Prism or Laser?

Great Insite by my friend Robert Glazer rglazer@acceleration-partners.com
Understanding the fundamental difference between a prism and a laser can predict success in life and business.

Allow me to explain.

A laser takes light and amplifies it, turning it into a powerful, focused force. It creates heat.

By contrast, a prism refracts light and disperses it into several different color streams that lack any heat or power.

I can’t think of a better analogy to describe different people’s approaches to life and achievement.

A great example of this is what I will call the “prism entrepreneur,” who, for conceptual purposes only, we will refer to as Paul.

I have met a lot of Paul’s over the years. After some early success in his business, Paul gets over-confident and distracted. He starts doing a lot of new and different things and gets excited about starting (not finishing) new projects and businesses. His thought process is that, by putting a lot of his time into more things and dispersing his energy, he’ll be more successful.

Here’s the rub with this approach. If I check back with Paul 6-12 months later, he’ll most likely have started losing (or lost) focus, his initial business will have hit an “unexpected” rough patch and the new projects/businesses that he started are either in trouble or shuttered.

Are there exceptions to this? Sure. But more often than not, this is the typical trajectory.

Prism entrepreneurs like Paul are often doing a lot, but are not getting a lot done. While it can feel rewarding in the moment, they are riding the hamster wheel. I speak from experience as I’ve been Paul many times in my career. I have learned through repeated failure, however, that doing more has almost never worked. From my experience, better outcomes occur by stepping back, doing less and simplifying my life or business.

On the flip side is the “laser entrepreneur,” who we will call Lisa. Lisa is focused, has a plan and, upon seeing early success, she does not deviate course or get distracted. When Lisa sees that her plan is working, she doubles down on her current strategy, stays the course and focuses on excellence and being the leader in her market.

She eliminates distractions and stops doing things that don’t support her goals or values. Almost always, she achieves success faster than she could have imagined.

I think many of us tend to get enamored with the Paul’s. Our perception is that people who do a lot, renaissance men/women if you will, are more successful. The reality is that most of the data and real- world experience shows the opposite.

We only have so much time and energy to give. As such, applying it in a focused way produces better results. What might confuse us, however, is that there are many people who look like Paul’s, but are really Lisa’s. They have a carefully selected portfolio of business, interests or activities that support the same long-term goals and values. And not only do they reinforce each other congruously, there’s often a multiplier effect.

2018 is well under way. As you head into a new month of a new year, it’s time to decide… do you want to be a Lisa or a Paul?

Taking that a step further, it’s also the time to identify the Lisa’s and Paul’s in your teams and in your life.

The best advice I would give anyone is, pick a direction or focus, simplify and eliminate distractions. Don’t let everyone else’s priorities or distractions become yours.
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Quote of the Week
“I don’t care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.” - Zig Ziglar

Have a great weekend!   

Robert Glazer
Founder & CEO, Acceleration Partners

The 50 habits of the born to be Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs belong to an exclusive club - "club fear" 

They want to create, build, change, disrupt and grow their business , and they’re filled with the passion of their idea or mission. 

 

Below are 50 habits of born to be Entrepreneurs

Rate yourself between 1 and 10.

What is your entrepreneurial score? 

If it's more than 360 - hot your score down - and join the club!!!

1. You can’t sit still. You’re always itching to come up with something, and do something great.

2. You’re always coming up with ideas. Good or bad, the flow of ideas never stops.

3. You can pinpoint flaws in other ideas. It comes naturally to you.

4. You marvel at successful business owners. Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are just a few of your heroes.

5. You get excited when you see a successful business in action. Whether it’s a local bar or a supermarket franchise, you can’t help but smile when you see a good business.

6. You constantly think of ways to improve your employer’s business. When you’re at work, you only think about how it could be better.

7. You hate being told what to do. You’re resentful of taking orders.

8. You love to learn new things. How tos and tutorials are what you’re all about.

9. You take things apart to see how they work. Remotes, toasters, phones -- you love to see the inner workings.

10. You dream of wealth. Money isn’t everything, but you can’t help but have it on your mind.

11. You don’t give up easily. You face tough challenges but keep going.

12. You’re disciplined in your habits. You have set routines that don’t get broken easily.

13. You aren’t afraid of hard work. You give everything in your life 100 percent.

14. You have a high threshold for risk. You don’t take blind risks, but you don’t stay complacent either.

15. You meet as many people as you can. You aren’t afraid to branch out and meet new people.

16. You talk to everyone you meet. Strangers aren’t intimidating to you.

17. You bounce back from failure. You’ve experienced crushing failure, but it’s never stopped you from coming back.

18. You like calling the shots. You like the sound of being a director.

19. You set goals for yourself. Big or small, goals fill your life.

20. You help people whenever you can. You’re interested in the greater good.

21. You find challenges in everything you do. You seek out opportunities to challenge yourself.

22. You find ways to inspire people. You’re inspired by inspiration.

23. You plan everything down to the little details. Plans are a prerequisite for any activity.

24. You’re proud of yourself. You like who you are.

25. You help your friends solve their problems. You’re great at problem analysis.

26. You effectively delegate tasks and assign resources. In household chores and business operations alike.

27. You set deadlines for yourself. No excuses.

28. You like telling stories. You love to tell people about your experiences.

29. You’re hyper competitive. You can’t even play a board game without flipping that switch.

30. You get involved with things. If you see a car on the side of the road, you get out and ask if you can help.

31. You cut out things in your life that don’t work for you. If it’s inefficient or bothersome, it’s gone.

32. You negotiate whatever you can. Flea markets and salaries are just the beginning.

33. You see the potential in people. You don’t see people for who they are. You see them for who they could be.

34. You’re calm in a crisis. When stuff hits the fan, you still think logically.

35. You follow up with people when you want something. You don’t let opportunities go.

Related: 6 Traits of a Maverick That Make for Successful Entrepreneurs

36. You avoid things that waste your time. You’re immune to mobile games and idle social-media time.

37. You persuade people to your side. You’re a natural rhetorician.

38. You make rational decisions, not emotional ones. For the most part, you trust your logic over your emotions.

39. You don’t forget people’s emotions. Still, there’s great sympathy in you.

40. You lose track of time when pursuing passion projects. Time seems to fly when you’re heads-down working on something.

41. You frequently start new passion projects. Every week, a new idea is transformed into a hobby.

42. You constantly upgrade your house (or car or anything). There’s always something to tinker with, replace or improve.

43. You’re crazy about new technology. You’re addicted to learning how new technologies can improve your life.

44. You read the news every day. It’s an ingrained habit.

45. You read books voraciously. Every book offers something new.

46. You listen to that internal voice. You trust your instincts.

47. You listen to others’ advice. You make your own decisions, but listen to others’ opinions too.

48. You don’t dwell in the past. When bad things happen, you keep moving forward.

49. You make sacrifices for what you want.You know you have to give things up to see greater success.

50. You never write off your dreams. You take your aspirations seriously. They’re a part of you.

Thanks Jayson for articulating the 50 habits! 

Tanya Lacy identifies 3 ways to ensure energy levels are high.....

Is the energy in your office low? Are people avoiding each other? is your team not aligned? Are you drained by those  non productive at cross purposes meetings?

 'everything is energy'

Is energy being built or is it being drained ?

Can you feel the momentum happening ?

Look at Your Team 

Think about your team for a second.  Imagine they're seated before you. Now look at the faces of each person. Consider what level of energy they each bring. Consider the type of energy they bring. 

Is it upbeat? Is it fast paced?  Is it negative? Is it draining? Is it calm? Is it efficient?

How do you harness their collective  energy so you can achieve top results as a team!

Your Team's Power 

Last time you asked one of your team how they were, (or a friend or colleague for that matter) how did they respond? 'Flat out?', 'Under the pump?' & 'Crazy busy?'. 

Is your team spent, or do they have fuel in the tank?

Tanya Lacy identifies 3 ways to ensure energy levels are high.....

#3 sort yourself out 

Your team is a reflection of you ...... Think hub and spoke, think your team looking up at you at a meeting as you present....really look in the mirror and check in to see how you've been showing up lately.

 Look at your office - what is the vibe of your team. They will be radiating the atmosphere of the leader. Frantic leader, frantic team. Disconnected leader, disconnected team. Well rounded leader, well rounded team. 

"Frantic leader,  frantic team. Disconnected leader, disconnected team. Well rounded leader, well rounded team. - Tanya Lacy"

Tanya's advice to a leader - 

do a quick 'get real' check in. A diagnostic of where you are at 

For example-  Are you too Aggressive? Too demanding? Too much coffee? Speaking too fast? -  most team members who report into you, will be noticing your energy is a little 'frazzled or edgy' and respond 

So start looking in the mirror. Blood shot eyes? Feeling dehydrated? Crumpled? Rushed?

Is your energy sharp or smooth? That is, pause, reflect, 'intercept' check in with yourself.

How do you want it to be?

Simply make a little list of things you'd like to course correct on (about how you're showing up) and get going on sorting yourself. Don't have time? Make the time!!!! 

#2 Get Aligned with yourself

Are you clear with the direction you wish to take. Are you walking upright?  Are you in alignment with yourself? Are you feeling content? Are you clearing problems fast? Are you dissolving past issues with team members that hold you up, and hold you back?

Get aligned with the direction you wish to head.

Clear vision, mission, goals

See it clearly. And then take action. Clarity will give you power. When you have power, you transmit certainty.

When you transmit certainty your team will be on the same page - and energy will build . Orchestrate them, so they are on the 'same page'. Make sense? It starts with you.  

#1 Align The Teams Power

(i) Mindset:- Understand the head-space of your team members. What do I mean? Spend enough time with them to know what they enjoy doing - doing a Kolbe profile for each person is a great start (www.kolbe.com)

(ii) Dynamics:- Observe the dynamics. There is a lot to be gained from understanding the invisible forces of your team. Start to notice. Who aligns with who? Who alliances with who? (alliances and alignment are very different by the way). Who has a personal agenda? Who has a team agenda?  Who shows their true colours under pressure? Who speaks their mind? Who withholds? Who plays victim? Who takes accountability? These are necessary to understand for aligning the team. 

(iii) Links:- Link the business goals to personal goals and vision. What do I mean? "Frank, we are aiming to do this.When we accomplish this, it means this for you" Now, you can only use that sincerely when you really do understand what they want.

"Give people what they want and you will get what you want!"

Get to know your team members. Take them for a lunch and ask them what they want to create in their life. Take an interest in who they are and what they bring to the planet, beyond headcount. 

On Your Way 

When you know what your team member wants, you can access their inner power. Then you can align with their power. Then you can harness people energy. 

Otherwise, it's simply just surface discussion which is a waste of life force, heading in a circular motion. 

And let's face it, life is too short to be wasting time in an environment that doesn't float your boat. So, it's best to get this stuff handled. 

Summary Steps

3. Get Real Get Sorted  2. Get Aligned  1. Align The Teams Power 

thanks  Tanya Lacy -www.interceptexperience.com 

5 reasons why you should do what you love

Inspiration by Ronsley Vaz

Do what you love and you will never work another day in your life!  (Not sure who said that) 

Below are  5 reasons why you should do what you love…

FATDA (FLOW, ATTRACTION, TIME, DECISION, AUTHENTIC)

1. The Flow Derivative

Do what you love and the universe  help you along the way. It will send the right people you need to talk to (see reason 2), and it will assist in removing obstacles - something happens.

2. The Attraction Principle

Build and it will come! Once you are in flow, you start attracting the right people and the right opportunities. 

Think successful and successful people will be attracted to you - (manage your state - Anthony Robbins is big on this)

3. The Time Illusion

When I was an auditor , I would think that at least 2 hours had passed, and would look at the clock it would only be 15 minutes. We’ve all been in the position where we don’t want to get out of bed to do what’s on the agenda for the day. 

However, once you do what you love, there isn’t enough time to make all your ideas happen. You are just like a pig in shit!

Time just flies.

4. The Decision Clarity

When you love what you do, and you have clarity - decision making suddenly becomes easier. It becomes easier because you are so aware of your priorities and why they matter, why you are the best person to do what you are doing, and most importantly who you are serving. When you know all that, the decisions that you are making become easier.

Even if you ale the wrong decision - you fail - change and move on to thee right decision .... Failing forward and growing!

5. The Authentic Factor

When you love what you do, you can’t hide the excitement from your eyes when you talk about it. 

You have passion

In fact there will be people that ask you to not talk about it. Why? Well, it makes them uncomfortable. Your job isn’t to worry about those people, but the people that want to hear from you and about what you do. When you do what you love, you will attract the people that want you – and, lots of them.

There is money for startups, Aubrey, we just need to find the key!

Ivan Kaye gives his opinion on why it is a great investment for smart money to invest in startups and innovation. 

Australians have the motivation , authority and desire to take a punt (look at the Melbourne cup!) 

There is significant $'s available for investment - how can innovators, startups and entrepreneurs find the key to access those funds? 

click here to read more 

Barbara Barkhausen writes 4 brilliant essays on business

1. How to develop International Cross Cultural Competency

2. Ways to charm a venture capitalist 

3. Richard Branson on the importance of taking notes

4. Leadership lessons from Alexander the great

5 Ways for SME's to build there brands

Glen Carlson (key persons of influence ) talks about the 5 ways to build an influential brand on a small business budget

1. Create a remarkable pitch

2. Publish great content

3. Create valuable products

4. Raise the owners personal profile

5. Build well aligned partnerships. 

click to read more 

5 tips from Tom Peters on how to make change management programmes work

5 tips from Tom Peters on how to make change management programmes work – extracts from article from Leon Getler of Acuity Magazine April 2015 edition

Tom Peters book “in search of excellence” has placed him as one of the worlds most influential management thinkers. The book identified the traits that set successful companies apart.

AT 72 , he is a prolific blogger and tweeter and has 5 tips to make change management work

• 1.     WANT IT!! You have to want to change so much that you are prepared to take the shit that goes along with the change – Change does not happen smoothly!!

• 2.     Build alliances and build TRUST with them - and don’t spend time fighting enemies. Recruit them, spend time with them, respect them, get their trust … Trust is a simple formula - T = C+R+I over S

• 3.     Don’t sweat the little things – focus on the end game.

• 4.     Take action – and roll with the punches… what you think the change will look like rarely does. Give the team the kudos… make them feel important, let them own the process.

• 5.     Be persistant , tenacious and resilient… as Churchill said – to succeed is the ability to go from screw up to screw up without loss of nerve! Churchill had 60 years of problems and 4 good years!

9 Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned 

Tony Robbins is a multi-millionaire. He did it by becoming the servant of many. He created value to the world, and he got value back in return. Want to succeed in your business? Create value for your customers. Be the servant of many. Serve people.
 From Tony Robbins (success case study)

by Raelyn Tanin Advice From Millionaires, Success Advice

This is part 1 of the secrets to success series, where I feature world famous millionaires and their best wisdom.

Hello everyone! Man, I love Tony Robbins. Tony Robbin’s net worth is $480 Million (according to Forbes). More than that, he is a multi-millionaire life coach and author that changes the lives of millions of people around the world.

This guy has everythin’ going on, including a beautiful wife ;)

“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.” – Tony Robbins

1) Rev Up Your Energy and State of Well-being

If you’ve been to any Tony Robbins seminar or workshops, you’ll know that everyone gets into a severe emotional high there. Get into a higher level of consciousness, and if you’re operating at your peak emotional psych, you’ll make the best progress.

An intense environment will trigger you to alter your behaviour. That’s why seminars and camps work. 

“The state you are in determines your abilities. Everyone’s got the ability. It’s like I have a great computer but if I’m not going to plug it in, I am not going to have much power.” – Tony Robbins

Know what gets your energy up. (is it a visualisation, a cup of coffee, people you’re working with, or that particular cafe?)

2) Trade your Expectations for Appreciation

There was a period of time when I was really depressed that my internet business was not taking off. Once I learnt to let go of my expectations and most importantly be grateful for the little progress I have made, I was less harsh to myself and also a lot happier.

I’ll always remember the first 2 subscribers I got for this blog. I was glad, but not elated. I texted my boyfriend and told him, “I have two subscribers!”

And he replied, “Congratulations!”

And I said, “but it’s only two subscribers..:(”

What came next was a great life lesson for me. My boyfriend said, “That’s very good progress, every small win counts!” While it is a seemingly small matter, but that incident really left an impact on my life. From that day on, I was grateful and appreciative for every small win I had with this blog.

In a video by Tony Robbins, he advices us to trade our expectations for appreciation; and our whole life will become a miracle.

Because when we expect something but we don’t get it, we get upset. However, if we appreciate something, life becomes more wonderful.

3) Stop Believing in Your Disempowering Story

What’s your core belief system? What story do you cling on to that is holding you back?

For example, you aren’t ever going to lose weight if you believe that you can’t because you are big-boned, or succeed in business if you believe you can’t because you’re stupid.

“Your story is not why you’re stuck. It’s just that you believe your story. A story either empowers or disempowers you. It’s comforting and the reason it is comforting is that we are all deathly afraid of failure.”  – Tony Robbins

When you believe an empowering story, you’ll start putting in more effort to discover the right strategies, and from there you can find success.

4) Where we Focus, Energy Goes

Whatever you focus on, grows. If you want to master something, you have to give it laser-light focus. You have to be crystal clear on what you are focusing on. 

Be very clear on where you will be. What will you be doing? Where will you be? Who will you be with? Knowing this with clarity will help you decide on what exactly to focus on today and constantly hustle towards where your heart wants to be.  Decide today if you’ll accept life as it currently is or if you’ll live your life on your own terms, passionate and at the highest level.  

5) Make 2MM Changes For Breakthroughs in Your Life

When you change your angle of your strategies by just a little, you can make huge impact.

Small changes result in huge impact. If nothing is working, you’re just a little change away from your success.

In 2MM, your posture goes from “uncertain” to “I’m confident”.
In 2MM, you can go from looking like a superstar to being extremely ugly.

You’re 2mm away from success. Take small steps.

6) Bring Your Target Closer

Take Facebook for example. It started in a Harvard dormitory. Then Facebook went to a second school. And then a third. That’s how Facebook succeeded. First Mark aimed for one school, and then another, and then another.

It’s about making realistic goals that you believe in when you attempt to think big.

This was how Mark Cuban succeeded. He didn’t just start Broadcast.com and make a billion. First he started a bar. Then he started a computer business. Then a hedge fund. He brought the target very close and then moved it further and further away as he succeeded 

7) Know the 6 Fundamental Human Needs

Why we do what we do? In this ted talk, Tony Robbins discusses 6 human needs. Know what humans want, know what drives them, and you can understand and appreciate others.

What makes people tick? What makes people do something beyond themselves?

Certainty – Assurance you can avoid pain and gain pleasure

Uncertainty/Variety – The need for the unknown, change, new stimuli

Significance – Feeling unique, important, special or needed

Connection/Love- A strong feeling of closeness or union with someone or something

Growth – An expansion of capacity, capability or understanding

Contribution – A sense of service and focus on helping, giving to, and supporting others

8) Decisions Shape Your Destiny

Different decisions produce different results. If you want to control the direction of your life, you must consistently make good decisions. It’s not what you do once in a while that has an impact on the direction of your life—it’s what you do consistently. Make decisions today about how you are going to live in the years to come. – Tony Robbins

Here are 3 important decisions you have to make, from Tony Robbins himself.

Decision 1: Carefully choose what to focus on.
Decision 2: Figure out, What does this all mean?
Decision 3: What will you do next? If you want to shape your actions, the fastest way is to change what you focus on and shift the meaning to be something more empowering.

What’s your biggest lesson from this post? Let me know below!

The Word "mentor" and what I have learned rom them

By Karen Roter Davis - San Francisco

The word “mentor,” given its origin story, has grown to hold so much weight.

Brief background - and my excuse to talk about mythology

“Mentor” was the name of a character in Homer’s Odyssey, or nowadays what we’d call The Iliad II: The Return of Odysseus. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War in The Iliad, he asked Mentor, and old friend, to look after his household and his son, Telemachus.

Because it took so long for King Odysseus to get back, the townsfolk assumed he was dead, and moved to split up his large estate. Telemachus, his rightful heir, was too young to defend his property. So it was up to Mentor to protect their interests. The goddess Athena decided to intervene, and disguised herself as Mentor, helping to guide Telemachus on his journey to find his father -- or, at minimum, news of him -- while Mentor stayed back home to protect the proverbial ranch. Odysseus finally returned, disguised as a beggar, only recognized by Penelope, his wife, who agreed to grant the kingdom to the winner of an archery contest using Odysseus’ bow. Guess who won? A battle ensued for control, and unsurprisingly, Odysseus, with Athena’s and Mentor’s help, emerged victorious. At the end of the story, Athena advised Odysseus -- in the form of Mentor -- to end the civil war.

What does this story tell us, apart from the fact that I enjoy mythology?

1. You have many unofficial mentors, most of whom aren’t assigned to you or defined as such outright. Mentor was Telemachus’ “Official Mentor.” But Odysseus and Athena were instrumental in his protection and education as well. And Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, was critical in enabling her husband to recapture his crown, for himself and Telemachus.

1. These mentors have different skill sets and weaknesses. Like Mentor, one may be a really good teacher. Another may help you navigate politically, like Athena did with Telemachus. And another may pave the way for your promotion like Penelope. Each would have been less effective in her counterparts' roles. So have a portfolio approach. It’s not likely that all the disparate skills you need can be found in one person. Also, people (and even Greek gods) aren’t perfect. With a portfolio approach, you can learn a huge amount by observing where, when, why, and how those unofficial, or even “stealth” mentors are successful or unsuccessful in various situations. So mentors can be instructive in what not to do as well.

1. To achieve your calling, your mentors may change, but their messages remain. Practically speaking, it can be hard to remain a mentee forever -- or at least a mentee to your current set of mentors -- and accomplish your objectives. Author and comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell calls this the “hero’s journey,” upon which a huge amount of our books and movies, like Star Wars, Big Hero 6, and Harry Potter are based. The mentor (spoiler alert!) dies in each of these stories, but it doesn’t need to be that extreme. Mentorship wasn’t originally and shouldn’t be an occupational hazard.

Your mentors inevitably evolve alongside your career growth. Athena had advised Odysseus directly during his journey, but took the form of Mentor to assist in the kingdom’s reconciliation. And Zeus helped Odysseus during his travels; but when it came time for him to regain his kingdom, it was Penelope who facilitated his victory. Even when you and your mentors part, their valuable lessons stay with you, giving you guidance and strength to achieve your goals. (“Luke, trust your feelings!”)

Some learnings from my mentor portfolio

So with all of that, here is just a small sampling of things I’ve learned over the years from my portfolio of mentors -- a heartfelt thank you to each of them:

1. I learned how too much thought and not enough action eventually catches up with you. And vice versa.
2. I learned how communication and expectation-setting leads to happier and more successful teams, customers, and relationships.
3. I learned to know when to hold 'em, when to fold ‘em, when to walk away, and when to run.
4. I learned it’s not good for you or anyone else to poop where you eat.
5. I learned that taking time to focus on good form, presentation, and timing leads to better outcomes.
6. I learned that command and control leads to frustration and stagnation.
7. I learned how to say more with less, and when and why people do the opposite.
8. I learned that before you’re the first person to talk about the elephant in the room, you should make sure you know why said elephant is grazing there.
9. I learned what kind of person I am, and where it’s best to for me to be that person.
10. I learned how to graciously enter a room, stand in a circle, take a seat at a table, and exit.
11. I learned that sometimes, when you need that extra push over the cliff, you put it up to eleven.

http://www.twitter.com/kroterd

Why I do what I do

By my good friend Brad Horwath 

In the decade since I last had a full-time role I’ve often been asked what I do. It used to be an easy answer – freelance journalist. Over time however the list of services I find myself providing has blossomed – author, speaker, facilitator, host, communications trainer, analyst, writer, consultant, etc – to the point where I pretty much have no idea how to succinctly explain  what I do. It is on the whole probably a good problem to have.

But it is worth thinking about the question itself. ‘What do you do’ is a question that provides an easy way to define us, but it doesn’t really do many people justice now, especially when many of us are doing more than one thing. Describing what you do gives only the slightest inkling of what it is you can do – and in a world where increasingly I feel that we are making it up as we go along (I’ll explain what I mean by that in another post soon), skills and potential count for a lot.

Partly as a result of a project that I am working on now (and yes, that will be the subject of yet another blog post) I started to realise that there is a far more interesting question waiting to be answered – ‘why do you do what you do?’. I’ve tried it a few times and the answers have been surprising.

So here is my answer – ‘why I do what I do’.

Firstly – the heart of my motivation. I have a strong belief that the Australian economy is poised for an unhealthy future. Too much focus on (based on previous success) in mining has left us lagging in other sectors – especially in information-based industries. We are vulnerable to encroachment from foreign competitors – both online and off – and too few of our traditional successful domestic companies have parlayed that success on to the international stage. Our boards lack courage and vision – and are too hampered by the need to return shareholder value in the short term to take the steps they need to if they are to ensure their long term future.

The answer? In short, I believe we need to make more ‘things’ (including intellectual property) that people in other parts of the world need (or at least are willing to buy), lest we fall behind emerging nations and find ourselves with a declining standard of living.

It is a sentiment that is echoed in numerous reports, including Accenture’s report For Richer, For Poorer, released last year, which found: if the government in Australia does not respond with urgency and decisiveness to address the fundamental challenges in its labour market, the country will see declining levels of productivity growth rates and overall shrinkage of the workforce. That, in turn, will result in a decline in the living standards in Australia.

More starkly,  earlier this year PwC released its World in 2050 report which suggested Australia would slip from 19th place in 2014 to 28th in 2050, behind Bangladesh and Iran. Go Team Australia …

There is no end of reports that suggest similar futures. There is also no surplus of ideas of how to turn our progress around.

So back to the question – why do I do what I do.

For starters, I am a passionate believer that for a country to succeed then it needs everyone – EVERYONE – working together to achieve growth (in whatever metric you consider important). Perhaps it is the bias that comes from more than two decades researching the impact of internet/digital technologies on Australian business and society, but my own conclusion is that a more digitally-capable Australian society is a key ingredient in our long term competitiveness. That means raising the digital skills of EVERYONE.

Hence I am working with groups such as the Broadband for the Bush Alliance, which seeks to improve access to and utilisation of digital services in remote and regional Australia (please join us in Darwin in July for the next annual Forum, for which I am an ambassador). I am also lending some effort to the Australian Smart Communities Association, which will be holding its inaugural convention in 2016, and aims to showcase the work to improve digital services in communities around Australia.

I’ve also spent much of the last few years speaking at events in locations ranging from Longreach to Mount Gambier, helping to raise digital awareness and skills. This work will continue to be a focus for me, and it is my hope that in future situations I might be able to do more than just raise awareness. Have a look at Infoxchange’s Go Digi program as an example of a program that I fully support and will be looking to promote further.

But it is not enough just to be smart users of technology – we have to be smart creators too. That means more start-ups. Start-ups do amazing things. They create new markets, and improve old ones. The show how inefficiencies can be stripped out. They incubate new processes and new ways of running businesses (cloud computing, agile development and dev ops, etc), the socialise new working models (flexible working, remote working), and so on. And occasionally they go on to become multi-billion dollar employers in their own right. These companies quickly outgrow their domestic market, and we need to be generating a lot more of them if we are to have a healthy future.

Many of these companies are founded purely off the cleverness of the people at their core (not off a mineral resource) and no country has exclusivity in smart people. Hence the more we can do to bring people into digital careers and support start-ups and entrepreneurs, the better. This will be the focus for another project in 2015 (and yes, another blog post).

I also am convinced that having smart users and smart creators in the same environment benefits both groups – one can learn from the other – and hence both are needed for long-term sustainable success.

This also leads me to believe that if Australia is to have a successful future in digital technologies than we can’t afford to leave half of our potential talent out of the game. Australia already suffers from too few high school students choosing careers as digital creators (hence my support of initiatives such as Digital Careers). The need to get more women into the IT industry is critical.

A lot this work is realised through writing and speaking, and the occasional direct engagement. Its what I refer to as ‘working from the edge inwards’ – and is based on what I saw in Africa a decade ago, where you can do a lot more for a village with $1000 and a few shovels – more seemingly than you can do with a million dollar aid budget. Making the digging of clean wells work at scale however is a difficult exercise.

I’ve also done the odd spot of work with larger organisations, helping to seed and stimulate ideas of what the future holds and how they might not just adapt to it, but anticipate and profit from it. I am constantly seeking an answer to the question of whether large organisations can innovate at the pace required to compete with digital upstarts or changing customer preferences – and if so, whether the formula can be distilled and administered  elsewhere. The jury is still out on that one, with the exception of a handful of examples.

But ultimately – why do I do what I do? Because I have two little girls whom I want to see grow up leading the best possible life that can be provided for them, with options in what they choose to ‘do’. If I can contribute to a better future and pull other people with similar goals together to work towards that future, then I know I will have done all that I can.

A lot of my thinking still needs fleshing out, but this is a start.

Hence when it all gets stripped down to the things that I earn money from, I am more likely to accept those commissions that see me building towards the goals listed above. If it is a task through which I can help individuals become more aware and capable regarding the tools that are available to them, then I am more likely to be interested. If I can contribute to the success of Australia’s entrepreneurial community, then I am more likely to be interested. If I can help larger businesses successfully transform and ensure their long term survival, then I am interested. Even if I am only the smallest part of the process.

Fingers crossed, maybe writing it all down might help me realise some of my whys 

“Learn fast to succeed early.” Yes. “Fail fast to succeed early.” No!

From Curtis R Carlson, Ph.D.

Founder and CEO, Practice of Innovation

Former President and CEO of SRI International, 1998-2014

Website: www.practiceofinnovation.com

“Our most important innovation is the way we work."

By Lonni Sue Johnson

“Learn fast to succeed early.”  Yes.
 “Fail fast to succeed early.”      No!

The right words move us forward.  The wrong words hold us back.

In Silicon Valley it is often said, “You must fail fast to succeed early.”  

That is tragically wrong.  The goal is never to fail fast.  It is also demoralizing.  

Particularly in Asia and many parts of Europe, “failing” can be traumatic.  When failure is demanded from would-be innovators, many show concern and doubt, wondering if they can do what is required.

In fairness to those who say this, what they mean is that you have to be aggressive about getting the answers needed.  Whatever the plan, it will change as an innovator moves forward because little is known at the start.  And, of course, no matter how smart and diligent an innovator is, the market is constantly changing, endlessly demanding, and often unpredictable, so success is seldom certain.  As is similarly said about war, “No business plan survives contact with the market.”

Value creation — the development of a new innovation, is a learning process, not a failing process.  When this is pointed out, most people show relief and enthusiasm because learning is a known skill.  Of course, like with all learning, mistakes are made.  But at no point is failure the objective.  And, as with all deep learning, like that required to be a successful innovator, the goal is to master the concepts so well that one’s creativity is unleashed.

Thomas Edison deeply understood this.  He famously said, “I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  Hundreds of experiments were often performed to learn what worked, or not, and to inspire his creativity.  He believed in rapid, urgent, discovery and learning.  Edison was unrelenting in his quest for new knowledge to address important societal needs.

Once value creation is accepted as a learning process, the next logical question is, “How do we learn and create the best?”  The learning sciences tell us what works: doing the task, real-time feedback, multiple representations, working in teams, having a mentor, and using motivating incentives. In addition, learning must be focused on the few “big ideas” and the entire process integrated into an effective learning system.  

Innovation, like all intellectual disciplines, has its own language, concepts, and conceptual frameworks. In addition it is experiential.  You can only become an expert innovator by doing it.  In this, it has much in common with becoming an accomplished musician.  

All the elements listed are required to create an effective value creation system.  Over time, each of these topics will be covered in detail at the Practice of Innovation.  Experience proves that when these fundamentals of innovation are properly implemented, innovative performance is profoundly improved.