The Contrarian

A contrarian is a person who takes an opposing view, especially one who rejects the majority opinion.  A contrarian can also serve as a very useful tool when it comes to making decisions. At every management meeting, I would suggest you assign at least one person to be The Contrarian; even if they agree with your idea, make them try to shoot holes in it, find fault, or consider alternatives.

Are You Working Smart?

Rubbermaid “thought” they needed more products to be the leader in their industry. So, they set out to invent a new product every day for several years, while also entering a new product category every 12-18 months. Fortune magazine wrote that Rubbermaid was more innovative than 3M, Intel and Apple; now that is impressive.

Comfort is the Enemy of Achievement

A Comfort Zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there. Feeling comfortable, content, and secure can be the first stage of failure. Generals lose wars because their enemy has studied their past battles and understands their combat tactics. The same is true in sports; coaches lose ballgames because their opponent has studied their tendencies. Companies go bankrupt because they didn’t change and stay current with consumer demands.

Expect, Inspect, Correct

There are so many ways to say we made a MISTAKE: Botched, Bungled, Flubbed, Mishandled, Bumbled, Misjudged, Mucked-up, Fouled-up, Messed-up, Slipped-up, Goofed-up and Screwed-Up … which all say, in simple terms, that an error has been made.

Powerful Meaningless Words

Most companies have them in some shape or form: Guiding Principles, Mission Statements, Vision Statements, Company Values, Company Affirmations, Statement of Purpose, Company Goals, Company Philosophy. I saw where one company had broken their mission statement into three segments, identifying them for Product Mission, Economic Mission and Social Mission.

Being 'HIP' Isn’t Always Necessary

Several years ago, I received a call from my agent telling me I had lost a speaking engagement to another speaker because of a word I used in my video demo tape. In the opinion of the client’s meeting planner, the word I had spoken was an “out dated” term. I guess by using this supposedly out-of-date word, I wasn’t on the cutting edge of the latest and greatest "fad" in management.