tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31361654673448155602024-02-07T21:11:39.807-08:00Lessons Learned in Business, Sports and on WinningLike most of you, my business colleagues, I’m used to running at 6000-7000 rpm. In that mode with obstacles flying, it is a challenge to reflect and synthesize life. But now, in between firms, I have more time to reflect so I thought I’d share my thoughts in a post that you can read in just a few minutes. I hope you like it and welcome your comments.David DeRuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11015013594293758753noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136165467344815560.post-69865975667259201682011-02-04T13:40:00.000-08:002011-02-04T13:45:00.971-08:00Let go of the outcomeLike over 100 million people around the world, I am going to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. I love championship games as a face-off between great teams and coaches. I will be rooting for Aaron Rodgers, a Cal grad, and his Green Bay Packers but I am disappointed they are not facing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The Patriots won 14 of 16 regular season games, the best record in the league. Brady and Coach Bill Belichick were individually regarded as the best in the game this year, being named the AP Offensive Player and Coach of the Year, respectively. It is interesting and somewhat exceptional that these two awards went to people not in the game on Sunday. By comparison, the Defensive Player of the Year, Troy Polamalu, and the runner-up, Clay Matthews, are the defensive leaders of the Steelers and Packers, the two teams playing on Sunday.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I am quite sure that Brady and Belichick would trade their awards in a nano-second for the chance to play in the Super Bowl.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_faH_GJ5XyAnfT9YD2ZXAx-fFrz_YhlT17F6V-zNpwbO3J3BBsiLgY-WTGf_WEyrluSllmWdvkP7icmxbrVaYJOM_BOqt15TFbckG60IslsyqTFRXuYdjyAQ45KOWtB7kPSfPJrgkxNU/s1600/PHP4925E67A911E6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_faH_GJ5XyAnfT9YD2ZXAx-fFrz_YhlT17F6V-zNpwbO3J3BBsiLgY-WTGf_WEyrluSllmWdvkP7icmxbrVaYJOM_BOqt15TFbckG60IslsyqTFRXuYdjyAQ45KOWtB7kPSfPJrgkxNU/s200/PHP4925E67A911E6.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Key Catch in 2008 Super Bowl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Pats are consistently one of the best teams and Brady is generally regarded as one of the top two or three quarterbacks but they haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2005. They made it back to the big game in 2008, capping the only undefeated 16 game season in the history of the league. They faced the Giants in the Super Bowl and were leading 14-10 with less than 3 minutes to go. They had the Giants cornered in a 3<sup>rd</sup> and 5 situation with 1:15 to go on their own 44 yard line. Giant’s QB Eli Manning dropped back to pass and was nearly sacked but escaped and threw the ball to David Tyree who made one of the most improbable catches ever, pinning the ball on his helmet with just one hand. From there the Giants were able to score the winning touchdown while Tom Brady watched from the sidelines. <br />
<br />
How small is the margin between a great team and a championship? A while back, I wrote a post titled <a href="http://deruff.blogspot.com/2010/10/1-makes-all-difference.html">1<span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span> makes all the difference</a> about the incredible expertise, courage, grace and sometimes luck found in the tiny margins between victory and defeat. Like David Tyree’s catch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Brady will be 34 years old by the start of next season and is in his final years as a top player. John Elway was the oldest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl at the age of 38. So, as good as the Pats are, I wonder how many more chances Tom Brady will get? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With sports as a metaphor, the real question I’m asking is how many more chances will I get? How many more shots at that job, that big deal, that goal…? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I feel a strong sense of urgency around my goals these days. I resonate with Tom Brady who must sense the limitations of his football career. I have more great years of my career left than he does but I’m also aware of an end that I didn’t used to consider. Similarly, I’m sure that Brady didn’t consider the pressure of his years when he first won the Super Bowl at the age of 24, the youngest quarterback at that time to win the game.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With that in mind, I feel compelled to “make it happen”. Not unlike an athlete’s determination on the field, I have learned that extreme effort and total focus can lead to great results. I try to find the 10 things, no the 100 things, to overcome the 1<span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span> between victory and defeat. Never give up. Never stop believing. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Does it always work? No. So, here’s a key piece of wisdom from my great friend and coach, Michael MacNeill whose birthday I celebrated this week. “Give your all. Let go of the outcome.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You can’t control what life brings you. You can’t control the market or prevent natural disasters. You can’t make the other person say yes. Unlike football, most goals in life revolve around relationships. Finding the win-win solution involves listening, understanding, trust and a compatible desire on the other side of the table. Driving the ball down their throat is a coarse football analogy that doesn’t work so well off the field.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When you let go of the outcome, there is room for unexpected, unpredictable new directions. For results greater than you could have imagined. For grace. And, for relief from self-loathing and blame that comes with defeat when you are sure you can make it happen. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The hardest part is knowing when giving your all gets in the way of letting go of the outcome. I struggle with it every day.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div>David DeRuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11015013594293758753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136165467344815560.post-54032148230684719042010-12-24T17:24:00.000-08:002010-12-24T17:24:13.227-08:00Standing out, changing the game<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">A successful innovation cycle goes like this: </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Innovate <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span></span> Reap rewards <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span></span> Be Copied <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span></span> Innovate</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The pattern is the same in business, sports and most disciplines I can think of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vast majority of innovations are incremental and provide an advantage for a short period of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, once in a great while, a disruptive change comes along that upsets an entire industry.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NRa0pOAvvyM6-Qp_LUiFqGP2ahY7di4UGI8WRCtrRn6fatPz7N0UMIRA6tyiREiVJAHmR2cE1a_8l8OhhhiD63Y4qw0Mp2Hlm2ZbSAdBBZDUpj5U1ZOgj2NXQTO5OXJm0bTQ2EYq9p8/s1600/perryDM2510_468x533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NRa0pOAvvyM6-Qp_LUiFqGP2ahY7di4UGI8WRCtrRn6fatPz7N0UMIRA6tyiREiVJAHmR2cE1a_8l8OhhhiD63Y4qw0Mp2Hlm2ZbSAdBBZDUpj5U1ZOgj2NXQTO5OXJm0bTQ2EYq9p8/s200/perryDM2510_468x533.jpg" width="175" /></a>In 1985, William “The Fridge” Perry was drafted by the Chicago Bears and joined a handful of super-sized players who weighed over 300 pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Fridge weighed closer to 380. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a huge fixture (appliance?) on the defensive line for the Bears but opposing teams considered him too slow to be much of a factor and they simply ran around him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can run or work around one big obstacle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the other hand, if you put 4 or 5 of them side by side, the game changes and this is what has happened in professional football over the past three decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1980, just prior to The Fridge joining the league, there were only 3 300-pounders in the NFL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Perry and others ate their way into this club and by 1990, 94 players tipped the Toledo over 300.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2000, it had become the norm with more than 300 300-hundred pounders in the league, an average of 10 per team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, there are over 400.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The college game has followed suit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, the starting offense lines in the upcoming national championship game between Oregon and Auburn average 296 and 307 pounds, respectively.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The impact to the game has been dramatic and it is fair to characterize the 300-pound phenomenon as a disruptive change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Combined with the increasing specialization of players and sophistication of offensive and defensive schemes, every play has become its own major production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This takes time and, if you watch, you’ll notice that most teams take the full 30 seconds allowed between plays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personnel frequently swap in and out, often carrying instructions for the next complicated play from the sideline to the team on the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other benefit of using the full 30 seconds between plays is that it allows the players, particularly the big men, to catch their breath. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now comes a disruptive change by the University of Oregon and its coach, Chip Kelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the University of Oregon!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprised it’s not one of the perennial powerhouse teams like USC, Texas or Alabama?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Oregon runs its plays twice as fast as most teams with an average of only 17 seconds between plays and sometimes as little as 5 seconds. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The essence of this strategy is simple – to exhaust the opposing defense – but the implementation involves a number of additional innovations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kelly calls plays in sets rather than one at a time. As a result, Oregon’s offense seldom requires a huddle to call the next play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they do need to communicate with the sidelines and each other, the coaches use big flash cards with a symbol-based language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sequence of plays take into account the intended location of each player at the end of the play and minimizes re-alignment for the next play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Player substitutions are pre-planned and made the instant the previous play has been completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these innovations are designed to shorten the time between plays. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The pace of Oregon’s offense is unique and it is completely counter-cultural to today’s highly-specialized play-by-play game. Everything teams have done in recent decades to compete more effectively works against them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t have time to reset their defenses, to substitute specialized players for certain game situations or even to give their players a moment of rest. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine the frustration!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several times this season, opponents have even faked injuries to try to slow the game but exhaustion is inevitable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oregon has scored an average of nearly 50 points per game, is undefeated and playing for the National Championship game on January 10th. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The strategy is working.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am particularly intrigued with designing successful strategies and balancing conformance and differentiation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I mean is that you have to conform to the game as it is played before you can do something different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, Oregon’s strategy has to conform to the rules of football and compete with strength, size and specialization of the opposing teams.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In my world whether pitching a new project or finding the win-win between deal partners, there are always requirements that must be met as the first order of business. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The client or deal partners need to know that you can meet their expectations, work within the law and meet the needs of the market.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, you seldom win by just meeting the specs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winning requires something extraordinary, unexpected, insightful or delightful to differentiate from the competition. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> For example, i</span>n previous years with a more conventional offense, Oregon was just another good team but not a champion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seth Godin wrote in a recent blog, “the act of deciding [where to stand out] is the important innovation. Some of the elements you use should be perfectly aligned with what we're used to. The others... Not a little off. A lot off."</div><!--EndFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The less you are known, the more this is true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This prompts unknown upstarts to take great risks and is why most great innovations and disruptive changes come from unexpected sources, like the University of Oregon. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">*********************</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you, my friends.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NRa0pOAvvyM6-Qp_LUiFqGP2ahY7di4UGI8WRCtrRn6fatPz7N0UMIRA6tyiREiVJAHmR2cE1a_8l8OhhhiD63Y4qw0Mp2Hlm2ZbSAdBBZDUpj5U1ZOgj2NXQTO5OXJm0bTQ2EYq9p8/s1600/perryDM2510_468x533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">David</div><!--EndFragment-->David DeRuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11015013594293758753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136165467344815560.post-22411634802609360382010-11-25T07:48:00.000-08:002010-11-25T07:48:31.350-08:00Thanksgiving greetings - teaching winning and losing<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">As I finish up the turkey preparations this morning, I’m reflecting on a powerful experience this past week for which I’m grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my daughter’s water polo team from St. Ignatius was preparing for a showdown in the semifinals against juggernaut Sacred Heart Prep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a heck of a game, particularly close in the first half, but SHP prevailed and went on to win its 4<sup>th</sup> (I think) consecutive CIF crown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could go on about the game and the great plays but the experience I want to share this morning is how our team handled losing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The night of the loss Coach Paul Felton sent an email congratulating the girls on a great effort and concluded with a provocative quote, “Losing, in a curious way, is winning." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This stopped me in my tracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we think about losing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we teach losing in our culture?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">There are two all-too-common approaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is to declare everyone a winner, trophies and As for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other is that losing is an egregious sin, deserving of ugly out-of-control tirades by coaches and parents on the sidelines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(There are direct parallels in business and politics but I’ll leave those for the discussion afterward.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In my mind, neither is appropriate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have to teach the desire to win - we are born with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shouldn’t dilute the great feeling of accomplishment by sharing it falsely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, we don’t have to teach that losing is no fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all feel that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What we need to teach is how to win and how to lose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did some simple research to see how we are doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 20,205 books listed on amazon.com with the word “winning’ in the title, but only 4,597 that include the word “losing” and many of those have to do with dieting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there are a few good books, for example, parents may know Wendy Mogel’s book, “The Blessing of a Skinned Knee”, the vast majority of literature is about winning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Winning sells books but we can’t win without losing, at least if we are pushing limits and reaching for lofty goals.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Some will say there is no such thing as a good loser or (mis)quote Vince Lombardi, “You show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser” but I’m not talking about people who like to lose or are carefree about losing, if there is actually anyone who feels that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I am talking about people who strive to win but lose, who set lofty goals and don’t achieve them, who try something great and strike out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we encourage these ambitions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, how do we cope with losing?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Here are a few pearls of wisdom I found buried in the literature on winning:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“There is no comparison between that which is lost by not succeeding </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;">and that which is lost by not trying.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Francis Bacon, Sr.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Thomas Edison<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.” – Vince Lombardi<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">"History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;">because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">-B.C. Forbes<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And the full quote that Paul Felton shared with the water polo team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks Paul for your teaching!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">"That's what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we've changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning" - Richard Bach from Jonathan Livingston Seagull<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->David DeRuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11015013594293758753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136165467344815560.post-30354027162775234612010-11-16T15:47:00.001-08:002010-11-16T16:05:36.848-08:00Why it was inevitable the Beatles would join iTunes<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">One of the hardest phone calls I ever made was to my sister, Kathleen, when I had to tell her that I had crashed her car. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was 1977 and the very day I turned 16!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had kindly lent me the car so I could exchange her gift to me, the latest Kansas album that I had also received from a friend.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAi7_EHjiRW7ljtG9wUcaF_nv9edrsVl_zvyoea5_y2dfLmYXPG_-TgZeM14CjLQqxAA-3OX_vK7NxNqd86ReoLsql9aGP9dLSOmFcHs9CV03PdqHqLo60TUZ-9WgrfTn9cAEdC-etivo/s1600/car_photo_258105_25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAi7_EHjiRW7ljtG9wUcaF_nv9edrsVl_zvyoea5_y2dfLmYXPG_-TgZeM14CjLQqxAA-3OX_vK7NxNqd86ReoLsql9aGP9dLSOmFcHs9CV03PdqHqLo60TUZ-9WgrfTn9cAEdC-etivo/s320/car_photo_258105_25.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">A lot of things have changed since 1977 but something that hasn’t is the way high school kids cherish a car as the most significant symbol of their growing independence. Kathleen’s car was a 1971 Mercury Capri with a stick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only was it a cool car (it’s all relative, kids) but my sister was a big deal on campus so everyone, and I mean everyone, knew that car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no going back on this, no way to undo it and no way for me or Kathleen to stop the flow of this juicy story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost as fast as by text messaging, Newport Harbor High School would learn that Kathleen DeRuff’s kid brother had wrecked her car!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The genie was out of the bottle and not going back in.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Digital content and the Internet.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1970s, it was typical to get 2 or 3 of the same album for a birthday because there were many fewer recorded musicians than today. Expensive shelf space in the retail records stores was a limiting factor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today, with the digitization of music files, shelf space is not an issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can store over 60,000 songs on a $50 disk drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, the risk of trying new music has essentially been eliminated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sample music before buying and buy only the songs we like for a mere 99<span style="color: black;">¢ apiece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>W</span>e buy from the comfort of our homes or the convenience of our smartphones. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, the cost of producing music has dropped to the point where it is feasible for practically anyone to make a high quality recording.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With low risk buying and low cost production, creativity has been unleashed and we have a proliferation of new genres of music and new artists. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s fabulous, as most of you well know.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All new music is available online and most of the music we grew up with is as well. There have been a few holdouts over piracy concerns and economic issues, most notably the Beatles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suspect the lack of online availability hurt them more than it helped them and today iTunes announced that the Beatles are available online for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The genie is, indeed, out of the bottle.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today’s Beatles' news makes the music industry a topical example of the trend toward digital content in all industries and the huge impact of this trend.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Collaboration gives rise to new economies.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Collaboration is accelerating on the world stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The advent of reliable, low cost communications has had an enormous impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Voicemail and email have enabled conversations to be time-shifted to accommodate disparate time zones. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Internet and other forms of open markets enable people in different countries to bring together the best talent and resources at the lowest cost.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Trust is a key enabler. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As people work together more closely, trust rises and more intricate forms of collaboration are possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Software developers collaborate to create open source software.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scientists share their work openly for more rapid advancement of ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suppliers and consumers do business directly through online markets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowledgeable people worldwide collaborate to create the online encyclopedia called Wikipedia. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The digitization of content, proliferation of tastes and products to match, and new age of collaboration are pillars of our global, interconnected world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These forces are also driving toward universal access to education, information and wealth creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is complex and fascinating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also a tidal wave that can’t be stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The genie is out of the bottle.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve touched on a lot in this blog, much of it sensitive, and left out much more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Issues on my mind include the role of leaders, strategies for success, excessive dependencies as seen in the worldwide financial crisis and environmental issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d love to hear your thoughts privately by email or in an open forum on the blog.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Helpful links:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>If you are interested in more on the proliferation of digital content, Chris Anderson has written a fascinating book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Tail-Revised-Updated-Business/dp/1401309666/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289951754&sr=8-1">The Long Tail</a>. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>For more on the growth of collaboration, watch <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html">Howard Rheingold’s talk on TED</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a 19 minute video worth watching. </div><!--EndFragment-->David DeRuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11015013594293758753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136165467344815560.post-91348552562069902932010-11-09T00:13:00.000-08:002010-11-09T00:13:36.888-08:00Peak performance in the face of fear<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">It’s white knuckle time in high school sports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs begin this week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some teams will over-achieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some will disappoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mental aspects of the game are often the difference.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT12YSk86xrwN05xO7wDk70Hm6v_Q6E0GLaex_rU30R3-kj_PvBiovzaSjGk5gDZuklOUIOQppxAU2_6tX6bX1lWirW0XFD-8lUUNy3b4duXNLgbyE6BZE1IIAvPZiveoSWJxXVMbOv6M/s1600/IMG_3598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT12YSk86xrwN05xO7wDk70Hm6v_Q6E0GLaex_rU30R3-kj_PvBiovzaSjGk5gDZuklOUIOQppxAU2_6tX6bX1lWirW0XFD-8lUUNy3b4duXNLgbyE6BZE1IIAvPZiveoSWJxXVMbOv6M/s320/IMG_3598.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">My daughter’s water polo team from St. Ignatius College Prep (SI) went to the Central Coast Section finals last year by virtue of a major upset in the semifinal round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With many returning players, we have high hopes again this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, we are likely to face the number one seed, Sacred Heart Prep, in the semifinals. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can we pull off another upset this year?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It is a daunting challenge for sure but the hardest part is not in pool (or on the field or court).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hardest part is facing our fears, individually and as a team. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fearful thoughts become excuses not to do our best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We just don’t have all the pieces this year.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’re not in good enough shape.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We should have had more Saturday practices.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They have 4 ODP players.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personally, I am facing a similar challenge with fear, uncertainty and doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left my previous employer four months ago and have yet to find my next big opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is likely to take another 2-3 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It stinks being on the sidelines when you don’t want to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“When will I work again?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The longer I am out, the harder it will be to get back in.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Are my best days behind me?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For many, these are anxious times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I can’t pay my bills.” “I might lose my home.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I am letting my family down.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the phenomenal bestseller <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Pray-Love-Everything-Indonesia/dp/0143118420/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289289954&sr=1-1">Eat, Pray, Love</a></b></i>, spoke about this anxiety on <b><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html">TED</a></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has suffered severely in this regard even to the point of throwing out a completed book because of the fear of failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a beautiful, insightful speech about fear and creativity and I highly recommend it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seth Godin exposes “The Resistance” in <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Linchpin-Are-Indispensable-Seth-Godin/dp/1591843162/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289289903&sr=1-1">Linchpin</a></i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He explains the function of the amygdala in the human brain as the part dedicated to our fight or flight instincts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lizard brain, as he calls it, takes over when we are angry or afraid and tries to protect us from life threatening risks but also sabotages our greatest endeavors. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of you will remember the <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Tennis-Classic-Performance/dp/0679778314">Inner Game of Tennis</a></i></b> in the mid-seventies, one of the first books about the mental side of peak performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It talks about the importance of the relationship between “Self 1” that can be commanding, insulting and cruel and “Self 2.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Move your feet this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dammit, keep your wrist firm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t blow it.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve been reflecting on my own experience with these recurring inner battles between fear and doubt on the one hand and peak performance on the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following ten tips are a synthesis of my experience as an Olympic athlete and investment banker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Name your fears. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writing them down calls the phantom out like waking up takes the horror out of a bad dream.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Take care of yourself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eat well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get enough sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Prepare physically and mentally. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Practice hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Study your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Add an unexpected element to your game plan.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Consider your teammates, work colleagues, family – those who depend on you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are social beings and find a higher calling in our obligations to each other than to ourselves.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a deep breath, in through your nose, out through your mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chew gum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can only play at the highest level if you are relaxed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Giants fans, channel Tim Lincecum.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Go for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Play with passion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make things happen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take smart risks and don’t be afraid of mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let your natural genius flow.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Trust yourself, your teammates and your coach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expect and encourage the best from all.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Expect the unexpected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Address problems that come up and adjust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(This is the corollary to #4)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Never, never, never, never give up.</div><!--EndFragment-->David DeRuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11015013594293758753noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136165467344815560.post-67374315410085887102010-11-01T10:14:00.001-07:002010-11-01T10:18:37.845-07:00Trick or Trust on Election Day<div class="MsoNormal">We had tombstones in our front yard last night. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My 11 year old son, John, and I made them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hard part was coming up with names for the departed that were just the right mix of silly and creepy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Al B. Back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Justin Peeses. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think we scared anyone (hope not) and it is fun to pretend, decorate the house and have a block party.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kids and a surprising number of adults in our area like to dress up as someone they want to be or someTHING that will get a reaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you didn’t dress up last night, you remember the feeling. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is exciting to try on a different identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a way we connect with each other and share our inner thoughts, hopeful or provocative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last night there were lots of Giants ball players, including John, and the classic assortment of princesses, super heroes and walking dead.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Halloween is perhaps the easiest and most social of holidays as there are no religious, cultural or familial barriers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opt in, try a fun identity, give gifts and greet the neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is all good.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The real “fright night” is tomorrow, Election Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scare tactics, misrepresentation and vilification of opponents are truly frightening and polarizing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really is the antithesis of Halloween.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I know the theory behind negative advertising is that comparisons are helpful since candidates are unlikely to feature their own shortcomings and that airing both the pros and cons leads to better decision-making. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That may work if the information is objective and honest within societal norms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re not naïve to a little exaggeration or spin.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, most political ads are so ridiculous that they are useless. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Candidates accusing each other of being irresponsible, corrupt and unethical are all of the above.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">No wonder voter turnout is so low and disapproval ratings of our elected officials are so high, currently greater than 70%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The issue is trust. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In our world, the highest accolade one can attain is that of the “trusted advisor”. One who speaks with wisdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One who speaks the truth when it is hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One who is reliable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One who admits when he doesn’t know or is wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One who can put the best interests of his clients ahead of his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One who can bring opposing sides together by finding common ground and a win-win solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The status of the trusted advisor is difficult to attain and easy to lose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you violate your clients’ trust, your trusted advisor status may be unrecoverable or is certainly more difficult to secure. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sadly, most politicians don’t appear to understand this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The relentless negative ads create a lasting impression of corruption and dishonesty which cannot simply be put away until next year like the Halloween tombstones John and I made. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Trick or Trust?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to demand the latter.</div><!--EndFragment-->David DeRuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11015013594293758753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136165467344815560.post-77206736150407978642010-10-25T21:56:00.000-07:002010-10-25T21:56:54.942-07:001° makes all the difference<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Like most of you, my business colleagues, I’m used to running at 6000-7000 rpm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that mode with obstacles flying, it is a challenge to reflect and synthesize life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now, in between firms, I have more time to idle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I thought I’d share my thoughts in a regular post that you can read in a couple of minutes at a stop light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today is my first – let me know if you like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">° </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">makes all the difference<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My college varsity crew, the “Great Cal Crew of 1982”, raced in the Head of the Charles over the weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hadn’t rowed together for many years but managed to finish 13<sup>th</sup> out of 40 in our event. A close look at the results showed that we were only 4% out of a top 5 finish. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not bad for our comeback row and 6 months of training.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The challenge is that the final increments of improvement, the final 4% in our case, are always the most difficult. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing significantly better next year will require twice as much training.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The San Francisco Giants are advancing to the World Series for the first time since 2002.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been a thrilling, nerve-wracking playoff season for us Giants fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seven of their ten playoff games have been decided by just one run, including Saturday night’s nail-biter to win the NLCS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Giants are led by strong pitching and have done a masterful job with mid-season trades including Cody Ross who was the MVP in the NLCS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all that, it so often comes down to the smallest margin of victory, one run.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most prizes worth winning are hotly contested and decided by a small margin. Victory must be earned with talent, expertise and an intense desire to prevail.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There was an aspect of the Chilean Miners’ rescue that caught my attention. Macarena Valdes was the topographer responsible for guiding the probes in search of the miners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">n an application where extreme precision is called for, s</span>he altered the calculations by 1<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">°</span> to compensate for drill vibration based on her expertise with similar equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, at 2,000 foot depths, it was possible that her adjustment would result in missing the target locations completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through two weeks, there were no positive results and her team had to have been fighting hopelessness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine the pressure on Ms. Valdes, especially as one of very few women in a male-dominated profession!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But on the 17<sup>th</sup> day the 30<sup>th</sup> probe punched into a chamber and the miners tapped back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her 1<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">° adjustment may have saved those 33 miners.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What extra effort or special talent or refined expertise are you going to invest today so that your team can win tomorrow?</div><!--EndFragment-->David DeRuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11015013594293758753noreply@blogger.com0