1. Conrad Hilton …

2. Conrad Hilton, at a gala celebrating his career, was asked, His immediate answer … Conrad Hilton, at a gala celebrating his career, was asked, “What was the most important lesson you’ve learned in you long and distinguished career?” His immediate answer …

3. “ remember to tuck the shower curtain inside the bathtub”

4. “ Execution is strategy. ” —Fred Malek

5. “The art of war does not require complicated maneuvers; the simplest are the best and common sense is fundamental. From which one might wonder how it is generals make blunders; it is because they try to be clever.” —Napoleon

6. Jim Penman …

7. Jim’s Mowing Canada Jim’s Mowing UK Jim’s Antennas Jim’s Bookkeeping Jim’s Building Maintenance Jim’s Carpet Cleaning Jim’s Car Cleaning Jim’s Computer Services Jim’s Dog Wash Jim’s Driving School Jim’s Fencing Jim’s Floors Jim’s Painting Jim’s Paving Jim’s Pergolas [gazebos] Jim’s Pool Care Jim’s Pressure Cleaning Jim’s Roofing Jim’s Security Doors Jim’s Trees Jim’s Window Cleaning Jim’s Windscreens Note: Download, free, Jim Penman’s book: What Will They Franchise Next? The Story of Jim’s Group

8. *Basement Systems Inc. *Larry Janesky * Dry Basement Science (115,000!) *1990: $0; 2003: $13M; 2007: $62,000,000

9. Tom Peters’ Excellence. Excellence.Always.Newpreneurs. Inc./San Francisco/18 November 2009 (PP available to download at tompeters.com)

10. NOTE: To appreciate this presentation [and ensure that it is not a mess ], you need Microsoft fonts: “Showcard Gothic,” “Ravie,” “Chiller” and “Verdana”

11. #1

12. 14,000

13. 20,000

14. 30

15. 14,000/ e Bay 20,000/Amazon 30/Craigslist

16. #2

17. “Insanely Great” Steve Jobs

18. “Radically thrilling” “Radically thrilling” BMW

19. #3

20. 1982

21. MBWA

22. Excellence1982: The Bedrock “Eight Basics” 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” Properties”

23. “Breakthrough” 82* People! People!Customers!Action!Values! *In Search of Excellence

24. Hard Is Soft Soft Is Hard

25. Hard Is Soft (Plans, # s ) Soft Is Hard (people, customers, values, relationships)

26. #4

27. “The doctor interrupts after …* after …* *Source: Jerome Groopman, How Doctors Think

28. 18 seconds

29. [An obsession with] Listening is... the ultimate mark of Respect. of Respect. Listening is... the heart and soul of Engagement. Listening is... the heart and soul of Kindness. Listening is... the heart and soul of Thoughtfulness. Listening is... the basis for true Collaboration. Listening is... the basis for true Partnership. Listening is... a Team Sport. Listening is... a Developable Individual Skill.* (*Though women are far better at it than men.) are far better at it than men.) Listening is... the basis for Community. Listening is... the bedrock of Joint Ventures that work. Listening is... the bedrock of Joint Ventures that last. Listening is... the core of effective Cross-functional Communication* (*Which is in turn Attribute #1 of Communication* (*Which is in turn Attribute #1 of organizational effectiveness.) organizational effectiveness.)[cont.]

30. Listening is... the engine of superior EXECUTION. Listening is... the key to making the Sale. Listening is... the key to Keeping the Customer’s Business. Listening is... the engine of Network development. Listening is... the engine of Network maintenance. Listening is... the engine of Network expansion. Listening is... Social Networking’s “secret weapon.” Listening is... Learning. Listening is... the sine qua non of Renewal. Listening is... the sine qua non of Creativity. Listening is... the sine qua non of Innovation. Listening is... the core of taking Diverse opinions aboard. Listening is... Strategy. Listening is... Source #1 of “Value-added.” Listening is... Differentiator #1. Listening is... Profitable.* (*The “R.O.I.” from listening is higher than from any other single activity.) from any other single activity.) Listening is … the bedrock which underpins a Commitment to EXCELLENCE EXCELLENCE

31. *Listening is of the utmost … importance! *Listening is a proper … ! *Listening is … ! *Listening is a … ! *Listening is of the utmost … strategic importance! *Listening is a proper … core value ! *Listening is … trainable ! *Listening is a … profession !

32. Listen = Profession = Study = practice = evaluation = "We listen intently to and fully engage Listen = Profession = Study = practice = evaluation = Enterprise value: "We listen intently to and fully engage all with whom all with whom we work."

33. *Listening is a … profession! *Listening is a … profession!

34. #5

35. “The four most important words in any organization are …

36. The four most important words in any organization are … “What do you think?” are … “What do you think?” Source: courtesy Dave Wheeler, posted at tompeters.com

37. Tomorrow: How many times will you “ask the WDYT question”? [Practice makes better!] [This is a skill!] Tomorrow: How many times will you “ask the WDYT question”? [ Count! ] [Practice makes better!] [This is a STRATEGIC skill!]

38. #6

39. “The deepest human need is the … need to be appreciated.” —William James

40. Tomorrow: How many times will you mange to blurt out, “Thank you”? [Practice makes better!* *The engineer from Manchester.]] [This is a skill!] Tomorrow: How many times will you mange to blurt out, “Thank you”? [ Count ’em! ] [Practice makes better!* *The engineer from Manchester.]] [This is a STRATEGIC skill!]

41. *appreciation is of the utmost … strategic importance! *appreciation is a proper … core value ! *appreciation is … trainable ! *appreciation is a … profession !

42. And the answer is …. otis

43. “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

44. #7

45. “I regard apologizing as the most magical, healing, restorative gesture human beings can make. It is the centerpiece of my work with executives who want to get better.” —Marshall Goldsmith, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful Even More Successful

46. 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. 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.

47. THE PROBLEM IS RARELY/NEVER THE PROBLEM. THE RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM INVARIABLY ENDS UP BEING THE REAL PROBLEM THE PROBLEM IS RARELY/NEVER THE PROBLEM. THE RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM INVARIABLY ENDS UP BEING THE REAL PROBLEM.* *PERCEPTION IS ALL THERE IS!

48. *effective “Repair”/Apology is of the utmost … strategic importance! *effective repair is a proper … core value ! *effective repair is … trainable ! *effective repair is a … profession !

49. #8

50. “We are thoughtful in all we do.”

51. Thoughtfulness is key to customer retention. Thoughtfulness is key to employee recruitment and satisfaction. and satisfaction. Thoughtfulness is key to brand perception. Thoughtfulness is key to your ability to look in the mirror —and tell your kids about your job. “Thoughtfulness is free.” Thoughtfulness is key to speeding things up— it reduces friction. it reduces friction. Thoughtfulness is key to transparency and even cost containment—it abets rather than stifles cost containment—it abets rather than stifles truth-telling. truth-telling.

52. *Thoughtfulness is of the utmost … strategic importance! *thoughtfulness is a proper … core value ! *Thoughtfulness is … trainable ! *Thoughtfulness is a … profession !

53. “Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” “Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” —Henry Clay

54. #9

55. none!

56. Press Ganey Assoc: 139,380 former patients from 225 hospitals: none of THE top 15 factors determining P atient S atisfaction referred to patient’s health outcome P.S. directly related to Staff Interaction P.P.S. directly correlated with Employee Satisfaction Source: Putting Patients First, Susan Frampton, Laura Gilpin, Patrick Charmel

57. “There is a misconception that supportive interactions require more staff or more time and are therefore more costly. Although labor costs are a substantial part of any hospital budget, the interactions themselves add nothing to the budget. Kindness is free. Listening to patients or answering their questions costs nothing. It can be argued that negative interactions—alienating patients, being non-responsive to their needs or limiting their sense of control—can be very costly. … Angry, frustrated or frightened patients may be combative, withdrawn and less cooperative—requiring far more time than it would have taken to interact with them initially in a positive way.” —Putting Patients First, Susan Frampton, Laura Gilpin, Patrick Charmel

58. “Kindness is free.”

59. #10

60. 1. Listen/Respect 2. Ask/Engage 3. Thank/Acknowledge 4. Apologize/Rectify

61. #11

62. #1 Truthteller …

63. You = Your calendar* *Calendars never lie

64. “Dennis, you need a … ‘To-don’t ’ List !”

65. Don’t > Do* * “Don’ting,” systematic, > WILLPOWER

66. #12

67. Entrepreneurial Excellence TEN 1. “Insane” Passion for and commitment to the idea. 2. Can explain the idea in Simple English and Excite others about its Uniqueness in ONE MINUTE (or less). 3. Good Accountant/“Wise-man (-woman)”/ 50-50 Partner. 4. Devotee of the Experimental Method (“Try it. Now.”)/Master of “Plan B”/Relentless/ Resilient. 5. Patience in Hiring/“Great Place to Work” from the get-go. 6. “d”iversity/M-F balance. 7. Exude Decency-Character-Integrity. 8. Playfulness/Fun. 9. Sweat the details (Execution = Strategy). 10. EXCELLENCE. Period. Entrepreneurial Excellence TEN 1. “Insane” Passion for and commitment to the idea. 2. Can explain the idea in Simple English and Excite others about its Uniqueness in ONE MINUTE (or less). 3. Good Accountant/“Wise-man (-woman)”/ 50-50 Partner. 4. Devotee of the Experimental Method (“Try it. Now.”)/Master of “Plan B”/Relentless/ Resilient. 5. Patience in Hiring/“Great Place to Work” from the get-go. 6. “d”iversity/M-F balance. 7. Exude Decency-Character-Integrity. 8. Playfulness/Fun. 9. Sweat the details (Execution = Strategy). 10. EXCELLENCE. Period.

68. “Excellence … can be obtained if you: can be obtained if you:... care more than others think... care more than others think is wise;... risk more than others think is wise;... risk more than others think is safe;... dream more than others think is safe;... dream more than others think is practical;... expect more than others think is practical;... expect more than others think is possible.” is possible.” Source: Anon. (Posted @ tompeters.com by K.Sriram, November 27, 2006 1:17 AM)

69. The failure to pursue EXCELLENCE is incomprehensible to me.

70. “ remember to tuck the shower curtain inside the bathtub”

71. The end