Dare! Break the Rules. Be the Exception! @dawnnas - Tumblr Blog

Imagine for a moment that you were cutting your organization straight down the middle.

You would have your operations side first. They make sure that the business runs smoothly every day. Their job is to ensure your pay-check reaches your bank account, the building is standing, and the lights are turned on.

On the other side, is innovation. Innovation makes sure the customer and end-user experience is continuously improved. They have no idea why the lights came on, but YAY!

While an innovation leader would be bored to death in operations and an operations executive would be completely stressed out on the innovation side, one without the other could not exist.

Check out these distinct differences:

Operations Innovation Vision A vision is guideline by which organizational decisions are made.Ex: To consistently set and exceed the benchmark for customer service. A vision is like an architect’s blueprint. The only thing standing in it’s way is time an action. They future of the vision will be realized.Ex: To build the faster processor in the world. Risk Risk averse. Thinks safety is risky. Decision- Making May leverage a committee. Usually uses historical data to determine what actions to take next. Autonomous or with few people involved. There is little historical data to no historical data. Decisions are based on reaching vision. Trend Reactions Recognizes trends and protects team and business from adverse impact. Recognizes trends and attempts to leverage them. Sets trends. Change Keeps change to a necessary minimum. Disruption of operations is a bad thing. Best practices and process are critical. Sees change as a necessity for significant growth. Disruption is required to move forward faster. Process is meant to be improved. Team Leads team members to be the future of the organization. Succession planning is critical. Has believers in the vision who are lead to make the vision tangible. The project is critical. Communication Adverse to major debates or arguments; however, discussions or questioning of current operations is acceptable. Major debates, questioning of direction and vision, and even arguments are useful in poking holes in current vision and help strengthen ideas.

Operational Leaders in an Innovation role can find themselves feeling highly stressed. They will work diligently to put process in place so that operational standards are adhered to.

Innovative Leaders in an Operational Role can find themselves bored. Day-to-day work will be unusually stressful and may fall through the cracks. Innovative Leaders will find ways to bring innovation into operations by correcting or improving current practices.

Operational Leaders and Innovate Leaders need each other. Without Operations, the Innovation side of the organization would constantly make things better with no constraints of time, budget, or scope. While experimentation is critical to success, constraints on experimentation ensure that innovators will not spend their way into delivering nothing while striving for perfection.

Without Innovation, Operations will constantly strive for process improvement and rarely seek out ways to disrupt the status quo. A lack of innovation will cause stagnation in the industry and eventually corporate failure.

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Leaders are usually defined as people who have a massive line of lemmings attempting to mimic their actions. But great leaders don’t have followers. They have something way more powerful. I learned that on a particularly difficult project.

I was asked to lead a project that was already $16M in the hole and 3.5 years behind schedule. The team was beaten down and I was the last hope of getting this project out of the gutter. Everyone thought I would fail, but I knew that my methodology was almost fool-proof. All I needed was a team that believed what I already knew to be true.

After I whittled down the scope and modified the timeline I was ready to take the next big step in my plan – transform a beaten down team into superheroes.

At my first presentation, my goal was to eradicate negative beliefs.

I stood on the podium and reminded them that they were the chosen ones pulled from every corner of the organization to deliver a game-changing innovation. I showed them the successes they had earned along the way and how a slight change in direction would garner even more success. I told what the future would look like and asked them to make it happen with me.

The team dynamic changed over time, but I didn’t know how much until winter break.

The last two weeks of the year, around Christmas and New Year’s Day, I give every person on my team time off. The issue was that an external change was going to impact our project by 30 days and cause us to miss our first delivery date in almost a year. This was a huge blow to a team that had gone from never delivering anything to always delivering on-time.

I went into action and got the change order approved. My team had nothing to worry about. The delivery date was moved back by 45 days so they could enjoy the holiday.

On December 26th I called Kim, the Direct of Business Analysis, to wish her a Happy Birthday. During the call I commented that the person laughing in the background sounded like Mark, the Director of Data Management. She said, “Oh, it is. I am at the office with the team.”

I was in complete shock. Why was my team at the office? I rushed in to find out what was going on.

Upon arrival to the office there was music, food, drinks, presents, family members, and a team of 28 people hard at work.

When I questioned what was going on Kim explained,

“The five people on the data extraction team were not about to be the ’cause’ of missing a delivery date, so they decided to come in to get a head start. The reporting team said they would come in to get the reports done if the load team would make sure they had data to report on. So the load and reporting team came in too. Then the QA team said nothing can really get approved until they do the work they need to do. And the BA team decided to help do some QA work to get the final approval ready for Jan 2nd. Oh… it’s the holiday so we invited family and friends who brought food, drinks, decorations, and music… of course.”

I said, “You know it’s your birthday and holiday week… right?”

Kim laughed, “Of course, that’s why we have a menorah, santa hats, kwanzaa decorations… oh and I got bottle of Grey Goose Vodka for my birthday. YAY!” Kim continued in a whisper, “By the way, you weren’t invited so we don’t have a Santa hat for you.”

Within one week my team had delivered 30 days of work.

At our Jan 3rd delivery meeting, Mark made a few remarks on the behalf of the team.

“You knew we would be successful and we thought you were crazy. You defined the future and dared us to be a part of it. You saw that in us which we forgot existed. You have converted team members into kool-aid drinking believers. You always said, ‘I don’t want followers; I want a team that believes in our vision; a vision that they know is possible and will work to achieve.’ Thank you for transforming us into believers.”

Laeders that have a team of team of believers will find themselves surrounded by people that will move heaven, earth, and holiday weeks to get the job done.

What do you believe?

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STOP! Before you keep going know this:

I think DT is a bit of a jackass. He is disrespectful and condescending; especially to women. I would personally love to take 5 minutes and beat the shit out of him with a stiletto. This is not a political commentary. This is really what people can learn from DT.

With that said: He is one of the most innovative candidates in this race. And, as long as he keeps doing what he’s doing (of course with cyclical improvements) he will be a force to be reckoned with in November ’16.

So what makes him so damned innovative? Well he is hitting the innovation factors on all fronts.

The First Law of Innovation: Craved

Voters who listen to “The Donald” (and everyone is listening) didn’t know that a candidate could be so outspoken and still be out front. Whether you love him or hate him, you know exactly where you stand and where he stands. There is no ambiguity… and people love it and expect it.

People want forthrightness (even if its a bit crass) and they refuse to live without it. It is the reason that Hilary is struggling; why all the other republican candidates come off like bobbleheaded closes; and why no one else is getting significant airtime. Right now, every other voter would love to shake their candidate and yell, “PLEASE GROW SOME! STICK BY SOMETHING! STAND TOUGH ON AN ISSUE! STOP REPEATING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS SAYING!”

Trump tapped into the first law of innovation – Give the consumer something they didn’t know they could have but now refuse to live without. Make them crave it.

The Second Law of Innovation: Envied

Every candidate on the platform envies DT. They wish they had his money and his “lack of filter” when he speaks. They wish they had to gall to rock an ugly ass haircut and still tell Heidi that she is not a 10 (seriously… that happened).

Trump confidently leveraged the second law of innovation: Do something that your competitors envy and wished that they could do. Set the bar and make them jealous that they can’t reach it.

The Third Law of Innovation: Buzz-Worthy

By tapping into the first and second law of innovation, the third law sometimes just happens. Turn on your TV; check what’s trending on the internet, and read the newspaper – everyone is talking about DT and waiting to see (or hear) what’s next.

Trump is buzz-worthy and consistently feeds the news frenzy by remaining so.

What can companies do:

91% of funded innovation projects fail because they don’t meet the three criteria. Instead of creating something that the customer didn’t know they could have and can’t live without, companies spend time asking customers what they want. Your customer is not the expert in your business. It is your job to determine what they want next and deliver it.

If you want to corner the market with your next sexy new innovation, make sure that it is craved, envied, and buzz-worthy.

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Your audience would greatly benefit from Dawnna delivering a keynote at your next conference. www.Dawnna.com

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Your current process works. It’s seamless. It’s a best practice. And it’s as stale as those two-day-old donuts sitting on the conference room table.

When the same-old same-old doesn’t have the flavor you’re looking for it’s time to flip the script and try something different.

The easiest way to freshen up those old processes is to find the pain point and flip the script. And yes… even best practices can be updated to meet the new millennium.

Consider the check-out process at most stores. You pick out your products, take them to the shortest line possible, and then you pay. We can all agree that this is a “best practice” that we have seen in practice for decades.

Of all the things that people hate the most about this best practice, it’s standing in line. This is why Apple and Nordstrom associates now check-out on demand. No line required. A simple change to an age-old process and suddenly you are an innovator.

When you’re ready to try something new, write down and question each step of your process. Pick the one step that causes the most pain. Improve it and you’re on your way to innovation superstardom.

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Learn More about Dawnna St Louis at www.Dawnna.com

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When it comes to innovation, Seth Godin talks about collecting dots. Richard Branson touts connecting dots. And Steve Jobs said “Let the dots fall where they may”. If you take a look a the top innovative thinkers of our time you might think that the point of innovation is just pointillism or maybe even a pointless game.

This type of Morse Code communications has led many frustrated leaders to collect ideas, fill whiteboards, and struggle to deliver what’s next. The real innovation challenge is less about dots and more about the experience.

Most will tell you that innovation is a new techno-gadget or widgety-thing-a-ma-bob. Or that it’s the next complex device that can make your keyboard float. But innovation is actually much simpler than that.

Innovation is an improved experience that is craved, envied, and buzz-worthy. Check out these examples.

When the iPhone hit the streets there were already smartphones on the market. The ability to point and click wasn’t new. However, people still crawled over broken glass buck-naked in the middle of a blizzard to sit in the freezing cold for two days to grab an iPhone so they could feel like they were a smarter and cooler part of the tech generation. Customers craved the new experience and chucked their Blackberries and BES servers to have it.

When UBER, a highly personalized taxi service, blazed into town they were considered innovative as well. But taxis had already been around for quite a while… ask anyone in NY. But, UBER improved the experience of getting from destination to destination safely with a couple of touches on your smart phone. I know people who wait on an UBER rather than take the next available taxi.

And even the newest techno-gadgety wonder, the 3D Printer by inventor Chuck Hall, was developed to improve how architects developed small scale models automating the highly tedious work.

Innovation is all about creating or improving the user experience. Create an experience that your customers crave, your competitors envy, and your industry can’t stop talking about and you have hit the innovation trifecta.

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“Change is slowing us down”, said Amanda from the third row of my 2000 person keynote. “It’s working! Why do we have to fix something that ain’t broke! Stop innovating.”

Her words echoed a sentiment that I hear in the hallways of corporate America as a new project is about to breech an age-old process. She obviously had something to say so I invited her on the stage to say it.

After explaining that her job got automated and she got fired her next response was, “All this innovation is losing great people good jobs.”

Amanda had a point, but was it valid? I remember John saying that he kept a server room filled with outdated monitors and giant monoliths that filled racks in the Network Operations Center because, “Leadership will think we are doing difficult and complex work if they see lots of machines that they don’t understand.” And he was right until a savvy Director of IT was hired and blew his cover.

Candice complained for weeks that her 15 year old, “Windows 98 machine was being replaced by some new fangled Mac POS” (no… not point of sale).

Even I thought that adding a camera to a phone was odd. “We have cameras. Now we are going to put them on our phones? WHY?”

What Amanda missed was the same as what John, Candice, and even I missed. Innovation does not cause the loss of jobs; but rather increases possibilities.

Yes, the elevator operator was replaced by the elevator button and the photo printing guy was replaced by the photo printer. But other businesses spawned. Such as the elevator button repair guy, the printer company, the toner company, the printer repair company, and the countless entrepreneurs that help create those marketing materials that people will print on their color laser printer at home.

Innovation has done significant amounts of good, spawned many companies, and created wealthy entrepreneurs. Look at the 3D printer and its possibilities in medicine. Look at anything by Tesla or Elon Musk… no really… anything. There have been some losses in its wake as well. Anyone using a cellphone or the internet is just as responsible for putting 411 and switchboard operators out of work. As we get faster, easier, cheaper, and better; people will have to be smarter, adopt faster, and be willing to change.

In the end, Amanda is right. If she does not keep up with changing times she will consistently be unemployed. But if her company does not keep up with changing times then so will all the other people that worked with her.

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Brag your way to more money in five simple steps:

1 – State the challenge that the organization or someone had.

The organization had a 3% deficit

The company needed

My client what challenged

2 – Tell 3 actions that you took to solve the challenge

I found a solution

I implemented

I <did three amazing things>

3 – State the results or improvement

As a result my client closed $X in business

As a result the company gained X%

As a result my client can fly

4 – Validate (Optional)

Is that what you are looking for

How would those types of numbers impact your company?

5 – Call to action

Let’s discuss next steps

Let’s talk about how we can make that happen for you.

Here is one from a recent event planner that hired me:

BEFORE: I couldn’t find a keynote speaker.

So I looked everywhere. Online, called people, bureaus. Nothing was right. So I finally got a list. It took forever. Then I had to call them and pick one. It took forever.

Now we have a great speaker.

AFTER

Finding the best keynote to fit the educational and entertainment needs is a real challenge for the company. We are looking for the total package which could be a challenge.

I found Dawnna. Negotiated additional work such as sponsor boosting and paid breakouts to increase revenue.

As a result of my selection we had a 98.75 satisfaction. Further, we boosted sponsor dollars by 30%. Finally, we are bringing her back next year. That announcement has increased our pre-conference attendance numbers by 22%.

What kind of result would you like for your team?

Great let’s talk about the next steps.

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An artist displayed the above picture in a post on LinkedIN.

All LinkedIn users can agree that this is a place of business. And all can agree that this is the artist’s work. Where they disagree was whether this type of work should be shown. The statements fell into two categories:

Put it somewhere else. It is disrespectful.

It is a product of your work therefore it can and should be displayed here.

This is not the first time that I’ve seen people complain about what’s posted on LinkedIN. We’ve seen everything like:

Those silly math problems that 98% of the public get wrong, but every LinkedIN person gets correct.

The religious verses about a deity that will save you if you share.

The “I Beat Cancer” picture of a little bald kid to tug at our heart strings and get more likes.

But the issue here is no whether or not the image is art or work or whether it should be shown or not.

The issue is a matter of control.

Regardless of what side of the argument you fall on, here is the real question:

Why do we feel like we have the right to control what other people post especially when we have the ability to control what appears in our feed?

That’s right. In 3 clicks you can hide the post, hide the person, and disconnect completely. But instead of doing that, many times we become the all knowing and judging monarch determining the rights of others.

The bottom line is that you have a choice. In, fact as the sexy LinkedIN super user that you are, you even have power. You have the power of a God to manage your feed, follow and unfollow others, and determine who will and will not be in your vast network.

So be that superuser and do what you do best. Like, comment, and share ;0)

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Let’s cut to the chase. Dawnna is a breakthrough business author and rockstar keynote speaker. She works with organizations that want to harness the power of people in business. If you’d like her to deliver content like what’s in this article or you just want to see her do this … then give her a shout.

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YEAH! I rocked it! WOOT WOOT! It was all me baby. In a world of greatness, it is obvious and has been proclaimed that I am the greatest! All others bow down.

Oh… and thanks to the little people for your support.

That’s what it sounded like in my head when a really tough project, that I was leading, found success. I even choreographed a very hot SuperBowl End Zone Dance to match – complete with spiked footballs, confetti, and cheerleaders. The security guys watching the elevator cameras must have been highly amused.

In a world of selfies and shameless self-promotion it was a no-brainer for me to take ALL the credit for the success of my project. I came up with the idea. Implemented the strategy. Motivated the team the follow my vision. Put the right people in the right positions. Got the client on board. And I even think there was a moment when I walked on water.

Then I remembered… things didn’t work out so well for the last guy that walked on water so unless I wanted to be sacrificed by my team, I’d better get my ego in check.

To strike a balance between high confidence and high praise (click here to learn how to give the right amount of praise), use this 3 step leadership hack:

Define the Challenge

The challenge is the issue that you and your team corrected for your organization. It also identifies your role in correcting the challenge and why the challenge was critical to your organization. This is about YOU and how you STEPPED UP!

Example: There was a 15% customer retention deficit at our organization. As VP of Sales and Marketing I stepped up to the plate to turn around the deficit because our organization has always been known for long-term customer retention and repeat business. Our numbers should reflect that.

Highlight the Milestones and Your People

Most people totally ruin this step by talking about the process and giving step-by-step details. No one cares about the steps. They want to know the results of the milestones and who was responsible. Highlight the ACTIONS OF YOUR TEAM! This section balances out the first part.

Example: Over the past 6 months James and Sheila discovered why our highest grossing customers were absent. Bob and Darla used that information to make significant improvements that caused customers to come back. Kim implemented new strategies to retain at risk customers and get new ones in the door.

RESULTS!

This is all about the benefits! At this point you want to make sure that the organization recognizes the results that you bring to the table.

Example: As a result of this project, my team and I have improved customer service numbers by 85% and generated $600K in rescued revenue.

BONUS:

If you are short on time and get stuck in that elevator with an Executive that wants to know what you have done for them lately, simply summarize 1 and 3. Deliver with power.

I led a team that was instrumental in increasing customer service numbers by 85% and generated $600K in rescued revenue.

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I have followers on Twitter and I’m pretty sure that they don’t think I am their leader. In fact I think if I commanded them to retweet my latest post, most of them would tell me to kick rocks.

But, according to Webster’s a leader is someone who commands or causes others to follow. While Peter Drucker thinks that “Leaders have followers.”

John Maxwell, on the other hand, says that “Leadership is influence” and Kenneth Blanchard says “a leader must have influence and vision”.

All these gentlemen seemed to headed in the right direction. But like my husband getting lost on a road trip, they refused to stop and get more information so that they could to make it to the destination [ sorry… couldn’t resist that one].

As a person that talks about harnessing the power of people to maximize business efforts, leadership is critical to moving people into action. And having a clear, concise, and complete definition is critical to developing leaders who can do that.

So, here is my definition to the age old question: What is a leader

That’s mine. What do you think? Does your boss meet the definition of a good leader? Do you?

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Crickets. All I could hear were crickets.

There are 400 people in the audience and I just delivered my hilarious opening story… and the loudest thing in the room where the damn crickets.

My heart sank, my pulse raced, and my mind questioned what was going on:

What happened? What did I miss? This story hits every single time. Let it go. Don’t linger. Move on.

Next story. I’m all in. This one is always a hit with this type of crowd.

Story stated. Audience engaged. Punchline delivered… and… you guessed it…crickets.

Now I am going nuts. 10 minutes in, 50 to go. I could feel the inevitable failure burning in my soul like hot tar peeling against baby smooth skin. It was going to be long, hard, and epic faceplant… and everyone was watching.

Then it hit me:

OMG! That slideshow that came on right before I started has the answer. The people that were hanging out, drinking, and having fun until about 3am are in my audience. In fact, that guy is still wearing the outfit from last night.

This “walk of shame” audience doesn’t want to hear is my voice… well any voice. They have visions of sugarplums and pillows dancing in their head.

So, I can be the annoying pain-in-the-ass that is standing between them and their pillow or I can become a dose of 5 Hour Energy.

I decided on the latter. Within seconds I was off the stage and in the audience delivering an impromptu activity that my amazing event planner was ready for.

This audience would not sleep thought my talk. I am freakin’ amazing and they were NOT going to miss this. I stomped towards the stairs and the AV Team scurried to the mics. After fifteen minutes of hot-seats, high-fives, and hilarity my audience was engaged and awake.

Since hindsight is 20/20, the chick in the mirror wasn’t delivering kind kudos after I left the stage. She kept nagging at me with all of her “shoulda, coulda, and woulda lessons learned”, things to do better, and how much of an idiot she thought I was.

As hard as the chick in the mirror worked to convince me that the speech was a total disaster (and I was starting to believe her), the AV guy derailed her efforts.

Bill tracked me down with a cell phone in hand and said, “OMG! That was the most entertaining, educational, and engaging superstar platform work I have ever seen… and I do this 15 times per week. I have three clients that I contacted to hire you and one is on the phone right now. You are going to make me look like a superstar.”

He hugged me so tightly and kissed my cheek so passionately that I had to take a pregnancy test… immediately.

The client echoed Bill’s sentiments. They said that they loved it and have already reached out to me to come back to do some leadership breakouts and training.

While faceplanting towards success, this is what I learned:

First: Excellence is not a script or a plan. Go with your instincts. My gut told me start off a little differently. I ignored it and tried to go with what was rehearsed. My gut is ALWAYS right. Next time I will follow it.

Second: The client cares that you reach the goal and not how you reach it. Always do what you know to do as a professional. The client didn’t care if I followed an outline; they cared that the audience was motivated to action on the message delivered.

Third: Regardless of where you set your bar, make sure that your failure still feels like a success to the client. Regardless of the “hindsight movie” that played in my head, the client saw “perfection” and “professionalism”.

How have you found success even when you felt like you were failing?

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It was my first week on the job and my boss asked me what I would change from processes to people to technology. There was no way I was going to tell him what I really thought during my first week and be labeled as the team “know it all”.

But, companies are desperate to find ideas – so desperate that they will ask anyone about anything just to get something.

So how does a great leader find great ideas? How do they know when a big idea will turn into big profits?

Easy! Just implement a Murder Board.

It sounds exactly as it is. Your job is to take lessons from Dexter. Kill those ideas that will systematically kill your profits and fortify the best ideas that will boost your bottom line.

This is how a Murder Board works.

WARNING: This is not for the faint at heart. Murder Boards are for organizations that are passionate about staying ahead of the curve and cornering the market.

SCOUTS, GLADIATORS, and SERIAL KILLERS… OH MY!

You’ll need some scouts, gladiators, serial killers, a sheriff, and a few great ideas. Since this isn’t your typical Walmart run, here is what you are looking for.

Scouts Scouts are, quite literally, every person in your company. They know that ideas are born out of necessity, competition, or improvement. These front line activists are on the look-out new ways to streamline processes, increase profits, save money, and innovate beyond the competition. They can see what’s missing and what’s possible. They ask WHY and WHY NOT a lot.

Gladiators Gladiators review ideas that are presented by Scouts. They ask the tough questions and determine why the idea is needed, who will benefit from it, and the impact of the idea. They are brave, fearless, great communicators, and passionate (usually great debaters with amazing critical thinking skills and unique perspectives. I was a Gladiator. Yeah… I like a good argument.).

Ideas I think we know what these are. Check out this article to discover the types of ideas worth harnessing.

Serial Killers Might sound bad, but these are actually the good guys. Kinda like Dexter. Their job is to protect the company from weak ideas by killing them before they can do any damage. They are just like Gladiators, but have a different role.

Sheriffs They manage the process, have the final say, and ensure that the Serial Killers and Gladiators don’t kill each other. These referee types have no allegiances to people. They care about the company, fairness, and have high amounts of integrity. They are not swayed by the like or dislike of others.

THE MURDER BOARD IN ACTION

Scouts find ideas and deliver them to the Gladiators.

Gladiators prepare to present the idea to the Murder Board. They are willing the fight to the death… or until the Sheriff bring the debate to an end.

Serial Killers are the members of the Murder Board. When Gladiators present and defend their ideas, Serial Killers try to kill them. They ask the tough questions and keep attacking an idea until the Sheriff determines its fate.

The Sheriff defines the rules of the game and keeps the peace. They will determine things like: How many holes can be poked before an idea is dead? What types of ideas will be presented: ie strategic, tactical, technical, product based, etc? What makes an idea worthy of moving forward? The Sheriff also is the final decision-maker of the fate of an idea. Finally, the Sheriff manages the flow (and sometimes passions) during the meeting.

AFTER THE MURDER BOARD

The weak ideas can go back to the drawing board and be presented later as a newer, stronger, and better idea.

Winning ideas are ready to go to the next stage. It is now up to corporate leaders to decide what they want to do next. At my company, we implemented Hack-A-Thons that allowed teams to take 20% of their work week during the last quarter of the year to work on winning ideas. During the first quarter of the next year, The Hack-a-Thonians delivered demos to voters – kind of like presenting to a Venture Capitol Board – who would pick the best demos based on a specific set of criteria.

MURDER BOARD BENEFITS

Employee engagement was at an all time high as teams constantly looked forward to the Hack-A-Thon. Teamwork was highly improved. Most Gladiators, Serial Killers and Sheriffs became great presenters, listeners, and organizational leaders. The best ideas where implemented and caused my company to outpace the competition. The Murder Board directly impacted our bottom line profits for positive net gains.

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Great ideas usually fall from the lips of someone who sounds like they need a padded room, three signatures, and lots of lithium…. lots.

Great ideas never sound sane like this:

I would like to speak into this device and have someone on the other end hear me. Then I would like them to be able to respond in kind.

Instead they sound something like this:

I want to talk to people who ain’t even in the room. People that we can’t see or touch. And I want them to talk back to me. Yeah… that’s it.

Based on the latter most people would have locked up Alexander Graham Bell instead of reading this article on a device that his invention fathered.

So, how in the heck is a Leader supposed to grab a great idea by the horns and ride that baby all the way to the bank?

We already know that to be innovative means that you see change as an opportunity. Innovative leaders harness the power of people to seize that opportunity.

Let’s identify why ideas are born, why great ideas are missed, and what to do to stay ahead of the curve.

Necessity

We have all heard that necessity is the mother of invention. If you don’t believe it just look at what happened to the auto industry when people were making life decisions at the gas pump. Suddenly Tesla was sexy, big V8s and V12 engines were selfish, and hybrids were hot.

Why this is missed – Some leaders lose that critical connection with their customer and how the market sees them.

How to stay ahead – Your team is living the challenges of your current market. They have a fresh perspective on marketplace challenges and probably a few ideas on how to tackle them. Talk to them, watch their actions, and tap into their ideas.

How this recently worked – A luxury brands client recognized that they were failing in a big way a couple of years ago. Instead of using the boardroom to come up with ways to connect their product with the customer, they went directly to their customer facing team members. Contests, activities, and an Innovation Board moved them from a dead brand to making a serious comeback.

Competition

This is a great way of saying, “If we don’t do something soon then we are going to die and the industry will pass us by.” And those companies that don’t do something usually die… or come really really close; just ask Blackberry. ‘Nuff said.

Why this is missed – The biggest companies will tell you that they have no competition, which is true, until the competition starts stealing their customers. They forget that their future customer does not want the tools, toys, and tech that their parents had. They want something new and you competition is listening.

How to stay ahead – Hire from the competition. Leverage an innovation board. Implement a hack-a-thon. All these things will ensure that you outpace your competitors and corner the market.

How this recently worked – Coffee is extra hot and we all know that. But for some reason this major morning joe retailer was getting cold in the shadow of Starbucks. After watching my “Starbucks Story” video three years ago they asked me to come in and help create a unique experience. This mighty mouse leveraged a “small is sexy” and created unique mixes that differed from their bigger competitor. What they did that really kicked ass… they offer a $.50 cup of old fashioned coffee.

Efficiency

If we can get more done in less time for less money at the same or better level of quality then we want it. If it is easier too, then we want it more!

The Vizio television disrupted the market by removing a tuner because they chose to question every part of a tv. The one question that changed everything was: How many people actually change the channel on their TVs in a cable box generation. The answer caused them to dump the expensive tuner, streamline the tv, drop the prices, and quickly become a force to be reckoned with in a big TV market.

Why this is missed – Complacency. If it is working why change becomes the motto to work by. As long as trends are stable and no one is complaining then keep doing what we are doing.

How to stay ahead – Question everything. Ask yourself Why is widget two after widget one or even better – Do we really need widget one. Just because it is the next step in the process does not mean that it should be or needs to be. Re-evaluate what you are doing and then do it better.

How this recently worked – My client, a big banking company, decided to implement “hack-a-thons” three years ago. Those crazy ideas cause operations to be streamlined and new ideas to make their way into your hands. BTW – How do you like taking pictures of those checks to deposit them?

Now that you know where they ideas come from and how to stay ahead… all you have to do is turn great innovation into bottom line profits.

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Kathy needed to go!

Besides the fact that she was one of those women that chose to shed tears every time I asked for a status update, Kathy was also the person that was a negative force on the project. She constantly told her team how the project would fail and put roadblocks in the way to ensure it. The worst part is that she was my direct report and a DIRECTOR on my TEAM.

Seems like dropping her was a NO BRAINER!

But, sitting in your exec’s office and bitching about the bad behavior of one of your resources makes you look like a whiny pain in the butt that can’t handle tough employees. As a leader, handling tough resources is one of those soft skills that you must be able to bring to the table.

When the soft-skills aren’t working, you will need to be a little more systematic in your approach and impact change by the numbers.

1 – Don’t Bitch – Measure

Instead of tackling this by the emotions… tackle it by the numbers. Start keeping metrics on those activities that are negatively impacting progress. No – not the fact that she complains to everyone that passes her desk. You are looking for activities that impact the ability for other people to be productive.

For example: Of Kathy’s past 10 tasks, 8 are incomplete by 50%. In the last five meetings, Kathy has been late four times.

2 – Be Specific

Your numbers must be specific and accountable. If you say that she was late to 80% of those meetings, then ensure you write down which meetings, by how long, the number of attendees, and who they were.

Complaining about a minute or two makes you look like you are on a witch hunt. Ten or 15 minutes on a consistent basis, however, is cause for concern.

3 – Calculate the Immediate Impact

Let’s say that Kathy was late to 8 of the past 10 weekly status meetings for the past three months by a minimum of 10 minutes. That accounts for 120 minutes or 2 hours.

Two hours over three months doesn’t seem so bad until you calculate the time wasted of the other people in the room. If you had 10 people in the room, then 20 hours was wasted over 3 months. On tight projects a half a week is a big deal.

If you really want to make these numbers more impactful, move from real numbers to relative ones by using percentages. In this case, Kathy was late to 80% of the status meetings. Her tardiness is causing a 30% impact on productivity as we have to make up for her tardiness by catching up. This means that 1/3 of the meeting is spent dealing with her lateness.

This is just one number. If someone else is dependent on Kathy’s work output then that systematically pushes project timelines back. Take the same approach and measure the impact of late work.

For example: Three people can not move forward without the completion of Task 192 on the project plan. This tasks is 20 hours late which causes an immediate impact of 60 hours and a compounded project impact of 240 hours or 6 weeks.

Remember, you can convert these numbers to relative numbers to have a greater impact.

4 – Calculate the cost

If you really want to get the attention of an exec, throw some numbers their way. Use the average hourly rate of team resources to determine the financial impact.

If Kathy caused a 20 hour impact due to tardiness during the weekly status meeting, and the average leader was earning approximately $70 per hour, that is a $1400 impact for one meeting per week.

If Kathy’s late work had a 240 hour compound effect on 10 employees at an average of $50 per hour then there is a financial impact of $12K per week.

5 – Show the Overall ROI and Compound Impact

Using these numbers as an average calculate the overall trend if the behavior continues.

At a total of $13400 per week on an 52 week project Kathy’s late work will cost us $696K. This will eat into our ROI by 75% during the first year and 50% over the next 2 years.

6 – Make your case

When you make your case you must remove all emotion, state the facts, and have alternatives ready. In my case, Kathy desperately needed to be in a role that was more conducive to her skills rather than the role she in which she was dropped.

Here is how you would make your case:

The Issue Kathy’s tardiness in her work and her attendance is having immediate negative team and financial impacts on the project.

The Immediate Impact Kathy’s tardiness in her work and attendance is causing a financial loss of over $13K per week.

The Long Term Impact This continued behavior will cost us $696K in project expenditures and eat into our ROI by 75% during the first year.

Solutions You’ve Applied To date I have sent her to training, had personal conversations, and implemented recommendations from HR to correct the behavior; however, those efforts have been unsuccessful.

The Real Issue I believe the real issue is that Kathy is in the wrong role. She is struggling with leading Business Analyst work because her skill set is as a Data Analyst.

The Recommendation Since we have no data analyst roles on this project, I would recommend that we move Kathy to the Data Analysis team. I have included a three part solution that would help Kathy transition, learn, and lead so that she can be a contributing member to this organization and find success.

The impact of the recommendation The impact of moving Kathy will leave a hole in her work for approximately two weeks which will cost us $24K; however, the long term impact of not moving Kathy will cost us close to 30x more.

7 – Follow Up

This approach removes the emotion and gives the executive the information needed to make an immediate decision.

Don’t expect an immediate answer. Give your executive an opportunity to digest and verify the information. Usually about three days is plenty. Expect them to ask questions about alternatives and make suggestions. Do let them know that further extending their decision beyond three days will continue to negatively impact the project. Have your arguments, justifications, and alternatives ready to ensure that your new plan takes effect.

BONUS

When you make your case you must remove all emotion, state the facts, and have alternatives ready. Make sure that you document everything so that if you need a $696K change order at the end of the project, they know exactly why.

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In my case, Kathy desperately needed to be in a role that was more conducive to her skills rather than the role she in which she was dropped.

When she was moved, Kathy had a positive impact on the project. She was in a role that was perfect for her skills. She loved what she was doing and her frustrations were all but gone. Once Kathy recognized that putting her in a role where she could be successful was my goal, she got on board and became a Data Analyzing superstar.

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Not sure if you have a team slacker? Check out my other article How to Be Super Unproductive – Yes! Even You Can Be A Slacker

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HARNESS THE POWER OF PEOPLE– Great Work Deserves To Get Noticed STAND OUT LEADERS– Be Decisive, Bold, and The Leader You’d Follow EPIC SALES– Develop Instant Relationships and Close More Business Faster PERSONAL BRAND OF QUALITY– So Good that You’d Put Your Name On It

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Have you ever gotten up in the morning and knew you had a bunch of stuff to get done but no plan to actually do it? Then you are on the right track to being super unproductive. This article will give you the 7 tips you need to fulfill your journey with the least amount of work possible.

THE BASICS

If you are just getting started on the path of slackerdom, we don’t want to overwhelm you. Here are the 4 basic steps to get you started.

1 – Procrastinate instead of Plan

The first step to achieving high levels of low productivity (some would consider this an oxymoron) is to procrastinate.

Grab your pen and start planning on how little you plan to get done.

In fact, if you want to scale back a bit, then think about writing that list but never actually write it. You can spend hours simply thinking about what should get done without actually doing anything.

When one of your co-workers asks about what you are doing, simply say “I was thinking about the SQL Fractional Exception problem or Octional Test issue.”

Neither of which exist, but both will take focus off of the fact that you were doing nothing.

2 – Over-Listing

If you want to be look like the conductor of the unproductive super train then all you have to do is write a long list of stuff. Usually about 20-50 items is perfect. Make sure you date that list with today’s date in pencil (so you can reuse it tomorrow).

This is called over-listing. Yes… writing the list is work and will impact your low productivity numbers. But sometimes you have to sacrifice for the greater good. In order to keep your sacrifice to a minimum though, you can copy and paste a basic to-do list by going to this link.

To make your list truly effective, create a smart list by mixing in some project names and complex terms that seem familiar to others but really mean nothing like – Correct the SQL Exception Factoring System so that we can Increase Octional Speed Tests – Critical for Bob Johns

*Note: Adding the word critical along with the name of a top level executive sends the message that this work is important and a priority.

Scratch off a few things so it looks like you are getting stuff done.

Finally, don’t just write it down and put the list in your drawer. Put it front and center on your desk for others who dare to enter your space to ask for you to be productive can see that you already are.

3 – Cater to Distractions

With your list front and center you are now ready to ride that train of low productivity to the bank.

Facebook, LinkedIN, Twitter, Pintrest, YouTube, donuts, Starbucks, the officemate with the long stories, the sales guy with the great bagels, Candy Crush saga, and solitaire can zap every bit of productivity out of your day.

If you give an hour to each one of those items, you will have actually achieved 11 hours of utter unproductiveness.

*Remember, social media is for browsing only. Posting something can be construed as productive and ruins your low-productivity numbers.

4 – Sleep in… way in.

The early bird gets the worm but the late bird gets the nest all to himself.

Sleep in, stay warm, and avoid rush hour traffic. Don’t be a lemming like those well trained Pavlov Dog wannabes. You should ignore the dings and rings of incoming emails and phone calls. This is tougher than you think to master. So put your phone on vibrate and place it on the other side of the room where you can’t reach it.

In order to sleep in and get paid, you need to ensure that what you are doing still looks like work.

To make this tactic work, you call your bosses work phone around 9 or 10 pm about a problem with the SQL Exception Factoring System that you will be “working” on. Remember, this is that critical item on your list that he doesn’t understand. Call again around midnight letting him know that you are giving up for tonight and will “hit it hard” from home in the AM.

The best part is that no one will argue with you because no one else is actually working on the SQL Exception Factoring System because it doesn’t exist. No one will question you because they don’t want to look like they don’t know what’s going on.

This alone could buy weeks of high levels of low-productivity.

FOR THE PROS!

These tips are for professionals only that have achieved at least 1-2 levels of low productivity on a consistent basis. Proceed with caution.

5 – Super Hero Syndrome (SHS) a Task

To SHS a task, all you have to do is underestimate how much time a task will take in public. Then come up with a super complex and ridiculous list of subtasks along with their approximate durations.

For example: The parent task was estimated at 40 hours. Then you listed out 30 sub-tasks. Each of these tasks will take at least 2-3 hours. Now you have 60-90 hours of work to do on the SQL Exception Factoring System – Part 1 – Critical – Bob Johns.

People will think that you are overwhelmed and overworked because “the man” is expecting you to get 60-90 hours worth of work done on this very complex system in only 40 hours. SLAVE DRIVERS!

To make sure that it looks like you are working really hard, put on your headsets and stare intensely at your monitor – which is probably streaming YouTube. When someone comes towards your desk, pretend that you don’t see them, put your hand on your forehead to wipe away the non-existent perspiration; inhale and exhale with a deep sigh; and shake your head in disgust.

They will likely feel sorry for you and walk away… so you can continue to “work”.

If they do walk in your office, when you look up, be sure to furrow your brow in frustration and stand up quickly. This will ensure that they won’t sit down and take up valuable amounts of your low-productive “work” time.

You have mastered this tactic when your co-workers start bringing you lunch and donuts.

6 – Others First

If you are a leader, you want everyone everywhere to know that you are there for them.

This means that you spend 4 hours sleeping, 20 hours getting stuff done for them, and the weekend is left for getting your work done.

Or at least that’s what it should look like.

To really sell this, make sure that you are double booking meetings so you can use one to cancel out the other. Ask for notes from that dude who always takes massive notes at the meeting just to show interest – don’t actually read them.

When asked to jump in or respond to something, always refer to the person who sent you the notes for answers. If they want you to actually do something or make a decision then set up a committee and demand that they make a unanimous decision.

7 – Over Commit

Saying yes to everything is a great way to get absolutely nothing done. In fact, if you want to be seen as really busy, then then keep committing to everyone and then assign someone else to take your place so you can do something else that is super important. Delegation is your friend.

The only commitments that you need to keep are to that boss that really enjoys ego-stroking and brown-nosing. This top-notch idiot is your biggest advocate so keep him happy. Don’t worry! You won’t actually ruin your low productivity stats. He will likely promote you so that you can continue to delegate effectively.

When you really want to seem committed, have the person requesting your time come to your office and explain what’s going on, in detail, for hours. You don’t actually have to be interested but you might have to fake it a bit.

Ask questions or make statements like: “I am just not understanding why this is critical.” Or “If we do this, what would be the (time, work, financial) benefits and can you explain those in detail?” After the detailed explanation start again by saying, “I am just not understanding why this is critical.” This restarts the cycle and continues until the person just passes out from frustration or gives up.

Again, you are not listening to them. Your goal is to have them explain the same thing over and over again to exhaustion.

If you are a pro – you have a CIA looking flesh tone headsets in your ear and you’ve been listening to your favorite song the whole time.

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These 7 steps should get you well on your way to doing a little less than nothing while still earning a paycheck.

BTW – If you recognize these activities in someone that you work with and desperately want them off of your team, then check out my other post – Team SLACKER? How to Dump ‘Em In 7 Steps.

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Let’s cut to the chase. Dawnna is a breakthrough business author and rockstar keynote speaker. She works with organizations that want to harness the power of people to improve business performance. If you’d like her to deliver content like what’s in this article or you just want to see her do this … then give her a shout.

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The first article got you headed in the right direction. Now we want to get into the guts of confidence and really get you on your way.

The 9 Attributes of Confidence.

The 9 Attributes of confidence are broken down into three dimensions: Competence, Desirable Opportunity, and Personal Value.

Desirable Opportunity is first and is what actually gets people to try something new.

They might have a bucket list to fulfill or maybe they want to earn money or they are really interested in the outcome. Regardless of your motivations, when you are interested in participating in an activity you will likely take a little peek. Sometimes, activities will require that you muster up enough courage to take the steps.

Your Personal Values will determine whether you will agree to complete an action. This is another way of saying, “Is it worth it?” If you think something is worth it you will be more likely to put in the time, energy, and effort. If you don’t, your confidence will wane because you will feel like it is a waste of your time.

Competence brings together the skills, knowledge, and experience which you apply towards a specific action or opportunity. Knowledge is what you know. Skills are what you use to apply your knowledge. Experience is how often you apply your skills.

Reading a book on changing oil would increase your knowledge. Taking a class, getting your neighbor to help you, or diving in and doing it yourself increases and improves your skill. The number of times that you change your oil determines your experience.

Measure Your Confidence

You might be wondering what to do if you don’t all nine attributes. Some people would tell you to just “go for it”. But since there is a science to confidence, we want to be able to hack it a bit and get you what you need when you need it.

To make this super simple, all you have to do is complete the Confidence Factor Questionnaire to determine your current level of confidence for a specific activity. The goal is to achieve 3 or higher in each attribute. Anything lower than 3 has to be improved.

YOU TRY IT

Consider an activity that you might struggle doing – like public speaking or putting your hand in a pit of snakes – and score each statement.

Hack Your Confidence!

Once you know what your challenges are, the Confidence Factor Prescription will help you determine the next steps. Anything less than a 3 needs to be amped up. But you need to know what to amp up first.

For example: If you scored low in Knowledge on the questionnaire, then all you have to do is follow the instructions in the Knowledge box on the prescription.

Make sure that you follow the prescription by looking at the areas which are scored lowest first. If they are tied then start with Personal Value and then move over to Competence.

What will you do to HACK YOUR CONFIDENCE and AMP UP YOUR MOJO???

Want to know more?

Ready to tap into your MOJO and be that leader that others want to follow. Grab more of details into the science of confidence in Mojo Mogul – Discover Your Unique Power to Magnetize, Captivate, and Influence.

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Have you ever read an article and found yourself dozing off after “Have you ever…”?

It seems like some people are writing just to write. Like there’s a social media contest to put the most stuff on the internet. But truly, you are way more interesting and brilliant than that – after all you are reading my article. You have opinions and insights and run on sentences wanting to ravage the minds of blog-editing nitpicking trolls everywhere!

Don’t let the blinking cursor and those “you left out a comma” crazies stop you from being you.

Here is my quick and dirty check list to getting your voice out of your head and on paper… well computer screen.

Write about that thing that you are passionate about for the moment.

Usually my topics come about because someone asked for an opinion, something funny happened, someone needed help, or something just pissed me off. In fact this article came about because a woman named Wendy asked for a little advice.

The first thing I write is the ending which is something like – “And…that is how you find your voice”.

In that one sentence I know my topic. My goal is to stay on it and not tell you about that one time in band camp.

Write as if you are talking over coffee… to me. Non-judgmental, laughing at all your jokes, thinking you are the most brilliant person in the world…me.

Many times people get stuck in the YOU ALL and EVERYONE OUT THERE phraseology.

If I were sitting over lunch with you, I would not say, “All of you look really nice today.” unless I was trying to point out those few extra pounds you put on since the holidays.

I would say, “You look great!”

Do the same in your writing. Talk to one person and many will read it.

Screw the nitpickers and limit the edits.

One woman wrote that she was judging me because I used an inappropriate homonym. Basically, I erroneously typed TO instead of TOO.

Even after I saw it I did not change it. The info was valuable and if that was going to keep her from getting it, then she didn’t deserve it.

Of all my points this is probably the most important. So I am going to take a little extra time. Do not edit the soul out of your article.

Perfectly polished articles with no life, no voice, and no personality are boring. They are not born that way though. Someone somewhere used a red ink pen to killed them.

Don’t let that happen to your articles.

You can correct the spelling errors, you can change the order of things, but you can not change the content. If you call you grandmother NaNa Gams then put that in there. If you curse, then curse. If you screw up common phrases like – You can take a horse to water but waterboarding is frowned upon – then leave it in there.

That is who you are. Don’t change for ANYONE!

Find your beginning somewhere in the middle.

This is just for shits and giggles but I think you will find it interesting.

After you finish writing your article, find your way down about 25% of the page. Look for the most interesting statement in that paragraph. That is likely where your article should start. Seriously… it works.

Now… talk to your real audience

I know I told you to talk to me, but let me tell you who you are really writing to.

Your real audience is a younger, dumber, more naive version of you – YOU1.0. Tell YOU1.0 what you wish someone would have told you about your topic back 10 or 15 years ago.

You are only writing for YOU1.0 and everyone else just has the privilege of sitting in on your conversation. You don’t have to care what they think only what YOU1.0 thinks.

Now – Go. Write. Be Free. Let it all out. And if you want a little feedback, give me a holler… might lead to another article.

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