CONRAD HILTON at a gala celebrating his career
CONRAD HILTON, at a gala celebrating his career, was called to the podium and asked, “What were the most important lessons you learned in your long and distinguished career? ” His answer …
“Remember to tuck the shower curtain inside the bathtub. ”
“Amateurs talk about strategy. Professionals talk about logistics. ” —General Omar Bradley, commander of USA troops/D-Day
Tom Peters’ ! Excellence New Zealand Defence Force Auckland/21 February 2019 (This presentation/10+ years of presentation slides at tompeters. com; also see our annotated 23 -part Monster-Master at excellencenow. com)
37/6
37 Years/18 Books/ 3, 000 Speeches/67 Countries = 6 Words “Hard is soft. Soft is hard. ” (You can Google it!)
Hard (numbers/plans) is Soft (relationships/culture) is Hard.
GOOGLE GETS A SURPRISE I “Project Oxygen [data from founding in 1998 to 2013] shocked everyone by concluding that, among the eight most important qualities of Google’s top employees, STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] expertise comes in dead last. The seven top characteristics of success at Google are all SOFT SKILLS: being a good coach; communicating and listening well; possessing insights into others (including others’ different values and points of view); having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues; being a good critical thinker and problem solver; and being able to make connections across complex ideas. Those traits sound more like what one gains as an English or theater major than as a programmer. … Source: Valerie Strauss, “The surprising thing Google learned about its employees —and what it means for today’s students” ( Washington Post, 20 December 2017)
GOOGLE GETS A SURPRISE II “Project Aristotle [2017] further supports the importance of soft skills even in high-tech environments. Project Aristotle analyzes data on inventive and productive teams, . Google takes pride in it’s A-teams, assembled with top scientists, each with the most specialized knowledge and able to throw down one cutting-edge idea after another. Its data analysis revealed, however, that the company’s most important and productive ideas come from Bteams comprised of employees that don’t always have to be the smartest people in the room. Project Aristotle shows that the best teams at Google exhibit a range of soft skills: equality, generosity, curiosity toward the ideas of your teammates, empathy and emotional intelligence. And topping the list: emotional safety. No bullying. … Source: Valerie Strauss, “The surprising thing Google learned about its employees —and what it means for today’s students” ( Washington Post, 20 December 2017)
CULTURE IS THE GAME
CULTURE: IT IS THE GAME
“If I could have chosen not to tackle the IBM culture head-on, I probably wouldn’t have. My bias coming in was toward strategy, analysis and measurement. In comparison, changing the attitude and behaviors of hundreds of thousands of people Yet I came to see in my time at IBM that culture isn’t just one aspect of the is very, very hard. —IT IS THE GAME. ” * game —Lou Gerstner, Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance *“Culture eats strategy for breakfast. ” —Ed Schein
EXCELLENCE
X 5
EXCELLENCE is not a “long-term” "aspiration. ” EXCELLENCE is the ultimate shortterm strategy. EXCELLENCE is … THE NEXT 5 MINUTES. * (*Or NOT. )
EXCELLENCE is not an "aspiration. " EXCELLENCE is … THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES. EXCELLENCE is your next conversation. Or not. EXCELLENCE is your next meeting. Or not. EXCELLENCE is shutting up and listening—really listening. Or not. EXCELLENCE is your next 5 -line email. Or not. EXCELLENCE is saying “Thank you” for something “small. ” Or not. EXCELLENCE is the next time you shoulder responsibility and apologize. Or not. EXCELLENCE is waaay over-reacting to a screw-up. Or not. EXCELLENCE is the flowers you brought to work today. Or not. EXCELLENCE is lending a hand to an “outsider” who’s fallen behind schedule. Or not. EXCELLENCE is bothering to learn the way folks in finance (or IS or HR) think. Or not. EXCELLENCE is waaay “over”-preparing for a 3 -minute presentation. Or not. EXCELLENCE is turning “insignificant” tasks into models of … EXCELLENCE. Or not.
PUT PEOPLE !!) (REALLY FIRST
PUT PEOPLE !!) (REALLY FIRST
The Excellence Dividend Book Tour* (*Time & Time Again) “Tom, you always talk about people. ” Interviewer: “What the f*** else is there to talk about? ” Me:
“Almost half of U. S. jobs are at high risk of computerization over the next 20 years, according to Oxford academics Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne. ” —CNBC, 9 March 2016 “The intellectual talents of highly trained professionals are no more protected from automation than is the driver’s left turn. ” Cage: Automation and Us
Given/Axiomatic … THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT MAKING ANY ORGANIZATION OF ANY SIZE IN ANY BUSINESS A … GREAT PLACE TO WORK EVERY LEADER/2019 HAS A MORAL OBLIGATION TO DEVELOP PEOPLE SO THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE THEY ARE BETTER PREPARED FOR (CRAZY) TOMORROW THAN THEY WERE WHEN THEY ARRIVED.
MANAGING: A PAIN IN THE BUTT. Somebody’s got to do it; punching bag for higher ups on one end, grouchy employees on the other; blame magnet if things go wrong, big bosses abscond with the credit if things go right. MANAGING: THE PINNACLE OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT. The greatest life opportunity one can have (literally). Mid- to long-term success is no more and no less than a function of one’s dedication to and effectiveness at helping team members grow and flourish as individuals and as contributing members to an energetic, selfrenewing organization dedicated to the relentless pursuit of EXCELLENCE
HIRING
1/7, 500 “May I help you down the jetway …”
“We look for. . . listening, caring, smiling, saying ‘Thank you, ’ being warm. ” — Colleen Barrett, former President, Southwest Airlines
Observed closely during Mayo Clinic employment interviews (for renown surgeons as well as others): The frequency of use of “I” or “We ”. Source: Leonard Berry & Kent Seltman, chapter 6, “Hiring for Values, ” Management Lessons From Mayo Clinic
TRAINING = INVESTMENT 1! #
If you don't believe that training is “Investment #1, ” ask an admiral, general, police chief, fire chief, orchestra conductor, football coach, archery coach, movie director, actor (age 22 or 62), prima ballerina, surgeon, ER or ICU chief or nurse, nuclear power plant operator. . . (or me).
“training, TRAINING and M-O-R-E T-R-A-I-N-G” —Admiral Chester Nimitz, CINCPAC, communication to Chief of Naval Operations Ernest King. Fact: The U. S. Navy was woefully underprepared at the time of Pearl Harbor. The fix: T-R-A-I-N-G … CONSIDERED MORE IMPORTANT THAN HARDWARE! (NOTE: The capitalization, punctuation and italics In the quote above are Admiral Nimitz’s, not mine. )
#1 ASSET ST 1 -LINE LEADERS
If the regimental commander lost most of his 2 nd lieutenants and 1 st lieutenants and captains and IF HE LOST HIS SERGEANTS IT WOULD BE A CATASTROPHE. The Army majors, it would be a tragedy. and the Navy are fully aware that success on the battlefield or at sea is dependent to an extraordinary degree on its Sergeants and Chief Petty Officers. Does industry have the same awareness?
Front-line Chiefs (Full Complement of): Principal determinants of … enterprise productivity. Principal determinants of … employee retention. Principal determinants of … product/ service quality. Principal carriers/embodiments of … corporate culture. Principal visible “spear carriers” for … Excellence. Principal champions/enablers of … sustained employee development.
EVALUATING (One Size Fits One) (53 = 53)
53 = 53 NOT People are “Standardized. ” Their evaluations should NOT be standardized. EVER.
INNOVATION
WTTMSW+
WTTM W* *Whoever Tries The Most Stuff Wins
“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
“WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN. IT’S CALLED ‘DOING THINGS. ’ ” —Herb Kelleher
WTTMSASTMSUT W* *Whoever Tries The Most Stuff And Screws The Most Stuff Up The Fastest Wins
“EXPERIMENT FEARLESSLY” Source: Business. Week, “Type A Organization Strategies: How to Hit a Moving Target”—TACTIC #1 “RELENTLESS TRIAL AND ERROR” Source: Wall Street Journal, CORNERSTONE of effective approach to “rebalancing” company portfolios in the face of changing and uncertain global economic conditions
WE ARE WHAT WE EAT. WE ARE WHO WE HANG OUT WITH.
“You will become like the five people you associate with the most—this can be either a blessing or a curse. ” —Billy Cox
“Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met in the last 90 days? How do I get in touch with them? ” —Fred Smith
“THE BOTTLENECK IS AT THE … “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 … TOP OF THE BOTTLE” — Gary Hamel/Harvard Business Review
CROSSFUNCTIONAL EXCELLENCE: NEVER WASTE A LUNCH
XFX = #1* *Cross-Functional e. Xcellence
LUNCH > SAP/ ORACLE
SUCK DOWN FOR SUCCESS “Success doesn’t depend on the number of people you know; it depends on the number of people you know in high places!” or “Success doesn’t depend on the number of people you know; it depends on the number of people you know in low places!”
George Crile (Charlie Wilson’s War) on Gust “He had become something of a legend with these people who manned the underbelly of the Agency [CIA]. ” Avrakotos’ strategy:
LEADERSHIP
MBWA
MBWA (Managing By Wandering Around)
“I’m always stopping by our at least a week. stores— 25 I’m also in other places: Home Depot, Whole Foods, Crate & Barrel. I try to be a sponge to pick up as much as I can. ” —Howard Schultz Source: Fortune, “Secrets of Greatness”
Golden Bay (NZ) Revelation You do MBWA because it’s …
“Tom, you left out the #1 Leaders enjoy leading!” thing …
50%!
“Most managers spend a great deal of time thinking about what they plan to do, but relatively little time thinking about what they plan not to do. As a result, they become so caught up … in fighting the fires of the moment That they cannot really attend to the long-term threats and risks facing the organization. So the first soft skill of leadership the hard way is to cultivate the perspective of Marcus Aurelius: avoid busyness, Let me put it bluntly: every leader should routinely keep a substantial portion of his or her time I would say as much as free up your time, stay focused on what really matters. 50% un -scheduled. … Only when you have substantial ‘slop’ in your schedule—unscheduled time—will you have the space to reflect on what you are doing, learn from experience, and recover from your inevitable mistakes. Leaders without such free time end up tackling issues only when there is an immediate or visible problem. Managers’ typical response to my argument about free Yet we waste so much time in unproductive activity—it takes an enormous effort on the part of the leader to keep free time for the truly important things. ” time is, ‘That’s all well and good, but there are things I have to do. ’ Dov Frohman , Leadership The Hard Way — (Chapter 5, “The Soft Skills Of Hard Leadership”)
ENTERPRISE CORE VALUE 1 #
“The doctor interrupts after 18 … Source: Jerome Groopman, How Doctors Think
18 … seconds!* *Are you an “ 18 -second manager”?
(An obsession with) Listening is. . . the ultimate mark 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. ) Listening is. . . the basis for Community. Listening is. . . the bedrock of Joint Ventures that work. Listening is. . . the bedrock of Joint Ventures that grow. Listening is. . . the core of effective Cross-functional Communication* (*Which is in turn Attribute #1 of organization effectiveness. )
Core Value #1: “We are Suggested Enterprise Effective Listeners—we treat LISTENING EXCELLENCE as the Centerpiece of our Commitment to Respect and Engagement and Community and Growth. ”
Part ONE: LISTEN* (pp 11 -116, of 364) *“The key to every one of our [eight] leadership attributes was the vital importance of a leader’s ability to listen. ” (One of Branson’s personal keys to listening is notetaking—he has hundreds of notebooks. ) Source: Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: How to Listen, Learn, Laugh, and Lead
! ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. ” —William James “Employees who don't feel significant rarely make significant contributions. ” —Mark Sanborn
“LITTLE” >>> “BIG”* (*Again!!!) 30, 000 HANDWRITTEN ‘THANK YOU’ NOTES to employees during the CEO Doug Conant sent 10 years [approx 15/work day] he ran Campbell Soup. Source: Bloomberg Business. Week
THE FOUR MOST IMPORTANT WORDS IN ANY ORGANIZATION ARE “WHAT DO YOU THINK? ” … Source: courtesy Dave Wheeler, posted at tompeters. com
THE LEADER IS TO 100% BLAME OF THE TIME!
“The problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished. ” ——George Bernard Shaw
THE RULE OF 14 14 = 14
! SLOW DOWN
Speed. NOT Excellence Thinking Culture Listening Relationships
“Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in Real life grow. ” —Ben Stein
“If I had to #1 pick the failing of CEOs, it’s that …
“If I had to pick the #1 failing of CEOs, it’s that … they don’t read enough. ”
AVOID ! MODERATION
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!
- Slides: 80