What You Want: Goals + Inputs = Results

 

“Inputs drive results, results don’t drive inputs”

For some rare individuals desired results (goals) will drive inputs. A better way for most people is find the inputs you love, then create goals that you achieve as a result of getting better and better at them.

If one wants to be a successful blogger etc, start with the inputs. One must blog often and get better and better. Only the best rise to a level where they create opportunity and income from it as a result. If one wants to be a great podcaster one must make lots of podcasts and get better and better fast. Learn by doing.

Some people certainly have a head start on you. You can make up lost ground by starting right here, right now. PARTICIPATE. Practice, practice, practice. If you persist through the rough patches, you have a much better chance of creating the results that others and you will call success.

Goals lay a rough framework for the inputs that are required. Others will become apparent as one undertakes the goal. Be flexible and willing to make moves that advance you towards your goal. If you see the inputs as something that is enjoyable and workable, you have a chance at creating the results you desire.

NOTE: You can overcome the obstacles you encounter. Some, you will overcome as a solo effort, some will require the assistance of others. Build a network now, so that when you need it, it is ready. Be an asset and a resource to others so they can get past their challenges that require outside assistance.

Apple Grows iTunes Store Revenue

via online.wsj.com

Apple has done a really effective job creating a digital distribution model. Quarterly sales in the iTunes store have increased from $300 million five years ago, to over $900 today million.

Posted via web from admore's posterous

THE CISCO SUCCESS PLAYBOOK

Below are the four elements to creating success as stated in the Wall Street Journal article: Silicon Valley Survivor

• “Be realistic”
• “Assess your situation”
• “Get ready for the upturn”
• “Get closer to your customers”

For the full details on each, visit the full article on the WSJ website.

Here are three unwritten rules to add to the four above.

• “Watch the stock market.”
• “Always have more cash, not less.”
• “Be aggressive.”

Again, these are from the article linked above. It is one thing to talk about these rules and quite another to have such strong execution on them. Cisco has successfully acquired several billion dollar businesses and not missed a beat in doing so. They have been a nimble M&A machine.

THE LAURELS OF SUCCESS

 

Are you resting on your laurels?

Prove you are not, everyday to clients, associates, business partners and to yourself.

When one has created the seeds and fruits of success, it is important to not let past performance discontinue itself because of a sense of entitlement. One must continue to create delight in the community that makes an enterprise thrive and prosper.

GOALS

 

“If you aim at nothing, it is hard to hit the target.” dld

If one is to perform at a high level and generate success in a chosen endeavor, one must choose a goal to aim for. Once a goal [destination] is set one can measure progress to attainment over time.

Sometimes it takes some practice to become better prepared to attain a goal. Measuring progress will enable the individual to understand if the goal is being made and areas of achievement that are weak and improvable.

Effective Execution

The below message is a rewording of an IM I sent.

If you can effectively execute you will be successful.

There is plenty of room in the ocean for everybody to swim.

OK, there are sharks.... but the ocean is mostly safe.

More people die walking down the street than from shark attacks.

 

Thoughts?

Startup Weekend Tips

Via Twitter

@DanielleMORRILL provided the thoughts below as being important for Startup Weekend success

• Get a working prototype as early as possible
• Then polish polish polish.
• Keep your team small and focused

Original tweet

If you have some thoughts on this, add them in as a comment. Thanks.

LIFE IS RELATIONSHIPS

Saw this at the end of a blog post by Steve Yastrow. The full post it is worth reading. You might also consider subscribing to his blog as well. Link > http://yastrow.com/

Differentiating yourself with advertising is usually futile and, at its best, very short-lived.  Differentiating yourself with relationships is lasting.

• How are you differentiating yourself?
• How is your business or employer differentiating?
• How much difference is enough?
• How are you building relationships?

Comments?

Godin on the Five Pillars of Succcess

Seath Godin often has some great blog posts. Relevant, succinct and on the money.

Today is no different except that it sparked something unknown.

The five pillars of success

1. See (really see) what's possible
   
2. Know specifically what you want to achieve
   
3. Make good decisions
   
4. Understand the tactics to get things done and to change minds
   
5. Earn the trust and respect of the people around you
   

It sure seems like we spend all our time on #4.

Thoughts:

1. You have to go do something and give 100% effort to getting it done. Too many people see failure as the only possible destination for what is possible. It is not so. If you believe so strongly in your IDEA, product or service you owe it to yourself to "make it happen."
2. The focus on what the goal is needs to be precise. Get a cocktail napkin and if you can get create a business plan on a 5" by 5" napkin you likely have a specific goal. You have to cut all the fluff when you only have 25 square inches of space.
3. Good decisions are critical, maybe more important than that is making them fast and sticking with them. Think about US Airways Flight 1549. The captain was told to go to a nearby airport. He made a decision for a water landing and did so immediately. Good decisions are good for you just as they were for all the passengers on captain Sullenberger's plane that day.
4. All the tools and technology for how to get things done. Communicating with people, influencing them that such and such product or service is best for them...
5. Trust and respect are values you need to earn. They are not gained overnight either. This is a measure of Patience, persistence, and authenticity. If you are trustworthy and respectable over time the skeptics are won over. 

Read the original Seth Godin post on The five pillars of success and write out your perspective and thoughts.

Comments?

LUCKY STARTUPS HITS THE BIG TIME

Nice to see the Lucky Startups folks get some media attention. See embedded video nearby. They are making something remarkable.

 

PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT

Book Review: "The Truth About You: Your Secret to Success" by Marcus Buckingham

Are you serious about your success? Do you want to make an impact? Are you unsure how to maximize your talents?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions you would do well to buy "The Truth About You: Your Secret to Success" by Marcus Buckingham. This is a book like no other. There are essentially three components. These three components make this book into a highly engaging and effective package.

The Components are...

1. Book
   
2. DVD
   
3. Memo Pad
   

The first is the book itself. This is all high impact information. The included information is all meat. There are no filler words, sentences, paragraphs or chapters.

The second is the included DVD. This should play in most computers and standard DVD players. This is about 20 minutes in length and will engage different parts of your brain.

The third component is the "rememo" pad. This is what makes this book stand out. You have to take action if you want to succeed. Reading any one book without taking action is unlikely to help you attain a greater level of success.

This package will engage more of your brainpower than most other books. Each of the three components engages different parts of your mind. If you are committed to self improvement, you will find this package to be very valuable.

The combination of the DVD [audio and video] + the book [reading: visual thinking and processing] and the "rememo" pad [thinking, writing, analyzing] makes for a very powerful package. If you are serious about doing the small amount of self analysis and effort required from the book you should order/buy and implement the book with included tools ASAP!

This book is for people that want to perform better and create more satisfaction in what they do. If you are not willing to take these small steps, this is probably not the right book for you.

NAPOLEON HILL

HOW TO USE TWITTER

HubSpot: How to Use Twitter for Marketing



You should find some good nuggets in here. Might be a good idea to have a pen and paper close at hand to take some notes.

HOW DO YOU TREAT PEOPLE?

This is from the Wall Street Journal [October 11, 2008 Pepper … and Salt] It seems so appropriate for people to get the underling message. It makes sense to be nice to people.

You are doing business with every single person you meet. Maybe you are not selling them something directly but you are doing business with them whether you like it or not.

There are more potential rewards for being nice than for being ruthless.





What are your thoughts?

THE MILLIONAIRE FORMULA

"Everyone wants to be a millionaire. There is only one proven formula - 3,000 hours of work a year for 20+ years. Most of us work around 1,800 hours a year."
Dr. Curkovic

JOB, INTERVIEW & NETWORKING TIPS

Apply the following to Jobs, Interviews and Networking events.

Earlier today a friend mentioned something called S.O.A.R. stories. Wasn't sure what he was talking about. He elaborated that S.O.A.R. is...

• Situation
• Obstacle
• Action
• Result

It is a good idea to have 3-5 SOAR stories. These are useful in discussing challenging Situations, Obstacles encountered, Actions taken and Results.

Obviously it is best if the end Result is a positive outcome. If not, use a different story.

What are your thoughts on S.O.A.R. ?

"ALL THE BEST"

When closing a letter or a blog comment I frequently use ATB. Feel free to use it too. It's a nice way to encourage each other to stretch and to be our best.

ATB = All The Best.

Sample...

ATB,
David Damore

Currently the are "14,600,000" results on Google. It will be interesting to see if a post like this can crack the top 100.

What are you thoughts on using ATB?

TRAITS OF SUCCESS

Question: How does a person become successful?

Certainly goals are important. Lets look at how an individual chooses goals based on available resources. Skills, talents, traits and reputation are the resources of an individual. Build these and any goal is achievable.

What are the Skills, Talents, Traits and Reputational qualities that matter for success and goal attainment?

• Honesty
• Humility
• Strong work ethic
• Perseverance
  
• Persistence
  
• Communication [verbal/written]
• Listening skills
• Intensity
• Technology
• Analytical capacity
• Reader
• Flexibility
• Focus
• Creativity
• Imagination
• Solution based thinking
• 'Results' attitude
• Available to assist others [Will you make time for others even when you are pressed for time?]
  
• Ability to Teach/Coach/Train
  
• Compassionate
• Caring
• etc...
  

What others would you add to the list and why are they important?

WSJ: WOMEN LEADERS IN BUSINESS

There is a good conversation going on in the Wall Street Journal about thought leaders in business.

The first article is...
New Breed of Business Gurus Rises
There is an obvious lack of women on this list. The methodology probably has a lot to do with the lack of women on the list.There is another column that looks at why this is. It also looks like there will be lots of comments.

The second article is...
Ayn Rand, Where Are You?
This is definitely worth checking out. My comments are below.

"There are lots of women who are successful thought leaders.

Their ideas, creativity etc are opening new ways to think and succeed.

When I have been to conferences some of the best speakers and presenters have been women.

If you create a list of the top 20 Women [thinkers, analysts, leaders etc, there will be lots of people interested in reading it.

If you are interested, go to Twitter and look for the top 100 people by followers. You will find some extremely talented women.

http://www.twitterholic.com/

A few you will want to check out are Pistachio & missrogue
There are probably about 10 women in the list.

Also recommended is smallbiztrends / Anita Campbell, she is not yet on the list…"

David

Comment by David Damore - May 5, 2008 at 5:29 pm

MANAGMENT THINKER + CLEVELAND INDIANS

Business Week

Peter Drucker's Winning Team
After the management thinker joined the Cleveland Indians as a consultant in 1986, wins went up and so did ticket sales