Message of the Day - Borrowing A Good Idea that Fails

Good Morning,

 

My current read is "The Rudolph Factor" by Cyndi Laurin and Craig Morningstar (http://www.amazon.com/Rudolph-Factor-Finding-Innovation-Business/dp/0470451033), which was recommended by Todd Arwood in his latest monthly newsletter (www.toddarwood.com).

 

One concept which hit very close to home was how often people who copied the successful strategies of others often failed. Over the years, folks have tried to copy my efforts on some of my projects and where I succeeded, they failed, and I have to say that I have failed at times when I copied others as well.

 

For example, I was tasked with building a high performance team. I took the team and built it up to over 16 members with best ever performance through the assignment of projects, empowering team members and getting each of them focused on building the team.

 

Another person attempted to build a similar team, but ran into problems and never got their team off the ground. They used the same techniques I did, projects, empowerment and such, but only superficially. When giving projects, I backed off and let the team member run with it. This other leader kept his hand on a leash.

 

They went through the motions, but did not seem to understand what was used to succeed.

 

What drives this?

 

According to Dr. Laurin and Craig Morningstar, the reason is that while people can copy the process and the techniques, what they often miss is passion and commitment that drove that process and technique.

 

In other words, we can often copy the external actions and even techniques of other people or groups. What we see others doing, though, is often not all there is to it. If that were the case, you could watch someone doing a bomb deactivation, and then try it yourself, duplicating their moves. What do you think your chances of success will be? Especially if the bomb is even slightly different.

 

When copying the technique of others, it then makes sense to find out what are the nuances and background information necessary to get the job done correctly. Going back to the team building example, copying my process would have been more successful if the other manager understood the passion and drive to build each individual team member up, individually, rather than driving overall team strategies.

 

Borrowing a good idea will often fail unless we take the time to look deeper into what makes that idea good in the first place.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
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Message of the Day - Success Caused Failure

Good Morning,

 

I read an article in the latest issue of Wired Magazine about the failure of 3D Realms after their amazing success with Duke Nukem in 1995. The failure was on the release of the sequel, started in 1997, and never released. The project folded earlier this year.

 

How does a company which hits the market with such a success go and fail? They had pulled in all kinds of money, enough to set their own timeframe, their own budget, and their own rules to get the project completed and after 12 years, it just ended.

 

Success is listed as the reason for the failure.

 

Weird...huh...

 

Not really. The failure was a web formed by many facets which stymied the leaders and the company.

 

1. Search for perfection. The company searched for the perfect product. They retooled the product when new and better programming became available, causing a total re-write of the nearly completed project. When something new and exciting came out, the design staff wanted to get something similar into the game. A new manager hired at the last few years started pulling in the reigns and getting control of the project, but it was 10 years too late.

 

2. No Deadline set. 3D Realms never set a deadline and kept working into a void of time and money. Parkinson's Law states that when more time is available, it will be filled in and used up. The more time you give yourself, the more things will find a way into taking up that time. Without a deadline set, or control put in place, this will continue indefinitely.

 

3. No Constraints in place. Money was no object. 3D Realms had a lot of capital and they just blew through it without anything to really show for it, other than 12 years of payroll and some demos. Setting mini-budget-goals along the way would have helped. Being that this company could finance the entire project themselves, they did not have anyone breathing down their neck, until it was too late.

 

Success for 3D Realms was their undoing.

 

A good book to help us avoid a similar fate is Jim Collin's "How The Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In (http://www.amazon.com/How-Mighty-Fall-Companies-Never/dp/0977326411).

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net
http://learnandgrowdaily.com ←-Click here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
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Message of the Day - Merry Christmas, a Time of Reflection

Good Morning,

 

Today we celebrate a birthday. This is no ordinary birthday, rather it is a birthday of a person who has had a widespread and profound impact on the entire world over the last 2000 years.

 

This birthday celebration has a lot of meanings to a lot of people, groups and organizations.

 

I look at this holiday as a time to reflect on all the blessings in my life as well as how I can be more of a blessing in the lives of those around me as well as to people I have never met.

 

2009 has been both a wonderful and a tumultuous year for me and my family. It has seen me at my best, and it has seen me at my worst.

 

This year my first book was published, and while not a New York Times Best Seller, yet, it has served to help many.

 

This year saw the passing of my Mother. While unexpected, and avoidable, it caused me to rethink a lot about myself and my beliefs.

 

This year saw my faith in the Lord grow in leaps and bounds, helping me grow as a man of integrity.

 

This year my family and I said goodbye to our home of the last 10 years (6 for me) and hello to our new dream home.

 

This year saw the birth of my God-Daughter, Sofia, whom I have loved from before she was born, and will love every day of my life.

 

This year saw a rekindled relationship with Aunts and Uncles who have been out of my life for upwards of 30 years, and finding and meeting cousins I never knew existed.

 

This year saw my closest friends stepping up and doing whatever it took to help me through the darkest times in my life.  I have seen other friends move off and out of my life, while new ones came in.

 

This year saw new opportunities to embark on, as well as old ones to say goodbye to.

 

In reviewing this last year and how I have served my fellow human, I see opportunities for me to improve myself so I can help others even further. I see how I can be a better husband, father, coworker, writer, mentor, friend and caretaker.

 

I will keep reading, and I will keep writing, and coaching, and I hope you will keep reading and sharing, and getting something out of these words.

 

This is what I enjoy about celebrating this birthday. My gift is of myself, and giving more of myself to you.

 

I hope this holiday has special meaning for you as well. Even if you do not celebrate it, I hope that it is also a time of positive reflection for you as well.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net
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http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
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Message of the Day - ReGifting Passion

Good Morning,

 

This evening Karen and I had the pleasure of entertaining dear friends of ours, Dennis and Jill, over dinner and some great conversation. And some great ham and potatoes. Man I am so lucky to have an amazing chef in my life.

 

During the conversation, Dennis told me about the funeral service for his father. He was most impressed with the Patriot Guard and military who were present to ensure that his father, a veteran, was buried with honors and respect due a person who has served our nation.  I remember the marines who attended my Grandfather's funeral and placed the flag on the coffin, and the pride our family felt in the honor. It warmed my heart.

 

This respect in Dennis and Jill turned to passion. A passion to help others in their darkest times of honoring the passing of loved ones. Dennis and Jill contacted the local Patriot Guard and signed up.

 

Now they participate in events to help honor others who have served our nation.

 

They have effectively re-gifted this love and passion and now share it with others who need it in more trying times.

 

What a wonderful gift to give, our passion. What makes it even more special is that it is a passion gifted to them and passed on. This pay it forward activity can continue for a long time like the couple in Philadelphia who bought the meals for another couple starting a chain reaction lasting over 5 hours (http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Mystery-Couple-Pay-It-Forward-79179347.html?yhp=1).

 

I love reading the stories or seeing TV shows of those who actually bless others with this kind of love. It means so much more to know folks who actually do it, and I hope the passion continues to be re-gifted.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net
http://learnandgrowdaily.com ←-Click here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
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Message of the Day - A smaller box is not greater security

Good Morning,

 

When life gets more and more out of control, we tend to circle our wagons and put up borders and walls to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our interests.  These walls and borders keep the trouble we want to avoid out, but they also keep us in.

 

One fear we must be cognizant of is how large is the space we have locked ourselves into. Did we put up walls around the football field, or did we get the 10 x 14 apartment in New York City?

 

The size of our protected area is what we look at and operate with. The smaller the space, the less options we have, the less we think about. The smaller the space, the less likely we are to think outside the box and the more we act like an automaton rather than a person.

 

With a smaller box, we have more control.  Less can go on and the less likely something can happen outside of our knowledge. There are less to fear and less to know.

 

With a larger box, we have less control. There is more stuff that can happen outside of our knowledge. There is more to fear and there is more to know.

 

As life happens, it forces changes to the world around us. This includes changes to the security of our box. When the changes hit us, we have to plan and react. The more insulated we were (from being in a small box), the less options we have when we have to enter a new, often larger box. Basically we are less prepared.

 

In the end, the smaller box, while feeling and looking safer, is not a better security because the changes in life force us out of our comfort zone. And when we are forced out, we are far better off with more knowledge and experience to drawn on than less.

 

To help us, we should all look for larger boxes to call our own.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net
http://learnandgrowdaily.com ←-Click here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
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Message of the Day - Sacrificing Tomorrow

Good Morning,

 

In our rush to get things done today and worrying about today's concerns we tend to take more and more of our attention off of another vital concern. That is planning for tomorrow.

 

Tomorrow brings hopes and opportunities and it also brings a lot of the unknown.

 

Today is here now and it has its concerns and hot items which must be addressed.

 

If we focus solely on today and and do only what is necessary to survive today, we will succeed in surviving for today.

 

When tomorrow comes, we then do the same thing. But, there in lies the challenge. If we always do what we always did, then we will always get what we always got (taking a line from Todd Arwood).

 

This is a challenge because there is change. There is always change. In fact, the only constant is that things will change.  Sometimes we can see the change on the horizon and sometimes it hits us upside our heads without notice.

 

If we do not plan for the change we know is coming, and keep facing today's challenges only, eventually our knowledge and skill will not be enough. One day, we will not be able to address the challenges of the day. Will not have planned and prepared, and we will have to scramble even faster.

 

That is a growing amount of stress. Some of it is unnecessary, if we only spend some time looking forward into the future, and preparing.

 

A good book on this is Ken Blanchard's 'Mission Possible' which shares how to face today's issues while planning ahead for what we know lies ahead.

 

Enjoy!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net
http://learnandgrowdaily.com ←-Click here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
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Message of the Day - The Power of a Name

Good Morning,

Several weeks ago Seth Godin, www.sethgodin.com, Marketing Guru, announced that his new book, "Linchpin", would be available for pre-release to the first 3000 people who made a donation to the Acumen Fund (www.acumenfund.org).

Due to this offer, which I glady participated, Seth Godin effectively raised over $100,000 in less than 48 hours for a worthy charity.

This was accomplished by using the power of a name. Not just any name, but one which is respected. A name which tens of thousands or more people look up to. The bigger your circle, the bigger the impact. And thus why we have celebrity sponsorships.

While we all may not be marketing leaders, celebrities or have the following of E.F. Hutton, we do have our own circles of influence where there are people who do respect our opinions.

In those circles, we can use our names to create powerful effects for the forces of good!

Give it a try. When you find something new that you just love, tell some of your circle you love it, and tell others that you heard it was okay, and see the difference in response and actions of your circle.

Enjoy!

SanfordBerenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net
http://learnandgrowdaily.com ←-Click here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
Follow Me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/sberenberg <---- NEW
502-533-9336