Be Different or be dead

April 20, 2020

Why being second is absolutely the wrong position to have

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Why being second is absolutely the wrong position to have.

Seriously, think about it.

When you’re second, you’re staring at a backside; I’ve never found it a pleasant view particularly when you consider what the unobstructed view looks like.
Without the backside staring you in the face you’re looking at wide open spaces, a landscape void of other humans; nothing but untampered dimensionless opportunity.

The backside placed before you is not only an obstruction, it’s the tissue that stands between you and your maximum potential.

I believe we should be encouraged to avoid the backside view, to go for the position that has an expansive view with no backsides in sight.

But the narrative out there today is exactly the opposite: “It’s not winning that’s important, it’s playing the game.” and “I don’t care if little Roy wins the game as long as he is having fun.” is the normal commentary that pervades the conversation when it comes to the notion of winning.

Some schools on sports day don’t want to hand out winning ribbons because it highlights the winners and says nothing about participation. “Everybody should get a ribbon” essentially communicates that you should be rewarded for just showing up.
What a shock when kids in these schools grow up and have to fight for a career among hungry competitors.

And some schools don’t hand out letter grades; rather they introduce a system that recognizes effort and not the result. So, if you put in a ton of effort you might get an “exceeding” rating; if you didn’t try that hard you may get an “improvement needed” one.
Trying is important but the ultimate measure of how effective one is at trying are the results that are delivered.

The fact is, that in the real adult world, where you stand in relation to others matters; it separates you from the other participants.
“I achieved a first class mark in economics” is more important to your life than “I tried hard and enjoyed the subject content.” Like it or not, that’s the way it is.

A job candidate would last about 30 seconds in front of me after uttering such nonsense. What I want to know is what they achieved, scholastically and organizationally not that they “tried real hard”.

Anytime I have been sucked into believing that coming second was ok it was rationalization behaviour at best

It was an attempt to make myself believe that looking at someone’s backside was acceptable.

The problem is that when I find myself accepting a posterior perspective there are some seriously destructive forces at play that can cause personal damage.

Motivation — My motivation to drive forward stops.

Why should I push myself to try and show my backside to the leader of “the race”? And as a result of this logic, I take my foot off the gas because I don’t believe there will be any consequences.

But there ARE consequences. I may not overtake the backside I’m staring at but at least I’m motivated to try which is completely different than accepting the inevitability of being second or third or fourth and being ok with it.

Survival and success in the world requires highly motivated individuals who will do whatever it takes to avoid a backside view.

Creativity — My creativity takes a rest.

Highly motivated people tap into their creative spirit naturally as their heart beats. If I’m driven to see the backside in my rear view mirror, I MUST solve the problem I’m looking at. I MUST look for an opportunity to get by it.

But if I’m ok with second position, I stop looking for a solution; I don’t need to be creative in the moment and I stop my creative juices from flowing.

Success demands creativity; the backside view stultifies it.

Competition — My competitors have an advantage.

Hungry competitors are always looking for an edge, and if they see that I’m complacent and have no motivation to seek the number one position they will gladly step in and achieve it themselves.
It’s a zero sum game to them and it’s the easiest way for them to gain an advantage: whatever I give up, they take. Simple.

So while I suffer this ideological disease, they pump up the volume to put yet another backside in my forward view. Winners NEVER let their competition have an advantage because they pay for it in the long run.

A second best attitude let’s them in when I should be shutting them out.

Rationalization — I’m fooling myself.

I believe I’ve accomplished something when I haven’t, even though people around me say “Well done!” “Good job!”.
A false sense of accomplishment is what it is when I see a backside and feel pleased with my performance. I guess it’s better than seeing 2 backsides buts never as good as seeing none at all. None = brilliant and that’s THE target I’m after.

The reality is that a backside view means I’m not going to grab the brass ring.
The only salvation from a backside view is if I learn something from the experience and never see a backside again.

So if my backside learnings catapult me into an open field in my next competition then second works as an interim step to my final goal.

Teaching — I’m failing my job as a role model to others I care about.

I see myself as a teacher, and being ok with a backside view contaminates my perspective which in turn is manifested in the lessons I teach.
What I want to help people with is how to win, how to be remarkable and how to transform their reality into amazing things.

How can I do that when I am happy with seeing back pockets? I don’t think I can.

So for better or for worse I need to aspire to an open field at my feet if I am to be able to help my closest people be the best they can be.

Don’t get sucked in to the playing the game is what’s really important narrative. It’s not the real world and it robs you of the very essentials it takes to achieve rewards in your life and your career.

Don’t look at the backside.

Pass it by…

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 4.20.20 at 05:12 am by Roy Osing
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April 13, 2020

How COVID-19 can actually help a small business do better

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How COVID-19 can actually help a small business do better.

I know you’re struggling to keep the lights on, pay your employees and just keep your head above water in these insane times.

And I wish you all the very best of luck and that each and everyone of you come out at the end of this deadly tunnel safe and still able to provide the services that we all need in our communities.

So what can you do now that the pause button has been pushed? How can you make the very best of a bad situation and prepare yourself when times get better (and they will)?

Unlike most of a small business leader’s life, you just may have some time available to work ON your business instead of constantly working IN your business 24X7.

You rarely have had the opportunity to look forward to making sure you’re on a path that will increase the likelihood of success because day-in and day-out you’re focusing on what you need to do TODAY to make ends meet.

Here are 5 things you might want to do with your new found bandwidth.

1. Work on the game plan for your business

Whenever I’ve asked a small business owner to work on their business strategy, I get “I don’t have time for that stuff. I’m too busy.”
Well guess what? Now you have the time even though you might not think your business future is great.

Issues to consider in your strategic game plan review:

▪️Reset your growth goals. COVID has destroyed every small business revenue plan so it’s time to reset it. Develop a new 36-month revenue plan with a startup mentality. Think about your challenge as starting over again, because that’s what you’re doing.

▪️Question whether your customer base is still appropriate. After COVID, people will have changed — your previous customers included — and their buying habits have probably changed as well.
You may decide to try and attract different customers than the ones you had prior to the pandemic.

▪️Reassess your competitive approach. Post-COVID, if you choose different customers to attract, you will probably have new competitors to contend with so you’ll probably need a new strategy to beat them.

2. Learn more about new technologies

COVID rules to respect social distancing requires enabling technology, and there are many that have risen in popularity, some old and some new.

FaceTime, Skype have seen a resurgence in use and newer portals such as Houseparty and ZOOM have risen in popularity.
Take the COVID break to learn about communications technology and how it can be used to engage with your customers, suppliers and partners.
The application of technology has the potential to build your competitive strength so use this time to learn as much as you can about the options available.

3. Research new potential suppliers

Again, when you consider going after different customers, you might have to consider modifying your products and services which, in turn, might require new sourcing.
Or even if you decide to stay with your current portfolio of customers and service offerings, you should probably take the time to see if new suppliers might give you a better deal than your present ones.

Better margins should always be in your crosshairs so now you have a window to explore your options.
Take it.

4. Scout out some potential new employees

My view has always been that leaders need to be constantly on the lookout for new talent, and for small business it’s always a challenge to find the right people.

So take the “gift” COVID has given you and get out there and hunt. Hunt for great service people who will carry you reincarnated business to new levels and hunt for others who according to your revitalized game plan are critical to your success.
Get proactive and don’t wait for people to come to you. And poach them from other businesses if you have to.

5. Talk to your customers

Many news video clips these days show customers walking up to a small business establishment, trying to open the door and looking inside with yearning looks on their faces.
Why not take some of your time available and stand outside your closed door and (at the correct social distance away from them of course) talk to people who just might ask you something about your business?

It’s a hell of a way to not only establish a personal connection with people who are already leaning in to you, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to learn something from them that might be of value when you open back up.
Oh, and don’t forget they are very likely to tell their friends and family how AMAZED they were to see you there in these times.

Every business needs referrals; this is a natural and powerful way to get them.

COVID-forced downtime wasn’t in your plan and it’s creating havoc for you, your employees and your customers.

But there might be some benefits if you look for them.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 4.13.20 at 06:22 am by Roy Osing
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April 6, 2020

Why do great leaders come out in a crisis like COVID?

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Why do great leaders come out in a crisis like COVID?

The current COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that there are two categories of leaders in the organizational world: those who strut their their academic credentials to the world and who pride themselves on understanding business and leadership theory, and then there are those who have the credentials and theory as a base, but who focus on achieving results by harnessing the purpose and emotion in people.

The ones who think

Intellectual leaders believe that if their solution is based on sound business theory it will be successfully implemented in the field.
And the actions they take to arrive at a solution tend to be analytical in nature: defining potential alternatives, assessing each one of them within a predetermined criteria, and selecting the one that best satisfies the stated objectives and intended outcomes.

Intellectual leaders generally take considerable time in coming up with a solution; the process of pondering, exploration, analysis and decision-making can take copious amounts of time as the leader wants desperately to come up with the “perfect” solution and avoid making a mistake.
Their infatuation with using the tools of analysis chews up so much time that implementation occurs several days/weeks/months after the need for a solution showed itself.

The ones who feel

Emotional leaders salute accepted business principles but place primary importance on how a solution fits the emotional needs of the people who are impacted by it.
Their priority is to find a solution that is “just about right” in terms of applying good business principles, and bear down on the one that appeals to how people feel about it and how the solution will make their job and personal life better today.

Emotional leaders recognize that people are mildly interested in the long term impacts a solution has on the organization but are passionately concerned about how a solution affects the organization and employees TODAY.

The need for immediacy is what enables the emotional leader to rise above their intellectual colleagues and achieve greatness.

Emotional leaders thrive in a moment of crisis.

Crisis circumstances separate the boilerplate leader from the great one for these reasons:

Weekly plans

▪️a crisis forces the leader to think about what action is required over the next 24 hours and upcoming weeks not what’s needed over a longer term planning horizon.

“What needs to be done in the next 14 days?” dominates the conversation, not what should be done to maximize profits over the next three years.
They recognize that if the short term isn’t successfully dealt with, the long term never “shows up”.
24-hour planning forces this leader into action and out of the traditional planning mindset.

Reaction

▪️a crisis forces the leader into a responsive mode; they simply don’t have the luxury of time to carefully plan out what they should do in the face of the unforeseen events.
In a crisis, traditional leadership training is really not helpful except to evaluate the potential actions one could take in the moment.

It’s ironic, really, that more often than not great leadership is defined by the leader’s ability to develop a strategy for their organization as opposed to how well they are able to react to unpredicted body blowssuffered and yet it’s the latter competence that separates the mediocre from the great ones.

People focus

▪️a crisis forces the leader to consider what individuals must have to survive; the needs of the organization are temporarily put on hold.
The leader places each and every individual employee in their organization as the focus of their attention and energy; they under that the broader requirements to grow shareholder value will come once the crisis is successfully dealt with — if the crisis isn’t survived, the longer term is an irrelevant consideration.

Risk taking

▪️a crisis forces the leader to make decisions without having complete information. Making a call that meets the needs of individuals today may in fact have long term negative consequences for shareholders, for example.
Continuing to pay employees while your business is shut down for COVID 19 will reduce profitability for the firm, yet that’s what a great leader does.

Frontline focus

▪️a crisis forces the leader to take care of frontline people; those amazing folks who actually serve the critical needs of others who are threatened by the crisis — hospital workers, first responders, service representatives and delivery drivers.
Getting products and services to the people who need them is the leader’s priority and finding ways to make the frontline job easier in the moment takes all the leader’s energy.
Great leaders do this normally but a crisis brings this action element into focus.

A crisis forces the leader to ACT. NOW. FOR PEOPLE.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 4.6.20 at 04:31 am by Roy Osing
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March 30, 2020

Be a good copycat by making these 2 practical moves

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Be a good copycat by making these 2 practical moves.

Benchmarking others can be a good thing when you’re trying to be more productive.

For my regular reader, you’re undoubtedly sick over my relentless chant about the folly of copying others; following in someone else’s footsteps with the hopes that you will reap untold benefits.

Copying to gain a strategic advantage is NOT ok

I’ve said repeatedly that copying best in class is for the weak and lazy; that it’s an easy disguise for innovation and that as long as you’re in the hunt to benchmark someone else you give yourself permission not to be creative and innovate.

Copying is the antithesis of strategic innovation. Period.

I guess it’s due to my current state of chronological impairment, that I now offer somewhat of a contrarian view to my previous thesis. It doesn’t supplant my anti-copying rants, however, it merely defines an exception to the rule.

Copying to improve operations efficiency IS ok

The exception is: copying for operations improvements is ok as long as you realize they are not contributing to a strategic advantage in any way whatsoever

This is a critical piece of thinking. If you are looking for efficiency gains than go ahead and find a best practices organization that has top notch returns from their processes and copy them.

But don’t for a moment think you’re going to improve your competitive position because that’s not on.

How can you gain any advantage strategically by doing what someone else does? You can’t, regardless of what anyone says.

But you can improve your operating margins within the strategy you have, and that’s a good thing. A ho-hum strategy with improved margins is better than one with skinny ones (but don’t kid yourself, you’re only putting off the inevitable if you’re not the ONLY ones that do what you do).

These 2 practical moves will allow you to use the copycat strategy the RIGHT way:

1. Create a business plan that sets you apart — First, develop a strategic game plan that will separate you from the herd of competitors you face and make you unmatchable in the markets you serve;

2. Efficiently execute the plan — Second, adopt as many best practices you can that will enable you to execute your business plan with maximum efficiency.

Success is a healthy blend of strategic wisdom + operating efficiency that yields a higher level of performance than your peers.

If you are a copycat to try and dominate your competition, DON’T.

But if you apply copycat methods to HOW you get the strategic job done, DO.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 3.30.20 at 07:02 am by Roy Osing
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