Category: Uncategorized

Co-Llaborate

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Guest Post by Charles Lee

Collaboration is both a mystery and a miracle. It comes in all shapes, textures, and sizes. Collaboration is as unpredictable as the future and ever changing like the wind. It lures and dismisses us without warning.

Collaboration is truly a complex endeavor. It’s complex because it involves complex beings – yes, people like you and me! Collaboration is neither static nor guaranteed. There are a million reasons why one might not collaborate with another. For some, it may their lack of time and resources. For others, their hesitancy is rooted in the fear of uncertainty, risk, or lack of knowledge. These and many more like them are all legitimate reasons and warrant consideration before entering a collaborative environment.
Here are some of the common ways people view the nature of collaboration:
Collaboration as Option – Some view collaboration as a nice option for enhancing one’s own endeavor. In this view, collaboration is something one adds to his/her work when conveniently available but isn’t considered necessary for one’s goal.
Collaboration as Connecting – Some view collaboration as simply as “connecting” with others. It doesn’t entail too much work outside of getting together. In this view, collaboration is mostly an intellectually satisfying experience with minimal commitment.
Collaboration as Want – Many view collaboration as something they want. They know it’s extremely beneficial to moving forward in their endeavors, but find themselves questioning how it actually works. Based on my interaction with leaders, I think most are in this category of thought. They really do want to collaborate but feel a rising sense of pessimism because of previous experiences and lack the energy to seriously try again.
Collaboration as Necessity – This is a minority group of people who view collaboration as an absolute necessity in their pursuits. Despite some of the disappointments of past experiences, people who hold this perspective choose to open themselves up to new opportunities, even at the risk of being let down again. These individuals choose to learn from their past “failures” to become better collaborators and work intentionally towards paradigms, systems and arrangements that produce great partnerships.
Understanding how to perceive collaboration is a good starting point in deciding whether or not to participate. In my experience, there appears to be some foundational principles that guide healthy instances of collaboration. These principles are in no way perfect, but they do help to form productive interaction and “co-labor” (a key to co/laboration). For example, a practical way to minimize unnecessary complexity is to state upfront as to what kind of collaboration you think you are entering. Getting things down on paper, even if it’s a simple one-sheet agreement, can make a world of difference. Minimally, you and the person(s) you are collaborating with will have a point of reference for conversation and potential refinement of arrangement.
I know for many driven by a “relational” posture may view this as mechanical and artificial. Nevertheless, the potential awkwardness of creating a mutually agreed upon agreement is far better to experience than the level of frustration that often arises when this is not considered.
Another principle to embrace is for those involved to focus on actionable steps. Think big and act small. Creating milestones that are clear and linked to accountability will be key. Ideas are only as good as one’s ability to implement. If your meetings are not filled with actionable items, you may want to reconsider having meetings in the first place. Incremental implementation is what ultimately helps us reach our goals. Keep moving things forward together.
There’s no doubt that collaboration is both powerful and necessary in our world. How to go about co-laboring is something we all need to help each other on. Collaboration truly involves mutual “labor” and commitment to work. Developing one’s skill-set in collaboration requires intentional pursuit and life-long commitment. Viewing collaboration as necessity will open up a world of opportunities and perspectives that would not have been possible without it.

The Myth of "Slow Change"

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

@font-face { font-family: “Times New Roman”; }@font-face { font-family: “Arial”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }

Guest post by Josh Allan Dykstra

It takes a long time to build anything worthwhile.

·      Building a house = slow.
·      Building a relationship = slow.
·      Building trust = slow.
·      Building a great company = slow.
·      Growing a tree = slow.
·      Writing a book = slow.
·      Recording an album = slow.
·      Painting a painting = slow.
This isn’t really all that surprising. What’s really interesting is how quickly these things can go away.
·      A house can be demolished with a few explosives.
·      A relationship can be destroyed in an instant.
·      Trust can disappear in a moment.
·      A company can dissolve without warning.
·      A tree can be uprooted by a big storm.
·      A manuscript, a recording tape, or a painting can be thrown in a fire (thankfully this is getting harder to do with digital media).
There are a couple of lessons here, I think.
First, we should probably be more patient. Growing something good always takes time.
Second, most of us operate under the myth that all change is slow. But that’s only one kind of change: The “growing” kind.
If you want quick change, all you need to do is get rid of something. That kind of change is FAST, and it’s not always as destructive as my examples here. (For example, get rid of your performance reviews.)

The Second Time Around

Scott AsaiLeave a comment
First gets a lot of attention, but there are times when coming in second might even be better. 

For example, when I visit a new place, exploration is fun, but I prefer coming back a second time so I can repeat the things I enjoyed the most. At a buffet, I put everything on my plate that looks good, but my second trip only includes items that tasted great. 
In business, the first time around is trial and error, but when you make it through, the second time is much easier. Don’t try to fail initially, but expect mistakes when encountering the unknown. Serial entrepreneurs are much more successful than one-time entrepreneurs because of their experience. 
Don’t let your fear of failure hold you back. How you embrace failure now will determine how successful you will be in the future. Rejection isn’t as subjective as you might think. Don’t take it personal and move forward. How do you “frame” your situation?
Think about your career. It’s hard to figure out what you’ll love doing until you try different options. It works with dating too. Most people don’t marry the first person they date. We need that context to help us figure out what we’re looking for. 

So the next time you’re focusing on trying to get it right the first time, remember the second time around isn’t such a bad consolation prize. Isn’t that right McKayla? 

Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough

Scott Asai1 Comment
@font-face { font-family: “Times New Roman”; }@font-face { font-family: “Calibri”; }@font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }@font-face { font-family: “MS Mincho”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }strong { }p { margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; Guest post by Zach Buckley
So you’ve got a killer idea for a business? That’s great. But if you want to skate through life on the quality of your ideas, you’ll have to get in line. Everyone would like to turn their concepts into profits while putting in minimum effort, but it rarely works out that way. In most cases, an idea’s success is tethered to the person or people who believe in it. If those parties understand how to turn their concept into something tangible, they could eventually realize their dreams.But there are a lot of steps between points A and B, and a lot of obstacles and demands must be faced. It takes more than an entrepreneurial spirit to build a business. Multiple sacrifices must be made, and in the end your business concept needs to be flexible to adapt to changes in circumstances. Many of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs make founding and running multi-billion dollar companies look easy, but that’s often the end result of years of hard work without any promise of a payoff.

If you are serious about committing yourself to entrepreneurship, you need to be ready to pour everything you have into it. That won’t guarantee success, but it can go a long way.

Sacrifice is both financial and personal

Any entrepreneur needs to understand the stakes of starting their own business. They also need to know how much they’re willing to give to achieve success. How long can you live without an income? How much can you afford to put into your business? How important is family time, and how do you plan to address your personal needs?

Unfortunately, life as an entrepreneur is rough. Running a business isn’t a nine-to-five job. As the head of the company, your job is to make sure things get done, no matter what the personal or financial costs. If that means missing your daughter’s soccer game to do it, so be it.

Not everyone is willing to make that sacrifice. There’s no shame in that, but it’s critical to recognize those limits before you commit yourself, your finances and your family to achieving your dream. Embracing globalization as a cornerstone to success

Adapting on the fly is key. No matter what you do on your end, there’s no assurance that a long line of customers will be chomping at the bit to scoop up your products and/or services. Maybe you’re not looking in the right places. You may have had one target demographic in mind, but if your first efforts don’t yield any success, you might pivot by expanding your borders or going beyond them.

Globalization has been a boon to many companies that have expanded their consumer base by expanding their marketing efforts to new communities, regions, countries and continents. The same technology makes Skype interviews and global conference calls a normal part of business expansion in the 21st century. Even if your initial disappointing performance has you down, it could be that you just haven’t found the right consumer base to establish and grow your business. Continue to make adjustments to your marketing tactics, target market and demographics to see if you’ve simply miscalculated where your services will be most valued.

Last but not least, entrepreneurs need to tap every ounce of patience they can manage if they want to survive the startup phase of their business. Success may not come quickly, and it may not be easy, but being impulsive and/or reactionary is a recipe for disaster. Don’t forget the time you’ve taken to develop your product. If you give up you’re tossing away the time, energy and resources that you’ve invested. Keep pushing.

About the author: Zach Buckley is a freelance writer based in the Midwest. He enjoys exploring developing trends in education, technology and culture. When he isn’t reading or writing blogs, he enjoys sampling good music and good food. Follow him on Twitter! @Zach_buckley

A Golden Opportunity

Scott AsaiLeave a comment
As the drama of the Olympic Games unfolds, gold medals are highlighted, but listen to the individual stories of hard work and sacrifice that weave the tapestry of the competition. 
For every medal that is won, hundreds are lost. Picture the competitors that train for 4 years, yet come up empty. How do they define their Olympic experience? 
Personally I see the parallel as an entrepreneur. 
For every book written and success story covered by journalists, there are thousands of failures.
How do you define success? Is it based on money earned? Influence spread? Popularity? 
Only you can determine that. Sometimes starting at the end gives us perspective. For example, I remember a graphic on a tombstone that asked the question, “Title or Testimony?” Ponder that. Ultimately, what do you want to be remembered for? 
According to Dan Pink, we strive for purpose, autonomy and mastery, yet what’s your story?
Just because you didn’t win, doesn’t mean you’re a loser. 
Just because you’re not where you want to be career-wise, doesn’t make you a failure.
Just because you didn’t meet your expectations, doesn’t mean you underachieved.
Hard work doesn’t always equal your desired results, but without it you don’t stand a chance. 
If life is a journey, you won’t always get what you want. Even with the right process, the product doesn’t always match up. I believe your ability to cope with unfavorable circumstances determines your worldview. What matters is how you deal with adversity. When you get knocked down, how quickly do you get back up? 

So the next time you don’t succeed, how will you respond? That determines your impact.

Takeaways from Warren Bennis

Scott AsaiLeave a comment
Guest post by Jeff Okita
Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my role models, Dr. Warren Bennis. As an established author and widely regarded as a pioneer of leadership studies, he is truly a remarkable person. Here are some takeaways from my interview.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson used to ask people he hasn’t seen in a while – “What has become
  clearer since we last spoke?”

– Dr. Bennis intellectualizes as defense. People who intellectualize tend not to get
  emotional/visceral.

– Freud wrote about 6 methods of defense. A great leader has a great repertoire of defense
  mechanisms.

– Know who you are, the effect you have on others and what roles call on you.

– The boundaries of authenticity – one is a limit of the norms of the culture, but also a
  personality factor.

– Be authentic to your role.

– An increase of sources of news will make transparency easier

– On what advice you would give the current administration – “Obama has to call on shared
  sacrifice; there is a hunger for it from people who live in this generation. Be specific. Ask  
  for sacrifice”

– Bennis thinks that the people need the voice that FDR provided through fireside chats.

– How do you mobilize communities? Through groups or individual leadership? Both.

– Any structure will work if the people want it.


Bennis is a caring person. He makes eye contact with every person in the room, for an extended period of time, as if looking into your very soul. Bennis ponders and remembers intricate facts about his childhood, people he’s meet and passages he’s read. After our conversation, I thought “this man is exceptional, and different than anyone else I’ve ever met.” What a truly great experience that I’ll never forget.

The Power of Invisible Business

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Guest Post By Josh Allan Dykstra

@font-face { font-family: “Times New Roman”; }@font-face { font-family: “Arial”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }ol { margin-bottom: 0in; }ul { margin-bottom: 0in; }

It’s easy to overlook invisible things.

After all, by definition we can’t see them.
But there are plenty of invisible things which cause real, tangible effects.
Wind.
Rules.
Emotions.
Biases.
What we often forget is that the majority of business is invisible, too. Much of our work happens behind the scenes, out of sight.
This “invisible” side of business occurs in two places:
1.    In our minds. Our perspective on whatever we’re doing is completely invisible, but has a powerful impact on the results we achieve. Our thoughts really do become things.
2.    In the systems of our organization. All groups have processes, rules, and structures. At some point, all these things were created by a human being — many times haphazardly, often times badly, sometimes accidentally. These invisible boundaries dictate how we interact with each other at work.
(More than that, did you know that 80% of the value of your business is made up of invisible things like culture, morale, talent, a strong brand, meaning, and engagement?)*
In our work, as everywhere else, invisible things have a tremendous impact. But we don’t pay attention to many of these things, and they wreak havoc on our wellbeing because we forget they are there — and that they are powerful.
If we were to recognize them, though, I suspect the world might be different. If we would turn our focus towards the invisible, could we adjust these things to be life-giving instead of life-sucking? Could we create a better future for ourselves, individually? Could we design energizing work environments, collectively?
I think we can.
//
*Read more about this in the book Human Sigma.

Why Content Writing is Considered Effective

Scott AsaiLeave a comment
Guest post by Kristen Bradley
Businesses are starting to understand that a positive online presence is mandatory in today’s technology driven environment. The old ways of online marketing are over and using old marketing practices will leave your business product in the dust. This is where content writing from numerous individuals through crowdsourcing comes in handy. This way of marketing products is effective and becoming a normal way for business to be relevant online.
Content Writing with High Quality 
The web is always updating to improve the way users find content. In the last few years, it has become mandatory for content to be high quality. Information that is not relevant or full of grammar mistakes will be left out of the first pages on a search engine. This will ultimately leave your business out of the limelight, therefore fewer people buy your product. You need individuals who are skilled enough to put together relevant content that will drive customers to your business product. The best part about using crowdsourcing to get content is that each content writer will to put together information differently. This is like using a thesaurus of keywords that effectively grabs the attention of new and returning customers. This kind of content places your business on the first page on many different engines.
Qualifying Workers Made Easy
The benefit of using a system that is already developed is that you do not need to work too hard to find the right people. Most crowdsourcing sites have a way to test users against your expectations. The worker pool may have many workers, but not every worker is suited to produce your content. Standards set by crowdsourcing companies help you find those gems in a sea of workers. This eliminates the work of placing ads, viewing resumes and checking credentials for thousands of potential workers. The screening process is cut down significantly and you can find only the workers who can produce what you seek.
Once you have a good number of writers you can turn to for projects, keep them happy. Simple communication is worth a lot in this business. You end up with a pool of highly skilled workers, groomed to perfection that churn out great content as you need it. This keeps a steady flow of new content coming out, so that your business can shine in the spotlight with your products. Crowdsourcing and content writing fit perfectly together. When they are used to the fullest ability they produce a powerful end result.
Kristen Bradley is a principal from CrowdSource.com, a premier website helping business leaders succeed with their professional ventures.

Is Leadership Flat?

Scott AsaiLeave a comment
Theoretically yes. Realistically no. This may ruin it for you idealists, but let me explain why.

If you’re on a leadership team, there has to be a point person. 
 Who makes the decision? 
Who takes responsibility for failure? 
Who’s the leader?
We’d like to believe that leadership can be flat, but that structure doesn’t work. How often does indecision, disagreement or different agendas come into play? Sure, the same can be said for the singular leader, but there still needs to be a single person in charge.
At its purest form leadership is about relationships (minus the leverage of position, power or money). One leader works best. Accountability can come from the board or management team, but everyone wants to know who pulls the trigger. 
Even in today’s contemporary, growing organizations such as Zappos or Facebook, there is still a recognizable face to the brand. Who knows if they are truly the leader, but they’re viewed that way. 
Instead of thinking horizontal vs. vertical, consider a circle. If a leadership team is placed in a cylinder, it can be turned to different point persons when necessary. A leader doesn’t always have to be in charge. In fact, serving and following is an important trait as a leader. 
Similar to the saying, “There can’t be too many chefs in the kitchen,” leadership works more effectively when there is one leader and defined roles for the rest. This isn’t about power, position or money, but about bringing the most value to a company by “being on the right seat in the bus.” 

I’ll take it a step further and say leadership is a gift. Anyone can lead, but some are born to do it. 
Yes, leadership skills can be taught, but certain individuals facilitate greater results when they’re on top. 

Top 3 Essentials for Web Entrepreneurs

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

@font-face { font-family: “Times New Roman”; }@font-face { font-family: “Calibri”; }@font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }@font-face { font-family: “MS Mincho”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }strong { }em { }p { margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }

By Zach Buckley

If you’re a Web entrepreneur, you probably know what your competition looks like. Quite a few sites are horrible, while only a select few stand out. You don’t want to be part of the sub-standard sites out there so it’s vital that you have several essential things to be an online success story. Here are a few lessons for the budding web entrepreneurs out there:
Design Matters
As Web designer Brian Reed once said, “Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.” The design of your site matters. It’s the first impression that users will get about your business. Your site should be well designed and a pleasure to look at, especially the landing page. When your site visitors land on your home page, it’s essential that you capture their attention quickly. This means an easy to read and easy to view site where users will know the site’s purpose within a few seconds. Grab the visitor’s attention and encourage them to click the other page links. Make it easy for your site visitors by letting them know who you are and what you do, briefly and concisely, so they are likely to stay on the site and possibly become customers.
Good Domain Name
Simplicity is especially important when it comes to your domain name. A good domain name is easy to remember, easy to type, and easy to recognize. Although there are plenty of different extensions to choose from today, .com is still the most popular and most easily recognized; generally preferable to a .net, .org, or any other extension. If possible, it’s best to avoid adding dashes or a number that isn’t part of your company’s name. Extra characters just make it more difficult to remember and type, which could limit the amount of people who are return visitors for your site.
Be Accessible
One of the main reasons that site visitors might not return is frustration. How easily can they get in touch with you? It’s important that your contact information – phone, live chat, or email – is readily accessible. A visitor who can’t find the answers they want will automatically start looking for a “Contact” button or page. It’s vital that your contact information is easy to find. Being available for your site visitors is truly be one of the best ways that you can turn the visitors into your buyers.
Besides contact, there’s also recognition. The Internet is essentially a massive ocean over which you can cast an impressive net to pull in potential consumers. Note: PPC and SEO. A proper PPC campaign and a means of auditing that campaign can help you get your brand in front of new, relevant eyes while SEO will give you exposure through organic search. You can have all the luck in the world developing your online business, but it means nothing if no one can see it. 
Using these top three tactics are essential for the neophyte entrepreneur. Try these simple tips to see how valuable they can really be!

Zach Buckley is a freelance writer who is interested in exploring the intersection of culture, science and education.  He lives in the Midwest and enjoys music, literature and good food.