TPMusings

LINCHPIN

2010-03-23T16:08:43-04:00:00

Like Rock for Five , my previous TRMusings blog entry, Linchpin talks about how to do something that matters. It’s about how to make yourself unique and indispensible.

Everyone who reads my blogs knows I am a HUGE fan of Seth Godin --- one that sometimes begins to border on the creepy. OK, I admit it. In fact, I have often said that “…you can’t spell Godin without god…” Oh brother.

Not surprisingly, his newly released book Linchpin was a joy for me. Subtitled “Are you Indispensible?” it describes a linchpin as “…a person we can’t live without—the indispensable person who does work that matters, the person who is trying to stand out as opposed to fit in, the one who’s not easily replaceable…it’s the person we seek out.”

Are you a linchpin? “Anyone who is at the edge of what they can be doing is doing that on purpose. They are going through the pain and the difficult work and the risk necessary to create their art, to stand out, and to not just be a noisemaker.”

Everyone can (should) do work that matters. “If you look at what you do as a platform for doing art, for being generous and for making changes in people, then you’re both getting paid and stretching yourself to become indispensable.”

But often what Godin calls your “lizard brain” creates resistance to doing work that matters. It’s the part of the brain that is afraid, that doesn’t want to get laughed at and doesn’t want to make a mistake. It’s the part of the brain that wants to fit in. Fitting in, though, is never part of being a linchpin.

However another important element of becoming a linchpin is the art of the gift. A gift in this sense is not a gift if you give something to someone hoping they will give you something back. That is sort of an unequal transaction. It is not a gift. A gift is something you give because you can, with no expectation of any return.

His argument is that linchpins make art. And art is a generous gift that changes other people.

So ask yourself, “What did I do today that was important? What did I do today that no-one else can do?” If you spend a little bit more time on that kind of work, you’ll discover that for a linchpin, it should be your only job. Pretty soon, you’ll discover that you have enough money to hire people to do all the other stuff.

So “Fight the lizard brain. Fight the resistance. Whatever it is you’re working on, ship it out the door. Ship often. Put things out there and fail. The more you fail, the more you learn. The person who learns the most wins.”

A full transcript and audio file of a recent interview with Seth Godin by The Social Examiner is linked here.

“If you want to make more than $12/hour in life, you need to make maps, not follow them.” ---- Seth Godin

Follow me on Twitter @FdSvsU

ROCK FOR FIVE

2010-03-15T09:58:33-04:00:00

I can’t help but again channel a recent Seth Godin blog as inspiration for today’s thought. The concept he discusses encourages us to ROCK for five minutes a day. Totally rock in a new, different, or life-changing way. It’s a worthy goal. An achievable goal. A reachable goal. A memorable goal.

No one can ROCK all the time. No one. (With the possible exception of Seth Godin…but I am biased.) It’s a self-defeating goal to try. But you CAN set a goal to make a difference once a day. Rock for five minutes each day. Write a blog post that inspires someone to reach up or out…encourage an associate or to deal with an issue that is troubling them…help a sick friend…deliver an act of generosity that helps change someone. Five minutes to come up with a great new feature…or five minutes to teach a groundbreaking skill in a way that no one has ever considered before. Five minutes to tell the truth (or to hear the truth). Focus on finding five minutes a day you might do exceptional work, remarkable work, work that matters.

And as Seth so appropriately reminds us, five minutes of rocking is enough, because it’s five minutes MORE than just about anyone else. Make a difference.

“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle”. --- Albert Einstein

Follow me on Twitter @FdSvsU

SPREZZATURA

2010-03-05T15:56:23-05:00:00

Four seemingly disparate things converged earlier this week. (1) I bought a new MacBook Pro computer, (2) I installed a “word of the day” program that launches when I boot it, (3) The word on Tuesday was Sprezzatura (an archaic Italian word for being able to conduct your craft without a lot of visible effort…more on that later), and (4) Seth Godin's blog that day was on Sprezzatura.

I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Seth’s blog was on this word. He very possibly is a Mac guy, and the word resonated with him (as it did with me). However, I don’t think it would have resonated so loudly had I not seen it earlier on my WOTD and had a chance to reflect on it before seeing his blog. And I certainly would not have seen the word had it not been for the WOTD program resident on my new Mac. Coincidence? You be the judge…

Sprezzatura. What an interesting concept. We all strive to demonstrate expertise in our work by accomplishing tasks without a lot of visible effort. Smoothly. Seemingly effortlessly. But at the same time, we cannot appear to cruising through our jobs unconsciously or else our supervisors and clients may not value our work. A fine line. Godin describes it as a combination of elan, grace, and class…sort of the opposite of the loud grunts you hear on the tennis court, or the visible flurry of activity and stress sometimes evidenced when you help out a customer.

Do you have sprezzatura? Do you know people who do? Would you prefer to have an attorney or a CPA with sprezzatura; or one without? I know I would.

So focus on those areas where you can show off your sprezzatura. Reach inside and uncover those skills you have where you can effortlessly pull it off. Bring it to the surface. Your customers will value it. Your peers will envy it. And your confidence will build on it.

Sprezzatura. Don’t leave home without it.

“Be hungrier than anyone else, but never LOOK hungry. That's the trick.”

--- Chris Brogan, blogger extraordinaire

Follow me on Twitter @FdSvsU

BRAIN OWIE

2010-02-23T15:16:23-05:00:00

Several weeks ago I posted a personal blog under the title of Drew about my close friend and foodservice professional Drew McMillen’s ongoing struggles from a brain trauma (stroke) five years ago at age 42.

Drew’s most recent job was with the Central Coast Center for Independent Living (CCCIL) NewOptions program, which works with brain trauma patients in the transition back home and back into everyday life. He coined the term “Brain Owie” and crafted a campaign for awareness of brain trauma around that idea. Before this latest event, Drew was the giver. Now he is the recipient.

He has finally been released from Stanford Medical Center after more than 100 days and 18 operations. He is now at Dominican Rehabilitation Services in Santa Cruz, where he has been for just over a week.

Although Drew is showing a terrific attitude during this ordeal, he still has a long way to go. The first few days saw batteries of tests, many of which he had already been thru at Stanford, but since the medical records had not yet been sent over, he had to go thru them again (thanks to the inefficient healthcare system we have in America). He is doing well and showing some progress, which is great news.

This will be a big weekend as friends are putting on a benefit fundraiser for Drew on Saturday, so we are looking forward to having some visitors around. Drew won’t be able to personally attend, but will be able to take visitations from some of his close friends while they are in town for the benefit.

Without going too deep into detail, the physical rehabilitation challenges that lie ahead during his recovery are:

1. PHYSICAL: He has been in hospital beds for over 100 days. His first short-term goal is to sit on a raised mat with minimal assistance. That is a long way from walking. He needs to re-develop and strengthen his core trunk muscles before he can take his first steps, or else he would merely collapse.

2. OCCUPATIONAL: He cannot dress himself or even shave with an electric razor yet… he cannot control his motor functions to accomplish these tasks. His regimen will be to practice these steps over and over until he builds muscle memory and motor control. He came back before. He can do it again.

3. SWALLOWING: He is currently unable to swallow on command, so he continues to be fed intravenously to reduce the risk of aspiration or pneumonia. This function is usually one of the first learned, so he should show improvements here fairly quickly.

4. COGNITIVE: Although it is difficult for him to verbalize his thoughts, it is obvious that his mind is as sharp (and smart-alecky) as before. He communicates primarily thru a hand squeeze in response to questions, and amazingly, thru his eyes. How frustrating would that be for us, blabbermouths that we all are?

5. MOTOR CONTROL: Ironically, his right hand tremor has proven to be one of his best nonverbal cues, as it will shake when he is uncomfortable and cannot rest. Visual cues like this --- over time --- are how those close to him are able to determine how he is doing.

6. SPEECH: He often whispers or just mouths his responses to questions or in conversation. It normally takes him five to ten seconds to process an answer. He is beginning to talk out loud more often and in sentences. The good thing is that what he does say is appropriate and makes sense. These are great signs.

An encouraging update of his condition, tho he has a long process in front of him. I am struck in reading his rehabilitation routine how much we take for granted as we eat, swallow, talk, walk, drive, and generally cruise thru life. Those unfamiliar with “brain owies” may not realize the progress that can be made over time. It’s a long haul, but Drew came back from his original trauma five years ago, and he can do it again.

Your prayers, messages, and concern are appreciated. Thanks for caring.

A non-profit, tax-deductible charitable corporation has been set up for the McMillen Family to assist in defraying the substantial medical expenses. Here is the address if you wish to donate to the fund:

Checks should be sent to:
Drew McMillen Fund
231 E. Alessandro Blvd.
Suite A-344
Riverside, CA 92508
EIN: 32-0300758

The corporation has been registered with the IRS so it is legitimately tax deductible. Make sure you keep a copy of your check for your tax records.

Soon we will be setting up a website and an online donation method. Stay tuned and I will announce when it’s ready. Thanks again.

“Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you.”

---Aldous Huxley

Follow me on Twitter @FdSvsU

BLUE CHAIR, REDUX

2010-02-15T10:05:11-05:00:00

I was pleased to receive an email recently from Dinsh Guzdar of Rich Products, with a follow-up to my letter to Santa and my “blue chair philosophy.” You may recall that my premise was that too many companies do not adequately take the view of their customer, and that every company should have a blue chair they could sit in when planning products, services, and promotions to properly orient them to their product end-users.

The day the original blog was posted; Dinsh contacted me and promised to provide a link to their new customer-facing website when it was finished. He stated that it was specifically designed to more efficiently communicate with their customers, providing information and tools & techniques in an easily-navigable dynamic website designed from their perspective.

That new website Rich Foodservice went LIVE a couple weeks ago, and I recently spent some time there (with my customer hat on, of course!). Here are some observations:

- The home page is startlingly simple: Segments, Products, Culinary. (Too many sites want to include so much information that navigation --- finding what they want quickly --- is a nightmare. This site makes it simple and easy.)

- Drilling down on Segments gives you a “Challenges and Solutions” tab. Very easy to navigate. (Statistics show that you have about 30 seconds to “engage” a visitor to your website, or they will move on. If what they can’t find what they want within that time, they will move on.)

- Likewise, Culinary Center presents you with Recipes, Menu Ideas, and Training & Troubleshooting tabs.

o Recipe tab can be sorted by day part or product. Nice. (Allows operator to quickly find what they want, or to browse logically.)

o PDF button for the menu ideas pop-up is brilliant. (What good is a recipe or menu suggestion if it can’t easily be printed out for discussion and future reference?)

o Training and troubleshooting is very simple with short answers…just what an operator wants. (Get in…get out.)

Rich Products deserves some congratulations. I am not a fulltime restaurateur, but I have had a close interest in local bar & grill group (owned by my family) for nearly twenty years. I know that our OPS people have often expressed frustration with foodservice manufacturer sites when they are trying to find specific information --- and more important --- ideas, for their operation. “Impossible to navigate…difficult to find what you are looking for…too much data and not enough ideas…” are a few of the things I have heard. The Rich Products site has overcome many of those obstacles in this new site.

I would encourage Rich not to stop with the site rollout, but make an effort to solicit feedback from the foodservice operator community about their new site, listening closely to their suggestions. Comparatively, the Rich Products site shows marked improvement over their previous site, and many other manufacturer sites serving the industry. But it’s not a home run until the CUSTOMER says it is. Besides, your customer doesn’t need a blue chair to think like a customer…listen to what he has to say.

My last suggestion to Dinsh is to “keep it fresh.” If you want to build loyalty to your site --- and ultimately your brand --- you must keep the content on the site updated and fluid. Furthermore, develop some “soft selling” techniques by establishing links out to cooking or culinary sites that might be of interest to their customer base. (Technology today allows these sites to open inside a tab on their site so you don’t lose that customer by linking them away from the Rich Products site.)

There are simply amazing tools available today to foodservice manufacturers to communicate directly with their customers, but few in our industry have moved their sales effort beyond the product-centric data dump. I encourage each of you to drag out your blue chairs and discuss how you can improve your customer touch points. Then try a few things and ask them how you’re doing. It can’t hurt…

“Just because you're good at something doesn't mean the market cares any longer." Seth Godin, marketing expert

Follow me on Twitter @FdSvsU

BAD FOR GOOD

2010-01-26T11:00:10-05:00:00

Henrik Edberg and his Productivity Blog is my inspiration for this post.

Honestly, my mind has been on my friend Drew and his challenges, and it has been hard to focus on writing a business related post over the last couple weeks. I felt guilty about that, and in my efforts to catch up stumbled upon a post called “Three things that sound bad but can actually be good for you.” It resonated with me.

Often we tend to categorize all things as either “good” or “bad”. But in reality, it is the nuance, colored by context, which is the real definition of most things.

Edberg outlines three things that we’ve been taught to think of as bad, which in certain contexts are actually good for us.

1. Selfishness. It’s rarely seen as a positive thing. It fills your head with images of greedy and soulless types like Montgomery Burns or Gordon Gekko. Yet one’s own personal development can be considered selfish in a way. You are trying to make yourself and your life better. But the funny thing is that by focusing on helping yourself first, you can become stronger…better preparing you to help others in a better way too.

If you only focus on other people --- and never yourself --- you risk burn-out. People may take advantage of you if you don’t set limits or boundaries.

Selfishness and helping others often go hand in hand. My own selfish wish to see my son in California prompted me to plan a trip, which then provided me an opportunity to personally visit my good friend just at his most critical time of need. Coincidence? Perhaps. But because I focused on my own short-term needs, I was able to give back to another.

2. Laziness. Being lazy isn’t always bad. Being lazy about stuff that is irrelevant or simply not that important will help you free up your time, and minimize unnecessary stress. Getting the most stuff done isn’t always the best option. Getting the most important things done will improve your life and the world you live in the most. Manage your inbox, and pressing matters against your desire for increased social networking and inconsequential matters to balance your life.

Channel your laziness (now that’s an oxymoron!) to come up with ideas on how to simplify your life’s routine. Sometimes rationalization is just that: The most rational way of coming up with a solution.

3. Ruthlessness. A little ruthlessness, applied in the proper amount, in the proper context, can be a good thing as well. Sometimes you just need to be tenacious and direct in order to resolve an issue or take something to the next step.

Using Drew’s situation as an example again, his wife Mary shared with me that she was frustrated that the doctors didn’t seem to see the arc of Drew’s condition and treatments, so she assembled a spreadsheet and timeline of his treatment, vitals, and response. This data should have been easily available, but because there were three hospitals and numerous doctors involved, this was not the case. Her layman’s snapshot allowed the neurosurgeon to fine-tune his treatment procedure, addressing specific steps that had not yet been tried. Improvement was shown within a few days. Mary was ruthless in her message, and it appears to have worked.

Our Mothers taught us that selfishness, laziness, and ruthlessness was bad. But realize that selfishness can help you do good; laziness can help you balance your life; and being ruthless can help turn a bad situation around.

Its your call if you want to give her this message directly.

“It is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so.” --- William Shakespeare

Follow me on Twitter @FdSvsU

PS: Although Drew’s ETV procedure did not produce the miracle recovery we hoped for, he has shown improvement over the past week, and will shortly be transferred from Stanford back to the rehabilitation hospital where he can concentrate on regaining his physical faculties. Thank you for all the notes and calls of concern for Drew. I have passed them along to his wife to show to him as he recovers.

DREW

2010-01-20T09:11:52-05:00:00

This blog will step away from my usual sales/management/productivity focus to ask each of you to take one moment to say a little prayer (or just send good vibes) to my close friend Drew McMillen as he goes into surgery this morning for an ETV.

As background, please know that Drew is a young man of 47 with a lovely wife and a wonderful young family who five years ago suffered a stroke, striking him down and almost killing him…but only until he could struggle back over the past years thru intense rehabilitation to re-learn to talk, walk, and function normally. Before Thanksgiving of this year, the shunt inserted into the brain to regulate the ongoing pressure failed, causing an infection and an ultimate relapse of his physical functions. For two and a half months he has been in hospital and rehabilitation facilities as his neurosurgeon has struggled to stabilize his condition and solve the mystery as to why this happened, and how they can prevent it in the future.

Last week he was moved to Stanford Medical Center where their world-class neurosurgery staff can evaluate his condition and decide on a treatment. ETV stands for endoscopic third ventriculostomy, a procedure that will eliminate his need for shunts and will eliminate the ongoing chance for infection. The 50% success rate of this surgery is the reason I ask that you help by sending some “good karma” Drew’s way over the next few days.

In the event you do not know Drew, he is one of us: a foodservice professional. An MBA from the USC system, he is one of the sharpest and most creative marketing minds I have ever encountered, and had the privilege to work with at Multifoods Specialty Brands. Later, he spent several years as Director of Marketing for Anchor Foods during its incredible finger food explosion in the late 90’s. But in addition to being a terrific associate and active participant in the foodservice industry, Drew is my close friend, who never hesitated to help me when I needed it during a time of personal crisis. I count him as one of my best friends.

You may have noted that the TRMusings blog has not been published in its normal regularity for the past few weeks. One of the reasons for this temporary lapse was my trip out to the west coast to see Drew and spend time with him and his family at Stanford. Both he and his wife are in good spirits, and are anxious to try this specialized and fairly rare surgery in a last ditch effort to recover to a more normal life. It is encouraging and heart-warming to see how well they are both handling this latest setback in this nearly six year journey. They both fully realize that an ETV has only a one-in-two chance of full success, and are appropriately balanced in their enthusiasm. However, if there is a person --- or a family --- that deserves that success, it’s Drew McMillen.

Take a moment and focus the name Drew McMillen in your mind, and create some positive karma toward him during this most critical time in his life. If you pray, please say one for Drew.

Thanks.

“So by the grace of God, there go I.” --- unknown

Follow me on Twitter @FdSvsU

LEMONADE

2010-01-13T16:46:30-05:00:00

I’m travelling this week, and it’s a little hard to wrap my head around writing a blog. I'm more about "absorbing" than "squeezing." To fill in, please enjoy this recent post by one of my favorite social philosophers, Seth Godin.

The lesson from two lemonade stands

The first stand is run by two kids. They use Countrytime lemonade, paper cups and a bridge table. It's a decent lemonade stand, one in the long tradition of standard lemonade stands. It costs a dollar to buy a cup, which is a pretty good price, considering you get both the lemonade and the satisfaction of knowing you supported two kids.

The other stand is different. The lemonade is free, but there's a big tip jar. When you pull up, the owner of the stand beams as only a proud eleven year old girl can beam. She takes her time and reaches into a pail filled with ice and lemons. She pulls out a lemon. Slices it. Then she squeezes it with a clever little hand juicer.

The whole time that's she's squeezing, she's also talking to you, sharing her insights (and yes, her joy) about the power of lemonade to change your day. It's a beautiful day and she's in no real hurry. Lemonade doesn't hurry, she says. It gets made the right way or not at all. Then she urges you to take a bit less sugar, because it tastes better that way.

While you're talking, a dozen people who might have become customers drive on by because it appears to take too long. You don't mind, though, because you're engaged, almost entranced. A few people pull over and wait in line behind you.

Finally, once she's done, you put $5 in the jar, because your free lemonade was worth at least twice that. Well, maybe the lemonade itself was worth $3, but you'd happily pay again for the transaction. It touched you. In fact, it changed you.

Which entrepreneur do you think has a brighter future?

“Do not follow the road. Go where there is no road and leave a path.”

--- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Follow me on Twitter @FdSvsU

THE BLUE CHAIR MANUAL

2010-01-06T09:44:28-05:00:00

Did Santa bring everyone a nice big Blue Chair for Christmas? Have you tried it out? Don’t get too comfortable…there’s still lots to do!

In addition to the end-of-the-year Top 10 lists, retrospectives on the year’s events --- and the decade’s passing --- there are always commentaries and blogs that encourage us to “turn over a new leaf” and to “get organized.” If it were that easy, we’d do it on our own without prompting.

But one thing these motivational pleas provide us sometimes is a platform upon which to reflect and build on what we have already…and how we might improve upon it.

One of the blogs I read over the holidays that particularly resonated with me was by Chris Brogan, entrepreneur/blogger extraordinaire, who suggests that we might all be doing the right stuff, but perhaps not aggressively enough. To wit:

· Talk about the business benefits you can achieve with the tools. Stop talking about the tools.

· Teach about the systems and educate your clients. Stop talking about talking.

· Share everything. Stop holding on to your “big ideas” and make them into collaboration businesses.

We all fall into patterns (and bad habits) over time. We get so enamored with our products that we talk of how shiny and sleek they are, and how proud we are of them, and neglect to focus on what they can actually do for our customers. We talk about process and sometimes forget to talk about the results they can achieve. And we bottle up ideas, waiting for the perfect time to secretly develop them rather than sharing these ideas with our customers, encouraging them to use them to improve their business.

This is the essence of the Blue Chair philosophy. Wearing your customer’s hat…walking in their shoes…or sitting in their chair…can help us understand and crystallize our strategies for our customer’s benefit, rather than miring us in our own product features and our own brilliant processes.

So this year lets all keep that Blue Chair handy, and sit in it often; not only to test an idea or concept, but to reflect on our customer’s perspective of their challenges so that we can provide the solutions they need (and sometimes can’t even articulate).

Looking back over the last year (and decade), I suspect that we all could admit that we can improve upon this factor in our business planning and process.

So make twenty-ten a year (and decade) when your Blue Chair gets a real workout. And by the way…make sure it has your entire team’s butt-print on it. Multiple perspectives improve upon the Blue Chair’s powers.

Use it wisely, my friend.

“The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious.”

---Ted Levitt

Follow me on Twitter @FdSvsU

UNWRAP A BLUE CHAIR

2009-12-21T13:14:22-05:00:00

Dear Santa,

I haven’t written to you for years, so let me catch you up on what I have been doing. First, let me thank you for the great train set you brought me in 1953. It was just what I wanted and I had loads of fun with it for many years.

Since that time, I have been working in the foodservice industry. I’m sure you probably know what you need to know about my career, so I won’t bore you with the details. I was prompted to write to you today on behalf of my sales and marketing friends in the foodservice manufacturing channel. It’s been an interesting decade (and a more interesting last 15 months!) and a lot has changed in the way our customers learn about our brand and products. In the old days, we’d run a lot of ads in the trade magazines, and call on customers directly to provide them with product information and ideas. But lately, those tools and activities aren’t really open to us anymore. Everybody wants to use the internet and do their own research and decide for themselves.

That brings me to my specific request, Santa. It is apparent from a recent Technomic survey of visitors to foodservice manufacturer’s websites that we need some help. The survey said that manufacturer websites:

· Provide inadequate product information

o Incomplete nutritional information

o No ingredient listings

o No handling or prep instructions

o Lack value-added product information (such as recipes)

· Make information hard to find

o Poor navigation or confusing focus of site

o Product listings out of date

· Don’t provide very good assistance with

o Local contacts for additional information

o Lack of direct links to manufacturer sales reps or brokers

I’ve seen it myself, Santa. When I’ve visited potential client websites in doing my research, one of two things is apparent:

· The site is part of a larger corporate branding effort, and the foodservice division is buried away in a sea of corporate CPG messaging, or

· The site is superficial and stale, with virtually no useable product information to be found

There are some sites that do a great job, Santa. But alas, not many. So, Santa, I’d like to request that you do two things for my foodservice friends:

1. When they’re sitting on your lap to tell you THEIR list, lean down and whisper “You need a blue chair for Christmas”…and then…

2. No matter what they ask for, bring them one.

Tell them, Santa, that before they spend another nickel on marketing or sales promotions, to go sit in their blue chair and really think about how their customer might see (and use!) these things, and to try and really understand what their customer might need. And then to make sure they are delivering it.

You see, Santa, the blue chair is a kind of virtual metaphor for their customer’s perception to everything they do. The problem with ineffective websites is just an example of how far away from the real world many of us have strayed as we’ve grown up. We spend lots of money on snazzy websites that don’t provide useable information, and even more money on sales promotions that don’t help improve a product’s long term sales. And don’t even get me started on the pathetically weak field support many of my sales friends get nowadays. Some of us have lost our way, and don’t realize it. Bring us all a blue chair to help us get back on track, Santa.

Thanks for listening, my friend. Please pass my best regards to Mrs. Santa and to Rudolph and the rest of the gang. And here’s wishing you the best trip ever this year. Fly safely with all those blue chairs…

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

--- from the ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ poem

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