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When Failure is Your Best Teacher

Scott Asai1 Comment
I remember hearing a coach say “You can’t learn anything from winning, only losing.” At the time I thought he was crazy, but over the years I believe that statement is true.
Nobody grows up wanting to fail, but failure is inevitable. Even if you’re risk-adverse at some point you’ll experience defeat. Because it’s not “if,” but “when” you’ll encounter failure so here are some ways to shift your thinking when it comes to failing.
There are no overnight success stories. There is so much hard work put in behind the scenes that no one will ever know except the person going through it. Have you ever heard the quote, “Success is 99% failure?” If that’s true it’s a “numbers” game. That means the more times you try, the greater chance you’ll eventually succeed (with a lot of failure along the way).
Failure has such a negative connotation to it, but maybe you should start looking at failure as a part of the journey to succeed. The better you are able to cope with and embrace failure, the less rejection and losing will sting. Most risk-takers become numb to failure because they know it’s just part of the process.
Now don’t misinterpret failure by attempting to experience it daily. Knowing what you should avoid and not repeating the same mistake next time around will lead you to victory. The more ambitious your goal, the more arduous the process. Any great accomplishment will encounter setbacks along the way. What matters and what you can actually control is how hard you go at it and how determined you are to try new methods and along the way.

There’s nothing worse than functioning by insanity (doing the same thing over and expecting different results). If you’re willing to fail, then success isn’t too far ahead.

Framing Perspective & Praxis For Innovation

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Guest Post by Charles Lee

Innovation, in its most foundational form, is the introduction of something new (e.g., a new idea, method, or device).

While there’s some value in defining innovation, it’s far more important to frame one’s perspective and praxis for innovation. Innovation is much more than simply introducing new things and/or ideas. Good innovation actually solves problems for the one(s) receiving its benefit. Here are some thoughts that have helped me frame how I view and approach innovation:
  • Innovation changes the current situation into a preferred one. Innovation is not simply the act of adding a new idea on top of previous ones, especially those that created the problems in the first place. Rather, it’s an endeavor to create a new reality that breaks through our current roadblocks to the future that we desire.
  • Innovation requires good problem solving and design skills. Good innovators have (1) the ability to identify, clarify, and articulate the real problem and (2) design a practical solution that people actually need. Development of these skills require lots of practice and time.  
  • Innovation moves beyond creativity to strategy, metrics, implementation, assessment, and on-going refinement. Creative ideas are not enough for innovation. Innovation is not brainstorming nor just talking about new ideas. Innovation, in order to be effective, must attach itself to intentional planning, execution, and continual refinement.
Innovation is hard work. It’s far easier just to talk about ideas that might create the change we desire. Unfortunately, ideas are impotent without action.
The good news is that once you get in the habit of acting upon your ideas, your ability to innovate will quickly improve. Furthermore, you’ll start to see noticeable change in your life, work, and play. (You can thank me later.)
#LiveForward

3 Skills Millennials Need to Succeed

Scott Asai2 Comments
Working in a “bridge” position as a consultant between Baby Boomers and Millennials I’ve noticed skills that young professionals need to thrive in this economy.
Professionalism for Millennials comes down to meeting the demands of their senior counterparts. Here is what I believe are the top 3:
Speed Matters: When you receive a phone call or email respond quick. That means within 48 hours, but preferably 24. Follow up is essential and the ones who do it faster and better get the prize. Sadly, I’ve witnessed many missed opportunities that had nothing to do with talent or experience, instead lack of urgency. Move fast or you’ll get left behind.
Improve Your “Soft” Skills: In the age of technology, communication has eroded. Texting may be easier and more convenient, but it’s not professional. Want to know what impresses management? Public speaking ability. Now you need to be able to write a clean email, hold your own during a face to face conversation and command presence in an interview/ audience. It drastically increases your chances for a promotion and pay raise.

The Ability to Sell: It helps to sell a tangible product, but what you really need is the ability to sell yourself. If you are fortunate enough to have a corporate job with benefits now, start working on your “side hustle” because the new economy demands everyone is at least a part-time entrepreneur. When I look back on my college years, I wish I majored in business and started a sales job when I was a teenager. That’s a skill most college graduates don’t leave with, but can benefit you for the rest of your career.

I don’t claim to be the authority on career advancement or Millennials, but I’ve worked with enough as a career coach and recruiter to recognize what matters. In fact, the 3 skills I listed above aren’t exclusive to the young professional, they’re important to your career period. It’s helpful to know what you want, but understanding a need then solving it equates to long-term success. 

Don’t Play Hero Ball

Scott Asai1 Comment
Hero Ball refers to a selfish brand of playing basketball. When a player is more concerned with his own statistical performance than winning, there’s a problem. Today’s athlete is easier to market based on individual talent, but talent alone doesn’t directly equate to winning. 
Let’s transition to the professional world. If you’re solely interested in being successful alone, you’re missing the boat. Yes, you need to be a certain degree of selfish to get ahead, but it’s hard to climb high without the help of others. 
Take for instance attending a networking event. I’ve been to plenty to know who’s in it for themselves vs. those who genuinely want to help others. The “sharks” who are after the sale craft their pitch and want you to buy. When they realize you have nothing to offer, they leave. Someone who is genuinely interested in connecting with others asks more questions and wants to know how they can help you. Another true indicator of intentions is what, if any follow up is done after the meeting. 
Going back to my example of the athlete, not only is a “hero” out for themselves, they’re also hard to play with. You’ll notice they tend to jump from team to team (company to company), season after season (year after year), not because they’re not talented, but because they don’t make everyone around them better or get along with many people.
It’s important to note, every success story has many people who helped him/her get there along the way. You won’t hear about them because it’s not newsworthy, but every tall building needs a foundation to stand on. 

Be ambitious, pursue your dreams, but don’t be a hero and step on people to get there.

Focus on Being the Best, Not First

Scott Asai3 Comments
Apple wasn’t the first to create to tablet.

Nike didn’t invent the shoe.

Disneyland wasn’t the first amusement park.
Yet the one thing they have in common is they’re the best at improving an existing idea.
As an entrepreneur, it’s much harder to be the creator than it is the refiner. Let me give you a personal example:
When I first started my business as a coach, I had to “double sell.” That means on top of trying to get a potential customer buy my services, I had to explain what my services were. I spent more time educating people what I did then once they understood I had to convince them that they needed what I was offering. I’m not the first coach, but since coaching isn’t mainstream the odds are stacked against me.
When you improve an existing idea, context is in your favor. People need a starting point to make a decision because that’s how your mind works. Your brain builds on what it already knows. That’s why commercials play over and over again – to brainwash you into thinking you actually need what you’re seeing. 
So if you’re thinking of starting a business, start with the end in mind. What are your sales goals? What is your financial model? How are you going to get people to buy your product/service?

Competition isn’t easy to deal with, but being a pioneer is that much harder.

5 Keys to Creating an Innovative Company

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Guest Post by Charles Lee
Innovation is essential to the success of any company in our world today. Given the speed of evolution in most markets, companies that don’t innovate will soon find themselves in decline or even obsolete.

Innovative companies work hard to bring clarity to real problems and design practical solutions for implementation. Many of these companies are exerting a lot of energy and resources towards creating an innovative company versus simply launching innovative projects. Here are some commonly adopted keys to creating an innovative company:

    1. Innovation Starts with Vision – The topic of innovation must have a seat at the executive table. It should be a regular point of conversation and integrated fully into the overall narrative of a company. Whether it is a C-Level executive vision casting or a manager speaking to a direct-report during a review, the story of innovation must be integrated into the vision of the company. Team members at every level should be able to point to actual stories within the company that highlight this vision for innovation.

    2. Innovation Scales with Culture – The natural outflow of vision should be the development of culture. While it’s tempting to just focus on the short-term ROI found in growth or value-adding products/services for customers, innovation flourishes when there’s a commitment to developing company culture or environment. In the long run, a great culture creates more energy for a company, long-term growth, and retains more talent. People aren’t usually leaving companies because of a lack of new innovation projects. It’s often an issue of culture.


    3. Innovation Welcomes a New Kind of Thinking – Traditional thinking tells us to do what we know. How do we know what to do? Look to the past. This kind of thinking does not lead to more innovation. Innovative thinking adds another layer that allows people to diverge from what the past tells them. Divergent thinking takes what we know and then explores what could be. The past alone does not dictate what the future could be in this model.
     

    4. Innovation Embraces Processes & Metrics – Innovation is not just feel good idea-making. Innovative companies embrace processes and metrics. Refining how a company gets innovative ideas to implementation is a constant area of focus for these companies. Developing metrics for how innovation gets injected into a company, how it is measured in-process, and what are expected as outcomes collective provide guidance for the innovation process. Innovative companies don’t shy away from creating and refining processes and metrics.


    5. Innovation Needs Space for We & Me – Innovative companies allow for both individual times for employees to innovative as well as collective times. These times are often integrated into the rhythm on one’s work week. Also, these companies encourage the cross-pollination of inter-departmental expertise to spark new ideas and opportunities. There appears to be a growth in the number of idea-competitions, innovation think-tanks, and innovation centers on the rise.

      Innovation is no longer optional in our new world. What will you do to help your company innovate?

      Turning a Weakness into a Strength

      Scott Asai1 Comment
      During an interview, how do you answer the question, “What is your biggest weakness?“
      It sounds like a setup, but it doesn’t need to be…here’s how to flip it:
      Turn your perceived weakness into a strength. 
      Here’s my personal example: “I’m impatient.” 
      “I prefer to move fast, so it frustrates me when I work with others who hold me up. I like to make progress, so when I feel like those I’m working with aren’t as committed to winning as I am, I start to do more. I understand not everyone is going to see things the way I do, but I’m very driven to achieve quickly.“
      See what I did there? I took a “weakness” and made it sound like an admirable strength. This nice thing is you can prepare for it. This type of answer can be used in most situations. Beneath it all, the interviewer wants to know if you have the confidence to get the job done. Your employer can teach you the skills needed, but your tenacity towards completing the task is innate. 

      My advice to you is when you’re asked this question, don’t cower under it, be prepared and attack it! 

      Hate Losing

      Scott Asai1 Comment
      If you ask someone who is extremely competitive whether they love winning or hate losing, they’ll answer, “I hate losing.”
      Most believe the obvious answer would be, “I love winning,” but let’s dig into the process behind personal drive.
      Who doesn’t love winning? The problem is you can’t win all the time. If you get accustomed to winning, you expect it. You stop working hard. Your focus is on your past success, therefore you’re susceptible to complacency. That’s when someone is ready to knock you off your throne.
      Take for example elite athletes. They train harder after a painful defeat. They remember how bad it feels to lose so they never want to experience that again. 
      Competitive companies such as: Google, Zappos and Nike never stop innovating. They’re not satisfied being #1, they desire more. Even during their current success, they’re planning ahead for future domination.
      I learned the hard way with my first business. I had idealistic goals and dreamed about achieving them. When I came up short, I stopped trying as hard. This time around I’m realistic about what needs to get done. Even when there’s good news, I know something could happen that can ruin it. It may sound like you’ll never be satisfied, but it’s more about always working hard to elude failure.

      So the next time you have a goal in mind, don’t daydream about winning, be driven by hating to lose.

      The Power of WE

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      Guest Post by Charles Lee
       
      Human beings were meant to experience life together.
      Life makes so much more sense when we come to a place to that we NEED others. No matter how different others may be in their worldview, cultural identity, and personal preferences, moving towards a mindset that says WE is better than ME is healthy.
      G5 Leadership just released a new video, presentation, and discussion guide as a part of their research for a new book they’re writing. It’s absolutely FREE to download.
      I hope you will take a moment to watch this video and visit their site for some great resources. Here’s a quick synopsis of the project from their founders, Steven Smith and David Marcum:

      As part of research for a new book we’re writing, we noticed a societal decline in unity. You’ve probably noticed it too.

      Politicians are divided with intractable positions. Enterprises and teams are territorial. Partners often appear to simply coexist. Families seem more separated, even when they’re together. There is a growing trend of me that divides we. We wanted to do our part to reverse the trend.

      We created a video on the power of unity titled We. To spark a discussion, we produced three tools you can download that go with the video:

      1. A discussion guide to build a stronger culture of we where you work.
      2. A PowerPoint presentation for the discussion guide, including the video.
      3. A handout for people who attend the session.

      We hope the discussion makes a difference, wherever we matters to you.