Management Craft

#Book Signing Disaster and How to Avoid - Funny and Tragic

I just got an email from someone who discovered an essay I wrote a few years ago about a book signing distaster. The essay was published by the legendar editor Alan Rinzler and is meant to be dark comedy. You can check it out here.

I remember reading this essay to a group of aspiring writers....they seemed a bit horrified, because they were all likely hoping that nothing like this would ever happen to them. It likely will, however, because nearly all writers have similar experiences at some point.

I thought I would share this again as we head into the weekend. Sometimes the best way to progress through difficulty is to laugh and learn. Enjoy.

Go From Outside the Box to Poking the Box @tnvora

Here is a post about a book I have on my list but have not yet gotten to: In a recent post, pal and fellow blogger/author Tanmay, over at the QAspire blog, reviews Seth Godin's latest book, "Poke the Box" which translates to taking initiative and delivering on that initiative.  I love Seth Godin's answer to the question of how leaders can prepare others to poke the box:

"....don't punish failure, reward it.  Reward smart initiative, even when it doesn't work."

Check out Tanmay's full review here.  Be sure to click on the link for the insightful Q & A with Seth Godin on Amazon.

Awesome book title, too. Seth rocks titles. Wish I had thought of that one.

 

Heading to a Pow Wow Workshop Meet Up Think Tank

I am in the Salt Lake City airport, heading to Portland to attend the BizBook Lab. I am looking forward to thinking A LOT, creating, and having some great conversations.  My expectations are that it will feel more like a weekend workshop than a conference and more like a meet up than a meeting. And because it is also about sharing my "songs" with the "earth" (word with readers) it will also feel a bit Pow-Wowy, I think. There are some really smart people teaching and attending, so it might even be like a business book think tank.

What a great combination of experiences! Let's call it the PWWMUTT. And this got me thinking.... Why not have a PWWMUTT at your workplace?

• People dread meetings but LOVE meet-ups.
• Conferences are often boring but workshops and think tanks get our mental juices flowing.
• Pow Wows are exciting, fun, and cathartic.

I bet there is an important business opportunity or problem that would offer a perfect opportunity to use a PWWMUTT. Give it a try. If you are a manager, start the year off with a bang with a departmental PWWMUTT. Here are a few distinctions:

• Keep the group small.
• Set high - revolutionary - goals (for the type of experience, not a prescriptive agenda, that is a meeting) and get people thinking before the event.
• Invite the right people - smart, engaged, and diverse.
• Expose your group to some fresh ideas and thinking - heck, ask each of them to bring fresh ideas in with him or her.
• Facilitate informal but great dialogue.
• Use several formats within the PWWMUTT to change things up and allow people to build relationships.
• Gather and discuss the right topics! Something that matters. Something people care about.

I will let you know how my PWWMUTT goes. Will you do the same?

Interested in Nonfiction Writing? 2 Great Conferences

The winter is a favorite time for me to renew my craft as a writer and get pumped for the next project. This winter, I will be attending two great conferences for nonfiction writers. If you are interested in creating a nonfiction book that catalyzes change or expands your brand, consider attending one of these!

November 13th and 14th, the Writing for a Change Conference in San Francisco. This is a great conference with lots of wonderful speakers to inspire our writing. There will be editors and agents there, too. I have gone to the larger sister conference held every February called the San Francisco Writer's Conference a few times and loved it. I think I will love this one even more because it is focused on NONFICTION that can change the world. Cool.

I will also be attending Todd Sattersten's Biz Book Lab. This will be a smaller and more personal workshop focused on the publishing and book brand building aspects of things. So if you have an idea for a book, or have written a book, and want to make sure it is a success, this is the place you want to be. I have known Todd for many years and I know he will lead a killer program. This conference is in Portland on December 14th and 15th.

The two conferences could not be more different, which is what I love - I can't wait to go to both! And they are in great cities - provocative, smart, and electric.

Let me know if you plan on attending either conference or both!

And while we are on the topic of making connections, I will also be traveling to Tupelo, San Diego, Cleveland over the next couple of months, so let me know if you want to meet up or do some business.

Do you talk beyond the point of contribution?

I was facilitating a training class this week and asked participants one thing they loved and hated about meetings. Meetings are SOOOO expensive and it is important that every meeting should help move things forward with top velocity. One participant said she hates it when people talk beyond the point of contribution. What a great way to phrase a common problem!!! I told her it would make a great blog post title and here it is.

Twitter is just 140 characters. The best blog posts are often short and saturated quickly get to the point. Should the same logic apply to meeting conversations?

Well, sort of. Yes, with a caveat. I am a proponent of great and deep conversation. That said, there is usually someone almost every most meetings has at least one over participator - someone who does not know how to make a clear and concise point at every meeting.

We have the "little book" from Strunk and White to help us learn how to write concisely. Where do we go to learn how to speak concisely? How does one best learn how to make a point and then STOP TALKING? It's not The Dale Carnegie Course or Toastmasters, these teach presentation more than conversation skills.

Perhaps we would get be better at talking right up to the point of highest contribution more effective if we wrote our thoughts down ahead of time. Those extra words and phrases (and circular thought patterns) are so much more obvious when you write, read, and then edit your messages. 

Give it a try. Write what you want to say and then cut, cut, cut until you can make your point with 50% fewer words. I could go on about going on, but that would be rather ironic, now wouldn't it? But be careful not to strikethrough the best parts, OK?

A few FREE manifestos for you...

I have been meaning to share this for some time.... Remember the podcast I did with Mike Kanazawa? It was a good one! And now he has gone and written a Change This manifesto called People Don’t Hate Change, They Hate How You’re Trying to Change Them. You can download it for free and while you are there check out the other cool manifestos.

Change is the only constant. We must change.
We must manage change and transition.
We know a lot about how to help people change.
Most change efforts fail.

Huh?

I don't want to write another book about change - there is a lot of great stuff out there. But something is missing between what we know and how we manage. Like so many of us carry a few too many pounds - we know, but we don't do (on that, I have signed up to do the half marathon in Seattle November 30).

Check out what Mike has to say - he's a smart guy! After that, go for a run - it might just be what we humans were designed to do....

Slump - Writers Slump or Writer's Block

Things have been a bit quiet here at Management Craft - not as many posts, shorter posts. I'm in a bit of a management writing slump, which is a really bad thing because I am in the middle of writing a new book called, 10 Steps to Management (which will be published by ASTD Press next year, along with an accompanying facilitator's guide).

The next two weeks need to be magical in terms of creativity and productivity. So how do I make that happen? How do you make it happen when you need to? Some things that have worked for me in the past:

1. I need to get my mind into a new context or groove. Sometimes just heading to the Alki Beach Starbucks and brainstorming with a latte works well.

2. I need to skip around a bit - write the fun parts to get on a roll. This approach worked for me when I was a manager, too. When in a slump, I would do anything to get rolling again. Once rolling, I can conquer the obstacles.

3. I need to set better daily targets and goals so that I don't get behind on things. Make each day a success even if it is a small success.

4. I need to take more of my "breakthrough" medicine and share with more people, make requests, and take small actions. One request I need to make of all of you - be patient with me between now and the new year. I am on deadline crunch time for th next two weeks and then will be in New Zealand for three weeks. Management Craft will be back in a strong way come January. I am working on some fun ideas for the blog that I am sure you will like.

5. Remove distractions.

6. See the task in a new way - why did I create this book? What value do I hope it will provide? What's the magic sauce that will elevate this book and make me feel proud to have written it? These types of questions always yield interesting answers that can help me get re-jazzed and focused.

7. Just do it. And love doing it.

Meta Writing - On Being Laconic

This essay is meant to be light and entertaining. Don't read too much into my "woe is me," style. :-) Just messing around with my thoughts. That's fun sometimes, ya know? If you don't have time to read the whole thing, make sure you read the Steinbeck passage, his words are amazing.

What's your business writing style?

On Being Laconic

Hello, my name is Lisa, and I am a chronic laconic writer. In the winter of 1998, my manager told me that I was laconic. I had no idea what laconic meant at the time and took her statement as a compliment. I looked up laconic and discovered that it meant I used very few works. My boss was remarking on my style of writing business reports and presentation materials. She preferred communication that, to me, seemed a bit drawn out and academic. In my defense, I think the attention spans of the leaders whom I was trying to influence were also laconic.

I am a laconic writer and on some level I am proud of my economical use of words. Why take up paragraphs when a sentence will do just fine? Why use pages when well-crafted bullet points help people zoom in on the most important messages? Poets make big and layered impressions with their few words. Even a tiny poem can tell a story. Laconicism is not a bad style when working on a 700-word article or an executive summary explaining why the company should scrap performance appraisals. Leaders have told me that my writing is clear and well organized.

I began writing my first book in 2003. It was to be 60,000 words, which would become a 250-page book. The task was daunting; how could I ever fill those pages? Each chapter went through many blossomings. A day before I was to send in the manuscript I found myself  3,000 words short and thought I could not write another sentence. I was wrong, of course, and found the words. I have written five books and struggled to fill each one.

I wonder if being laconic is a sickness or a learned habit. Does my mind think differently than other, more descriptive writers? And descriptive is not the right word for it either. I don’t know what is the opposite of laconic. Long. I think it might be something a bit more than habit, something about the way my brain is wired. I believe this because I have a hard time reading the anti-laconic style of writing. I can take and appreciate a little bit, but books full of longness are tough to get through. I admire the craft involved in a lovingly composed paragraph, I do. When I think about extraordinary anti-laconicism, a passage in Steinbeck’s The Log from the Sea of Cortez comes to mind:

The wind blew so and the water was so cold and ruffled that we did not stay ashore for very long. On board, we put down the baited bottom nets as usual to see what manner of creatures were crawling about there. When we pulled up one of the nets, it seemed to be very heavy. Hanging to the bottom of it on the outside was a large horned shark. He was not caught, but had gripped the bait through the net with a bulldog hold and he would not let go. We lifted him unstruggling out of the water and up onto the deck, and still he would not let go. This was about eight o’clock in the evening. Wishing to preserve him, we did not kill him, thinking he would die quickly. His eyes were barred, rather like goat’s eyes. He did not struggle at all, but lay quietly on the deck, seeming to look at us with a baleful, hating eye. The horn, by the dorsal fin, was clean and white. At long intervals his gill-slits opened and closed but he did not move. He lay there all night, not moving only opening his gill-slits at great intervals. The next morning he was still alive, but all over his body spots of blood had appeared. By this time Sparky and Tiny were horrified by him. Fish out of water should die, and he didn’t die. His eyes were wide and for some reason had not dried out, and he seemed to regard us with hatred. And still at intervals his gill-slits opened and closed. His sluggish tenacity had begun to affect all of us by this time. He was a baleful personality on the boat, a sluggish, gray length of hatred, and the blood spots on him did not make him more pleasant. At noon we put him into the formaldehyde tank, and only them did he struggle for a moment before he died. He had been out of the water for sixteen or seventeen hours, had never fought or flopped a bit. The fast and delicate fishes like tunas and mackerels waste their lives out in a complete and sudden flurry and die quickly. But about this shark there was a frightful quality of stolid, sluggish endurance. He had come aboard because he had grimly fastened on the bait and would not release it, and he lived because he would not release life.

I imagine a laconic version of this passage and know it would not have conveyed Steinbeck’s image and the power of this scene. The lengthy description slows down the timing of the passage, which mimics the shark’s long waiting and death. While reading it, we feel the shark’s determination and the horror of those onboard.

What is my writing is missing by being laconic? Is my bluntness a disservice to you, the reader? Probably. Reflecting on the Steinbeck passage, I can see that his breath by breath commentary and anthropormorphization of the shark’s feelings are compelling and fascinating and there’s no way to do this in an abbreviated way. He’s there, he’s feeling the pain, hate, and guilt. I have been doing an efficient job observing scenes but have not become emotionally entrenched in them.

This business of laconicism is all very interesting to think about. As I tap out these words, I notice an urge to bring this essay to a close. If I did so, my part of the essay would nearly be eclipsed in length to Steinbeck’s quoted passage. Laconic indeed. Perhaps my ailment has been exasperated by experiences on high school and college debate teams. During one-on-one speech competitions, being expeditious and efficient with words helped me win. I relished delivering the single stinging sentence that hammered the last nail in my opponent’s coffin. In summary, because the intent of this law is unambiguous and the positive aim of the company has been conceded by my opponent, there is only one logical conclusion; the company’s action were in good faith and in accordance with the spirit of the law.  I won a lot.

Perhaps my focus is askew. Instead of zeroing in on the end points, conclusions, or grand finales, I ought to linger in the journey. Get into the thick of the tale, whatever it is. When I think of my favorite books, the endings are often anticlimactic and unwelcome. I prefer getting to know and love or hate the characters and the circumstances in which they struggle and thrive. Carl Hiaasen’s Tourist Season is a masterpiece of quirky and colorful scenes. I hoped the book would go on forever, but all great stories must end. The best anti-laconicists linger in the journey and enjoy taking side trips that add color to our story.

Is it enough to write: the fourth generation chile farmer prayed for just enough, but not too much, rain because this balance affected the yield and heat the peppers. Or would it be better to note that in four generations, Paul had learned that the best peppers were just a bit starved. The stress from dry conditions heightened the pepper’s heat. Last season’s 13 inches of rain improved yield of the popular Big Jim green chile peppers, but it also reduced his pepper’s spiciness. His customers craved heat. He could charge more for a hot Big Jim; much more.  With only 8 inches of precipitation this year, the tomatoes would suffer and the peppers would be amazing. Just enough rain to ensure a good yield and extraordinary flavor.

OK, I get it. I’m ready to jump on a plane and order up a green chile cheeseburger, heavy on the chile. The antidote for a chronic laconic writing affliction is patience and play. Color, texture, and complexity do not pop onto the page in neat and tiny packages; they need to be fed, watered, and given the room to grow. This is an interesting metaphor to use to describe great writing because I very much like propagating seeds and raising tender little plants into lush expressions of their kind. I talk to my seedlings and encourage them to be brave and invincible. Ironically, I have only tried and failed when it comes to my beloved chile pepper. Basil, lavender, parsley, and cilantro have been much more responsive to my coaching and coaxing.

Now you see, I am feeling positively chatty.

Heading Back to School

The blogging will be very light over the next 8 days because this morning I am heading back to school. I am starting an MFA program at Goddard College out of Vermont. Today begins an 8-day residency intensive in lovely Port Townsend, WA.

I am excited to be on a new learning path! I started but never finished my master's degree and this is something that has gnawed at me for over ten years. I started two programs actually, but then was moved out of the state for work. And recently, I found that I had no interest in getting a business related masters degree. Each program I looked at seemed boring and uninventive. If I am going to invest my time and money to get another degree, I want it to be something that excites me.

And I found it in the MFA program at Goddard. I is a low residency program, but there are two 8-day residencies each year for two years. I get to mold and shape my experience and work with some incredible people.

I might pop in to do a quick post here and there, but maybe not. I will have podcasts for you on Monday and Thursday.

Wish me luck!!

Will You Help Me Make a Difference?

I was talking to someone from the UK today. She asked me if love writing and if I always knew I wanted to do that.

YES and YES.

Even so, it took me a long time to start writing and I am hardly done learning. In my case, my natural talents and my calling were not perfectly matched up. Each book, article, post, paragraph, sentence, word, and letter furthers my journey.

And at times I am at a loss for words. This is one of those times. So I am just going to write it like I feel it and risk coming off a bit weird/emotional/salesy/self-absorbed.

In two weeks, my book Focus Like a Laser Beam: 10 Ways to Do What Matters Most comes out. I am achingly in LOVE with this book. It was fun to write and my publisher let me make it mine. It's the first management book that I know of that includes excerpts of full blogs posts as examples (aside from books about blogs). It's fun, at times funny, and has lots of examples and information.

Is it perfect - NO, not even close. But the object of our love is rarely perfect, right? In fact, it's the idiosyncrasies that makes it more charming, I think.

This is going to sound egotistical, but here goes. I think I took a really unique perspective to writing about focus. It's emotive and highly relational. Extremely relationship focused. I believe that what keeps us from being able to focus has more to how we deal with people than how we keep our day planner. Focus comes from energy, excitement, passion, and dialogue.

I love this book and I poured a lot of my soul into it. Here's a quote from the introduction:

Laser beams are beautiful. Each bit jazzes to the max in harmony. Its complicated inner soul creates an outer appearance that is elegantly simple and straightforward: literally straight-forward. Forward an inch wide and mile long. Strong, intense, and determined to reach the target with precision. The beam persists of one mind, one purpose, and one direction. And while the laser is not the brightest light in any one moment, it goes farther, farther, miles farther and faster on track. Crazed, long, pure, and smooth. Lasers are one of the best and most practical applications of quantum mechanics. They are special and their properties hold secrets for today’s busy leaders.

Yeah, there's some stuff about laser beams, too. I feel intense and crazed right now. I want to scream at the top of my lungs and share this book with everyone. Will you help me? In the world of business books, I am a relative unknown. Management Craft is popular and I thank you all for reading. Compared to the big names - Peters, Collins, Covey, and Blanchard - I am unknown. This is not about money, really it is not (anyone who has written a book knows this).

I love this book.

I will be doing a free recorded webinar and a few podcasts in late June and July and I will provide links for those here on the blog. In the mean time, I would love it if you would preorder Focus at Amazon.

Order one for yourself and one for your favorite colleague - click here now to order.

It would make a big difference to me if you helped me get this book into lots of hands. And I would love to hear from those of you who read the book. Tell me what you like, hate, and your questions.

Focus is so important. Here's another quote from the book:

The show begins and you feel a rush of sensory stimulation. Swashes of vivid color dance and fly at all corners of your eyes. The lights play hide-and-seek to reveal intriguing scenes and painted people. The music is full and intricate and pushes out any unrelated thoughts you might have had. Five, ten, or maybe twenty performers are each doing their own things flawlessly and simultaneously. It’s chaotic but perfectly choreographed. The air buzzes and hums, and you can feel and smell the passion. You feel the chills of excitement. Looking around, you can see that others are amazed too. Your visual field is so stimulated you cry.

And another:

Human Resources professionals may rush to read this chapter to ensure that it does not say what they fear; that bosses should have sex with their employees. They can rest easy because the word, “sex” will be and has been mentioned only twice and this chapter has nothing to do with that kind of intimacy. With that said, some of you might still be uncomfortable discussing business relationships as being intimate. The goal of this chapter is to help you get over this objection and get excited about the benefits of deep work relationships.

What does intimacy mean? How do we know when a work relationship is intimate? In her book The Dance Of Intimacy, Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. offers this provoking definition of intimacy. "Let’s attempt a working definition of an intimate relationship. What does it require of us? For starters, intimacy means that we can be who we are in a relationship, and allow the other person to do the same... An intimate relationship is one in which neither party silences, sacrifices, or betrays the self and each party expresses strength and vulnerability, weakness and competence in a balanced way."

An intimate relationship is one where people feel comfortable being themselves. Think about this from a business perspective. As a leader, you want to tap into the intelligence, drive, and uniqueness of each of your employees. You hire people to contribute to the organization and to make an impact they need to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences. If you want people to share what they have to offer, you need to create an environment in which doing so is comfortable.

Here's what I want. I want the preorders for Focus Like a Laser Beam to go through the roof. I don't want to do any funny tricks like asking you to buy the book on a certain day. Now is great, two days from now is great.

If you enjoy reading Management Craft, please let me know that with your support of this book. Thanks so much.

Here's the Table of Contents:

Foreword – Keith Ferrazi                                    
Introduction                                    
Section 1: Excite and Energize
Chapter 1: Know and Feel the Power of Laser Focus
Chapter 2: Get Intimate with Your Employees
Chapter 3: Have Fun and Be Fun
Chapter 4: Relax to Energize
Section 2: Tune Your Dialogue
Chapter 5: Turn Meetings into Focus Sessions
Chapter 6: Invite a Challenge
Chapter 7: Huddle
Section 3: Zoom In
Chapter 8: Stop Multitasking, Start Chunking
Chapter 9: Do One Great Thing
Chapter 10: Let Go            
Chapter 11: Conclusion
References               
Index               

P.S. Did I mention I LOVE this book? I will be getting an advance copy from my publisher on Friday and I know I will likely cry like a girl when I hold it. I know, guys cry too, they just wear shades.

Here's the cover art. Pretty cool, huh?

No, that's not me with the bow and arrow. I WISH I were that skinny.