie would say, jump on the “flash of lightning.”

How many opportunities do you think have passed you by because you didn’t jump on them right away? Are you ready to act like Carnegie and make your answer “I can start right now”?

5. Find Your "$2.50" Motivation

Early in his career, Carnegie was given a bonus of $2.50. When he gave the bonus to his parents to help support the family, he said “no subsequent success, or recognition of any kind, ever thrilled me as this did… Here was heaven upon earth.”

And from that point on, Carnegie knew he wanted to be rich. But not for himself. He dreamt of making the money for his parents, so they could live a good life.

As soon as Carnegie identified that external motivation, his drive turned into high gear. The key is that he wasn’t motivated to help himself. He was motivated to help someone else.

So whether you’re doing it for your parents, your children, or to help people who don’t even know your name — you need to have that motivation clearly in your mind to fuel you through the inevitable hardships on your journey to success.

Are you clear on who your “$2.50” motivation is? Who are you doing it all for, other than yourself? If you don’t know, figure it out. And if you do know, how can you remind yourself of that “$2.50” motivation everyday? 

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Andrew Carnegie is proof that if you work hard, keep your mind “out of the shade,” take risks, act quickly, and build a reputation of the strictest integrity — anything is possible.

And the craziest part? Carnegie is just one example of how it’s possible to work your way from poverty to radical success.

What other inspiring stories like that do you know? Share them in the comments below so we can learn from you, too.

Once again, Google has topped Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. This marks Google’s second year in a row at the top of the list, and their sixth victory overall.

Most people assume that Google tops the list because of their great benefits and all of the fun and perks that they pack into the Googleplex. But that’s just part of the equation.

Google knows that people don’t leave companies; they leave bosses. But unlike most companies, who wait around hoping for the right bosses to come along, Google builds each Googler the boss of their dreams.

Their people analytics team starts by researching the qualities that make managers great at Google. These managers aren’t just high performers, they receive high marks for their leadership from the people that report to them. They’re the managers everyone wants to work for.

Next Google built a training program that teaches every manager how to embrace these qualities. Once managers complete the program, Google measures their behavior to ensure that they’re making improvements and morphing into managers that Googlers want to work for.

Google is building bosses that are so good, they’re unforgettable. And why do they do it? In the words of Laszlo Bock, Google’s SVP of People Operations, “Our best managers have teams that perform better, are retained better, are happier — they do everything better.”

Indeed they do. Unforgettable bosses change us for the better. They see more in us than we see in ourselves, and they help us learn to see it too. They dream big and show us all the great things we can accomplish.

When I ask audiences to describe the best and worst boss they have ever worked for, people inevitably ignore innate characteristics (intelligence, extraversion, attractiveness, and so on) and instead focus on qualities that are completely under the boss’s control, such as passion, insight, and honesty.

Google’s program isn’t the only way to become a boss people want to work for. Any of us can study the unique qualities of unforgettable bosses to learn valuable skills and inspire people.

Great bosses are passionate, first and foremost. Few things are more demotivating than a boss who is bored with his or her life and job. If the boss doesn’t care, why should anybody else? Unforgettable bosses are passionate about what they do. They believe in what they’re trying to accomplish, and they have fun doing it. This makes everyone else want to join the ride.

Some bosses will throw their people under the bus without a second thought; great bosses pull their people from the bus’s path before they’re in danger. They coach, and they move obstacles out of the way, even if their people put those obstacles there in the first place. Sometimes, they clean up messes their people never even knew they made. And, if they can’t stop the bus, they’ll jump out in front of it and take the hit themselves.

Great bosses play chess not checkers. Think about the difference. In checkers, all the pieces are basically the same. That’s a poor model for leadership because nobody wants to feel like a faceless cog in the proverbial wheel. In chess, on the other hand, each piece has a unique role, unique abilities, and unique limitations. Unforgettable bosses are like great chess masters. They recognize what’s unique about each member of their team. They know their strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes, and they use these insights to draw the very best from each individual.

They are who they are, all the time. They don’t lie to cover up their mistakes, and they don’t make false promises. Their people don’t have to exert energy trying to figure out their motives or predicting what they’re going to do next. Equally as important, they don’t hide things they have the freedom to disclose. Instead of hoarding information and being secretive to boost their own power, they share information and knowledge generously.

A great boss is a port in a storm. They don’t get rattled, even when everything is going haywire. Under immense pressure, they act like Eugene Kranz, flight director for the Apollo 13 mission. In the moments after the explosion, when death looked certain and panic seemed like the only option, Kranz kept his cool, saying, “Okay, now, let’s everybody keep cool. Let’s solve the problem, but let’s not make it any worse by guessing.” In those initial moments, he had no idea how they were going to get the astronauts home, but, as he later explained, “you do not pass uncertainty down to your team members.” People who’ve worked for an unforgettable boss often look back later and marvel at their coolness under pressure. That’s why, 45 years after Apollo 13, people are still talking about Eugene Kranz and his leadership during that crisis.

Unforgettable bosses are human, and they aren’t afraid to show it. They’re personable and easy to relate to. They’re warm. They realize that people have emotions, and they aren’t afraid to express their own. They relate to their people as a person first and a boss second. On the other hand, they know how to keep their emotions in check when the situation calls for it.

Their work is truly a team effort, and their people feel accomplished when group goals are met. Since these bosses don’t believe they are above anyone or anything, they openly address their mistakes so that everyone can learn from them. Their modesty sets a tone of humility and strength that everyone else follows.

Bringing It All Together

For many unforgettable bosses at Google and elsewhere, things clicked once they stopped thinking about what their people could do for them and started thinking about what they could do to help their people succeed.

Inspire. Teach. Protect. Remove obstacles. Be human. If you cultivate these characteristics, you’ll become the unforgettable boss that your people will remember for the rest of their careers.

Some business tenets tend to come and go. A company I worked for started a number of "game-changing" transformational programs only to quickly airbrush them out of our corporate history like a disgraced Politburo member so we could start yet another "business-critical" program.

We went from TQM to 5S to, shoot, I don't even remember. What I do know is that each was based on sound principles... but those principles tended to die with the program.

Fortunately I found some business principles I can follow forever. These are some of my favorites:

1. Focus on collecting knowledge...

Competing is a fact of professional life: with other businesses, other products, other people. (Business isn't a zero sum game, but it is a game we all try to win.)

Smart people win.

Smarter people win even more often.

Continually striving to gain more experience, more experience, and more knowledge is the second-best way to succeed. The best way?

2. ... And focus more on collecting knowledgeable people.

You can't know everything. But you can know enough smart people so together you know almost everything. And, together, you can do almost anything.

Work hard on getting smarter. Work harder on getting smart people on your side.

How?

3. Always give before receiving.

The goal of networking is to connect with people who can provide a referral, help make a sale, share important information, serve as a mentor, etc. When we network, we want something.

But, especially at first, never ask for what you want. Forget about what you want and focus on what you can give. Giving is the only way to establish a real relationship and a lasting connection. Focus solely on what you can get out of the connection and you will never make meaningful, mutually beneficial connections. (If it's not mutually beneficial it's not a connection; it's a relationship where someone is getting used.)

Approach networking as if it's all about them and not about you, and you will soon build a network that feels the same way. Then you'll make more than just contacts.

You'll make friends.

4. Always look past the messenger and focus on the message.

When people speak from a position of position of power or authority or fame, it's tempting to place greater emphasis on their input, advice, and ideas. Warren Buffett? Yep, gotta listen to him. Sheryl Sandberg? Yes. Richard Branson? Absolutely.

That approach works to a point--but only to a point. Really smart people strip away all the framing that comes with the source--both positive and negative--and evaluate information, advice, and input idea based solely on its merits.

When Branson says, "Screw it; just do it and get on with it," that's powerful. When the guy who delivers your lunch says it, shouldn't it be just as powerful?

Never discount the message because you discount the messenger. Good advice is good advice -- regardless of the source.

5. Always work on what will be next.

It's impossible to predict what will work, much less how well it will work. Some products stick -- for a while. Some services flourish--and then don't. Some ventures take off -- and flame out. Some careers thrive--and then don't.

You will always need a next: a new product, a new service, a new customer or connection, a new job or even career...

No matter how successful you are today, always have a next in your pipeline. If somehow your current career or business continues to thrive, great: You will still have created a bigger pipeline of potential positions or products or customers.

Always having a "next" is how successful people weather the storm when times are tough... and grow even more successful when business is booming.

6. Eat as many of your words as you can.

When you look back, one of the best things to be is wrong because when you make a mistake you are given the chance to learn. (If you're always right you never really grow.)

Don't worry. Every successful person has failed numerous times. Most have failed more than you -- that's why they're so successful today.

Own every mistake, every miscue, and every failure. Say you made a mistake. Say you messed up. Say it to other people, but more importantly, look in the mirror and say it to yourself.

Then commit to making sure that next time you'll make things turn out differently.

7. Always turn ideas into actions.

The word "idea" should be a verb, not a noun, because no idea is real until you turn that inspiration into action.

Ideas without action aren't ideas; they're regrets.

Every day we let hesitation and uncertainty stop us from acting on our ideas. Fear of the unknown and fear of failure are what stop me, and may be what stops you, too. Think about a few of the ideas you've had, whether for a new business, a new career, or even just a part-time job. Many of those ideas would have turned out well if you had given them your best effort.

Trust your analysis, your judgment, and your instincts. Trust them more than you currently do. And definitely trust your willingness to work through challenges and roadblocks.

Granted you won't get it right all of the time... but when you let an idea stay an idea, you almost always get it wrong.

8. Occasionally just follow your interests.

Yeah, we're hyper-focused. Yeah, we've got our head down and our blinders on. Yeah, we're 24/7, take no prisoners, failure is not an option gals and guys.

But occasionally we all need to lighten up.

Take me. There are acres of woods behind our house. It's like squirrel paradise. They're always leaping from tree to tree and scampering across the deck.

When the leaves fall their nests are visible high up in the trees. I've seen nests for years and wondered what they're made of (besides leaves) and how many squirrels share a nest. One day I stopped wondering and took a break to check it out.

Kinda dopey? Sure. But it was a fun five minutes that made me appreciate my squirrel friends a little more -- and sent me back to work with a little extra oomph.

Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Explore. Take occasional breaks and indulge a curiosity. Once in a while, take the time to learn a little about whatever your "squirrel nests" might be.

It's fun... and we can always use a little more of that.

Achieving "flow," or a state of full engagement with the work, starts by matching work types. If you don't get this part right, nothing else matters. You'll have hired the wrong person. 

Last year I suggested there were only four jobs in the world and getting the right person in the right one is the best way to maximize individual performance, satisfaction and engagement. Companies are obviously doing a poor job of this as evidenced by the Gallup Group reporting that 70% of the U.S. workforce is disengaged. 

The root cause is obvious: An emphasis on attracting and hiring people based on the depth of their skills rather than their ability and motivation to do the actual work required. If the work isn’t clarified before the person is hired, it’s problematic if the person will be engaged, satisfied or successful.

An understanding of the four work types as a starting point can often help hiring managers see why it’s better to define the actual work that needs to be done before defining the person doing the work. If a person is capable and motivated to do the work, he or she will obviously possess the necessary skill set and interest in exactly the right proportion. This idea is illustrated in the graphic. It divides all work-related activity into one of three concentric circles: the infrastructure or Core processes, management and organization issues, and strategy and creative activities. This concept leads to the four work types described below.  

The Four Basic Work Types 

Thinkers: These are the people who spend most of their time in the outer strategy or creative ring. They create and develop new ideas, products and ways of thinking about processes, people, and tasks.

Builders: These people are in the management ring but their focus is outward - converting ideas and strategies into reality. Typically they’re entrepreneurs, inventors, turn-around experts and those who manage major one-time projects. 

Improvers: These people are also in the management ring but their focus is inward. They upgrade or redesign existing processes, products, systems, procedures and ways of doing business. 

Producers: These are the people who represent the core of a company. They apply their technical skills designing and building products and services; they execute repeatable processes; and they sell and service customers, suppliers and co-workers. Without them, nothing gets done.

While all jobs have a mix of all four work types, one or two usually dominate. People are the same way. They’re a mix of the four, but one or two work types usually dominate. To get the proper mix and match it’s important to define the job before defining the person doing the job.

From a practical standpoint any job can be described as a time-sequenced series of 6-8 performance objectives. For example, a performance objective could be, “Conduct a feasibility study comparing approach A vs. B within 90 days.” This replaces the more traditional, “Must have 5-8 years of experience using A and B, a BS degree in A and B and excellent analytical skills.” This example objective is a combination of the Thinker and Producer.

One way to prepare a performance-based job description is to develop a performance objective for each of the work types by answering this question: 

What’s the most important thing the person needs to do as a __________?  (Producer, Improver, Builder, and Thinker).

Each performance objective should include a tangible deliverable, some measurable result and the timeframe. Here are some work type performance objectives:   

Producer with a technical emphasis: Prepare a detailed process map of our current _________ system identifying weaknesses and inefficiencies. This needs to be completed in six weeks for management review.

Improver upgrading an existing technical process: Prepare and implement a short-term action plan to improve _____ process efficiency by 10% by year-end.   

Builder implementing a major project: Based on the trade-off study, prepare a comprehensive plan for a complete overhaul of the existing _____ process with completion targeted for early Q3 under rapid deployment.

Thinker using a combination of technical understanding and problem solving: Build a robust “what if” analysis into the planning phase to identify and track current unknowns, potential changes in business conditions and all technical integration hurdles. These need to be fully and seamlessly incorporated into the master project plan.

When finished, prioritize the list of 6-8 performance objectives and categorize them by work types. The most important will stand out. To determine if the candidate is a work type fit for the job use a Performance-based Interview and dig into the person’s major accomplishments. Then make the assessment using this type of Quality of Hire Talent Scorecard.

Shifting to a performance qualified approach to hiring is a game-changer in terms of attracting more diverse talent, improving quality of hire, increasing job satisfaction and raising employee engagement. Starting this approach is simple: Just define the job before defining the person doing the job.

Whatever your definition of success (each person's definition of "success" is and should be different), one thing is true for everyone: Success means getting things done.

Highly successful people are able to get a lot more things done, and here are simple ways you can too.

1. Eliminate every "ego" commitment.

We all do things that have more to do with ego than results.

Maybe you serve on a committee because you like how it looks on your CV. Maybe you teach at a local college because you like the words "adjunct professor." Or maybe, like me, you do radio interviews just because it seems cool to be on the radio, though it in no way benefits me professionally. (There are a few I would do no matter what just because I like the hosts.)

Anything you do solely for ego is a waste of time. Think about things you do mainly because they make you look important, smart, or cool. If it provides no other "value," drop it.

Anything you do that serves the greater glory of you is a waste of time; besides, the best glory is reflected, not projected.

2. Don't struggle for that extra 5 percent.

I'm fairly competitive so when I start to do something I soon start wanting to do it better than other people.

(OK, I'm overly competitive.)

Take cycling. I'm faster, fitter, etc., than the average person. But compared with the fast guys, I'm nothing. They can drop me within a few miles. Drives me crazy. Makes me ride more and train more and spend tons of hours on a bike--and for what? So I can hang with them for a couple more miles? So my time up a certain mountain is only 30 percent slower than theirs instead of 40 percent?

The kind of improvement has no real importance.

Sure, I may get in better shape, but at that point the improvement to my overall health is incremental at best. And in the meantime I have to spend hours on cycling I could spend working toward more important goals.

Or I could just spend more time with my family, the most important goal of all.

Think about something you already do well but are trying hard to do even better. Then weigh the input with the outcome.

Sometimes "good" truly is good enough, especially if that 5 percent gain is hugely disproportionate to the pain required to reach it.

3. Find the perfect way to say no.

Most of us default to saying yes because we don't want to seem rude or unfriendly or unhelpful. Unfortunately, that also means we default to taking on more than we want or can handle.

It's important to know how, with grace and tact, to say no.

Maybe your response will be as simple as, "I'm sorry, but I just don't have time."

Develop your own way of saying no and then rehearse so it comes naturally. That way you won't say yes simply because you think you should--you'll say yes because you know it's right for you.

4. Eliminate useless "me time" commitments.

I used to play fantasy baseball and football. But when I thought about it, I had no idea why. Sure, I could rationalize it created a nice break in the week. I could rationalize it was a "mental health" activity that let me step aside from the stress and strain of business life.

I could, but that wasn't true. I just did it because I had always done it, and once I start every year I don't want to quit because, um, I'm not a quitter. (I know that sounds stupid, but I'm willing to bet you do at least one thing for the same reasons.)

Look at the things you do because you've always done them and decide if it's time to stop.

Here's an easy test: If you wouldn't do something while you were on vacation, there's no good reason to do it when you're not.

5. Set hard limits.

Deadlines and time frames establish parameters, but typically not in a good way. We instinctively adjust our effort so our activities take whatever time we let them take.

Tasks should take only as long as they need to take--or as long as you decide they should take.

Try this: Decide you'll only spend 10 minutes a day on social media. Just 10.

The first day you'll get frustrated because you won't get everything done you "need" to get done. The second day you'll instinctively skip a few feeds because they're not as important. The third day you'll re-prioritize and maybe use a tool like Buffer to get better organized.

By the fifth day you'll realize 10 minutes is plenty of time to do what you need to do; all that other time you used to spend was just fluff.

Pick a task, set a time limit, and stick to that time limit. Necessity, even artificial necessity, is the mother of creativity. I promise you'll figure out how to make it work.

6. Establish a nighttime routine ...

The first thing you do is the most important thing you do, because it sets the tone for the rest of the day.

So be smart and prepare for that "first thing" the night before. Make a list. Make a few notes. Review information. Prime yourself to hit the ground at an all-out sprint the next day; a body in super-fast motion tends to stay in super-fast motion.

7. ... And a morning routine.

Then make sure you can get to that task as smoothly as possible. Pretend you're an Olympic sprinter and your morning routine is like the warm-up for a race. Don't dawdle, don't ease your way into your morning, and don't make sure you get some "me" time (hey, sleep time is me time). Get up, get cleaned up, get fueled up--and start rolling.

My elapsed time from bed to desk is about 15 minutes (easy since my commute is two flights of stairs), so there's not much I can improve. So I do something else; I get my most important task done before I check email.

Think about it this way: Sprinters don't do cool-down laps before they race. Neither should you.

8. Outsource the right tasks.

I was raised to think that any job I could do myself was a job I should do myself.

That's why it took me a long time to decide the kid down the street should cut my grass. He can use the money. I can use the time.

But that's a simple example. Here's an even better approach: Write down the two or three things you do that generate the most tangible return. Maybe it's selling. Maybe it's developing your employees. Maybe it's building long-term customer relationships.

Me? I make the most money when I'm writing; anything else I do that takes me away from writing limits my ability to generate revenue.

Figure out the two or three things that you do best--and that generate the best return on your time--and then strip away all the other "stuff" by outsourcing those tasks. (Or, oftentimes, simply by eliminating those tasks.)

Your bottom line will thank you for it.

9. Fix what you often break.

I used to be terrible about putting meetings and phone calls on my calendar. I figured I'd get to it later, and then I never did. Then I spent way too much time, often in a panic, trying to figure out when and where and who ...

All that time was wasted time. So I finally decided I would immediately enter every appointment into my calendar the moment I made it -- no matter what.

You probably have at least one thing you tend to mess up. Maybe you don't file stuff properly. Maybe you put off dealing with certain emails and then forget them. Maybe you regularly find you're unprepared for a call or meeting.

Whatever your "things" are, fix them. You'll save time and aggravation.

10. Don't multitask.

Plenty of research says multitasking doesn't work. Some research says multitasking actually makes you stupid.

Maybe you agree. Maybe you don't. Either way, I feel sure there is at least one thing you do that is so important, you should never allow a distraction or a loss of focus.

Choose one important task and commit to turning away everything else when you tackle it. Focus solely on that task. See if you do it better.

I bet you will -- and I bet that will make you decide to stop multitasking when you perform many other tasks.

March 5, 1975. A cold and drizzly evening in Menlo Park, California. Thirty unprepossessing-looking engineers gather in the garage of an unemployed colleague named Gordon French.

They call themselves the Homebrew Computer Club, and this is their first meeting. Their mission: to make computers accessible to regular people—no small task at a time when most computers are temperamental SUV-sized machines that only universities and corporations can afford. The garage is drafty, but the engineers leave the doors open to the damp night air so people can wander inside. In walks an uncertain young man of twenty-four, a calculator designer for Hewlett-Packard. Serious and bespectacled, he has shoulder-length hair and a brown beard.

He takes a chair and listens quietly as the others marvel over a new build-it-yourself computer called the Altair 8800, which recently made the cover of Popular Electronics. The Altair isn’t a true personal computer; it’s hard to use, and appeals only to the type of person who shows up at a garage on a rainy Wednesday night to talk about microchips. But it’s an important first step.

The young man, whose name is Stephen Wozniak, is thrilled to hear of the Altair. He’s been obsessed with electronics since the age of three. When he was eleven he came across a magazine article about the first computer, the ENIAC, or Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, and ever since, his dream has been to build a machine so small and easy to use that you could keep it at home. And now, inside this garage, here is news that The Dream—he thinks of it with capital letters—might one day materialize.

As he’ll later recall in his memoir, iWoz, where most of this story appears, Wozniak is also excited to be surrounded by kindred spirits. To the Homebrew crowd, computers are a tool for social justice, and he feels the same way. Not that he talks to anyone at this first meeting—he’s way too shy for that. But that night he goes home and sketches his first design for a personal computer, with a keyboard and a screen just like the kind we use today. Three months later he builds a prototype of that machine. And ten months after that, he and Steve Jobs cofound Apple Computer.

Today Steve Wozniak is a revered figure in Silicon Valley—there’s a street in San Jose, California, named Woz’s Way—and is sometimes called the nerd soul of Apple. He has learned over time to open up and speak publicly, even appearing as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, where he displayed an endearing mixture of stiffness and good cheer. I once saw Wozniak speak at a bookstore in New York City. A standing-room-only crowd showed up bearing their 1970s Apple operating manuals, in honor of all that he had done for them.

But the credit is not Wozniak’s alone; it also belongs to Homebrew. Wozniak identifies that first meeting as the beginning of the computer revolution and one of the most important nights of his life. So if you wanted to replicate the conditions that made Woz so productive, you might point to Homebrew, with its collection of like-minded souls. You might decide that Wozniak’s achievement was a shining example of the collaborative approach to creativity. You might conclude that people who hope to be innovative should work in highly social workplaces. And you might be wrong. Consider what Wozniak did right after the meeting in Menlo Park. Did he huddle with fellow club members to work on computer design? No. (Although he did keep attending the meetings, every other Wednesday.)

Did he seek out a big, open office space full of cheerful pandemonium in which ideas would cross- pollinate? No. When you read his account of his work process on that first PC, the most striking thing is that he was always by himself. Wozniak did most of the work inside his cubicle at Hewlett-Packard. He’d arrive around 6:30 a.m. and, alone in the early morning, read engineering magazines, study chip manuals, and prepare designs in his head. After work, he’d go home, make a quick spaghetti or TV dinner, then drive back to the office and work late into the night. He describes this period of quiet midnights and solitary sunrises as “the biggest high ever.” His efforts paid off on the night of June 29, 1975, at around 10:00 p.m., when Woz finished building a prototype of his machine. He hit a few keys on the keyboard—and letters appeared on the screen in front of him. It was the sort of breakthrough moment that most of us can only dream of. And he was alone when it happened.

Intentionally so. In his memoir, he offers this advice to kids who aspire to great creativity:

Most inventors and engineers I’ve met are like me—they’re shy and they live in their heads. They’re almost like artists. In fact, the very best of them are artists. And artists work best alone where they can control an invention’s design without a lot of other people designing it for marketing or some other committee. I don’t believe anything really revolutionary has been invented by committee. If you’re that rare engineer who’s an inventor and also an artist, I’m going to give you some advice that might be hard to take. That advice is: Work alone. You’re going to be best able to design revolutionary products and features if you’re working on your own. Not on a committee. Not on a team.
***

If this is true—if solitude is an important key to creativity—then we might all want to develop a taste for it. We’d want to teach our kids to work independently. We’d want to give employees plenty of privacy and autonomy. Yet increasingly we do just the opposite. We like to believe that we live in a grand age of creative individualism. We look back at the midcentury era in which the Berkeley researchers conducted their creativity studies, and feel superior.

Unlike the starched-shirted conformists of the 1950s, we hang posters of Einstein on our walls, his tongue stuck out iconoclastically. We consume indie music and films, and generate our own online content. We “think different” (even if we got the idea from Apple Computer’s famous ad campaign).

But the way we organize many of our most important institutions— our schools and our workplaces—tells a very different story. It’s the story of a contemporary phenomenon that I call the New Groupthink—a phenomenon that has the potential to stifle productivity at work and to deprive schoolchildren of the skills they’ll need to achieve excellence in an increasingly competitive world. The New Groupthink elevates teamwork above all else. It insists that creativity and intellectual achievement come from a gregarious place. It has many powerful advocates.

“Innovation—the heart of the knowledge economy—is fundamentally social,” writes the prominent journalist Malcolm Gladwell. “None of us is as smart as all of us,” declares the organizational consultant Warren Bennis, in his book Organizing Genius, whose opening chapter heralds the rise of the “Great Group” and “The End of the Great Man.” “Many jobs that we regard as the province of a single mind actually require a crowd,” muses Clay Shirky inhis influential book Here Comes Everybody. Even “Michelangelo had assistants paint part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.” (Never mind that the assistants were likely interchangeable, while Michelangelo was not.)

The New Groupthink is embraced by many corporations, which increasingly organize workforces into teams, a practice that gained popularity in the early 1990s. By 2000 an estimated half of all U.S. organizations used teams, and today virtually all of them do, according to the management professor Frederick Morgeson. A recent survey found that 91 percent of high-level managers believe that teams are the key to success. The consultant Stephen Harvill told me that of the thirty major organizations he worked with in 2010, including J.C. Penney, Wells Fargo, Dell Computers, and Prudential, he couldn’t think of a single one that didn’t use teams.

Some of these teams are virtual, working together from remote locations, but others demand a tremendous amount of face- to- face interaction, in the form of team- building exercises and retreats, shared online calendars that announce employees’ availability for meetings, and physical workplaces that afford little privacy. Today’s employees inhabit open office plans, in which no one has a room of his or her own, the only walls are the ones holding up the building, and senior executives operate from the center of the boundary- less fl oor along with everyone else. In fact, over 70 percent of today’s employees work in an open plan; companies using them include Procter & Gamble, Ernst & Young, GlaxoSmithKline, Alcoa, and H.J. Heinz.

The amount of space per employee shrank from 500 square feet in the 1970s to 200 square feet in 2010, according to Peter Miscovich, a managing director at the real estate brokerage firm Jones Lang LaSalle. “There has been a shift from ‘I’ to ‘we’ work,” Steelcase CEO James Hackett told Fast Company magazine in 2005. “Employees used to work alone in ‘I’ settings. Today, working in teams and groups is highly valued. We are designing products to facilitate that.” Rival office manufacturer Herman Miller, Inc., has not only introduced new furniture designed to accommodate “the move toward collaboration and teaming in the workplace” but also moved its own top executives from private offices to an open space. In 2006, the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan demolished a classroom building in part because it wasn’t set up for maximum group interaction.

***

The way forward, I’m suggesting, is not to stop collaborating face-to-face, but to refine the way we do it. For one thing, we should actively seek out symbiotic introvert-extrovert relationships, in which leadership and other tasks are divided according to people’s natural strengths and temperaments. The most effective teams are composed of a healthy mix of introverts and extroverts, studies show, and so are many leadership structures.

We need to create settings in which people are free to circulate in a shifting kaleidoscope of interactions, and to disappear into their private workspaces when they want to focus or simply be alone. Our schools should teach children the skills to work with others—cooperative learning can be effective when practiced well and in moderation—but also the time and training they need to deliberately practice on their own.



Steve Wozniak, sometimes called the nerd soul of Apple (Getty Images). 

It’s also vital to recognize that many people—especially introverts like Steve Wozniak—need extra quiet and privacy in order to do their best work. Some companies are starting to understand the value of silence and solitude, and are creating “flexible” open plans that offer a mix of solo workspaces, quiet zones, casual meeting areas, cafés, reading rooms, computer hubs, and even “streets” where people can chat casually with each other without interrupting others’ workflow. At Pixar Animation Studios, the sixteen-acre campus is built around a football- field-sized atrium housing mailboxes, a cafeteria, and even bathrooms.

The idea is to encourage as many casual, chance encounters as possible. At the same time, employees are encouraged to make their individual offi ces, cubicles, desks, and work areas their own and to decorate them as they wish. Similarly, at Microsoft, many employees enjoy their own private offi ces, yet they come with sliding doors, movable walls, and other features that allow occupants to decide when they want to collaborate and when they need private time to think. These kinds of diverse workspaces benefit introverts as well as extroverts, the systems design researcher Matt Davis told me, because they offer more spaces to retreat to than traditional open-plan offices.

I suspect that Wozniak himself would approve of these developments. Before he created the Apple PC, Woz designed calculators at Hewlett-Packard, a job he loved in part because HP made it so easy to chat with others. Every day at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. management wheeled in donuts and coffee, and people would socialize and swap ideas. What set these interactions apart was how low- key and relaxed they were. In iWoz, he recalls HP as a meritocracy where it didn’t matter what you looked like, where there was no premium on playing social games, and where no one pushed him from his beloved engineering work into management. That was what collaboration meant for Woz: the ability to share a donut and a brainwave with his laid- back, nonjudgmental, poorly dressed colleagues—who minded not a whit when he disappeared into his cubicle to get the real work done.

I am in the difficult situation of being unofficial project lead, responsible for team performance to schedule and budget. How can I influence and motivate the team to get the job done, when I do not have a job title that commands their respect?

Leadership textbooks make a point of advising up-and-coming leaders not to accept responsibility for a business outcome without first negotiating a job title and hierarchical authority. In other words, you should always strive to “lead with authority”.

This is great advice in principle, but in the real world you’ll find organizational structures that are in a constant state of flux and management structures that are highly matrixed, not to mention limited opportunities for promotions. There are times when an emerging leader needs to roll up their sleeves, engage the team, influence, and get the job done.

At a company women’s leadership event, Dr. Cecilia Kimberlin, former Vice President, Quality and Regulatory Affairs with Abbott, made a point of saying, “There is a myth that the higher you go in the organization and the more positional authority you gain that you just have to say ’do it‘ and people get it done. I hate to bust your bubble!”

In this type of environment, influencing without authority is one of the most valuable skills you can learn today. As another senior-level woman in a manufacturing organization once explained, “In my company, influencing skills are the single most important success factor after knowing your job.”

So while positional influence is something to aspire to, until you have it, remember that there are many other useful forms of influence that you could be taking greater advantage of.

Your Six Sources of Influence

1. Positional influence: The authority that comes inherent in a job title and role.

Positional influence is perhaps the most overrated of all forms of influence, as people spend a lot of their careers waiting for it when they could be influencing in other, more immediate ways. For example:

2. Expertise influence: The influence that comes with your background, experience, qualifications and career accomplishments.

Nora Denzel is a member of the board of directors for Ericsson, Saba and Outerwall. When she spoke to senior technical leaders at a women’s conference, she reminded them that, “It’s not what you know and it’s not who you know. It’s who knows what you know.”

Who knows what you know? Are your colleagues and management aware of your expertise? If not—don’t be the best kept secret in your organization! Find appropriate and effective ways to promote your accomplishments, in order to maximize your expertise influence.

3. Resources influence: Having the ability to attract and deploy the resources you require to get your job done.

When budgets and headcount are tight, it is important to demonstrate that any company resources allocated to you are invested well. And don’t make the mistake of turning down additional resources that could help you perform your job. If you can take an additional resource and use it to deliver a greater return on that investment, you’re not doing your company any favors by being frugal.

Negotiate for the resources you need, use them well, and you will be entrusted to manage even greater resources in future.

4. Informational influence: Having a finger on the pulse of what is going on in the organization.

Seek out information about changes before they become officially known, such as new projects, opportunities, re-orgs, resource allocations, budgets, and long-range plans. Having a heads up on this information helps you make better business decisions, more rapidly.

Over time, others will come to rely on you for your decision-making ability. When that happens, you’ll be utilizing your informational influence.

5. Direct influence: Being firm, fair, and professional when someone’s behavior is out of line.

Here’s where leadership and parenting have a lot in common. A caring parent will step in when a child puts them self or others in danger. There will be times as a leader when you need to do the same, using your direct influence to take that person aside and have a “tough love” conversation.

The best leaders do this in a way that is firm, fair, direct, and confidential. They also take the time to share their vision for that individual and their future potential, and in doing so, act more like a mentor than a boss.

Leaders who do this well gain a great deal of respect from their people. By using your direct influence well, you can make a big difference in another person’s career.

6. Relationships influence: The influence that grows as you build great working relationships with those you rely on to get your job done, and everyone else that your role touches.

Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, Chief Technology Officer with Xerox, said, “It’s not enough to have a bright idea. I have seen too many projects led by great, passionate people fail because they tried to be a lone influencer. You have to get the right people in the boat with you. You have to engage the entire human fabric.”

When you take time to build great relationships across the human fabric of your organization, you are less likely to need to resort to cajoling or persuading others to get things done. Instead of being the sole driver of an idea you can achieve a lot more by collaborating with people who know you and trust you.

So don’t try to be a lone influencer. By fully using the power of relationships and of all of your Sources of Influence, you can gain credibility, get buy-in for ideas, and make a larger impact in your company, with or without the positional authority of a job title.

In today's day and age, entrepreneurship is trending. The availability of jobs is diminishing. Fortune 500 companies rarely hire internally. Instead, they are hiring contingent workersthrough temp agencies. Plus, with the glorification of billion dollar startups like Facebook and Instagram, entrepreneurship is becoming the cool new thing to do.

Because of that, people are turning to start their own businesses, like you may have done for yourself.

As the founder of a company, you have big shoes to fill. You are in charge of everything from operations to finance to sales to marketing and strategy. All the weight lies upon your shoulders.

Some of you may decide to call yourself a founder. Others will want to give yourself a title. A few of you may want others to recognize you as the big and powerful CEO. But in certain situations, that title comes with many downsides.

But what kind of situations can cause the CEO title to be a downside?

When you become a CEO, you become the ultimate decision maker. When you're the ultimate decision maker, the decision lies on your shoulders and yours alone. But when you have all the power, you have none of the power.

Here are five situations where you want to avoid calling yourself a CEO:

1. When you meet anyone you will have to negotiate with.

Let's say you are the owner of a company that makes waffle makers and you sourced out a manufacturer. You go into a meeting and sit with them. They tell you that you will have to pay $50,000 for 10,000 waffle maker units, plus another $5,000 for the casting.

Being the CEO, you have all the power in the company. You can't say you don't know what your budget is. You can't say you need to go check with your CFO. You can't say anything, except yes or no.

I mean you can try, but you look weak when negotiating by saying things like "I can't afford it" or "This is too much for my company to be able to afford."

Who wants to give priority treatment or work that hard at signing on a new client who is showing signs that they may not be able to reorder from them in the future?

So while you think you have all the power while walking into the negotiation, you actually end up powerless.

On the other hand, when you aren't addressing yourself as the CEO of the company, you have ambiguity on your side.

That ambiguity gives you the ability to negotiate.

You can say that you need to go check with your partners. You can then leave the room, make a few phone calls, real or fake, then come back to the table with a counter offer that comes from "above".

This works for any and all situations of your business that require negotiation, whether you are looking to finalize salary for a key employee hire, making a bid for office space, dealing with a client who wants a discount, or looking to work with a vendor who wants a certain percentage for promoting your product.

2. When you attend networking events or a trade show.

When attending a trade show or networking event, you meet all kinds of people. Some are in the same field as you. Others are potential clients. Sometimes, you will want to show off that you are the heads of your company. Yet, in many occasions, this will backfire.

The intent of a networking event or trade show is to mix and mingle with potential vendors and clients. But when you call yourself a CEO, the first thing it does is it creates a superficial gap in between the person you are speaking with. Plus, a lot of people will be able to see right through that power play. Or they are like me and just lack curiosity to further find out what you do.

By stating you are the CEO of a company, instead of being able to connect with others, it instead distances you from them. You are creating an invisible pedestal for yourself in the eyes of the other party.

To prevent that from happening, instead of introducing yourself as a CEO, use a verb in regards to what your company does to catch their attention.

What is more intriguing of an opening line to you?

Here's an example:

Hi, my name is Leonard. I'm CEO of xyz company!

or

Hi, my name is Leonard. I teach people how to build their brands.

In fact, some of the most successful CEO's I've met have never once called themself a CEO in front of me.

3. When you go to make your first few hires.

Growing a business is great. Being able to sign on your first few employees is definitely an accomplishment. It means that you are moving in the right direction for your company.

But when you only have five people in your office, or even one... When you decide to call yourself a CEO, all you're really telling people, especially your employees, is that you have an ego. This may change the perception of how they see you and cause issues that can arise in the workplace.

Instead of addressing yourself as the CEO, call yourself a founder to your initial employees.

4. When you have less than five employees or revenues under mid seven figures.

Since entrepreneurship is trending, everyone from the 17 year old kid who is making an unsuccessful app that lets you make music on your phone to Daniel Ek of Spotify is a CEO. That means it has become very hard to distinguish who the real players are from the fake ones.

I have worked closely with a few companies in the tech ecosystem of Silicon Beach and attended a few meetups and mixers in their space. Before, back in 2008, I used to look up to people who called themselves a CEO, because I thought of them as the younger Bill Gates and Steve Jobs of the world.

Nowadays though, everyone wants to be a CEO. So when someone introduces themselves as a CEO to me, I just say "Oh", then go back to what I was doing before.

That's because the title doesn't hold the same appeal that it once did.

If you're going to be bold enough to take on the title of the CEO, make sure you have the proven track record of success with your company to support your role, otherwise you will be looked down upon.

5. When dealing with customers.

The worst situation to be addressed as the CEO of a company is when you are dealing directly with customers. Let's say you run a SaaS (Software as a Service) company. Let's say you charge $5,000 a month for your services.

All the leverage is in the customer's hand.

They make all the rules.

Like all customers, they will want to negotiate down your price. You really have no room to wiggle out of. You have to either accept their low ball offer, come back with a weak counter-bid as to why you can't do it, or turn away their offer.

On the other hand, when you aren't the CEO, you don't have the final decision making power for anything. So then, you will be able to negotiate with the price, take their bid and come back with a higher offer. This, in turn, allows you to generate more profits at your standard rate for your company. Plus, it gives you more control and power over the situation of the pricing module for your company.

–

It may be counterintuitive to want to set down that role of CEO, but giving up power usually has some uncanny benefits. Of course, there are always going to be situations when you need to be clear that you are the CEO of a company, such as with investors or the press. But in most cases, it is best to leave that title at home.

What makes someone a leader anyway?

Such a simple question, and yet it continues to vex some of the best thinkers in business. We've written several books on leadership, and yet it's a rare thing to actually pause to define leadership.

Let’s start with what leadership is not…

Leadership has nothing to do with seniority or one’s position in the hierarchy of a company. Too many talk about a company’s leadership referring to the senior most executives in the organization. They are just that, senior executives. Leadership doesn’t automatically happen when you reach a certain pay grade. Hopefully you find it there, but there are no guarantees.

Leadership has nothing to do with titles. Similar to the point above, just because you have a C-level title, doesn’t automatically make you a “leader.” We often stress the fact that you don’t need a title to lead. You can be a leader in your workplace, your neighborhood, or your family, all without having a title.

Leadership has nothing to do with personal attributes. Say the word “leader” and most people think of a domineering, take-charge, charismatic individual. People often think of icons from history like General Patton or President Lincoln. But leadership isn’t an adjective. We don’t need to be extroverted or charismatic to practice leadership. And those with charisma don’t automatically lead.

Leadership isn’t management.  This is the big one. Leadership and management are not synonymous. You have 15 people in your downline and P&L responsibility? Good for you, hopefully you are a good manager. Good management is needed. Managers need to plan, measure, monitor, coordinate, solve, hire, fire, and so many other things. Managers spend most of their time managing things. Leaders lead people.

So, again, what makes a leader?

Let’s see how some of the most respected business thinkers of our time define leadership, and let’s consider what’s wrong with their definitions.

Peter Drucker: “The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.”

Really? This instance of tautology is so simplistic as to be dangerous. A new Army Captain is put in the command of 200 soldiers. He never leaves his room, or utters a word to the men and women in his unit. Perhaps routine orders are given through a subordinate. By default his troops have to “follow” orders. Is the Captain really a leader? Commander yes, leader no. Drucker is of course a brilliant thinker, but his definition is too simple.

Warren Bennis: “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”

Every spring you have a vision for a garden, and with lots of work carrots and tomatoes become a reality. Are you a leader? No, you’re a gardener. Bennis’ definition seems to have forgotten “others.”

Bill Gates: “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”

This definition includes “others” and empowerment is a good thing. But to what end? We've seen many empowered “others” in life, from rioting hooligans to Google workers who were so misaligned with the rest of the company they found themselves unemployed. Gates’ definition lacks goals and vision.

John Maxwell: “Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.”

We like minimalism but this reduction is too much. A robber with a gun has “influence” over his victim. A manager has the power to fire team members which provides a lot of influence. But does this influence make a robber or a manager a leader? Maxwell’s definition omits the source of influence.

So what is leadership?

DEFINITION: Leadership is a process of social influence which maximizes the efforts of others toward the achievement of a greater good.

Notice the key elements of this definition:

• Leadership stems from social influence, not authority or power.
• Leadership requires others, and that implies they don’t need to be “direct reports.”
• No mention of personality traits, attributes, or even a title; there are many styles, many paths to effective leadership.
• It includes a greater good, not influence with no intended outcome.

Leadership is a mindset in action. So don’t wait for the title. Leadership isn’t something that anyone can give you—you have to earn it and claim it for yourself.

I shared with business leaders this morning how I (and others) see workplaces shifting and evolving. For some it will feel more like a revolution than an evolution.

• Teams will be brought together – who may never meet… working anywhere on the planet.
• People will work concurrently for several and many employers.
• People will want to work part time, and flexibly as we live longer and want to stay meaningfully employed.
• Supervisors might not see or be present when team members do amazing work.

Yet what we know is that customers are demanding increasing transparency and authenticity from the organisations they choose to buy from.

So the challenge has become “how do I keep employees as brand advocates, connected to each other when physically they will be disconnected?”

As in most organisations, performance reviews are part and parcel of reflecting on the year that has been, along with looking forward into the next financial year. The challenge with performance reviews is that we tend to look at things in terms of past and future – they are definitely not enough to ensure that people feel connected.

How we got started at RedBalloon in connecting the team was working with the five pillars of well-being as set out by the New Economic Forum. I believed that if I look after my people’s well being, they will have the energy and capacity to look after our customers. (My presentation this morning was in part about how organisations participating in the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Steptember tick four of the five elements of well-being: connection, fitness, recognition and giving.) And I wholeheartedly encourage businesses to take up this wonderful initiative. Easy to do – and a great step (pardon the pun) towards connecting people – and supporting a great cause at the same time.)  But I digress.

I was fascinated and curious of how, using technology, that we at RedBalloon could build a platform that would connect people, build employer brands, be mobile, peer to peer and social. Harnessing everything that these changes in workplaces represents… and finally and with a certain fanfare… our customers have given voice to this dream...

In Ross Perlin’s article in Fast Company last week, he challenges us to place aside everything we know about work  – as the rules have changed. And I couldn’t agree more. My number 1 observation in this changing face of workplaces, is that peer-to-peer recognition is going to be a game changer. There is no stopping this momentum in my eyes.

HERE ARE FIVE OTHER ‘NEW’ RULES OF WORK:

Old Rule One: You commute into an office every day.

NEW RULE: WORK CAN HAPPEN WHEREVER YOU ARE, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

The face of the workplace is changing forever. No longer is it common to know your colleagues by face and name – you might only know them by their email address or time zone as we explore more global work practices, relationships and cross-border networks. In saying this, you might not even have much “face time” with your manager or supervisor – you might be working remotely in Singapore, while your direct line manager is in Sydney.

Old Rule Two: Work is “9-to-5″

NEW RULE: YOU’RE AVAILABLE (when you want to work) 24-7.

 This certainly varies depending on the urgency of the industry you work in, but with the nature of our forever growing online presence, this could be as simple as checking emails in bed; working on documents on the train; reviewing presentations with your late night cup of tea. It has become second nature to us to work wherever we are, whenever possible. After all, there is always work to do! But I do practice what I preach here – whilst we are so busy, it is so important that you are present with those you are with – so if you are with your family, be present.

Old Rule Three: You have a full-time job with benefits.

NEW RULE: YOU GO FROM GIG TO GIG, PROJECT TO PROJECT (several employers at a time)

Complacent might be the word here. How many people do you see on the train each day, catching the train that gets them there bang on 9am, and the one that leaves the station at 5:10pm. Many people arguably see work as a means to an end. You go to work. You earn money. You go to work. You earn money. A bit like that ‘Work.Eat.Sleep.Repeat’ mantra some have adopted across social media lately. But isn’t there more to your workplace than this? My intention is that this mantra begins to change through the greater implementation of the redii platform across organisations. Let’s turn this into: Work Hard.Recognise Others.Receive Recognition.Be Proud. Love What You Do. Repeat.

Old Rule Four: Work-life balance is about two distinct, separate spheres.

NEW RULE: FOR BETTER OR WORSE THE LINE BETWEEN WORK AND LIFE IS ALMOST ENTIRELY DISAPPEARING.

I tell people all the time how silly I was to think that starting a business would mean I would have more of a “work life balance”.  If you are passionate about what you do, you will never work a day in your life. When you are valued, deeply connected, feel proud of your contribution then work is as important as home – there is a complete melding between work and life – we only have one life, how we choose to spend each minute depends on our feeling of worth and contribution. We know we made a contribution when others recognise what we do.

Old Rule Five: You work for money, to support yourself and your family.

NEW RULE: YOU WORK BECAUSE YOU’RE “PASSIONATE” ABOUT A “MOVEMENT” OR A “CAUSE”—YOU HAVE TO “LOVE WHAT YOU DO.”

Terms such as “breadwinner” and phrases such as “someone has to bring home the bacon” do nothing for this rhetoric. This was one of my many motivations for writing“Live What You Love.”There comes a time in everyone’s life where they need to stop, assess and figure out for themselves why it is they get out of bed each morning. “Going” to work may mean various things to people, but what I believe should be integral is a mutual feeling of recognition for doing good work – wherever that “work” might be.  

Naomi Simson is the founding director of Australian online tech success story RedBalloon and REDii. She has written more than 900 blog posts at NaomiSimson.com, is a professional speaker, author of Live What You Love and is one of five “Sharks” on TEN’s business reality show Shark Tank to return in 2016.

The basis of organizational excellence stems from turning work into repeatable processes and from creating transparent communications that allow people to productively engage. Yet, when it comes to decision making, many executives look at each opportunity, question, or issue as a one-time endeavor without considering and developing a structured approach.

Most senior management groups have few problems making ongoing operational decisions, but they have a difficult time with more transformative strategic decisions—what can be called the “tough” calls. These include decisions around evolving the vision of the business, altering the underlying business model, as well as dealing with strategic trade-offs related to investment in market factors and growth.

The lack of strategic decision making occurs because companies still largely rely on the single visionary (and often autocratic leader) to continually propel the business. There are inherent problems with this model—even for a single leader. The individual at the helm often has blind spots around some issues or might simply tend to avoid difficult decisions. The leader’s challenge may also stem from the complexity of aligning multiple stakeholder groups such as founders, board of directors, board committees, and senior management. Without a clear process, differences in intentions and political silos can quickly bog down the important issues that should be addressed and resolved.

Decision-making process steps

Learning to make the key strategic decisions in a more deliberate and transparent manner is possible for leaders who adopt a process-oriented mindset that consists of four steps. They include:

1. Set focus: Clarify the issue or question for exploration and then clarify why a decision around this question has urgency. Determine how the decision will be made and who should be involved. Then map the steps described below on a timeline and assign a champion who will be accountable for the process.
2. Gather facts: Document what is known and what needs to be discovered prior to moving forward. This typically requires fundamental research to uncover facts from relevant domains. Make sure to separate facts and assumptions and clearly label each artifact. Also, determine the future scenarios or constraints that could have an impact on the decision.
3. Discover options: Now consider what implications can be derived from the facts and assumptions as well as the established planning scenario. Design a creative exploration journey that brings a deep understanding of alternative solutions. The nature of the issue will determine the design of this journey. Some solutions may be found through “best practice” research, but many solutions are not visible from one’s current vantage point. Discovering transformative options involves a creative journey that needs to be carefully designed and protected. Key strategic decisions involve change, which quickly can develop internal opposition. At the end of this step, consider the pros and cons as well as the contingencies of each alternative option.
4. Make decisions: Evaluate the options and use the decision criteria (established at step 1) to clarify scoring of each alternative. Determine the readiness for making a decision. Remember, a “no” is a decision. It is also acceptable to put a decision on hold. However, be careful not to do so because of lack of research and options. If there is a lack of research and options, go back to a prior step in the process. When a decision is made, document it and ensure that all stakeholders are aligned.

Decision-making best practices

If the final decision-making individual or body isn’t part of the taskforce assigned to the issue, it is important to keep the appropriate individuals and/or stakeholders updated throughout the process steps and to present them with options, including final recommendation. The decision-making steps can be applied for quick resolutions in a meeting or used with a variety of timelines from a day to a year. To make it work, take one step at a time and ensure that all participants know how and when to participate. Without this knowledge, groups tend to jump in discussions and move to solutions before understanding the issue fully. Make sure to take a break between each step to decompress. This works best when there are days or a week between the steps, but the break can be as short as a few minutes or as long as months. When the group reconvenes, validate the process and agree whether the team is ready to move forward or needs to go back to a prior step.

Once a company adopts a process for making decisions, consider the value of generating a roadmap of the key strategic issues that should be explored for potential decision-making over the next three, six, or twelve months. A roadmap spells out the timeline and periods for discussion of each decision. It also enables everyone participating to contribute and helps those on the sidelines to understand how decisions are made. Each decision step (above) is illustrated in a time period. As a result, the roadmap becomes the ultimate looking glass for stakeholders into the strategic decision making of the organization.

It should not be a “tough” call to engage in a strategic decision-making process. Companies that apply a simple process-oriented practice dramatically improve decision making in terms of timeliness, support, and quality, leading to positive outcomes for the business.

Forbes, June 11, 2015
by Reenita Das, Contributor
http://www.forbes.com/sites/reenitadas/2015/06/11/top-companies-disrupting-healthcare-in-2015/