Tom Peters

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Tom PetersAction ChroniclesEXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.Think-Do.ACTION.Grant.4-40.1103
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Think!vs.do!
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Never forget implementation , boys. In our work,
its what I call the last 98 percent of the
client puzzle. Al McDonald, former Managing
Director, McKinsey Co, to a project team that
included TP
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The (Strange) Case of Peter Drucker Michael
Porter vs. The Non-linearistsHERBERT SIMON.
(Administrative Behavior.) JAMES MARCH. KARL
WEICK. (The Social Psychology of Organizing.)
EUGENE WEBB. Henry MINTZBERG. (The Rise and
Fall of Strategic Planning.) JAMES UTTERBACK.
THOMAS KUHN. (The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions.) CHARLES LINDBLOM. Daniel
goleman. INNOVATION BIOGRAPHERS.
(Transcontinental Railroad, Electrification,
Radio, Television, Containerization, DNA,
Computers, Military History, Etc.) MOST
POLITICAL SCIENTISTS. SILICON VALLEY. Etc.
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Linearist think!Non-linearist do!
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Linearist Plan it!Non-linearist Try it!
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Linearist hypothesize!Non-linearist
experiment!
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Linearist failure unnecessaryNon-linearist
failure life
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Linearist agtbNon-linearist
bgtaAttitude shapes behaviorBehavior
shapes attitude
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Linearist deliberate!Non-linearist
relentless! Do it right the first
time (Hero Phil Crosby) Never retreat (Hero
U.S. Grant)
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Linearist logical!Non-linearist
passionate!
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Linearist give me genius!Non-linearist
give me luck!
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Linearist spotless academic record!Non-linear
ist a.d.d.
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Linearist measured pace!Non-linearist
Tempo! Tempo! Tempo!
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Linearist think! Plan! (r.a.f.)Non-linearist
Try it! Screw it up! Fix it! Try it again!
(r.f.a.) Ready. Aim. Fire.ready. Fire.
Aim. (Or, circa 2006 fire. Fire. Fire.)
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Cheap ShotLinearist minimize
cost.Non-linearist maximize revenue.
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Linearist marketing rules.Non-linearist
sales rules.
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Linearist Background planning, marketing
finance.Non-linearist background sales
operations.
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Linearist likes ideas.Non-linearist
likes people.
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Linearist likes parts.Non-linearist
likes wholes.
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Linearist office walls.Non-linearist
office none.
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Linearist style meetings.Non-linearist
style m.b.w.a. Managing by wandering around
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Linearist reads michael porter. Peter
drucker.Non-linearist reads waterman
peters. Tom clancy. Michael peterBob
tom tom
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Linearist reads michael porter. Peter
drucker.Non-linearist reads doesnt
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Linearist preferred baseball score
1-0.Non-linearist preferred baseball score
11-9.
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Linearist preferred football score
7-0.Non-linearist preferred football score
41-38.
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Linearist criminal record none.Non-lineari
st criminal record disorderly
conduct.Chronic jaywalking.
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Linearist drives lincoln town car. Ford
explorer (weekends).Non-linearistdrives
bmw. Harley-davidson (weekends).
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The (Strange) Case of Peter Drucker Michael
Porter vs. The Non-linearistsHERBERT SIMON.
(Administrative Behavior.) JAMES MARCH. KARL
WEICK. (The Social Psychology of Organizing.)
EUGENE WEBB. Henry MINTZBERG. (The Rise and
Fall of Strategic Planning.) JAMES UTTERBACK.
THOMAS KUHN. (The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions.) CHARLES LINDBLOM. Daniel
goleman. INNOVATION BIOGRAPHERS.
(Transcontinental Railroad, Electrification,
Radio, Television, Containerization, DNA,
Computers, Military History, Etc.) MOST
POLITICAL SCIENTISTS. SILICON VALLEY. Etc.
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EXCELLENCE.ACTION.
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M.I.A.Action! Implementation! The Work
Itself! R.F.A.ExecutionWOW Projects!
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We design intelligent strategiesbut they fall
miles short of their for one reason. Poor
organizational effectiveness which in turn leads
to a gaping implementation deficit. Tom, I want
you to get a handle on the best thinking and best
practices from around the world. Ron Daniel
(1977)TP/1977/first (?) Stanford Ph.D. thesis
studying implementation per se.
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1979-2006Still missing after all these years
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Ninety percent of what we call management
consists of making it difficult for people to get
things done. Peter Drucker
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TP/BW on BigCo Sin 1 too much talk, too little
do
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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
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Never forget implementation boys. In our work
its what I call the missing 98 percent of the
client puzzle. Al McDonald, former Managing
Director, McKinsey Co, to a project team that
included TP
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Operations is policy. Fred Malek
(1974)Execution is strategy. TP (1983)
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METABOLIC MANAGEMENT
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The Leadership111. Talent
Management2. Metabolic Management3. Technology
Management4. Barrier Management5. Forgetful
Management6. Metaphysical Management7.
Opportunity Management8. Portfolio Management9.
Failure Management10. Cause Management11.
Passion Management
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The secret of fast progress is inefficiency,
fast and furious and numerous failures.Kevin
Kelly
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Active mutators in placid times tend to die off.
They are selected against. Reluctant mutators in
quickly changing times are also selected
against.Carl Sagan Ann Druyan, Shadows of
Forgotten Ancestors
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How we feel about the evolving future tells us
who we are as individuals and as a civilization
Do we search for stasisa regulated, engineered
world? Or do we embrace dynamisma world of
constant creation, discovery and competition?
Do we value stability and control or evolution
and learning? Do we think that progress requires
a central blueprint, or do we see it as a
decentralized, evolutionary process?? Do we see
mistakes as permanent disasters, or the
correctable byproducts of experimentation? Do we
crave predictability or relish surprise? These
two poles, stasis and dynamism, increasingly
define our political, intellectual and cultural
landscape. Virginia Postrel, The Future and
Its Enemies
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If things seem under control, youre just not
going fast enough. Mario Andretti
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The most successful people are those who are
good at plan B. James Yorke, mathematician,
on chaos theory in The New Scientist
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Im not comfortable unless Im
uncomfortable.Jay Chiat
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If it works, its obsolete. Marshall McLuhan
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Boyd on TEMPO
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He who has the quickest O.O.D.A. Loops
wins!Observe. Orient. Decide. Act./Col. John
Boyd
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The stuff has got to be implicit. If it is
explicit, you cant do it fast enough. John
BoydBOYD The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the
Art of War (Robert Coram)
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Tempo!70-10Boyd/O.O.D.A. Loops/Mike
Leach/Texas Tech
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70-10/Nebraska/ Unk QB 643 yards K.State/ Linemen
spread wide/All legals go out for pass/Defenders
confused tire (Boyd/Tempo is not
speed/Re-arrange the mind of the enemyT.E.
Lawrence)/ By changing the geometry of the game,
and pushing the limits of space and time on the
gridiron, Mike Leach is taking Texas Tech to some
far out places. Michael Lewis (NY Times, on
Mike Leach/Texas Tech)
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In war, delay is fatal. Napoleon The only
way to whip an army is to go out and fight it.
Grant demonstrating the tactic that would
become his hallmark the immediate move to seek
out the enemy and attack him John Mosier, on
Grant A good plan executed right now is far
preferable to a perfect plan executed next
week. Patton
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Relentless!Churchill, Grant, Patton, Welch,
Bossidy, Nardelli (GE execs), UPS, FedEx,
Microsoft/Gates-Ballmer, Eisner, Weill, eBay,
Nixon-Kissinger, Gerstner, Rice, Jordan, Armstrong
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EXCELLENCE. ACTION.ROOTS.
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GRANTNELSONBOYDFISHERBOSSIDYPEROTMASTERSHER
BMcDONALDPETERS-WATERMANHAMLET
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GRANT
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The only way to whip an army is to go out and
fight it. GrantSource John Mosier, Grant
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He never credited the enemy with the capacity
to take the offensive./185 tenacity like
Wellington/187 I havent despaired of whipping
them yet at a very low point/195 Both sides
seemed defeated and whoever assumed the offensive
was sure to win./200 inchoate bond between
Grant and soldiers/201 The genius of Grants
command style lay in its simplicity. Grant never
burdened his division commanders with excessive
detail. no elaborate staff conferences, no
written orders prescribing deployment. Grant
recognized the battlefield was in flux. By not
specifying movements in detail, he left his
subordinate commanders free to exploit whatever
opportunities developed./202 If anyone other
than Grant had been in command, the Union army
certainly would have retreated./204 Lincoln
(urged to fire Grant) I cant spare this man
he fights./205 Grant turned defeat into Union
victory./206 moved on intuition, which he
often could not explain or justify./208
instinctive recognition that victory lay in
relentlessly hounding a defeated army into
surrender./213 Nathan Bedford Forrest,
successful Confederate commander amenable to no
known rules of procedure, was a law unto himself
for all military acts, and was constantly doing
the unexpected at all times and places./213
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The genius of Grants command style lay in its
simplicity. Grant never burdened his division
commanders with excessive detail. no elaborate
staff conferences, no written orders prescribing
deployment. Grant recognized the battlefield
was in flux. By not specifying movements in
detail, he left his subordinate commanders free
to exploit whatever opportunities developed.
Jean Edward Smith/GRANT
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A generation of American officers had been
schooled to believe the art of generalship
required rigid adherence to certain textbook
theorems./151 The nature of Grants greatness
has been a riddle to many observers. did not
hedge his bets disregarded explicit
instructions nothing to fall back on
violating every maxim held dear by the military
profession new dimension ability to learn from
the battlefield finished near the bottom of his
West Point class in tactics carried the fight
to the enemy maintain the momentum of the
attack military greatness is the ability to
recognize and respond to opportunities
presented./152-3 Grant had an aversion to
digging in./153 Grant had an intangible
advantage. He knew what he wanted./153 Grants
seven-mile dash changed the course of the
war./157 The one who attacks first will be
victorious./158 dogged/159 unconditional
surrender/162 simplicity and
determination/166 quickness of mind that
allowed him to make on the spot adjustments
his battles were not elegant set-piece
operations/166 other Union general preferred
preparation to execution became a friend of
detail suffered from the slows /170 Message
to Halleck from McClellan Do not hesitate to
arrest him following great victory/172
learned how to withstand attacks from the rear
Army politics/179
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The commanding general would be in the
field/228 Lincoln What I want, and what the
people want, is generals who will fight battles
and win victories. Grant has done this and I
propose to stand by him./231 retains his hold
upon the affections of his men/232 Grants
moral couragehis willingness to choose a path
from which there could be no returnset him apart
from most commanders were Grant and Lee were
uniquely willing to take full responsibility for
their actions./233 modest honest
nothing could perturb never faltered /233
plan was breathtakingly simple but fraught with
peril/235 demonstrating the flexibility that
had become his hallmark/238 But like any West
Point trained general, he had difficulty
comprehending what Grant was up to /240
recognized the value of momentum throw off
balance blitzkrieg traveling light
headquarters in the saddle/243 acted as
quartermaster/243 rushed away so that he
couldnt receive Hallecks order like Lord
Nelson telescope to his blind eye pressing
ahead on his own/245 focus on the enemys
weakness rather than his own/250
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recognized the value of momentum throw
opponent off balance blitzkrieg traveling
light headquarters in the saddle Jean Edward
Smith/GRANT
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The art of war does not require complicated
maneuvers the simplest are the best, and common
sense is fundamental. From which one might wonder
how it is generals make blunders it is because
they try to be clever. Napoleon on Simplicity,
from Napoleon on Project Management by Jerry
Manas.
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Above all the troops appreciated Grants
unassuming manner. Most generals went about
attended by a retinue of immaculately tailored
staff officers. Grant usually rode alone, except
for an orderly or two to carry messages if the
need arose. Another soldier said the soldiers
looked on Grant as a friendly partner, not an
arbitrary commander. Instead of cheering as he
rode by, they would greet him as they would
address one of their neighbors at home. Good
morning, General, Pleasant day, General
There was no nonsense, no sentiment only a plain
businessman of the republic, there for the one
single purpose of getting that command over the
river in the shortest time possible. Grant
5-feet 8-inches with a slouch/232 After the
victory at Chattanooga The Union senior
officers rode past the Confederates smugly
without any sign of recognition except by one.
When General Grant reached the line of ragged,
filthy, bloody, despairing prisoners strung out
on each side of the bridge, he lifted his hat and
held it over his head until he passed the last
man of that living funeral cortege. He was the
only officer in that whole train who recognized
us as being on the face of the earth./ 281
Grant was unhappy about going into winter
quarters. He saw no reason to keep the army idle,
and the pause would give the rebels time to
reorganize./282
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The Union senior officers rode past the
Confederates smugly without any sign of
recognition except by one. When General Grant
reached the line of ragged, filthy, bloody,
despairing prisoners strung out on each side of
the bridge, he lifted his hat and held it over
his head until he passed the last man of that
living funeral cortege. He was the only officer
in that whole train who recognized us as being on
the face of the earth. quote within a quote
from diary of a Confederate soldier
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From LEE KENNETTs SHERMAN Grant tended to be
a simple listener when these two strategies for
taking Vicksburg were being discussed. His own
preference may have been impelled as much by
natural inclination as by any arguments he heard.
He wrote afterward One of my superstitions had
always been when I started to go anywhere or to
do anything, not to turn back, or stop, until the
thing intended was accomplished./ 202
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CWVA to MBWA In these days of telegraph and
steam I can command while traveling and visiting
about. U.S. GrantManaging by wandering
around HP circa 1980Source Ulysses S. Grant,
by Geoffrey Perret
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TPs take Intuition takes precedence (listen
attentively but act on intuition) Move today gt
perfect plan tomorrow subsequent Patton line
Great advantage When moving, you know what
youre up to and youre moving the one sitting
still is, thence, always reactive Boyd
quickest O.O.D.A. loops/Observe. Orient. Decide.
Act. Disorient enemy Action! ... Keep moving!
Engage! Offense! weakness-strength cant
even imagine enemy counter-attacking little
conception of defense Momentum! . Keep em
off balance Adjust Adapt Opportunism!
Constantly revise in accordance with conditions
and opportunities in the field life excellence
at Plan B Doggedness Relentless!! trait
shaped in early childhood Never retreat
Simplicity! Wide latitude for division
commanders minimum written orders, conferences,
etc keep his own council HQ is Grant his
horse no retinue! commune with soldiers/exude
quiet confidence/Approachable decent
Self-accountability! Evade orders (or ignore)
Share harm hardship total victory/ demand
unconditional surrenderGs first claim to fame
Nelson other Admirals avoid loss, friend and
foe as in Grants case vs Nelsons seek victory
Life 101 politics between the Generals
E.g., Grant Halleck
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"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where
your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can.
Strike at him as hard as you can and as often as
you can, and keep moving on." Grant, courtesy
Richard Cauley at tompeters.com (original source
unknown)
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One of my superstitions had always been when I
started to go anywhere or to do anything, not to
turn back , or stop, until the thing intended was
accomplished. Grant
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NELSON
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On NELSON other admirals more frightened of
losing than anxious to win
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The Nelson
Bakers Dozen 1. Simple-clear scheme (Plan)
(Not wildly imaginative) (Patton A good plan
executed with vigor right now tops a perfect
plan executed next week.)2. SOARING/BOLD/CLEAR/U
NEQUIVOCAL/WORTHY/NOBLE/INSPIRING
GOAL/MISSION/PURPOSE/QUEST3.
Conversation Engagement of All Leaders4.
Leeway for Leaders Select the Best/Dip
Deep/Initiative demanded/Accountability
swift/Micromanagement absent5. LED BY LOVE
(Lambert), NOT AUTHORITY (Identify with
sailors!)6. Instinct/Seize the
Moment/Impetuosity (Boyds OODA Loops React
more quickly than opponent, destroy his
world view)7. VIGOR! (Zander leader as
Dispenser of Enthusiasm)8. Peerless Basic
Skills/Mastery of Craft (Seamanship)9.
Workaholic! (Duty first, second, and third)10.
LEAD BY CONFIDENT DETERMINED CONTINUOUS
VISIBLE EXAMPLE (In Harms Way) (Gandhi
You must be the change you wish to see in the
world/ Giuliani Show up!)11. Genius
(Transform the world to conform to their ideas,
Triumph over rules) (Gandhi,
Lee-Singapore) , not Greatness (Make the most of
their world) 12. Luck! (Right time, right
place survivor) (Lucky Eagle vs Bold
Eagle) 13. Others principal shortcoming
ADMIRALS MORE FRIGHTENED OF LOSING THAN
ANXIOUS TO WIN Source Andrew Lambert, Nelson
Britannias God of War
75
Nelsons Way A Bakers
Dozen/Short 1. Simple scheme. 2. Noble
purpose! 3. Engage others. 4. Find great talent,
let it soar! 5. Lead by Love! 6. Trust your gut,
not the focus group Seize the Moment! 7. Vigor!
8. Master your craft. 9. Work harder than the
next person. 10. Show the way, walk the talk,
exude confidence! Start a Passion
Epidemic! 11. Change the rules Create your own
game! 12. Shake of the pain, get back up off the
ground, the timing may well be right
tomorrow! (E.g., Get lucky!) 13. By hook or by
crook, quash your fear of failure, savor your
quirkiness and participate fully in the
fray! Source Andrew Lambert, Nelson
Britannias God of War
76
BOYD
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He who has the quickest O.O.D.A. Loops
wins!Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. /Col. John
Boyd
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Blitzkrieg is far more than lightning thrusts
that most people think of when they hear the
term rather it was all about high operational
tempo and the rapid exploitation of opportunity.
Robert Coram, Boyd Re-arrange the mind of the
enemy T.E. Lawrence Float like a butterfly,
sting like a bee Ali BOYD The Fighter
Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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F86 vs. MiG/Korea/101Bubble canopy (360 degree
view)Full hydraulic controls (The F86 driver
could go from one maneuver to another faster than
the MiG driver)MiG faster in raw
acceleration and turning ability F86 quicker
in changing maneuversBOYD The Fighter Pilot
Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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USMC COL Mike Wyly kept the enemy off-balance
they knew Delta Company RVN could show up
anywhere, anytime BOYD The Fighter Pilot Who
Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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FISHER
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FisherismsDo right and damn the
odds.Stagnation is the curse of life.The best
is the cheapest.Emotion can sway the world.Mad
things come off.Haste in all things.Any fool
can obey orders.History is a record of exploded
ideas. Life is phrases.Source Jan Morris,
Fishers Face, Or, Getting to Know the Admiral
83
BOSSIDY
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I saw that leaders placed too much emphasis on
what some call high-level strategy, on
intellectualizing and philosophizing, and not
enough on implementation. People would agree on a
project or initiative, and then nothing would
come of it. Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
85
Execution is the job of the business leader.
Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The
Discipline of Getting Things Done
86
Execution is a systematic process of
rigorously discussing hows and whats,
tenaciously following through, and ensuring
accountability. Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
87
The Leaders Seven Essential
BehaviorsKnow your people and your
businessInsist on realismSet clear goals and
prioritiesFollow throughReward the
doersExpand peoples capabilitiesKnow
yourself Source Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
88
Action8/VPMR/Peters on BossidyKnowledge/Extern
al Focus (Competitors/Customers)Realism/Truth-te
llingVision Projects (Must add up to Vision)
MilestonesCommitment/EnergyRapidReviewCons
equences (/-)
89
The person who is a little less conceptual but
is absolutely determined to succeed will usually
find the right people and get them together to
achieve objectives. Im not knocking education or
looking for dumb people. But if you have to
choose between someone with a staggering IQ and
an elite education whos gliding along, and
someone with a lower IQ but who is absolutely
determined to succeed, youll always do better
with the second person. Larry Bossidy (Larry
Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The Discipline
of Getting Things Done)
90
Duct Tape Rules!Andrew Higgins, who built
landing craft in WWII, refused to hire graduates
of engineering schools. He believed that they
only teach you what you cant do in engineering
school. He started off with 20 employees, and by
the middle of the war had 30,000 working for him.
He turned out 20,000 landing craft. D.D.
Eisenhower told me, Andrew Higgins won the war
for us. He did it without engineers. Stephen
Ambrose/Fast Company
91
PEROT
92
READY.FIRE!AIM.Ross Perot (vs Aim! Aim!
Aim! /EDS vs GM/1985)
93
READY.FIRE!AIM.Ross Perot (vs Aim! Aim!
Aim! /EDS vs GM/1985)
94
READY.FIRE!AIM.Ross Perot (vs Aim! Aim!
Aim! /EDS vs GM/1985)
95
MASTERS
96
This is so simple it sounds stupid, but it is
amazing how few oil people really understand that
you only find oil if you drill wells. You may
think youre finding it when youre drawing maps
and studying logs, but you have to drill.
Source The Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian
O G wildcatter
97
You only find oil if you drill wells.
Source The Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian
O G wildcatter
98
drill. Source The Hunters, by John
Masters, Canadian O G wildcatter
99
HERB
100
doing things. Herb Kelleher
101
McDONALD
102
Never forget implementation boys. In our work
its what I call the missing 98 percent of the
client puzzle. Al McDonald
103
PETERS-WATERMAN
104
Do it. Fix it. Try it.Tom Peters/Business
Week/07.1978 (Principal 1/first anticipation of
Excellence)
105
In Search of Excellence/1982/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
106
PETERS THE ACT. THINK.CHRONICLES
107
ThinkvsDo
108
AgtBvsBgtA
109
CK Chesterton How do I know what I think until
I see what I say? Reporter Mr Drucker, why
are you still giving speeches at 90? PD How
else can I figure out what Im thinking?
110
TP No plan, total accountabilityTK Perfect
plan, no accountabilityLG IBM
111
My only goal is to have no goals. The goal,
every time, is that film, that very moment.
Bernardo Bertolucci
112
Experiment fearlesslySource BW0821.06, Type
A Organization Strategies/ How to Hit a Moving
TargetTactic 1
113
Power of the Small Win/ String of (TP/1977
KWEJW)
114
We made mistakes, of course. Most of them were
omissions we didnt think of when we initially
wrote the software. We fixed them by doing it
over and over, again and again. We do the same
today. While our competitors are still sucking
their thumbs trying to make the design perfect,
were already on prototype version No. 5. By the
time our rivals are ready with wires and screws,
we are on version No. 10. It gets back to
planning versus acting We act from day one
others plan how to planfor months. Bloomberg
by Bloomberg
115
HAMLET
116
By indirections find directions out. Hamlet,
II. i
117
My only goal is to have no goals. The goal,
every time, is that film, that very moment.
Bernardo Bertolucci
118
EXCELLENCE. 4/40.
119
4/40
120
De-cent-ral-iz-a-tion!
121
Decentralization is not a piece of paper. Its
not me. Its either in your heart, or not.
Brian Joffe/BIDvest
122
If if feels painful and scarythats real
delegation Caspian Woods, small biz owner
123
HOW THE COAST GUARD GETS IT RIGHT Headline,
Time, 10.31.2005AutonomyFlexibilityPerhaps
the most important distinction of the Coast
Guard is that it trusts itself
124
The True Logic of Decentralization6 divisions
6 tries6 divisions 6 DIFFERENT leaders
6 INDEPENDENT tries Max probability of
win6 divisions 6 very DIFFERENT leaders 6
very INDEPENDENT tries Max probability of
far out/3-sigma winDriver Law of
Large s
125
Ex-e-cu-tion!
126
Execution is the job of the business leader.
Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The
Discipline of Getting Things Done
127
Execution is a systematic process of
rigorously discussing hows and whats,
tenaciously following through, and ensuring
accountability. Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
128
I saw that leaders placed too much emphasis on
what some call high-level strategy, on
intellectualizing and philosophizing, and not
enough on implementation. People would agree on
a project or initiativeand then nothing would
come of it. Larry Bossidy Ram
Charan/Execution The Discipline of Getting
Things Done
129
The person who is a little less conceptual but
is absolutely determined to succeed will usually
find the right people and get them together to
achieve objectives. Im not knocking education or
looking for dumb people. But if you have to
choose between someone with a staggering IQ and
an elite education whos gliding along, and
someone with a lower IQ but who is absolutely
determined to succeed, youll always do better
with the second person. Larry
Bossidy/Execution The Discipline of Getting
Things Done
130
"I think it is very important for you to do two
things act on your temporary conviction as if it
was a real conviction and when you realize that
you are wrong, correct course very quickly.
Andy Grove
131
Never forget implementation boys. In our work
its what I call the missing 98 percent of the
client puzzle. Al McDonald
132
Ac-count-a-bil-ity!
133
Realism is the heart of execution. Larry
Bossidy Ram Charan/Execution The Discipline
of Getting Things Done
134
robust dialogue Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
135
GE has set a standard of candor. There is no
puffery. There isnt an ounce of denial in the
place. Kevin Sharer, CEO Amgen, on the GE
mystique (Fortune)
136
615A.M.
137
????????Work Hard gt Work Smart
138
A man approached JP Morgan, held up an envelope,
and said, Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed
formula for success, which I will gladly sell you
for 25,000.Sir, JP Morgan replied, I do
not know what is in the envelope, however if you
show me, and I like it, I give you my word as a
gentleman that I will pay you what you ask.The
man agreed to the terms, and handed over the
envelope.JP Morgan opened it, and extracted a
single sheet of paper. He gave it one look, a
mere glance, then handed the piece of paper back
to the gent.And paid him the agreed-upon
25,000
139
1. Every morning, write a list of
the things that need to be done that
day. 2. Do them. Source Hugh
MacLeod/tompeters.com/NPR
140
DECENTRALIZATION.EXECUTION.ACCOUTABILITY.61
5A.M.
141
EXCELLENCE. VALUE ADDED.UP THE LADDER.
142
55B
143
And the M Stands for ?Gerstners IBM
Systems Integrator of choice./BW (Lou, help
us turn all this into that long-promised
revolution. ) IBM Global Services
(Integrated Systems Services Corp.) 55B
144
Planetary Rainmaker-in-Chief!Palmisanos
strategy is to expand techs borders by pushing
usersand entire industriestoward radically
different business models. The payoff for IBM
would be access to an ocean of revenuePalmisano
estimates it at 500 billion a year that
technology companies have never been able to
touch. Fortune
145
By making the Global Delivery Model both
legitimate and mainstream, we have brought the
battle to our territory. That is, after all, the
purpose of strategy. We have become the leaders,
and incumbents IBM, Accenture are followers,
forever playing catch-up. However, creating a
new business innovation is not enough for rules
to be changed. The innovation must impact
clients, competitors, investors, and society. We
have seen all this in spades. Clients have
embraced the model and are demanding it in even
greater measure. The acuteness of their
circumstance, coupled with the capability and
value of our solution, has made the choice not a
choice. Competitors have been dragged kicking and
screaming to replicate what we do. They face
trauma and disruption, but the game has changed
forever. Investors have grasped that this is not
a passing fancy, but a potential restructuring of
the way the world operates and how value will be
created in the future. Narayana Murthy,
chairmans letter, Infosys Annual Report
146
Big Browns New Bag UPS Aims to Be the Traffic
Manager for Corporate America Headline/BW/2004
147
SCS/Supply Chain Solutions 750 locations
2.5B fastest growing division 19 acquisitions,
including a bankSource Fast Company
148
MasterCard Advisors
149
Security devices to Turnkey security
solutions (A/C, elevators, DIY, photo shops,
etc, etc)
150
Home Depot Business ToolBox Payroll processing.
Credit card processing. Personnel paperwork.
Mobile phones. Shipping. Health insurance. 12K
customers (plumbers, electricians, small
homebuilders and contractors). Source Forbes,
0918.06
151
Gamechanging Solutions Bet-the-CompanyIBMUPS
XeroxMasterCardGEBestBuy
152
I. LAN Installation Co. (3)II. Geek
Squad. (30.)III. Acquired by BestBuy.IV.
Flagship of BestBuy Wholesale Solutions
Strategy Makeover.
153
Huge Customer Satisfaction versus Customer
Success
154
Up, Up, Up, Up the Value-added Ladder.
155
The Value-added Ladder/ STUFF N THINGSGoods
Raw Materials
156
The Value-added Ladder/Stuff TRANSACTIONSServ
icesGoods Raw Materials
157
The Value-added Ladder/ OPPORTUNITY-SEEKING
Gamechanging SolutionsServicesGoods Raw
Materials
158
Era 1/Obvious Value Our it works, is
delivered on time (Close)Era 2/Augmented
Value How our it can add valuea useful it
(Solve)Era 3/Complex Value Networks How
our system can change you and deliver business
advantage (Culture-Strategic
change)Source Jeff Thull, The Prime Solution
Close the Value Gap, Increase Margins, and Win
the Complex Sale
159
The business of selling is not just about
matching viable solutions to the customers that
require them. Its equally about managing the
change process the customer will need to go
through to implement the solution and achieve the
value promised by the solution. One of the key
differentiators of our position in the market is
our attention to managing change and making
change stick in our customers organization.
(E.g. CRM failure rate/Gartner 70) Jeff
Thull, The Prime Solution Close the Value Gap,
Increase Margins, and Win the Complex Sale
160
To The Mat The 5 Damn ItsWomen.PSF.Brand
you.R.f.a.EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
161
EXCELLENCE.NECESSITY.OPPORTUNITY.
162
Disintermediation is overrated. Those who
fear disintermediation-outsourcing should in fact
be afraid of irrelevance outsourcing is just
another way of saying that youve become
irrelevant to your customers. John
Battelle/Point/Advertising Age/07.05
163
ChicagoHRMAC
164
Sarah Mom, what do you do?Mom
Im overhead.
165
support function / cost center/ overhead
or
166
Are you Rock Stars of the Age of Talent
167
EXCELLENCE.SOLVE IT. NO OPTION.PSF. (PSF)
168
Department Head to Managing Partner, IS
HR, RD, etc. Inc.
169
Typically in a mortgage company or financial
services company, risk management is an
overhead, not a revenue center. Weve become more
than that. We pay for ourselves, and we actually
make money for the company. Frank Eichorn,
Director of Credit Risk Data Management Group,
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (Source sas.com)
170
Mantra Eichorn it!
171
AnswerPSF
172
Core MechanismGame-changing Solutions PSF
(Professional Service Firm model/The
Organizing Principle) Brand You(Distinct or
Extinct/The Talent) Wow! Projects
(Different vs Better/The Work)
173
The New Enterprise Value-Added Equation/Mark2006
(1) 100 WOW PROJECTS (New Org DNA/The
Work) (2) Incredible TALENT Transformed
into (3) Entrepreneurial BRAND YOUs and (4)
Launched on Awesome QUESTS FOR EXCELLENCE
(5) Internal Rockin PSFs (Staff Depts. Morphed
into Wildly Innovative Professional Service
Firms) (6) Which Coalesce to Transform the
FEVP/Fundamental Enterprise Value Proposition
from Superior Products Services to
ENCOMPASSING SOLUTIONS GAME-CHANGING CLIENT
SUCCESS
174
Big Idea/Meta-Idea/Premier Engine of Value
Added(1) The Talent Best Roster of
Entrepreneurial-minded Brand Yous.(2) The
(Virtual) Organization Internal or External
PSF/Professional Service Firm working with
Best Anywhere Engine of Value Added through
the Application of Creative Intellectual
Capital(3) The Work Product Game Changer/
Gaspworthy WOW Projects
175
Core MechanismGame-changing Solutions PSF
(Professional Service Firm model/The
Organizing Principle) Brand You(Distinct or
Extinct/The Talent) Wow! Projects
(Different vs Better/The Work)
176
Astonish me! (SD).Build something great!
(HY).Make it immortal! (DO)Insanely
great (SJ)
177
Solutions World The Mega-PSF
178
Big Idea Corporation as Mega-PSF
(Professional Service Firm) Virtual
Collection of Entrepreneurially-minded
Professionals (Talent/Roster)
Creating/Applying Intellectual Capital (Work
Product)
179
Core MechanismGame-changing Solutions Brand
You(S)(Distinct or Extinct/The Talent)
Wow! Project(s) (Different vs Better/The
Work)PSF(S) (Professional Service Firm
model/The Organizing Principle)
Corporation as Mega-PSF
180
Agriculture Age (farmers)Industrial Age (factory
workers)Information Age (knowledge
workers)Conceptual Age (creators)Murakami
Teruyasu Age of Creation IntensificationSourc
e Dan Pink, A Whole New Mind
181
The PSF35 Thirty-Five Professional Service
Firm Marks of Excellence
182
The PSF35 The Work The Legacy1.
CRYSTAL CLEAR POINT OF VIEW (E very
Practice Group If you cant explain your
position in eight words or less, you dont
have a positionSeth Godin)2. DRAMATIC
DIFFERENCE (We are the only ones who do what
we doJerry Garcia)3. Stretch Is Routine
(Never bite off less than you can
chewanon.)4. Eye-Appetite for Game-changer
Projects (Excellence at Assembling Best
TeamFast) 5. Playful Clients (Adventurous
folks who unfailingly Aim to Change the
World)6. Small Uneconomic Clients with Big
Aims 7. Life Is Too Short to Work with Jerks
(Fire lousy clients)8. OBSESSED WITH LEGACY
(Practice Group and Individual Dent the
UniverseSteve Jobs)9. Fire-on-the-spot Anyone
Who Says, Law/Architecture/Consulting/
I-banking/ Accounting/PR/Etc. has become a
commodity 10. Consistent with 9 above DO
NOT SHY AWAY FROM THE WORD (IDEA)
RADICAL
183
?????Do good (excellent?!) workMake a lot of
money
184
Pointed Point of View!
185
R.POV8Remarkable Point Of View/8 Words or
less/If you cant state your position in eight
words or less you dont have a position.SG
186
If you cant write your movie idea on the back
of a business card, you aint got a movie.
Samuel Goldwyn
187
The PSF35 The Client
Experience11. Always team with client full
partners in achieving memorable results
(Wanted Chimeras of Moonstruck
Minds!)12. We will seek assistance Anywhere to
assemble the Best-in- Planet Team for the
Project13. Client Team Members routinely declare
that working with us was the Peak
Experience of my Career14. The jobs not done
until implementation is 100.00 complete
(Those who dont get it must go)15.
IMPLEMENTATION IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE
CLIENT HAS EXPERIENCED CULTURE CHANGE16.
IMPLEMENTATION IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL
SIGNIFICANT TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER HAS TAKEN
PLACE-ROOT (Teach a man to fish )17. The
Final Exam DID WE MAKE A DRAMATIC,
LASTING, GAME-CHANGING DIFFERENCE?
188
The business of selling is not just about
matching viable solutions to the customers that
require them. Its equally about managing the
change process the customer will need to go
through to implement the solution and achieve the
value promised by the solution. (E.g. CRM
failure rate/Gartner 70) Jeff Thull, The
Prime Solution Close the Value Gap, Increase
Margins, and Win the Complex Sale
189
UniCredit Group/
UniCredito Italiano 3rd party
measurementCustomer-initiated
measurementPrimary incentivesFactories
Primary Corporate InitiativeEtc13TP/1
190
The PSF35 The People The
Leadership18. TALENT FANATICS (Best-Coolest
place to work) (PERIOD)19. EYE FOR THE PECULIAR
(Hiring Go beyond same old, same old)
20. Early Opportunities (vs. Wait your turn)
21. Up or Out (Based on Legacy/Mentoring as
much as Billings/Rainmaking)22. Slide
the Old Aside/Make Room for Youth (Find oldsters
new roles?)23. TALENT IS OBSESSED WITH
RENEWAL FROM DAY 1 TO DAY R R
Retirement24. Office/Practice Leaders Evaluated
Primarily on Mentoring-Team Building
Skills 25. A PROPRIETARY TALENT DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS (GE) 26. Team Leadership Skills Valued
Early27. Partner with B.I.W. Best In World
Outsiders as Needed and to Infuse Different
Views
191
The PSF35 The Firm The
Brand28. EAT-SLEEP-BREATHE-OOZE INTEGRITY (My
life is my messageGandhi) 29. Excellence
in EXECUTION 100.00 of the Time (No such
thing as a small sins/World Series Ring to
the Batboy!) 30. Drop everything/Swarm to
Support a Harried-On The Verge Team31.
SPEND AS AGGRESSIVELY ON RD AS A TECH FIRM OR
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL 32. A PROPRIETARY
METHODOLOGY (FBR, McKinsey, Chiat Day, IDEO, old
EDS)33. Web (Technology) Obsession 34.
BRAND/LOVEMARK MANIACS (Organize Around a
Point of View Worth BROADCASTING You must
be the change you wish to see in the
worldGandhi) 35. PASSION! ENTHUSIASM! (Passion
Enthusiasm have as much a place at the
Head Table in a PSF as in a widgets
factory You cant behave in a calm, rational
manner. Youve got to be out there on the
lunatic fringeJack Welch)
192
The PSF35 The Firm The
Brand28. EAT-SLEEP-BREATHE-OOZE INTEGRITY (My
life is my messageGandhi) 29. Excellence
in EXECUTION 100.00 of the Time30. Drop
everything/Swarm to Support a Harried-On
The Verge Team31. SPEND ON RD LIKE A TECH
FIRM. 32. A PROPRIETARY METHODOLOGY (FBR,
McKinsey, Chiat Day, IDEO, old EDS) 33.
BRAND MANIACS (Organize Around a Point of View
Worth BROADCASTING) 34. PASSION!
ENTHUSIASM! 35. EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
193
PSF Nirvana CounselorTrusted Advisor
194
AnswerPSF
195
PSF BY WP VA
196
PSF BY WP DD E UVA
197
PSF BY WP DD E UVA
198
PSF (Professional Service Firm) BY (Brand You)
WP (WOW Projects) DD (Dramatic Difference)
E (Excellence) UVA (Unassailable
Value-Added)
199
AnswerPSF
200
Big Browns New Bag UPS Aims to Be the Traffic
Manager for Corporate America Headline/BW/2004
201
(No Transcript)
202
I. LAN Installation Co. (3)II. Geek
Squad. (30.)III. Acquired by BestBuy.IV.
Flagship of BestBuy Wholesale Solutions
Strategy Makeover.
203
Static/ImitativeIntegrity.Quality.Continuous
Improvement.Superior Service (Exceeds
Expectations.)Completely Satisfactory
Transaction.Smooth Evolution.Market
Share.Dynamic/DifferentDramatic
Difference!Disruptive!Insanely Great!
(Quality)Life-(Industry-)changing
Experience!Game-changing!WOW!Surprise!Delight!
Breathtaking!Punctuated Equilibrium!Market
Creation!
204
EXCELLENCE Flawless EXECUTION Continuous
IMPROVEMENT Brilliantly Trained
PEOPLEGamechanging QUESTS WEIRD Rosters
GASPWORTHY Results
205
EXCELLENCE. ATTITUDE.TRANSFORMATION.PSF.
206
Are you the Principal Engine of Value
AddedE.g. Your RD budget as robust as the
New Products team?
207
Fleet ManagerRolling Stock Cost Minimization
Officervs/orChief of Fleet Lifetime Value
Maximization Strategic Supply-chain
Executive Customer Experience Director (via
drivers)
208
Purchasing Officer Thrust 1 Cost (at All
Costs) Minimization Professional? Or/to Full
Partner-Leader in Lifetime Value-added
Maximization?(Lopez Arguably Villain 1 in
GM tragedy/Anon VSE-Spain)
209
HCare CIO Technology Executive (workin in a
hospital) Or/to Full-scale, Accountable (life
or death) Member-Partner of XYZ Hospitals
Senior Healing-Services Team (who happens to be a
techie)
210
PSF Transformation Credit
Department/TrekWas
IsCredit Dept
Financial
ServicesHammer on dealers until
Make dealers successful so theythey pay
CAN payAR
sold to 3rd party Trek is
the commercial financialcommercial co.
Company23 employees
12 employeesOversee
peak AR of 70M Oversee peak AR of
160MIdentify risky dealers
Identify opportunitiesCost Center
Profit CenterNo
products
Products Consulting, MC/Visa,
Stored
value of gift cards, Gift card

peripherals, Online paymentsSource John
Burke/0330.06
211
Trapper lt20 per beaver pelt.Source WSJ
212
WDCP 150 to remove problem beaver
750-1,000 for flood-control piping so that
beavers can stay. Wildlife Damage-control
Professional Source WSJ
213
The WOW! Project.
214
Lets make a dent in the universe! Steve Jobs
215
Your Current Project?1. Another
days work/Pays the rent.4. Of value.7.
Pretty Damn Cool/Definitely subversive.10.
WE AIM TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
(Insane!/Insanely Great!/WOW!)
216
Astonish me! (S.D).Build something great!
(H.Y.).Make it immortal! (D.O.)
217
If you are not prepared to be fired over your
beliefs you are working on the wrong project.
TP
218
Will you actually remember it as worthwhile 10
years from now? S.H.
219
You! Your Project Portfolio!
220
A position is not an accomplishment. TP
221
WOW! Projects Nuts Bolts (a few)
222
Playmate!Playpen!Can be Client, supplier
as well as Insider
223
Playmate!Playpen!Prototype!Can be Client,
supplier as well as Insider
224
Where to look for Playmates F.F.F.F. (Find
a Fellow Freak Faraway)
225
Forward, march The Sri Lanka Stratagem
226
Where NOT to look for Playmates BIG Division,
BIG Customer, BIG Vendor, UP
227
Culture of PrototypingEffective prototyping
may be the most valuable core competence an
innovative organization can hope to have.
Michael Schrage

228
Prototype mania/maniac!
229
THE PROJECT 50
230
Starting a WOW! Projects Epidemic Demos, Heroes,
Stories!
231
Premise Ordering Systemic Change is a Waste of
Time!
232
Somewhere in your organization, groups of people
are already doing things differently and better.
To create lasting change, find these areas of
positive deviance and fan the flames. Richard
Tanner Pascale Jerry Sternin, Your Companys
Secret Change Agents, HBR
233
Some people look for things that went wrong and
try to fix them. I look for things that went
right, and try to build off them. Bob Stone (Mr
ReGo)
234
Demos! Heroes! Stories!
235
Demo StoryA key perhaps the key to
leadership is the effective communication of a
story.Howard Gardner, Leading Minds An
Anatomy of Leadership
236
Best story wins!
237
REAL Org Change Demos Models (Model
Installations, ReGo Labs)/ Heroes (mostly
extant burned to reinvent govt)/ Stories
Storytellers (Props!)/ Chroniclers (Writers,
Videographers, Pamphleteers, Etc.)/ Cheerleaders
Recognition (PosgtgtNeg, Volume)/ New Language
(Hot/Emotional/WOW)/ Seekers (networking mania)/
Protectors/ Support Groups/ End RunsPull
Strategy (weird alliances, weird customers,
weird suppliers, weird alumnae-JKC)/ Field Real
People Focus (3 COs) (long way away)/ Speed
(O.O.D.A. Loopsact before the bad guys can
react)C.f., Bob Stone, Lessons from an Uncivil
Servant
238
JKC1. Scour for renegades
wine dine.2. Go outside for funds.
239
JKC
240
Make your own McKinsey (AP)
241
Build a School on top of a school/Continuing-Exe
c Ed (The Parallel Universe Strategy)
242
Stories Paint me a picture Story
infrastructure Demos Quick prototypes
Experiments Heroes Renegades Skunkworks
Demo Funds V.C. G.M. Roster Portfolio
Stones Rules JKCs Rules
243
Tempo He who has the quickest O.O.D.A. Loops
wins!Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. / Col.
John Boyd
244
Subversive ChangeBe(very)ware genetic
constraints (historys looong arm)You must
do GandhiHire weird (fulltime or temp)Find
the extant crazies (troll for them via offers to
join weird project teams)Create a (quiet)
Crazies Club/Keep extendin the WebCreate
boondocks projects by the truckload (with
partners of every flavor)Understand Yours is a
protection racketSky High Standards!! (Theres
a deadly serious reason for all thislife or
death)TP Heroes Allan Puckett Bob Stone Jill
Ker Conway Kelly Johnson John Boyd
245
Never doubt that a small group of committed
people can change the world. Indeed it is the
only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead
246
SP But can you turn a defensive player into
an offensive player?TP Yes! Work with
him/her to re-frame their principal project to
the point that their ego is fully engaged and it
becomes something of a life compulsion.
If you and I had 150K in the bank and on
the line and the day before the opening the Fire
Inspector
247
EXCELLE ALWAYS.