The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design
by Marty Neumeier

What is the difference between a trademark, logo, and symbol? Is your brand what you say it is, or what they say it is? “Brand management is the management of differences, not as they exist on data sheets, but as they exist in the minds of people.” Right on Marty. If you’re serious about going beyond “marketing/advertising speak” and actually getting into the nitty-gritty of results – you can’t miss this one. Although… maybe you don’t mind if your company’s product becomes a commodity?

To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
by Daniel Pink

Chapter 3 (From Buyer Beware to Seller Beware) alone is worth reading several times over. Plus you’ll not only help increase sales but sound really smart at parties when you learn the importance of limiting asymmetrical information for today’s buyer. Pink shows that everyone is in sales and is trying to “move others to take specific action.” Despite the deep content of this book, Pink’s style allows for a relatively quick and easy read without limiting his insight.

Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service
by The Disney Institute

Who else would you trust to deliver not just an exceptional customer experience – but also one infused with joy? Disney delivers the secret to their success in this newly revised and updated book. It also includes highlights of how other companies have incorporated the lessons learned from the Disney Institute over the years. Lots of real world examples to be inspired by.

The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home
by Dan Ariely

No other author has had a larger impact in how I understand “typical” human behavior than Dan Ariely. It also provides TONS of scientific evidence that proves the value of a brand (perfect for those engineering types who think everything your department does is a waste of resources). The next time you scratch your head and wonder why humans don’t seem to make logical decisions – open this book up and you’ll soon understand. This book is a true joy to read and will leave you with limitless ways to take action and improve your results.

Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite Them All
by Jim Collins

Wow. I’m still shocked at how this book hasn’t gained the same praise and awareness of Jim’s classic “Good to Great.” Each and every concept introduced in this book will be lessons you will want to keep at your fingertips for the rest of your professional career. Everyone talks about how the world is changing faster than ever before, and is unstable and unpredictable. Jim shows that with the right set of management tools, you can become (and remain) great.

EPIC Change: How to Lead Change in the Global Age
by Timothy Clark

“The basic role of any leader is to maintain competitive advantage, not the status quo – that means leading change.” This book may simply be the right book at the right time for me, but I think it much more. Timothy describes the challenges that leaders face when embarking on change in a way no one else has ever done. It is real and raw – but 1000% right. Most importantly, it shows how as a leader you can tap into different sources of energy to counter the added stress and work that change often requires (Here’s a sneak preview).

Now it’s your turn. Which books are at the top of your list this year? Have you read any of the above books? Even more amazing would be to hear how you borrowed something from a book recently and took action on it… Your turn to share!

Please don’t confuse what I am trying to describe for mere “remember the good old days” talk. No, that is nostalgia and a different (if not equally unhelpful – in business) feeling altogether. Nostalgia wishes for different circumstances around a person, while what I am describing is someone wishing to be a different person… to be the person they felt like during a past win, even though they are now facing a new and different challenge.

To avoid the trap described above, always remember that your last (most recent) action speaks the loudest. It is the most true depiction of who you are as a person, and more importantly how finely tuned your skill set is to meet current challenges.

I’ll prove it to you in just two words. Lance Armstrong. Ok, maybe that was a cheap shot. How about… General Petraeus. Ok, ok… imagine instead for me the BEST new home marketer in the world… in 1995. Lets say he stopped learning and interacting with the outside world until we dropped him in 2013. Would he still be the best marketer in the world? His skills have not kept up – he is no longer competitive. He’s never even heard the words “online lead” before. Yet, if you called him to a meeting he would likely reference his domination of the marketing world… back when news print was king. No one would care… and they shouldn’t! Past successes more than three years ago do not indicate any better chance of future success than someone who is unproven but well prepared. Yes, the world is changing that fast. The answers for the test back then will not work on today’s final exam.

What to do then? Focus on continually increasing your skills, and not on telling others how you’ve “done this before” or “did that once.” Always be analyzing the surrounding landscape and asking “do I have the skills to appropriately tackle this challenge should it arise?” Again, if you succeeded at the same task more than three years ago, you are likely to be blindsided without careful self evaluation.

True experts will focus on skills that will serve them well forever. Can you learn quickly? Can you teach yourself? Are you disciplined? Can you interact well with other people? Can you lead them? Motivate them? Motive yourself? Can you analyze? Strategize? Take action? Are you self aware? Those will serve you much better than becoming a MySpace expert (even if it seemed important in 2006), or an expert App developer (in 2012).

So today take some positive action, and don’t coast – because tomorrow your new boss won’t have anything else to judge you on. He certainly won’t care what you did 3+ years ago.

PS. Your resume is not a piece of paper in today’s world. It is the connections you’ve made, how you’ve treated them over time, and your last few actions. That’s it. (this goes for companies too! Mind your brand.)

There is another trap equally as seductive though… the trap of focusing on your competition. It too can keep you looking in the rear view mirror. It can kill your creativity, and more importantly allow yourself to be copied by others because you are no longer trailblazing ahead. Just like with history, there are benefits to studying your competition, but allowing that study to muddle your own view of the future can be disastrous. Ultimately I think most people obsess over and copy their competition simply because they don’t have a strategy of their own, or they lack a true belief in their chosen course.

For others, it may be simply that they can’t think of anywhere else to draw inspiration from. They feel they have no choice but to react – then react again. To move beyond reacting, look at those in your industry that are not your competition (geographically non-competing markets in the home building world), other industries entirely, or articles, blogs, and books (yes, this will require an investment of time!).

The last of the barriers of moving forward is simply fear. When every step you’re taking is into a difficult to see future, then every inch forward seems like it should be taken more carefully then the last – or else you could find yourself walking clear off the cliff. How to combat this formidable foe? Not alone. This is where you need others around you to keep you from standing still.

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” – Soren Kierkegaard

The world of real estate seems to be full of backwards looking people, companies, and organizations. Most are nothing but a “me-too.” I’m continually drawn to those who are looking forward. Their positive energy and ambition is intoxicating – and I will always value their friendship as we move forward together. Do your part to make sure that others on your team, in your company, and in your world see you looking forward.

Why do I keep using the term “mission critical?” All companies have a purpose – a mission, and the items that are crucial for that company continuing to do business are critical. Satisfaction used to be the lesser concern behind profit. Back in the “good old days” for some companies, customers had no true voice that could match the power of advertising. As long as your product was profitable enough, you could buy your way out of trouble.

Things have certainly changed. A couple bad Yelp reviews, or one ticked off customer with 30,000 Twitter followers can seriously harm your ability to continue. The best way to deal with these issues? Prove that those less than ideal testimonials are nothing but a freak accident – representing only .001% of your customer’s experiences. A secondary option is to have a brand so strong that it can take a direct hit and still give you time to prove (or improve) the prevoius point. Most companies, despite their own opinions, aren’t quite strong enough for that though.

Yes, profit keeps the doors open and the engine of business turning – but it now plays a secondary role to customer satisfaction. Even if you are nothing but a pure capitalist then you understand that a predicatbly higher satisfaction level than your competition will let you charge a higher premium – and increase your profit.

So today, look around and ask yourself how you can have the biggest impact on your customer’s experience and take action. Your companies margins will be glad that you did. Haven’t a clue where to start? Then start listening to your customers – closely.

A whole new year is right around the corner. It is fresh start with nothing but huge opportunity in front of you. Surely there is no time to waste, and BIG new goals need to be both set and acted upon in BIG ways. I mean, you already learned all of the lessons from the previous years… don’t waste time rehashing what you already know.

Start with a bang.

Or, you could begin by learning how to tie your shoes – again. John Wooden was the head coach of the UCLA men’s basketball team from 1964 to 1975, and he won 10 national titles. He was also the first person to be inducted into the basketball hall of fame as both a coach and a player. So when each new season came around, many people are surprised to learn that he always started by teaching his players how to tie their shoes.

It served real purpose too. Improperly worn shoes could encourage unnecessary sloppiness of play, injuries, and ultimately could cost the team their ultimate goal – winning. You see even when a star junior player returned for the following season, he was not exempt. In fact, he would fully embrace this review of the most basic of fundamentals – because he knew how it had positively impacted his previous season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVlQFKXu7_Y

Of course, you still should set your goals and plan to win your own national title this year… whatever that may be.

But I think it would be wise to also consider your shoelaces when your first practice begins.

The author, Dan Pink, explains how the traditional carrot and stick approach works well as motivation for certain types of jobs, but for others it can actually be harmful.

I now keep a poster on my wall at work with those three words. I keep it across from my desk so that as I am talking with others I am reminded of the principles Dan Pink shares. Check out a fantastic summary of his book below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y

The traffic units did not come

So the sales rep stopped to wait

As competitors rolled and the wind blew cold

And the hour grew dark and late.

Signage, meetings, EMAIL!!

Specs and model homes,

(but no phones)

Prospects’ drive on by!

Won’t that traffic come?

But the days turned weeks, and the weeks turned months

And there in the model he sits

Twiddlin’ his thumbs till the traffic comes

His managers losing their wits

And if you walk by that model now,

You may think it’s rather strange

To see him there with a hopefully gaze

With the very same smile on his very same face

As he patiently wonders if he’ll be replaced

And waits for the traffic to come.

I’ve always loved teaching. I blame it primarily on my parents who were both educators. I started teaching in a formal way in high school when as a junior and senior I would proctor a class two days a week. In college I ended up running labs for a computer programming course – certainly not for the money, but because I loved helping people learn. This entire website, really, is just me organizing my thoughts in a teachable manner – and then putting it out there in the hope that it helps others better themselves or their company.

Now I get to work with a lot of really successful and really smart people every day at my builder. They all work hard to overcome challenges in their life, and for the most part I would say they find success in the face of those challenges. They climb the metaphoric “mountain” every day. However, a lot of the time there is complaining along the way. Sometimes the complaint sounds a lot like the mountain doesn’t have any right to be there in the first place. Even rarer, but most disheartening, is when someone feels like they “have arrived” at the top of their personal mountain and no longer wants to continue to climb even though they possess every necessary skill to do so. They forget that they are part of a team, and they only seem to complain about others around them.

A couple weeks ago I was able to do something really cool. I participated in the commencement program for the class of 2012 from Wesley Spectrum Highland. The kids graduating had enough acute challenges and obstacles that their school actually is part school and part hospital. A few years ago many of them would never have talked to a stranger, would have lashed out violently at those around them, or would have just been written off by society. These are children who were dismissed by the school district in their own township. This was their last chance. To continue the mountain climber illustration – most would have advised them not even to attempt to make the climb. Thankfully they did, and they persevered through it all and made it.

What struck me most of all was not their social and mental challenges. It was their positive attitudes, and their sense of joy and gratitude. They knew they didn’t make it themselves and that they were part of a team – and they wanted to say thank you to everyone that helped them along the way.

At that same moment I was both proud and disappointed. I was exceedingly proud of these young students who had succeeded without all of the advantages that people I work with have. However, I was also disappointed in those who have all that they need, who succeed, but who have stopped growing and are content to settle – or even to blame and complain.

As I take on new and different roles at work, and I find myself stretched thin it is often difficult to spend enough time with everyone, even if you are using Franklin Covey or GTD techniques. But this experience made it pretty clear who I should be spending my time with…

So for anyone reading this that is still committed to grow each day, challenge yourself, and has a positive attitude I am recommitting myself to help you in any way possible to reach your goals.

For the others – my time and energy is already consumed with the first group.

-

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar

Reading?! Yep. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet gave an interview in 2005 at the University of Nebraska where they both struggled to contain their love for reading and what it brought to their lives. Bill Gates famously takes a “reading vacation” where he removes himself from day to day activities for two weeks to do nothing but read books on business, technology, human behavior, etc. Buffett agreed and said reading books were an important part of his “daily work.” At one point the interviewer asked Bill if he could be a superhero, what kind of power would he like to have? Bill replied that he would like to be the fastest reader in the world, and Buffett quickly agreed.

So why is there a disconnect between what we know can improve our lives dramatically – even more than exercise (although also important!) – and what most people typically do? Ironically, all this reminds me of the title of a book I read in college: Fit Bodies, Fat Minds. Do you let your mind get “fat?” How about those who work around you? Or more convicting, those who report to you?

Two quick personal examples:

1. The first regional president that I worked for in Columbus, Ohio would copy articles out of Builder or Professional Builder what seemed like every week with a short note and leave it in my mailbox. I was a 22 year old rookie in charge of doing not much more than making the Sunday newspaper ad each week (wow times have changed)… but I loved it. It felt like he was mentoring me simply by saying “hey – this is something I think you’ll enjoy or will one day be helpful.”

I do my best to continue this legacy by copying articles out of these same publications and leaving them in mailboxes of employees in all parts of our business – even though many of them also get the magazine. You’d be surprised how many times someone thanks me for thinking of them or sharing an article. The chances of them reading it goes way up, and everyone gets better as a result. Don’t hoard great ideas you find from reading - share them!

2. This past month we kicked off something at my builder that is part homework assignment, and part challenge – The Amazing Race: Heartland Edition. We challenged the sales team to brush up on some market research, list their current top objections and write our their own scripted response, and most importantly to pick a book on new home sales to read by the end of June. I told them they could even order Jeff’s new audiobook if they like!

Do you foster a passion for reading in your organization? Do you think you should? What will you be reading this Memorial Day Weekend?

PS: Unsure of what to read? Check out my suggested reading list for 2012.

Before I explain in more detail, here is the list I created for my builder’s marketing, online sales, and design studio group:

S.P.I.R.I.T.

SERVICE: We are all here to serve others, not to be served.
PROBLEMS: Never share your problems without also sharing a potential solution.
INFLUENCE: Develop relationships that allow you to get things done because of who knows you, not what your title is.
RISK: Taking risks is not optional; it is required to invent something better – for change to occur.
IMPROVEMENT: Improvement in yourself and your work must be a daily goal.
TIME: Put in the time needed to get the job done – including the extra 15 minutes to make it great.

Job descriptions do serve a purpose in describing the deliverable expectations of a position, but they often ignore the importance of how you arrive at those deliverables. Do you have an employee who consistent produces good work, but leaves bodies in their wake? Do you have a sales person who always hits their goal for the month, but is always complaining to everyone they interact with? Are you nervous to have conversations with people about their behavior or attitudes because you’re not sure how to have them without making it feel like a personal attack?

By publishing this list and making all new hires agree to follow them, you now have something to reference and hold people accountable to and in time it will have an enormous impact on your corporate culture. I’m not sure what should be on your list, but you do. Resist the temptation to re-use someone else’s – it has to be something you own and individual to your goals. Finally, remember that you can’t hold anyone accountable to something you don’t hold yourself accountable too as well.

What would be on your non-negotiable list? Share in the comments below.