Inspirational Quotes

An unusual collection of quotes about success, serf-improvement etc.
Here:

http://best-quotations.com/inspirational.php

Recipe for success

From Bernard Mannes Baruch (19 August 1870 – 20 June 1965), American financier, stock market speculator, statesman, and presidential advisor.

Recipe for success: Be polite, prepare yourself for whatever you are asked to do, keep yourself tidy, be cheerful, don’t be envious, be honest with yourself so you will be honest with others, be helpful, interest yourself in your job, don’t pity yourself, be quick to praise, be loyal to your friends, avoid prejudices, be independent, interest yourself in politics, and read the newspapers.

Persistence

A quote by Calvin Coolidge:

 "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
 Talent will not; nothing is more common that unsuccessful individuals with talent.
 Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
 Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
 Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

It is often attributed also to Ray Croc, CEO of McDonald's,
but it is from Coolidge.

How to tie a tie

This is short, easy and very useful. If you wear ties, of course.

The modern business plan

From Seth

I'd divide the modern business plan into five sections:

• Truth
• Assertions
• Alternatives
• People
• Money

The truth section describes the world as it is. Footnote if you want to, but tell me about the market you are entering, the needs that already exist, the competitors in your space, technology standards, the way others have succeeded and failed in the past. The more specific the better. The more ground knowledge the better. The more visceral the stories, the better. The point of this section is to be sure that you're clear about the way you see the world, and that you and I agree on your assumptions. This section isn't partisan, it takes no positions, it just states how things are.


Truth can take as long as you need to tell it. It can include spreadsheets, market share analysis and anything I need to know about how the world works.


The assertions section is your chance to describe how you're going to change things. We will do X, and then Y will happen. We will build Z with this much money in this much time. We will present Q to the market and the market will respond by taking this action.


This is the heart of the modern business plan. The only reason to launch a project is to change something, and I want to know what you're going to do and what impact it's going to have.

Of course, this section will be incorrect. You will make assertions that won't pan out. You'll miss budgets and deadlines and sales. So the alternatives section tells me what you'll do if that happens. How much flexibility does your product or team have? If your assertions don't pan out, is it over?


The people section rightly highlights the key element... who is on your team, who is going to join your team. 'Who' doesn't mean their resume, who means their attitudes and abilities and track record in shipping.

And the last section is all about money. How much do you need, how will you spend it, what does cash flow look like, P&Ls, balance sheets, margins and exit strategies.


Your local VC might not like this format, but I'm betting it will help your team think through the hard issues more clearly.

100 fundamental service rules for Restaurants

1. Do not let anyone enter the restaurant without a warm greeting.


2. Do not make a singleton feel bad. Do not say, “Are you waiting for someone?” Ask for a reservation. Ask if he or she would like to sit at the bar.


3. Never refuse to seat three guests because a fourth has not yet arrived.


4. If a table is not ready within a reasonable length of time, offer a free drink and/or amuse-bouche. The guests may be tired and hungry and thirsty, and they did everything right.


5. Tables should be level without anyone asking. Fix it before guests are seated.


6. Do not lead the witness with, “Bottled water or just tap?” Both are fine. Remain neutral.


7. Do not announce your name. No jokes, no flirting, no cuteness.


8. Do not interrupt a conversation. For any reason. Especially not to recite specials. Wait for the right moment.


9. Do not recite the specials too fast or robotically or dramatically. It is not a soliloquy. This is not an audition.


10. Do not inject your personal favorites when explaining the specials.


11. Do not hustle the lobsters. That is, do not say, “We only have two lobsters left.” Even if there are only two lobsters left.


12. Do not touch the rim of a water glass. Or any other glass.


13. Handle wine glasses by their stems and silverware by the handles.


14. When you ask, “How’s everything?” or “How was the meal?” listen to the answer and fix whatever is not right.


15. Never say “I don’t know” to any question without following with, “I’ll find out.”


16. If someone requests more sauce or gravy or cheese, bring a side dish of same. No pouring. Let them help themselves.


17. Do not take an empty plate from one guest while others are still eating the same course. Wait, wait, wait.


18. Know before approaching a table who has ordered what. Do not ask, “Who’s having the shrimp?”


19. Offer guests butter and/or olive oil with their bread.


20. Never refuse to substitute one vegetable for another.


21. Never serve anything that looks creepy or runny or wrong.


22. If someone is unsure about a wine choice, help him. That might mean sending someone else to the table or offering a taste or two.


23. If someone likes a wine, steam the label off the bottle and give it to the guest with the bill. It has the year, the vintner, the importer, etc.


24. Never use the same glass for a second drink.


25. Make sure the glasses are clean. Inspect them before placing them on the table.


26. Never assume people want their white wine in an ice bucket. Inquire.


27. For red wine, ask if the guests want to pour their own or prefer the waiter to pour.


28. Do not put your hands all over the spout of a wine bottle while removing the cork.


29. Do not pop a champagne cork. Remove it quietly, gracefully. The less noise the better.


30. Never let the wine bottle touch the glass into which you are pouring. No one wants to drink the dust or dirt from the bottle.


31. Never remove a plate full of food without asking what went wrong. Obviously, something went wrong.


32. Never touch a customer. No excuses. Do not do it. Do not brush them, move them, wipe them or dust them.


33. Do not bang into chairs or tables when passing by.


34. Do not have a personal conversation with another server within earshot of customers.


35. Do not eat or drink in plain view of guests.


36. Never reek from perfume or cigarettes. People want to smell the food and beverage.


37. Do not drink alcohol on the job, even if invited by the guests. “Not when I’m on duty” will suffice.


38.Do not call a guy a “dude.”


39. Do not call a woman “lady.”


40. Never say, “Good choice,” implying that other choices are bad.


41. Saying, “No problem” is a problem. It has a tone of insincerity or sarcasm. “My pleasure” or “You’re welcome” will do.


42. Do not compliment a guest’s attire or hairdo or makeup. You are insulting someone else.


43. Never mention what your favorite dessert is. It’s irrelevant.


44. Do not discuss your own eating habits, be you vegan or lactose intolerant or diabetic.


45. Do not curse, no matter how young or hip the guests.


46. Never acknowledge any one guest over and above any other. All guests are equal.


47. Do not gossip about co-workers or guests within earshot of guests.


48. Do not ask what someone is eating or drinking when they ask for more; remember or consult the order.


49. Never mention the tip, unless asked.


50. Do not turn on the charm when it’s tip time. Be consistent throughout.


51. If there is a service charge, alert your guests when you present the bill. It’s not a secret or a trick.


52. Know your menu inside and out. If you serve Balsam Farm candy-striped beets, know something about Balsam Farm and candy-striped beets.


53. Do not let guests double-order unintentionally; remind the guest who orders ratatouille that zucchini comes with the entree.


54. If there is a prix fixe, let guests know about it. Do not force anyone to ask for the “special” menu.


55. Do not serve an amuse-bouche without detailing the ingredients. Allergies are a serious matter; peanut oil can kill. (This would also be a good time to ask if anyone has any allergies.)


56. Do not ignore a table because it is not your table. Stop, look, listen, lend a hand. (Whether tips are pooled or not.)


57. Bring the pepper mill with the appetizer. Do not make people wait or beg for a condiment.


58. Do not bring judgment with the ketchup. Or mustard. Or hot sauce. Or whatever condiment is requested.


59. Do not leave place settings that are not being used.


60. Bring all the appetizers at the same time, or do not bring the appetizers. Same with entrees and desserts.


61. Do not stand behind someone who is ordering. Make eye contact. Thank him or her.


62. Do not fill the water glass every two minutes, or after each sip. You’ll make people nervous.


62(a). Do not let a glass sit empty for too long.


63. Never blame the chef or the busboy or the hostess or the weather for anything that goes wrong. Just make it right.


64. Specials, spoken and printed, should always have prices.


65. Always remove used silverware and replace it with new.


66. Do not return to the guest anything that falls on the floor — be it napkin, spoon, menu or soy sauce.


67. Never stack the plates on the table. They make a racket. Shhhhhh.


68. Do not reach across one guest to serve another.


69. If a guest is having trouble making a decision, help out. If someone wants to know your life story, keep it short. If someone wants to meet the chef, make an effort.


70. Never deliver a hot plate without warning the guest. And never ask a guest to pass along that hot plate.


71. Do not race around the dining room as if there is a fire in the kitchen or a medical emergency. (Unless there is a fire in the kitchen or a medical emergency.)


72. Do not serve salad on a freezing cold plate; it usually advertises the fact that it has not been freshly prepared.


73. Do not bring soup without a spoon. Few things are more frustrating than a bowl of hot soup with no spoon.


74. Let the guests know the restaurant is out of something before the guests read the menu and order the missing dish.


75. Do not ask if someone is finished when others are still eating that course.


76. Do not ask if a guest is finished the very second the guest is finished. Let guests digest, savor, reflect.


77. Do not disappear.


78. Do not ask, “Are you still working on that?” Dining is not work — until questions like this are asked.


79. When someone orders a drink “straight up,” determine if he wants it “neat” — right out of the bottle — or chilled. Up is up, but “straight up” is debatable.


80. Never insist that a guest settle up at the bar before sitting down; transfer the tab.


81. Know what the bar has in stock before each meal.


82. If you drip or spill something, clean it up, replace it, offer to pay for whatever damage you may have caused. Refrain from touching the wet spots on the guest.


83. Ask if your guest wants his coffee with dessert or after. Same with an after-dinner drink.


84. Do not refill a coffee cup compulsively. Ask if the guest desires a refill.


84(a). Do not let an empty coffee cup sit too long before asking if a refill is desired.


85. Never bring a check until someone asks for it. Then give it to the person who asked for it.


86. If a few people signal for the check, find a neutral place on the table to leave it.


87. Do not stop your excellent service after the check is presented or paid.


88. Do not ask if a guest needs change. Just bring the change.


89. Never patronize a guest who has a complaint or suggestion; listen, take it seriously, address it.


90. If someone is getting agitated or effusive on a cellphone, politely suggest he keep it down or move away from other guests.


91. If someone complains about the music, do something about it, without upsetting the ambiance. (The music is not for the staff — it’s for the customers.)


92. Never play a radio station with commercials or news or talking of any kind.


93. Do not play brass — no brassy Broadway songs, brass bands, marching bands, or big bands that feature brass, except a muted flugelhorn.


94. Do not play an entire CD of any artist. If someone doesn’t like Frightened Rabbit or Michael Buble, you have just ruined a meal.


95. Never hover long enough to make people feel they are being watched or hurried, especially when they are figuring out the tip or signing for the check.


96. Do not say anything after a tip — be it good, bad, indifferent — except, “Thank you very much.”


97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her.


98. Do not wear too much makeup or jewelry. You know you have too much jewelry when it jingles and/or draws comments.


99. Do not show frustration. Your only mission is to serve. Be patient. It is not easy.


100. Guests, like servers, come in all packages. Show a “good table” your appreciation with a free glass of port, a plate of biscotti or something else management approves.

The career manifesto

by Micahel Wade

The Career Manifesto

1. Unless you’re working in a coal mine, an emergency ward, or their equivalent, spare us the sad stories about your tough job. The biggest risk most of us face in the course of a day is a paper cut.

2. Yes, your boss is an idiot at times. So what? (Do you think your associates sit around and marvel at your deep thoughts?) If you cannot give your boss basic loyalty, either report the weasel to the proper authorities or be gone.

3. You are paid to take meaningful actions, not superficial ones. Don’t brag about that memo you sent out or how hard you work. Tell us what you achieved.

4. Although your title may be the same, the job that you were hired to do three years ago is probably not the job you have now. When you are just coasting and not thinking several steps ahead of your responsibilities, you are in dinosaur territory and a meteor is coming.

5. If you suspect that you’re working in a madhouse, you probably are. Even sociopaths have jobs. Don’t delude yourself by thinking you’ll change what the organization regards as a “turkey farm.” Flee.

6. Your technical skills may impress the other geeks, but if you can’t get along with your co-workers, you’re a litigation breeder. Don’t be surprised if management regards you as an expensive risk.

7. If you have a problem with co-workers, have the guts to tell them, preferably in words of one syllable.

8. Don’t believe what the organization says it does. Its practices are its real policies. Study what is rewarded and what is punished and you’ll have a better clue as to what’s going on.

9. Don’t expect to be perfect. Focus on doing right instead of being right. It will simplify the world enormously.

10.If you plan on showing them what you’re capable of only after you get promoted, you need to reverse your thinking.

25 Best Business Books

From Business Pundit

While many corporate leaders will cite Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince as invaluable business tomes, we stuck with books written for a business-minded readership.

25. The Wealth of Nations
by Adam Smith
1991

First published in 1776, this broad-ranging exploration of commercial and economic first principles laid the philosophical foundations for modern capitalism and the free-market economy. Smith’s central thesis is that capital can best be used to create both individual and national wealth in conditions of minimal government interference. He believed that free-market competition advances both the vitality of commercial activity and the ultimate good of all a nation’s citizens.

24. The Functions of the Executive
by Chester I. Barnard
1968

This collection of Barnard’s lectures on management, though dated in its language, remains relevant, notably in his promotion of clear, short communication channels and managerial morality. A successful executive himself as well as a theorist, Barnard broadened the managerial role from one that assesses, controls, and supervises, to one that nurtures the organization’s values and goals, and translates them into action, thereby defining a purpose and moral code that pervades the organization.

23. The Principles of Scientific Management
by Frederick Winslow Taylor
1911

In its day, this book advanced management as a discrete field requiring formal training, and systematized human work into rigorously measured, optimizable processes.

Arguing that the “inefficiency in almost all of our daily acts” can be remedied by “systematic management, rather than in searching for some unusual or extraordinary man,” Taylor aimed to determine the best practices for every job. His principles influenced working methods and managerial attitudes for most of the 20th century, particularly in mass-production industries—companies that emphasize quantity over quality.

22. The Human Side of Enterprise
Douglas McGregor
1960

Psychologist McGregor revolutionized human relations management by distinguishing the two ways managers view employees and consequently manage them, ultimately producing the accordant behavior in them. Theory X assumes that workers are inherently lazy and need to be motivated and supervised; Theory Y assumes that people are self-motivated and self-directed. “McGregor’s fundamental principles,” says author Gary Hamel, “underlie the work of modern management thinkers from Drucker to Deming to Peters, and the employment practices of the world’s most progressive and successful companies.”

21. Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the Industrial Enterprise
by Alfred D. Chandler
1962

A business historian, Chandler was one of the first scholars to systematically examine the corporate structure of large companies. Considered a theoretical masterpiece, this book—namely, its now-debated conclusion that strategy should drive structure—played a leading role in the profitable decentralization of leading corporations in the 1960s and 1970s.

20. Organizational Culture and Leadership
by Edgar H. Stein
1992

Organizational development pioneer Schein introduced, into the management debate, culture as a constantly changing force in an organization’s life—and one that must be understood for there to be successful change. In successive editions of this book, the author draws on contemporary research to redefine culture, including the notion of subcultures, and shows how to transform this abstract concept into a practical tool for understanding and influencing organizational dynamics.

19. The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations
by James Surowieki
2004

First developed in his “Financial Page” column of The New Yorker, Surowieki’s ideas contradict the long-held distrust of masses and groupthink: “Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant—better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.” The author animates his rigorous argument with pertinent anecdotes and case studies from business, social psychology, sports, and everyday life. Author Po Bronson insists, “This book should be in every thinking businessperson’s library. Without exception.”

18. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
by Thomas L Friedman
2005

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman presents this timely, indispensable update on globalization, its successes and shortcomings, with the same urgent curiosity, panache, and illumination that has earned him three Pulitzer Prizes. With his incomparable ability to elucidate complex foreign policy and economic issues, Friedman explains how the flattening of the world happened at the beginning of the 21st century, and what globalization—both an opportunity and a threat—means to countries, companies, communities, and individuals. In his 2006 hardcover update, with 100 pages of revised and expanded material, Friedman makes specific recommendations about the technical and creative training he believes will be needed to compete in the New Middle class.

17. Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco
by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
1990

This narrative has been called one of the most influential business books ever, as the definitive account of the largest takeover in Wall Street history at that time: the landmark leveraged buyout of the RJR Nabisco Corporation for $25 billion in 1988. Cinematic and gripping, yet remarkably judicious, this book by two skilled journalists has sold more than 500,000 copies and inspired an HBO movie. Its graphic portrayal of how financial operations at the highest levels are conducted is considered must-reading for those who want to know how the world really works.

16. My Years with General Motors
by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr.
1963

Sloan’s “as told to” opus still stands as the most cogent expression of the managerial philosophy that dominated American business for most of the 20th century. With insightful authority, this fabled CEO chronicles General Motors’ resurrection, under his leadership, from a nearly bankrupt enterprise in the early 1900s to the world’s greatest industrial corporation when he retired in 1956.

Particularly striking is this book’s unintentional expression of a value system: a relentless commitment to the engineering worldview of efficiency as paramount. Sloan’s simultaneous decentralization of manufacturing and centralization of corporate policy and financial controls became the basis for an organizational model that dominated American industry for more than half a century.

15. The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization
by Peter M. Senge
1990

Based on 15 years of experience putting the ideas into practice, this bestselling classic popularized the concept of the learning organization, a holistic approach that prioritizes learning—new and expansive patterns of thinking—as both an individual and a group experience. Senge argues that “changing individuals so that they produce results they care about [and] accomplish things that are important to them” faster than the competiton does is, in the long run, the only sustainable competitive advantage.

Because the learning organization requires managers to surrender their traditional spheres of power and control, and because it demands trust, involvement, and the allowance for experimentation and failure, it has rarely been converted into a reality. Nevertheless, Senge’s ideas have affected the rewards and remuneration strategies of many companies.

14. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Business Don’t Work and What to Do about It
by Michael E. Gerber
1985

This underground bestseller dispels the commonplace assumptions surrounding starting and running a successful small business. Two of Gerber’s most incisive observations are that (1) many entrepreneurs know considerably more about producing what they sell than about operating their business, and (2) the entrepreneur must “work on your business, not in your business.” This book intelligently and comprehensively charts an approach to systematizing a new business so that it grows beyond the capacities of its creator.

13. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell
2000

Drawing on a fascinating array of research findings and real-world examples, Gladwell presents a concise, elegant, erudite analysis of mass behavioral change that is strikingly counterintuitive. Regarded among marketing and sales professionals as one of the best books on the economics of popular culture, this entertaining read is, says author Jeffrey Toobin, “one of those rare books that changes the way you think about, well, everything.”

12. Competing for the Future
by Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad
1994

This definitive book on contemporary business strategy criticizes the narrow mechanistic view of strategy and calls for an approach that is multifaceted, emotional as well as analytical, and concerned with meaning, purpose, and passion. The authors say their work “provides would-be revolutionaries with the tools and concepts they need to challenge the protectors of the past.” They argue that too many leaders, stuck in the day-to-day details of running their businesses, fail to prepare their companies for the future, and that crafting a strategic architecture around a company’s core competencies is the solution.

11. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t
by Jim Collins
2001

Measuring sustained results over a period of 15 years, Collins identifies, from an original list of 1435, 11 well-established companies that made the leap from being “good” to being “great.”

Applicable to entrepreneurs as well as corporations, this carefully researched book singles out what Collins calls Level 5 Leadership—“a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will”—as the critical factor in those transformations. Such natural leaders “channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company,” which begins with getting the right people—those with discipline and resolve—in the right positions. Challenging the conventional notion of the outgoing, high-profile CEO, an effective leader moves with selfless determination, inspiring average performers to become great producers.

10. Out of the Crisis
by W. Edwards Deming
1982

This classic on quality management reflects Deming’s experience introducing statistical methods for quality measurement and improvement to Japan in the 1960s. Aiming to transform the U.S. style of management and governmental relations with industry, the author blends statistics and common sense to challenge American business practices at almost every point, launching the quality revolution here. Citing poor management, not lazy workers, as responsible for most quality problems, this book, in simple, direct language, offers a theory of management based on Deming’s notable 14 Points of Management, and explains how to apply them to boost quality.

9. Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution
by Michael Hammer and James Champy
1993

Though based on the relatively dry field of operations research, this book became a prominent bestseller in its heyday, replacing much of the received wisdom of the last 200 years of industrial management with a radical prescription for rebuilding businesses wholesale to achieve dramatic performance gains.

8. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras
1994

Drawing on six years of innovative research, Collins and Porras identify 18 exceptional, long-lasting companies and directly compare each with one of its top competitors, over time. With entertaining case histories, they discredit the longstanding beliefs that a successful business is founded by a charismatic, visionary leader and begins with a great product. Rather, they argue, enduring organizations demonstrate core values and a core purpose that remain fixed, while their business strategies and practices adapt endlessly to a changing world. Organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, this book provides a master blueprint for building a great and enduring company.

7. The Practice of Management
by Peter F. Drucker
1954

Considered the foremost management and business thinker of the 20th century, Drucker was the first to depict management as a distinct function, a separate responsibility in the workplace: the work of getting work done through and with other people. This still-relevant book holds that management was one of the major social innovations of the last century, and it poses three now-classic business questions: What is our business? Who is our customer? What does our customer consider valuable?

6. Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors
by Michael E. Porter
1980

Now in its 63rd printing in English, with translations in 19 languages, this modern classic filled a void in management thinking, transforming the theory, practice, and teaching of business strategy. Strikingly accessible, Porter’s analysis of industries captures the complexity of industry competition in three generic strategies and five competitive forces that have been internalized and applied by managers, investment analysts, consultants, students, and scholars throughout the world.

This seminal book changed conventional thinking around strategy, offering a method whereby a company can examine not just its particular industry but its place in it, that is, its essential differentiation from its competitors that can be sold to the customer.

5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
by Stephen R. Covey
1989

Having developed the concept of this groundbreaking, long-term bestseller by studying literature going back more than 200 years, Covey bases his approach on relatively immutable personal human values. Unlike many a self-improvement author, however, he doesn’t promise a quick fix; rather, he calls for a paradigm shift—a revolutionary change in one’s perceptions and interpretations of how the world works. And with different thinking comes different actions that will profoundly affect one’s productivity and effectiveness.

Be proactive. Begin with an end in mind. Put first things first. Think win/win. Seek first to understand. Synergize. Renewal. With penetrating insights and cogent anecdotes, Covey presents a highly structured, holistically integrated methodology for creating balance, and hence success, in one’s personal and professional lives.

4. The One-Minute Manager
by Kenneth H. Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
1981

Millions of managers in Fortune 500 companies and small businesses around the globe have followed the timeless principles of this first mega-bestselling business book, presented as a parable. Concisely elegant, this narrative reveals three practical management secrets: One-Minute Goals, One-Minute Praisings, and One-Minute Reprimands—a concept that has spawned numerous “One-Minute” titles, for endeavors from parenting to golfing.

3. How to Win Friends & Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
1937

Having sold more than 15 million copies, this seminal self-improvement book continues to guide managers in the universal challenge of face-to-face communication.

A master of human nature, Carnegie advises that “[w]hen dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity.” He argues that success is only 15% professional knowledge; the remaining 85% is “the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people.”

2. The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
by Clayton M. Christensen
1997

Examining a variety of leading well-managed companies that have failed to capitalize on innovative technologies, Christensen explains, with striking clarity and style, how to manage breakthrough products successfully when customers may not be ready for them.

His argument that overdependence on customer needs, or on the most profitable products, can damage a company’s success challenges the marketing and customer service books that put customer focus at the top of the corporate agenda. Considered a paradigmatic marketing visionary, Christensen highlights the problems inherent in what appears to be sound decision making, and rigorously demonstrates that companies will fall behind if they fail to adapt or adopt new technologies that will meet customers’ unstated or future needs.

1. In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies
by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.
1982

Highly influential when global competition, largely from Japan, had brought Western business to a low, this quintessential business book describes eight enduring management principles that made the forty-three companies surveyed “excellent.” The authors focus exclusively on big companies, namely big manufacturers, but ironically condemn the excesses of modern management practice and advocate a return to simpler virtues. They have since come to feel that their ideas are better embodied in smaller companies.

Through lively case studies, this very readable classic forces a look at the fundamentals, at “first principles” that give a company its soul: Attention to customers, an abiding concern for people (productivity through people), the celebration of trial and error. A driving force in the subsequent deluge of business books, this trailblazer established customer service as a key form of differentiation and advantage, and launched the author-as-consultant/speaker/celebrity phenomenon.

The 14 Principles of Management

Henri Fayol (1841-1925) was the first Management guru, ever. His principles of Management were published in the beginning of the 20th century. They are still valid. Forget the modern theories and all the mambo jumbo about management. These 14 principles remain the real thing.

The 14 Management Principles of Henri Fayol are:

1. Division of Work. Specialization allows the individual to build up experience, and to continuously improve his skills. Thereby he can be more productive.
2. Authority. The right to issue commands, along with which must go the balanced responsibility for its function.
3. Discipline. Employees must obey, but this is two-sided: employees will only obey orders if management play their part by providing good leadership.
4. Unity of Command. Each worker should have only one boss with no other conflicting lines of command.
5. Unity of Direction. People engaged in the same kind of activities must have the same objectives in a single plan. This is essential to ensure unity and coordination in the enterprise. Unity of command does not exist without unity of direction but does not necessarily flows from it.
6. Subordination of individual interest (to the general interest). Management must see that the goals of the firms are always paramount.
7. Remuneration. Payment is an important motivator although by analyzing a number of possibilities, Fayol points out that there is no such thing as a perfect system.
8. Centralization (or Decentralization). This is a matter of degree depending on the condition of the business and the quality of its personnel.
9. Scalar chain (Line of Authority). A hierarchy is necessary for unity of direction. But lateral communication is also fundamental, as long as superiors know that such communication is taking place. Scalar chain refers to the number of levels in the hierarchy from the ultimate authority to the lowest level in the organization. It should not be over-stretched and consist of too-many levels.
10. Order. Both material order and social order are necessary. The former minimizes lost time and useless handling of materials. The latter is achieved through organization and selection.
11. Equity. In running a business a ‘combination of kindliness and justice’ is needed. Treating employees well is important to achieve equity.
12. Stability of Tenure of Personnel. Employees work better if job security and career progress are assured to them. An insecure tenure and a high rate of employee turnover will affect the organization adversely.
13. Initiative. Allowing all personnel to show their initiative in some way is a source of strength for the organization. Even though it may well involve a sacrifice of ‘personal vanity’ on the part of many managers.
14. Esprit de Corps. Management must foster the morale of its employees. He further suggests that: “real talent is needed to coordinate effort, encourage keenness, use each person’s abilities, and reward each one’s merit without arousing possible jealousies and disturbing harmonious relations.”

Three things you need if you want more customers

From Seth's blog:

If you want to grow, you need new customers. And if you want new customers, you need three things:

1. A group of possible customers you can identify and reach.
2. A group with a problem they want to solve using your solution.
3. A group with the desire and ability to spend money to solve that problem.

You'd be amazed at how often new businesses or new ventures have none of these. The first one is critical, because if you don't have permission, or knowledge, or word of mouth, you're invisible.

The Zune didn't have #2.

A service aimed at creating videos for bestselling authors doesn't have #1.

And a counseling service helping people cut back on Big Mac consumption doesn't have #3.

Warren Buffet's Acquisition criteria

This is from the BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC.2008 annual report:

We are eager to hear from principals or their representatives about businesses that meet all of the following criteria:

1. Large purchases (at least $75 million of pre-tax earnings, unless the business will fit into one of our existing units),
2. Demonstrated consistent earning power (future projections are of no interest to us, nor are “turnaround” situations),
3. Businesses earning good returns on equity while employing little or no debt,
4. Management in place (we can’t supply it),
5. Simple businesses (if there’s lots of technology, we won’t understand it),
6. An offering price (we don’t want to waste by talking, even preliminarily, about a transaction when price is unknown).

The larger the company, the greater will be our interest: We would like to make an acquisition in the $5-20 billion range.
We are not interested, however, in receiving suggestions about purchases we might make in the general stock market.
We will not engage in unfriendly takeovers.
We can promise complete confidentiality and a very fast answer—customarily within five minutes as to whether we’re interested. We prefer to buy for cash, but will consider issuing stock when we receive as much in intrinsic business value as we give.
We don’t participate in auctions.

comment: a good guide if you had a lot of cash!

The 19 Es of EXCELLENCE

• Enthusiasm. (Be an irresistible force of nature!)
• Energy. (Be fire! Light fires!)
• Exuberance. (Vibrate—cause earthquakes!)
• Execution. (Do it! Now! Get it done! Barriers are baloney! Excuses are for wimps! Accountability is gospel! Adhere to the Bill Parcells doctrine: "Blame nobody! Expect nothing! Do something!")
• Empowerment. (Respect and appreciation rule! Always ask, "What do you think?" Then listen! Then let go and liberate! Then celebrate!)
• Edginess. (Perpetually dancing at the frontier, and a little or a lot beyond.)
• Enraged. (Determined to challenge & change the status quo!)
• Engaged. (Addicted to MBWA/Managing By Wandering Around. In touch. Always.)
• Electronic. (Partners with the world 60/60/24/7 via electronic community building and entanglement of every sort. Crowdsourcing rules!)
• Encompassing. (Relentlessly pursue diverse opinions—the more diversity the merrier! Diversity per se "works"!)
• Emotion. (The alpha. The omega. The essence of leadership. The essence of sales. The essence of marketing. The essence. Period. Acknowledge it.)
• Empathy. (Connect, connect, connect with others' reality and aspirations! "Walk in the other person’s shoes"—until the soles have holes!)
• Experience. (Life is theater! Make every activity-contact memorable! Standard: "Insanely Great"/Steve Jobs; "Radically Thrilling"/BMW.)
• Eliminate. (Keep it simple!)
• Errorprone. (Ready! Fire! Aim! Try a lot of stuff and make a lot of booboos and then try some more stuff and make some more booboos—all of it at the speed of light!)
• Evenhanded. (Straight as an arrow! Fair to a fault! Honest as Abe!)
• Expectations. (Michelangelo: "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." Amen!)
• Eudaimonia. (Pursue the highest of human moral purpose—the core of Aristotle's philosophy. Be of service. Always.)
• Excellence. (The only standard! Never an exception! Start now! No excuses! If not Excellence, what? If not Excellence now, when?)

Are you a professional?

"So learn this as a first lesson about life. The only successful beings in any field, including living itself, are those who have a professional viewpoint and make themselves and ARE professionals" — L. Ron Hubbard

• A professional learns every aspect of the job. An amateur skips the learning process whenever possible.
• A professional carefully discovers what is needed and wanted. An amateur assumes what others need and want.
• A professional looks, speaks and dresses like a professional. An amateur is sloppy in appearance and speech.
• A professional keeps his or her work area clean and orderly. An amateur has a messy, confused or dirty work area.
• A professional is focused and clear-headed. An amateur is confused and distracted.
• A professional does not let mistakes slide by. An amateur ignores or hides mistakes.
• A professional jumps into difficult assignments. An amateur tries to get out of difficult work.
• A professional completes projects as soon as possible. An amateur is surrounded by unfinished work piled on top of unfinished work.
• A professional remains level-headed and optimistic. An amateur gets upset and assumes the worst.
• A professional handles money and accounts very carefully. An amateur is sloppy with money or accounts.
• A professional faces up to other people’s upsets and problems. An amateur avoids others’ problems.
• A professional uses higher emotional tones: Enthusiasm, cheerfulness, interest, contentment. An amateur uses lower emotional tones: anger, hostility, resentment, fear, victim.
• A professional persists until the objective is achieved. An amateur gives up at the first opportunity.
• A professional produces more than expected. An amateur produces just enough to get by.
• A professional produces a high-quality product or service. An amateur produces a medium-to-low quality product or service.
• A professional earns high pay. An amateur earns low pay and feels it’s unfair.
• A professional has a promising future. An amateur has an uncertain future.

The first step to making yourself a professional is to decide you ARE a professional.

Are you a professional?

Good boss - bad boss

Tool Kit

Good Boss, Bad Boss. Which Are You?

By PAUL B. BROWN

Maybe it is not them.

If employee turnover and absenteeism within the company are too high, and productivity and morale too low, the person in charge may be the one at fault.

To find out how good — or bad — a boss you are, the National Federation of Independent Business, a small business advocacy group, suggests asking yourself these questions:

1. Have you ever publicly criticized an employee?

2. Do you take credit for your employees’ work?

3. Do your employees fear you?

4. Do you expect employees to do what you tell them without question?

5. Do you believe employees should know what to do without you telling them or providing guidelines?

6. Are you a yeller?

7. Do you demean employees as a form of punishment?

8. Do you play favorites?

9. Do you hate delegating?

10. Do you check everyone’s work?

According to the answer key, the more “yes” answers, the greater the likelihood you are a bad boss.

A SHORT CHECKLIST Given that Trevor Gay wrote a book called “Simplicity Is the Key” it is not surprising that he has come up with a basic list of the differences between good and bad bosses.

¶ “Inspired confidence

¶ Were humble

¶ Had integrity

¶ Knew what they were talking about

¶ Let me get on with things

¶ Were always there when I needed help

¶ Usually said, ‘Yes, try it.’”

His worst bosses, he said, had these deficiencies:

¶ “Never seemed to be around when I needed them

¶ Always asked me to justify what I wanted to do

¶ Always wanted to know what I was doing

¶ Often said ‘no, we can’t do that’

¶ Gave the impression of being distrustful

¶ Didn’t smile much

¶ Talked about themselves a lot.”

HOW TO BE A BAD BOSS Paul Lemberg, an executive coach, has compiled a list of ways weak bosses can hinder an employee’s performance.

His advice to those bosses is to "stop immediately," if they are doing any of the following:

¶ You don't give employees a clear and compelling company direction. When people align themselves with the company’s goals, they are free to invent, to improvise, to innovate, to inspire each other.

¶ You say important things only once. If the message is important, it is worth repeating.

¶ You don’t hold employees accountable.

¶ You concentrate on trying to improve employees’ shortcomings. “Bad bosses waste too much energy on employee makeovers. Don’t worry about weaknesses — instead, figure out what employees are really good at and train them to be brilliant.”

TAKE THE QUIZ Working America, which is affiliated with the A.F.L.-C.I.O., writes on its Web site that it works “against wrong-headed priorities favoring the rich and corporate special interests over America’s well-being.”

That apparently does not keep them from having a sense of humor.

The organization has created a 10-question quiz to help employees figure how bad their boss is.

The quiz presents a situation and then asks if it sounds “like something your boss would do.”

For example, “someone in your family has died unexpectedly,” it says. “You are devastated, but feel touched when your normally cheap boss sends flowers to the funeral. The next month you find out your boss has taken the money for flowers out of your paycheck.”

The Web site says questions like this one are based on real events.

LAST CALL Writing in Inc., Leigh Buchanan offers several signs to bosses that their employees probably hate them. These are our two favorites:

“You never see people walk by. Employees would rather circumnavigate the entire office to get to the coffee machine or bathroom than take the shortcut past your door and risk being invited in.”

Employees do not volunteer for the boss’s pet projects. It could be because the idea is bad, and they are afraid to say that. Or the idea may be good, but they are petrified of what will happen if they let the boss down. Or since it is the boss’s pet project, he will probably work on it as well. “Which means more time spent ...gulp ...with you.”

Business strategy: the 48 things that matter

An excellent framework for any business

The Heart of Business Strategy:
48 Things That Matter

by Tom Peters

• "Thank you." Minimum several times a day. Measure it.
• "Thank you" to everyone even peripherally involved in some activity—especially those "deep in the hierarchy."
• Smile. Work on it.
• Apologize. Even if "they" are "mostly" to blame.
• Jump all over those who play the "blame game."
• Hire enthusiasm.
• Low enthusiasm: No hire. Any job.
• Hire optimists. Everywhere. ("Positive outlook on life," not mindless optimism.)
• Hiring: Would you like to go to lunch with him-her. 100% of jobs.
• Hire for good manners.
• Do not reject "trouble makers"—that is those who are uncomfortable with the status quo.
• Expose all would-be hires to something unexpected-weird. Observe their reaction.
• Overwhelm response to even the smallest screw-ups.
• Become a student of all you will meet with. Big time.
• Hang out with interesting new people. Measure it.
• Lunch with folks in other functions. Measure it.
• Listen. Hear. Become a serious student of listening-hearing.
• Work on everyone's listening skills. Practice.
• Become a student of information extraction-interviewing.
• Become a student of presentation giving. Formal. Short and spontaneous.
• Incredible care in 1st line supervisor selection.
• World's best training for 1st line supervisors.
• Construct small leadership opportunities for junior people within days of starting on the job.
• Insane care in all promotion decisions.
• Promote "people people" for all managerial jobs. Finance-logistics-R&D as much as, say, sales.
• Hire-promote for demonstrated curiosity. Check their past commitment to continuous learning.
• Small "d" diversity. Rich mixes for any and all teams.
• Hire women. Roughly 50% women on exec team.
• Exec team "looks like" customer population, actual and desired.
• Focus on creating products for and selling to women.
• Focus on creating products for and selling to boomers-geezers.
• Work on first and last impressions.
• Walls display tomorrow's aspirations, not yesterday's accomplishments.
• Simplify systems. Constantly.
• Insist that almost all material be covered by a 1-page summary. Absolutely no longer.
• Practice decency.
• Add "We are thoughtful in all we do" to corporate values list. Number 1 force for customer loyalty, employee satisfaction.
• Make some form of employee growth (for all) a formal part of values set. Above customer satisfaction. Steal from RE/MAX: "We are a life success company."
• Flowers.
• Celebrate "small wins." Often. Perhaps a "small win of the day."
• Manage your calendar religiously: Does it accurately reflect your espoused priorities?
• Use a "calendar friend" who's not very friendly to help you with this.
• Review your calendar: Work assiduously on your "To don'ts"—stuff that distracts.
• Bosses, especially near the top: Formally cultivate one advisor whose role is to tell you the truth. Regularly!
• Commit to Excellence.
• Talk up Excellence.
• Put "Excellence in all we do" in the values set.
• Measure everyone on demonstrated commitment to Excellence.

Snakes

I come from an environment where if yoy see a snake, you kill it. Here [at GM], if you see a snake you hire a consultant.

Ross Perrot

40 reasons why England won the Wold Cup (in 1966) - edit

1 England's manager was English. Alf Ramsey came from Dagenham, where his father was a hay and straw dealer.

2 There was no nonsense about WAGs. The wives and girlfriends of the squad were not even invited to the celebratory dinner.

3 We lost the cup before we won it. The Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from an exhibition at Westminster Hall, but recovered from under a bush by a mongrel named Pickles.

4 Substitutes were not allowed, and the English players were fitter than the Germans. Alan Ball was still running like a small red train in extra time.

5 Alf Ramsey had no time for FA secretaries or Swedish former weather girls.

6 The whole concept of managerial freedom was fresh. Ramsey's predecessor, Walter Winterbottom, had to do his best with a team selected by a committee.

7 England's squad had sensible names, like Bobby, Jack, Geoff, Gordon and, er, Norbert. There were no Rios or Theos.

8 England enjoyed home advantage, and were accused of exploiting it: they played every single match at Wembley, whereas other teams had to travel. England are bidding for the World Cup of 2018.

9 As in 2006, England had problems in the striker department. Jimmy Greaves, the obvious choice, was injured in the match against France. Enter, in the Peter Crouch role, Geoff Hurst.

10 London was the world capital of cool. The Beatles released Eleanor Rigby and Yellow Submarine. London was home to Michael Caine in Alfie and David Hemmings in Blow Up. Can you name one decent German song or film from 1966?

11 Players' wages were under control: for the World Cup, the England squad received £60 a match, and shared an eventual bonus pool worth £1,000 a man.

12 British pluck was much in evidence. During the World Cup year, Sheila Scott circumnavigated the globe in a single-engined plane. Meanwhile, Chay Blyth and John Ridgway rowed the Atlantic.

13 The England players did not stay in a five-star hotel: their base was Hendon Hall, in north London, smart but not lavish.

14 There were no paparazzi, and no limos. In their spare time, the players hopped on the bus to a local golf course, or went for a cup of tea in unglamorous Golders Green. No one pursued them.

15 The England players had faith: Nobby Stiles, the short-sighted, toothless midfield stopper, went to church on the morning of the final.

16 A Labour government were in power, headed by a devious self-publicist who was quick to take the credit for the nation's sporting achievements. No change there, then.

17 The Dunkirk spirit was still alive in the land. According to a German television commentator, Werner Schneider: "It is said that the Germans are the most militaristic people, but this is not so. The British are. Even winning at football is treated like winning a battle."

18 None of the England squad were married to, or even walking out with, a pop star. Admittedly, Billy Wright had married one of the Beverley Sisters, but he was out of the picture in 1966.

19 None of the England players sported a silly hairdo, unless you count Bobby Charlton's comb-over.

20 No England player was involved in pretentious or fate-tempting advertising campaigns. Promotional work was resolutely down-to-earth, for example, Bobby Moore's commercial encouraging people to "drop in to your local".

21 Metatarsals had not been invented in 1966, therefore no English players broke them.

22 The opposition were generally poor. North Korea, for goodness' sake, were quarter-finalists.

23 The 'Russian linesman' was on our side. Tofik Bakhramov, actually from Azerbaijan, awarded Geoff Hurst's second goal in the 11th minute of extra time. Bakhramov had no common language with the Swiss referee, Gottfried Dienst, but he still managed to persuade his colleague that Hurst's shot had crossed the line when it bounced down off the crossbar.

24 England were also lucky that their fourth goal was not disallowed since, as Kenneth Wolstenholme famously noted, "some people are on the pitch".

25 Wembley was vast, and hugely noisy: 97,000 people attended the final, most of them English. The German fans were drowned out by the home supporters.

26 England had the best goalkeeper in the tournament. Gordon Banks was approaching his prime, and was the main reason that England completed the group section without conceding a goal.

27 The 1966 England team were capable of defeating Portugal in the latter stages of a major competition (2-1 in the semi-finals), a feat that seems beyond their contemporary counterparts.

28 England had been slagged off by the pundits. "England will not win the World Cup," Jimmy Hill predicted. "But don't blame Alf. No one could win with this lot."

29 Brazil were not a major factor at the 1966 World Cup. Their squad were elderly, with the exception of Pele, who was treated with horrible violence by opponents.

30 England's manager played politics very well. Fifa wanted Nobby Stiles kicked out of the tournament after a particularly horrible tackle in the match against France. But Ramsey stood by his man.

31 England's manager was a man of principle (compare 2006). After a nasty game against Argentina, Ramsey refused to let his players swap shirts with the South Americans.

32 None of the 1966 squad had agents. Or personal assistants.

33 England had James Bond on our side. Before the semi-final against Portugal, the England players toured Pinewood Studios, where Sean Connery was playing 007. The Scot greeted them with good grace.

34 England's 1966 squad did not include a 17-year-old striker who had never played a senior game for his club.

35 During extra time in the final, England's players kept their socks up. The Germans didn't, a fact noted by Ramsey in his pep talk to the team after 90 minutes.

36 Had England lost the final, they would still have kept the cup. The FA had a copy made when the orginal was stolen: it is still in the National Football Museum.

37 In 1966 the players did not conform to fancy diets or take vitamin supplements. The pre-final lunch was chicken.

38 England's players were not distracted by vast wealth or fast cars. Most of the squad earned about £100 a week, and George Cohen was inordinately proud of his Vauxhall Viva.

39 England's supporters were encouraged by the first ever World Cup mascot, a lion called World Cup Willie. The name might apply equally well to the manager of England's 2006 campaign.

40 England's captain, Bobby Moore, did not sport jewellery or tattoos. Nor did he name his son after a district of New York City.

Economist.com | Business books

Economist.com | Business books