Kilgore Report

The Ugly, Yet Elegant Truth About Business Success — 
Greg Kilgore, Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Let's start at the end: Business success is not achievable.

Success does happen. Desired outcomes do occur. Preferred results can manifest. You can be cause to some effects for sure. Yet, it's an illusion that you were ever the ever-present, all-powerful, master-of-all-possible-variables architect of the successful end game.

With the exception of the sciences and technical disciplines governed by apparent absolutes of the laws of physics and mathematics, and even then there is still room for rogue factors, games of business, human relationships, group dynamics, market forces, consumer trends, microeconomics, and macroeconomics are all too variable to ever really be predicted with a reliable degree of certainty. Every game in business, from high-finance to the enumerated production of widgets in a well-honed, scalable manufacturing process is still a game of chance.  Perhaps you could term business as games of risk rather than chance because you can endeavor to mitigate the risks and stake as many desirable outcomes as possible, but still then the unpredictable, unanticipated, and ultimately inexplicably unexpected can happen. The worldwide banking debacle is evidence. And if the "science" of manufacturing was reliable, we would never need automobile or appliance warranties. There are always really too many variables to ever predict success let alone 100% or 70% or even 50% defect-free outcomes.

So why do we play as if we can prepare, anticipate, expect, depend, and hope for any particular outcome? The ego. Ego is a perseverant aspect of our human nature. It's an energy that can be source to drive, motivation, ambition, and zeal. Yet, when left to run on auto-pilot such that it influences or governs reason, then ego will overshadow awareness, presence, attentiveness, creativity, intuition, acceptance of the world as it is, and peace of mind that the world is already as it should be. Ego creates confidence in the false reality that you can ever (or lead others to) perform enough of the just-so causes to ensure just-so effects. Most of us live with ego in auto-pilot mode. Another way of putting it: Ego lives your life when you are not paying attention to your life.

The ego of the typical banker, investor, marketer, sales director, and manufacturing line supervisor deludes the business person into believing that awareness, presence, attentiveness, creativity, intuition, and acceptance of the world as it is can be side-stepped for application of models, systems, and processes. "I can be saved from the unexpected and the risks. The world is safe and predictable. All I have to do is [model, system, and/or process here] to achieve my goal," the business person tells themselves. And yet, some estimates suggest that seventy percent of projects fail. Most businesses fail before they ever become profitable. For that matter, an inexorable number of marriages are dissolved in the free world. Is anything really ever true to forecast or prediction?

What is there to do then? If you can't be guaranteed that reproducing a franchise's business model to spec or implementing the best-seller's "10 steps to success" will produce the same results as it seemingly did before, then what's the point in trying? Actually, there is no point in "trying." Enough of the double-speak? Ok, then what's the point in "doing" this or that in the hopes of expecting any this or that to come of it? It's really not double-speak to say that the "point" still isn't what matters either. Then why work or not work? Why start a business or not? Again with the "why"... Like "point," the "why" doesn't really matter either. You can make going to work or running a business or making an investment matter for any reason you choose. And it's helpful to the human psyche to choose a purpose for inspiration. That's all well and good. But the reasons, the point, the matter of the matter isn't where a game of business is actually played.

What's really available is that each of us simply gets to choose.  Personal empowerment or group or organizational momentum simply starts and sustains from the space of choice. Choice is the non-point point of it all. It's just that you get to choose. So, choose or not. If you do choose to move forward with a business venture or a project or an investment, then what you know now is that it is about having a choice—or another way of putting it—having a vision and a commitment to that vision. Some people call a commitment to vision a mission.

Now, if you do choose to fulfill on a commitment to a mission, just because the choice is what has just been available to you all along, then you experience the most non-ego space to play at business that you've ever experienced. You are free to exercise and explore awareness, presence, attentiveness, creativity, intuition, acceptance of the world as it is, and peace of mind that the world is already as it should be... And assess, strategize, plan, implement, measure, assess, adapt, strategize, plan, implement, measure, assess, adapt... All the while choosing again and yet again to maintain your commitment to your mission. I sometimes call maintaining your commitment to your vision sustaining "alignment" with the mission.

Then success is a simple premise... If you can sustain alignment to the mission until factors you can influence *and* all of the factors you cannot influence converge to yield a preferred result, then success happens.

Theoretical scientists and researchers practicing pure scientific research have been intimate with the true depth and complexity of variability and utlimate uncertainty of life for some time. These practitioners are practicing a state of egolessness that allows a relentless pursuit of possibilities without knowing what the possible applications could be for as yet unknown discoveries.

So, what is business with integrity, true to the complexity and variability of life, perhaps "enlightened business?" The game is: Choose. Envision. Define mission. Sustain alignment with mission. Play like convergence can happen. Be present when convergence happens. Enjoy. Repeat. That's really what's going on in business. You know you are out of touch with what's really going on in business when work feels serious, tense, dreadful, angry, or disappointing. I've heard it said that expectations are resentments under construction.

If you want to be present when what's possible occurs and able to enjoy it when it happens, then simply choose to sustain your commitments and stay in the game: assess, strategize, plan, implement, measure, assess, adapt, strategize, plan, implement, measure, assess, adapt... Don't get hung up on absolute expectations or arrogant certainties of expectations and forecasts. Be open to the possibilities, and be present when convergence happens. Enjoy. Repeat.

If this article has resonated with you, then you may have come to realize that the Truth about business is not ugly at all. The truth about business is elegant. Choosing the context of that elegance, you are an enlightened business player. It was the ego's illusion of business scarcity, win/lose, competition, greed, and supposed certainties that is the uglier truth after all.

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Leadership Essentials — Greg Kilgore, Thursday, September 10, 2009

There are many theories and models about Leadership. Some of which I have read that have resonated with me and even inspired me. Some of which I have studied. Yet, ultimately, when I speak of Leadership, I can quote the best ideas I've ever heard and share them as I've embraced them, or I can just talk straight from the gut and the heart about my personal experience and understanding. Another time I suppose, I can share the laundry list of writings and teachers that have come before me. For now, I am going to speak of Leadership as it has impacted my life, and in turn the lives of those that I have been able to touch.

First, leadership requires being responsible. The buck stops with you. It's not that you can be all things to all people or achieve every objective yourself. Yet, when the game isn't progressing, are you being responsible? Are you holding those responsible that you've invited to play the game with you?

I've partnered with and coached countless business owners, managers, and so called leaders. Those who are always the first and last person to be responsible for the myriad aspects of their business achieved their goals or a valuable variant whereby they could reach for new possibilities. They had to extend their reach beyond his or her personal grasp by recruiting others to be responsible as well, but the leader who wins his games is the leader who takes complete responsibility for whether or not the game was winnable in the first place. Business leaders who hand off the ball without taking responsibility for whether or not all of the variables are at play to ensure victory before the hand-off have no one to blame but themselves if the venture fails. What never fails is that the least responsible leaders are always the one's complaining that their team, staff, or reports are failing them.

As important, though not more so, is that a leader stands for something. What do you stand for? Odds are, you stand for something, you just don't declare it often, and so you might not know how to put words to it yet. Perhaps you don't actually stand for anything yet, but you want to. In either case, some self-exploration is required. Once you've determined which values matter enough to you so that you will commit to them, and which values you want for others, now the game is on! Just to illustrate a point: If your empassioned value is "prosperity," then what there is to do in your life and your work can certainly have something to do about that. When you realize that the achievement of prosperity often necessitates the involvement of others, then you invite others who share your value of prosperity to play a game with you. Or you find talented partners who you inspire to share your commitment to the value.

As a leader, the first role to play (very often neglected amidst all of the pressing to-do's) is the role of "facilitator of alignment." Alignment is the next most essential trait to exhibit as a leader and to foster with others who have been invited to play your game(s). Strategic execution, the last in my short list of leadership essentials, is not so lofty a goal in a business or a venture. Execution that succeeds comes from strategy that generates plans that are aligned with the values to which a business or venture has been committed.

To review: Responsibility. Values. Commitment. Strategy. Planning. Execution. All the while, alignment to the values. Begin again with responsibility. Repeat.

Now, much can be said about best practices to maintain commitment, effective planning, righteous execution, and communication aptitudes and emotional intelligence to share the vision and mission of a venture. We can drill down into those topics on another occasion. Today, let's just get that leadership doesn't require a mastery of all the best practices. Some leaders are quiet. Others raucus. Some are technical. Others visionary. Some are catalysts. Others cooperative and collaborative. You get to choose what style of leadership you want to express as well. Leadership can be manifested by anyone, anytime, anywhere. Leadership starts within and expands and manifests, becomes real, between people.

An interesting exercise I discovered quite by accident involves spending a few minutes standing in front of a mirror. Stand in front of a mirror and witness yourself. Don't assess or evaluate whether or not you look good or bad or whether or not there your hair is just so. Just get that you can be seen simply, matter-of-factly. Next, imagine someone standing next to you that you would find satisfaction leading to play a business or venture game with you. See him or her standing there (in your mind's eye of course), and imagine he has an appreciative and fulfilled expression on his face. Then imagine someone else. And yet someone else. Try to be specific with who they are, and why they would be following your lead to participate in a game of your choosing. When you've filled the space somewhat in the mirror of your mind's eye, witness your self again, and get that all of the people standing next to you in front of the mirror can look into the mirror and witness you also. And you them. And they themselves.

There's a lot of powerful psychology and awareness going on in that exercise. More than I will elaborate upon here. Ultimately, what the exercise gives you is a sense of how others can see you and you them and they themselves. Relating to each other simply and with positive anticipation of appreciating each other and being aligned with each other is the beginning of being responsible to each other.

Responsibility. Values. Commitment. Strategy. Planning. Execution. All the while, alignment to the values. Begin again with responsibility. Repeat. The game to play to win all the other games combined.

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By Andy Butterworth, September 3rd, 2009.

Notable remarks from the article...

• Good management is vital if we expect our work to be effective.
• Let your team shine, and offer guidance and support when needed.
• What kind of manager are you?
• A skilled manager needs to be able to balance these styles according to the situation and maturity of the team.
• If you do not know what drives your team, you cannot possibly begin to get the best out of them.
• Running an unhappy team can damage your company.
• A team needs to be — and feel — invested in the work it does.
• It is the age-old problem of spending too much time working in the business and forgetting to work on the business.
• Learning what makes your team tick then is vital.
• You need some sign that you have achieved your goal.
• By sharing the company and team’s goals with each member, you show trust and gain theirs.
• One point that bears repeating is that your team members may not be motivated by the same things that drive you.
• Several books on management assert that creating an atmosphere in which team members feel personally motivated is better than trying to directly motivate them yourself.
• A lack of trust can be the biggest barrier for any team.
• You cannot train someone to predict all problems, but they can learn to flag problems when they occur in time to work around or resolve them.
• Everyone has the same number of hours in the day.
• Stephen Covey recommends a time-management matrix, shown above, which splits tasks into “urgent” and “not urgent,” and “important” and “not important.”
• Hold team meetings as often as needed, but keep them concise.
• An effective manager focuses on achievement, not activity.
• Understand what your team members like to do for downtime and what they have to do on an average day to improve their performance.
• If they are hitting their targets and producing work of an acceptable standard, while occasionally surfing the Web, then fine. Achievement, not activity.
• After all, your team’s effectiveness largely depends on your relationship with the members and the relationships between members.
• This principle posits that 80% of the rewards or results or profit or outcome come from only 20% of the effort or time or contributions.
• Find out how they think the team would perform better.
• If you tell your team that you will praise them when it does something right and reprimand it when it does something wrong, there will be no surprises.

Read the complete article:  Professional Team Management Tips For Creative Folks

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