No talk of social media today. Instead, let’s turn our attention to slightly more interesting topics that might come in handy as everyone is busy putting the finishing touches on their 2011 planning.
On innovation, grabbing life by the horns, and not pissing your life away:
“Do things that are gaspworthy.”
That was one of the main messages delivered by Tom Peters, the influential business thinker and management [expert], in his speech yesterday at Epsilon’s Integrated Marketing Symposium 2006 at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, CA.
“Do cool stuff that make people gasp,” said Peters, who looked older and angrier than in his “In Search of Excellence Days” (the book he co-authored with Richard Waterman in 1982 that was hailed by NPR as one of the Top Business Books of the Century). “Don’t piss away your life.”
He changed his speech at the last moment after having learning this week that one of his best friends has a terminal illness, Peters said.
Also noted
“Innovation comes not from market research or focus groups, but from pissed off people.”
On remembering what creativity really is:
“Creativity is an act of open disobedience against the norms. Creativity is an act of courage.”
On passion and work:
“Whether you are Jack Welch or the Dalai Lama, it is dangerous not to do what you love. If you don’t have a level of passion that drives your thinking about what you’re doing day in and day out, there will be others out there who are passionate who will overtake and outrun you. People who care will take the initiative away from those who are half-hearted. So loving what you do is a competitive imperative, not simply a nice thing to have.”
Knowledge @ Wharton interviews Mark Thompson and Stewart Emery, co-authors along with Jerry Porras of Success Built to Last
On retaining talent:
“One of my favorite cliches is “there is no such thing as indentured servitude”. I use that line to talk about the fact that talent can’t be bought and sold. It must be retained with something more than money.“
Have a great Monday.
Brand Building and Online Marketing Blog 
Love the last one. Google is finding out right now that keeping talent is MUCH more difficult than wooing it. I’d challenge everyone reading this to make a list of how they treat “potential” employees that they’re trying to get to sign up, and compare that to how they treat those who are currently representing the company.
Do your current employees have to ask for a ream of copier paper, one at a time?
Do your current employees have to justify where they are, what they’re doing, and why? Or merely show results?
Do your current employees feel as though they are trusted, valued, and important to the business?
If you can answer “yes” to those (and questions like them) you’re a long way towards keeping those people you wanted so badly to hire.
Indeed.
Dick,
I agree one to many times I see how many companies go all out recruiting and then later on they make it so complicated that you have follow a crazy process to get simple tools to get their work completed as you mentioned.
I remember working for a major public accounting firm and seeing a Sr. Manager with a very old computer having lots of trouble with it and they did not upgrade it. During the summer time they brought High School and College Interns they had brand new computers to browse the internet while my manager had a dinosaur to get all his work done.
I guess I just realized that one of the main reasons I went on my own was because of those things. 🙂
Great post for a Monday morning. Gets me thinking. Creativity really is an act of courage, getting people to think outside the box, is getting them out of their comfort zone, and that takes courage. This same idea applies to getting your Clients, some who are otherwise resistant to change to understand and embrace the world of social media.
Yep.
Nick, I think I wrote those thoughts about courage nearly five years ago…amazing how much they remain true. I’m exceptionally happy (as well as honored) that Olivier shared the quote and post. It’s been a rough 2010 for me and I needed this reminder from a wiser past Me. Time for us all to be more brazen in our creativity, less bound to past ways of doing and thinking. Be well.
They’re good words, Chris. They won’t ever be untrue.
One foot in front of the other and one day at a time. You hit rough patches in a marathon, but things just eventually kind of get back in sync.
Anything I can do, let me know. I have a lot of friends who can be helpful. 😉
Cheers, brother.
>People who care will take the initiative away from those who are half-hearted. So loving what you do is a competitive imperative, not simply a nice thing to have.“
As motivational as this statement may be, it is fear based.
More dangerous that being eclipsed by someone else? Dying with your music still inside you, unplayed.
When we look inward, and face the ramifications of letting ourselves down, then we have the capacity to truly affect change. In so doing, others’ successes aren’t a threat to our own. The Whole is also elevated as a matter of course.
As always, you make me think, Olivier. Happy Monday, indeed. 🙂
Best, M.
Fear, like adversity, can be either an enemy or an ally. The choice is always yours. 😉
I’ve always loved the Thoreau quote, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams; live the life you imagine.”
The constant juggling of wonder and priorities begins to make sense with a resounding click. It is at once firm, yet delicate, bringing with it the realization, if I load this thing, take aim, and squeeze it just so…
2010 was shades of Kubrick, “Something wonderful” (is going to happen).
Methinks 2011 will be about taking the shot. Hopefully, no matter how many rounds we put through this thing, the groupings will be strategic and tight.
Yep. 2011 will be about not only taking the shot, but making it. Striking at the heart of… (insert). 😉
“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.” Mahatma Gandhi
Seasons Greetings. Punit, New Delhi. India.
If you love what you do, you will excell and you will not mind more on negative feedback, instead, they make you grow.
Thanks
ADAM MALAPA,SOUTH AFRICA POLOKWANE
Very inspiring post, Olivier. It made my day and reminded me some important things that I believe in! Thank you!
Best wishes,
Petya
@pgeorgieva
Pardon me in advance for being a Devil’s advocate, but I question this theory sometimes. There are those out there who really “do what they love” when it comes to business and spend every waking moment working on it, only to come home to no one.
Before I fell in love, I was head down working away, traveling a lot, and I experienced entrepreneurial success (though, it is just a small business, not a scalable tech startup). Then, I met someone and realized my life wasn’t as good as I thought it was. I loved the work I had done, but it didn’t fulfill me. It seems that my most successful friends, who love what they do, suffer in the relationship department. Could we have the best of both worlds? Those who love what they do and have experienced financial success, do you have love, too?