First Things First

Today is Habit #3. A few weeks ago I turned the conversation towards effectiveness. Then, I started tackling Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, one at a time.

My discussion of the first habit was pretty good (Click here to read it.) The second habit was more difficult because it deals with fear and doubt (Click here.) Subjects that can take up entire books.

Speaking of taking up entire books, this third habit did! Covey once wrote a book titled First Things First. Obviously, the idea is rather important.

In order to understand first things first we need to consider two ideas: importance and urgency. We need to think about what is urgent. A fairly straightforward task. And, we think about what is important. A much more difficult task, which is the subject of the second habit.

His book, First Things First, is meant to be a time management book. Because this third habit is largely about time management. A lot of people think that the key to time management is getting more stuff done. And, while that is partially true, we must first consider what that “stuff” is. Covey wrote, “Daily planning often misses important things that can only be seen from a larger perspective.”

For example, Covey gives the analogy of efficiently stacking the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. If you are a efficient worker, you could stack a lot of chairs. But, of course, it is a complete waste of time. In fact, Peter Drucker once said, there is nothing so useless as efficiently doing the wrong things.

It should be clear that we need to identify what the right things are. To Covey's way of thinking we need to create mission statements. We need to begin with the end in mind.

Drucker might say it slightly different. He would ask, “What do you want to be remembered for?” A question he borrowed from Saint Augustine. Regardless of how you wish to conceptualize the idea, it is vitally important that we all identify what is important to us. Warning! This task is quite a bit harder than it sounds.

Covey wrote, “If we don't have a clear idea of what is important, of the results we desire in our lives, we are easily diverted into responding to the urgent.” And, he created a matrix, a quadrant, to help visualize his teachings. Here is Covey's quadrant:

All of Covey's Habits live in Quadrant II. The problem is that the Habits are not urgent activities. For example, I would say reading is very important. And, reading is most definitely a Quadrant II activity. Unless you are currently in school, reading can always be put off until tomorrow. And, it usually is.

Because we have a tendency to neglect Quadrant II, we need to make a concerted effort and focus on doing the things that are important but not urgent. Otherwise, we will constantly get distracted responding to things urgent.

We must identify what is important to us. You can do this utilizing what Saint Augustine said. Or, if you do not think it is too negative, you can write your own eulogy.

If you are reading this blog you are either an entrepreneur or you would like to be an entrepreneur. So, let me take a guess. If you want to be an entrepreneur, freedom is one of your main value. Freedom is very important to you.

So, let's talk entrepreneurship. As it applies to entrepreneurship, for the most part, the first thing is get attention. Good ideas are ten-a-penny. The real key is execution.

Have you ever watched the television show Shark Tank? Have you noticed how Mark Cuban loves entrepreneurs that are willing to go door-to-door to sell their products? What is Cuban saying?

While it is true that Cuban used to sell trash bags, door-to-door, he is not waxing nostalgic. What Mark understands is the vital importance of getting attention and selling things. Hence, the subtitle of this blog.

Because I am so loyal to Drucker, let me put it in his words. Peter Drucker said that a business exists for one reason. To create a customer. That is pretty powerful. He did not say businesses exist for three reasons. He said one reason.

When we translate Drucker into the parlance of Covey we arrive at this third habit. The “first thing” of a business is to create a customer. Creating a customer involves two deceptively simple steps. Have a valuable product or service, and sell it to people. It is extremely simple and very difficult.

To get to real freedom, you are probably going to need to build some sort of organization. That will take some time. Just remember what Drucker said. A business exists for one reason. If the customer is your focal point, sales and marketing come first. Keep first things first.

Begin With the End in Mind

I recently began a series of posts, about Stephen Covey's magnificent book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I think the discussion has proven to be somewhat timely in light of the current Republican, presidential, nominating process.

Donald Trump might be the world's greatest self-promoter. He recently claimed that his book, The Art of the Deal, is the best selling business book of all time. Click here to see the interview.

I do not mean to split hairs but that claim is false. Most people would put Covey's book in the category of business books. And, The 7 Habits has certainly sold much better than Trump's book. Covey's masterpiece has sold somewhere in the range of twenty million copies. But, I digress.

Last week I talked about the first of Covey's 7 Habits. The first habit is, “Be proactive.” If you have not read that post, click here. Today, let's talk about Covey's second habit. The second habit is, “Begin with the end in mind.”

While I have no empirical data to support this claim, I think habit number five is the second most difficult of the habits. The most difficult, if I were to guess, is this second habit. Which is quite perplexing because it sounds so simple to begin with the end in mind.

Think about it. If we were to go on a trip, we would start by deciding on our destination. We would begin with where we would end (up.) Do we want to go to Rome, or Paris, or the Bahamas? Maybe Japan or Australia. Where would we like to go? That would be the first question.

Once we know our destination it is pretty easy to find our way. It is only after we choose our destination that we consider, and plan, everything else. Things such as, what clothes to pack, will we fly or drive, and who will take care of the dog.

I guess our traveling is not that different from making a simple phone call. Have you ever just picked up the phone, and started dialing random numbers, to see where it takes you? I very seriously doubt it.

When we pick up the phone we know exactly where we are headed. Perhaps we intend to call our attorney to discuss a business or insurance matter. Knowing the end game allows us to cobble together the necessary documentation.

Back to the traveling analogy. I once heard it said that people spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning their life. At first glance, it sounded like something of a stretch. More and more I am coming to believe that it might be true.

Surely our lives are much more important than our vacations. How could it be that we spend more time planning our vacations? I think the answer to that question is one word: fear.

When we can do anything, the question of what to do can become overwhelming. What if we chose the wrong thing? This conundrum reminds me of The Omnivore's Dilemma. Have you ever read Michael Pollan's fabulous book?

The omnivore's dilemma is as follows: When we can eat just about anything, the choice of what to eat becomes very difficult. Have you ever had a hard time deciding where to go for dinner? Essentially, we are dealing with The Paradox of Choice. The more choices we have, the harder it becomes to make a choice.

The United States is the very embodiment of freedom. In America, we are free to do just about anything we want. Which sounds really great. And, it is. The problem is the opportunity costs. The problem is the paradox of choice.

When it comes to the end-game, the number of options available to us is virtually unlimited. But, again, the problem is, what if we make a mistake? What if we pursue the wrong path? What if we find out that we do not like the path we have chosen? Or, what if we discover we have little chance of success?

To cope with this existential anxiety many people avoid the question of where they hope to end up. What a lot of people do is stay extremely busy. And, they use that whirlwind of activity as a proxy for feelings of being valuable and important.

Covey said, "It's incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busy-ness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it's leaning against the wrong wall." As intimidating as it may be, it is vitally important that we step back to properly place our ladders.

There is an interesting question that asks, "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Without explicitly saying it, that question is meant as a device to deal with fear. Right? When we plan a vacation, we do not waste time worrying about failure. However, when we plan our lives we do.

Covey recommends that we all write personal mission statements. What is your mission in life? What do you want to be remembered for? Pretty intimidating stuff, isn't it? All the more reason to start working on your answers today.

The great thing about entrepreneurship is that we get to have mulligans. We get do-overs. While, we only get to one life, we can build many businesses.

When deciding to start a business it is critically important to being with the end in mind. Where do you want to drive your ship? What is your vision? The good news is, at least in America, you can completely screw up, and you still get the chance to try again.  

If you wish to hit the bull's eye you must see the target. This is a huge part of what effectiveness is all about. As Peter Drucker said, efficiency is doing things right, it is the busy-ness part of the equation. Effectiveness, is doing the right things.

Please do not allow yourself to confuse activity/efficiency with effectiveness. Just because you are busy does not mean you are making progress towards your goals. You might be off-track. But, you will never know that until you are certain about your destination.

Begin with the end in mind. Start today. And, always remember what George Bernard Shaw said, “If you take too long in deciding what to do with your life, you'll find you've done it.”

Be Proactive

Last week I mentioned that I want to start talking about Stephen Covey and his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Oddly enough, in a twist on the second habit, I will start with the last habit. The seventh, and final, habit is all-encompassing. Namely, sharpen the saw.

Covey took the phrase, “Sharpen the saw,” from the old anecdote reminding us that we should not become overly occupied with the job we are doing. Meaning, you should not continue, in the act of bringing down a tree, if your saw has become dull.

Without effort, we humans can become quite dull as well. We need to remember to take time for renewal. Renewal can take many forms, the most common might be learning. Effective people take the time to sharpen their saw.

Obviously, if you take the time to read a blog post, you are already on-board with the importance of staying sharp. I encourage you to remain committed to your saw.

The other six of Covey's habits are divided into two groups. The first three habits are what Covey calls “Private victories.” And, the second three are “Public victories.”

It is Covey's contention that we must win the private battles before we engage with the public. Covey's first habit is “Be Proactive.” Most people operate reactively. Meaning, we respond to event that have already happened.

Being reactive is sometimes necessary. However, you do not react to your goals and mission. In order to truly effective, you need to be proactive.

This is a concept that directly applies to entrepreneurship. As I constantly repeat, successful entrepreneurs are salespeople. And, a salesperson has three main jobs: prospect, present, and close.

Prospecting for gold requires a river and a pan. But, prospecting for new business means getting attention. And, getting attention is nothing if it is not proactive.

Getting attention, prospecting, whatever you want to call it, we are talking about self-promotion. Grant Cardone is a gentleman who doing a pretty good job of promoting self-promotion. Specifically, Cardone recommends cold-calling and I agree. Grant says that strangers have everything you want.

Cardone comes out of the car business which, I believe, has strongly influenced his approach. The car business is very tough, and you must work extremely hard, a message Grant promotes.

Cardone is also full of in-your-face bravado. If you are willing to cope with his machismo, Grant is spreading a good and important word. But, make no mistake about it, self-promotion is for every entrepreneur.

Donald Trump has dominated the news coverage, of the primary process, with his ability to get attention. One trick, used by Trump, was to give away Senator Lindsey Graham's cell phone number. In turn, Graham tried to leverage the spotlight by producing this video.

Forget politics, let's say you run a not-for-profit. One thing I promise is, if you wish to achieve your mission, you will need to self-promote. Spreading the good word, about your cause, is the essence of self-promotion.

Another example I like is AG Lafley. Lafley had a very successful tenure, as CEO of Procter & Gamble, that lasted about a decade. AG is one smart dude. And, he met another very smart dude, Peter Drucker, by cold-calling him.

What am I saying? I am saying that the cold-call, far from being obsolete, is for every astute businessperson and entrepreneur. I mean, let's keep it real, if you are reading this post, there is a good chance that I cold-called YOU. Let me give you one last example.

Though they have struggled in recent years, Xerox has been known for its world-class training program. Back in the late 1970s a guy by the name of Howard Schultz worked for Xerox.

Schultz would knock on fifty doors, per day, in midtown Manhattan. And, Howard once said, “Cold-calling was great training for business.” Of course, we all know Schultz as the man who brought us Starbucks coffee.

I really want to beat on the drum of this idea of being proactive. It is, of course, Covey's first habit. Beyond that, it is vitally important. In fact, I believe that it is impossible to be a successful entrepreneur without being proactive.

By definition the entrepreneurs are the change agents of society. As we all know, the only constant is change. Instead of apathy, instead of waiting, entrepreneurs go out and make change happen. Entrepreneurs are the very embodiment of proactivity. Because, just as Drucker has told us, the only way to predict the future is to create it.

The Power of Effectiveness

This blog is titled, “On Effectiveness and Entrepreneurship,” two long and important words. These are two words that I am constantly reflecting on. Effectiveness may not be the most sexy word in the world. But, its byproducts are super sexy.

We are a country that is obsessed with success. Which is not a terrible idea. However, I believe a focus on success misses the point.

The difference between success and effectiveness is very subtle. Indeed, drawing such a distinction may seem artificial. It may seem to make no difference. But, there is a difference.

Success is a subjective, value-laden idea. What you define as success may be very different from what the next person thinks. In turn, it is very hard to have a discussion when people do not even agree on definitions.

For all of is lack of sex appeal, the word effectiveness is something we can agree on. Merriam-Webster defines effectiveness as, “The power to produce a desired result.”

Effectiveness is value-neutral. Meaning, the result you desire is completely up to you. And, whatever that result is, I support you in achieving it.

To produce/achieve your desired result, effectiveness is how you will get there. I strongly believe effectiveness is a sexy and important word.

The other day I pulled out my copy of Stephen Covey's seminal book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I first read Covey's work about ten years ago and it had a profound effect on me.

Any reader of this blog must know that I am a huge fan of Peter Drucker. What you may, or may not, know is that Covey himself was a loyal disciple of Drucker. So, not surprisingly, The 7 Habits forever changed the way I look at things.

Going forward I want to spend some time discussing Covey's seven habits. For obvious reasons, I will connect effectiveness to entrepreneurship. As we hopefully agree, entrepreneurship is not the end-all-be-all. But, it does provide the opportunity to give useful examples.

In my next post, I will discuss Covey's first habit. To Covey's way of thinking we must first win private victories before we can win public victories. Stated differently, the first three habits are private/personal. And, the second three habits are public, meaning they involve other people. In case you are a stickler, the seventh habit is universal.

Stephen Covey's first habit is, “Be Proactive,” an idea that sounds so simple as to be mundane. However, the more I reflect on the idea of being proactive, the more I realize how far it is from the mundane.

I will get into it next time. For now, I would encourage you to contemplate what it means to be proactive.