Tom Peters on

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Tom Peters on Action You Only Find Oil If
You Drill Wells
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CONTEXT
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It is not the strongest of the species that
survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one
most responsive to change. Charles Darwin
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Pathetic!
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TP/BW on BigCo Sin 1 too much talk, too little
do
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Ninety percent of what we call management
consists of making it difficult for people to get
things done. Peter Drucker
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Forbes100 from 1917 to 1987 39 members of the
Class of 17 were alive in 87 18 in 87 F100
18 F100 survivors underperformed the market by
20 just 2 (2), GE Kodak, outperformed the
market 1917 to 1987.SP 500 from 1957 to 1997
74 members of the Class of 57 were alive in 97
12 (2.4) of 500 outperformed the market from
1957 to 1997.Source Dick Foster Sarah
Kaplan, Creative Destruction Why Companies That
Are Built to Last Underperform the Market
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I am often asked by would-be entrepreneurs
seeking escape from life within huge corporate
structures, How do I build a small firm for
myself? The answer seems obvious Buy a very
large one and just wait. Paul Ormerod, Why
Most Things Fail Evolution, Extinction and
Economics
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A BIAS FOR ACTION
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Excellence1982 The Bedrock Eight Basics 1. A
Bias for Action 2. Close to the Customer 3.
Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity
Through People 5. Hands On, Value-Driven 6. Stick
to the Knitting 7. Simple Form, Lean Staff 8.
Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties
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Never forget implementation boys. In our work
its what I call the missing 98 percent of the
client puzzle. Al McDonald/McKinsey
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We have a strategic plan. Its called doing
things. Herb Kelleher
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This is so simple it sounds stupid, but it is
amazing how few oil people really understand that
you only find oil if you drill wells. You may
think youre finding it when youre drawing maps
and studying logs, but you have to drill.
Source The Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian
O G wildcatter (80)
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We made mistakes. Most of them were omissions we
didnt think of when we initially wrote the
software. We fixed them by doing it over and
over, again and again. We do the same today
While our competitors are still sucking their
thumbs trying to make the design perfect, were
already on prototype version No. 5. By the time
our rivals are ready with wires and screws, we
are on version No. 10. It gets back to planning
versus acting We act from day one others plan
how to planfor months. Bloomberg by
Bloomberg
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"I think it is very important for you to do two
things act on your temporary conviction as if it
was a real conviction and when you realize that
you are wrong, correct course very quickly.
Andy Grove
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S.A.V.
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Screw Around Vigorously
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Sams Secret 1!
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Fail faster. Succeed sooner.David Kelley/IDEO
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Fail. Forward. Fast. High-tech Exec/PA
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Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre
successes.Phil Daniels, Sydney exec
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Boyd on TEMPO
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The most successful people are those who are
good at plan B. James Yorke, mathematician,
on chaos theory in The New Scientist
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He who has the quickest O.O.D.A. Loops
wins!Observe. Orient. Decide. Act./Col. John
Boyd
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OODA Loop/Boyd CycleUnraveling the
competition Quick Transients/Quick Tempo
(NOT JUST SPEED!) Agility So quick it is
disconcerting adversary over-reacts or
under-reacts Winners used tactics that
caused the enemy to unravel before the fight
(NEVER HEAD TO HEAD)BOYD The Fighter Pilot Who
Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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The stuff has got to be implicit. If it is
explicit, you cant do it fast enough. John
BoydBOYD The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the
Art of War (Robert Coram)
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Tempo!70-10Boyd/O.O.D.A. Loops/Mike
Leach/Texas Tech
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70-10/Nebraska/Unk QB 643 yards K.State/ Linemen
spread wide/All legals go out for pass/Defenders
confused tire (Boyd/Tempo is not
speed/Re-arrange the mind of the enemyT.E.
Lawrence)/ By changing the geometry of the game,
and pushing the limits of space and time on the
gridiron, Mike Leach is taking Texas Tech to some
far out places. Michael Lewis (NY Times
Magazine, 12.04.05, on Mike Leach/Texas Tech)
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In war, delay is fatal. Napoleon The only
way to whip an army is to go out and fight it.
Grant demonstrating the tactic that would
become his hallmark the immediate move to seek
out the enemy and attack him John Mosier, on
Grant A good plan executed right now is far
preferable to a perfect plan executed next
week. Patton
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Relentless!Churchill, Grant, Patton, Welch,
Bossidy, Nardelli (GE execs), UPS, FedEx,
Microsoft/Gates-Ballmer, Eisner, Weill, eBay,
Nixon-Kissinger, Gerstner, Rice, Jordan, Armstrong
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This adolescent incident of getting from
point A to point B is notable not only because
it underlines Grants fearless horsemanship and
his determination, but also it is the first known
example of a very important peculiarity of his
character Grant had an extreme, almost phobic
dislike of turning back and retracing his steps.
If he set out for somewhere, he would get there
somehow, whatever the difficulties that lay in
his way. This idiosyncrasy would turn out to be
one the factors that made him such a formidable
general. Grant would always, always press
onturning back was not an option for him.
Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant
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METABOLIC MANAGEMENT
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The Leadership111. Talent
Management2. Metabolic Management3. Technology
Management4. Barrier Management5. Forgetful
Management6. Metaphysical Management7.
Opportunity Management8. Portfolio Management9.
Failure Management10. Cause Management11.
Passion Management
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The secret of fast progress is inefficiency,
fast and furious and numerous failures.Kevin
Kelly
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Active mutators in placid times tend to die off.
They are selected against. Reluctant mutators in
quickly changing times are also selected
against.Carl Sagan Ann Druyan, Shadows of
Forgotten Ancestors
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How we feel about the evolving future tells us
who we are as individuals and as a civilization
Do we search for stasisa regulated, engineered
world? Or do we embrace dynamisma world of
constant creation, discovery and competition?
Do we value stability and control or evolution
and learning? Do we think that progress requires
a central blueprint, or do we see it as a
decentralized, evolutionary process?? Do we see
mistakes as permanent disasters, or the
correctable byproducts of experimentation? Do we
crave predictability or relish surprise? These
two poles, stasis and dynamism, increasingly
define our political, intellectual and cultural
landscape. Virginia Postrel, The Future and
Its Enemies
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If things seem under control, youre just not
going fast enough. Mario Andretti
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Im not comfortable unless Im
uncomfortable.Jay Chiat
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If it works, its obsolete. Marshall McLuhan
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Bossidy on EXECUTION
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I saw that leaders placed too much emphasis on
what some call high-level strategy, on
intellectualizing and philosophizing, and not
enough on implementation. People would agree on a
project or initiative, and then nothing would
come of it. Larry Bossidy Ram
Charan/Execution The Discipline of Getting
Things Done
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Execution is the job of the business leader.
Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The
Discipline of Getting Things Done
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Execution is a systematic process of
rigorously discussing hows and whats,
tenaciously following through, and ensuring
accountability. Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
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Realism is the heart of execution. Larry
Bossidy Ram Charan/Execution The Discipline
of Getting Things Done
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robust dialogue Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
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GE has set a standard of candor. There is no
puffery. There isnt an ounce of denial in the
place. Kevin Sharer, CEO Amgen, on the GE
mystique (Fortune)
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The person who is a little less conceptual but
is absolutely determined to succeed will usually
find the right people and get them together to
achieve objectives. Im not knocking education or
looking for dumb people. But if you have to
choose between someone with a staggering IQ and
an elite education whos gliding along, and
someone with a lower IQ but who is absolutely
determined to succeed, youll always do better
with the second person. Larry
Bossidy/Execution The Discipline of Getting
Things Done
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Duct Tape Rules!Andrew Higgins, who built
landing craft in WWII, refused to hire graduates
of engineering schools. He believed that they
only teach you what you cant do in engineering
school. He started off with 20 employees, and by
the middle of the war had 30,000 working for him.
He turned out 20,000 landing craft. D.D.
Eisenhower told me, Andrew Higgins won the war
for us. He did it without engineers. Stephen
Ambrose/Fast Company
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The Leaders Seven Essential
BehaviorsKnow your people and your
businessInsist on realismSet clear goals and
prioritiesFollow throughReward the
doersExpand peoples capabilitiesKnow
yourself Source Larry Bossidy Ram Charan,
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
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Action8/VPMR/Peters on BossidyExternal Focus
(Competitors/Customers)Realism/Truth-tellingVi
sion Projects (Must add up to Vision)
MilestonesCommitment/EnergyRapidReviewCons
equences (/-)
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M P V
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TACTIC 1
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Culture of PrototypingEffective prototyping
may be the most valuable core competence an
innovative organization can hope to
have.Michael Schrage

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EXCELLENCE. 4/40.
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4/40
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De-cent-ral-iz-a-tion!
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Ex-e-cu-tion!
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Ac-count-a-bil-ity!
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615A.M.
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K.I.S.S.
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450/8
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I wanted GE to operate with the speed,
informality, and open communication of a corner
store. Corner stores often have strategy right.
With their limited resources, they have to rely
on laser-like focus on doing one thing very
well. Jack Welch/Fortune/04.05
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Lees Rule Run It off a Blackberry!
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The art of war does not require complicated
maneuvers the simplest are the best, and common
sense is fundamental. From which one might wonder
how it is generals make blunders it is because
they try to be clever. Napoleon on Simplicity,
from Napoleon on Project Management by Jerry
Manas.
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BIAS
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Excellence1982 The Bedrock Eight Basics 1. A
Bias for Action 2. Close to the Customer 3.
Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity
Through People 5. Hands On, Value-Driven 6. Stick
to the Knitting 7. Simple Form, Lean Staff 8.
Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties
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Importance of Success Factors by Various
Gurus/ Estimates
(Unreliable) by Tom Peters
Strategy Systems Passion/
Execution
Leadership
Porter
45 20 20
15Drucker 35 30 15
20Bennis 20 20
35 25Peters 15
20 30 35
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MBWA
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MBWA
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25
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Mark McCormack 5,000 miles for a 5 min. meeting!
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The first and greatest imperative of command is
to be present in person. Those who impose risk
must be seen to share it. John Keegan, The
Mask of Command
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LET US MARCH
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A man approached JP Morgan, held up an envelope,
and said, Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed
formula for success, which I will gladly sell you
for 25,000.Sir, JP Morgan replied, I do
not know what is in the envelope, however if you
show me, and I like it, I give you my word as a
gentleman that I will pay you what you ask.The
man agreed to the terms, and handed over the
envelope. JP Morgan opened it, and extracted a
single sheet of paper. He gave it one look, a
mere glance, then handed the piece of paper back
to the gent.And paid him the agreed-upon
25,000.
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1. Every morning, write a list of
the things that need to be done that
day.2. Do them. Source Hugh
MacLeod/tompeters.com/NPR
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Do them!
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In classical times when Cicero had finished
speaking, the people said, How well he spoke,
but when Demosthenes had finished speaking, they
said, Let us march. Adlai Stevenson
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Let us march.
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Nelsons secret Other admirals more
frightened of losing than anxious to win
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A year from now you may wish You had
started today. Karen Lamb
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You only find oil if you drill wells. T he
Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian O G
wildcatter
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TP/Chile I dont know if it is possible. I
do know its necessary.