Industry Displacement

So, it’s that time of year again – back to school! I am starting on a journey at the wonderful Degroote School of Business taking the MBA Coop Program. I have to be honest, I am so excited. I was able to pick up a second year class called Strategic Knowledge Management and the instructor is none other then Dr. Nick Bontis. This is going to be awesome!

Check out a few words on Industry Displacement.

A $1540 MBA

A few years ago a friend sent me a document titled The Personal MBA. Cleaning up my computer I came across the document and started surfing.

The Personal MBA is a way of mastering business without business school. The concept of the PMBA outlines 77 books that help with the following: quick start, productivity and effectiveness, psychology and communication, design and production, marketing, sales and negotiation, entrepreneurship, management and leadership, strategy and innovation, finance and analysis, as well as personal finance.

I realize I am not going to have a plaque on my wall after reading these books. However, with the plans of making some money and travelling for the next year, why wouldn’t I invest $1540 on a Personal MBA? It will give me a solid foundation and help create a business mind so that when the time comes, I will be locked and loaded. And where else am I going to get an education with such a collaborative effort from the likes of Guy Kawasaki, Tim Ferriss, Donald Norman, and Garr Reynolds?

And think about the amount of money you waste everyday on useless things. I bet if you wrote down how much money you spent on food and drink for 4 months, you would easily find the funding for your PMBA. Not to mention, you can always hit up the public library and deal with a few late fees.

PS I figured each book would cost approximately $20 each totaling $1540. Thats a pretty cheap MBA if you ask me.

 

The Adventures of Johnny Bunko

Normally I wouldn’t classify myself as a huge comic book reader. However, a friend of mine told me to read “The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need” from The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. I have to admit, it was pretty good. The book discusses career secrets that no one ever told you and it does make some sense.

 

Secret #1 – There is no plan

 

During interviews and when discussing life plans, it seems as though the most successful people have their four year plan done with such detail. IT’S NOT TRUE! This strategy may only work for a certain person but if you can travel as the wind takes you and not have a plan or have a flexible plan, life may seem more enjoyable and success may arrive faster as well.

 

Secret #2 – Steer around your weaknesses and focus on your strengths

 

I absolutely love this point. It’s about understanding your strengths and recognizing your weaknesses. Take on the jobs that you love and outsource the rest. This is why we have teams. Being self aware and understanding the strengths around is a quality that is prevalent in all great leaders.

 

Secret #3 – It’s not about you

 

Everyone is replaceable. No one cares about what you want or need, they care about productivity. Bill Gates once said that companies don’t want to have to pay for you to find yourself. They don’t care. Be the best you can be by performing.

 

Secret #4 – Persistence trumps talent

 

If I was hiring for a position and I had the opportunity to hire someone that was persistent as apposed to someone with pure talent I would take the persistent person any day of the week. Be persistent and your talents will flourish. Talented people that are not persistent don’t even get things down on paper. They jump from idea to idea and don’t get things done. This should be a confidence booster for those of us that don’t think we are the most talented. Persistence speeds past talent in time.

 

Secret #5 – Make excellent mistakes

 

If you make a mistake and take a few steps backwards, make sure you learn something from it and take a few more steps forward. Believe it or not, some of the most interesting inventions happened by chance. Dare to try and don’t be afraid to be wrong. Never stop learning.

 

Secret #6 – Leave an imprint

 

One of the best lines I have ever heard about this secret is this: be the type of person you would want to be best friends with. Isn’t that great! Be the change you wish to see in the world. If something doesn’t sit right or something could be done much better, do your best to change it.

 

Beyond these 6 secrets I want to leave you with another great piece of advice. The most successful people improve their own lives by improving the lives of others. Enjoy!

 

www.johnnybunko.com

 

Workipedia: Office Wikis and the Collaboration Revolution

Check out this post from fastcompany.com. I’m thinking I should send them a resume!

Gone are the days of paper here at the offices of FastCompany.com. Virtually all in-house office communication is done electronically. E-mail is a given, as is teleconferencing. But what our office does, along with an increasing number of other streamlining-minded businesses, is employ wikis extensively.

The only paperwork I’ve had to do since I began working here is filling out timesheets and filling out W-2s. Having a paperless working environment has done wonders to decrease our carbon footprint while making project collaboration extremely simplified. We use Drupal, an open source content management system, to build our website. We use BaseCamp, a message board project management system as the primary tool of communication about upcoming projects instead of e-mail. No memos, no print-outs of drafts, and best of all no TPS reports. It’s all online.

Tools such as Drupal and BaseCamp make running a website simple and easy (most of the time). But it’s not just businesses that are using wikis to de-clutter their offices and streamline the way they operate: Newsweek reported late last year that the United Nations uses in-house wikis to help facilitate negotiation and debate about various issues of international importance. So too does the U.S. intelligence community; in fact, its collaborative sharing system among sixteen agencies is named “Intellipedia” (aren’t those government types clever?). The movement goes even further – some foreign governments are even using wikis to “involve constituents in policymaking.”

I guess the days of lawmakers hashing out deals in smoke-filled rooms are ending just as quickly as the all-night office brainstorm session. Two heads are better than one, especially when it comes to the kinds of services I talked about. Effective collaboration has always been the make-or-break factor with group projects. Wikis are just the way to do it.

Six Roles That Can Help Promote Spousal Success

Last night I had the opportunity to watch The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch. The show featured a panel of experts including a very successful divorce lawyer named Vikki Zeigler, psychologist Cooper Lawrence, and success author and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz. The topic of discussion: “Is Your Spouse Holding You Back?”

 

This particular show pertains to people of all different demographics. The points discussed apply to men and women, young and old, working 15 hours a week or 75 hours a week. Also, I felt these points could be applied to not only married couples but also couples that are dating or thinking about tying the knot.

 

Mike Michalowicz has compiled a list of specific roles that spouses can fill in order to promote their husband or wife’s success. After hearing these points, they really put things in to perspective. If you are currently looking for a life partner that will support your specific lifestyle and entrepreneurial endeavors, or have a life partner but are experiencing some rough waters, read these points, make some notes and never forget them. They just make sense!

 

1. THE WINGMAN – Networking is a key to success, and social events with both spouses are “make or break” situations.  For example, if a guy says “I can’t believe that guys wife, she is a total witch”…his future opportunities will be compromised.  But a successful wingman will make the gossip non-existent and encourage future deals.

 

2. THE INTERROGATOR —Spouse asks questions of their spouse and challenges them to make better decisions. It’s not quantity it’s quality. Ask constructive questions and respect the fact that your spouse may want to unwind.

 

3. THE CHEERLEADER —Opposite of the interrogator.  This person tells the spouse everything they do is right.  It’s actually not good to have unconditional support.  Sometimes you need to have someone ground you in reality.

 

4. THE SECRETARY —When that late night call comes in and serious matters are on the table, the spouse needs to be ready to help.  Possibly navigating calls, and doing the behind the scenes dirty work.

 

5. THE INFLUENCER —The spouse who positions themselves as a know-it-all, influencing business deals (no one wants to do deals, where the spouse is influencing decisions be hind the scene). 

 

6. THE COOK —Whoever is at home, needs to make sure the entrepreneur is getting their meals.  Yes, they should be able to fend for themselves, but it often is junk food. And a bad diet, begets bad performance.  Sounds so simple, but keep healthy food flowing and performance increases.

 

I know these points sound rather simple. However, the question I pose is this: Why are so many people filing for divorce? Why do so many business partnerships fail?

 

They may be simple, but they work. It is imperative to work together with your business partner. Keep the lines of communication honest and open.

KNOW YOUR ROLE!