Axiom 16: Talk to the Lion

"If you know yourself, but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat." -Sun Tzu

"An archer cannot hit the bullseye if he doesn't know where the target is." -Anonymous

I had a professor once that told me a story about a business deal that fell through. It was a potential client meeting between a family-owned business (owned by two brothers and a sister) and a PR firm trying to add them as a client. The PR firm thought the meeting went great. They were grilled by the two brothers with tons of questions while the sister quietly sat in the corner. The PR firm charmed the two brothers with all of their answers but in the end they did not get the account. They failed to focus on the sister, who even though she sat quietly and did not ask a single question, made all of the final decisions for the company. The PR firm did not know their target. They did not talk to the lion.

I hear about similar failures all the time. People failing because they were just not prepared with any research, or were prepared with the wrong research. Often that lack of knowledge is perceived by the other party as a lack of respect and the potential deal is killed no matter how stellar the presentation.

The biggest violators of this axiom that I have seen have come from salespeople. At work there is one sales guy that visits us that comes to mind. He struts in every few months to see our company and try to get us to buy more from his company. My office is at the front of the building and he often ignores me when he walks by. Sometimes he will say hello and call me 'Shane', which is slightly annoying. Then he heads straight over and starts kissing the ass of one employee in particular.

Now the interesting part of the whole thing is that this outside sales guy thinks he is kissing the ass of the person with the most purchasing power in our company. In reality the guy he is talking to probably buys the least from his company and I probably buy the most. Kinda ironic considering the guy can't even seem to get my name right. This sales guy is a victim of bad research and failing to talk to the lion. 

The point of all this is to prove the importance of doing accurate and useful research. When you go in for a meeting you should already know (or have a plan to quickly find out) who has the decision making power. Otherwise you'll look lazy, ill-prepared, and hurt your overall chances of accomplishing your goals and succeeding.     

New Year's Resolutions

This is the time of year when you should look back at what you accomplished (or didn't accomplish) this past year and set goals for the coming year. 

Here are the 8 categories that I believe every person must work on for a balanced and happy life. Get out a piece of paper and pencil and take a moment to reflect and plan for the future.

1. Family & Friends 

• Were your friends and family there for you this year? 
• Did you make new friends this year?
• Did you drift apart from some friends and family this year? 
• How are you planning on working on these relationships in the coming year?

2. Religion & Faith

• How was your faith tested or changed this year?
• How did religion or faith factor into your life this past year?
• How will religion or faith factor into your life in the coming year?

3. Work

• What did you accomplish at your job this past year?
• Were you happy at your job this past year?
• Where do you want your career to be a year from now?

4. Health

• How was your diet and health this year?
• What diet and health changes do you need to make for next year?

5. Hobbies

• What new hobbies did you learn this year?
• What new hobbies do you want to lean this next year?

6. Education

• What new skills or knowledge did you acquire this year?
• What classes, books, shows, and topics do you plan on immersing yourself in next year?

7. Travel

• What new places did you visit this year?
• Where are you planning on travelling next year? (Outline a savings plan to pay for the trip now.)

8. Comfort

• When were you pushed out of your comfort zone this year? Was is a good thing?
• What material possessions did you buy this year? Did they bring you happiness?
• What do you want to buy next year? 

If you had a bad year this past year, my condolences. Everyone has a bad year eventually. Take this time to realize why it was a bad year so that hopefully next year can be a prosperous and happy one. 

A bad year is usually a result of these four things:

1. Bad Luck - For reasons beyond a person's control things went wrong. A natural disaster, sickness, injury, and death are a few examples. There's not much a person can do in these cases except keep their head up and work on improving everything in their life they do have control over. Good times will eventually come.
2. Bad Time Management - Time is a person's most valuable asset. Squandering it away on frivolousness insures that a person will never truly prosper.   
3. Lack of Direction - Without a plan or goal in life a person is simply waiting on fate or good luck. People should always have a plan of action in place to accomplish their goals. Otherwise you'll disappointingly drift through life.
4. Chaos - Negative situations such as destructive family members, abusive spouses, and argumentative friends make positive movement in life impossible. Anyone in these situations should do whatever it takes to break free so that they can have a chance at happiness and success.

As always I wish you success, prosperity, and happiness in the new year!

Axiom 15: The Harvard Advantage

Harvard is America's oldest university and boasts one of the most impressive lists of successful graduates in the country. First I'll explain why Harvard graduates are so successful and then I'll show you how you can take advantage of their resources.

Why are Harvard graduates so successful?

Undoubtedly part of their success is a bi-product of strict admissions standards, exorbitant tuition costs, and a network of wealthy aristocrats at their disposal. However these things will only help Harvard graduates get their foot in the door somewhere, it won't necessarily make them successful at what they do. I believe the real value of a Harvard degree lies within the actual education students receive.  

Harvard's MBA program is the best example of how exceptional the school's educational process is. It is heavily centered on case study. Emphasis is placed on problem-solving instead of memorizing dates and statistics. Case study allows students to examine real world problems to see what went wrong and what went right. After working through hundreds of these case studies students are prepared to go out into the business world and deal with pretty much any potential problem that can come up.

This concept in connected to the 10,000 hour rule I wrote about in Axiom 11. Once students have acquired 10,000 of studying real world business problems in school they are to well equipped to deal with real-world problems when they graduate. They have already worked through similar situations in school and are familiar with all of the possible outcomes.

The Harvard difference can be best illustrated by the following quote:

I walk down the street. 

There is a hole. 

I don't see it. 

I fall in. 

It isn't my fault. 

It takes a very long time to get out.

I walk down the same street.

There is still a deep hole.

I pretend not to see it.

I fall in.

I pretend it's still not my fault.

It takes a long time to get out.

I walk down the same street. 

There is still the same deep hole.

I see it.

I fall in anyway.

It's a habit.

I get out quicker this time.

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole.

I see it.

I walk around it.

I don't fall in.

I walk down a different street. 

-Portia Nelson

If the quote above was an actual business situation the Harvard graduate would already be familiar with all of the possible outcomes based on research. A mainstream college graduate might actually work through the scenario blindly as it reads and make mistakes until the correct solution is found. Hence the phrase, "Smart people learn from their mistakes. Geniuses learn from the mistakes of others".

 How can you use the Harvard advantage?

• The Free Method - Learn about your field of interest through a case study approach using the resources readily available to you. This could be talking with industry experts, watching documentaries on television, researching on the Internet, etc. Study about the history of your field and focus on how companies and individuals reacted to problems. Keep in mind that case studies are timeless. So a business failure is just as relevant in 2011 as it was in 1811. 
• The Inexpensive Method - Check out the resources available at the Harvard Business Review website. They offer books, a magazine, blogs, courses, and other materials that can offer you a more structured way to study cases in your field of interest.  
• The Expensive Method - Get a professional certificate online from Harvard's Extension School. Many people don't know that they can get a professional certificate from Harvard by simply taking five classes online within three years. The best part is that registration is open to the general public without any requirements for admission. They currently offer five fields of study: Nanotechnology, Strategic Management, Religious Studies, Sustainability, and Web Technology. Imagine how much more your résumé would stand out with a Harvard certification on it!