Archive for category General
You’ve Got Mail
Posted by Aaron Sebesta in General on July 29th, 2009
Think Forward Work Backward is now available via email subscription, so you never have to worry about missing a thing!
While many people subscribe to the RSS feed, I’ve received feedback from some of you that an email subscription would be easier to keep up with. Now you can! Just enter your email on the right side of the page, and you’ll be subscribed to receive all the newest posts as they come out.
The second of three posts on Budgeting will be available Sunday, including a link to a sample budget template, so subscribe now to be sure you receive it.
No matter how you get to the blog, thanks for reading – and for your feedback on the email subscription. Shoot me an email or leave a comment with any other ideas/questions/tips!
Is that normal?
Posted by Aaron Sebesta in General on July 12th, 2009
Every day we do things based upon habits and norms established in our community, companies, and culture, often times without thinking about them. They seem so fundamental to us that it’s rare we even notice them. While these norms help a group to function together smoothly, it’s important to recognize the norms we adhere to, and challenge them to ensure they encompass the best possible solution. It’s easy to see the norms being followed by people whose norms differ from ours, for example other countries or cultures, but it’s much more difficult to identify them within our own society.
I’m currently reading (actually listening to) The Wisdom of Crowds, and have been amazed by the norms identified and discussed in the book, partially because they are things I’d not yet considered as needing to change. For example, the author discusses supply and demand, and the general economic law that when demand goes up relative to the supply, the cost will increase. However, there are a number of situations where this is not the case, in large part due to following norms that may have been established decades prior or no longer apply. He mentions a movie theater, where (at least in America) all the movies cost the same amount, regardless of the popularity or age of the film. Sure, there are “dollar” movie theaters, but within the main theater, all movies are treated equal. How much more revenue could the theaters receive, if they priced the movie appropriately based upon the demand, thereby allowing for less popular movies to be cheaper, hopefully increasing the number of viewers? People will pay $4 to rent a movie, but not $10 to go to the theater. There has to be a cost between there that will attract more viewers. Until the movie is removed from the theater, their costs to show it are fixed, yet they don’t maximize the potential by adjusting the price, because that’s how it’s always been done. Previously however, films used to be released to A and B theaters, which charged different rates based upon the quality of the movie. Today, all movies (assuming they make it to the theater) are effectively charged as if they are A quality, despite the demand for them.
What norms are you following, and are they you’re best option? Are you losing revenue by following norms that may no longer apply to your business or situation? Today in our global environment, what norms may your customers be accustomed to or be expecting that you may be unaware of? Take a moment to stop and think the next time you do something out of habit, to see if it can be improved. Also, take a look at other cultures from your own, to see what they may be doing differently. It’s amazing how different a decision people can make when coming from a fundamentally unique perspective, simply because of the norms established hundreds of years earlier.
Halfway there?
Posted by Aaron Sebesta in General on June 17th, 2009
“Half way there… It’s almost the weekend…” If you’re still out in the corporate world, you probably also heard some similar quip about the end of the coming week. But I have to ask, is the weekend really the goal? Is that what all of us are working towards? I got news for you… there’ll be another Monday next week, followed by 5 days of wishing it was the weekend.
This comment, made in passing in the hall, again reminded me there’s more than nine to five. If time is your most valuable resource, is a 2 day return for a 5 day investment an acceptable ROI?
It seems like more and more people in the “Net Generation” have this same disenchantment with nine by five by forty years. Everyone seems to all think that the baby boomers are missing the boat and we wont get caught working that hard and long. But…is it just our generation? Do all generations go through a similar phase, then come to the realization that for the majority of people it’s just a dream? Does the reality of mortgages, kids, and retirement accounts always trump the initial vision? Again I ask, is the dream of escaping the corporate rat race new? I believe it’s an important question to ask, not only because it’s getting so much attention these days in blogs, books, and other media, but also because so many of my peers seem to think they’ve unlocked the key their parents were missing. I’m still on the fence as to whether it’s new, and would love to discuss with some baby boomers. I have a few thoughts on both sides…
Why it might be different this time:
- The web makes generating income from home (or better yet from another country) something previous generations could never imagine.
- The days of pensions are over, changing jobs is a fact of life, so finding another job after “living the dream” isn’t a far fetched idea.
Why it might not:
- It’s not our generation, it’s our life stage. Everyone goes through it. What about the 70′s?!
- Just like previous generations, everyday life will take over and it’ll just be one of those things we wish we’d done.
What are your thoughts? I’m interested to hear from anyone in the baby boomer generation to get your perspective. (Or ask your parents and post it. 
)
PS. Missed posting on Wednesday by 9 minutes… that’s what proof reading will get you!
Link: The secret to hearing, Yes!
Posted by Aaron Sebesta in General on June 10th, 2009
Wanted to share a link with you to a very interesting post by Alex Moskalyuk as he summarizes the book Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive by Noah Goldstein, Steve Martin, and Robert Cialdini. I’m definitely going to pick this one up.
Some of the items I found most interesting are below.
5. Too many options necessitate selection, and hence frustration, when brain decides it’s unnecessary work.
This is an interesting one, and something that I’ve read about in other books, for example Made to Stick. For some reason people can’t process that much information and would rather make no decision at all. The example in Made to Stick dealt with selling Jams, and having only a few flavors yielded much higher sales. How can you reduce the number of options you’re providing your users to ensure conversion? Do you need a dozen different products or license options? In a time when it seems like everyone wants different options, it’s interesting to see that simple is still effective.
17. Writing things down improves commitment.
I agree here, but would emphasize one of the points that seems to have gone unnoticed in the post. While writing it down will improve commitment, writing it down and being accountable to someone is what will significantly increase commitment. Writing down something and keeping it to yourself helps, but it’s too easy to rationalize why you don’t have to follow through. Even if the other person provides no other consequences than just to have known about the commitment it still has significant impact. Have your customers and employees write down their commitments, and give them to someone. In addition, if you want to force yourself to do something, use the same persuasion on yourself. Just look at this blog. By writing my commitment to posting twice a week, and making myself accountable to the readers (regardless of how many there are! 
) helps persuade me to stick to it.
28. Admitting your wrong makes people trust you more.
This has been true for me in many situations. So many people are too worried about their appearance that they will not admit when they’re wrong, even when everyone else knows it. A simple apology can go a long way, and builds significant trust because if they know you will tell the truth when it’s difficult, it’s easy to trust you on the easy things. Trust is the foundation for power and influence, so anything to help build it is worth the uncomfortableness of admitting a mistake.
47. Face time still beats email time.
This one is fascinating, especially with all the online communication today. I’m curious what the demographics were of the control study, and whether younger subjects would produce the same results. Either way, what can you do to gain the additional cooperation and effectiveness of face time if you really are distributed across the country? For me, teleconferences have always been an effective way to build that additional relationship. While not extremely common among business yet, video conferences will further narrow the gap when face time just isn’t feasible.
Which items stick out to you? How can you use them in your daily life to help in your influence with others? Do you have other tactics you use for persuasion not listed? Do you think it’s “unfair” to use some of these tactics on others? Let us know.
So What?
Posted by Aaron Sebesta in General on June 7th, 2009
One of the most intimidating, but most helpful questions I’ve been asked, came during a break in a presentation I was giving to a customer. It was asked by one of our internal senior managers, when I asked for feedback – “So What?”.
So What?? What does that mean I thought? That’s not the feedback I was anticipating!
It wasn’t until later that I realized the value of his question. “So What”, is a powerful question I’ve since asked myself numerous times, and would encourage each of you to ask regularly. It forces you to take a hard look at what you’re working on, and ask yourself the following questions:
- Is what I’m saying adding value?
- Are all of my statements and questions made deliberately, i.e. am I just talking for the sake of talking? What are the possible answers to my question, and what are the actions that will be taken if each is given?
- Am I looking from the audience’s perspective? How does it apply to them?
These are sometimes difficult questions to answer, but vitally important to consider, in order to successfully communicate your intended message, via a presentation, email, or blog post.
So I asked: Think Forward Work Backward – So what?
As I began to review the question I came to a few important improvements. While interesting, the blog can and needs to be more actionable. It’s one thing to provide information, but unfortunately there is more information available than anyone can ever use. In order to be beneficial to users, it also needs to be something they can apply in their own lives. In addition, it needs more collaboration from within the rest of the community to truly add value to the readers. The experiences and additional information provided by other readers is one of the most valuable aspects of a blog, and were the most learning comes from. While not always an easy thing to attract, I will be working to gather input from other bloggers and provide posts that are more conducive to discussion.
It’s a difficult question, but you’re audience is already asking it, so you better have an answer.
TFWB Action Plan – So What?
- Within the next week, find an important task and take the time to ask yourself the “So What?” questions listed above.
- From your audience’s perspective, list what would help you fill those gaps.
- Produce and execute a plan to prioritize and resolve each of the identified gaps.
- Let others know your experience, and help increase the overall blog communities value, by leaving a comment below.
- Keep questioning yourself, there’s always room for improvement!
A better way
Posted by Aaron Sebesta in General on June 3rd, 2009
There’s a way to do it better – find it. – Thomas Edison
Every day companies around the world, and even more commonly small business employees encounter problems that require time and money to solve, and yet have already been solved in other companies, and many times by other individuals within the same organization! However, these problems remain as stumbling blocks because the person faced with the problem either doesn’t want to ask, or doesn’t know who to ask or where to look. What a waste of resources. The information is available, but without the tools or skills to find it, it’s back to the drawing board. Unfortunately once a solution is found, it’s rarely documented or passed on, further continuing the cycle.
I recently finished listening to the audio book, Monday Morning Leadership. In it, the author explains that no management problem is unique to your situation. There are commonalities and patterns in every situation and recognizing them, or getting assistance from someone who can, expedites the process dramatically. Go find those people. Learn the common patterns. Problem solving doesn’t have to be a tedious grinding process to find a solution, often an easier and better solution is widely available. You won’t be considered less capable if you find an existing solution, on the contrary you should be regarded for solving the problem more quickly and cheaply by thinking outside of the traditional problem solving mentality. Don’t keep it to yourself though, that’s what collaboration is all about.
Where do you find these solutions? I’m currently listening to Wikinomics, and have been intrigued with the concept of a common place to share and trade technological solutions and ideas, what the authors term an “ideagora“. The book deals primarily from a corporate perspective, discussing the ability to license underutilized patents or other intellectual property (IP) as a means of additional revenue, but I would argue the concept has a much broader usage. With the increased collaboration across departmental and even organizational lines, everyone can benefit from the improved efficiency of shared knowledge and experience.
In a way this collaboration has exploded on the internet in recent years, from Yahoo Answers and Google Groups, to message boards on any topic imaginable, there are users helping other users. At this point however, finding the answer usually results in a time consuming search through various searches and websites. There still remains an opportunity for an easy to find and use network of users where answers that can be updated and maintained. It may remain a niche portal that contains the content, but the ability to discover and aggregate that content, will be crucial.
Next time you find yourself faced with a problem, instead of struggling to solve it alone – go find the answer with the help of others. Someone within your organization, or network has already likely encountered it, and if not, you can guarantee someone else on the internet already has.
Good Intentions
Posted by Aaron Sebesta in General on May 31st, 2009
How often does I’m hoping to, or I’m planning to turn into I meant to?
Every day we find ourselves in situations where objectives that were “intended” to be completed, for one reason or another were not. Sometimes it is a perfectly legitimate reason, and other times it’s followed by a list of excuses. In either case, it’s still not complete.
There are two important lessons to be learned from these situations:
- Be Realistic. One of the keys to not setting false expectations due to good intentions is to take the time to be realistic when setting them. Challenge your intentions, and ensure that they’re reasonable. It is far better to commit to a realistic time frame and complete it early, as “intended” than to be overwhelmed by good intentions and fall short.
- Commit, Plan, and Act. As a result of setting more realistic expectations by checking your intentions against reality, you are now in a position where you can, and must, commit to accomplishing them. Put together a plan, and execute that plan, regardless of whether everything goes exactly as expected, because it rarely will.
I took a long time to think about, and question my “good intentions” prior to my previous post, committing to a blogging schedule. All too often people, myself certainly included, make commitments based upon emotions and intentions, without first validating the reasonableness of, or their commitment to, their intentions. By following those simple steps, it is possible to turn “good intentions” into something more.
“It is not good enough for things to be planned – they still have to be done; for the intention to become a reality, energy has to be launched into operation. – Walt Kelly (Pogo cartoonist 1913-1973) 1
Next time you hear yourself saying I’ll try to, or I hope to, take a minute to ask yourself, is this realistic, and if it is, are you willing to commit to completing it, even when something else comes up…
———————————————————————————-
Worth doing well
Posted by Aaron Sebesta in General on May 27th, 2009
One of the things that struck me the first time I visited Chris Guillebeau’s blog was that it says, repeatedly, that he posts every Monday and Thursday. Other than blogs with teams of writers who post every day, there are few blogs that commit to a schedule. However, after reading his manifesto “279 Days to Overnight Success” (mentioned previously) this publishing schedule is one of his “basics” to successful blogging. As he puts it:
“Decide on a clear publishing schedule.
And commit to it for a set amount of time, preferably at least six months or more. The specific schedule is not that important — the point is, make a schedule, announce it on the site, and stick to it.” 1
I’ve been considering this idea for a while, and have decided it’s time to act on it. I found myself thinking “what if I don’t have time or get busy, what if I’m out of town, etc”, as he mentioned, but at the end of the day those are all just excuses. It will take work and dedication, but if maintaining a blog is something I’m committed to, it’s definitely worthwhile and necessary. As my mom always used to say “Anything worth doing, is worth doing well.”
By committing to a schedule I will not only be making myself accountable, but providing you with an accurate expectation of when new posts will be available. Please hold me accountable, and check back regularly for updates.
So, starting today, I will be posting on Wednesdays and Sundays, if not before.
As time goes on, I will also be implementing more recommendations from Chris and others, as well as some ideas of my own, as I strive to better spread the benefits and techniques for living a deliberate life by thinking forward to the goals, then working backward to the necessary steps to achieve them.
_____________________________________________________________
1 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/files/2009/04/279days.pdf (pg 18)
Think Forward – Work Backward
Posted by Aaron Sebesta in General on April 12th, 2009
I was first introduced to the concept of thinking forward and working backward during a management development class, taught by our CEO. He mentioned it almost in passing, similar to other common management quips frequently used. For whatever reason however, this one resonated with me. Perhaps it was the context within which he used it, or that for whatever reason it was the right time for me to hear it, but likely the reason it hit me was because it so accurately described what I had been striving to do, without even knowing it. Ever since that session I have been contemplating the phrase, and have been amazed by the implications it has on every aspect of life, from finances to interpersonal relationships, to success at work and a balanced home life. It can be used in association with technology or business, and is equally applicable in any line of work.
Throughout life we are constantly faced with opportunities and challenges, decisions and turning points, and it is how we handle each of those situations that determines our future. By thinking forward and working backward, we can ensure that we are adequately prepared for many of those situations, allowing us to act deliberately and concisely if and when they arise.
With this blog I will be discussing techniques and experiences related to thinking forward, as well as a multitude of topics that result from applying the philosophy. It is intended to be nothing more than a discussion among forward thinking peers, as I am a student to all through the wisdom and questions, critiques and insight of others.
-
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the General category.
Currently Reading
The Wisdom of Crowds
How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
Recent Comments