NEW ZEALAND 2007
Ho hum: 2+ weeks in New Zealand … Pfizer Ford Gap Chrysler Yahoo Microsoft Wal*mart ??? ???
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” —Charles Darwin
Tom Peters’ X25. EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS Tom Peters’ X25* EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS. Quinnipiac University Miller Agency Hamden CT/0316.2007/LONG *In Search of Excellence 1982-2007
Slides at … tompeters.com*
EXCELL- ENCE????
“I am often asked by would-be entrepreneurs seeking escape from life within huge corporate structures, ‘How do I build a small firm for myself?’ The answer seems obvious: Buy a very large one and just wait.” —Paul Ormerod, Why Most Things Fail: Evolution, Extinction and Economics
EXCELLENCE. CIRCA 1982.
3. Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity Through People Excellence1982: The Bedrock “Eight Basics” 1. A Bias for Action 2. Close to the Customer 3. Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity Through People 5. Hands On, Value-Driven 6. Stick to the Knitting 7. Simple Form, Lean Staff 8. Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties
EXCELLENCE. ASPIRATION.
“Why in the world did you go to Siberia?”
Synonyms Purity Transcendence Virtue Elegance Majesty Antonyms Mediocrity
The Peters Principles: Enthusiasm. Emotion. Excellence. Energy The Peters Principles: Enthusiasm. Emotion. Excellence. Energy. Excitement. Service. Growth. Creativity. Imagination. Vitality. Joy. Surprise. Independence. Spirit. Community. Limitless human potential. Diversity. Profit. Innovation. Design. Quality. Entrepreneurialism. Wow.
EXCELLENCE. INNOVATE. OR. DIE.
We become who we hang out with 1
Measure “Strangeness”/Portfolio Quality Staff Consultants Vendors Out-sourcing Partners (#, Quality) Innovation Alliance Partners Customers Competitors (who we “benchmark” against) Strategic Initiatives Product Portfolio (LineEx v. Leap) IS/IT Projects HQ Location Lunch Mates Language Board
“Normal” = “o for 800”
“The Bottleneck Is at the Top of the Bottle” “Where are you likely to find people with the least diversity of experience, the largest investment in the past, and the greatest reverence for industry dogma: At the top!” — Gary Hamel/Harvard Business Review
“Diverse groups of problem solvers—groups of people with diverse tools—consistently outperformed groups of the best and the brightest. If I formed two groups, one random (and therefore diverse) and one consisting of the best individual performers, the first group almost always did better. … Diversity trumped ability.” —Scott Page, The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies Diversity
We become who we hang out with 2
WhackyWikiWorldWow
How Mass Collaboration Changes —Don Tapscott & Anthony Williams Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything —Don Tapscott & Anthony Williams
Wikinomics WikiWorld Weapons of Mass collaboration CrowdSourcing smart mobs Linux Human genomw project InnoCentive YouTube Second Life Wikipedia Myspace
“The Billion-man Research Team: Companies offering work to online communities are reaping the benefits of ‘crowdsourcing.’” —Headline, FT, 0110.07
try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Screw it up. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Screw it up. it. Try it. Try it. try it. Try it. Screw it up. Try it. Try it. Try it.
do things.
“We have a ‘strategic plan. ’ It’s called doing things “We have a ‘strategic plan.’ It’s called doing things.” — Herb Kelleher
drill.
“This is so simple it sounds stupid, but it is amazing how few oil people really understand that you only find oil if you drill wells. You may think you’re finding it when you’re drawing maps and studying logs, but you have to drill.” Source: The Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian O & G wildcatter
try things.
ready with wires and screws, we are on version “We made mistakes, of course. Most of them were omissions we didn’t think of when we initially wrote the software. We fixed them by doing it over and over, again and again. We do the same today. While our competitors are still sucking their thumbs trying to make the design perfect, we’re already on prototype version #5. By the time our rivals are ready with wires and screws, we are on version #10. It gets back to planning versus acting: We act from day one; others plan how to plan—for months.” —Bloomberg by Bloomberg
Screw. things. Up.
“FAIL, FAIL AGAIN. FAIL BETTER.” —Samuel Beckett
“Fail . Forward. Fast.” High Tech CEO, Pennsylvania
Sam’s Secret #1!
“Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes “Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes.” Phil Daniels, Sydney exec
try. Miss. try.
READY. FIRE! AIM. Ross Perot (vs “Aim! Aim! Aim!” /EDS vs GM/1985)
No try. No deal.
“You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” —Wayne Gretzky
EXCELLENCE. 4/40.
4/40
De-cent-ral-iz- a-tion!
“If it feels painful and scary—that’s real delegation” —Caspian Woods, small biz owner
“Best practice” = ZERO Standard Deviation = Whaddawaste
Ex-e- cu-tion!
“Execution is the job of the business leader “Execution is the job of the business leader.” —Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
“Costco figured out the big, simple things and executed with total fanaticism.” —Charles Munger, Berkshire Hathaway
Ac-count-a-bil-ity!
“GE has set a standard of candor. … There is no puffery “GE has set a standard of candor. … There is no puffery. … There isn’t an ounce of denial in the place.” —Kevin Sharer, CEO Amgen, on the “GE mystique” (Fortune)
6:15A.M.
DECENTRALIZATION. EXECUTION. ACCOUnTABILITY. 6:15A.M.
EXCELLENCE. VALUE ADDED. UP THE LADDER.
EXCELLENCE. VALUE-ADDED LADDER I. SOLVE IT.
$55B
Up, Up, Up, Up the Value-added Ladder.
The Value-added Ladder/ OPPORTUNITY-SEEKING Gamechanging Solutions Services Goods Raw Materials
EXCELLENCE. VALUE-ADDED LADDER II. EXPERIENCE IT.
“Experiences are as distinct from services as services are from goods “Experiences are as distinct from services as services are from goods.” —Joe Pine & Jim Gilmore, The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage
Experience: “Rebel Lifestyle Experience: “Rebel Lifestyle!” “What we sell is the ability for a 43-year-old accountant to dress in black leather, ride through small towns and have people be afraid of him.” Harley exec, quoted in Results-Based Leadership
Up, Up, Up, Up the Value-added Ladder.
The Value-added Ladder/ MEMORABLE CONNECTION Spellbinding Experiences Gamechanging Solutions Services Goods Raw Materials
EXCELLENCE. DRAMATIC. DIFFERENCE. DOABLE.
“The ‘surplus society’ has a surplus of similar companies, employing similar people, with similar educational backgrounds, coming up with similar ideas, producing similar things, with similar prices and similar quality.” —Kjell Nordström and Jonas Ridderstråle, Funky Business
This is not a “mature category.”
This is an “undistinguished category.”
$798
7X. 730A-800P. F12A.* *’93-’03/10 yr annual return: CB: 29%; WM: 17%; HD: 16%. Mkt Cap: 48% p.a.
Jim’s Group Jim Penman/“Empire Builders”/MT / Jan/Feb 2006/Australia
EXCELLENCE. NO EXCUSES.
WallopWal*Mart16* *Or: Why it’s so ABSURDLY EASY to BEAT a GIANT Company
The “Small Guys” Guide: Wallop Wal*Mart16 *Niche-aimed. (Never, ever “all things for all people,” a “mini-Wal*Mart.) *Never attack the monsters head on! (Instead steal niche business and lukewarm customers.) *“Dramatically Different” (La Difference ... within our community, our industry regionally, etc … is as obvious as the end of one’s nose!) (THIS IS WHERE MOST MIDGETS COME UP SHORT.) *Compete on value/experience/intimacy, not price. (You ain’t gonna beat the behemoths on cost-price in 9.99 out of 10 cases.) *Emotional bond with Clients, Vendors. (BEAT THE BIGGIES ON EMOTION/CONNECTION!!)
The “Small Guys” Guide: Wallop Wal*Mart16 *Hands-on, emotional leadership. (“We are a great & cool & intimate & joyful & dramatically different team working to transform our Clients lives via Consistently Incredible Experiences!”) *A community star! (“Sell” local-ness per se. Sell the hell out of it!) *An incredible experience, from the first to last moment—and then in the follow-up! (“These guys are cool! They ‘get’ me! They love me!”) *DESIGN DRIVEN! (“Design” is a premier weapon-in-pursuit-of-the sublime for small-ish enterprises, including the professional services.)
The “Small Guys” Guide: Wallop Wal*Mart16 *Employer of choice. (A very cool, well-paid place to work/learning and growth experience in at least the short term … marked by notably progressive policies.) (THIS IS EMINENTLY DO-ABLE!!) *Sophisticated use of information technology. (Small-“ish” is no excuse for “small aims”/execution in IS/IT!) *Web-power! (The Web can make very small very big … if the product-service is super-cool and one purposefully masters buzz/viral marketing.) *Innovative! (Must keep renewing and expanding and revising and re-imagining “the promise” to employees, the customer, the community.)
The “Small Guys” Guide: Wallop Wal*Mart16 *Brand-Lovemark* (*Kevin Roberts) Maniacs! (“Branding” is not just for big folks with big budgets. And modest size is actually a Big Advantage in becoming a local-regional-niche “lovemark.”) *Focus on women-as-clients. (Most don’t. How stupid.) *Excellence! (A small player … per me … has no right or reason to exist unless they are in Relentless Pursuit of Excellence. One earns the right—one damn day and client experience at a time!—to beat the Big Guys in your chosen niche!)
Small Giants: Companies That Choose To Be Great Instead Of Big —by Bo Burlingham
EXCELLENCE. VALUE-ADDED LADDER III. DREAM IT.
Furniture vs. Dreams “We do not sell ‘furniture’ at Domain Furniture vs. Dreams “We do not sell ‘furniture’ at Domain. We sell dreams. This is accomplished by addressing the half-formed needs in our customers’ heads. By uncovering these needs, we, in essence, fill in the blanks. We convert ‘needs’ into ‘dreams.’ Sales are the inevitable result.” — Judy George, Domain Home Fashions
The Value-added Ladder/ EMOTION Dreams Come True Spellbinding Experiences Gamechanging Solutions Services Goods Raw Materials
EXCELLENCE. VALUE-ADDED LADDER III. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.
“Brands have run out of juice. They’re dead “Brands have run out of juice. They’re dead.” —Kevin Roberts/Saatchi & Saatchi
Kevin Roberts: Lovemarks!
Tattoo Brand: What % of users would tattoo the brand name on their body?
Top 10 “Tattoo Brands”. Harley. … 18. 9% Disney. 14. 8 Coke …. 7 Top 10 “Tattoo Brands”* Harley .… 18.9% Disney .... 14.8 Coke …. 7.7 Google .... 6.6 Pepsi .... 6.1 Rolex …. 5.6 Nike …. 4.6 Adidas …. 3.1 Absolut …. 2.6 Nintendo …. 1.5 *BRANDsense: Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, and Sound, Martin Lindstrom
Up, Up, Up, Up the Value-added Ladder.
The Value-added Ladder/ ECSTASY Lovemark Dreams Come True Spellbinding Experiences Services Goods Raw Materials
women. BOOMERS. GEEZERS.
women. BOOMERS. GEEZERS.
“Forget China, India and the Internet: Economic Growth Is Driven by Women.” —Headline, Economist, April 15, 2006, Leader, page 14
Women’s Trifecta+. Buy. Wealth Women’s Trifecta+ *Buy *Wealth *Lead +ECLIPSE OF MALES (Old/Retire; Young/Poorly educated)
“Women are the majority market” —Fara Warner/The Power of the Purse
“Women don’t buy brands. They join them.” EVEolution
Selling to men: The TRANSACTION Model Selling to Women: The RELATIONAL Model Source: Selling to Men, Selling to Women, Jeffery Tobias Halter
So what exactly is … the point of men? 10 UNASSAILABLE REASONS WOMEN RULE Women make [all] the financial decisions. Women control [all] the wealth. Women [substantially] outlive men. Women start most of the new businesses. Women’s work force participation rates have soared worldwide. [2 of 3] Women are closing in on “same pay for same job.” Women are penetrating senior ranks rapidly [even if the pace is slow for the corner office per se]. Women’s leadership strengths are exceptionally well aligned with new organizational effectiveness & value-added imperatives. Women are better salespersons than men. Women buy [almost] everything—commercial as well as consumer goods. So what exactly is … the point of men?
“AS LEADERS, WOMEN RULE: New Studies find that female managers outshine their male counterparts in almost every measure” TITLE/ Special Report/ BusinessWeek
New (4 of 7) Value-added “Ladder”: Plays to Women’s Inherent Strengths New (4 of 7) Value-added “Ladder”: Plays to Women’s Inherent Strengths! Lovemark/F Dreams Come True/F Spellbinding Experiences/F Gamechanging Solutions/F Services/F Goods/M Raw Materials/M
women. BOOMERS. GEEZERS.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “People turning 50 today have more than half of their adult life ahead of them.” —Bill Novelli, 50+: Igniting a Revolution to Reinvent America
Average # of cars purchased per household, “lifetime”: 13 Average # of cars bought per household after the “head of household” reaches age 50: 7 Source: Marti Barletta, PrimeTime Women
44-65: “New Customer Majority” 44-65: “New Customer Majority” * *45% larger than 18-43; 60% larger by 2010 Source: Ageless Marketing, David Wolfe & Robert Snyder
Boomers’-Geezers’-Women’s Trifecta+. Buy/all. Wealth/all Boomers’-Geezers’-Women’s Trifecta+ *Buy/all *Wealth/all *time left/ lots *Eclipse of males/retire-die
“Little Stuff” (plus): The True “Basics” Tom Peters/03.14.2007
Thank You!
FLOWER POWER
“Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” —Henry Clay
The … Jim Jeffords oversight!
The Manager’s Book of Decencies: How Small gestures Build Great Companies —Steve Harrison, Adecco Servant Leadership —Robert Greenleaf One: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership —Lance Secretan, founder of Manpower, Inc.
“Leaders ‘SERVE’ people. Period.” —Anon.
1. Do those served grow as persons? Servant Leadership/Robert Greenleaf 1. Do those served grow as persons? 2. Do they, while being served, become healthier wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” —Philo of Alexandria
THE PROBLEM IS RARELY THE PROBLEM.
*RMN, M Stewart, WJC, “Scooter” Libby THE PROBLEM IS RARELY/NEVER THE PROBLEM. THE RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM INVARIABLY ENDS UP BEING THE REAL PROBLEM.* *RMN, M Stewart, WJC, “Scooter” Libby
OFTEN AS NOT/MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM IS NOT MUCH OF A PROBLEM.
PERCEPTION IS ALL THERE IS. PERIOD.* *From Whole Foods to IBM to the corner deli
Relationships (of all varieties): THERE ONCE WAS A TIME WHEN A THREE-MINUTE PHONE CALL WOULD HAVE AVOIDED SETTING OFF THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL THAT RESULTED IN A COMPLETE RUPTURE.
“WHY NOT JUST TELL THE TRUTH?” —Raymond Carver
POWER WORDS! “I’m sorry.”
RESPECT
Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect “It was much later that I realized Dad’s secret. He gained respect by giving it. He talked and listened to the fourth-grade kids in Spring Valley who shined shoes the same way he talked and listened to a bishop or a college president. He was seriously interested in who you were and what you had to say.” Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect
“The deepest human need is the need to be appreciated.” William James
“Don’t belittle!” —OD Consultant
“Ph.D. in leadership. Short course: Make a short list of all things done to you that you abhorred. Don’t do them to others. Ever. Make another list of things done to you that you loved. Do them to others. Always.” — Dee Hock
THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW (Marcus Buckingham)
“No matter what the situation, [the great manager’s] first response is always to think about the individual concerned and how things can be arranged to help that individual experience success.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know
“The key difference between checkers and chess is that in checkers the pieces all move the same way, whereas in chess all the pieces move differently. … Discover what is unique about each person and capitalize on it.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know
“The mediocre manager believes that most things are learnable and therefore that the essence of management is to identify ach person’s weaker areas and eradicate them. The great manager believes the opposite. He believes that the most influential qualities of a person are innate and therefore that the essence of management is to deploy these innate qualities as effectively as possible and so drive performance.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know
“The one thing you need to know about sustained individual success: Discover what you don’t like doing and stop doing it.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know
SWEET SPOT: SEEKING THE DISCOMFORT ZONE.
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
“Every time we come to a comfort zone, we will find a way out “Every time we come to a comfort zone, we will find a way out.” “No Cloning.” “‘Reinvent the brand’ with each new show.” “A typical day at the office for me begins by asking, ‘What is impossible that I am going to do today?’” —Daniel Lamarre, president, Cirque du Soleil
EXCELLENCE. BEDROCK. TALENT.
Hire very good people!
“We believe companies can increase their market cap 50 percent in 3 years. Steve Macadam at Georgia-Pacific … changed 20 of his 40 box plant managers to put more talented, higher paid managers in charge. He increased profitability from $25 million to $80 million in 2 years.” —Ed Michaels, War for Talent
SO YOU’RE A “PEOPLE PERSON”? PROVE IT.
“The leaders of Great Groups love talent and know where to find it “The leaders of Great Groups love talent and know where to find it. They revel in the talent of others.” —Warren Bennis & Patricia Ward Biederman, Organizing Genius
PARC’s Bob Taylor: “Connoisseur of Talent”
SO YOU’RE A “PEOPLE PERSON”? PROVE IT.
Second: Putting HR on a par with finance and marketing. A review of Jack and Suzy Welch’s Winning claims there are but two key differentiators that set GE “culture” apart from the herd: First: Separating financial forecasting and performance measurement. Performance measurement based, as it usually is, on budgeting leads to an epidemic of gaming the system. GE’s performance measurement is divorced from budgeting—and instead reflects how you do relative to your past performance and relative to competitors’ performance; i.e., it’s about how you actually do in the context of what happened in the real world, not as compared to a gamed-abstract plan developed last year. Second: Putting HR on a par with finance and marketing.
SO YOU’RE A “PEOPLE PERSON”? PROVE IT.
< CAPEX > People!
Brand = Talent.
EXCELLENCE. BEDROCK. LEADERSHIP. 9Ps.
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
“People want to be part of something larger than themselves “People want to be part of something larger than themselves. They want to be part of something they’re really proud of, that they’ll fight for, sacrifice for , trust.” —Howard Schultz, Starbucks (IBD/09.05)
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.” —Samuel Taylor Coleridge
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
“The role of the Director is to create a space where the actors and actresses can become more than they’ve ever been before, more than they’ve dreamed of being.” —Robert Altman, Oscar acceptance speech
“In the end, management doesn’t change culture “In the end, management doesn’t change culture. Management invites the workforce itself to change the culture.” —Lou Gerstner
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
25
MBWA* *5,000 miles for a 5-minute face-to -face meeting (courtesy super- agent Mark McCormick)
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
“The First step in a ‘dramatic’ ‘organizational change program’ is obvious—dramatic personal change!” —RG
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi
“A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.” —Chinese Proverb
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
Relentless: “One of my superstitions had always been when I started to go anywhere or to do anything, not to turn back , or stop, until the thing intended was accomplished.” —Grant
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” —William Feather, author
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
“Leaders ‘do’ people. Period.” —Anon.
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
Kevin Roberts’ Credo 1. Ready. Fire. Aim. 2. If it ain’t broke Kevin Roberts’ Credo 1. Ready. Fire! Aim. 2. If it ain’t broke ... Break it! 3. Hire crazies. 4. Ask dumb questions. 5. Pursue failure. 6. Lead, follow ... or get out of the way! 7. Spread confusion. 8. Ditch your office. 9. Read odd stuff. 10. Avoid moderation!
Man and Superman: The Revolutionists' Handbook. "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man.” —GB Shaw, Man and Superman: The Revolutionists' Handbook.
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
On NELSON: “[other] admirals more frightened of losing than anxious to win”
The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. Michelangelo
PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.
Source: Anon. (Posted @ tompeters.com by “Excellence can be obtained if you: ... care more than others think is wise; ... risk more than others think is safe; ... dream more than others think is practical; ... expect more than others think is possible.” Source: Anon. (Posted @ tompeters.com by K.Sriram, November 27, 2006 1:17 AM)
—Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting ‘GERONIMO!’ ” —Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer (Cycle magazine 02.1982)
Ger-on-i-mo!