Price and Trust

The two pricing strategies in their most simple forms…

Charge the highest price a large enough group will pay to maximize return.

Charge the lowest price we can afford to build life-long, loyal, raving fans.

One is based on trust and growing a fan base. The other on extracting the most from a fixed group.

Either will work for a while financially. But only one is designed to cause delight and earn trust…for a person to reflect on the sale, “Wow, I would have paid more for that”.

Underneath the market research and margin analysis, it’s an either/or philosophy. And you can only pick one…choose wisely.

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Some Thoughts on Leadership

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Leadership- to create a culture of causing delight and change (improvement)

Why Lead?- What would be missed if you were gone? What do you hope to change? Who will you enroll to go with you? What is your legacy?

Leaders...

  • Take responsibility- This might not work
  • Establish a hospitality and change oriented culture
  • Are highly intuitive. They notice things (that need to be changed). And can see an outcome which will cause delight.
  • Care enough to leap...to try something that might not work.
  • Recognize they can’t do it alone.

Leaders are people who inspire and enroll others on their journey. They are...

  • Artists- Not all artists are great leaders. But all leaders are artists. They are emotionally engaged in their work...beyond the transaction.
  • Craftsmen- they create something (from nothing) and take responsibility for things that might not work.
  • Improvisors- they seek the discomfort of handling the unexpected and enjoy the exchanges along an unknown path.
  • Innkeepers- they are in the hospitality business...causing delight through pleasant surprises and serving others in a meaningful way.

A List of Things That Didn't Work

We all have this list…the things we were so enrolled in at the time that we took the leap. And then we stopped. Perhaps we ran out of money, out of time, out of patience. Or perhaps we didn’t find others to come along. Or maybe we found a new, more meaningful idea to pursue.

The important point is that work was begun…a new idea was considered. Without this attitude, this choice, change does not happen and nothing improves. Thankfully, people try things. And occasionally a meaningful change occurs…something to be thankful for.

Today is good day to reflect on all of the meaningful work you’ve done…even if you haven’t finished it yet. And perhaps more importantly be sure to thank others for their efforts as well.

Happy Thanksgiving 

Create vs. Consume

Change happens when we create...when new things get done.  We have more tools than ever before to connect, invent, solve problems and learn. Yet change is often left to the few, the more educated, the more powerful and those with better jobs. Simultaneously, consumption and the resulting distractions are at an all-time high. What was once reserved for TV hour at the end of the day has morphed into a constant and immediate flow of noise. Entertainment is fine, actually necessary, to keep the mind fresh…and to make life fun. But the consumption creep we are experiencing is a bad trajectory. People are learning less, making less and doing less at the expense of being entertained and informed. Too bad there’s so little signal…and so much noise. 

If you’re not busy creating something original, making something (that might not work) and leading change you’re wasting a wonderful chance…and we need you. 

Go create…and leave the consumption to those other people.

Why Learn About Prepositions?

To get good grades?

To pass a test?

Not really…to spread ideas and create change.

The ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing gives you a significant advantage in being heard, trusted and invited into the conversation. There is plenty of meaningful work, creation and invention coming from people who aren’t proficient communicators. But imagine what the world might look like if their ideas spread…if the stage was larger. Imagine how they might inspire and teach others to do the same. Turns out being seen as smart has more to do with moving the idea along than creating the idea in the first place. Make no mistake, competency is a powerful world view.   

Choose yourself for a spot on the stage where you can make change happen. Learn to communicate well...practice a lot.

Education

...isn’t something that is done to you. It’s something you do for yourself. After about the 8th grade it’s a choice. The only requirements for learning are an open mind and pride…an attitude of improving self worth. That’s why we were all so good at it when we were three. We hadn’t created all of the other barriers yet.

Some Thoughts on Meetings

Meetings are very expensive mostly due to the time commitment from the participants. So in order to be respectful, it’s imperative to carefully determine if you should ask people to prioritize this meeting above something else.

Definition- for the purposes of the following suggestions a meeting occurs when two or more people set aside time to interact directly with one another (in person, on line or telephone).

Purpose

There are only two reasons to have meetings:

1. to receive immediate input from another person or group about a compelling idea

Creative session- no defined boundaries or established outcomes…just idea flow

Urgent Group Decision Making- A sprint style gathering to provide mission critical information and obtaining immediate feedback which will affect the outcome of the mission.

2. to create change through teaching and inspiration (Presentation)

Otherwise, you probably don’t need a meeting. The information can be shared (and input collected) more efficiently in other ways.

If you decide to have a meeting, consider making these declarations...

  1. On Time Start- Arrive 5 minutes early or don’t come.
  2. Preparation- Have an agenda with clear, time defined topics. Attach any background information which requires feedback or needs to be reviewed in order to make a decision. Everyone commits to enough preparation so ideas can be presented succinctly (strive for 30 seconds or less). Any ideas that require analysis or review of more than one minute must be shared in advance (define a standard for how far in advance).
  3. Sprint- Come prepared to sprint, not to relax. Consider standing up. and remove all distractions (phones, text, email, etc.). Think of the meeting as really hard work.

If people leave the meeting looking forward to the next one…you know you have a successful meeting. Otherwise, you need to change the content or style…or eliminate the meeting altogether. If you eliminate a meeting and no one misses it or the mission doesn’t suffer…it was a good call.

School Should Be For...

  • creating generosity and making change.
  • developing leaders who know how to solve interesting problems…to change something for the better.
  • inspiring people to be generous, to connect with and to serve others

School should not be for…

  • memorizing the Bill of Rights
  • getting a really good ACT score
  • creating the facade that a degree entitles you to a great job or higher salary
  • developing a famous athletics program

If the activity, curriculum or program doesn’t directly facilitate the development of generous leaders who can solve interesting problems and affect change…it should probably be changed or removed. 

What does success look like…

If there’s not a waiting list (or at least a demonstrated desire) to enroll in the journey, i.e., the class, with a teacher or the school…there’s work to be done. If it’s not being talked about…change it. Start by asking…What is the for? And for Whom?

The World Needs You

...to change it.

The human condition is a gift. The chance to be creative, imaginative, angry, persistent and happy should not be wasted or lost in a life of meaningless wandering. Rather each of us has the opportunity and the power to change something...to make a dent in the universe. But most people settle in because they take "changing the world” too literally. They believe that short of a Nobel prize the effort is wasted…better to leave to someone else...someone smarter, more powerful, wealthy or more creative. The truth is that all big, world stage, changes start small with someone taking a leap and acting on an idea. And almost every time these little steps are not calculated to end up as world changers…at least not the entire world. They begin as adjustments on a much smaller stage, the neighborhood, the school or department. Eventually some of these small steps get traction and spread to a bigger stage. But many don’t…and that’s okay. One smile is as meaningful as a million. 

So go ahead…make a ruckus in your slice of the world. Who knows what will happen next.

I Players

They are the opposite of team players.

  • They…
  • see themselves differently than everyone else
  • focus on the transaction that benefits them
  • are entitled by tenure or expertise in a specific task
  • have tunnel vision- can’t see beyond themselves and their transactions
  • believe they are indispensable

What would be missed if they were gone...beyond their specific task, beyond the transaction? Would the culture change?

Are they placeholders for a potential upgrade to someone who cares about the greater good, the whole organism.

If you care about culture, the fulfillment of team and individual dreams and about happiness you must avoid I players. And this is precisely why you should hire on attitude, approach and caring about more than yourself.

Expertise and Skill

Most experts chose to be there…they worked hard on improving skills until they were the best. They worked through the dips, the disappointments, the monotony until they arrived at the edge. Sometimes, but not nearly as often as people think, talent and natural ability come into play…and give people an edge. Strength, particularly leaping ability, for instance is an important element in the ability to dunk a basketball. But it takes skill also. And where does talent give way to skill? Do you remember Spud Webb? People very often confuse the two. And worse don’t give proper regard to the skill part of the equation. 

You should practice to improve your skills because it’s virtually impossible to compete on talent alone. And it turns out that skills are far more important than talent in becoming an expert on something. Skill overcomes talent 99% of the time.  

Ban the Word Best

…in marketing. 

The word best has no place in marketing or in any conversation when trying to describe an idea, product, service or thing. Yet, it happens very regularly because it’s such a powerful word. And it’s a short cut. It’s a way of getting to the punchline of a joke without going through the trouble of telling it. But have you ever noticed how a joke is super funny to one person and doesn’t at all strike a chord with another? The same goes for your idea, design, meal or service delivery. Best is shaped individually from individual world views and the individual stories people tell themselves. And the suggestion that your thing is the best implies that everything else in this category is flawed in some way and that somehow you have solved all of the problems associated with this thing. And even if you did…which problems need solving in the first place? The Google Pixel and the Apple iPhone are both the best for someone…but not for everyone. 

The more effective (yet far more challenging) approach when describing your thing is to define it’s unique position in the world with true stories that will emotionally connect with some people. Your job is to find an audience which values these individualities as much as you do. To them, your idea is the best. But you never claimed that spot…they did.

Things You Should Be Able to Do

  • Develop a well constructed thought in writing
  • Hold a naturally flowing conversation
  • Ask insightful questions
  • Create a useful spreadsheet (with formulas)
  • Develop a budget
  • Develop a One Page Marketing Plan
  • Create a One Page Website
  • Buy a URL
  • Understand how Facebook/Instagram/Twitter works
  • Take photo with your phone and post it to Instagram
  • Create a short movie
  • Create a Youtube/Vimeo Channel
  • Make a podcast
  • Create a Blog
  • Create a Mailchimp/Constant Contact program (including the email to be released)
  • Explain RSS
  • Understand how a personal computer works
  • Understand how the combustion engine works...and how a car moves
  • Understand how a camera works
  • Be able to explain the “cloud”
  • Be able to solve interesting problems
  • Inspire others to change the outcome of something
  • Greet strangers and make them feel welcome
  • Smile...a lot
  • Be wrong
  • Create art
  • Plan an event
  • Describe far-off place you have experienced
  • Share your Core Values
  • Share your Dream...your Purpose
  • Share the last five books you read
  • Share what you do for fun
  • Share what you are learning now
  • Share something you have made (created) in the last year

Living Room Effect

Treat your lobby, entry, showroom, etc., like a living room. Make it feel warm, friendly and engaging. 

  • Let no one leave this space without connection. 
  • Let no one leave this space unhappy. 
  • Let no one leave this space without seeing a smile.

Bonus points for handshakes, hugs, refreshments and pleasant surprises.

If you don’t have a living room in your business…make one. 

Care Obsession

People notice caring. And analysis shows a clear correlation between caring and a person’s  willingness to pay a premium...through price, with their attention, loyalty and referral. 

Everyone and all organizations should care. But care isn’t easy. It requires thoughtful attention to detail…the kind of detail that exposes a clear focus on the receiver and not anyone else.  It requires emotion…the kind put forth by artists, people who do more than just show up, especially when no one is looking. It requires meaningful design…of processes and products that solve someone’s problem, perhaps one they haven’t thought of yet.

Care isn’t part-time. It’s not something you do just when most people show up…at prime time. It’s something you do all the time…and behind the scenes as well as on the main stage. It requires an obsessive focus by everyone in the organization all of the time in order to make a clear difference. 

If Care is built into your culture through everything you do…it gets noticed. It also gets noticed when you don’t. 

Meaningful Work, Choice and Art

If you had the choice, would you do the work?

Turns out the most meaningful work isn’t what we are told to do or that which needs to be done because someone else thought it was important…the stuff on the job description or the test. The most interesting and impactful work is that which we choose to do…because we want to do it. Voluntary work gets the most input, effort and emotion because we care about it. Voluntary work becomes art. And art gets noticed. The job itself rarely does…unless we choose to move beyond the list and make it something else.

Your turn to make some art…we’re waiting for it.