Storytime with KISS and GIGO

My first experience with design requirements came in the third grade when a classmate brought her Dad into work to speak to the class. He was an engineer who worked at the nearby IBM campus and he delighted us with news about the future – in this case computers – that were just beginning their march into the desktop revolution. He tossed out a lot of phrases, and told us the many ways IBM would change lives with computers. All of this thrilled me in a Star Wars kind of way, but what I loved best was the lingo, the buzzwords and compressed phrases. And the ones that stuck with me all these years later? KISS and GIGO.


KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid
Hearing from an adult that you could call someone else stupid at work, was of great delight to my young self. I’m pretty sure this is why I paid attention, though in later years I learned through experience that this is never a good idea. Everyone can contribute and it’s up to the leader to determine how to align folks to their greatest effect. But the core idea here is solid. Solutions, to be most effective, must be simple and elegant. The more complex a solution, the more likely one aspect will fail. Later in life, I began to apply this idea to all manner of problems from people to programming, with much success. When things get difficult take a step back and assess the current state. Simplification is likely in order. Make progress by simplifying.

GIGO – Garbage In, Garbage Out
In my boyhood mind, there were few things better than talking about garbage. Oscar the Grouch may have gotten to sing about it, but I got to talk about it without getting in trouble. Hooked again. Though his premise was a bit different, our friendly neighborhood IBM engineer explained that computers will only work based on the quality of instruction that the programs were given. Computers were not omnipotent, and could neither reason nor infer in order to derive a response. In order to execute properly, information had to be complete. So too, goes work life. How many times have you found information incomplete in forms, on databases, or on schedules where having that information is vital to the efficient execution of work? How many times has the job been sent back until complete data is provided? Probably not too many! At a minimum, there is a delay while the information is gathered. Though, in cases where work continues without the information, sub-standard or wrong outcomes are created. The lesson here is a simple one, if the desire is for an “uneventful” workflow, then all requested data must be provided. Not knowing, having a compressed schedule, or not enough time to complete the request are just not good enough excuses for wasting others time and producing flawed work.

From then to now
Shortly after that day in class, I began to learn programming, albeit simple BASIC coding. I learned to make requests of the machine and have it return expected results. I learned how to take my very long strings of code and shorten them to concise sets of instruction using improved, elegant, instructions which provided faster responses and was far easier to spot any coding errors. Later, I applied this technique to improve my writing and presentations from long form, to concise idea sharing which continues today.

Later I worked with a number of creative groups and learned about Design Briefs from DMI’s Peter Phillips. His excellent book, “Creating the Perfect Design Brief” should be mandatory reading for anyone working in a creative environment, as it cogently details the process of developing a deign brief that captures all of the necessary criteria for design projects. Find out more at: http://tinyurl.com/yj6gr8y

Elegance, I have learned, only comes with awareness and education. The more I learn about my varied interests, the more I seem to be able to apply bits and pieces to other interests which have very little similarity. In, “In Pursuit of Elegance,” Matthew E. May tackles the challenge of defining elegance and provides approaches to capturing and sustaining it. See http://inpursuitofelegance.com for more.


I hope you enjoyed the tale of KISS and GIGO and would love to hear about your thoughts or experiences. Cheers!

Lose your "But" in the New Year

Happy New Year! I'm back from my mini-sabbatical with plenty of new thoughts, articles and ideas to help you build your leadership skills.

So let's get started - have you ever noticed that the word "but" tends to negate just about anything that comes before it?

"We should attend CES but the Johnson report needs to be completed."

A sentence like this can only cause bad feelings. When writing or speaking, "but" serves to put ideas in opposition, that is to say, conflict, with one another. Great leaders build consensus and incorporate ideas from a host of sources. for the best possible outcome. The only way to do so is to get everyone rowing in the same direction. This can't be done by placing them at odds, however it can be done by incorporating the ideas in a constructive manner.

Instead of "bu-ting" in, try this; use "and" to link your ideas. Now, instead of the ideas being at odds, they work in concert with one another. Let's take another run at our example.

"We should attend CES and the Johnson can be completed during the trip, incorporating new information from the show."

Give it a try, and good luck losing your "but" in the New Year - let me know how it goes!

Names are for people, pets and imaginary friends

For some time there has been a trend whereby companies name their internal projects or methodology, as if operational acts command the creation of an interesting sobriquet in order to effectively communicate its importance to the organization. Projects named with an underlying technology erode corporate identity in favor of a third party product. Even more confusing is when those underlying technologies change yet retain the original project name. Similarly, naming corporate methodology or processes gives rise to corporate in-speak and leads to confusion by clients not, “in the know.”

I understand the intention behind naming projects, I've heard many of the arguments - it's a cheap form of branding, it provides an umbrella for troops to rally under, it is different and therefore exciting for folks participating. But I don't agree. I have never known craftsmen to get excited about their tools, but I know plenty that get excited about the work itself. The customer. The product. The service. This is where the focus should be, not on names.

After spending several years working on named corporate initiatives, I see they are lightning rods for derision, cynicism, cause confusion and fail to communicate benefits. Overly idealistic names (the “People Plan”) cause the scope of efforts to expand unchecked. That last example began in 2006 and continues today, encompassing pretty much anything people do at work. Sub-committees have been created to handle every possible permutation, though none of this effort correlates to increases in sales or improved product offerings.

Rather than branding projects, emphasis and effort should be directed towards effectively distilling and communicating the project benefits. For those projects that benefit customers, this information can then be shared concisely. At no time should methodologies be named or shared with clients.

What has your experience with project & methodology naming been?

Do one thing that sucks, every day

One of the best habits I have ever cultivated is to do at least one thing each day that I would rather not do. The more difficult and unattractive, the better.

Find something for yourself, anything, that you know needs to get done, would rather not do and have been putting off. Do it. Now, repeat that behavior every day from now on.

You'll be amazed how easy this become over time. You'll marvel at your knowledge will increase and your personal borders expand. And, when you really need to do something really difficult, you will have created reserves of strength and energy to get the truly tough stuff done.

The Importance of A First Date (in Marketing)

Marketing materials - whether they are your website, brochure, print ad, or facebook page all serve the same purpose: a “first date” between your company and a potential customer. The interactions should be comfortable, informative, and encourage consumers to want know more or, better still, to commit to the relationship by purchasing products or services.

Like dating, marketing materials can suffer from a bad first date. However, unlike dating, when things go wrong with the marketing message, it really is “you” and not the customer with the problem. Here are common tactics that can ruin that first experience.

Bragging - while it's a great to be proud of your company and it's products, it is not OK to go on an on about it on at first contact. Text heavy marketing materials are almost never read - they are too much work.

Self-involved - these communications focus on the company perspective of what it thinks is important instead of how the product/service will benefit the customer. Marketing communications must clearly define benefits to the customer to be effective.

Introverted - the opposite of the above, these tactics say too little about the company, products or services. This seems to be a tactic reserved for small businesses who often follow the, “build it and they will come” marketing model. With no dialogue it is even harder to start a relationship with customers.

The best dates, like the best marketing, are smart, thoughtful and concise. Suitors demonstrate an understanding of their dates, contextualizing benefits and encouraging meaningful dialogue. Make sure first dates with your company encourage long-lasting relationships.

If I were to have a first date with your product, how would it go? Does it clearly tell me how it would be useful in my life? Encourage me find out a bit more? Solicit my feedback for improvements?

For anyone interested in an evaluation of their marketing content or collateral, please contact me via the comments board. I’d love to hear from you.

60 seconds to improving your image

Improving your image immediately - who wouldn't want that? People say nice things about you. You have the ability to call in favors and are certain to get what you need. Tough conversations are a thing of the past. People seek out your counsel and assistance. You feel good about yourself and so do others. The world will do as you command….

I'm over-selling the idea as part of my promise to “color the world” today - more on that later - by emphasizing the idea that with small changes, big results can occur. Here's how to change your image:

Do what you say you are going to do. Every time.

That's it. What's more - it is everything. Broken agreements - or failing to honor commitments - are the causes of most problems faced in business and in life. Whether it is a failure to correctly estimate shipping time for a product sorely needed by a client, or telling your wife you would be on time for dinner, and were not, precedents are set by our ability to match action to words and speak to our integrity. Integrity is fragile; taking many good acts to build but only a single bad one to cause damage.

Are you a person of integrity? Do you keep your word?

Actions speak louder than words.
At the end of every year, the staff and I develop goals for the upcoming year. For my home life, I review my personal goals during the December holiday break. It's a good time to get re-acquainted with where you said you wanted to be, and where you actually ended up. More rightly you can assess whether you kept your word to the company and yourself. At this late stage in the year you've hopefully have stacked up a pile of accomplishments and not a list of well-intentioned-things-not-yet-completed. After all, when it comes to reviews, it's not what you wanted to do that counts - it's the measurable results that matter. Fall on your sword, show the boss this article, and promise her you have seen the light and are changing your ways. However, if in the future you find yourself behind the proverbial eight-ball, rather than stressing a repeat performance of the sword play, I offer a simple solution. Stuff happens.

Stuff happens
One of the best things about life is that it is unpredictable. One of the worst things in life may be that it is unpredictable. And while random chaos may be a bit daunting, I've got you covered: planning and communication. If resources are required, they will be scheduled. If projects can be scheduled, they can be rescheduled. If agreements can be made, they can be amended. It all comes down to setting expectations and then keeping up with the details, informing everyone when things change.

Waiting until the last minute before asking for an extension demonstrates a lack of control. Gleefully nodding as a client adds more and more requirements to the project without a subsequent discussion of delivery dates is poor judgment and poor service. I'm not suggesting that these discussions will be easy, they are often not, but nonetheless they must be had to ensure expectations are set and your reputation remains intact. Just remember, whenever status changes, you need to communicate this to others and ensure everyone knows.

Coloring your world
Today started out as a cold and gray Fall morning. The kind of day where you might not want to get up, at least that's how it began for me. As my wife left for work, I decided that for both of us, we could use a positive pick-me-up. So, I decided to update my status - both literally and figuratively - to, “gray days make me wanna color your world. Heck, I'll even use Pantones®!” I've noticed a trend lately where folks dread Mondays, love Fridays and generally miss everything in between. And there's a lot of good stuff in there. So what do you say, constant reader, think I should write a piece on positivity? I can promise it won't be cloyingly sweet and it will make you think. Drop a line and let me know.

On Being Prepared

Centuries ago, in the time before electricity, the internet and siren’s song of American Idol, I was a Boy Scout. Or rather, I am an Eagle Scout. During these formative years that I, like many, were inoculated with the Scout oath, laws and the mental tattoo, “Be Prepared.” I went on to work with scouts during the summer, teaching Emergency Preparedness and survival skills.

And so, with what sometimes feels like a fanatical zeal, I plan contingencies. For everything. “What if there is traffic on this route? What if the client asks us to deliver early? What if my top performer decides to leave? Then what?”

In business the impact of the unknown “what if” question could be small, with no effect, or there could be significant consequences. Losses can be quantified financially, in terms of productivity, or perhaps damaged personal prestige.

Here’s the idea, if someone walked in from the gas company announcing a gas leak with the threat of explosion, what would you do? What if the problem can’t be resolved for three days? Could you work somewhere else? Are the tools, files, or resources you need easily relocated, or will you be up a creek? How would staff be notified? Could you still make money during this time?

You can’t plan for everything, but if you follow the guide below, you can prepare for many of the curve balls thrown your way.

1. Define critical systems. What are the essential tools for your business? Computers? A kitchen? Telephones? Transportation? Make a bare-bones list of the minimum number of things needed to successfully operate. Notice I didn’t say easily or comfortably – because we want to be ready for the worst of it. Start your planning there and anything above this line will seem easy.
2. Prioritize. Now that you have the list of essentials, list the in order of importance. At a large financial firm I worked with recently, it was critical to have customer data online all the time – even in the event of an emergency. Marketing data, such as their website or files for printed materials, could wait as long as 72 hours.
3. Document. Put your plan in writing including contact names and numbers, addresses of offsite resources or suppliers that will be able to help when things go wrong. If your plan relies on moving supplies or backing up data, make sure your plan includes who will be accountable for this task and how often they will do it. There's nothing worse than executing a contingency plan only to find that when you need it most, it's incomplete or missing altogether!
4. Keep a copy offsite. Copies of the emergency plan should be in the hands of key personnel both at work and at their homes. If anything happens in the middle of the night you could be shut out of your location and unable to reach the plan. Having offsite copies ensure that key people can get in contact and begin to activate the plan to get the business back up and running.
5. Test the plan. Don’t wait for something to happen! In conjunction with senior management test your plan at least once a year. Dream up different scenarios that designed to test critical parts of your plan to ensure that, should something happen, all of the resources needed to keep your business operating are available.

I wish you luck developing an Emergency Response Plan. If you have questions, or thoughts you’d like to share – not only do I appreciate the feedback, but it will help me with my merit badge!