ardenstone

It seems that now is the season of business books, and I just recently finished “businessThink”. This was pretty much introducing and exploring a different method of finding solutions for business. Some good stuff here.

Steps are:

1. Check Ego at the door
2. Create curiosity
3. Move off the solution
4. Gather evidence (soft and hard)
5. Measure Impact ($ of solving and not solving. Is this a could or a should?)
6. Explore the ripples (other departments effected)
7. Watch out for Yellow lights (why hasn’t this been done already?)
8. Find the Cause (ask Why)

5 questions to convert hard evidence into impact:

1. How do you measure it?
2. What is it now?
3. What would you like it to be?
4. What’s the value of the difference?
5. What’s the value of the difference over time (months, years, the
   appropriate management horizon)?

“The Holy Grid” (graph out how a decision is going to be made (committees,
etc))
| Steps | Decision | When | Who | How |

I just read “Winning” by Jack Welch and it’s a surprisingly good management book. It boils down to common sense, positive attitude and hard work which was refreshing. Some notes:

Positive attidute, boundless curiosity (keep asking questions, preferably ones that prompt action), candor and breath your company’s mission statement (which means it should be a good one).

Hiring
Acid Test: Integrity, intelligence, maturity

4-e (1-p): Positive Energy, ability to Energize others, Edge (tough yes or no decisions), ability to Execute (get the job done) and Passion (both job and outside hobbies/activities).

Hiring for the Top: Authenticity, ability to see around corners, “strong penchant to surround themselves with people better and smarter than they are,” and heavy duty resilience.

3 firing mistakes:
Moving too fast (confusion and out of the blue firing), not using enough candor and taking too long (dead man walking).

Crisis:

1. Problem is worse than it appears.
2. No secrets. It all gets out eventually.
3. Your handling of the situation will be portrayed in the worst light.
4. There will be changes in process and people (“blood on the floor”).
5. The organization will survive, and probably be stronger for the experience.

He also talked about his 20/70/10 rule which basically means richly reward, train and groom your superstars, spend a lot of attention on the middle 70% (majority of your workforce) and nuke the underperforming 10%. Good or bad hiring decisions should be known in a year.