Talk to the Human™

“Nothing will work unless you do.” Maya Angelou (1928 – ) US author & poet

The fact is this: there are no shortcuts to success. No matter how you define success, whether it’s all about the money, happiness, position, or even health. You can’t get anywhere worthwhile in life unless you do the work.

What you may not expect is, the work doesn’t always have to be hard labor. It’s okay to enjoy your efforts. Case in point: I actually like writing. Sure there are times when I get writers block or just don’t feel up to typing anything today. But the truth is, you can find satisfaction in a job well done.

Switch – How to change things when change is hard is the new book by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, who were the authors of the bestselling book Made to Stick. In this work, the authors address the reasons why change can be difficult for humans like us, and how you can use this knowledge to see successful change in your own world.

The premise that our minds are driven by two main components, one emotional and one rational is, or course, not news. But what was facinating on many levels is how the Heath brothers liken the emotional mind to an elephant and the rational mind to the rider. The elephant’s sheer force results in it directing most of our behavior, while the rider is on top planning, thinking, and trying to steer.

There are some really interesting examples, such as when dealing with nutrition – working to make change isn’t about vague goals (i.e. “eat healthy”), but about specific actions you can take, such as “buy 1% milk”.

“In the Land of the blind, the one-eyed man is King.” Desiderius Erasmus, Adagia (III, IV, 96). Dutch author, philosopher, & scholar (1466 – 1536).

This week, let’s discuss what is arguably the first habit of successful entrepreneurs:  Understanding what your customers want, and how to provide that to them.

The reason this is such an important habit is the same reason many businesses struggle. If you try to fit your customers into the mold of what you want to provide, you will find your customers going elsewhere. Successful businesses and successful leaders know that they have to constantly adapt, stay on top of customer feedback, and even reinvent themselves and their products to stay ahead in the marketplace.

The E-Myth Revisited is a book by Michael Gerber that is based on his many years of experience in helping small businesses see success by realizing the difference between the Entrepreneur, the Manager, and the Technician. This is the overarching theme of his book, and you’ll hear (or read) it a lot.

What’s great about this book:
If you are wondering why, as a great technician, you can’t seem to see success as a small business owner, this book will open your eyes to what you may be missing.

This week I’m going to add something new to the blog: The weekly column. Starting early next week, I’m going to do a weekly post on a series of topics. The first series will be about habits of successful entrepreneurs. This will be loosely based on a similar concept to Covey’s Seven Habits, and based on my experience and learning how to be successful as an independent consultant.

The reasons?

Like the book reviews on Sundays, this will be something I intend to do on a regular basis.
I can cover a variety of topics over a specific period of time.
Reader can have something to look forward to.