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Think about something you deem to be impossible.

Now ask yourself a couple of questions and see if you get any closer to believing it can be done.

This is our conundrum. We have forced ourselves to believe that the past determines the future. When determining the viability of any given opportunity our first inclination is to ask if it had been done before. This frame of thought helps us determine our fate by the actions of others.

Only you control your destiny.

I hearken back to the story of MoneyBall. Billy Beane as the Oakland A's General Manager recognized that his team had plateaued. If he was going to succeed he needed to change the game.

Do you think Steve Jobs considered the actions of his predecessors before releasing the I-pad? At the time bringing a tablet to market seemed unconventional.

For every Billy Beane and Steve Jobs, there are a billion people who have done nothing. We determine an opportunity, measure it against what has been achieved by others, and go back to being normal.

What is the real price of taking chances? If you really boiled it down, do you think all of the things you are afraid of will actually manifest themselves. If the worst happened could you recover?

If you work hard your company appreciates you. I doubt you would lose your job over an idea you designed and supported with best intentions in mind.

If you wife loves you, she won't divorce you if you dream big and try something that you genuinely believe in.

Let's start simple:
Ask Questions
Try Something New
Find Someone to Help

What if....?
How many times have you abandoned an idea because you didn't want to rock the boat? I bet if you would have asked a few questions to disrupt dismissive thinking you could have gained a little ground. Those who stick to convention want to do new things, they just have to know it will work. If you believe in something, you can prove it.

It's time to rock the boat!

12 Minutes
In this day and age you can find information on anything in a matter of minutes. If you neglect to hit the snooze button tomorrow...you can open a door.

In just 12 minutes time you can look up an alternate solution and send an email to someone. That's all it takes.

Seize your opportunity to present something new!

Recognize Hidden Talent
There are unconventional thinkers everywhere. The "industry experts" only possess the answers you have paid them to validate. Sometimes you need to look outside your industry to find someone who thinks differently.

Bounce your big idea off someone who is untethered from your cause!

The answers are all there. You just have to stop being afraid.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave  

5 Questions for Dan Pink

I became aware of Dan Pink when a colleague of mine introduced me to his book, "A Whole New Mind". Having an appetite for business journalism, I was constantly seeking new professional motivation via the printed page. Mr. Pink's book provided a shocking reassurance. His description:
Lawyers, Accountants, Computer programmers. That's what our parents encouraged us to become when we grew up. But Mom and Dad were wrong. The future belongs to a very different type of person with a very different kind of mind.

He goes on to describe how right brain thinkers (me) will rule the world. He was right. Mom and Dad were wrong....that's all I needed to hear.

A lawyer by degree, Dan Pink has a knack for enticing healthy debate. This trait served him perfectly in his break through presentation at TED. In this presentation, Mr Pink introduced the concept of his latest book, Drive. Where "A Whole New Mind" challenged the relevance of formal education to one's professional motivation, "Drive" promotes education in the workplace. In debunking the carrot and stick process of motivation, Dan Pink frustrated the less inventive thinkers in the incentive industry and opened the door for a new breed of motivators...focused on the process of education as the greater goal to long term development.

Dan Pink afforded me a few minutes on the 4th of July 2011. He is an all-American guy who is willing to take time away from the parade for his admiring public.

1. I loved the concept of Symphony in "A Whole New Mind". Do you have a formula for bringing consistency to seemingly unrelated events?

No. I think it's less of a formula and more of a general attitude. Are you open to new ideas -- no matter where they come from? Are you reading in areas outside your own professional expertise? Are you talking to a wide range of people? When you put together a team, do you make sure there are diverse viewpoints? People who make this sort of behavior habitual generally do pretty well on Symphony.

2. In “Drive” you challenge the carrot and stick formula of prize for performance. How has this message been received by HR professionals?

So far, the response has been great. But I think HR professionals are more astute on these matters than many others in organizations -- because the very best among them spend their time and energy working on talent. They know that money does matter to talent -- but that it's not ultimately what gets them up in the morning. HR professionals can be hugely important ambassadors in bringing the science of motivation inside of organizations.

3. How important is Empathy in leadership?

It's hugely important. It's very hard to lead without being able to see the world through the eyes of those your leading. That's especially true for creative teams. And it's doubly true for the growing ranks of people who are leaders but who don't have much formal authority -- and therefore must rely on influence rather than command. There's also some recent research, led by Adam Galinsky at Northwestern University, that shows that as people accumulate power, they're less likely to see the world from another's perspective, which can often hamper their abilities to get others to go along with them. Leadership turns out to be a very delicate balance between action-orientation and perspective-taking. Too much of one rarely works.

4. Why have some companies simplified the process of education in the workplace down to product knowledge?

It's easier -- and they know how to do it. Plain and simple.

5. You are one of the most recognized business authors of our time yet you always make time to respond to your readers. How do you balance this?

Hmmm. I'll resist my lawyerly instinct to disagree with your premise and instead thank you for the overly generous assessment. On the matter of responding to readers, it's not all that complex. First, I like it. I learn a heckuva lot from readers and I always appreciate hearing from them. Second, it's the right thing to do. If someone spends 10 or 15 dollars and several hours of their time reading one of my books, the least I can do is spend zero dollars and five minutes of my time responding to their question. To me, what's weird is that everybody doesn't do this.

To find out more on all things Pink visit: http://www.danpink.com/

Don't Forget to Remember!

- Dave

The Joy of Competition

It's Tournament time.....64 teams will battle it out for one spot. Countless hours in the gym, unlimited potential and an uncertain future all come down to one game at a time - win or go home!

In business, I always look to competitive people with admiration because they place higher standards upon themselves than any boss or company will. Anyone who has been a Champion knows the thrill of preparing, doubting, overcoming and achieving....this is what business is all about.

Through sports, I learned to give all out effort for roughly 60 minutes and walked from many-a-gym with a trophy in my hand. The discipline, drive and system for preparation I learned on the field carried over well into my sales career.

The Danger of Competition: A game lasts an hour, a season a quarter, but a professional career will span 30 years. When we are used to putting our head down and funneling pure effort for 60 minutes our time to shine is clearly defined. We also know that we want to hit our peak condition just before the playoffs. In business, however, the season is not as clearly defined. Challenges arise without announcement and the need to strategically direct our unapologetic motivation becomes paramount.

"You need to slow down man!"...advice of a poor leader who could not handle my manic energy. The intent was right, but when your competitive drive is fueled by proving to the naysayers wrong...challenging convention becomes a way of life.

The Answer: As Leaders, we need to understand how to take effort, direct it toward strategy and produce results. Essentially, we have a group of athletes for whom we are creating a season's schedule. They are ready to compete; we just need to help them take that drive to run 100 yards and help them get there 10 yards at a time.

Here are a few tips for channeling competitive effort to produce results:

1. Set short term goals

2. Create the goal line and use long term goals to get there

3. Recognize even the slightest achievements along the way

4. When accomplishments become measurable - reward them!

5. Establish a next step for organizational advancement - and help them get there!

The Final Score: Never tell a competitive person to slow down - help them understand that winning together is far more meaningful to their effort than crossing the finish line alone.

LEAD...let those with you know that they are part of a team that will not accept a loss.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

References:

www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich