Ouch!

1
Ouch!
2
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 Source
Paul Ormerod, Why Most Things Fail Evolution,
Extinction and Economics
3
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
4
Mr. Foster and his McKinsey colleagues collected
detailed performance data stretching back 40
years for 1,000 U.S. companies. They found that
none of the long-term survivors managed to
outperform the market. Worse, the longer
companies had been in the database, the worse
they did. Financial Times
5
Data drawn from the real world attest to a fact
that is beyond our control Everything in
existence tends to deteriorate. Norberto
Odebrecht, Education Through Work
6
LONG Tom Peters Excellence! NOW! Foley
Lardner LLP/Annual Partners Meeting Chicago/15
September 2011 (Presentation/Presentation LONG _at_
tompeters.com)
7
NOTE To appreciate this presentation and
ensure that it is not a mess, you need Microsoft
fonts Showcard Gothic, Ravie, Chiller
and Verdana
8
This years graduates are told by
commencement speakers to pursue happiness and
joy. But, of course, when you read a biography of
someone you admire, its rarely the things that
made them happy that compel our admiration. Its
the things they did to court unhappinessthe
things they did that were arduous and miserable,
which sometimes cost them friends and aroused
hatred. Its excellence, not happiness, that we
admire most. David Brooks, Its Not About
You, op-ed, New York Times, 30 May 2011
9
Organizations exist to serve. Period. Leaders
live to serve. Period.
10
Why in the World did you go to Siberia?
11
Enterprise (at its best) An emotional, vital,
innovative, joyful, creative, entrepreneurial
endeavor that elicits maximum
concerted human
potential in the
wholehearted pursuit of EXCELLENCE in service of
others.Employees, Customers, Suppliers,
Communities, Owners, Temporary partners
12
EXCELLENCE/SynonymsPurityTranscendenceVirtueE
leganceMajestyEXCELLENCE/AntonymMediocrity
13
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
14
Breakthrough 82 People! Customers! Action!
Values! In Search of Excellence
15
The Memories That Matter.
16
The Memories
That Matter The people you developed who went on
to stellar accomplishments inside or outside
the company. The (no more than) two or three
people you developed who went on to create
stellar institutions of their own. The long shots
(people with a certain something) you bet on
who surprised themselvesand your peers. The
people of all stripes who 2/5/10/20 years
later say You made a difference in my life,
Your belief in me changed everything. The sort
of/character of people you hired in general. (And
the bad apples you chucked out despite some
stellar traits.) A handful of projects (a half
dozen at most) you doggedly pursued that
still make you smile and which fundamentally
changed the way things are done inside or
outside the company/industry. The supercharged
camaraderie of a handful of Great Teams aiming
to change the world.
17
The Memories
That Matter Belly laughs at some of the
stupid-insane things you and your mates
tried. Less than a closet full of I should have
A frighteningly consistent record of having
invariably said, Go for it! Not intervening in
the face of considerable lossrecognizing that
to develop top talent means tolerating
failures and allowing the person who screwed
up to work their own way through and out of
their self-created mess. Dealing with one or more
crises with particular/memorable
aplomb. Demanding CIVILITY regardless of
circumstances. Turning around one or two or so
truly dreadful situationsand watching almost
everyone involved rise to the occasion (often to
their own surprise) and acquire a renewed
sense of purpose in the process. Leaving
something behind of demonstrable-lasting worth.
(On short as well as long assignments.)
18
The Memories
That Matter Having almost always (99 of the
time) put Quality and Excellence ahead of
Quantity. (At times an unpopular approach.) A
few critical instances where you stopped short
and could have done morebut to have done
so would have compromised your and your
teams character and integrity. A sense of time
well and honorably spent. The expression of
simple human kindness and considerationno
matter how harried you may be/may have
been. Understood that your demeanor/expression of
character always set the toneespecially in
difficult situations. Never (rarely) let your
external expression of enthusiasm/
determination flagthe rougher the times, the
more your expressed energy and bedrock
optimism and sense of humor showed. The respect
of your peers. A stoic unwillingness to badmouth
otherseven in private.
19
The Memories
That Matter An invariant creed When something
goes amiss, The buck stops with me when
something goes right, it was their doing, not
yours. A Mandela-like naïve belief that others
will rise to the occasion if given the
opportunity. A reputation for eschewing the
trappings of power. (Strong self-
management of tendencies toward arrogance or
dismissiveness.) Intense, even driven but not
to the point of being careless of others in
the process of forging ahead. Willing time and
again to be surprised by ways of doing things
that are inconsistent with your certain
hypotheses. Humility in the face of others, at
every level, who know more than you about
the way things really are. Bit your tongue
on a thousand occasionsand listened, really
really listened. (And been constantly delighted
when, as a result, you invariably learned
something new and invariably increased your
connection with the speaker.)
20
The Memories
That Matter Unalloyed pleasure in being informed
of the fallaciousness of your beliefs by
someone 15 years your junior and several rungs
below you on the hierarchical ladder.
Selflessness. (A sterling reputation as a guy
always willing to help out with alacrity
despite personal cost.) As thoughtful and
respectful, or more so, toward thine enemies
as toward friends and supporters. Always and
relentlessly put at the top of your list/any
list being first and foremost of service to
your internal and external constituents.
(Employees/Peers/ Customers/Vendors/Community.)
Treated the term servant leadership as holy
writ. (And preached servant leadership to
othersnew non-managerial hire or old pro,
age 18 or 48.)
21
The Memories
That Matter Created the sort of workplaces youd
like your kids to inhabit. (Explicitly
conscious of this Would I want my kids to
work here? litmus test.) A certifiable nut
about quality and safety and integrity. (More or
less regardless of any costs.) A notable few
circumstances where you resigned rather than
compromise your bedrock beliefs. Perfectionism
just short of the paralyzing variety. A self- and
relentlessly enforced group standard of
EXCELLENCE-in-all-we-do/EXCELLENCE in our
behavior toward one another.
22
In a way, the world is a great liar. It shows
you it worships and admires money, but at the end
of the day it doesnt. It says it adores fame and
celebrity, but it doesnt, not really. The world
admires, and wants to hold on to, and not lose,
goodness. It admires virtue. At the end it gives
its greatest tributes to generosity, honesty,
courage, mercy, talents well used, talents that,
brought into the world, make it better. Thats
what it really admires. Thats what we talk about
in eulogies, because thats whats important. We
dont say, The thing about Joe was he was rich!
We say, if we can
23
We say, if we can The thing about Joe
was he took good care of people. Peggy
Noonan, A Lifes Lesson, on the astounding
response to the passing of Tim Russert, The Wall
Street Journal, June 21-22, 2008
24
The Quality of ones Sergeants
25
If the regimental commander lost most of his 2nd
lieutenants and 1st lieutenants and captains and
majors, it would be a tragedy. If he lost his
sergeants it would be a catastrophe. The Army and
the Navy are fully aware that success on the
battlefield is dependent to an extraordinary
degree on its Sergeants and Chief Petty Officers.
Does industry have the same awareness?
26
People leave managers not companies. Dave
Wheeler
27
Cross-border Conversations
28
XFX 1 Cross-Functional eXcellence
29
Never waste a lunch!
30
Personal relationships are the fertile soil
from which all advancement, all success, all
achievement in real life grow. Ben Stein
31
Allied commands depend on mutual confidence and
this confidence is gained, above all through
the development of friendships. General
D.D. Eisenhower, Armchair General Perhaps
his most outstanding ability at West Point was
the ease with which he made friends and earned
the trust of fellow cadets who came from widely
varied backgrounds it was a quality that would
pay great dividends during his future coalition
command.
32
XF lunches Measure! Monthly! Part of
evaluation! The PAs Club.
33
The sacred 220 ABs. At bats
34
C(I)gtC(E)
35
Loser Hes such a suck-up!Winner
Hes such a suck-down.
36
George Crile (Charlie Wilsons War) on Gust
Avarkotos strategy He had become something
of a legend with these people who manned the
underbelly of the Agency CIA.
37
I got to know his secretaries. Dick
Parsons (as CEO Time Warner, on successfully
dealing with Carl Icahn)
38
Competency is irrelevant if we dont share
common values. Mayo Clinic exec, from Leonard
Berry Kent Seltman, Orchestrating the Clues
of Quality, Chapter 7 from Management Lessons
From Mayo Clinic
39
I am hundreds of times better here than in
my prior hospital assignment because of the
support system. Its like you were working in an
organism you are not a single cell when you are
out there practicing. quote from Dr. Nina
Schwenk, in Chapter 3, Practicing Team
Medicine, from Leonard Berry Kent Seltman,
from Management Lessons From Mayo Clinic
40
1
41
The doctor interrupts after Source
Jerome Groopman, How Doctors Think
42
18
43
18 seconds!
44
An obsession with Listening is ... the ultimate
mark
of Respect. Listening is ... the
heart and soul of Engagement. Listening is ...
the heart and soul of Kindness. Listening is ...
the heart and soul of Thoughtfulness. Listening
is ... the basis for true Collaboration. Listening
is ... the basis for true Partnership. Listening
is ... a Team Sport. Listening is ... a
Developable Individual Skill. (Though women
are far better at it
than men.) Listening is ... the basis for
Community. Listening is ... the bedrock of Joint
Ventures that work. Listening is ... the bedrock
of Joint Ventures that grow. Listening is ... the
core of effective Cross-functional
Communication (Which is in turn
Attribute 1 of
organizational effectiveness.) cont.
45
I wasnt bowled over by David Boies
intelligence What impressed me was that when he
asked a question, he waited for an answer. He not
only listened he made me feel like I was the
only person in the room. Lawyer Kevin _____, on
his first, inadvertent meeting with renown
attorney David Boies, from Marshall Goldsmith,
The One Skill That Separates, Fast Company
46
Aggressive listening
47
Listening is ... the engine of superior
EXECUTION. Listening is ... the key to making the
Sale. Listening is ... the key to Keeping the
Customers Business. Listening is ...
Service. Listening is ... the engine of Network
development. Listening is ... the engine of
Network maintenance. Listening is ... the engine
of Network expansion. Listening is ... Social
Networkings secret weapon. Listening is ...
Learning. Listening is ... the sine qua non of
Renewal. Listening is ... the sine qua non of
Creativity. Listening is ... the sine qua non of
Innovation. Listening is ... the core of taking
diverse opinions aboard. Listening is ...
Strategy. Listening is ... Source 1 of
Value-added. Listening is ... Differentiator
1. Listening is ... Profitable. (The R.O.I.
from listening is higher than
from any other single
activity.) Listening is the bedrock which
underpins a Commitment to
EXCELLENCE
48
Best Listeners Win if you dont listen, you
dont sell anything. Carolyn Marland
49
8 of 10 sales presentations fail50 failed
sales presentations talking at before
listening!Susan Scott, Let Silence Do the
Heavy Listening, chapter title, Fierce
Conversations Achieving Success at Work and in
Life, One Conversation at a Time
50
If you agree with the above, shouldnt listening
be ... a Core Value? If you agree with the above,
shouldnt listening be ... perhaps Core Value
1? (We are Effective Listenerswe treat
Listening EXCELLENCE as the Centerpiece of our
Commitment to Respect and Engagement and
Community and Growth.) If you agree, shouldnt
listening be ... a Core Competence? If you agree,
shouldnt listening be ... Core Competence 1? If
you agree, shouldnt listening be ... an explicit
agenda item at every Meeting? If you agree,
shouldnt listening be ... our Strategyper se?
(Listening Strategy.) If you agree, shouldnt
listening be ... the 1 skill we look for in
Hiring (for every job)?
51
If you agree, shouldnt listening be ... the 1
attribute we examine in our Evaluations? If you
agree, shouldnt listening be ... the 1 skill we
look for in Promotion decisions? If you agree,
shouldnt listening be ... the 1 Training
priority at every stage of everyones careerfrom
Day 1 to Day LAST? If you agree, what are you
going to do about it ... in the next 30
MINUTES? If you agree, what are you going to do
about it ... at your NEXT meeting? If you agree,
what are you going to do about it ... by the end
of the DAY? If you agree, what are you going to
do about it ... in the next 30 DAYS? If you
agree, what are you going to do about it ... in
the next 12 MONTHS?
52
Message Listening is a profession!
53
Suggested addition to your statement of Core
Values We are Effective Listenerswe treat
Listening EXCELLENCE as the Centerpiece of our
Commitment to Respect and Engagement and
Community and Growth.
54

• The 1st 98 of talking
• is listening!

55
Meetings
56
Bitch all you want, but meetings are what you
boss do!
57
Meetings 1 leadership opportunity Meeting
Theater
58
Meeting Every meeting that does not stir the
imagination and curiosity of attendees and
increase bonding and co-operation and engagement
and sense of worth and motivate rapid action and
enhance enthusiasm is a permanently lost
opportunity.
59
Monday/Tomorrow Script your first 5-10
plays. (I.e., carefully launch the day/week in
a purposeful fashion.)
60
Execution is strategy.
61
Conrad Hilton
62
Conrad Hilton, at a gala celebrating his career,
was called to the podium and asked, What were
the most important lessons you learned in your
long and distinguished career? His answer
63
remember to tuck the shower curtain inside the
bathtub.
64
Execution is strategy. Fred Malek
65
Sports You beat yourself!
66
When assessing candidates, the first thing I
looked for was energy and enthusiasm for
execution. Does she talk about the thrill of
getting things done, the obstacles overcome, the
role her people played or does she keep
wandering back to strategy or philosophy?
Larry Bossidy, Execution
67
Observed closely The use of I or we during
a job interview. Source Leonard Berry Kent
Seltman, chapter 6, Hiring for Values,
Management Lessons From Mayo Clinic
68
Relentless!
69
One of my superstitions had always been when I
started to go anywhere or to do anything, not to
turn back , or stop, until the thing intended
was accomplished. Grant Ulysses Simpson
Grant (U.S. Grant) was actually Hiram Ulysses
Grant
70
Success seems to be largely a matter of
hanging on after others have let go. William
Feather, author, entrepreneur
71
On ADMIRAL HORATIO NELSON other admirals
more frightened of losing than anxious to
win Andrew Lambert, Nelson Britannias God of
War
72
Lick em tomorrow
73
The greatest dangerfor most of usis not that
our aim istoo highand we miss it,but that it
istoo lowand we reach it.Michelangelo
74
ARE YOU BEING REASONABLE? Most people are
reasonable thats why they only do reasonably
well. Source Paul Arden, Whatever You Think
Think the Opposite
75
Enthusiasts!
76
I am a dispenser of enthusiasm. Ben Zander
77
Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
78
Make it fun to work at your agency. Encourage
exuberance. Get rid of sad dogs who spread doom.
David Ogilvy
79
A man without a smiling face must not open a
shop. Chinese Proverb
80
Youve got to be able to see the beauty in a
hamburger bun. Ray Kroc
81
starts at home
82
To develop others, start with yourself.
Marshall Goldsmith
83
Being aware of yourself and how you affect
everyone around you is what distinguishes a
superior leader. Edie Seashore (Strategy
Business 45)
84
Leadership is self-knowledge. Successful leaders
are those who are conscious about their behavior
and the impact it has on the people around them.
They are willing to examine what behaviors of
their own may be getting in the way. The
toughest person you will ever lead is yourself.
We cant effectively lead others unless we can
lead ourselves. Betsy Myers, Take the Lead
Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in
Yourself and Everyone Around You
85
How can a high-level leader like _____ be so out
of touch with the truth about himself? Its more
common than you would imagine. In fact, the
higher up the ladder a leader climbs, the less
accurate his self-assessment is likely to be. The
problem is an acute lack of feedback especially
on people issues. Daniel Goleman (et al.),
The New Leaders
86
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no
one thinks of changing himself" - Leo Tolstoy
87
Listen to your grandmother!
88
Courtesies of a small and trivial character are
the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and
appreciating heart. Henry Clay,American
Statesman (1777-1852)
89
Press Ganey Assoc 139,380 former patients from
225 hospitalsnone of THE top 15 factors
determining Patient Satisfaction referred to
patients health outcome.Instead directly
related to Staff Interaction directly correlated
with Employee Satisfaction Source Putting
Patients First, Susan Frampton, Laura Gilpin,
Patrick Charmel
90
K R PKindness Repeat business Profit.
91
Kindness Repeat Business Profit.
92
I regard apologizing as the most magical,
healing, restorative gesture human beings can
make. It is the centerpiece of my work with
executives who want to get better. Marshall
Goldsmith, What Got You Here Wont Get You
There How Successful People Become Even More
Successful.
93
With a new and forthcoming policy on apologies
Toro, the lawn mower folks, reduced the average
cost of settling a claim from 115,000 in 1991 to
35,000 in 2008and the company hasnt been to
trial in the last 15 years! The VA hospital in
Lexington, Massachusetts, developed an approach,
totally uncharacteristic in healthcare, to
apologizing for errorseven when no patient
request or claim was made. In 2000, the systemic
mean VA hospital malpractice settlement
throughout the United States was 413,000 the
Lexington VA hospital settlement number was
36,000 and there were far fewer per patient
claims to begin with.) Source John Kador,
Effective Apology
94
Relationships (of all varieties) THERE ONCE WAS
A TIME WHEN A THREE-MINUTE PHONE CALL WOULD HAVE
AVOIDED SETTING OFF THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL THAT
RESULTED IN A COMPLETE RUPTURE. divorce, loss
of a BILLION aircraft sale, etc., etc.

95
THE PROBLEM IS RARELY/NEVER THE PROBLEM. THE
RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM INVARIABLY ENDS UP BEING
THE REAL PROBLEM. PERCEPTION IS ALL THERE IS!

96
Edward VII B. Franklin Or Not Clinton-Cornwallis-
Yorktown
97
Which customers first?
98
You have to treat your employees like
customers. Herb Kelleher, upon being asked his
secret to successSource Joe Nocera, NYT,
Parting Words of an Airline Pioneer, on the
occasion of Herb Kellehers retirement after 37
years at Southwest Airlines (SWAs pilots union
took out a full-page ad in USA Today thanking HK
for all he had done) across the way in Dallas,
American Airlines pilots were picketing AAs
Annual Meeting)
99
"If you want staff to give great service, give
great service to staff." Ari Weinzweig,
Zingerman's
100
no less than Cathedrals in which the full and
awesome power of the Imagination and Spirit and
native Entrepreneurial flair of diverse
individuals is unleashed in passionate pursuit of
Excellence.
101
The ONE Question In the last year 3 years,
current job, name the three people whose
growth youve most contributed to. Please explain
where they were at the beginning of the year,
where they are today, and where they are heading
in the next 12 months. Please explain in
painstaking detail your development strategy
in each case. Please tell me your biggest
development disappointmentlooking back, could
you or would you have done anything differently?
Please tell me about your greatest development
triumphand disasterin the last five years. What
are the three big things youve learned about
helping people grow along the way?
102
Les Wexner From sweaters to people!
103
A man should never be promoted to a
managerial position if his vision focuses on
peoples weaknesses rather than on their
strengths. Peter Drucker, The Practice of
Management
104
Andrew Carnegies Tombstone Inscription Here
lies a manWho knew how to enlistIn his
serviceBetter men than himself.Source Peter
Drucker, The Practice of Management
105
Innovation1 of 2
106
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, wildly
successful Canadian Oil Gas wildcatter
107
1/45
108
Lesson45 WTTMSW
109
Whoever Tries The Most Stuff Wins
110
Intelligent people can always come up with
intelligent reasons to do nothing. Scott Simon
111
Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre
successes.Phil Daniels, Sydney exec
112
You miss 100 of the shots you never take.
Wayne Gretzky
113
BLAME NOBODY. EXPECT NOTHING. DO SOMETHING.
            Source Locker room sign posted by
NFL football coach Bill Parcells
114
Innovation2 of 2
115
You will become like the five people you
associate with the mostthis can be either a
blessing or a curse. Billy Cox
116
The Bottleneck
117
The Bottleneck Is at the Top of the
BottleWhere are you likely to find people
with the least diversity of experience, the
largest investment in the past, and the greatest
reverence for industry dogma At the top!
Gary Hamel/Harvard Business Review
118
The Hang Out Axiom I We are What We Eat/We Are
the company we keep
119
The Hang Out Axiom II Hang out with cool
and thou shalT become more cool. Hang out with
dull and thou shalT become more dull. Period.
120
We Are the company we keep! Manage it!
121
The We are what we eat/ We are who we hang
out with Axiom At its core, every (!!!)
relationship-partnership decision (employee,
vendor, customer, etc, etc) is a strategic
decision about Innovate, Yes or No
122
The short road to ruin is to emulate the
methods of your adversary. Winston Churchill
123
Diverse groups of problem solversgroups of
people with diverse toolsconsistently
outperformed groups of the best and the
brightest. If I formed two groups, one random
(and therefore diverse) and one consisting of the
best individual performers, the first group
almost always did better. Diversity trumped
ability. Scott Page, The Difference How the
Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms,
Schools, and Societies
124
Diversity per se is a key maybe the key
to effective and innovative decision making.
125
Whos the most interesting person youve met in
the last 90 days? How do I get in touch with
them? Fred Smith
126
Vanity Fair What is your most marked
characteristic? Mike Bloomberg Curiosity.
127
Obvious as the end of your nose
128
Headline 2020 Women Hold 80 Percent of
Management and Professional JobsSource The
Extreme Future The Top Trends That Will Reshape
the World in the Next 20 Years, James Canton
129
Power Women 100 26 female
CEOs of Public CompaniesVs. Men/Market
28Vs. Industry 15Post-appointment
Source Forbes 10,10
130
AS LEADERS, WOMEN RULE New Studies find that
female managers outshine their male counterparts
in almost every measure TITLE/ Special
Report/ BusinessWeek
131
Womens Strengths Match New Economy Imperatives
Link rather than rank workers favor
interactive-collaborative leadership style
empowerment beats top-down decision making
sustain fruitful collaborations comfortable with
sharing information see redistribution of power
as victory, not surrender favor
multi-dimensional feedback value technical
interpersonal skills, individual group
contributions equally readily accept ambiguity
honor intuition as well as pure rationality
inherently flexible appreciate cultural
diversity. Source Judy B. Rosener, Americas
Competitive Secret Women Managers
132
Womens Negotiating
StrengthsAbility to put themselves in their
counterparties shoesComprehensive, attentive
and detailed communication styleEmpathy that
facilitates trust-buildingCurious and attentive
listeningLess competitive attitudeStrong
sense of fairness and ability to
persuadeProactive risk managerCollaborative
decision-makingSource Horacio Falcao, Cover
story/May 2006, World Business, Say It Like a
Woman Why the 21st-century negotiator will need
the female touch
133

• W gt 2X (C I)
• Women now drive the global economy. Globally,
  they control about 20 trillion in consumer
  spending, and that figure could climb as high as
  28 trillion in the next five years. Their 13
  trillion in total yearly earnings could reach 18
  trillion in the same period. In aggregate, women
  represent a growth market bigger than China and
  India combinedmore than twice as big in fact.
  Given those numbers, it would be foolish to
  ignore or underestimate the female consumer. And
  yet many companies do just thateven ones that
  are confidant that they have a winning strategy
  when it comes to women. Consider Dells
• Source Michael Silverstein and Kate Sayre, The
  Female Economy, HBR, 09.09

134
Forget China, India and the Internet Economic
Growth Is Driven by Women. Source Headline,
Economist
135
Men Are FinishedSource Title, Slate
conference, 0920/NYU
136
30!
137
Insanely GreatSteve JobsRadically
thrilling BMW
138
Astonish me! (Sergei Diaghlev)Build
something great! (Hiroshi Yamauchi) Make it
immortal! (David Ogilvy).)
139
Raise your sights! Blaze new trails! Compete
with the immortals! David Ogilvy, on Ogilvy
Mathers corporate culture
140
Wanted by Ogilvy Mather International Trumpete
r Swans David Ogilvy
141
Every project we undertake starts with the same
question How can we do what has never been
done before? Stuart Hornery, Lend Lease
142
Let us create such a building that future
generations will take us for lunatics. the
church hierarchs at Seville
143
14,00020,00030
144
14,000/eBay20,000/Amazon30/Craigslist
145
GREAT Professional Service Firms
146
GREAT Professional Service
Firms1. Stunning commitment to integrity.2.
Counselors first. (We are not in a commodity
business. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.)3.
Stellar listenersto our Clients. 4. Stellar
listenersto our fellow partners. 5. Stellar
listenersto our most junior associates.
(!!!!!)6. Stellar listenersto every member of
staff. 7. Insatiable curiosity marks 100 of
partners.8. We live to serve/Extreme service
ethic.9. Our leaders are servant leaders. (Every
partner is a leader first.)10. Deeply
ingrained sense of fairness.11. Hustlersbut
thoughtful to a fault! (Excise rude
bastards.)12. Service ethic means service to
one another as much as service to
clients.13. Drop everything to assist a
colleague in needcentral to our overall
ethos.14. Toss lousy colleagues out on their
derrieres.
147
GREAT Professional Service
Firms15. Intellectual/Process point of view
that is Distinct/Exciting.16. Every
partner must have a point of view of note.17.
The definition of the very best partners is that
they are insanely great (thanks, Steve)
mentors!18. Equal compensation/recognition to
top rainmakers, intellectuals, magical
mentors. 19. Invest heavily in ideas.20.
Technology pioneers. (Yes, pioneer.)21. A
decent share of oddballs not rainmakers but
disturbers-of-the-peace. (Often irritating
people.)22. Relatively high turnover and high
d/Diversity in top leadership
committees.23. Quality gtgt Quantity. (Big is fine
as a byproduct of Great Work. Big for
bigs sake is unfine.)24. Significant portfolio
of interesting clients. (I.e. clients that
lead us-drag us into new pastures.)25.
Willingness to dump bad-demotivating-enervating
clients (even big ones).
148
GREAT Professional Service
Firms26. Understand that we are running a
for-profit enterprise. Cash flow matters!
(A lot.)27. In love with our work! (Expunge
those who are not in love with their
workdump the burnouts.)28. Sense of fun. (Yes,
damn it.)30. Professional to a fault but not
pompous.31. Notable-visible respect for the
ideas of young associates.(!!!!!!)32.
diversity. (And Diversity.)33.
Practice-as-teamwork. (Teammate-ism rewarded,
lack thereof punished with extreme
prejudice.)34. Deep bench. Supporting cast,
notably starting with receptionists, must
be of same quality as partners there are
no bit players in our business.35. Age
gracefully gives way to youthregeneration a
deep-seated guiding belief.36. Hard work
expected and cherishedworkaholism for
workaholisms sake assiduously guarded
against.37. Proud of our culture, guard our
culture zealouslybut even great cultures
age. (And get horribly elaborated.)
149
GREAT Professional Service
Firms38. Rigorous exit interviews.39. Rigorous
evaluations of client satisfaction by more or
less disinterested parties.40. Sky-high time
investment in our evaluation process.41. My
legacy (as a partner) is Being of
service. Developing people. Being a
good colleaguewhich absorbed lots of my
time. Doing consistently superior (sky
high) quality work. Adding materially to
the ideas base of the Firm. Insuring the
continuity of the firmculturally and
financially. Being a paragon of integrity
and decency. Leaving gracefully.42.
Execution is strategy. (Thanks, Fred.)43. My
word is my bond.44. Excellence. PERIOD.
150
Excellence. Always. If not Excellence,
what?If not Excellence now, when?