Tom Peters’ EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS. National Enterprise Innovation Conference B2B/London/27June 2006

Slides* at … tompeters.com *also “long”

The Irreducible209+

A frustrated participant at a seminar for investment bankers in Mauritius listened impatiently to my explanation of differences of opinion among me, Mike Porter, Gary Hamel, Jim Collins, etc. Finally, he’d had enough. “What, if anything,” he asked, “do you believe ‘for sure’?” I mumbled something, but his query started rumbling around in my mind. Three days later, wandering on a Sunday in London, the idea of “the irreducibles” occurred to me—and I started jotting down notes on stuff I do indeed believe “for sure.” Before I knew it, a few days later, the list had grown to 209 items. Hence “The Irreducible209” that follows. Tom Peters

Blah, blah, blah …

EXCELLENCE. CASE. EPSILON.

This is not about … “customer centrism” “integrated marketing” etc etc etc It is about …

It is about … sellin’ a whole lotta stuff and having customers go berserk with love to the point that they tell every damn friend they have and then start buttonholing strangers on trains and planes and busses.

EXCELLENCE. THE MANDATE.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” —Charles Darwin

“We are in a brawl with no rules.” —Paul Allaire

S.A.V.

Screw Around Vigorously

“We made mistakes. 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 No. 5. By the time our rivals are ready with wires and screws, we are on version No. 10. It gets back to planning versus acting: We act from day one; others plan how to plan—for months.” —Bloomberg by Bloomberg

Sam’s Secret #1!

“Tom, very simple. Sam was not afraid to fail.” —David Glass to TP, on the occasion of Sam’s induction into The Sales & Marketing Hall of Fame

EXCELLENCE. STARTERS.

Radio City Music Hall September 2005

Franchise Lost! TP: “ How many of you [600] really crave a new Chevy?” NYC/IIR/061205

P.P.E.E.R.R.E.

People. Product. Execution. Enthusiasm. Relentless. Re-invent. Excellence.

EXCELLENCE. THE WORD.

Synonyms Purity Transcendence Virtue Elegance Majesty Antonyms Mediocrity

EXCELLENCE. GAMECHANGER.

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”

ExIn*: /Forbes.com DJIA : $10,000 yields $85,000 EI : $10,000 yields $140,050 *Forbes/ Excellence Index /Basket of 32 publicly traded stocks

EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.

“Why in the world did you go to Siberia?”

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.

Business* ** (*at its best) : An emotional, vital, innovative, joyful, creative, entrepreneurial endeavor that elicits maximum concerted human potential in the wholehearted service of others. *** ** Excellence. Always. ***Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Communities, Owners, Temporary partners

EXCELLENCE. YOU & ME.

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body—but rather a skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow, what a ride!’ ” —anon.

EXCELLENCE. INNOVATE. OR. DIE.

“Forbes100” from 1917 to 1987: 39 members of the Class of ’17 were alive in ’87; 18 in ’87 F100; 18 F100 “survivors” underperformed the market by 20%; just 2 (2%), GE & Kodak, outperformed the market 1917 to S&P 500 from 1957 to 1997: 74 members of the Class of ’57 were alive in ’97; 12 (2.4%) of 500 outperformed the market from 1957 to Source: Dick Foster & Sarah Kaplan, Creative Destruction: Why Companies That Are Built to Last Underperform the Market

“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

Scale? “Microsoft’s Struggle With Scale” —Headline, FT, “Troubling Exits at Microsoft” —Cover Story, BW, “ Too Big to Move Fast?” —Headline, BW,

Built to Last vs Built for Impact “But what if [former head of strategic planning at Royal Dutch Shell] Arie De Geus is wrong in suggesting, in The Living Company, that firms should aspire to live forever? Greatness is fleeting and, for corporations, it will become ever more fleeting. The ultimate aim of a business organization, an artist, an athlete or a stockbroker may be to explode in a dramatic frenzy of value creation during a short space of time, rather than to live forever.” —Kjell Nordström and Jonas Ridderstråle, Funky Business

Inno64: Innovation Strategies & Tactics

EXCELLENCE. 4/40.

4/40

De-cent- ral-iz- a-tion!

Ex-e- cu-tion!

“Execution is the job of the business leader.” —Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Ac-count- a-bil-ity!

6:15A.M.

EXCELLENCE. DRAMATIC. DIFFERENCE. DOABLE.

$798

$415/SqFt/Wal*Mart $798/SqFt/Whole Foods

7X. 730A- 800P. F12A.* *’93-’03/10 yr annual return: CB: 29%; WM: 17%; HD: 16%. Mkt Cap: 48% p.a.

“It’s simple, really, Tom. Hire for s, and, above all, promote for s.” —Starbucks middle manager/field

Donnelly’s Weatherstrip Service Weymouth MA

EXCELLENCE. NO EXCUSES.

Summary: 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) (“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 Good —by Bo Burlingham

EXCELLENCE. WHAT I’VE LEARNED ABOUT “SMALL BUSINESS” SINCE 1981/98Q by tom peters

Passion for PRODUCT. OBSESSION With Product. LOVE The Product. Aim To Be “ONLY ONES WHO DO WHAT WE DO.” Keep ADDIN’ Stuff. Invest “UNWISELY” in R&D. Reside Permanently In The DISCOMFORT Zone. “Unhealthy” PARANOIA Is A Good Thing. Add Clients That PUSH-PULL. SELL. SELL. SELL. SELL. Go For Broke: CUSTOMER CONTACT PEOPLE. PERFECTION: Customer Contact People. Hire for ATTITUDE. INVITE On An Adventure. GREAT CFO/Biz Guy-Gal. NASTY CFO/Biz Guy-Gal. QUADRANGULAR LEADERSHIP: Visionary-Talent Fanatic-Project Manager-I.P.M. (I.P.M. = Inspired Profit Mechanic)

GREAT Logo. DESIGN! “OVERDO” Marketing Materials. WOMEN Roar. WOMEN Rule. WOMEN Buy. Diversity = $$$$$$ Be RELENTLESS. Cut And RUN. Product Includes-Features the PACKAGING. Define Your DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE (R.P.O.V.8) Best STORY Wins. DRESS For Success. First Goal: AMUSE Yourself. Know YOURSELF. DON’T Do Stuff You Hate. “Over-invest” In RELATIONSHIPS. (R.O.I.R.: Return On Investment in Relationships) SYSTEMATICALLY “Manage” Relationships. “Work” The SUPPORT PEOPLE In Client Orgs.

BLOG As If Your Life Depended On It. SOPHISTICATED Use Of Infotech. RESPONSE To Problems. Make ’Em PAY. CLOSE The Sale. Invest BIGTIME In PR. Media FRIENDLY. Live-To-SCHMOOZE. Fun/Laughter = $$$$ MBWA: Stay In Touch. “You Must Be The Change You Wish To See In The World”/GANDHI 5K For 5M. Your CALENDAR Never Lies. OUT: Pastels. IN: Technicolor

JUST SAY “NO” TO C.E.O.: CIO/Chief Innovation Officer. CSO/Chief Sales Officer. CWO/Chief Wow Officer EXCELLENCE Is Very Cool. “MICRO-MANAGE” Your Reputation. Wear Your Integrity On Your SLEEVE. KEEP Your Promises. EXECUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “A Man Without A Smiling Face MUST NOT Open His Shop.” RECOGNITION! Work HARD, Not Smart. Insanely Great. THE STANDARD.

Tom/2006/Q97-Q100 Study more. Renew more. Tailor more. Offer more. Listen more. Market more. Practice more. Challenge more. Socialize more. Smile more. Follow-up more. Plan execution more. Cost control more.

“ A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.” —Chinese Proverb

“ It’s always showtime.” —David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare

EXCELLENCE. OPPORTUNITY.

“Women are the majority market” —Fara Warner/The Power of the Purse

The Perfect Answer Jill and Jack buy slacks in black…

1. Men and women are different. 2. Very different. 3. VERY, VERY DIFFERENT. 4. Women & Men have a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y nothing in common. 5. Women buy lotsa stuff. 6. WOMEN BUY A-L-L THE STUFF. 7. Women’s Market = Opportunity No Men are (STILL) in charge. 9. MEN ARE … TOTALLY, HOPELESSLY CLUELESS ABOUT WOMEN. 10. Women’s Market = Opportunity No. 1.

Cases! McDonald’s (“mom-centered” to “majority consumer”; not via kids) Home Depot (“Do it [everything!] Herself”) P&G (more than “house cleaner”) DeBeers (“right-hand rings”/$4B) AXA Financial Kodak (women = “emotional centers of the household”) Nike (> jock endorsements; new def sports; majority consumer) Avon Bratz (young girls want “friends,” not a blond stereotype) Source: Fara Warner/The Power of the Purse

EXCELLENCE. OPPORTUNITY.

Stats 18-44: -1% 55+: +21% (55-64: +47% )

44-65: “New Customer Majority” * *45% larger than 18-43; 60% larger by 2010 Source: Ageless Marketing, David Wolfe & Robert Snyder

“The New Customer Majority is the only adult market with realistic prospects for significant sales growth in dozens of product lines for thousands of companies.” —David Wolfe & Robert Snyder, Ageless Marketing

EXCELLENCE. VALUE ADDED.

$55B

MasterCard Advisors

EXCELLENCE. NO OPTION.

“ ‘Outsourcing’ is overrated. Those who fear outsourcing should in fact be afraid of irrelevance— outsourcing is just another way of saying that … you’ve become irrelevant to your customers.” —John Battelle/Point/Advertising Age/07.05

Department Head to … Managing Partner, IS [HR, R&D, etc.] Inc.

Core Mechanism : “Game-changing Solutions” PSF (Professional Service Firm “model”/The Organizing Principle ) + Brand You (“Distinct” or “Extinct”/The Talent ) + Wow! Projects (“Different” vs “Better”/The Work )

The “PSF35” : Thirty-Five Professional Service Firm Marks of Excellence

I. LAN Installation Co. (3%) II. Geek Squad. (30%.) III. Acquired by BestBuy. IV. Flagship of BestBuy Wholesale “Solutions” Strategy Makeover.

EXCELLENCE. UP THE LADDER.

The Value-added Ladder/Opportunity-seeking Gamechanging Solutions Services Goods Raw Materials

EXCELLENCE. EXPERIENCE IT.

“ 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

Warren Goes Shopping …

Q: “Why did you buy Jordan’s Furniture?” A: “Jordan’s is spectacular. It’s all showmanship.” Source: Warren Buffet interview/ Boston Sunday Globe/

The Value-added Ladder/Memorable Connection Spellbinding Experiences Gamechanging Solutions Services Goods Raw Materials

C X O* *Chief e X perience Officer

EXCELLENCE. DREAM IT.

DREAM: “A dream is a complete moment in the life of a client. Important experiences that tempt the client to commit substantial resources. The essence of the desires of the consumer. The opportunity to help clients become what they want to be.” —Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni

The Value-added Ladder/Emotion Dreams Come True Spellbinding Experiences Gamechanging Solutions Services Goods Raw Materials

C DM* *Chief Dream Merchant

EXCELLENCE. LOVE IT.

“ 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 Coke …. 7.7 Google Pepsi 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

C L O* *Chief Lovemar k Officer

EXCELLENCE. BEDROCK.

“Management has a lot to do with answers. Leadership is a function of questions. And the first question for a leader always is: ‘Who do we intend to be?’ Not ‘What are we going to do?’ but ‘Who do we intend to be?’” —Max De Pree, Herman Miller

“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)

EXCELLENCE. PASSION.

“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.” —Samuel Taylor Coleridge

EXCELLENCE. BEDROCK.

Brand = Talent.

Organizing Genius / Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman “Groups become great only when everyone in them, leaders and members alike, is free to do his or her absolute best.” “The best thing a leader can do for a Great Group is to allow its members to discover their greatness.”

Leadership’s Mt Everest/Mt Excellence “free to do his or her absolute best” … “allow its members to discover their greatness.”

“The role of the Director is to create a space where the actor or actress can become more than they’ve ever been before, more than they’ve dreamed of being.” —Robert Altman, Oscar acceptance

“We are a ‘life Success Company”’ founder, RE/MAX

Our Mission To develop and manage talent; to apply that talent, throughout the world, for the benefit of clients; to do so in partnership; to do so with profit. WPP

EXCELLENCE. WOMEN. RULE.

“AS LEADERS, WOMEN RULE: New Studies find that female managers outshine their male counterparts in almost every measure” Title, Special Report/BusinessWeek

“Forget China, India and the Internet: Economic Growth Is Driven by Women.” —Headline, Economist, April 15, 2006, Leader, page 14

EXCELLENCE. BEDROCK.

X.Step #1: Buy a Mirror!

“ You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

EXCELLENCE. REVENUE. MATTERS. MOST.

. “Everyone lives by selling something.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Sell Sell Sell

“TAKE THIS QUICK QUIZ: Who manages more things at once? Who puts more effort into their appearance? Who usually takes care of the details? Who finds it easier to meet new people? Who asks more questions in a conversation? Who is a better listener? Who has more interest in communication skills? Who is more inclined to get involved? Who encourages harmony and agreement? Who has better intuition? Who works with a longer ‘to do’ list? Who enjoys a recap to the day’s events? Who is better at keeping in touch with others?” Source: Selling Is a Woman’s Game: 15 Powerful Reasons Why Women Can Outsell Men, Nicki Joy & Susan Kane-Benson

“ It’s always showtime.” —David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare

C R O* *Chief Revenue Officer

TP.27 … on Selling (Short) (Personal)

EXCELLENCE. STRETCH.

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

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!

Sir Richard’s Rules: Follow your passions. Keep it simple. Get the best people to help you. Re-create yourself. Play. Source: Fortune on Branson

EXCELLENCE. TRANSCENDENCE. THRILLS.

Radically Thrilling Language! “Radically Thrilling.” —BMW Z4 (ad)

C T O* *Chief Thrills Officer

Synonyms Purity Transcendence Virtue Elegance Majesty Antonyms Mediocrity

C T O* *Chief Transcendence Officer

EXCELLENCE. WOW. NOW.

C W O* *Chief WOW Officer

C ! O *Chief ! Officer

Excellence: The Irreducible209+

A frustrated participant at a seminar for investment bankers in Mauritius listened impatiently to my explanation of differences of opinion among me, Mike Porter, Gary Hamel, Jim Collins, etc. Finally, he’d had enough. “What, if anything,” he asked, “do you believe ‘for sure’?” I mumbled something, but his query started rumbling around in my mind. Three days later, wandering on a Sunday in London, the idea of “the irreducibles” occurred to me—and I started jotting down notes on stuff I do indeed believe “for sure.” Before I knew it, a few days later, the list had grown to 209 items. Hence “The Irreducible209” that follows. Tom Peters

1. Hare 1, Tortoise 0. (Hare-y times.) 2. Tempo. (O.O.D.A.) 3. MBWA. 4. Appreciation. (“Motivator” #1.) (Can’t be faked. Good.) 5. Decency. 6. Hurry. 7. Time out. 8. One matters. 9. Big change. Short time. (Alt not work.) 10. Excellence. Always. 11. Passion. Energy. Hustle. Enthusiasm. Exuberance. (Move mountains. No alt.) 12. You must care. 13. Emotion. 14. Hard is soft. (Soft is hard.)

15. Men. Women. Different. Contend. Connect. 16. Women. Buy. All. (RU listening?) 17. Quality. (“Mind-blowing.” Beyond 6-Sigma.) 18. Re-invent. Re-pot. (Required.) 19. Jaywalk. 20. Big change. Small # of people. (Always.) 21. Experiment. Now. 22. Failure. Normal. 23. Most failures, most success. (Fail. Forward. Fast.) 24. “Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes.” 25. Women leaders. (Altered times.) 26. Extremism. (Good business. Bad politics.) 27. Innovation source. Only. Extreme irritation. 28. Smile.

29. You must care. 30. Mentor. (Highest ROI.) 31. Best “roster” wins. 32. Wow. (Okay in biz.) 33. We all have customers. (Biz. Personal.) 34. All contacts = Experiences. 35. Cirque du Soleil. (Peerless.) 36. Leaders create space for growth. 37. Quests. (Only.) 38. High aspirations, “high” results. (Self-fulfilling prophecy.) 39. Attitude 1, Skills 0. (Mostly.) (Attitude 1, Skill 0.3?) 40. Sometimes: Skill 1, Attitude Must “love,” not “like.” 42. Wegman’s.” (No excuses. “Mere” groceries.) 43. Less than your best. Cheating.

44. Brand You. (No alt.) 45. Self-sufficiency. (Biggest LT turn-on.) 46. In the moment. 47. The moment wins. 48. Tomorrow = Never. 49. Action 1, Plan “Execution” can be a “system.” 51. Realism. 52. Own up. Move on. 53. Accountability. 54. Work hard > Work smart. (Mostly.) 55. Feedback. Necessary. Fast. (R.F.A. in “RFA times.”) 56. Customers. Listen. Lead. (Paradox.) 57. “On stage.” Always. (GW, FDR, RG = Supreme actors.)

58. Master statistical analysis. 59. Excellence = Set the table. 60. Legacy. (Will it have mattered?) 61. “Great.” (Why not?) 62. Radicals rule. (Think … Olympics.) 63. !!! = Good. 64. Red 1, Brown 0. (Red times.) 65. Talk. Listen. (“Big 2.” Master.) 66. Politics. (Normal-inevitable state of affairs. Master.) 67. Student. Forever. 68. “Why?” (Question #1.) 69. Don’t belittle. 70. Respect. 71. All we have: this moment. (“Moments matter most”?) 72. Now. (Procrastination. Death.)

73. Exercise. 74. Paint. (Leader. Portraits of Excellence.) 75. Best story wins. 76. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” 77. Two “big ones.” Max. (Priorities.) 78. No “I” in Team. (“I” in Win.) 79. “I” in Win. (No “I” in Team.) 80. Different 1, Better 0. (Better = 0.1) 81. Imitation = Mistake. (Learn, from who?) 82. Choose/battle the “right” competitor. 83. Schools. Creativity. Entrepreneurship. (Not.) 84. MBAs. Creativity. Entrepreneurship. Leadership. (Not.) 85. Design. Under-rated. Wildly. (Still.) (Everything.)

86. You = Calendar. (Calendar. Never. Lies.) 87. Laugh. 88. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.) 89. Don’t fold your hands in front of your chest. Ever. (Never.) 90. Grace. (“Works” in biz.) 91. Weird. Wins. (Weird times.) 92. Crazy times. Crazy orgs. 93. Internet. All. 94. Women. Boomers-Geezers. Market. All. 95. Passion. (Repeat. So what?) 96. Energy. (Repeat. So what?) 97. Hustle. (Repeat. So what?) 98. Enthusiasm. (Repeat. So what?) 99. Exuberance. (Repeat. So what?) 100. Smile. (Repeat. So what?) 101. Care. (Repeat. So what?)

102. Simplicity. Redundancy. Resilience. Bloody- mindedness. Visible optimism. (Success.) 103. Act. (Repeat. So what?) 104. Appreciate. (Repeat. So what?) 105. Fun. (Biz. Why not?) 106. Joy. (Biz. Why not?) 107. Sales = Life Marketing = Life Long-term. “Top line.” 110. Great company = Creates the most individual success stories. (RE/MAX) 111. Talent first, performance byproduct Sustained Wow* 1, “Shareholder value,” 0.2 (*Product, People.) 113. Commitment, by invitation only Creativity, by invitation only HR = #1. (Ought to.) 116. Face-to-face. (5K miles, 5 minutes.)

117. Negotiation. Make all winners. (Save face.) 118. Grace makes enemies friends Network Invest in relationships. (Think ROIR. Return On Investment in Relationships.) 118. Relationship investment. Forethought. Calendar item. Intensity Innovation. Easy. (Hang out with weird.) 120. Weird = Win. (Weird times.) 121. “The bottleneck is at the top of the bottle.” 122. Good Board = Weird Board. (At least, surprising.) 123. No contention, no progress.

124. “Crucial conversations.” “Crucial confrontations.” (Study. Learn. Do.) 125. Honest feedback Gaspworthy. Yes “Insanely great.” 128. “Astonish me.” 129. “Make it immortal.” 130. “Will you remember it in 20 years?” 131. No small opportunities. (Reframe.) 132. One playmate, one playpen = Enough End run. Sensible Allies are there for the finding Find successes. Build on successes. (Pos > Neg. Encourage > Fix.) 136. Somebody’s doing it today. Find ’em Someone is living 2016 in (Find ’em. Study ’em.)

138. Don’t “benchmark,” “futuremark.” (2016. Happening. Somewhere.) 139. “PMA.” It works There are no experts. (You are the expert.) 141. Life is short “Sustained success.” Fat chance. Make today matter. (“Sustained.” Ha.) 143. Collaborate. (Networked world.) 144. Go solo. (Individual. Unit of Intellectual Capital.) 145. There are no “perfect” plans. (Do. Wins.) 146. Plans motivate. (Right or wrong. Sense of purpose.) 147. Never rest Get some sleep Winning = Embracing paradox Ambiguity = Opportunity.

151. Resilience Relentless-ness None. Above. Comeuppance. (GM. Sears. U.S. Steel. DEC.) 154. Be yourself. Period Never work with jerks. Including customers. (Life. Too short.) 156. Under-promise, over-deliver Talent. (Powerful word.) 158. “Customer = Anyone whose actions affect your results.” 159. Competition stinks. (Seek the soft spots where you can dominate.) 160. K.I.S.S./Keep It Simple, Stupid Beauty. (Good biz word.) 162. “See the beauty in a hamburger bun.” (Go. Ray.)

163. Own up. Quick. ( Denial. Cancer.) 164. Celebrate. Often people = 78 approaches. (Each. Unique.) 166. Weed. Ceaselessly. (Prune. Stupid. Rules. Non-stop.) 167. Get out of the way. (You = The problem.) 168. Smile. Sunny. Optimism. (If it kills you.) 169. Flowers. (Cheery workplace.) 170. Enjoy. (Or get the hell.) 171. Be intolerant of “sour.” (1 = Major pollution) 172. No “quick trigger” on promotion. (Too important.) 173. Evaluation = Lots of study-time Evaluation = “Life or death” to evaluee “360” evaluation. No fad Exit when you’re done. (Done. Sooner than you think.)

177. Today. Now. My Project. Am. Is. I. Period “Beautiful” systems. (Good biz phrase. Not oxymoron.) 179. Build on strengths > Fix weaknesses “To don’t” = “To do.” (“To don’t” > “To do” ?) 181. Leaders “Do” People. (Period.) 182. Leaders enjoy leading Serious leadership training = Serious Priorities. Obvious. (Or else.) “Priorities” = 0 Priorities. (3 “Priorities” = 0 Priorities?) 186. People. First. Last. Always It. Is. Always. The. People.

188. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.) 189. Don’t fold your hands in front of your chest. Ever. (Never.) 190. Simplicity. Redundancy. Resilience. Bloody-mindedness. Visible optimism. (Success.) (Repeat.) 191. Employee Entrance = Guest Entrance Put the customer SECOND. (Thanks, Hal.) 193. Flowers. (Or did I say that before? No matter if I did.) 194. Big Mergers don’t work. Small acquisitions can/do work—if you don’t screw with their energy.

195. Instinctively “head for the front line.” (In all contexts.) 196. Success = DDMMPR/"D-squared, M-squared, PR” = DramDiff + Money-Financial Acumen + Good “Marketing” Instincts + Stellar People + Resilience (The “fab five”: What. Every. Small. Biz. Needs.) (Big too.) 197. Core Mechanism (“Game-changing Solutions”): PSF (Professional Service Firm “model”) + Wow! Projects (“Different” vs “Better”) + Brand You (“Distinct” or “Extinct”) /2016 has already happened. Find it.

199. Kids “know” kids. Oldies “know” oldies. Women “know” women. (Staff accordingly.) 200. Everybody is my customer Cosset “vendors.” 202. I want to run a Housekeeping department. (And you?) 203. The military doesn’t follow the “military model.” (Initiative = Excellence.) 204. No such thing as “going to absurd lengths” to serve the Customer. (HSM & Lefties.) 205. Forget the “customer.” All = “Clients.” 206. It takes decades to get over “sleights.” (So don’t sleight.) 207. Don’t “dumb down.” Ever.

208. NO LESS THAN EXCELLENCE. EVER EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.

Work In Progress XXX. One size fits. One. Only. (Evaluations. Period.) XXX. Teaching. Individualized. Only. (6 billion people = 6 billion learning trajectories.) (Montessori.) XXX. First impression. Matters. Shapes all that comes. Hard to overcome. (Understatement.) XXX. Jerks. Don’t work with. (Life = Too short.) XXX. Manage [the hell out of] first impressions. XXX. Last impression. Matters. Dominates memory. Hard to overcome. (Understatement.) XXX. Manage [the hell out of] last impressions. XXX. Plain English. XXX. K.I.S.S. (450/8.) XXX. $798. $55,000,000,000. 3,000,000,000. 7AM-7PM. 6:15AM. XXX. Donnelly Weatherstrip rules. XXX. Managers do things right. Leaders do the right thing. NOT.

EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.