Two recommendations this month, both hitting in the critical area of "Marketing". Reality Marketing Revolution by Lieberman & Keiles is simple, basic, on point, action oriented and provides follow-thru suggestions with a Resources Directory. I loved the identified five questions the authors use with their clients to craft an effective marketing strategy:
1. What are the company's revenue goals over the next 12-18 months?
2. Who is the exact target audience that will purchase your service?
3. What pains and problems does this target market have when they purchase services like yours.
4. What solution does your company provide to cure those pains?
5. How are those solutions remarkable enough to start a buzz and set you apart from the competition?
This is a great, marketing guide for small to medium sized businesses.
My second pick is Inbound Marketing By Halligan, this is a must read and guaranteed to kick up your effectiveness at leveraging social media and blogs. This book is all about getting found online and driving business in to you! I've yet to read anything better out there on this critical topic to every business. Short on theory and long on action, that's how I like it and that's what Inbound marketing delivers. It will not only tell you why you should be more active in this relatively new frontier, but more importantly "HOW". Ever since reading it, my mind continues to race with ideas, we've put several things in place and know we have a long way to go before we have tapped the potential. I suspect Inbound Marketing will be used like a reference manual for us, and you, for at least the next year in order to leverage so many of the actions that Halligan shares. The internet has the potential to be a game changer for our companies and our sales forces. Once you've read just 30 pages of Inbound Marketing, you will be salivating over the potential and begin putting in place action items to get business coming to you!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Inspect the Baskets
This is an activity, that if done at least monthly, will in it's own right add increased business to your bottom line. So, let's take a look.
Every sales professional should be maintaining three baskets of business:
1. Prospects
2. Customers
3. Clients
Prospects are people/firms that aren't currently doing business with us, but we sure wish they were. Customers are those firms/people who buy from us occasionally but not regularly. Clients are the very best-those people/firms that do business with us regularly and ongoing. The Sales Professional's goal should be to build a clientele. We then call this working smarter, not harder. In fact, the top sales performers tend to work with less people and trade off of their relationships.
So, back to inspecting the baskets. For a starter, each sales person should identify the top twenty in each of the three baskets and inspect what stands in the way of winning over their business, and what actions are being taken to winning them over. Once we are solidly reviewing the Top Twenty, we suggest adding another twenty, and so forth. Over the years, what we have experienced is the age old things that get measured, get done. Do this on a regular basis, and watch your business grow!
Every sales professional should be maintaining three baskets of business:
1. Prospects
2. Customers
3. Clients
Prospects are people/firms that aren't currently doing business with us, but we sure wish they were. Customers are those firms/people who buy from us occasionally but not regularly. Clients are the very best-those people/firms that do business with us regularly and ongoing. The Sales Professional's goal should be to build a clientele. We then call this working smarter, not harder. In fact, the top sales performers tend to work with less people and trade off of their relationships.
So, back to inspecting the baskets. For a starter, each sales person should identify the top twenty in each of the three baskets and inspect what stands in the way of winning over their business, and what actions are being taken to winning them over. Once we are solidly reviewing the Top Twenty, we suggest adding another twenty, and so forth. Over the years, what we have experienced is the age old things that get measured, get done. Do this on a regular basis, and watch your business grow!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
We Are All in Sales
Airlines losing money, as normal course of biz.
I recently sat on a flight that was 30 minutes past departure time, and there was zero communication to the passangers (also known as customers, the people who create the revenue). 4 flight attendants were standing 3 rows up from me in the bulkhead, having a jolly good time with one another, catching up with who knows what.
Meanwhile, the customers (many who missed connections the previous day due to weather and were anxious to get on to their destinations) are ignored. I wondered if the owners/managers of the business were present if the flight attendants behavior would have been different?
What if the flight attendants were outside their business and were now the customers, being ignored by the store they were considering shopping in. Would it affect their purchasing attitude? Would they share their negative experience? Is it any wonder the airlines as an industry are losing money?
So, now, let's look to your business. What messages are the people in your company sending to their customers on a regular basis? Create a system to ensure you know regularly and that all can be consistently aware.
We are all in sales, just don't realize it enough.
I recently sat on a flight that was 30 minutes past departure time, and there was zero communication to the passangers (also known as customers, the people who create the revenue). 4 flight attendants were standing 3 rows up from me in the bulkhead, having a jolly good time with one another, catching up with who knows what.
Meanwhile, the customers (many who missed connections the previous day due to weather and were anxious to get on to their destinations) are ignored. I wondered if the owners/managers of the business were present if the flight attendants behavior would have been different?
What if the flight attendants were outside their business and were now the customers, being ignored by the store they were considering shopping in. Would it affect their purchasing attitude? Would they share their negative experience? Is it any wonder the airlines as an industry are losing money?
So, now, let's look to your business. What messages are the people in your company sending to their customers on a regular basis? Create a system to ensure you know regularly and that all can be consistently aware.
We are all in sales, just don't realize it enough.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Test the System
How bad is the economy? Imagine trying to make a reservation for a hotel room at 9pm in the evening for a date 2 months out and being told to call back tomorrow at 8am when "reservations" is open! When I laughed and said I had never heard of such a thing, the hotel rep asked "what?". I said that I never heard of a business telling a customer to go away, she replied she wasn't doing that, just to "call back tomorrow after 8am".
Is this what the owner had in mind? Could the person on the line have asked for my contact info to followup that I didn't go elsewhere?
Here's the icing on the cake. When I related the story to my wife, she said she runs into it "all the time".
This is all happening when unemployment is north of 10% and the economic news is reported as dismal. I know 10 year old kids who are more enterprising!
Lesson: check what's being said regularly by your team with the customer. Be a customer and "test the system". Are you welcoming business or sending it away?
Opportunity!!
Is this what the owner had in mind? Could the person on the line have asked for my contact info to followup that I didn't go elsewhere?
Here's the icing on the cake. When I related the story to my wife, she said she runs into it "all the time".
This is all happening when unemployment is north of 10% and the economic news is reported as dismal. I know 10 year old kids who are more enterprising!
Lesson: check what's being said regularly by your team with the customer. Be a customer and "test the system". Are you welcoming business or sending it away?
Opportunity!!
Friday, January 15, 2010
YEAR IN REVIEW-2009-JACK DALY
For those of you new to this process, this is an annual summary and reflection of my year, similar to a year-end report on business to a Board of Directors, however this focuses on the personal side of my life. Thanks go out to many of you for your support and in some cases joining in the journey, as I attempt to enjoy life to the max. Enjoy this “look back” at 2009.
Adjusting to “the unexpected” is one of the great challenges we all face in pursuing our goals each year. 2009 surely presented “the unexpected” to me, as I began the year recovering from surgery for a broken elbow via a road bike crash, then in the second quarter I suffered another bike crash (must need training wheels), in which I broke some ribs, my collarbone and suffered a concussion requiring 17 stitches. Nonetheless, adjustments in scheduling were made and for the most part, desired goals were accomplished. Here’s the tale of the tape.
BALANCE: Given my life avocation as a professional speaker, most of my work requires travel away from home. By pre-planning and tracking where I sleep, I can better regulate how often I’m out of town on business and make sure life is not all work (regardless of how much I love doing what I’m doing!).
SLEEP NIGHTS
09 goal 09 act 08 goal 08 act 07 goal 07 act 2010 GOAL
Business 123 101 120 132 130 140 129
Home 100 175 138 141 130 132 157
Fun 111 78 78 83 65 77 80
Desert 31 11 30 10 40 16 0
For the first time in years of measuring sleep nights, the year experienced wide variances. Several factors were contributors, and in summary the variances reflect an overall positive. Due to increased (and desirable) international travel, we were not using our second home in La Quinta. During 2009, we successfully leased it out and shifted the planned “desert” nights into “home” nights. Additionally, the combo of the business recession of 2009 resulted in about a 20% reduction in “business” nights, again shifting to more “home” nights. The additional nights at home were a real treat, and our 2010 goals reflect such. Having business nights somewhere between 120-130 and fun nights around 80, will result in home nights of approx 160. A good balance!
HEALTH/FITNESS: This is a big component in my goals and life, both because of the enjoyment I derive from the myriad of activities and the in tandem benefits accrued to me in good health. Despite the two bike accidents, the news was quite positive here.
09 goal 09 act 08 goal 08 act 07 goal 07 act 2010 GOAL
Workout days 200 254 200 182 0 204 250
Wine days 150-200 178 150-200 173 150-200 176 150-200
Workout days exceeded plan by 27%, despite the bike accidents. As such, and with the goal in 2010 to qualify for Ironman Hawaii, have set 2010 goal at 250 workout days. I do like my wine, and without some type of “governor, I would probably be drinking a bottle a day. So, I strive to have more workout days than wine days and must be at a weight of <190 to partake. For all years reported, wine days have been < workout days and consistent year to year at approx 175 days. That works!
Run 96 hr/480 mile 102/585 96/480 93/517 -93/531 100/600
Bike 144 hr/2160 m 222/3903 144/2160 149/2385 - 148/2393 220/3300
Swim 70 hr/200k yds 76/218k 100/200k 73/204k - 104/286k 70/200k
1 Ironman, 1 Half Ironman, 4 Olympic triathlons, 2 Marathons (both new states, making it 26 states on goal of all 50 by 2016). This compares with 2008 of 2 Ironmans, 1 Half Ironman, 4 Olympic triathlons, 4 Marathons, 3 Half Marathons. In 2007, it was 1 Ironman, 3 Half Ironmans, 3 Olympic triathlons, 4 Marathons and 2 Half marathons.
Strength workouts were begun in 2008 with 21, but started late that year and interrupted by bike injury. Despite bike injury in 2009, strength workouts came in at 93 against a plan of 96. Goal for 2010 set at 96. Total exercise hours logged were 502 for 2009, outperforming 2008’s 324 by 55%. The 502 hours based on a 40 hour “workweek” comes out to be approx 12 weeks. Weight started and finished the year at 187, and stayed between 185-189 year round, same as in 2008. All doctor visits were conducted according to plan. Water intake and flossing all achieved daily.
Feel terrific about the “health goals” in total, again given the bike crashes. Feel short of the “state marathons” target of 4, only getting 2 in. This goal becomes exceedingly more difficult, with states remaining holding less marathons, states are not normally visited and challenged by many calendar commitments for intl travel and business gigs. Extra effort will be required here going forward.
FAMILY/GRANDPARENTING FROM AFAR
All targeted visits with Grandson Malcolm were accomplished, approx one per quarter. Additionally, had a bonus week of him visiting California for a week at the beach. As well, several visits with other family members, including special birthday celebrations during at week at Cabo-Adam at 30, Marie and Valerie at 45 and me at 60 (Francine celebrated 50, but couldn’t make the trip). Valerie and family visited us at the beach for a week, lifelong friends Rick & Kathy a week in Hawaii and Christmas with Malcolm and parents and son Adam in Charlottesville, VA for a white Christmas. Sister Valerie had her first Half Ironman with me and many other friends in Austin and son-in-law Nathan, Valerie and hubby Jim all joined in at Philly/DC Olympic triathlons. Trumping it all was Bonnie & I celebrating our 40th wedding Anniversary on December 27-WOW!!
TRAVEL
After a very ambitious world travel schedule in 2008 and the incidence of my bike crashes as well as being “homesick”, we made an early in the year decision to back off some of our planned travel in 2009 and enjoy the comforts of home. Upon reflection, it was one of our best decisions of the year. Still, we enjoyed Cabo for a week, about a month in Australia/New Zealand, and 10 days in Hawaii. We added several weeks enjoying the beach right here in San Clemente-delightful! (India, China and a Mediterranean cruise were benched for other years). 2010 looks to be shaping up as a big and fun international travel year, with Barcelona, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Whistler, Montreal, South Africa, the UK, Amsterdam and Hawaii all looking to be probable.
GOLF
Given the emphasis I’ve now placed on the triathlon sport, golf has taken a seat far back in priority than what it was previously. My goal of playing the Top 100 courses in the USA remains intact, however I am still at 79 with no courses picked up in 2009. Given existing domestic travel schedule, looking at several opportunities in 2010. Played a total of 16 rounds in 2009, compared to 32 rounds in 2008, 24 in 2007 and 50 in 2006. Golf index stuck at 12 due to infrequent play, realistically playing bogey golf. Continue to be in search of my first hole-in-one!
MISC
GOT continues to be a moving event each year. Costa Mesa house continues to be well run by son Adam and wills/trusts all redone and updated. Hang glide and race car activities backburned to 2010 due to bike crashes. Application for Amazing Race to be filed in 2010. Reinstituted Red Cross platelets donations now that India travel is behind me, and donated 4 times in second half of 2009, more targeted in 2010. Given my wife Bonnie’s great cooking, we set a minimum target of 113 home-cooked meals to be eaten at home in 2009, and the actual came in at 115-what a plan! Only 97 are planned for 2010, due to extensive intl travel. Read 26 books vs plan of 24, same as in 2008. Watched 69 movies vs plan of 48, compared to 74 in 2008 (lots more movies recovering from bike crashes!).
SUMMARY OVERALL
The theme of the year was “physically fit, productive and balanced with FUN! I claim the year (just as last year) - Mission Accomplished! Thanks to all who either helped me along the way and/or joined us along the way in our journey thru life. Bring on 2010 for many more memorable times!
For those of you new to this process, this is an annual summary and reflection of my year, similar to a year-end report on business to a Board of Directors, however this focuses on the personal side of my life. Thanks go out to many of you for your support and in some cases joining in the journey, as I attempt to enjoy life to the max. Enjoy this “look back” at 2009.
Adjusting to “the unexpected” is one of the great challenges we all face in pursuing our goals each year. 2009 surely presented “the unexpected” to me, as I began the year recovering from surgery for a broken elbow via a road bike crash, then in the second quarter I suffered another bike crash (must need training wheels), in which I broke some ribs, my collarbone and suffered a concussion requiring 17 stitches. Nonetheless, adjustments in scheduling were made and for the most part, desired goals were accomplished. Here’s the tale of the tape.
BALANCE: Given my life avocation as a professional speaker, most of my work requires travel away from home. By pre-planning and tracking where I sleep, I can better regulate how often I’m out of town on business and make sure life is not all work (regardless of how much I love doing what I’m doing!).
SLEEP NIGHTS
09 goal 09 act 08 goal 08 act 07 goal 07 act 2010 GOAL
Business 123 101 120 132 130 140 129
Home 100 175 138 141 130 132 157
Fun 111 78 78 83 65 77 80
Desert 31 11 30 10 40 16 0
For the first time in years of measuring sleep nights, the year experienced wide variances. Several factors were contributors, and in summary the variances reflect an overall positive. Due to increased (and desirable) international travel, we were not using our second home in La Quinta. During 2009, we successfully leased it out and shifted the planned “desert” nights into “home” nights. Additionally, the combo of the business recession of 2009 resulted in about a 20% reduction in “business” nights, again shifting to more “home” nights. The additional nights at home were a real treat, and our 2010 goals reflect such. Having business nights somewhere between 120-130 and fun nights around 80, will result in home nights of approx 160. A good balance!
HEALTH/FITNESS: This is a big component in my goals and life, both because of the enjoyment I derive from the myriad of activities and the in tandem benefits accrued to me in good health. Despite the two bike accidents, the news was quite positive here.
09 goal 09 act 08 goal 08 act 07 goal 07 act 2010 GOAL
Workout days 200 254 200 182 0 204 250
Wine days 150-200 178 150-200 173 150-200 176 150-200
Workout days exceeded plan by 27%, despite the bike accidents. As such, and with the goal in 2010 to qualify for Ironman Hawaii, have set 2010 goal at 250 workout days. I do like my wine, and without some type of “governor, I would probably be drinking a bottle a day. So, I strive to have more workout days than wine days and must be at a weight of <190 to partake. For all years reported, wine days have been < workout days and consistent year to year at approx 175 days. That works!
Run 96 hr/480 mile 102/585 96/480 93/517 -93/531 100/600
Bike 144 hr/2160 m 222/3903 144/2160 149/2385 - 148/2393 220/3300
Swim 70 hr/200k yds 76/218k 100/200k 73/204k - 104/286k 70/200k
1 Ironman, 1 Half Ironman, 4 Olympic triathlons, 2 Marathons (both new states, making it 26 states on goal of all 50 by 2016). This compares with 2008 of 2 Ironmans, 1 Half Ironman, 4 Olympic triathlons, 4 Marathons, 3 Half Marathons. In 2007, it was 1 Ironman, 3 Half Ironmans, 3 Olympic triathlons, 4 Marathons and 2 Half marathons.
Strength workouts were begun in 2008 with 21, but started late that year and interrupted by bike injury. Despite bike injury in 2009, strength workouts came in at 93 against a plan of 96. Goal for 2010 set at 96. Total exercise hours logged were 502 for 2009, outperforming 2008’s 324 by 55%. The 502 hours based on a 40 hour “workweek” comes out to be approx 12 weeks. Weight started and finished the year at 187, and stayed between 185-189 year round, same as in 2008. All doctor visits were conducted according to plan. Water intake and flossing all achieved daily.
Feel terrific about the “health goals” in total, again given the bike crashes. Feel short of the “state marathons” target of 4, only getting 2 in. This goal becomes exceedingly more difficult, with states remaining holding less marathons, states are not normally visited and challenged by many calendar commitments for intl travel and business gigs. Extra effort will be required here going forward.
FAMILY/GRANDPARENTING FROM AFAR
All targeted visits with Grandson Malcolm were accomplished, approx one per quarter. Additionally, had a bonus week of him visiting California for a week at the beach. As well, several visits with other family members, including special birthday celebrations during at week at Cabo-Adam at 30, Marie and Valerie at 45 and me at 60 (Francine celebrated 50, but couldn’t make the trip). Valerie and family visited us at the beach for a week, lifelong friends Rick & Kathy a week in Hawaii and Christmas with Malcolm and parents and son Adam in Charlottesville, VA for a white Christmas. Sister Valerie had her first Half Ironman with me and many other friends in Austin and son-in-law Nathan, Valerie and hubby Jim all joined in at Philly/DC Olympic triathlons. Trumping it all was Bonnie & I celebrating our 40th wedding Anniversary on December 27-WOW!!
TRAVEL
After a very ambitious world travel schedule in 2008 and the incidence of my bike crashes as well as being “homesick”, we made an early in the year decision to back off some of our planned travel in 2009 and enjoy the comforts of home. Upon reflection, it was one of our best decisions of the year. Still, we enjoyed Cabo for a week, about a month in Australia/New Zealand, and 10 days in Hawaii. We added several weeks enjoying the beach right here in San Clemente-delightful! (India, China and a Mediterranean cruise were benched for other years). 2010 looks to be shaping up as a big and fun international travel year, with Barcelona, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Whistler, Montreal, South Africa, the UK, Amsterdam and Hawaii all looking to be probable.
GOLF
Given the emphasis I’ve now placed on the triathlon sport, golf has taken a seat far back in priority than what it was previously. My goal of playing the Top 100 courses in the USA remains intact, however I am still at 79 with no courses picked up in 2009. Given existing domestic travel schedule, looking at several opportunities in 2010. Played a total of 16 rounds in 2009, compared to 32 rounds in 2008, 24 in 2007 and 50 in 2006. Golf index stuck at 12 due to infrequent play, realistically playing bogey golf. Continue to be in search of my first hole-in-one!
MISC
GOT continues to be a moving event each year. Costa Mesa house continues to be well run by son Adam and wills/trusts all redone and updated. Hang glide and race car activities backburned to 2010 due to bike crashes. Application for Amazing Race to be filed in 2010. Reinstituted Red Cross platelets donations now that India travel is behind me, and donated 4 times in second half of 2009, more targeted in 2010. Given my wife Bonnie’s great cooking, we set a minimum target of 113 home-cooked meals to be eaten at home in 2009, and the actual came in at 115-what a plan! Only 97 are planned for 2010, due to extensive intl travel. Read 26 books vs plan of 24, same as in 2008. Watched 69 movies vs plan of 48, compared to 74 in 2008 (lots more movies recovering from bike crashes!).
SUMMARY OVERALL
The theme of the year was “physically fit, productive and balanced with FUN! I claim the year (just as last year) - Mission Accomplished! Thanks to all who either helped me along the way and/or joined us along the way in our journey thru life. Bring on 2010 for many more memorable times!
Monday, December 7, 2009
2010 GOALS
THEME: Physically fit, productive and balanced with FUN!
(1. Speak 2.Travel to speak 3.Fun)
A. FAMILY
1. Bonnie 2. Melissa/Nathan/Malcolm 3. Adam 4. Extended family: birthdays, vacations, recognition.
B. HEALTH
1. Weigh 187 or less, year round (1)
2. Body fat 19% or less
3. No wine unless <190 (4 free days per month): Then, weekends, vacations and special events only
4. Workouts 5 times a week/250 a year
5. Marathons: 4 per year in quest of 50 states goal set in 2004, finish 2016 (thru 2009, 26 states completed)
-2/7 Surf City, CA
-5/2 Vancouver, BC
-8/22 Pikes Peak, CO
- 3 more as opportunities present
6. Ironman and Marathon in all 7 continents in 7 years- finish 2014 (2)
(4 Ironmans on 3 continents completed thru 2009)
7. Ironman Brazil 5/31; qualify for Hawaii
8. Ironman World Championship-Hawaii 10/9
9. Triathlons various
- 3/27 Oceanside 70.3
- 6/27 Philly Olympic
- 8/29 Chicago Olympic
- 9/26 Mission Viejo Olympic
-10/17 Austin 70.3
10. Swim yards 230,000/ 75 hours
11. Run 8 hours month/100 year/600 miles year
12. Bike 18 hours month/220 hours year/275 miles mo/3300 miles year
13. Strength/weights workouts 8 month/96 year
14. 100 crunches daily
15. Pushups by quarter: Daily- 10/20/20/30
16. Pikes Peak Summit 8/22
17. Blood platelets donation 5x year
18. Doctors: Medical June; Dentist Feb/June/Oct; Eyes June; Skin Mar/ Sep
19. Colonoscopy
20. Floss daily
21. Water/half gallon/daily
C. QUALITY OF LIFE: TRAVEL/VACATIONS
1. Barcelona Feb 21-26
2. Vancouver/Whistler Apr 29-May 2
3. Brazil May 20-31
4. Montreal Jun 15-20
5. Australia/NZ Jul 17-31
6. South Africa Sep 1-11
7. UK Sep 12-16
8. Amsterdam Sep 17-20
9. Hawaii Oct 4-11
D. VISITS WITH MELISSA/NATHAN/MALCOLM (3)
1. Mar 5-8 Charlottesville
2. Mar 26-Apr 4 San Clemente
3. Jun 25-28 Philly
4. Oct 4-11 Hawaii
5. Dec 23-27 Charlottesville Christmas
E. QUALITY OF LIFE – GOLF
1. Index 12 or below
2. 18 rounds
3. Pursue Top 100 – goal set in 2000/ 79 complete thru 2009
Possible opportunities:
1/12 Jacksonville, Fl
1/15 Rhodes, Iowa
1/22 Las Vegas
3/28 Scottsdale, AZ
8/10-11 Los Angeles
8/25-27 Green Bay, WI
10/12-13 Chicago, IL
10/15 Austin
11/30-12/1 Detroit, MI
12/14-15 North Carolina
F. EVENTS
1. Bonnie 60th Bday – April
2. African Safari – Sep
3. GOT – April
4. Race car Richard Petty
5. Hanglide
6. Holiday Party – Jan
7. Four wine tasting dinners @ house
8. Presidential Libraries: 6/13 complete
9. Apply for Amazing Race
G. HOUSEHOLD
1. LaQuinta house rental
2. Costa Mesa house rental
3. Investment Mgmt review 3x year
H. BALANCE/ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Manage/monitor sleep nights
Qtr 1 2 3 4 Total
Biz 35 25 33 36 129
Hom 46 35 37 39 157
Fun 9 32 22 17 80
Total 90 92 92 92 366
Meals-H 30 20 22 25 97
2. Books 24 year/ 2 month
3. Magazines 14 month
4. Movies 48 year/ 4 month
5. Daily paper
I. FOOTNOTES
1. A few goals specifically identified as:
- (1) non-negotiable
- (2) most difficult
- (3) most important
2. Send 4+ letters/notes per year to someone who made a difference in my life-thank them and let them know.
(1. Speak 2.Travel to speak 3.Fun)
A. FAMILY
1. Bonnie 2. Melissa/Nathan/Malcolm 3. Adam 4. Extended family: birthdays, vacations, recognition.
B. HEALTH
1. Weigh 187 or less, year round (1)
2. Body fat 19% or less
3. No wine unless <190 (4 free days per month): Then, weekends, vacations and special events only
4. Workouts 5 times a week/250 a year
5. Marathons: 4 per year in quest of 50 states goal set in 2004, finish 2016 (thru 2009, 26 states completed)
-2/7 Surf City, CA
-5/2 Vancouver, BC
-8/22 Pikes Peak, CO
- 3 more as opportunities present
6. Ironman and Marathon in all 7 continents in 7 years- finish 2014 (2)
(4 Ironmans on 3 continents completed thru 2009)
7. Ironman Brazil 5/31; qualify for Hawaii
8. Ironman World Championship-Hawaii 10/9
9. Triathlons various
- 3/27 Oceanside 70.3
- 6/27 Philly Olympic
- 8/29 Chicago Olympic
- 9/26 Mission Viejo Olympic
-10/17 Austin 70.3
10. Swim yards 230,000/ 75 hours
11. Run 8 hours month/100 year/600 miles year
12. Bike 18 hours month/220 hours year/275 miles mo/3300 miles year
13. Strength/weights workouts 8 month/96 year
14. 100 crunches daily
15. Pushups by quarter: Daily- 10/20/20/30
16. Pikes Peak Summit 8/22
17. Blood platelets donation 5x year
18. Doctors: Medical June; Dentist Feb/June/Oct; Eyes June; Skin Mar/ Sep
19. Colonoscopy
20. Floss daily
21. Water/half gallon/daily
C. QUALITY OF LIFE: TRAVEL/VACATIONS
1. Barcelona Feb 21-26
2. Vancouver/Whistler Apr 29-May 2
3. Brazil May 20-31
4. Montreal Jun 15-20
5. Australia/NZ Jul 17-31
6. South Africa Sep 1-11
7. UK Sep 12-16
8. Amsterdam Sep 17-20
9. Hawaii Oct 4-11
D. VISITS WITH MELISSA/NATHAN/MALCOLM (3)
1. Mar 5-8 Charlottesville
2. Mar 26-Apr 4 San Clemente
3. Jun 25-28 Philly
4. Oct 4-11 Hawaii
5. Dec 23-27 Charlottesville Christmas
E. QUALITY OF LIFE – GOLF
1. Index 12 or below
2. 18 rounds
3. Pursue Top 100 – goal set in 2000/ 79 complete thru 2009
Possible opportunities:
1/12 Jacksonville, Fl
1/15 Rhodes, Iowa
1/22 Las Vegas
3/28 Scottsdale, AZ
8/10-11 Los Angeles
8/25-27 Green Bay, WI
10/12-13 Chicago, IL
10/15 Austin
11/30-12/1 Detroit, MI
12/14-15 North Carolina
F. EVENTS
1. Bonnie 60th Bday – April
2. African Safari – Sep
3. GOT – April
4. Race car Richard Petty
5. Hanglide
6. Holiday Party – Jan
7. Four wine tasting dinners @ house
8. Presidential Libraries: 6/13 complete
9. Apply for Amazing Race
G. HOUSEHOLD
1. LaQuinta house rental
2. Costa Mesa house rental
3. Investment Mgmt review 3x year
H. BALANCE/ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Manage/monitor sleep nights
Qtr 1 2 3 4 Total
Biz 35 25 33 36 129
Hom 46 35 37 39 157
Fun 9 32 22 17 80
Total 90 92 92 92 366
Meals-H 30 20 22 25 97
2. Books 24 year/ 2 month
3. Magazines 14 month
4. Movies 48 year/ 4 month
5. Daily paper
I. FOOTNOTES
1. A few goals specifically identified as:
- (1) non-negotiable
- (2) most difficult
- (3) most important
2. Send 4+ letters/notes per year to someone who made a difference in my life-thank them and let them know.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Management Lessons on an Aircraft Carrier at Sea
I thought everyone that reads my blog would be interested in the post below....
Subject: Top Ten Lessons from the USN: Management Lessons on an Aircraft Carrier at Sea From the net.courtesy of CHINFO News Clips, by Guy Kawasaki, June 10
This is a guest post by Bill Reichert, my colleague at Garage Technology Ventures. He and I recently joined other bloggers for an overnight trip on the USS Nimitz. The USS Nimitz is an aircraft carrier that's named after Chester Nimitz (Nimitz signed the US/Japan surrender terms that at the end of World War II). The Nimitz has a crew of approximately 3,000 men and women. When an air wing is deployed on it, the total number of personnel becomes 5,000. It is part of Carrier Strike Group 11.
Very few people have the opportunity to experience life on a nuclear aircraft carrier up close and personal. Recently, I had the extraordinary experience of spending a day and a night at sea in the Pacific on board the USS Nimitz. I was part of a Navy outreach program to give ordinary landlubbers like me a perspective on the mission and operations of a naval strike group.
I was excited. Who would turn down a chance to get on top of a nuclear power plant driving 100,000 tons of steel through the ocean, with 5,000 men and women handling scores of aircraft, carrying thousands of pounds of bombs and missiles, burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel a day, with margins measured in inches, and tolerances of seconds?
What could possibly go wrong? As a Prius-driving, granola-eating, anti-gun, Left-Coast Californian, I do not fit the stereotype of the typical armed forces booster. I am inclined to favor green technology over weapons of mass destruction. But I discovered during my visit that many of us who are working in non-military organizations, and who may not have given a second thought to the Navy as a model, would do well to understand how a small city floating on the ocean works. From startup entrepreneurs to seasoned executives, we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy, from the enlisted men and women as well as from the commanding officers.
When we got to the Naval Air Station on Coronado Island in San Diego, we received a quick slide presentation before we flew off to the Nimitz, a hundred miles or so off the coast. Then again, when we met with the admiral on the ship that evening, we got another slide presentation. There were five or six dot points on the power point slides outlining the mission of the Navy, but frankly I can't remember them all. All I can remember is the impression that, fundamentally, the mission of the U.S. Navy is to make the world safe. It's a pretty ambitious objective. You may approve or disapprove of this as the best use of taxpayer money, but if you spend any time on a nuclear aircraft carrier, you have to admit they do a pretty impressive job.
During about thirty hours of immersion with sailors and pilots (and public affairs officers), I realized that were several principles at work that make the Navy so successful-principles that are not at all unique to running an aircraft carrier-representing important lessons for everyone interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, teamwork, and management:
Inspiration: Having a big, meaningful goal is a tremendous force for inspiration, motivation, and cohesion. The Navy's mission is not some vague, abstract, feel-good paragraph in a business plan; it is very concrete, and very easy to understand and internalize. In addition to defending America, fighting terrorists, and rescuing victims of piracy, the Navy takes enormous pride in their role in helping the tsunami victims in 2004, and in helping the Katrina victims in 2005.
While everyone I talked with had his or her own particular story, everyone had a distinct and powerful pride in what they had accomplished and in the people around them. It was frankly astounding. Even in the best organizations, in my experience, such a core consistency of pride is extremely rare. Of course, most organizations don't have a mission as inspirational as the U.S. Navy.
Perspiration: If everyone buys into the goal, you can get an amazing amount of work done, including regular sixteen hour days with very low pay. The Nimitz does not offer a 9-to-5 workday. Some days, crews are on the flight deck for fourteen or sixteen hours, into the wee hours of the morning, inhaling noxious fumes and making sure every plane gets back safely. And then after the planes get back at midnight, the maintenance crew is still at work making sure the planes are ready for the next day. A maintenance chief told me that, given the age of the planes and the stress of carrier flying, it is typical that a plane requires twenty-five hours of maintenance for every hour of flight time. That seems inefficient, but the alternative is unacceptable. You don't want to fly a plane that is anything less than 100 percent maintained.
Teamwork: As much as the movie Top Gun created the impression that it's about competing to be Number 1, the ethic in an actual operating situation is intensely about team performance. Watching the crews maintain, fuel, setup, and pilot F-18s for flight, it's clear it's not about who's the hottest dog on the deck. Every single person counts on other members of the team to enable them to get their part of the job done, and no one person can take credit for success, or benefit from another's failure.
Recruiting and training: There is a common misperception that the military attracts the lower performers in our society who have no other choices. The Navy is very fortunate to have more people who want to join than there are available slots. But more important, the men and women who make it through training are astoundingly competent people. The lesson here is that it's not about fancy degrees and prior polish; it's about a commitment to excellence in each individual, and the willingness to work to exhaustion to make sure you live up to your commitment.
Accountability and continuous improvement: There is no contradiction between an intense ethic of teamwork and the need for individual accountability. In the Navy, everything is monitored and measured.
Every system has to perform at 100 percent, and for every system there is a person responsible for making sure that happens. Every cycle of take-offs and landings is measured and scored. And every score is assessed to figure out a way to do it better. During launch cycles, the drill is to get a plane catapulted off the deck every sixty seconds. According to our hosts, during the training exercise we watched, the greatest variation off that was fifteen seconds. Wouldn't it be cool if O'Hare could match that?
Respect: In the Navy, if you don't like someone because of their race, or creed, or whatever, you have the opportunity to change your mind, because that person may be living in the bunk fourteen inches away from you. Respect isn't just an altruistic ethic, it's a necessity.
More so than any other institution, the U.S. military has been successful at integrating America's young men and women. I'm sure the Navy is not perfect in this regard, but when I looked around the bridge and saw the incredibly diverse team of men and women who were calmly, confidently, and competently running this multi-billion dollar acme of American technological accomplishment, I thought why can't all of America be more like this? Actually, most high tech companies are well integrated when it comes to race and creed (less so gender), but when it comes to respect among individuals, most organizations have a lot to learn.
Overcoming fear: On a busy aircraft carrier, there are a lot of things that happen that are really scary, and people die. Despite the macho prototype of the Navy pilot, in private these pilots admit that landing a jet on a moving carrier at night is a downright terrifying experience. Watching a series of jets land at night, you get the impression that it must be pretty easy, because they do it so well.
But it isn't easy, and even with years of practice and experience, it's nerve-wracking. And you do it, because it's your responsibility and that's the only way the mission gets accomplished.
Work/Life balance: It's hard to imagine how people in the military handle being away from their families for months at a time, in environments that are almost entirely work. It's clear that it is not easy for most. My impression is that the Navy tries to ease the strain by creating a work environment that is much looser and more casual than we expected. We thought the crew aboard the ship would be much more heavily starched than they were, and that the interactions between subordinates and superiors would be much stiffer. We were amazed at how relatively easygoing everyone was, considering that they were responsible for one of the most massive concentrations of firepower on the planet. When you are on the line, there is no slack, and there is no room for anything less than 100 percent. But when there is a break in the action, you can relax and be human.
Reverence and irreverence: The week before our visit, the Nimitz lost five crew in a helicopter accident. These were not strangers; these were co-workers and friends. Among the pilots, it seems that everyone has at least one story of a good friend who was lost. For these men and women, death is all too real. There are memorials around the ship to remind everyone of those who have given their lives in the service of their country. At the same time, there is an irreverence that pops up quite frequently, sometimes when you wouldn't expect it. The captain, in welcoming us, referred to the aircraft carrier as being "kind of like a jail, except there's the possibility of drowning." Not exactly what you would expect to hear. And the whole call sign culture-pilots with nicknames like "Freak Show" and "Booger," to make sure no one takes themselves too seriously and everyone appreciates that even the best of the best are human.
One-hundred percent performance: From moment to moment, the operations on board a nuclear aircraft carrier expose the crew to an extraordinary degree of danger. A simple mistake can result in death, and much of what is being done on the ship and in the air is not at all simple. But they make it look simple. We watched scores of planes take off and land on a moving platform without a hitch. The key is training, training, training, and total focus and dedication when you are on the line. The activity on the flight deck looks a little random and pretty informal-no stiff spines or tight formations. But in the end, you realize you've watched an amazingly choreographed ballet, with an underlying intelligence and efficiency that comes from a lot of people working together to optimize the total performance of the organization.
Those are my top ten lessons from the U.S. Navy. Some of my colleagues on the trip have some additional perspectives to add. (You can see links to their travelogues below.) But all of us discovered that we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy.
Certainly the Navy is not perfect. As in any organization, there are egos and frustrations and resentments. And people make mistakes, and bad things happen. Not everyone agrees with every decision made up the chain of command, or back in Washington, DC. The Navy understands that it is not well-served by squashing free thought, but everyone in the Navy appreciates that there is a time and a place for debate, and the deal is that you are signed up to do what the organization needs you to do once you are on the line.
Not every entrepreneur wants to model his or her organization and culture on the Navy. For many entrepreneurs, indeed, that is a very unappealing concept, but that's because they don't really understand what makes the Navy one of the most effective organizations on the planet. Like any other successful organization, it's about the people, not about the technology. The key is harnessing the incredible potential of every individual through inspiration, training, and teamwork.
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Not bad principles for any company.
Subject: Top Ten Lessons from the USN: Management Lessons on an Aircraft Carrier at Sea From the net.courtesy of CHINFO News Clips, by Guy Kawasaki, June 10
This is a guest post by Bill Reichert, my colleague at Garage Technology Ventures. He and I recently joined other bloggers for an overnight trip on the USS Nimitz. The USS Nimitz is an aircraft carrier that's named after Chester Nimitz (Nimitz signed the US/Japan surrender terms that at the end of World War II). The Nimitz has a crew of approximately 3,000 men and women. When an air wing is deployed on it, the total number of personnel becomes 5,000. It is part of Carrier Strike Group 11.
Very few people have the opportunity to experience life on a nuclear aircraft carrier up close and personal. Recently, I had the extraordinary experience of spending a day and a night at sea in the Pacific on board the USS Nimitz. I was part of a Navy outreach program to give ordinary landlubbers like me a perspective on the mission and operations of a naval strike group.
I was excited. Who would turn down a chance to get on top of a nuclear power plant driving 100,000 tons of steel through the ocean, with 5,000 men and women handling scores of aircraft, carrying thousands of pounds of bombs and missiles, burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel a day, with margins measured in inches, and tolerances of seconds?
What could possibly go wrong? As a Prius-driving, granola-eating, anti-gun, Left-Coast Californian, I do not fit the stereotype of the typical armed forces booster. I am inclined to favor green technology over weapons of mass destruction. But I discovered during my visit that many of us who are working in non-military organizations, and who may not have given a second thought to the Navy as a model, would do well to understand how a small city floating on the ocean works. From startup entrepreneurs to seasoned executives, we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy, from the enlisted men and women as well as from the commanding officers.
When we got to the Naval Air Station on Coronado Island in San Diego, we received a quick slide presentation before we flew off to the Nimitz, a hundred miles or so off the coast. Then again, when we met with the admiral on the ship that evening, we got another slide presentation. There were five or six dot points on the power point slides outlining the mission of the Navy, but frankly I can't remember them all. All I can remember is the impression that, fundamentally, the mission of the U.S. Navy is to make the world safe. It's a pretty ambitious objective. You may approve or disapprove of this as the best use of taxpayer money, but if you spend any time on a nuclear aircraft carrier, you have to admit they do a pretty impressive job.
During about thirty hours of immersion with sailors and pilots (and public affairs officers), I realized that were several principles at work that make the Navy so successful-principles that are not at all unique to running an aircraft carrier-representing important lessons for everyone interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, teamwork, and management:
Inspiration: Having a big, meaningful goal is a tremendous force for inspiration, motivation, and cohesion. The Navy's mission is not some vague, abstract, feel-good paragraph in a business plan; it is very concrete, and very easy to understand and internalize. In addition to defending America, fighting terrorists, and rescuing victims of piracy, the Navy takes enormous pride in their role in helping the tsunami victims in 2004, and in helping the Katrina victims in 2005.
While everyone I talked with had his or her own particular story, everyone had a distinct and powerful pride in what they had accomplished and in the people around them. It was frankly astounding. Even in the best organizations, in my experience, such a core consistency of pride is extremely rare. Of course, most organizations don't have a mission as inspirational as the U.S. Navy.
Perspiration: If everyone buys into the goal, you can get an amazing amount of work done, including regular sixteen hour days with very low pay. The Nimitz does not offer a 9-to-5 workday. Some days, crews are on the flight deck for fourteen or sixteen hours, into the wee hours of the morning, inhaling noxious fumes and making sure every plane gets back safely. And then after the planes get back at midnight, the maintenance crew is still at work making sure the planes are ready for the next day. A maintenance chief told me that, given the age of the planes and the stress of carrier flying, it is typical that a plane requires twenty-five hours of maintenance for every hour of flight time. That seems inefficient, but the alternative is unacceptable. You don't want to fly a plane that is anything less than 100 percent maintained.
Teamwork: As much as the movie Top Gun created the impression that it's about competing to be Number 1, the ethic in an actual operating situation is intensely about team performance. Watching the crews maintain, fuel, setup, and pilot F-18s for flight, it's clear it's not about who's the hottest dog on the deck. Every single person counts on other members of the team to enable them to get their part of the job done, and no one person can take credit for success, or benefit from another's failure.
Recruiting and training: There is a common misperception that the military attracts the lower performers in our society who have no other choices. The Navy is very fortunate to have more people who want to join than there are available slots. But more important, the men and women who make it through training are astoundingly competent people. The lesson here is that it's not about fancy degrees and prior polish; it's about a commitment to excellence in each individual, and the willingness to work to exhaustion to make sure you live up to your commitment.
Accountability and continuous improvement: There is no contradiction between an intense ethic of teamwork and the need for individual accountability. In the Navy, everything is monitored and measured.
Every system has to perform at 100 percent, and for every system there is a person responsible for making sure that happens. Every cycle of take-offs and landings is measured and scored. And every score is assessed to figure out a way to do it better. During launch cycles, the drill is to get a plane catapulted off the deck every sixty seconds. According to our hosts, during the training exercise we watched, the greatest variation off that was fifteen seconds. Wouldn't it be cool if O'Hare could match that?
Respect: In the Navy, if you don't like someone because of their race, or creed, or whatever, you have the opportunity to change your mind, because that person may be living in the bunk fourteen inches away from you. Respect isn't just an altruistic ethic, it's a necessity.
More so than any other institution, the U.S. military has been successful at integrating America's young men and women. I'm sure the Navy is not perfect in this regard, but when I looked around the bridge and saw the incredibly diverse team of men and women who were calmly, confidently, and competently running this multi-billion dollar acme of American technological accomplishment, I thought why can't all of America be more like this? Actually, most high tech companies are well integrated when it comes to race and creed (less so gender), but when it comes to respect among individuals, most organizations have a lot to learn.
Overcoming fear: On a busy aircraft carrier, there are a lot of things that happen that are really scary, and people die. Despite the macho prototype of the Navy pilot, in private these pilots admit that landing a jet on a moving carrier at night is a downright terrifying experience. Watching a series of jets land at night, you get the impression that it must be pretty easy, because they do it so well.
But it isn't easy, and even with years of practice and experience, it's nerve-wracking. And you do it, because it's your responsibility and that's the only way the mission gets accomplished.
Work/Life balance: It's hard to imagine how people in the military handle being away from their families for months at a time, in environments that are almost entirely work. It's clear that it is not easy for most. My impression is that the Navy tries to ease the strain by creating a work environment that is much looser and more casual than we expected. We thought the crew aboard the ship would be much more heavily starched than they were, and that the interactions between subordinates and superiors would be much stiffer. We were amazed at how relatively easygoing everyone was, considering that they were responsible for one of the most massive concentrations of firepower on the planet. When you are on the line, there is no slack, and there is no room for anything less than 100 percent. But when there is a break in the action, you can relax and be human.
Reverence and irreverence: The week before our visit, the Nimitz lost five crew in a helicopter accident. These were not strangers; these were co-workers and friends. Among the pilots, it seems that everyone has at least one story of a good friend who was lost. For these men and women, death is all too real. There are memorials around the ship to remind everyone of those who have given their lives in the service of their country. At the same time, there is an irreverence that pops up quite frequently, sometimes when you wouldn't expect it. The captain, in welcoming us, referred to the aircraft carrier as being "kind of like a jail, except there's the possibility of drowning." Not exactly what you would expect to hear. And the whole call sign culture-pilots with nicknames like "Freak Show" and "Booger," to make sure no one takes themselves too seriously and everyone appreciates that even the best of the best are human.
One-hundred percent performance: From moment to moment, the operations on board a nuclear aircraft carrier expose the crew to an extraordinary degree of danger. A simple mistake can result in death, and much of what is being done on the ship and in the air is not at all simple. But they make it look simple. We watched scores of planes take off and land on a moving platform without a hitch. The key is training, training, training, and total focus and dedication when you are on the line. The activity on the flight deck looks a little random and pretty informal-no stiff spines or tight formations. But in the end, you realize you've watched an amazingly choreographed ballet, with an underlying intelligence and efficiency that comes from a lot of people working together to optimize the total performance of the organization.
Those are my top ten lessons from the U.S. Navy. Some of my colleagues on the trip have some additional perspectives to add. (You can see links to their travelogues below.) But all of us discovered that we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy.
Certainly the Navy is not perfect. As in any organization, there are egos and frustrations and resentments. And people make mistakes, and bad things happen. Not everyone agrees with every decision made up the chain of command, or back in Washington, DC. The Navy understands that it is not well-served by squashing free thought, but everyone in the Navy appreciates that there is a time and a place for debate, and the deal is that you are signed up to do what the organization needs you to do once you are on the line.
Not every entrepreneur wants to model his or her organization and culture on the Navy. For many entrepreneurs, indeed, that is a very unappealing concept, but that's because they don't really understand what makes the Navy one of the most effective organizations on the planet. Like any other successful organization, it's about the people, not about the technology. The key is harnessing the incredible potential of every individual through inspiration, training, and teamwork.
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Not bad principles for any company.
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