TLBT Video #77
Service: TGW and TGR

Now available on YouTube: the latest video in The Little BIG Things series. Tom presents an alternative to minimizing Things Gone Wrong. He suggests you maximize Things Gone Right. Which would you prefer to be remembered for?

You can find the video in the right-hand column of this page or watch it at YouTube (time: 1 minute 57 seconds). Or, get a PDF transcript of the video's content: Service: TGW and TGR.

World Innovation Forum

Tom spoke at the World Innovation Forum in Leon, Mexico, on 24 May. The event was organized by his long-time friends, HSM. He said the audience "are my favorite people—owners and top executives of SMEs (Small and Medium-size Enterprises); they are the lifeblood of every economy."

HSM World Innovation Forum, Final
HSM World Innovation Forum, Long

MOAP #12

Part 12 of Tom's "Mother of All Presentations," or MOAP, is available now at ExcellenceNow.com. You can download the PowerPoint version or a PDF. We'll be releasing a section every other week throughout 2012.

The lessons in this, the 5th "H" in Tom's "15H Theory of Everything," include servant leadership (or, leader as developer of employee potential) and legacy (the three key people the leader develops during his tenure). People, people, people!

Today, 2:00 p.m.
Office Hours with Dan Pink

Ask Tom "anything you want," during his session with Dan Pink on the Pink Blog, today, Monday, 14 May, at 2:00 p.m., Eastern U.S. time. You can listen to the Office Hours podcast live, by calling in to the phone number 703.344.2171 and using passcode 203373. Directions for how to pose a question will be given during the hour-long event.

Update 20 May: The discussion is now posted on danpink.com as an MP3 for downloading.

Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey

Tom is speaking today in El Paso for the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. This superb technical university is currently spreading its wings in the U.S., and, in general, via online activities. There are two separate events, and a presentation associated with each one. (This is Tom's 1st speech in El Paso!)

Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, El Paso, Morning Event

Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, El Paso, Afternoon Event

TLBT Video #76
Excellence: Tuck in the Shower Curtain

A new video is available on YouTube, the latest in The Little BIG Things series. This video presents Tom's lesson from Conrad Hilton, master hotelier, which is to be certain the little things get done. In Hilton's view, you should be sure to tuck in the shower curtain.

You can find the video in the right-hand column of this page or watch it at YouTube (time: 2 minutes 34 seconds). Or, get a PDF transcript of the video's content: Excellence: Tuck in the Shower Curtain.

Upcoming Events

Tom has a spate of events over the next two months that are open to the public. Depending on where you are in the world, you may have a chance to see him. A week from today, he'll be speaking in El Paso, Texas for the Tecnológico de Monterrey. He'll be in Leon, Mexico on May 23rd with HSM. On June 13th he'll speak for EDaily in Seoul, South Korea, and on June 26th he'll speak in Tel Aviv, Israel for the Israeli Management Center. We hope you get a chance to see him!

MOAP #11

Part 11 is the next installment of Tom's "Mother of All Presentations," or MOAP, available now at ExcellenceNow.com. You can download the PowerPoint version or a PDF. We'll be releasing a section every other week throughout 2012.

The 15H Theory of Everything continues with this lesson derived in part from Tom's study of Henry Clay. The key point is that Kindness = Repeat Business = Profit. That is, courtesy, apologizing for mistakes, and appreciation of your internal and external customers are all important parts of a successful business strategy.

A Must Watch

I mentioned last week that Tom was participating in the Center for Women in Business' Inaugural Forum, Moving from Conversation to Action. Tom has participated in far more than a few events about women in the workplace. This one blew him away. As I had the good fortune to attend as well, I can tell you that it moved far beyond the usual conversations about the disparity in gender percentages in executive suites.

If you are a woman, or at all interested in how to retain and advance women in the workplace, invest the time and watch these videos. The Center was kind enough to film and share the videos from the entire day.

Obviously, I'll point you to the video of the lunch discussion that Betsy Myers, founding director of the Center, had with Tom. You'll note that Tom is gobsmacked by the speech Bob Moritz, chairman and senior partner of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, gave. His insights on what women can do to move forward were simple and very practical. The executive panel discussion covered a wide range of issues, including work/life balance. Cool Friend Rosabeth Moss Kanter also gave a remarkable presentation at the event.

A few of the many useful takeaways from the day:

*Women should speak up about what they want. Unless you speak up, it's presumed that you don't want the opportunity.

*Sponsors are different than mentors. Sponsors actively put the name of the person they're sponsoring into consideration for open positions or opportunities. Look for a way to make this part of how your organization functions. On a more personal scale, take a moment to think about a woman you believe in and that you could help to move forward. Do something for her today.

*Deloitte has a flexible working track that they refer to as a lattice. Some women may not want to move straight up the corporate ladder; they may prefer more flexibility with their schedules and workloads at different times.

*Betsy Myers briefly mentioned It's Not a Glass Ceiling, It's a Sticky Floor by Rebecca Shambaugh which focuses on "common traps that hold women back in their careers." So much time has been spent focusing on external obstacles. It's beneficial to take a look at the internal obstacles.

We congratulate the Center on a terrific launch and can't wait to see what they accomplish!

It's the details...

Spring has sprung and Tom has made his return from New Zealand. This called for a new banner here at tompeters.com. Joy at Stauber Design Studio has done a beautiful job depicting a focus on fresh starts while keeping priorities and aspirations to the fore. For a very personal touch, she has included a photo that Tom took on a misty morning on his farm, a photo Tom's wife Susan took of Tom rowing, and one Tom took of Susan's lilacs budding. This banner communicates the importance of attention to detail, whether to observe natural beauty or to allow for more precise execution of a task, while reminding us of our continued pursuit of Excellence. We hope you enjoy it.