The Music of Mastery

Posted on by Scott

guitar

My son Alex and I recently started taking guitar lessons. We’ve made attempts at it in the past; but online videos, DVDs, and instruction manuals just didn’t do the trick. We’ve only had two or three lessons to this point and we’re both excited about our progress. Even though we’re just at the beginning of this journey, I’ve already made a few observations that I believe apply to mastering any new skill.

Getting started is the hardest part. The first time you pick up a guitar, it feels awkward. Everything is new. You really have to think about where your fingers should go – and it hurts. In the beginning, your finger tips are sensitive. They aren’t used to the pressure it takes to properly play the notes. But with time, your fingers develop calluses. With regular practice, the movements that felt so foreign start becoming second nature. The thing is though, you have to fight through that initial phase. Mastery is the result of practicing until new becomes normal.

Focus on mastering the fundamentals. There are hundreds of different chords, strumming patterns, and combinations of each that one can play on the guitar. Looking at the volume of techniques that are possible is overwhelming. But most popular songs can be played with four to seven basic chords. It makes sense then to spend time practicing these basics before moving on to more complex skills. Use the 80/20 rule to your advantage. Mastery is the result of perfecting a few key behaviors.

Personal instruction trumps going it alone. Alex and I struggled during our attempts to learn guitar on our own. He didn’t have the discipline to stick to a regular practice schedule and I wasn’t sure if I was using the right technique. Now that we attend lessons with a personal instructor, things are different. We have someone who suggests a course of action, models proper technique, and holds us accountable for sticking to the plan. Mastery is the result of partnership with someone invested in your success.

Mastering a new skill set can be intimidating, frustrating, and exhausting. It can also be very rewarding. I don’t expect to be playing Carnegie Hall any time soon; but that’s ok. Strumming with my son around a campfire is more my style anyway.

What new skill would you like to master?

Leading From the Back

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imageThis weekend I joined a group of Boy Scouts from Troop 157 for a mountain biking trip to beautiful Palo Duro Canyon. This is one of my favorite trips of the year and, thanks to all of the rain we’ve received in West Texas recently, the views were spectacular. I’ve also recently purchased a new bike and was eager to try it out on some of my favorite trails.

The group this year was small. It seems a perfect storm of robotics meets, band competitions, and other competing activities had culled out many of the troop’s more experienced riders. At 15, my son Alex was the oldest to set out on first morning ride. I found myself in charge of a young, mostly untested gang of riders.

So, as the leader, I took a position that would best help the group achieve a successful ride … I led from the back. That’s right, I let the scouts hit the trail and I followed behind them.

Many leaders assume their place is in the front – and there are often times when the one in charge has to be out front. But I find that in the majority of cases, teams work better when the leader lets the others go first. Here are some of the advantage to leading from the back.

  • Leading from the back allows others to experience leadership. I had Alex, as the most experienced rider, try his hand at being the lead rider. This gave him an opportunity to choose the trail and experience the thrills before anyone else. But it also gave him a taste of the responsibility leaders carry. He had to set a pace the group could match. He had to scout out obstacles and relay warnings to rest of the team. By taking a turn at the front, he got to grow his leadership skills.
  • Leading from the back allows you to coach the team. From the rear of our group, I was able to assess the skill level of each rider. This allowed me to make recommendations that improved their performance and helped them enjoy the ride. For some, it was changing the height of their seat post. For others, it was suggesting a different gear to use during an uphill climb. And for others, a little encouragement was needed to help them hop back on the bike after a fall. By leading form the back, I was able to observe, coach, and motivate – things I couldn’t have done from the front.
  • Leading from the back allows you to enjoy the team’s success. As the last rider in the pack, I got to witness a variety of achievements. Alex set a new personal best time to the end of the Lighthouse trail. Another scout, who’d failed to finish the ride last year, made it all the way to the end this time, grinning ear-to-ear at his improvement. And all along the trail, I was able to witness small victories – incredible moments I would have missed had I been the lead rider. Seeing the members of the team succeed felt better than finishing the trip myself.

Leading is a responsibility, not a privilege. By taking on the mantle of leadership, you agree to take on the challenge of developing the skills and abilities of others. You put your desire for personal gain to the side in order to achieve something greater for the team. It may seem counterintuitive, but a successful leader is always the one who puts others first. The man in front may get the best look at the scenery, but for a leader, the view from the back can’t be beat.

Crashing Forward: How to Find Your Cloud’s Silver Lining

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Hugh William Bell Cairns by Sidney SmithA few weeks ago, I shared a quote from T.E. Lawrence. He was famous for his world travels as an archeologist and a member of the British Army. He wrote extensively about his adventures, particularly his involvement in the Arab Revolt. After returning home from the Middle East, he delivered hundreds of lectures, sharing pictures and stories. This brought him fame and the nickname “Lawrence of Arabia.”

Two months after leaving military service for good, Lawrence was riding his motorcycle and had an accident. Cresting a hill, he suddenly came upon two boys in the road and swerved to miss them. He lost control and flew over the handlebars, hitting his head. He fell into a coma and died six days later on May 19, 1935.

But this story isn’t about T.E. Lawrence; it’s about Hugh Cairns.

Cairns worked as a neurosurgeon at the London Hospital. In fact, he was a key advocate of neurosurgery as a medical specialty and focused on head injuries during the Second World War. When Lawrence’s accident occurred, Cairns was one of the men called in to treat him.

The event had a significant impact on Cairns. After Lawrence died, he began an intensive study of head injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents. Military communications were often delivered via motorcycle couriers. The British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force all used these “despatch riders” regularly as radio communication technology was still in its infancy. With so many riders on the road, accidents were inevitable; and head injuries were extremely common.

Given the serious nature of head injuries, Cairns knew they had to be treated quickly. But soldiers in the field had to be evacuated to receive the specialized care they required in established hospitals. So the doctor created eight mobile neurosurgical units and sent them to North Africa, Italy, India, and other frontline locations throughout Europe. His teams treated over 20,000 patients and changed the face of field medicine.

Cairns further determined that the best way to reduce the potential for head injuries as a result of motorcycle accidents was to push for the use of crash helmets. He put together a rudimentary design and petitioned the British armed forces to adopt them. The helmets had an immediate impact, drastically reducing the percentage of fatalities. The introduction of helmets has saved the lives of countless motorcyclists since.

They say every cloud has a silver lining; but it all depends on who’s looking at the cloud. Tragedy affects people in different ways. Some turn inward, focusing on the frustration, anger, or other negative emotions. Others though, quickly move beyond the negativity, choosing to focus on moving forward. They turn the negative energy resulting from failure or loss into a force for change. They choose to harness their emotions and channel them into a better future.

Hugh Cairns chose to use the death of T.E. Lawrence as motivation to change the fate of motorcycle riders. He chose to make a difference and create a silver lining. Today, people who have no idea he ever existed continue to benefit from his decision.

Some of the biggest disappointments we face may be opportunities in disguise. All it takes to reveal them is the right attitude. Here are three steps you can take to take something negative and create something positive.

  1. Determine what went wrong. This first step seems obvious, but most organizations approach it the wrong way. They focus on assigning blame – who was at fault. The key is to identify the steps, specific decisions and actions, that led to the issue. Only by understanding the contributing factors can you properly address step two.
  2. Decide on a solution. There are really two aspects to this step. The first involves rectifying the immediate issue. The second requires you to look at additional measures that can be taken to minimize contributing factors. For Cairns, the immediate problem was the amount of time it took to transport patients from the field to the hospital. He addressed this by providing in-field care for head injuries. But he further attacked the problem by developing a solution for a contributing factor – the unprotected heads of motorcycle riders.
  3. Involve the key stakeholders. Designing headgear was not within Cairns’ realm of expertise. Furthermore, he knew that he couldn’t achieve wide-spread adoption of motorcycle helmets on his own. So he took his rudimentary, proof-of-concept model to the military – the largest group of stakeholders he could find. The top brass had a significant interest in protecting their personnel. It was through their involvement that the helmets were refined, tested, and ultimately produced.

Bad things are going to happen. People, systems, and products will fail. Effective leaders recognize this and use tragic circumstances as catalysts to learn and create a better future.

“It is not what you look at that matters; it is what you see.” Henry David Thoreau

What it Takes to Win

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Tour de FranceHenri had a problem.

Sales of L’Auto, his daily newspaper devoted to sports, were slow. He’d started the paper in 1900 to compete with France’s largest sports paper, Le Vélo. But after almost three years, circulation hovered around 25,000, far lowered than desired. Henri wanted to not only compete with his rival, but dominate them. So he called an emergency meeting of the paper’s staff. They needed an idea – something big that would cement their legacy as the country’s premier sports authority.

The answer, suggested by a young writer focused on rugby and cycling, was a race. The paper would sponsor a six day, multi-stage bicycle race around France; creating an event grander than anything seen before. The proposal was quickly adopted. As plans for the race progressed, it grew to 19 days. Six just wasn’t enough to attract the kind of attention L’Auto needed. Unfortunately though, this put the race at out of the reach of many would-be participants. By the time it started on July 1, 1903, there were less than 100 registered racers.

However, while the field of competitors was small, the race attracted hoards of avid cycling fans. L’Auto’s circulation immediately jumped to over 65,000. The race became an annual event and circulation continued to grow. By 1923 over 500,000 copies were being sold each day. As luck would have it, the paper was eventually shut down in 1946, having been associated with Nazi influences during the Second World War.

But the race continued.

Today, the Tour de France consists of 21 day-long segments covering approximately 2,200 miles over 23 days. It is generally considered the most prestigious multi-stage bicycle race despite the grueling schedule (there are only two scheduled rest days). While the route changes each year, participants are guaranteed to encounter steep uphill climbs, unpredictable weather and a variety of road hazards. Every day, veterans and rookies compete to be the first overcome the physical demands of the race and don the yellow jersey (a nod to the yellow paper L’Auto was printed on).

Winning the Tour de France is complicated. It’s more like a game of chess than a race. In addition to physical performance and high tech gear, it involves strategy, teamwork and a great deal of patience. There are times when you give it your all and times when you sit back and let others lead. It involves sacrifice for the sake of the team and a steady stream of communication between teammates and even other riders.

In many ways, winning the Tour de France is like winning in business. There are periods of preparation and planning followed by periods of intense activity. There are times when the best strategy is to lay low and times when those who want to win leave everything they have on the road in pursuit of the goal.

Winning is hard. It isn’t for the weak of mind or spirit. It isn’t for those who take the easy way out. Winning is for those who are willing to sacrifice in order to stand on the podium. That’s why so few ever do.

What does it take to win your particular race?

 

Doctor’s Orders

Posted on by Scott

Andrew ScrubsI recently read that 80% of U.S. adults do not meet federal recommendations for aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening exercise. In other words, they’re out of shape. Sadly, I’m one of them.

Now, before you get the wrong idea; I’m not a total couch potato. I spend a lot of time outdoors through my involvement with the Boy Scouts. In fact, my son Alex and I are about to leave town for a two week backpacking trip in the mountains of northern New Mexico. But unfortunately, I don’t get out as often as I’d like (or need) to. And the closest I get to regular aerobic exercise is watching “The Biggest Loser” with a bowl of ice cream in my lap.

I’m not happy with the way I look or feel – haven’t been in a long time. Just like most of the other people making up the 80% in the opening statistic, I know what to do. I’ve just lacked the motivation to do anything about it. Sometimes I ask myself “What will it take for me to change? Perhaps if a doctor were to deliver some bad news, it would inspire me to get serious.” Well last month I got my wish.

One minute, I was conducting a webinar. The next, I was doubled over in pain. It got worse and worse until I finally went to the local walk-in clinic. After a number of tests and a trip to the emergency room for a CT scan, I was diagnosed with kidney stones. I was treated with intravenous fluids and pain medication. If you know anything about kidney stones, you know they’re not life-threatening, but cause a great deal of pain. Furthermore, they can be symptomatic of larger health problems.

My doctor shared that I was at risk for additional kidney stones and suggested I make some changes in my diet and level of activity. Nothing he suggested was new to me. But thanks to the pain I’d just gone through, I committed myself to acting differently going forward. I’ve been drinking more water, watching what I eat and moving more – not rocket science; just simple actions I’ve known about all along.

Sometimes we have to receive some bad news before we make even the most simple changes. Operational tweaks, management priorities, even basic acts of customer service – they’re all easy to ignore, overlook or put off. But in the face of negative feedback, the basics take on a renewed sense of importance.

Earlier this year, I helped an organization develop a set of Customer Experience Standards. The standards outline basic expectations regarding how customers and coworkers are to be treated. Nothing included is revolutionary. In fact, most of the document is common sense – many employees even complained about the simplistic nature of the contents. As a result, some chose to ignore them or assumed they were covered.

About a month ago, they introduced a customer feedback survey and the results began pouring in. As you can imagine, some of the feedback was negative. Time will tell if the pain of negative feedback is enough to finally motivate them to action.

How do you react to bad news?

Flip or Flop?

Posted on by Scott

ihighju001p1Richard had two bad feet, a bad back, and a dream of being a star track & field athlete. His chosen sport was the high-jump; but he struggled to clear the minimum distance – five feet- required to make the high school track team. No amount of coaching or practice seemed to help. The proven techniques utilized by his teammates and world-class competitors didn’t work for him. He just couldn’t get himself over the bar.

So Richard began to experiment. Over several months he altered each aspect of his performance. He started by adjusting his approach. While every other athlete ran straight at the bar, he began to run at a diagonal. This gave him more speed in the final few steps.

He changed his takeoff, starting further and further from the bar. He worked at it until he found the launching point that would position him over the bar at the highest point of the jump. As the height increased, he found he needed more room to achieve apogee.

Traditional jumpers utilized a scissor kick to clear the bar, stretching out one leg and then the other before landing on their stomach. Richard started twisting his body in the air so that he cleared the bar headfirst and landed on his back. This allowed him to arch his back and kick his legs up simultaneously, creating precious space between himself and the bar.

Richard’s track coaches were worried. The methods he was using were unheard of. They feared his deviation from standard procedures would damage his ability to compete and possible lead to serious injury. But during his junior year he broke the high school record. Suddenly the critics became supporters.

After winning a series of competitions in college, Richard Douglas “Dick” Fosbury began to catch the eye of the press. They dubbed his technique the “Fosbury Flop.” During the 1968 Olympics, he won the gold medal by clearing 7 ft. 4.25 in., setting a new Olympic record in the process. Today, the flop is the most popular high-jump technique in use.

Its easy to get stuck in a rut. People do it and so do organizations. We get used to doing things a certain way and rarely question why. Most people fail to realize that greatness lies just a few tweaks away from the norm. Innovation is rarely about huge, radical changes; although even small change is typically met with strong resistance.

Innovation is a critical aspect of any thriving business. If you aren’t constantly looking for ways to improve, you’re doomed to stagnate. Those who are willing to change thrive – they can even flip an industry upside down. Those who aren’t fall into obsolescence – they flop. And anyone can be a catalyst for change.

Could your business benefit from a little innovation? Could your performance use some tweaking? What small change would make a huge difference in your success?

The Topic Managers Hate to Talk About

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imageThis week I’m in Austin meeting with a group of managers about a new training series I’ve developed for them and their employees. The goal of the series is to introduce some basic sales and service skills to an organization that has historically been very operationally-focused. Eleven frontline managers have agreed to participate in the pilot program and provide feedback on the material before rolling it out to the rest of the company.

Yesterday, we spent the day talking about performance management and the role of the manager in the development of an employee’s skill set. It was very fulfilling to see a group of people get excited about playing an active role in the growth of their team members. Everyone was engaged and the discussion was lively.

About half-way through the workshop though, the atmosphere in the room changed dramatically. A room full of enthusiastic, talkative people suddenly went silent; and it was my fault. I killed the mood by uttering a single word – “accountability.”

We’d started the day by talking about the unique role a person’s manager plays in their development. We spent a good deal of time talking about strategic planning, goal-setting and performance assessments against identified skills and behaviors. And then, after walking through a process for creating individual development plans, I said “it’s time to talk about accountability.”

Admittedly, I wasn’t surprised by the reluctance to discuss this topic. Accountability is a problem for most organizations. That’s because they feel like accountability is a negative thing. But the truth is, most employees feel better when an environment of accountability exists. It allows everyone to play by the same set of rules. It removes feelings of animosity and resentment that result from people being treated differently.

Managers dislike accountability because they equate it with confrontation. However, in the right context, accountability isn’t confrontational or even difficult. It occurs naturally.

I define accountability as the application of truth and consequences. When a manager commits to being honest with an employee about their behavior and applying natural consequences as a result of that behavior, accountability exists. Issues arise when the manager ignores the truth and/or fails to apply the appropriate consequence.

Consequences can be either positive or negative. Praise, for instance, is a positive consequence. Counseling and redirection are negative consequences.

We naturally move toward things that cause us positive feelings and away from those that cause negative ones. What happens when you praise someone for a job well done? They seek to recreate the positive feeling they received as a result of the praise and repeat the behavior. When you counsel someone regarding behavior contrary to what is desired, they feel uncomfortable and seek to avoid a repeat of the negative consequence.

So what happens when you fail to hold someone accountable for undesirable behavior? You get more of it. That’s because behavior that may be undesirable to you or the organization may be desirable to the employee. Inactivity, procrastination and producing sloppy work are undesirable behaviors, but they may be more desirable to the employee than the effort required to perform to expectations. In the absence of accountability – an honest appraisal coupled with an appropriate consequence – they seek to repeat the preferred behavior. So you get a repeated less-than-stellar results.

Anytime a manager tells me about a problem employee they have, one of the first things I tell them is “You will receive an abundance of what you praise or tolerate. You have to hold them accountable for their actions.” The keys to establishing a culture of accountability are as follows:

1. As soon as possible following the observed behavior, provide an honest assessment to the employee. Tell them want you observed and what was good or bad about it.

2. Apply an appropriate consequence. Praise/reward them for positive behavior. Correct/discipline them for undesirable behavior.

3. Make sure they walk away with an understanding of your expectation and support for continued (if desirable) or altered (if undesirable) behavior.

During yesterday’s workshop, I walked the managers through some simple ways to begin building a culture of accountability. As they became more comfortable with the idea of positive consequences as a balance to the negative aspect of accountability, the energy returned to the room. Pretty soon, we had segued into a discussion of recognition and incentives – two components of performance management that work best when a foundation of accountability exists.

As difficult as it is to discuss the topic of accountability, The hard part still lies ahead. They still have to follow through, but I’m looking forward to seeing what changes begin to take place as these leaders begin to address this important aspect of their role. Of course, I’ll be checking back in with them from time to time, just to hold them accountable.

The Power of Positive Feedback

Posted on by Scott

This morning my phone rang on the way in to the office. It was my wife. Her first words made my heart sink. “I just got a call from Abby’s Principal.” Instantly I assumed the worst – either my daughter is hurt or in trouble. Parents rarely get good news from the school principal.

But it was good news. A new student had transferred in and Abby had taken it upon herself to befriend her and make her feel welcome – showing her around and introducing her to a circle of friends. The new student’s first few days of school, understandably full of anxiety, had been made wonderful. The parents couldn’t say enough about how grateful they were and the principal wanted us to know.

Obviously I’m proud. As I hung up the phone, I pictured the scene that will likely take place as my wife tells Abby what her principal had to say. I can already see the smile on her face and the pep in her step that she always gets when she receives a pat on the back. And her behavior, which isn’t bad to begin with, will ratchet up a few notches for several days.

Come to think of it, we’re all like Abby. We all like to hear good news, especially when it’s about us. Receiving positive feedback for something you’ve done can turn an average afternoon into a great one. I know that a single positive word regarding one of my projects can significantly affect my mood long after the event has passed.

From a leadership perspective, I’ve noticed three key benefits from the positive feedback I give to members of my team.

1. Morale improves. Something magical happens to a person’s attitude when you pay them a compliment. It’s amazing how many times I’ve given someone a bit of positive feedback only to have them say “Wow. You just made my day.” For some reason, our human tendency is to focus on the negative aspects of work. Telling someone “thank you” followed by a sincere explanation of your gratitude, is often enough to break the cycle of negative thought.

I believe that most people genuinely want to produce good work. The problem is, they never get any feedback to indicate their work is, indeed, good. They hear about what’s wrong, missing or late. As a result, the average employee focuses on staying out of trouble (a negative outlook) rather than on producing good (or even great) work.

2. People reciprocate. Any time I give my daughter some positive feedback, I get some in return. If I thank her for cleaning her room and brag about how great it looks, she thanks me for helping her with her homework. In addition, I’ve noticed that positive feedback I give to one of my children results in positive feedback they give to someone else. So not only do I get to enjoy the boost from reciprocal back-patting, the rest of the family does too.

This phenomenon also plays out at the office. Recognizing one team member’s contribution to a project almost always results in their recognition of someone else’s effort. From the outside it must look like a mini love-fest with everyone thanking and congratulating each other on a job well done. But the psychological impact of just a little positive reinforcement is often enough to lift the whole team. It’s like a wildfire – light a match and pretty soon the place is burning with pride.

3. Team productivity goes up. Long ago I realized the potential of positive feedback to produce better work from an individual. Recognize someone’s effort toward a successful project ”A” and watch how much better project “B” turns out. It’s like a little productivity switch gets pushed into overdrive. I’ve even noticed this effect on my own psyche. When someone says “thank you” it makes me feel great. And it makes me want to work harder in order to get more of that great feeling.

You’ve probably heard that praise should be given in public while corrective actions should always be done privately. One of the reasons behind this is because the feelings underlying your feedback (positive or negative) get transmitted to everyone around – not just the person receiving the feedback. So people who witness a coworker receiving kudos for their efforts instinctively begin to act in ways they perceive will result in getting their share of the praise.

For years I’ve said “You will receive an abundance of what you praise or tolerate.” I honestly believe positive feedback is one of the most powerful tools at a leader’s disposal. Unfortunately, positive feedback is difficult for most people. Like most skills, you have to work at it in order to get good at it. Thankfully, the reward is well worth the effort.

I’ll bet you can think of someone in your organization that could use some positive feedback. Imagine the good that you’ll receive when you stop reading this article and go deliver it. In fact, why don’t you go do it right now?

The Magic of Experience

Posted on by Scott

In 1966 Walt Disney quietly began buying up swampland in central Florida. Today, millions of people every year travel from all over the world to visit that swampland – and they pay a premium to do it. Ask your kids where they want to go on vacation and odds are Disney World makes the short list.

Disney World doesn’t have the most thrilling rides. It doesn’t have the tastiest food. It doesn’t have the most convenient location. And it sure doesn’t have the lowest price tag. So why is it that 70% of the guests in the park at any given time are repeat visitors? Why is the average family willing to save for two and a half years to make the trip?

Walt Disney knew that in order to build the best theme park, he couldn’t compete the same way the other guys do. He knew that if he built a great new ride, someone else would just build a better one. If he lowered his price, the competition would simply lower theirs to stay on the game. Disney knew that these strategies were expensive and ineffective.

Disney knew that the only way to win was to provide an experience unlike any other park – an experience so engaging it could only be described as “magical.” And so Disney World remains the ultimate example of customer experience. Their culture revolves around this goal. Let,me give you a couple of examples:

– Disney cast members never say “I” or “they.” They always refer to “we” because the team as a whole is responsible for the customer’s experience.

– Street sweepers receive a minimum of 2 weeks training – not to learn how to use a broom,mbut to learn about the park – where an attractions located, the start time of the parade, etc. – so they can quickly answer a guest’s question.

– High traffic areas are painted every night, with painting timed carefully to dry by morning, so they remain clean and fresh for every guest.

– Everyone’s job description, regardless of position, includes the same two items at the top of the list:

1. Keep the property clean.
2. Create happiness.

Disney challenged his employees to examine every aspect of the customer experience and do what they could to make it better. He knew that it would take the entire team, working together, to make the “Magic Kingdom” a reality.

Now consider your last customer’s experience. Was it “magical” or forgettable?

How can your team work together to create a better experience for your customers?

And what can you do differently as an individual to create some magic for those you serve?

The Art of Simplicity

Posted on by Scott

You’ve probably heard of the old adage “Keep It Simple Stupid.” Commonly known as the KISS principle, this timeless piece of advice suggests that, in most cases, the simplest solution is the best. When you think about it, this makes sense. The more complicated an idea is – the more moving parts it has – the more likely something will go wrong.

This is a concept most commonly voiced in engineering and manufacturing circles. Machines with more moving parts have more potential points of failure. Software loaded with bells and whistles often has more bugs in it than code focused on a few core features. As a result, we constantly have to juggle patches and updates to shore up the short-comings inherent in complicated products and processes.

I believe the idea of simplicity has a lot of relevance in the world of organizational management as well. As leaders, it’s very easy to over-complicate things for those looking to us for direction.

In my experience, leaders tend to fail when they try to achieve too much at one time. You’ll be far more effective when you break complex ideas into simple, easy-to-digest parts.

If you want to communicate effectively, keep the message simple.

If you want employees to learn, keep instructions simple.

If you want your team to perform, keep goals simple.

If you want customers to respond, keep the value proposition simple.

I’m a talker by nature and by trade. I often have a great deal of information to share, and could probably write a book about any given subject when all that’s needed is a couple of short sentences. I’ve found that I’m much more effective as a speaker, leader, and consultant when I keep things simple.

In fact, I’m having to resist writing too much right now on the subject of simplicity. So I’ll sum things up with a few simple questions.

What part of your business could use simplifying?

How can you simplify things for your employees or your customers?

And what steps will you take today to incorporate the KISS principle into your day-to-day activities?