I was writing a post yesterday (this Johnny Carson one, my new second favorite) and I realized that I was typing in a way that reminded me of many sermons I heard growing up. I don't mean any disrespect to any Preachers*, I'm a believer myself although I'm no longer protestant. But just to confirm my epiphany that good bloggers and good Preachers used alot of the same skills I spent a few hours reading lots of posts. I realized that there are many similarities between good bloggers and Preachers.
My Carson blog was an entire post based on one simple quote attributed to Johnny Carson. That quote was 14 words long and yet I found three very convincing, meaningful and practical truths in it. I can't tell you how many times I've heard sermons based on one single quote. From 'Jesus Wept' I've heard 3 hour presentations. So the main commonality I find is the ability to take one quote/idea/simple thought and milk from it many interesting points and ideas.
Another thing I found among great blogs I read and good Preachers I've heard was the ability to let me paint a very real personal visual based on their words. I remember vividly the mental picture I had of hell as a scary dark place as well as the image of heaven I had where I might actually be able to sing on key. The blogs I enjoy reading illustrate the author's life or situation in such a way that I can imagine myself there. Reading business blogs outlining the '250 Ways You Can Kill Your Business Online without Meaning to' conjure up horrible visions of me with long periods between pedicures...NOT a pleasant thought. The ability to give the reader a visual they get immediately was a common talent among bloggers and Preachers I enjoyed.
Blogs that change my mood or attitude and compel me to do something also fall into this similarity category. All of my preaching experiences involved an Altar Call, the bloggers equivalent of a good closing that moves you to do something. The point of being preached to was ultimately to finish with you being compelled to do something: repent, re-commit, donate, change your horrible life, etc. A good blogger does the same thing. They know how to leave you at the end of the blog with a definite idea that you should respond in some way and most tell you exactly what that way is: leave a post, follow this blog, donate to this cause or buy this book. And if you're persuaded to act, then you've had an experience, not just listened or read during that time.
*Preachers is capitalized through-out this piece. As a former Southern Baptist and as a born and bred southerner, a Preacher is someone who deserves to be capitalized.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
More Proof That Johnny Carson Was Brilliant
I'm a member of an industry message board/listserve that is fairly active. I rarely comment and don't even check the messages daily but several weeks ago I did and someone had posted this great quote attributed to Johnny Carson, "My success just evolved from working hard at the business at hand each day." Wow. How simple is that?
Three things in that one quote are just genius : He worked hard, he worked hard every single day, and he worked at the business at hand each day.There is a manual for success wrapped up in that one sentence. This is what I learned from that quote that I'm trying to apply to my own business life in my success quest.
The first and most obvious thing that jumps out at me is that he worked hard. He didn't say he worked hard until he got famous or that he worked hard and took long vacations. He worked hard. Working hard isn't working until you sweat or until you're in a frenzy. Working hard is working smart. It's persevering when you face challenges, working to fix problems that are standing in the way of productivity, and always keeping your goals clearly defined so that all of your actions are movements toward them. I now evaluate my work situation weekly. What challenges have I let take the wind out of my sails, what processes could I streamline and what have I accomplished that is tangible and quantifiable? This is how I make sure I'm working hard and smart.
The second thing that struck me was what Carson said he worked on. He didn't say he pursued a crazy idea every day. He didn't say he relished his job as boss and delegated and passively managed things all day long. He very pointedly said that he worked hard at the business at hand. Sometimes this can be a real struggle for an entrepreneur. Many (personally I'd say most) entrepreneurs are risk takers and challenge seekers. Read that as people who have the attention span of a gnat and spend a great deal of their lives having great ideas about the next big thing. For me it is probably the single biggest challenge I face. Often the business at hand isn't fun. Often it is boring and sometimes downright unpleasant. I own a business with a small group of people. We don't all have personal assistants and more often than not I'm doing my own filing and typing. But that is the business at hand. And I have seen that nothing big can happen if you aren't taking care of every little detail. So I make a list every day and I've learned how to sync my tasks on my blackberry and my desktop. I make sure every single day that I am taking care of the business at hand so the future takes care of itself (to some degree).
Lastly he said that he took care of the business at hand each day. He didn't say on the days he felt like it or on the days that he wasn't on vacation. He said he worked hard each day. I've always been a hard worker and as a professional who has a commute-free office, I work harder and more than I ever did at an office for someone else. But I realized I wasn't always working the same each day. Between my short attention span and my lack of a time clock I was always working some days much harder/longer/productively than others. Consistency is key to success and I didn't always understand that. In the few weeks as I've been working on changing my habits I've found that working at a steady pace each day, on a consistent list of evenly distributed priorities is far more productive for me personally than working several 15 hour days like a fiend and then just being bored of it for the day after.
I've made a schedule, I keep a goal for each day and I make sure that I keep myself from daydreaming too much about the next big project instead of really consistently relishing the details of the business at hand. What do you think of the success manual masquerading as a simple quote?
Three things in that one quote are just genius : He worked hard, he worked hard every single day, and he worked at the business at hand each day.There is a manual for success wrapped up in that one sentence. This is what I learned from that quote that I'm trying to apply to my own business life in my success quest.
The first and most obvious thing that jumps out at me is that he worked hard. He didn't say he worked hard until he got famous or that he worked hard and took long vacations. He worked hard. Working hard isn't working until you sweat or until you're in a frenzy. Working hard is working smart. It's persevering when you face challenges, working to fix problems that are standing in the way of productivity, and always keeping your goals clearly defined so that all of your actions are movements toward them. I now evaluate my work situation weekly. What challenges have I let take the wind out of my sails, what processes could I streamline and what have I accomplished that is tangible and quantifiable? This is how I make sure I'm working hard and smart.
The second thing that struck me was what Carson said he worked on. He didn't say he pursued a crazy idea every day. He didn't say he relished his job as boss and delegated and passively managed things all day long. He very pointedly said that he worked hard at the business at hand. Sometimes this can be a real struggle for an entrepreneur. Many (personally I'd say most) entrepreneurs are risk takers and challenge seekers. Read that as people who have the attention span of a gnat and spend a great deal of their lives having great ideas about the next big thing. For me it is probably the single biggest challenge I face. Often the business at hand isn't fun. Often it is boring and sometimes downright unpleasant. I own a business with a small group of people. We don't all have personal assistants and more often than not I'm doing my own filing and typing. But that is the business at hand. And I have seen that nothing big can happen if you aren't taking care of every little detail. So I make a list every day and I've learned how to sync my tasks on my blackberry and my desktop. I make sure every single day that I am taking care of the business at hand so the future takes care of itself (to some degree).
Lastly he said that he took care of the business at hand each day. He didn't say on the days he felt like it or on the days that he wasn't on vacation. He said he worked hard each day. I've always been a hard worker and as a professional who has a commute-free office, I work harder and more than I ever did at an office for someone else. But I realized I wasn't always working the same each day. Between my short attention span and my lack of a time clock I was always working some days much harder/longer/productively than others. Consistency is key to success and I didn't always understand that. In the few weeks as I've been working on changing my habits I've found that working at a steady pace each day, on a consistent list of evenly distributed priorities is far more productive for me personally than working several 15 hour days like a fiend and then just being bored of it for the day after.
I've made a schedule, I keep a goal for each day and I make sure that I keep myself from daydreaming too much about the next big project instead of really consistently relishing the details of the business at hand. What do you think of the success manual masquerading as a simple quote?
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Power of Your Network
We (the company I own/work for) is launching a new project. We had an idea (no alcohol involved), we researched and found some actual history that led us to believe it had a reasonable chance of success if done properly, and we all got on the phone from our various corner offices and non-corner offices to go through the logistics and timeline of the project and steps to its launch. And then we had the 'network' talk. And that, as they say, has made all of the difference.
Malcom Gladwell's gargantuan bestseller 'The Tipping Point' is a wonderful read and in his discussion's about social interaction and influence he introduces the notion of three main types of people that make things happen: Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen. I agree a thousand times over with most every premise in the book but most definitely in the understanding that having a personal/professional network inclusive of these people makes all of the difference in the world between success or failure. It most certainly has been illustrated for us in this current launch.
I think I am more of a salesmen type-not the genius who interprets body language and hypnotizes people with my mere presence-the kind who likes to persuade people to agree with me, or more importantly want to participate in and assist the success of my projects. I also try to serve as a connector whenever possible. If you haven't read the book I highly recommend it.
For this project my colleagues and I took a look at all the folks that were friends or at least friendly acquaintances (our network) with connections of any kind in the project niche. We also looked at peripheral networks we might have such as Linkedin groups, our corporate twitter accounts, or professional association memberships we possessed. We each were tasked with talking to each of those in our 'network' about what we were doing and how we needed assistance. We also developed the philanthropic aspects of our project so those we approached could help from a purely charitable standpoint if nothing else. We then set out to spread the good word. Those we knew were the more valuable connectors and also those we knew the best, we met with in person when possible. The others we called, emailed, or a combination of both.
Within a day we knew that one particular friendly acquaintance 'John' was golden for us. There are three reason he and any golden network member has such impact. First 'John' is a connector to his very core...he knows everyone and practices connecting. Secondly, we had worked with him on a project near to his heart in the past and done it well so he had confidence in working with us. Lastly he liked us and people like him...in a personal connection kind of way, and we all like him. John is the perfect connector to make sure you have in your network:someone who connects as habit, someone who believes in you and what you're doing, and someone for whom others have affection and a desire to help
Because of just two key introductions he made on our behalf, we were able to accomplish 80% of the groundwork in record time. But he didn't just introduce us to two good people, he made sure to introduce us to two people just like him. Two people who loved to connect, who were familiar with our company's work on something they held dear AND who liked John...so their affection/respect for him was transferred to us by the virtue of his personal introduction. That is how it happens when it all goes right.
Take some time to look at your network. Remember to include not just your obvious close associates but to be mindful of indirect connections through social media, trade organizations, high school alums, etc that can be effective. Identify which folks within those networks are best suited for the task you have to accomplish. A connector is what I needed because our projects require lots of marketing and attendee support. Perhaps you don't have a salesman on board for your particular project and need one. Matching your network resource to the need is crucial.
Don't be afraid to reach out to them once you've identified them. Make sure that you have support materials that can be used when you call, email, or visit your network. Depending on your project or need this can be a simple tag line or a complex brochure. Give your connection or salesperson all the info they need to connect or sell on your behalf.
If you realize that you don't have much of a network or that you haven't examined the one you have then take a day or two to make a network plan. First make a list of the folks you do know, those you've worked on project with in the past who are happy, those who you've helped out, or those you admire. All great people to list. Next make a list of your indirect or possibly network influencers...this is your linkedin profile, your linkedin groups, your association contacts, and your prospects that didn't come to fruition but who you still met/know have some connection to your project subject matter. You will probably start to realize that you have more of a network than you realize.
If you don't have a list that is longer than you thought it would be, then you need a plan to cultivate a network. It isn't extremely difficult but it does take some time. I'll include more information on building a network in subsequent posts.
How has networking or activating your network proven successful for you?
Malcom Gladwell's gargantuan bestseller 'The Tipping Point' is a wonderful read and in his discussion's about social interaction and influence he introduces the notion of three main types of people that make things happen: Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen. I agree a thousand times over with most every premise in the book but most definitely in the understanding that having a personal/professional network inclusive of these people makes all of the difference in the world between success or failure. It most certainly has been illustrated for us in this current launch.
I think I am more of a salesmen type-not the genius who interprets body language and hypnotizes people with my mere presence-the kind who likes to persuade people to agree with me, or more importantly want to participate in and assist the success of my projects. I also try to serve as a connector whenever possible. If you haven't read the book I highly recommend it.
For this project my colleagues and I took a look at all the folks that were friends or at least friendly acquaintances (our network) with connections of any kind in the project niche. We also looked at peripheral networks we might have such as Linkedin groups, our corporate twitter accounts, or professional association memberships we possessed. We each were tasked with talking to each of those in our 'network' about what we were doing and how we needed assistance. We also developed the philanthropic aspects of our project so those we approached could help from a purely charitable standpoint if nothing else. We then set out to spread the good word. Those we knew were the more valuable connectors and also those we knew the best, we met with in person when possible. The others we called, emailed, or a combination of both.
Within a day we knew that one particular friendly acquaintance 'John' was golden for us. There are three reason he and any golden network member has such impact. First 'John' is a connector to his very core...he knows everyone and practices connecting. Secondly, we had worked with him on a project near to his heart in the past and done it well so he had confidence in working with us. Lastly he liked us and people like him...in a personal connection kind of way, and we all like him. John is the perfect connector to make sure you have in your network:someone who connects as habit, someone who believes in you and what you're doing, and someone for whom others have affection and a desire to help
Because of just two key introductions he made on our behalf, we were able to accomplish 80% of the groundwork in record time. But he didn't just introduce us to two good people, he made sure to introduce us to two people just like him. Two people who loved to connect, who were familiar with our company's work on something they held dear AND who liked John...so their affection/respect for him was transferred to us by the virtue of his personal introduction. That is how it happens when it all goes right.
Take some time to look at your network. Remember to include not just your obvious close associates but to be mindful of indirect connections through social media, trade organizations, high school alums, etc that can be effective. Identify which folks within those networks are best suited for the task you have to accomplish. A connector is what I needed because our projects require lots of marketing and attendee support. Perhaps you don't have a salesman on board for your particular project and need one. Matching your network resource to the need is crucial.
Don't be afraid to reach out to them once you've identified them. Make sure that you have support materials that can be used when you call, email, or visit your network. Depending on your project or need this can be a simple tag line or a complex brochure. Give your connection or salesperson all the info they need to connect or sell on your behalf.
If you realize that you don't have much of a network or that you haven't examined the one you have then take a day or two to make a network plan. First make a list of the folks you do know, those you've worked on project with in the past who are happy, those who you've helped out, or those you admire. All great people to list. Next make a list of your indirect or possibly network influencers...this is your linkedin profile, your linkedin groups, your association contacts, and your prospects that didn't come to fruition but who you still met/know have some connection to your project subject matter. You will probably start to realize that you have more of a network than you realize.
If you don't have a list that is longer than you thought it would be, then you need a plan to cultivate a network. It isn't extremely difficult but it does take some time. I'll include more information on building a network in subsequent posts.
How has networking or activating your network proven successful for you?
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