Telling It Like It Is

THE ENTERPRISE--Carrot, Egg or Coffee?

THE ENTERPRISE

I've heard of "the carrot and the stick" as a form of motivation. Then there is the famous KITA (Kick In The Ass) "motivational theory." I've also heard people say that "they want to motivate others." That simply can't be done! They can threaten them, frighten them (fear is a powerful short-term motivator--but it runs out fast), inspire them and even infuse them with a contagious enthusiasm and passion.  BUT, no one can truly "motivate" another--only the individual can motivate himself/herself. 

What someone else can do is to provide an environment and the leadership with which/in which that person can become self-motivated. In fact, that is what leadership is often all about. Assuming some level of technical competence and appropriate skills for the job, motivation is often all that makes the difference between success and failure. 

And speaking of success and failure, I've been watching a lot of basketball this past weekend. Seeing Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt lead her team reminded me of this important principle. I had the good fortune to share a 3-1/2 hour van ride with Pat the weekend after 9/11. We had both been stranded in the Western US and as Delta cancelled flight after flight from Atlanta to Knoxville, I decided that driving from midnight to 3+ AM and getting home was better than hanging around, finding a hotel and then waiting all day Saturday to see if any flights were available.

I reserved Hertz last mini-van, and a fellow businessman offered to drive and split the cost. Since I had met Pat a couple of times before (just briefly) I asked her if she and her assistant Mickey DeMoss (now coaching at Kentucky) wanted to ride home with us and they quickly said "Yes." It was a memorable, albeit sleepy ride and conversation. Pat is a remarkable woman-a mother, a wife, a great leader and a superb basketball coach--as evidenced by her surpassing the great Dean Smith as the winningest college coach ever.

When my daughter Susan sent me the following story, I couldn't help but think about Pat Summitt and how she shapes the lives of young women. Some would say "motivates them", but I would say provides them the opportunity to become highly motivated. (By the way, Pat's team graduation rate is--you may have guessed it--100%. Cut a class--sit out a game. If you don't take care of your schoolwork, you simply don't play, no matter how good you are.) In many cases, for those 4 years, Pat is like a surrogate mother to these young women, teaching them far more than basketball.

I hope you enjoy the story that follows, and that each time you see a carrot, and egg and especially smell or taste a cup of coffee...you remember its moral. There is no doubt in my mind that the greatest thing Pat Summitt teaches her players is how to handle adversity and elevate themselves to another, higher level. Enjoy this one with your coffee! (Thanks, Sus!)

A CARROT, AN EGG, AND A CUP OF COFFEE.
You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--and each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" 

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Best, John

THE ENTERPRISE--Important Reading

THE ENTERPRISE

A different kind of topic(s) this week...and some non-business "beach reading" for Spring Break.

How many more drug ads can we absorb? The disclaimers spoken very rapidly at the end of the ads are so filled with cautions that one wonders how a consumer can absorb and understand it all. Direct-to-consumer ads are more prevalent than ever. Is this good? I don't think so!

Try to explain to a child what the Cialis/Levitra ads are all about. It's no fun, and grossly inappropriate material for broadcast TV. Demand one of the many, widely advertised new drugs or cite the widely publicized stories (studies) that tout them to your doctor and you are likely to encounter a grimace and reluctant reaction. According to the first book, this is with good reason.

The first book deals with the medical research field and drug industry--Overdosed America by John Abramson. It was recommended to me by two licensed pharmacists. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of these books. This is always an issue--but all I can say is--READ THEM AND FORM YOUR OWN OPINION(S)! This first one may save... or at least change your life.

The other--America's Secret War by George Friedman--will change your beliefs--or at least what you think caused the US to invade Iraq following 9/11. All I'll tell you is that it was neither the threat of WMD nor Saddam's evil reign--at least not per se. Those were just the public reasons. (Friedman is one of the leading "gurus" of the private intelligence community and Founder/CEO of Stratfor. http://www.stratfor.com

Friedman's book does not read like a politically biased account--at least I couldn't determine his political leanings, if any. It seems to be an in-depth explanation of how events unfolded and what (in the author's opinion, of course) were the motivations and decision factors that led to the US actions in Afghanistan and Iraq and regarding al Qaeda.

There is nothing in this for me--except to further my goal to help readers become better informed about matters that affect their lives and country.

There is one outcome I'll guarantee. If you buy and read these two books, your perspective and what you believe will be affected dramatically. (Here are the amazon.com links for your convenience.)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385512457/qid=1111380887/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-6145572-7428616

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060568526/qid=1111381012/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-6145572-7428616

Each book is about $17 + shipping. Even if you only read 1/2 of each...you'll be surprised . You will not be disappointed, whether you agree with the authors or not. Your beliefs and perceptions will be forever altered--and that is what new learning is all about.

Best, John

THE ENTERPRISE--Little Dogs

So many things to write about, what to choose? How about one that everyone is writing about, and one that no one is writing about?

HP and Carly Fiorina
I never met her, so everything I know is from what I've seen and read. It seems she was smart, articulate, charismatic (when she wanted to be), highly motivated and...hopelessly over her head in that job at HP. The Good Lord himself would have been challenged by the needs of HP. The company had become sort of like Olympic gymnasts who sets records at ages 12-15 and then add bulk and "maturity" so that they are barely agile enough to do the routines at age 21. Innovative was the first term once used to describe HP. Now, its not so clear what it would be. Nimble is not a term that comes to mind. Confused might be.

Fiorina also fell into the "bigger is better" trap and convinced at least enough of HP's board to buy Compaq. Big mistake. Huge! Sort of like that 21-yr. old gymnast trying to do her routine while carrying her coach on her back. Compaq was already past its peak and struggling to figure out how to compete profitably against Dell (and its direct selling model), and dozens of low overhead "ankle-biters" who were siphoning off business and driving down prices faster than any scale advantage could overcome.

So, bottom line: It wasn't because Carly was a woman that she got dumped. Nor was it because she wasn't all those good things I mentioned earlier. It was because someone on HP's board woke up and "read the tea leaves." HP creates stakeholder value in its printers, ink and imaging business. It destroys value in nearly all of its others. That cannot last, or soon it will drag down the one business that is a good, viable one, even after all those years and maturity. And she wasn't dealing with/fixing that problem. That leads me to the second topic:

Do little dogs know they are little?
This metaphor came to me during a phone conversation with someone I had just "met on the phone." Kobe, my little 6-lb. Maltese was attempting to terrorize a 200-lb. UPS man at the front door. As I described how Kobe also does that with huge dogs. (I'm always afraid one will turn around and bite his head off--so I discourage him from doing it when I can!!), the metaphor hit me. It appears that dogs don't know how big or little they are. The big dogs cower in fear--or dismay (maybe it's confusion)--when Kobe corners them, snarling and snapping at them as if he were twice their size. Don't they realize the size difference exists?

Then I realized that this happens in business too. The Compaq-Dell comparison I made was a "big dog vs. little dog" story a decade or more ago. Go back a bit further and consider Nucor against Big Steel, Southwest against Big Airlines, tiny Japanese cars named Toyota and Honda (circa 1970) against The Big Three. Maybe those "little dogs" have smaller, but sharper teeth--and something more. I know from my little dog, and a few others I've seen, that they have an attitude, are aggressive, will take the initiative, and do it with conviction. Hmmmm? Perhaps there is more to be learned from small dogs than we thought.

Internet telephony is in its infancy. Is it a small dog of the future? Wi-Fi is already too big to be called a small dog. It's more like a whole pack of them. Then there is MEMs and Nano-technology, both of which are small dogs in their infancy as far as industry is concerned. At any rate, I'll leave it to readers to add to the list of examples of "ankle-biting small dogs" whose vigor and intensity will give them the edge over their larger, more powerful, but more lethargic and less confident adversaries.

So, the next time you hear the bark of a small dog (literally or figuratively) ...think twice...or you may have it latched painfully onto your ankle...or elsewhere, if it can jump a bit higher. You get the picture; I don't need to spell it out.

Best, John

THE ENTERPRISE--Influence and Persuasion

THE ENTERPRISE

Last week, I promised a follow on article about another factor in what influences how we think. Not only is our subconscious/unconscious brain activity a huge factor, so are habits. Then there are the preconceptions we carry which bias our perception of what we see and hear. Finally, last and far from least, are "influencers."

I originally found this book several years ago and it fascinated me so I wrote most of the following article back then. I think it is worth reading--and re-reading--periodically, so I am sharing it here (again).

Understanding influence and persuasion
Life is all about who can influence or persuade whom. Convince someone to buy what you sell or to change to the direction you want to go, and your likelihood of success improves measurably. Millions are spent on training people in persuasive negotiation skills. With all of this attention to persuasion and influence, by now we should understand the underlying forces in influencing others and how we are influenced.

Quite by accident, I found a remarkable book, Influence--The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini (Quill, 1984 & 1993). Cialdini is an experimental social psychologist who decided to study compliance and why people respond the way they do. His book is based on both experiments and extensive observation, and the findings are very revealing.

Only one major influence--that of "material self-interest," the good deal of getting the most and paying the least--is not included in Cialdini's list of influences, because while it is powerful and effective, it is also a "more legitimate influence" than the others.

The influences Cialdini describes create a powerful urge to respond, which the author refers to as a "click whirr" response that is automatic and almost irresistible--even when we know what is happening. For example:

--Reciprocation--the old give and take and take and take. This is the principle behind the Hare Krishna practice of handing out free flowers or books in airports, and the basis for the entire ad specialty business (free pens, coffee mugs, etc.). I give you something and you feel obliged to reciprocate. Nothing says the exchange must be fair or equitable; and the intent of someone using this to his or her advantage is that it won't be.

--Commitment and consistency--false hobgoblins of the mind. We make a carefully considered decision or analysis, and then make a commitment, perhaps in writing. Afterward, we have a very strong tendency to defend and reinforce that position consistently--regardless of how right or wrong it was. Think of the last car or computer you bought, and how strongly you became a vocal supporter of that brand or model.

--Social proof--truths are us. This is the basis for the use of laugh tracks on TV, the Jonestown mass suicide, and the influence of mass behavior that allows a person be mugged in full view of a crowd; no one helps the victim, because no one wants to break out of the crowd. Studies from 1972 to 1976 proved that after every widely reported suicide, the U.S. suicide rate increased the following week. The publicized suicide had legitimized that suicide was O.K. by the doctrine of social proof.

--Likability--the friendly thief. Physical attractiveness and likability increase a person's influence. Thus the use of attractive models in ads and the friendly salutation of telephone solicitors. We also like people who are similar to us in interest, lifestyle, and culture—and they can have an even greater influence on us if they compliment us and are nice to us. This is the basis for the "good cop/bad cop" style of negotiation.

--Authority--directed deference. Uniforms are not a coincidence. They impart an unspoken message of influence based on authority, as do titles, offices, and other trappings. In an actual situation described in Cialdini's book, a total stranger dressed in a doctor's coat was allowed to change the medication of many hospital patients with no questions asked.

--Scarcity--the rule of the few. When things like stamps are misprinted or Beanie Babies are produced in limited quantity, their value goes up. Even the illusion of scarcity is very powerful. Realtors who have other (often imaginary) prospective buyers use this leverage regularly. Scheduling competing buyers for a used car to "coincidentally" show up at the same time to look at the car will almost invariably increase the price the car sells for!

Learning to be honestly persuasive is a valuable management skill. Using all the tools at your disposal is often necessary. Defending yourself from wrongful influence is one of those critical skills. Even when you know about these six powerful influence principles, they are difficult to resist. When you're unaware of them, you are easy prey for the unscrupulous.

So now you are aware of them--forewarned is forearmed!

Best, John