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The Decent Thing to Do Is the Smart Thing to Do
Written by: Tom PetersArticle Overview: Going back 25 years to 1982 and In Search of Excellence, Bob Waterman and I were simply interested in what made for excellent corporate performance.
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Free Download - I Hate MBAs/Redux By Tom Peters |
The Decent Thing to Do Is the Smart Thing to Do
Going back 25 years to 1982 and In Search of Excellence, Bob Waterman and I were simply interested in what made for excellent corporate performance. We didn't have much in the way of pre-conceived notions. Delightfully, our research showed that some very human "basics"—doing rather than talking, focusing on the growth and wellbeing of our people and our customers, and being clear about "what we care about around here"—were the apparent bedrock of superior performance. Five years on, my Thriving on Chaos snuck into print. Needless to say I was pleased when Hoover Institute reviewer Paul Weaver wrote in the Wall Street Journal: "Mr Peters is an enthusiast, a storyteller and a lover of capitalism. He is saying [in Thriving on Chaos] that effective management is management that delivers more value to customers and more opportunity for service, creativity and growth to workers. He is saying that the decent thing to do is also the smart thing. It's a wonderful message."
Immersed in a somewhat leisurely summer, and on the verge of the 25th birthday of Search, I have been thinking about what the good or bad or indifferent practice of management is all about. Notwithstanding the very real threat posed by nihilistic terrorists, I do believe that entrepreneurial capitalism is the strongest force possible for unleashing human potential and perhaps a relatively peaceable kingdom—from Tinmouth Vermont to Dubai to Nairobi. And, by and large, successful entrepreneurial capitalism depends upon the effective practice of management. And if you believe Paul Weaver—"Effective management is management that delivers more value to customers and more opportunity for service, creativity and growth to workers. ... The decent thing to do is also the smart thing"—effective management is humanistic management. With such grand "stuff" circling in my brain, I composed a rambling piece that you'll find here. It is no more than a halting effort to answer, "What's it all about, Alfie?"
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Article Tags: 25th birthday, abou, bedrock, bob waterman, capitalism, corporate performance, creativity, effective management, hoover institute, humanistic management, nairobi, notions, paul weaver, storyteller, terrorists, thriving on chaos, verge, wall street, wall street journal, wellbeing
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About the Author: Tom Peters RSS for Tom's articles - Visit Tom's website  Click here to visit Tom's website   Cheeky Rebelliousness 100 Ways to Succeed 77 The Heart of Business Strategy 48 Things That Matter What Matters Mea Culpa |
Related Forum Posts
Books that should be written
- [quote:1m0dcpd7]"The Idiots Guide To Sticking With One Thing At A Time and Not Doing Something New All The Time" [/quote:1m0dcpd7]
I myself am a 'constructive' procrastinator... I don't know if I'm alone in this.
I have about six or seven projects I'm working on at any given time. I get one project almost done... then my interest is piqued by another project and I work on that... I get burnt out and move to another...I know I do this so I have it arranged such that once I get bored or burnt out with one project, I can step right back into project 1 - or 2 or 3, and get that a little bit more done before moving on to something else.
As long as you're organized and know where all your reference material/idea sheets are when you're ready to get back to work on each project, it should be fine. I also find that by stepping away from a project - I still work on it in the recesses of my mind so that when I go back to it - it's with some good ideas that I wouldn't have had if I'd continued on with it originally.
Maybe I should write a book on how to Procrastinate Constructively... I've actually thought about doing that...because most people procrastinate, don't they...and very few are ever able to stop.
Re: Who hates cold calling?
- Have to say, cold calling is about 40% of my daily job. So calling up prospects these days is a walk in the park.
However, it took me a long time before I was half decent at it. These days I'm quite effective. I tend to stick to the same guidelines. In a way, these guidelines have helped my career in a way.
Firstly, I wouldn't dream of picking up the phone unless I knew my product. I'd hate to get caught out on a simple objections. Secondly, when I call up I ask for the decision maker. If they're not available, (in a meeting, out of the office) I will never pitch the person who takes my call. Normally its the secretary. I'll just say 'no problem, when would you recommend be the best time to catch him?'
Thirdly, listen - listen- and listen. In the early days I used to talk over the prospect, and end up wondering why they often said no.
Anyway, hope it helps. It's a bit of a knack but anyone can get it. There's a newsletter I've belonged to for a long while and they send you all types of stuff on cold calling. Thing is I've forgotten what its called. I'll have to check my emails and let you know.
My reading log
- Hi OmnivoreInk,
Before starting my business, I read the following books as research:
-"The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki
-"The AdSense Code" by Joel Comm
-"Don't Think Pink" and "Mind Your X's and Y's" by Lisa Johnson
And since then I've continued my "research" by reading (in this order):
-"Technical Tennis" by Rod Cross
-"For One More Day" by Mitch Albom
-"The Twits" by Roald Dahl
-"Little Black Book of Connections" by Jeffrey Gitomer
-"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne
-"The Profitable Retailer" by Doug Fleener
-"Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
-"Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude" by Jeffrey Gitomer
-"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis
-"Little Green Book of Getting Your Way" by Jeffrey Gitomer
-"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
And I'm currently reading and am in the process of finishing the following:
-"There's No Such Thing as Public Speaking" by Jeanette and Roy Henderson
-"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
-"The Book of Tells" by Peter Collett
-"Little Red Book of Sales Answers" by Jeffrey Gitomer
-"Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience" by Jonathan M. Tisch
-"The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron
-"The Inner Game of Tennis" by Timothy Gallwey
LEADERS
- L- Loyal
E- Eager to learn and serve
A- Active
D- Delegate
E- Efficient
R- Reliable
S- Smart
Re: 365 Foolish Mistakes Smart Managers Make
- [quote="litekepr":2v18lglp]This morning's Google Alert held a pleasant surprise.
WORTH MENTIONING
A List of New Books Compiled by
The Management and Government Information Center (MAGIC)
Chinn Park Regional Library
703-792-4880Summer 2007
Indicates titles relating to the FISH Philosophy
365 Foolish Mistakes Smart Managers Make Every Day: How and Why to Avoid Them by Shri L. Henkel, 2006
interesting. Is anyone else here familiar with the FISH philosphy?
i[/quote:2v18lglp]
Congrats on the mention of your book! Hopefully it will drive up sales!
For myself, I don't really care for their acronym... MAGIC. Gives people the subtle impression that good things happen at the snap of a finger instead of lots of hard work!
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