Best of the Cool Friends
Marti Barletta

One of Tom's favorite topics is the Women's Market, so who better than Marti Barletta to be included in the best of the Cool Friends? Her first book was Marketing to Women, and we talked to her about it in 2004. Her second book was PrimeTime Women, a label she gave to women aged 50 to 70, who needed a better descriptor than "Mature Market." That 2007 interview begins with a discussion of marketers' problem getting their ads onto the screens that people are actually looking at. That discussion continues to this day.

Cathy Mosca posted this on 05/22, in Cool Friends.
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"1/47"

I frequently say, "I've only learned one thing 'for sure' in the 47 years since I started doing 'this stuff.'" (The 1966 staring point goes back to my U.S. Navy Seabee days in Vietnam.) The term "for sure" is meaningful; as a scientist by disposition, I don't believe as a matter of course in "for sures." So this exception is a big deal—to me.

And that one for-sure thing is ...

WTTMSW.

Or, to clarify ... Whoever Tries The Most Stuff Wins.

In Search of Excellence was constructed around "eight basics." And the first was "A Bias for Action." As we said then, and it's become more true over time as the pace of change accelerates: Big Business's #1 problem is "too much talk, too little do." To bring the In Search message up to date, I just came across an ad for an Economist conference. The conference title: "Redefining the Speed of Business: CAN YOUR BUSINESS FAIL FAST ENOUGH TO SUCCEED?" In fact, my WTTMSW has a fuller alternative: WTTMSASUTMSTFW. Whoever Tries The Most Stuff And Screws Up The Most Stuff The Fastest Wins.

At any rate, FYI, I've included here a wee paper I did on this "1/47" topic.

Enjoy ...

Tom Peters posted this on 05/13, in Execution.
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Piggy Sue!

The two great folks who are doing sustainable farming at our place have become parents. Well, not really. But their productive porker mom, Piggy Sue, just produced (about 72 hours ago) a litter of 15. Some of the newcomers below ...

Tom Peters posted this on 05/08, in General.
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Jabil, Saint Pete Beach

Earlier today Tom was in St Petersburg Beach, Florida, speaking to Jabil. Their website states they have "Global Expertise in Intelligent Supply Chain Design."

Jabil, St Petersburg, FL
Jabil, Long Version

Cathy Mosca posted this on 05/02, in Tom's Slides.
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Presentation Excellence

Tom has given more than 2,500 speeches in the last 30 years. He knows what it's like to face a crowd, whether it be friendly or skeptical. As his own toughest critic, he's never been completely satisfied with his performance.

While he has offered pointers here and there, he's never written at length about speaking until now. We are fortunate that he has overcome whatever trepidation he may have had to tackle this topic. You'll find in the document below extensive advice and practical wisdom about speaking from a man who has spent most of his life on a stage, trying to share knowledge and spur action. Whether you give speeches for a living or on occasion, and even if you don't but you want to understand what makes a great speaker, read this piece. Then put it aside and read it a few months from now. It will change both how you speak as well as how you listen.

PresentationExcellence

Shelley Dolley posted this on 04/26, in Excellence.
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Algorithms Rule!?

From the extraordinary/chastening book Automate This: How Algorithms Came to Rule Our World, by Christopher Steiner:

"... The audience then voted on the identity of each composition.* [Music theory professor and contest organizer] Larson's pride took a ding when his piece was fingered as that belonging to the computer. When the crowd decided that [algorithm] Emmy's piece was the true product of the late musician [Bach], Larson winced." (*There were three, one each by Bach/Larson/Emmy-the-algorithm.)

" ... Which haiku are human writing and which are from a group of bits? Sampling centuries of haiku, devising rules, spotting patterns, and inventing ways to inject originality, Annie [algorithm] took to the short Japanese sets of prose the same way all of [Prof David] Cope's. algorithms tackled classical music. 'In the end, it's just layers and layers of binary math, he says. ... Cope says Annie's penchant for tasteful originality could push her past most human composers who simply build on work of the past, which, in turn, was built on older works. ..."

We've included more from Steiner's book, and some related other stuff in an attached PowerPoint mini-presentation.

Tom Peters posted this on 04/19, in Technology.
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Coming to Believe
Manifesto X 3

In June 2012, we released the Korea-inspired "Human Capital Development Manifesto." On January 1st, we added "What I've Come/Am Coming to Believe." Most recently, there came the "Education Manifesto/Polemic." Now I have combined all three, and put them into two files. First a PDF file; second, a PowerPoint presentation.

Herewith ...

Tom Peters posted this on 04/12, in Excellence.
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Kuwait

Tom's in Kuwait on the Persian Gulf. He's speaking to the Institute of Banking Studies in Kuwait City.

Institute of Banking Studies, Kuwait City

Cathy Mosca posted this on 04/09, in Tom's Slides.
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Sunrise, NZ

Tom is now stateside, but caught his last sunrise in New Zealand earlier this week and he wanted to share the moment with all of us.

Shelley Dolley posted this on 04/03, in General.
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The "Thank You" Tweets

Got going on Twitter re "Thank You"-power. Herewith the riff. Brackets at the end of a tweet are the source when it's not me—brackets with question marks are "source unknown."

Herewith, in the order they were made:

Overdoing it on "Thank yous" is a problem—0.0000001% of the time.

Timing is not everything. Thank you is everything. [leadlikeahero]

Overdo thank yous? I am 70. I've had far more than my share of "Thank yous." Love 'em as much as ever! Please feel free to overdo it.

Whenever anyone does anything of any magnitude for me I am literally delighted. An effusive "Thank you" is always in order.

The wee-est of wee "un-necessary" efforts rate mega-"Thank yous."

Courtesy not only makes things easier, but heartfelt appreciation makes lives better. [??]

If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough. [M. Eckhart]

Saying thank you is a supreme leadership "tool." Believe it!

Saying thank you is in a way selfish. Reward is huge appreciation for tiny investment.

The more crushing the pressure or nearness of a deadline, the more powerful the pause to say "Thank you."

The most effusive thanks from a leader should be reserved for someone who has the nerve to bring her/ him bad news in a timely fashion.

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" [William Arthur Ward] samples for viagra

Eye contact may be the ultimate acknowledgement. (Hey, significantly reduces retail shrinkage.)

Sorry to sound like somebody's mom, but power of thank you multiplied by crystal clear eye contact.

When we're busy, we often fail to make eye contact. For God's sake ... work on this! (Sooooo common when one is staring at a screen.)

Thank you/eye contact: Great news ... you can consciously practice and improve.

Funny, we think about getting better at fly fishing or carpentry, but not when it comes to the likes of saying "Thank you."

Don't ruin a good apology with an excuse. Don't ruin a sincere 'thank you' with noise. [??]

When I say "Thank you" to someone, that's 100% it for that communication. No pollution

It's like calling to wish someone "Happy birthday" followed by a reminder of a looming deadline

"Thank you" isn't a starting point of something else. It is "the point." [Vala Afshar]

Hate to be crude, but someone who is thanked is in your debt. ("Thank you" is a power tool as well as a gracious-humane gesture.)

canada viagra mastercard Re "Thank you"s: I am preaching my Mom's Gospel ... enforced with the Wrath of God.

Over to you ...

Tom Peters posted this on 04/02, in Brand You.
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