LONG Tom Peters’ X25* EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS. Talent. Utrecht/23 March 2007 *In Search of Excellence

tompeters.com Slides at … tompeters.com

People Power: The Talent 50 People Power: The Talent 50

1. People First!

“Omnicom very simply is about talent. It’s about the acquisition of talent, providing the atmosphere so talent is attracted to it.” —John Wren

“Leaders ‘do’ people. Period.” “Leaders ‘do’ people. Period.” —Anon.

Whoops: Jack didn’t have a vision!* * GE = “Talent Machine” (Ed Michaels)

People! People!

Cause (worthy of commitment) Space (room for/encouragement for initiative) Decency (respect, humane)

“Leaders ‘SERVE’ people. Period.” “Leaders ‘SERVE’ people. Period.” —Anon.

Servant Leadership/Robert Greenleaf Servant Leadership/Robert Greenleaf 1. Do those served grow as persons? persons? 2. Do they, while being served, become healthier wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?

2. “Soft” Is “Hard.”

Hard is soft. Soft is hard.

Excellence1982: The Bedrock “Eight Basics” 1. A Bias for Action 2. Close to the Customer 3. Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity Through People 5. Hands On, Value-Driven 6. Stick to the Knitting 7. Simple Form, Lean Staff 8. Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties Properties

“Why in the world did you go to Siberia?”

The Peters Principles: Enthusiasm. Emotion. Excellence. Energy. Excitement. Service. Growth. Creativity. Imagination. Vitality. Joy. Surprise. Independence. Spirit. Community. Limitless human potential. Diversity. Profit. Innovation. Design. Quality. Entrepreneurialism. Wow.

An emotional, vital, innovative, joyful, creative, entrepreneurial endeavor that elicits maximum concerted human potential in the wholehearted service of others Enterprise* ** (*at its best): An emotional, vital, innovative, joyful, creative, entrepreneurial endeavor that elicits maximum concerted human potential in the wholehearted service of others. *** **Excellence. Always. ***Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Communities, Owners, Temporary partners

3. FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE: We Are in an Age of Talent/ Creativity/ Intellectual-capital Added.

Conceptual Age Agriculture Age (farmers) Industrial Age (factory workers) Information Age (knowledge workers) Conceptual Age (creators and empathizers) Source: Dan Pink, A Whole New Mind

“Human creativity is the ultimate economic resource.” “Human creativity is the ultimate economic resource.” —Richard Florida, The Rise of the Creative Class

“ The Creative Age is a wide open game.” “ The Creative Age is a wide open game.” —Richard Florida, The Rise of the Creative Class

“THE FUTURE BELONGS TO … SMALL POPULATIONS … WHO BUILD EMPIRES OF THE MIND … AND WHO IGNORE THE TEMPTATION OF—OR DO NOT HAVE THE OPTION OF—EXPLOITING NATURAL RESOURCES.” Source: Juan Enriquez/As the Future Catches You

4. Talent “Excellence” in Every Part of Every Organization.

Wegmans: #1/100 “ Best Companies to Work for” /2005

5. Talent “Excellence” Stretches Far Beyond Our Borders.

We become who we hang out with 1

Measure “Strangeness”/Portfolio Quality Staff Consultants Vendors Out-sourcing Partners (#, Quality) Innovation Alliance Partners Customers Competitors (who we “benchmark” against) Strategic Initiatives Product Portfolio (LineEx v. Leap) IS/IT Projects HQ Location Lunch Mates Language Board

Whacky WikiWo rldWow

“The Billion-man Research Team: Companies offering work to online communities are reaping the benefits of ‘crowdsourcing.’” —Headline, FT,

CEO/ Goldcorp Inc./ Red Lake gold Source: Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, Don Tapscott & Anthony Williams Rob McEwen/CEO/ Goldcorp Inc./ Red Lake gold Source: Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, Don Tapscott & Anthony Williams

Wikinomics WikiWorld Weapons of Mass collaboration CrowdSourcing smart mobs Linux Human genome project InnoCentive YouTube Second Life Wikipedia Myspace

A New “C-Level? C W w O* *Chief WikiWorld Officer

6. P.O.T./ Pursuit Of Talent = OBSESSION.

“The leaders of Great Groups love talent and know where to find it. They revel in the talent of others.” “The leaders of Great Groups love talent and know where to find it. They revel in the talent of others.” —Warren Bennis & Patricia Ward Biederman, Organizing Genius

“Connoisseur of Talent” PARC’s Bob Taylor: “Connoisseur of Talent”

Les Wexner: From sweaters to … people!

7. Talent Masters Understand Talent’s Intangibles.

Q: “If it were your $75K [life’s savings] and my $75K, what sort of Waiters would we look for?” A: “ Enthusiasts!”

Each hired and developed and evaluated in unique ways Attitude/Enthusiasm/Energy paramount Re-lent-less! “Practice is cool” Team and individual Aspire to EXCELLENCE = Obvious Ex-e-cu-tion Talent = Brand = Duh “The Project” rules Emotional language Bit players. No. B.I.W Delta events = Delta rosters A Few Lessons from the Arts Each hired and developed and evaluated in unique ways (23 contributors = 23 unique contributions = 23 pathways = 23 personalities = 23 sets of motivators) Attitude/Enthusiasm/Energy paramount Re-lent-less! “Practice is cool” (G Leonard/Mastery) Team and individual Aspire to EXCELLENCE = Obvious Ex-e-cu-tion Talent = Brand = Duh “The Project” rules Emotional language Bit players. No. B.I.W. (everything) Delta events = Delta rosters (incl leader/s)

Visibly energetic /Passionate/Enthusiastic … about everything. Engaging/Inspires others. (Inspires the interviewer!) Loves messes & pressure. Impatient/ Action fanatic. A finisher. Exhibits: Fat “WOW Project” Portfolio. (Loves to talk about her work.) Smart. Curious/ Eclectic interests/A little (or more) weird. Well-developed sense of humor/ Fun to be around. ****** No. 1 re bosses: Exceptional talent selection & development record. (Former co-workers: “Did you visibly grow while working with X?” /“How has the department/team grown on a ‘world-class’ scale during X’s tenure?”)

A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.” “ A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.” —Chinese Proverb

8. HR Is “Cool.”

Chicago: HRMAC

or “support function” / “cost center” / “bureaucratic drag” or …

Are you … “Rock Stars of the Age of Talent”?

9. HR Sits at The Head Table.

A review of Jack and Suzy Welch’s Winning claims there are but two key differentiators that set GE “culture” apart from the herd: First: Separating financial forecasting and performance measurement. Performance measurement based, as it usually is, on budgeting leads to an epidemic of gaming the system. GE’s performance measurement is divorced from budgeting—and instead reflects how you do relative to your past performance and relative to competitors’ performance; i.e., it’s about how you actually do in the context of what happened in the real world, not as compared to a gamed-abstract plan developed last year. Putting HR on a par with finance and marketing. Second: Putting HR on a par with finance and marketing.

HR doesn’t tend to hire a lot of independent thinkers or people who stand up as moral compasses.” —Garold Markle, Shell Offshore HR Exec (FC/08.05) “HR doesn’t tend to hire a lot of independent thinkers or people who stand up as moral compasses.” —Garold Markle, Shell Offshore HR Exec (FC/08.05)

10. Re-name “HR.”

Talent Department

“H.R.” to “H.E.D.” ??? H uman E nablement D epartment

People Department Center for Talent Excellence Seriously Cool People Who Recruit & Develop Seriously Cool People Etc.

11. There Is an “HR Strategy”/ “HR Vision”

Our Mission To develop and manage talent; to apply that talent, throughout the world, for the benefit of clients; to do so in partnership; to do so with profit. WPP

EVP/ IBP What’s your company’s … EVP/ IBP?* *Employee Value Proposition, per Ed Michaels et al., The War for Talent; IBP/Internal Brand Promise per TP

EVP/IBP = Remarkable challenge, rapid professional growth, respect, satisfaction, fun, stunning opportunity, exceptional reward, amazing peer group, full membership in Club Adventure, maximized future employability Source: Ed Michaels, The War for Talent; TP

12. Acquire for Talent!

Omnicom's acquisitions: “not for size per se”; “buying talent;” “deepen a relationship with a client.” Source: Advertising Age

13. There Is a FORMAL Recruitment Strategy.

“Busy Executives Fail To Give Recruiting Attention It Deserves” —Headline, WSJ, “Busy Executives Fail To Give Recruiting Attention It Deserves” —Headline, WSJ,

C ta O talent acquisition C ta O* *Chief talent acquisition Officer

14. There Is a FORMAL Leadership Development Strategy.

DD: 0 to 60mph in a flash (months)

Five MYTHS About Changing Behavior *Crisis is a powerful impetus for change *Change is motivated by fear *The facts will set us free * Small, gradual changes are always easier to make and sustain *We can’t change because our brains become “hardwired” early in life Source: Fast Company/

Crotonville!

15. There Is a FORMAL STRATEGIC HR Review Process.

“In most companies, the Talent Review Process is a farce. At GE, Jack Welch and his two top HR people visit each division for a day. They review the top 20 to 50 people by name. They talk about Talent Pool strengthening issues. The Talent Review Process is a contact sport at GE; it has the intensity and the importance of the budget process at most companies.” “In most companies, the Talent Review Process is a farce. At GE, Jack Welch and his two top HR people visit each division for a day. They review the top 20 to 50 people by name. They talk about Talent Pool strengthening issues. The Talent Review Process is a contact sport at GE; it has the intensity and the importance of the budget process at most companies.” —Ed Michaels

16. “People”/ Talent” Reviews Are the FIRST Reviews.

17. HR Strategy = BUSINESS Strategy.

Cirque du Soleil !

Wegmans: #1/100 Best Companies to Work for 84%: Grocery stores “are all alike” 46%: additional spend if customers have an “emotional connection” to a grocery store rather than “are satisfied” (Gallup) “Going to Wegmans is not just shopping, it’s an event.” —Christopher Hoyt, grocery consultant “ You cannot separate their strategy as a retailer from their strategy as an employer.” — Darrell Rigby, Bain & Co.

18. Make it a “Cause Worth Signing Up For.”

“People want to be part of something larger than themselves. They want to be part of something they’re really proud of, that they’ll fight for, sacrifice for, trust.” —Howard Schultz, Starbucks

19. Unleash “Their” Full Potential!

“Firms will not ‘manage the careers’ of their employees. They will provide opportunities to enable the employee to develop identity and adaptability and thus be in charge of his or her own career.” —Tim Hall et al., “The New Protean Career Contract “Firms will not ‘manage the careers’ of their employees. They will provide opportunities to enable the employee to develop identity and adaptability and thus be in charge of his or her own career.” —Tim Hall et al., “The New Protean Career Contract”

“No matter what the situation, [the great manager’s] first response is always to think about the individual concerned and how things can be arranged to help that individual experience success.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know

“We are a ‘Life Success’ Company.” “We are a ‘Life Success’ Company.” Dave Liniger, founder, RE/MAX

20. Set Sky High Standards.

become more than they’ve ever been before, more than they’ve dreamed of being.” “The role of the Director is to create a space where the actors and actresses can become more than they’ve ever been before, more than they’ve dreamed of being.” —Robert Altman, Oscar acceptance speech

21. Enlist Everyone in Challenge Century21.

“One of the defining characteristics [of the change] is that it will be less driven by countries or corporations and more driven by real people. It will unleash unprecedented creativity, advancement of knowledge, and economic development. But at the same time, it will tend to undermine safety net systems and penalize the unskilled.” —Clyde Prestowitz, Three Billion New Capitalists

“ If there is nothing very special about your work, no matter how hard you apply yourself you won’t get noticed, and that increasingly means you won’t get paid much either.” “ If there is nothing very special about your work, no matter how hard you apply yourself you won’t get noticed, and that increasingly means you won’t get paid much either.” —Michael Goldhaber, Wired

Distinct Extinct Distinct … or … Extinct

22. Pursue the Best!

From “1, 2 or you’re out” [JW] to … “ Best Talent in each industry segment to build best proprietary intangibles” [EM] From “1, 2 or you’re out” [JW] to … “ Best Talent in each industry segment to build best proprietary intangibles” [EM] Source: Ed Michaels, War for Talent

23. Up or Out.

20 40 $25$802 “We believe companies can increase their market cap 50 percent in 3 years. Steve Macadam at Georgia- Pacific … changed 20 of his 40 box plant managers to put more talented, higher paid managers in charge. He increased profitability from $25 million to $80 million in 2 years.” —Ed Michaels, War for Talent

24. Ensure that the Review Process Has INTEGRITY.

25 = 100* 25 = 100* * “But what do I do that’s more important than developing people? I don’t do the damn work. They do.”—GK

25. Pay Up!

Costco *$17/hour (42% above Sam’s); very good health plan; low t/o, low shrinkage *Low margins (“When I started, Sears, Roebuck was the Costco of the country, but they allowed someone to come in under them”—Jim Sinegal) Source: “How Costco Became the Anti-Wal*Mart/NYT/

“Top performing companies are two to four times more likely than the rest to pay what it takes to prevent losing top performers.” —Ed Michaels, War for Talent

26. Training I: Train! Train! Train!

26.3

Divas do it. Violinists do it. Sprinters do it. Golfers do it. Pilots do it. Soldiers do it. Surgeons do it. Cops do it. Astronauts do it. Why don’t businesspeople do it?

“Knowledge becomes obsolete incredibly fast. The continuing professional education of adults is the No. 1 industry in the next 30 years … mostly on line “Knowledge becomes obsolete incredibly fast. The continuing professional education of adults is the No. 1 industry in the next 30 years … mostly on line.” Peter Drucker, Business 2.0

27. Training II: 100% “Business People.”

New Work SurvivalKit.2007 MASTERY! “Manage” to Legacy 1. MASTERY! (Best/Absurdly Good at Something!) 2. “Manage” to Legacy (All Work = “Memorable”/“Braggable” WOW Projects!) A “USP”/UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION 3. A “USP”/UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION Rolodex Obsession 4. Rolodex Obsession (From vertical/hierarchy/“suck up” loyalty to ENTREPRENEURIAL INSTINCT CEO/LEADER/BUSINESSPERSON/CLOSER Master of Improv horizontal/“colleague”/“mate” loyalty) 5. ENTREPRENEURIAL INSTINCT (A sleepless … Eye for Opportunity! 6. CEO/LEADER/BUSINESSPERSON/CLOSER (CEO, Me Inc. 24/7!) 7. Master of Improv (Play a dozen parts simultaneously, from Sense of Humor Chief Strategist to Chief Toilet Scrubber) 8. Sense of Humor (A willingness to Screw Up & Move On) Comfortable with Your Skin Intense Appetite for Technology 9. Comfortable with Your Skin (Bring “interesting you” to work!) 10. Intense Appetite for Technology (E.g.: How Cool-Active is your EMBRACE “MARKETING” PASSION FOR RENEWAL Web site? Do you Blog?) 11. EMBRACE “MARKETING” (Your own CSO/Chief Storytelling Officer) 12. PASSION FOR RENEWAL (Your own CLO/Chief Learning Officer) EXECUTION EXCELLENCE! 13. EXECUTION EXCELLENCE! (Show up on time! Leave last!)

28. Training III: 100% LEADERS.

I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” — Ralph Nader

29. Training IV: Boss as Trainer- in-Chief.

“Workout” = 24 DPY in the Classroom

30. Training V: The REAL Bedrock of the “Talent Thing.”

My wife and I went to a [kindergarten] parent-teacher conference and were informed that our budding refrigerator artist, Christopher, would be receiving a grade of Unsatisfactory in art. We were shocked. How could any child—let alone our child—receive a poor grade in art at such a young age? His teacher informed us that he had refused to color within the lines, which was a state requirement for demonstrating ‘grade-level motor skills.’ ” —Jordan Ayan, AHA! “My wife and I went to a [kindergarten] parent-teacher conference and were informed that our budding refrigerator artist, Christopher, would be receiving a grade of Unsatisfactory in art. We were shocked. How could any child—let alone our child—receive a poor grade in art at such a young age? His teacher informed us that he had refused to color within the lines, which was a state requirement for demonstrating ‘grade-level motor skills.’ ” —Jordan Ayan, AHA!

Ye gads: “Thomas Stanley has not only found no correlation between success in school and an ability to accumulate wealth, he’s actually found a negative correlation. ‘It seems that school-related evaluations are poor predictors of economic success,’ Stanley concluded. What did predict success was a willingness to take risks. Yet the success-failure standards of most schools penalized risk takers. Most educational systems reward those who play it safe. As a result, those who do well in school find it hard to take risks later on.” Ye gads: “Thomas Stanley has not only found no correlation between success in school and an ability to accumulate wealth, he’s actually found a negative correlation. ‘It seems that school-related evaluations are poor predictors of economic success,’ Stanley concluded. What did predict success was a willingness to take risks. Yet the success-failure standards of most schools penalized risk takers. Most educational systems reward those who play it safe. As a result, those who do well in school find it hard to take risks later on.” Richard Farson & Ralph Keyes, Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins

15 “Leading” Biz Schools Design/Core: 0 Design/Elective: 1 Creativity/Core: 0 Creativity/Elective: 4 Innovation/Core: 0 Innovation/Elective: 6 15 “Leading” Biz Schools Design/Core: 0 Design/Elective: 1 Creativity/Core: 0 Creativity/Elective: 4 Innovation/Core: 0 Innovation/Elective: 6 Source: DMI/Summer 2002/Research by Thomas Lockwood

31. Wide-open Communication: NO BARRIERS.

“ The organizations we created have become tyrants. They have taken control, holding us fettered, creating barriers that hinder rather than help our businesses. The lines that we drew on our neat organizational diagrams have turned into walls that no one can scale or penetrate or even peer over.” “ The organizations we created have become tyrants. They have taken control, holding us fettered, creating barriers that hinder rather than help our businesses. The lines that we drew on our neat organizational diagrams have turned into walls that no one can scale or penetrate or even peer over.” — Frank Lekanne Deprez & René Tissen, Zero Space: Moving Beyond Organizational Limits

32. RESPECT!

“It was much later that I realized Dad’s secret. He gained respect by giving it. He talked and listened to the fourth-grade kids in Spring Valley who shined shoes the same way he talked and listened to a bishop or a college president. He was seriously interested in who you were and what you had to say.” Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect

“What creates trust, in the end, is the leader’s manifest respect for the followers.” “What creates trust, in the end, is the leader’s manifest respect for the followers.” — Jim O’Toole, Leading Change

“Empowerment” = Trust “Empowerment” = Trust Source: Barry Gibbons

“Ph.D. in leadership. Short course: Make a short list of all things done to you that you abhorred. Don’t do them to others. Ever. Make another list of things done to you that you loved. Do them to others. Always.” “Ph.D. in leadership. Short course: Make a short list of all things done to you that you abhorred. Don’t do them to others. Ever. Make another list of things done to you that you loved. Do them to others. Always.” — Dee Hock

33. Embrace the Whole Individual.

34. Build Places of “Grace.”

Rodale’s on “Grace” … elegance … charm … loveliness … poetry in motion … kindliness... benevolence … benefaction … compassion … beauty

The Manager’s Book of Decencies: How Small gestures Build Great Companies The Manager’s Book of Decencies: How Small gestures Build Great Companies —Steve Harrison, Adecco Servant Leadership Servant Leadership —Robert Greenleaf One: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership One: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership —Lance Secretan, founder of Manpower, Inc.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” —Philo of Alexandria

35. MBWA*: Visible Leadership! *Managing By Wandering Around

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MBWA MBWA * *5,000 miles for a 5-minute face-to -face meeting (courtesy super- agent Mark McCormick)

36. Thank You!

“The deepest human need is the need to be appreciated.” William James

“Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” “Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” —Henry Clay

“Don’t belittle!” —OD Consultant

37. Promote for “people skills.” (THE REST IS DETAILS.)

“When assessing candidates, the first thing I looked for was energy and enthusiasm for execution. Does she talk about the thrill of getting things done, the obstacles overcome, the role her people played —or does she keep wandering back to strategy or philosophy?” —Larry Bossidy, Honeywell/AlliedSignal, in Execution

38. Honor Youth.

“Why focus on these late teens and twenty- somethings? Because they are the first young who are both in a position to change the world, and are actually doing so. … For the first time in history, children are more comfortable, knowledgeable and literate than their parents about an innovation central to society. … The Internet has triggered the first industrial revolution in history to be led by the young.” The Economist

39. Provide Early Leadership Assignments.

The WOW! Project

40. Create a FORMAL System of Mentoring.

W. L. Gore Quad/Graphics

41. Diversity!

“To be a leader in consumer products, it’s critical to have leaders who represent the population we serve.” —Steve Reinemund/PepsiCo

“We want our associate population to mirror our customer population at every level, from the executive suite all the way to the retail floor.” “We want our associate population to mirror our customer population at every level, from the executive suite all the way to the retail floor.” —Larry Johnston, CEO, Albertsons

CM Prof Richard Florida on “Creative Capital”: “You cannot get a technologically innovative place … unless it’s open to weirdness, eccentricity and difference.” Source: New York Times/

“Diverse groups of problem solvers— groups of people with diverse tools— consistently outperformed groups of the best and the brightest. If I formed two groups, one random (and therefore diverse) and one consisting of the best individual performers, the first group almost always did better. … Diversity trumped ability.” —Scott Page, The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies Diversity

The Bottleneck Is at the Top of the Bottle” At the top!” “ The Bottleneck Is at the Top of the Bottle” “Where are you likely to find people with the least diversity of experience, the largest investment in the past, and the greatest reverence for industry dogma: At the top!” — Gary Hamel/Harvard Business Review

42. WOMEN RULE.

“AS LEADERS, WOMEN RULE: TITLE/ Special Report/ BusinessWeek “AS LEADERS, WOMEN RULE: New Studies find that female managers outshine their male counterparts in almost every measure” TITLE/ Special Report/ BusinessWeek

Women’s Strengths Match New Economy Imperatives: Link [rather than rank] workers; favor interactive-collaborative leadership style [empowerment beats top-down decision making]; sustain fruitful collaborations; comfortable with sharing information; see redistribution of power as victory, not surrender; favor multi-dimensional feedback; value technical & interpersonal skills, individual & group contributions equally; readily accept ambiguity; honor intuition as well as pure “rationality”; inherently flexible; appreciate cultural diversity. —Judy B. Rosener, America’s Competitive Secret

The Core Argument 1. We are in a War for Talent. 2. The war will intensify. 3. Women are under-represented in our leadership ranks. 4. Women and men are different. 5. Women’s strengths match the New Economy’s leadership needs—to a striking degree. 6. Women are also the principal purchasers of goods and services—retail and commercial. 7. Ergo, women are a large part of “the answer” to the War for Talent issue/opportunity.

10 UNASSAILABLE REASONS WOMEN RULE Women Women Women make [all] the financial decisions. Women control [all] the wealth. Women Women [substantially] outlive men. Women Women start most of the new businesses. Women’s Women’s work force participation rates have soared worldwide. Women Women are closing in on “same pay for same job.” Women Women are penetrating senior ranks rapidly [even if the pace is slow for the corner office per se]. Women’s Women’s leadership strengths are exceptionally well aligned with new organizational effectiveness imperatives. Women Women are better salespersons than men. Women Women buy [almost] everything—commercial as well as consumer goods. So what exactly is the point of men?

43. Hire (& Protect!) Weird!

“Are there enough weird people in the lab these days?” “Are there enough weird people in the lab these days?” —V. Chmn., pharmaceutical house, to a lab director

Why Do I love Freaks? (1) Because when Anything Interesting happens … it was a freak who did it. (Period.) (2) Freaks are fun. (Freaks are also a pain.) (Freaks are never boring.) (3) We need freaks. Especially in freaky times. (Hint: These are freaky times, for you & me & the CIA & the Army & Avon.) (4) A critical mass of freaks-in-our-midst automatically make us-who-are-not-so-freaky at least somewhat more freaky. (Which is a Good Thing in freaky times—see immediately above.) (5) Freaks are the only (ONLY) ones who succeed—as in, make it into the history books. (6) Freaks keep us from falling into ruts. (If we listen to them.) (We seldom listen to them.) (Which is why most organizations are in ruts. Make that chasms.)

“Normal” = “o for 800”

44. We Are All Unique.

Beware Standardized Evals: One size NEVER fits all. One size fits one. Period.

53 Players = 53 Projects = 53 different success measures.

45. Capitalize on Strengths.

“The key difference between checkers and chess is that in checkers the pieces all move the same way, whereas in chess all the pieces move differently. … Discover what is unique about each person and capitalize on it.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know

The mediocre manager believes that most things are learnable and therefore that the essence of management is to identify ach person’s weaker areas and eradicate them. The great manager believes the opposite. He believes that the most influential qualities of a person are innate and therefore that the essence of management is to deploy these innate qualities as effectively as possible and so drive performance.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know “ The mediocre manager believes that most things are learnable and therefore that the essence of management is to identify ach person’s weaker areas and eradicate them. The great manager believes the opposite. He believes that the most influential qualities of a person are innate and therefore that the essence of management is to deploy these innate qualities as effectively as possible and so drive performance.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know

46. Bosses “Win People Over.”

“Coaching is winning players over.” PJ: “Coaching is winning players over.”

47. GOAL: Voyages of Mutual Discovery.

Quests!

Organizing Genius / Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman “Groups become great only when everyone in them, leaders and members alike, is free to do his or her absolute best.” “The best thing a leader can do for a Great Group is to allow its members to discover their greatness.”

free to do his or her absolute best” … “allow its members to discover their greatness.” Leadership’s Mt Everest! “ free to do his or her absolute best” … “allow its members to discover their greatness.”

“The organization would ultimately win not because it gave agents more money, but because it gave them a chance for better lives.” “The organization would ultimately win not because it gave agents more money, but because it gave them a chance for better lives.” —Everybody Wins, Phil Harkins & Keith Hollihan

C Q O *Chief quest-meister C Q O* *Chief quest-meister

48. Foster Independence.

“You must realize that how you invest your human capital matters as much as how you invest your financial capital. Its rate of return determines your future options. Take a job for what it teaches you, not for what it pays. Instead of a potential employer asking, ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ you’ll ask, ‘If I invest my mental assets with you for 5 years, how much will they appreciate? How much will my portfolio of career options grow?’ ” “You must realize that how you invest your human capital matters as much as how you invest your financial capital. Its rate of return determines your future options. Take a job for what it teaches you, not for what it pays. Instead of a potential employer asking, ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ you’ll ask, ‘If I invest my mental assets with you for 5 years, how much will they appreciate? How much will my portfolio of career options grow?’ ” Source: Stan Davis & Christopher Meyer, futureWEALTH

49. En- thus-i- asm!

“ Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.” “ Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.” —Samuel Taylor Coleridge

50. Talent = Brand.

The Top 5 “Revelations” Better talent wins. Talent management is my job as leader. Talented leaders are looking for the moon and stars. Over-deliver on people’s dreams – they are volunteers. Pump talent in at all levels, from all conceivable sources, all the time. Source: Ed Michaels et al., The War for Talent

The Talent50 1. People first! 2. Soft is Hard. 3. FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE: We are in an Age of Talent/ Creativity/ Intellectual-capital Added. 4. Talent “excellence” in every part of the organization. 5. P.O.T./Pursuit Of Talent = Obsession. 6. HR sits at The Head Table. 7. HR is “cool.”

BRAND = TALENT.

Cause (worthy of commitment) Space (room for/encouragement for initiative) Decency (respect, humane)

“I have always believed that the purpose of the corporation is to be a blessing to the employees.” —Boyd Clarke

EXCELLENCE. BEDROCK. LEADERSHIP. 9Ps.

PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.

‘ Who do we intend to be?’ “Management has a lot to do with answers. Leadership is a function of questions. And the first question for a leader always is: ‘ Who do we intend to be?’ Not ‘What are we going to do?’ but ‘Who do we intend to be?’” —Max De Pree, Herman Miller

“ Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.” “ Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.” —Samuel Taylor Coleridge

invites “In the end, management doesn’t change culture. Management invites the workforce itself to change the culture.” —Lou Gerstner

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“Leaders ‘do’ people. Period.” “Leaders ‘do’ people. Period.” —Anon.

PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.

The First step in a ‘dramatic’ ‘organizational change program’ is obvious— dramatic personal change!” “The First step in a ‘dramatic’ ‘organizational change program’ is obvious— dramatic personal change!” —RG

“ You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” “ You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi

“We make our own traps.” own traps.” “We construct our own cage.” own cage.” “We build our own roadblocks.” Source: Douglas Kennedy, State of the Union

“ Do one thing every day that scares you.” “ Do one thing every day that scares you.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.

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. 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. Michelangelo

PURPOSE. PASSION. Potential. Presence. Personal. PERSISTENCE. PEOPLE. Potent. Positive.

“Excellence can be obtained if you:... care more than others think is wise;... risk more than others think is safe;... dream more than others think is practical;... expect more than others think is practical;... expect more than others think is possible.” is possible.” Source: Anon. tompeters.com by K.Sriram, November 27, :17 AM)

GERONIMO!’ "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting ‘GERONIMO!’ ” —Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer (Cycle magazine )

Ger- on-i- mo !

Re-imagine People Power: The Talent 50 Re-imagine People Power: The Talent 50

1. People first! 2. Soft is Hard. 3. FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE: We are in an Age of Talent/ Creativity/Intellectual- capital Added. 4. Talent “excellence” in every part of the organization. 5. P.O.T./Pursuit Of Talent = Obsession. 6. HR sits at The Head Table. 7. HR is “cool.” The Talent50 1. People first! 2. Soft is Hard. 3. FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE: We are in an Age of Talent/ Creativity/Intellectual- capital Added. 4. Talent “excellence” in every part of the organization. 5. P.O.T./Pursuit Of Talent = Obsession. 6. HR sits at The Head Table. 7. HR is “cool.”

8. Re-name “HR.” (Talent Department, Center of Talent Excellence) 9. There’s an HR Strategy 10. There is a FORMAL Recruitment Strategy. 11. There is a FORMAL Leadership Development Strategy. 12. There is a “world class” Leadership Development Center. 13. There is a FORMAL-STRATEGIC HR Review Process. 14. The “Top100,” and every unit’s Top10, are consciously managed. The Talent50 8. Re-name “HR.” (Talent Department, Center of Talent Excellence) 9. There’s an HR Strategy 10. There is a FORMAL Recruitment Strategy. 11. There is a FORMAL Leadership Development Strategy. 12. There is a “world class” Leadership Development Center. 13. There is a FORMAL-STRATEGIC HR Review Process. 14. The “Top100,” and every unit’s Top10, are consciously managed.

The Talent “People/Talent Reviews” are the FIRST reviews. 16. HR Strategy = Business Strategy. 17. Make it a Cause Worth Signing Up For Set Sky High Standards. 19. Enlist everyone in Challenge Century Pursue the Best! 21. Up or Out. 22. Ensure that the Review Process has INTEGRITY. 23. Pay!

24. Training I: Train! Train! Train! 25. TII: 100% “business people.” 26. TIII: 100% Leaders. 27. TIV: Boss as Trainer-in-Chief. 28. Open Communication I: NO BARRIERS. 29. Open Communication II: Share Information. (ALL!) 30. Respect! 31. INTEGRITY! 32. Treat the Whole Individual. The Talent Training I: Train! Train! Train! 25. TII: 100% “business people.” 26. TIII: 100% Leaders. 27. TIV: Boss as Trainer-in-Chief. 28. Open Communication I: NO BARRIERS. 29. Open Communication II: Share Information. (ALL!) 30. Respect! 31. INTEGRITY! 32. Treat the Whole Individual.

33. Places of “grace.” 34. MBWA: The “Rudy Rule.” 35. Thank You! 36. Promote for “people skills.” (ALL ELSE IS SECONDARY.) 37. Honor youth. 38. Early leadership assignments. 39. Fast Tracking is the norm. 40. Create a System of Mentoring. The Talent Places of “grace.” 34. MBWA: The “Rudy Rule.” 35. Thank You! 36. Promote for “people skills.” (ALL ELSE IS SECONDARY.) 37. Honor youth. 38. Early leadership assignments. 39. Fast Tracking is the norm. 40. Create a System of Mentoring.

41. Diversity! 42. Diversity starts on the Board of Directors. 43. WOMEN RULE. 44. Weird Wins. 45. We are all unique. 46. Bosses “win people over.” 47. GOAL: Adventures of Mutual Discovery. 48. Foster Independence. 49. Enthusiasm! The Talent Diversity! 42. Diversity starts on the Board of Directors. 43. WOMEN RULE. 44. Weird Wins. 45. We are all unique. 46. Bosses “win people over.” 47. GOAL: Adventures of Mutual Discovery. 48. Foster Independence. 49. Enthusiasm!

Talent = Brand. 50. Talent = Brand.