I’m constantly amazed at people that tell me they wouldn’t ask someone why they want something done. I’m amazed because doing something that’s not necessary, no matter who asks us to do it, is the definition of doing something that’s not worthwhile. Something worthless. If we don’t analyze the value of our contributions, occasionally we’re going to do something that’s…
Expertise is developed one step at a time
As I’ve said before experience is not a sign of expertise. The difference between someone with 10 years of experience and someone with expertise is a matter of repetition versus gradual refinement. There’s no secret to expertise. It’s not an innate characteristic. It’s something that is developed. The easiest way to develop expertise is to improve a little bit each…
Paycheck Driven
Do you have a strategy to know when to say no to a potential customer? To know when they walk in the door that although you would like to help them, you just really aren’t capable or you might jeopardize the help you provide to existing customers. It’s hard not to want to help everyone but the reality is you…
Taking on new opportunities can enhance your diagnostic mindset.
The more and more you do the same type of work, or the same type of activities, the harder it is to focus on what’s the right thing to do. The more of an expert you become, the easier it is to jump to conclusions about what you need to do given a particular situation. This is simply how your…
A recession is no excuse
External forces in business, like a recession, are a simple fact of reality. It’s not a matter of if, rather it’s only a matter of when. Blaming poor performance on external factors is admitting you didn’t have a vision. That your business has always been out of your control. Those that had a vision that didn’t cut it aren’t out…
Improvement is not innovation
Innovation is to create something new for tomorrow. Improvement is to refine what we already have today. Innovation requires a vision and then working backward to where you are today, like completing a maze in reverse, to forge a path. Improvement merely requires movement, small steps, from where you are now, regardless of the direction. Improvement is not innovation. But,…
Experience is not expertise
It’s tempting to think that someone who has experience doing something for many years is skilled at what they do. But, repeated exposure to events is not what leads to expertise. Skill does not develop from experience. For example, let’s say you can gauge the success of an auto mechanic by looking at rate of success in repairing cars. If…
Interview: The Value of the Customer’s Customer
I recently talked with Kirk Bowman of the Art Of Value about my book Commitment To Value: How to make technical projects worthwhile.
In this interview I wanted to focus on the idea of the Customer’s Customer and funny enough, Kirk did too. Here’s the recording:
There’s only an “A” for results
In grade school, effort was sometimes all it took to get a passing grade. But in life and in business, there’s no “A” for effort, there’s only an “A” for results.
A stab at success
Customers have needs. They may come to you with wants. If you deliver what they want and it’s not what they need, that’s not success. If you charge them by the hour until they become frustrated and walk away, that’s not success. The only way to have a stab at success is to understand their needs.