Tom Peters

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Tom PetersNew Old Basics9 June 2008
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Lessons Learned 42/ 1966-2008
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Lessons Learned 42/1966-2008Decentral
izationAccountabilityWild-ass
imaginationHuman developmentXFX
(Cross-functional Excellence)Untapped
MarketsValue-added fanaticismBase
Principles IBase Principles IIBase
Principles IIILeadership
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Decentralization USA Constitution, 50
states, immigrant nation (gt50 Silicon Valley),
independent-minded (students no respect
teachers), entrepreneurial, Energizer
Bunny (Zakaria1960/26, 1980/22, 2000/27,
2007/26), pragmatic (Rommel),
relatively unregulated market economy
Research via wildly competitive universities
William Easterly, economic development (trust
the development experts all seven
billion of them) JJ/DePuy (Decentralization
as decentralization was meant to be) More
statistically independent tries (if
independent holds) Focus! (Focus pays.)
Economies of scale run out (much) earlier than
we think Focus on the lowest operating
unit retail store-district union and 250-
person distribution center, call center
parish Spread ideas via go see this-these
demos (infection through best practices
rather than central edict) innovation by
prototyping anywhere and everywhere
(e.g., the 1 rule) innovation by parallel
universe (mgt ed new via autonomous
exec ed divisionmain body conservative-
recalcitrant Jill Ker Conway _at_ Smithnew
money sources for new people and new
programs) You own the damn place no
bullshit excuses (i.e., Major Consequences
up down) No such thing as
Scalability Limits to synergy Power
of no (Jim Burke Rulee.g., no centralization
following screw-up, in 9 of 10 cases,
even after major boo-boo) Decentralization
is not a piece of paper. Its not me. Its either
in your heart, or not.Brian
Joffe/BIDvest
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Accountability 30-80 ruleown your budget
(Mark Hurd-HP) Make a promise keep a promise
(GE, Milliken) Optimism but honesty No
Kill the messenger Transparency Starts
at the top!!!!!!!! (Bob Gates and Walter
Reed-USAF) Fragile??? Clear expectations
at the time of hiring Self-responsibility
Decency-culture of respect
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Wild-ass imagination Dubai rule Hang
out with freaks as a matter of course (lead
customers, small-but-hot vendors, odd
backgrounds, etc, etcmore or less measured)
Wee cool acquisitions (hold on to founders at
all costsDisney and Pixar and Jobs on
Board Cisco) Measure division-level bosses
on crazy-assed experiments (plus Wexner Rule
no screw-ups is Black Mark) and Daniels
RuleReward excellent failures, punish
mediocre successes (!!!) Failure
tolerated-encouraged (He who makes the most
mistakes wins) 5-year Blockbuster
Initiatives with major consequences
(Demo-driven) Diversity for creativity
(bottom to top) Decentralization with teeth
Accountability (Dreamers with deadlines)
World-class research universities Government
support for RD (computers, Internet, biotech)

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Human development Cathedral model (This
is what we do) WPP Mission HR (GE
model) Chief Human Development Officer (post-cop
world) You will be measured on Human
Development Effectiveness (e.g., how many
folks go on to be promoted at least two levels,
or are headhunted) ResilienceXP/eXtreme
Preparation (Black Swan world) Character
MBQ (Management By Quest) Project
structurePM leadership early Commitment to
decencypremium on thoughtfulness Squint test
(diversity, top team looks like customer base)
Go for the people people (emphasize
intangibles!!) Putting the customer second
Goal greatest places to work recognition
Servant leadership
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XFX (Cross-functional Excellence) Constant
reinforcement with major rewards, punishments
(Puckett, Robinson) Mundane tactics gt Edict
( lunches) MBWA-demo-best practices gt
Edict The way we do things around here
(focus on operating unit) Manage conflict
with decentralizationartistry Reward what
the hell does he do all day sorts
Customer-centric Departments (PSF model prove
your worth, serve your customers or
else, principal engines of value added)
Partnerships Model (PSF and internal
customersmeasure satisfaction union
boss and facility boss vendor-customer teams
sales and client teams Friends in low
places Power Nudges (e.g., facilities
management) Transparency! Everything on
the Web
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Untapped Markets Big Two!!!!!!
(Strategic-level enterprise-organizing principle)
She is your customer! (So shed better be
your boss!) Old Farts Rule! And will rule for
the next quarter century! (Welcome to
Boomer-Geezer Time!)
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Value-added Fanaticism TGR gt TGW
(experience) (emphasis on little touchesthe
case of the 2-cent candy) Customer
Success gtgtgtgt Customer Satisfaction
Schlumberger-IBM-UPS (We are bold integrated
services provision) (HP-EDS) PSF structure
Design driven nation (Korea!), we are design
(Apple) Ladder (Raw materials-Goods-Services-So
lutions-Experience-Dreams come
true-Lovemark)
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Base Principles I Try It
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Base Principles II Try It
Decentralization MBWA Excellence
Servant leadership
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Base Principles III Try It
Decentralization O.O.D.A. (tempo, metabolic
management, speed-of-light prototyping)
MBWA/Walk (25 Rule, 60-call Rule, 3K5M Rule,
Texas Bix Bender Rule) Excellence (Ill know
it when I see it no non-excellenceWatson
Rule gt OpX) Women as key leadership-senior
leadership source, masters of implementation
(Yunus), primary market
Decency-respect-transparency K.I.S.S.
(Pronovost Modelcheck list Bossidy Modelsum of
projects equals promise, etc Beautiful
Systems) We are all in Sales around here!
Cool is cool (design primacy) We thrive on
ambiguity Execution gt Strategy (Execution is
strategy) (Drucker) Execution gt Great
leaders (Execution is leadership) (Drucker)
Servant leadershipCathedral Model You
could do worse than In Search of Excellence
(People. Customers. Action.
Entrepreneurial spirit. Values. Focus.
K.I.S.S.)
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Leadership 21L -21L MBWA
Excellence Servant leaders