Little Bets by Peter Sims

Buzzword alert!  Innovation 

Like so many things, people say it and have no idea what it really means.

I love reading what my network is reading, so when an innovator in the social-profit sector Lee Rose, co-founder of the MESH Network in Ottawa, formerly of CharityVillage and now of the Community Foundations of Canada tweeted he loved this book, I picked it up. And I’m glad I did.

See I have a business disability, I was born and raised in offices. Where meetings are sit-down affairs, thinking is over-ruled by doing and white boards are for fancy consultants. Thanks goodness for my network, an army of entrepreneurs, disruptors, thinkers, convenors – all who live and die by what they produce. When I look at the successful among them, at my own successes I see the theories of this book but neither of us had put the method to paper – little bets!

Great ideas are not born complete. Great service professionals walk with the client and react, I work with someone like this. To see them create solutions sometimes borders on art, to work on small steps to evolve our business is the joy of my professional life – but I’d like to do it better. Now I can.

Steve Jobs, Pixar, Frank Gehry, Chris Rock are just some of the examples Peter Sims uses in the book. Like Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers taught us about brilliance through experience, but how do the brilliant build their business from scratch! This book is truly worth the read and as we head into the summer, it’s a light fast read that gets into your head and into your work and makes you think then adds to your actions.

I love this book because you will see yourself and your actions in a more strategic light after reading it and you’ll get tips on how to amplify past success. 

Often I find myself trying to help my network get more active in the social business sector, but they always think they have to have all the marketing and strategy done before they launch. As Seth Godin says, “ship it”. Getting caught up in perfection is the illusion that will keep you from finishing.

So, let’s get to work. Let’s make more little bets.

As Lee gets to work changing the philanthropic face of Canada with his team here’s a quick video, I hope it helps you take that last step to pick up the book! Enjoy,

        Paul

 

 

 

And if you’re the hard-core learner, here’s Peter at Google giving a longer lecture. Leave it on as you wash the dishes or fold the clothes…

Great Traits of Champions

Canadian champion Mark Tewksbury spoke to both my work team and my professional association this year, both loved his book which I have to share.

I love the target reader: For “Achievers, leaders and legacy leavers”

In my career I found that great sellers, make bad managers. Great fundraisers made bad leaders just like great athletes often make bad coaches. Mark had to go from Olympic Gold to leading a team, to representing his country.

A confession, I’m NOT a sports guy. I don’t like advice from sports people or the pumped up ideas of Type-A excellence. This book goes beyond inspiration and pumping up, this is a quality workbook that encourages you to think, reflect, make a plan then act.

Breaking down the traits of leadership into key concept, how to do it well, critical takeaways, a self assessment moment and tips to make it practical so you can do something with what you’ve learned is what makes this book so valuable!

For those who want to develop their brand, learn how to lead, motivate and manage teams in an authentic way from a place of personal values. This book is for you!

A final note, during his talk at our conference Mark made a heartfelt pitch and plug for Twitter. As lead of our conference Twitter team I was on top of the world and want to personally thank you Mark for sharing your story of how this medium allowed you to connect as a leader to your team, and the country you represented.

Follow the team and enjoy this quick talk by Mark and Debbie, as always, thank for reading!

        Paul

 

To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink

This is my first “must read of 2013”, it’s on the desks of almost every leader I know. This is a book so filled with value, I’ve read it three times in less than a month. There’s SO much here - it's five books in one!

Let’s dive in to why I feel every person in my network should read this book…

1. Sales is dead. We’re all in sales now.

The internet was supposed to destroy sales. Well video did NOT kill the radio star, nor did the web kill the role of face to face sales in business. What it did was push volume sales online and make every media user a marketing machine. The customer is the buyer and the seller because they have every bit of information they need but face to face interpersonal skills are more important than ever. It’s no longer caveat emptor (buyer beware) it’s caveat venditor ( seller beware, we the customer know as much if not more than you about your own product now! ).

*Warning–Alec has a potty mouth.

No one likes to be sold. Daniel references the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, like many people I had only seen this famous scene ( *Warning, crazy explicit language!!! ) but I went back and watched the whole movie. It reminds you how dark sales can be. This is the salesman that the internet killed. Good riddance.

But if we're all in sales now we could use some skill building right? That’s what the first section of this book focuses on, the new ABC’s of ‘authentic influence’. For professionals who hate the idea of sales, being of professional service is your new goal and the book lays out a perfect roadmap. Even things like body language, the concept of why adapting to the other person is something I wrote a chapter on in Mark Bowen’s book for sales professionals.  Daniel mentions the huge power of asking better questions and mentions a topic I love, Solutions Focus.

A special thanks Dan for the shout out to the fact that fundraising IS part of this world of influence. Nice to see social-profit tips on ‘content curation’ from Beth Kanter in the book too!

2. The rise of the Ambivert

Susan Cain set 2012 on fire with "Quiet: The Power of introverts”. I spent a lot of time sharing this book last year. A thousand people in my network bought it and confessed it gave them great comfort – that they’re not “useless” because they’re not an Extrovert. But many often said to me “we'll I'm in between the two”.  Dan shares the incredible power of having a foot in both camps, and how we can be comfortable growing our strengths as “Ambiverts” ( are you one? test yourself here ).

3. “Pitching” in a web and wired world.

This part of the book is almost worth the price alone! Some peers in my network are setting up pitch-nights to help each other develop how to talk about what they do in “one word” for discussion, networking, email and yes even Twitter ( bless you Dan for acknowledging that social business is a big force to be reckoned with in 2013 and beyond! ). Communicate better, dump the sales talk – focus on clarity! Powerhouse chapter, I highly recommend you watch the video below on this topic.

4. Leading with your ears.

I know, everyone says “listening is important” in relationship building. But no one every say exactly why, and exactly how to do it. Dan goes deep into how to listen with your body. How to listen deeply, honestly and even learn how to improvise as part of your listening. Probably the most unique and usable business resource on this done to death topic I’ve read in a decade.

5. Servant Leadership

This is a topic close to my heart. Most people know that I live to serve others. Partly it’s an expression of my faith life but it is also my personal business mission statement. It’s a lifestyle and business strategy that defines me, Paul Nazareth. So to read about how Daniel values this as part of the new sales ‘must-have’ attitude and skill set is nice. Especially since much of my motivation is combating many of the unsustainable management styles built around fear, micromanagement and intimidation I see so often.

So – I’m betting on this book. I’ve bought a dozen copies to give away during the year. I predict big things for it and highly recommend it.

Four items on the sheer awesome business power of Dan & this book:

1. Daniel’s interviews with best selling authors
2. NPR audio interview with Dan on listening & ambiverts
3. Harvard Business interview with Dan on the book
4. A resource board I’ve created of articles on the book

Watch the launch below but below that is a fantastic video on “pitching”.

Thanks for reading, please share this post with your network!

    Paul

 

The Advantage–Patrick Lencioni

This is NOT a post for small business, entrepreneurs or individual-innovators.

For individuals,  I highly recommend the work of  Mr. Buckingham
For entrepreneurs and innovators, the work of Mr. Godin
But there are thousands of office towers filled with desk-bound millions.

They do good work too and they deserve better in 2013.

A confession: Every job I've had I the past 15 years, has been in an office. Even in a smaller organizations that should have been more scrappy and innovative were set up like 1950's sitcoms ( at one the staff referred to themselves as "the girls" or the “secretarial pool” even though all were as old as my mother, which they were kind enough to remind me of, often), unproductive at the worst of times. A challenging structure at the best.

This is why I read so many books about innovation, collaboration and better productivity, not everyone can be an entrepreneur so why are these books geared towards only them?!

The world will always need large organizations, be it banks, charities or manufacturing – they will ALWAYS exist. I work for them because of the powerful impact they have. They and I are not going to change so who can help US?!

Patrick Lencioni, that's who! The destroyer of dysfunction, the slayer of silos, the master of the meeting. His books are my MOST recommended when leaders of larger organizations want to fix, change and improve culture, teams and productivity.

If you haven't read one of his books, written as fables for faster reading and better retention for the busy executive, get on it. They are to business books what cupcakes are to muffins – more Awesome. Period.

But for those who know his work, Patrick has finally put together a book of strategy after writing, speaking and consulting with hundreds of teams. The Advantage is a book dedicated to organizational health. I know, it sounds hippyish but you know the toxic, unproductive, absenteeism-riddled result of unhealthy organizations; we've all worked in one.

So dear leader, make some time, grab a coffee. Patrick is here to help.

His methods aren't new and sexy, he doesn't try to sell you on a new acronym ( if one more person tries to tell me about SMART goals I'm going to lose it). This books helps leadership teams to identify values and gives practical ways to achieve them, he actually summarizes many of the best methods mentioned in his previous books! Just one reason it was named bizbook of the year by 1-800-CEO-Read.

Core culture change, better meetings and staff communications and a big chapter on hiring for fit are just some of the big wins this book can help with.

So if you lead or manage a team in a large organization, for-profit company or social-profit charity THIS book will help you rock 2013.

Special thanks and shout out to the folks at @TheArtOf and @KnightsbridgeCA for a sneak peak of this book and bringing Patrick to Canada in 2013!

I know a lot of you have recently invested in a tablet – here’s Patrick talking about the book AND the new even more resource filled eBook version!

Enjoy, Paul

My Top Books for Business Networking 2012

Almost one year ago, I shared my top books of 2011 and it continues to be my most popular blog post, read and shared by thousands world-wide.

We’re heading into 2013, so it is high time to update this list! An important note, please click on book or title as I have written a separate post for many of the books. Enjoy, again please share!

Even I’m surprised to report that no one has knocked the #1 book off it’s perch! Work the Pond is still in the top of the Canadian business book list ten years after it was published. Why? It’s still the most readable, the most approachable to all ages, career types and the science of networking is something people really appreciate reading about. It continues to be the one book I personally feel anyone can pick up, get through and feel they have learned from. I have given away dozens of copies and personally own over 25 copies myself. They float in and out of my life on a monthly basis in my coaching and mentoring.

Coming in at number two is a 2012 supersized republished edition of Business Cards to Business Relationships! I’m so glad that Allison Graham the author of this book chose to rework and republish this book. It focuses not just on connecting but “building a profitable network”. It’s the “must-read” for the business set and the ultimate gift for the b-school graduate or career minded peer in your life.

Making a NEW appearance on this list is the “LinkedIn Log”. I’ve been an enthusiast of LinkedIn for quite some time now. But in 2013 it will no longer be a secret handshake, it has moved into the mainstream and career minded professionals of any sector can’t ignore this digital rolodex any more. This tiny little workbook ( not a textbook you actually fill it out ) is as small as a passport and can be filled out at a Starbucks in 20 minutes! Then, with confidence that you’re representing yourself in your own works, you create/update and upload your new profile.

Another new edition but familiar topic is the world of the “Introvert” or as I feel they should be called “thinkers”. Susan Cain’s book has rocked the free world. Her TED talk was one of the fasted viewed in the history of TED and she has been featured in almost every business media in the Western world ( check out this digital scrapbook I’ve made of her articles and videos ). If you are one or work with a thinker this is a MUST read, and a fascinating one too!

Moving up a notch to number 5 is Mark Maria’s book on “rainmaking”. There will never be a slow down in lawyers, financial planners, insurance professionals and accountants in this world. They need a special book on bringing in business and no one can hold a candle to Maria’s methodical strategy.

At #6 one of the most read books on networking in the world continues to be Keith Ferrazzi’s “Never Eat Alone” and his follow up book, the less intense but more authentic “Who’s got your back”. There aren’t many books I would call an “enjoyable read” but that’s still Ferazzi’s strength. I have grown so much more respect for one of the concepts he continues to champion, growing your own personal board of directors.

#7 moves out of the honourable mentions into the spotlight because it too has been republished and reworked to add way more value. Mark Bowden’s “Winning Body Language for Sales” will give anyone more confidence in how they communicate nonverbally and out loud. I’ll remind readers it’s a book not just about sales but about the building of relationships in business. It will help you to be you best and most authentic self when under pressure.

#8, how could I not mention the author with her own library of titles to choose from! Susan Roane is the international Queen of Connecting, the Mingling Maven. She has a book to help you at whatever stage of networking you need help with and was the first to mention the importance of a digital profile before anyone else on this list.

My last book is an unconventional but important read for 2013. I have no interest in the “social” side of social media. Social business is what I want to know more about. And no one has captured the “why” of social business like Scott Stratten in his book “UnMarketing” ( and if you want to know more about the “how” pick up his latest book, “The Book of Business Awesome/UnAwesome” )

My bookshelf on networking tops more than 75 now, I’ve had to put down so many in disappointment. But! There are several I have to mention because as they aren’t strictly about networking they continue to be the BEST books on the mechanics of human connection. When people ask me about the best of the best in my networking library, it is not complete without these five books:

1. Fascinate by Sally Hogshead
2. Convince them in 90 Seconds by Nicholas Boothman
3. Turn Small Talk Into Big Deals by Don Gabor
4. Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki
5. The Connectors by Maribeth Kuzmeski

Thank you for visiting and sharing this post with others in your network via Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and whatever new medium comes our way in 2013! Please add your favourites to the comments section below!

Connecting is my personal passion. I’m always at your service,

Paul Nazareth

 

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Winning Body Language for Sales Professionals

Ok, full disclosure:

1. I blogged about this book in 2011, have shared this book with hundreds and have been a BIG fan because this book helped me when I was giving over 100 presentations a year.

2. After pestering the author to ask about tips for fundraisers, we kept in touch and I’m actually IN this book. Don’t worry, if it was terrible…..I would tell you.

But, luckily it doesn’t suck. Mark has gone over and above his last book to put together a powerful set of tips for not just sales professionals but those in the business of building relationships to succeed ( fundraisers, I’m talking to you! ).

And YES office dwellers this DOES mean you too!

Every time I recommend this book I have to remind peers it’s not JUST about influence. It’s about not having the other person shut themselves to what you’re saying before you’ve opened your mouth. Or, as the pro’s call it, non-verbal communication.

Mark is a private coach to Fortune 500 CEO’s, world leaders, celebrities and yes even the Prime Minister of Canada. But don’t hold that against him, he’s no Tony Robbins. Reading this book will help you to communicate better and be your most authentic self.

Mark writes for his clients, the CEO, “way too busy for this” types. Which is good because you’re probably way to busy right? Wrong, this book is crazy-practical! Each chapter ends with :

1. Theory to practise
2. Just do this now
3. A case study from someone who uses this skill daily

My part of the book is winning tips for fundraisers. Frankly, things Mark taught me to overcome in myself that resulted in proven social-profit success for me. I truly enjoyed the other tips from content experts and feel they add such a new valuable dimension to Mark’s content. There are so many myths busted and misconceptions set right. I love the chapter on how far to stand based on the topic of conversation and relationship between individuals.

Inside these pages you’ll find more than just body language, how to speak, walk, shake hands, say hello and goodbye – it will sound artificial but I can’t stress how this will empower you to get to know yourself, and be your best.

Three top chapters that end the book make it a must-read for 2013 success: Room set up and how to ensure the best conversations for building relationships and closing a deal. Coaching your team – one failing I find in so many business books is not telling the reader how to translate the knowledge! And lastly, and I can’t stress this enough to authors on networking and business communication, If you’re writing books in 2012 and beyond – it’s a social business world now! Remember to add things like body language for video, Skype and other mobile-communications. And Mark did! So valuable.

I have been recommending this book to hundreds of professionals of all ages and stages in their career. If CEO’s and heads of state call on Mark as someone who can help them be their best and most authentic self while still incorporating smart business communication methods – I hope you’ll find value here too.

I leave you with some resources. An audio interview with Mark, a video tip from Mark, from my beloved Globe and Mail and below that a bit about the book.

Thanks Mark for being so kind to a fan of your work. It is an honour to be a part of this amazing resource and your network, Paul

The Book of Business Awesome/UnAwesome

I personally found powerful value in Scott’s first book Unmarketing, I’ve recommended it to over 1000 peers, I was really worried about his sophomore effort. But it's not called "the book of business awesome" for nothing. The other side is titled, "the book of business unawesome" - one a collection of things done right, the other a warning for those who choose to ignore this medium and message.

People who love their customers, who work for themselves, who care about better business – love this book.

His chapter on the "third circle of influence" is the best one pager on the revenue of reach - an instant addition to my arsenal on why business professionals need to join this wired tribe, NOW.

I love that he constantly tackles the inner fears of marketing and business types "people are going to challenge and attack our product!". Scott shares how brand leaders instantly flip bad reviews and solve customer problems - and in some cases get out in front of them like the new multimillion dollar McDonald's campaign.

In the world of client/donor service I continually argue with peers whose programs are focused on exhausting acquisition when the numbers show time and time again it is loyal customers/donors who hold the most revenue potential. It is time to serve and engage them in this medium and stay out front ahead of those who would steal them away from you.

Refocus: Companies/Charities aren't awesome, people are. Business IS personal, we often say "it's about relationships" - well if that is correct then it’s the humanization of brands and us as professionals that are going to build and strengthen these relationships. He’s helped me, let him help you.

Scott tells a couple stories of revenue business that started with one tweet, but he reminds the sceptic "you don't build a house with a hammer, twitter is just a tool you use in collaboration with your existing networks. If you sucked without social, it will only amplify how much you suck". He shares what the ROI will look like and that’s what we need more of instead of just the "how to”.

Scott's 30 tips for speakers is a rant from the cheap seats that will have any avid conference attendee throwing their lanyard in the air screaming "amen brother!!". It could honestly be published as a mini-book and given to speakers when they are confirmed to speak.

Like many business professionals I am sick of "wow, they went viral" stories. We never hear how they built their platform, how long did it take to get viral, what is the revenue and what does life after viral look like? Did the business scale up to succeed or was it just a big blip? Scott dedicates an entire chapter to the gritty details of this, it could be the first time I've seen this done so thoroughly, another big gift to the skeptic of social media strategy.

Moving to the UnAwesome side.... Scott dedicated this to the naysayers, negatives, sceptics - you will see someone in your work peers in this list. The head of marketing or finance who says "my kids spend all night on the twitter and bookface, I don't pay staff to spend all day playing farmville."

The best part of the unawesome side is that it speaks to the busy and overworked, it helps them understand the roots of trends instead of ridiculing them for not understanding. Social media isn't just tied to the web, it's about the future of mobile web. By 2014 the Internet will be used by more mobile devices than desktop computers. Google already reports that 61 % of users won't return to a site they couldn't access quickly, is your site mobile and tablet ready?!

Finally someone challenges the overhyped power of the Facebook like. Finally some really smacks down the droning pathetic "show me the ROI of social media" with the real understanding of an HR, marketing professional and business owner (Scott has been all three). Funny enough though, his book, all these detailed case studies, the actual strategy and comfort talking numbers results in Scott once again writing the best business case for social media integration I've seen to date.

Two for two Mr. Stratten.

A special thanks and shout out to the Toronto Star Small Business Club for hosting a private session where I got to hear and meet Scott!

I leave you with a couple of great video’s from Scott on ROI and better Social Business, Paul