I read a great article by Josh Bernoff – “How to be a human”

This great article really reinforces one of the TK Tenets that all success is found through human interactions.  Building great technology is important.  Great systems and infrastructure allow software customers to be better served.  But the real thing that sets the best technology companies apart is that they are better at being human with their customers.  Human interaction is what drives value, and in the end moves both the top and bottom line.

Being human = making more money

Here’s a lesson I’ve learned from the best CEO I’ve worked with, Jim Groff: Persistently seek feedback and improvement.

We’re all so busy with the day to day tasks of our professional lives that it’s easy to view feedback as a nuisance, and change as the enemy.  I’m already behind, so why do I need to take time out of my schedule to mess with what’s working.

What I’ve learned from Jim is that feedback and improvement are typically undervalued, and that it’s the job of the leader to make sure that the organization takes the time to seek them out.

For example, at one of my previous companies, we ran a weekly staff meeting with the same format for 4 years.  We’d always done it that way, and it didn’t seem to make sense to change it.

At his company, Jim came in and observed the existing meeting structure, then asked folks for feedback on whether or not it was working.  Based on that feedback, he made changes which were well-received.  But rather than sitting on his laurels, after another month or two, he asked for feedback on the new format.

As Jim is fond of saying, “We’re all sitting here so much, let’s make this time as productive as possible.”

Don’t be satisfied with your rut.  Persistently seek feedback and improvement.

Christmas is a time of traditions.  Decorated trees, smartly-wrapped presents, midnight mass, caroling, and spiked eggnog all find their origins in tradition.  Another tradition is watching the Frank Capra classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.  Nothing makes me think of holiday time like Jimmy Stewart running through fictional Bedford Falls on his way home.

As I sat with my family watching the holiday classic this year, something struck me about my life in the business world.  Am I more like Harry F. Potter, the evil villain of the show, or George Bailey, the likable protagonist?  I think it is one of those things that most people would like to think of themselves as the affable Mr. Bailey.  But as I went into an introspective mode, I also had to come to the realization that I actually have set myself in a path where I am more like the “warped, frustrated old man” represented in Potter.  It also became apparent to me that this has been a journey for me, and maybe it is time that the journey takes a fork in the road.

I have been an entrepreneur since I was 15 years old when I started building my first company.  I was a bright, energetic kid who knew nothing about anything, but thought I had all of the answers.  I had big dreams and anything looked possible.  Through many business twists and turns, highs and lows, I now find myself a 37-year old businessman.  Business often feels tainted and even boring to me.  Now, I do know a lot of things about a lot of topics, and many people turn to me to solve their business quandaries.  While this has its own rewarding feelings, it also often leaves me feeling a little “warped and frustrated”.  I find myself quick to anger with frustrating customers, and my approach to some situations is very blunt, which I am sure could be construed as warped!

So, as I felt my heart fill in the closing scene of It’s a Wonderful Life, and my wife and family were around me, I couldn’t help but ask myself, am I happy being more Potter than Bailey?  And my mind left me with the answer that I am not.  So, I will be working to re-craft my approach to be more like George Bailey.  I need to appreciate what I have accomplished and what I am yet to accomplish.   Business success is measured in so many ways, and I need to remember that every day.

There are often business lessons to be learned from military history.  This makes a lot of sense because business, especially the start-up world, is like conducting a military campaign.  Things are often shifting, you are fighting every day to stay alive, you often have limited information, and there are always enemies around you. So, studying military history can be useful in helping you to build your business.

One particular lesson to examine is what can be learned from George B. McClellan from the American Civil War.  General McClellan was an incredibly smart man who was selected by Lincoln to lead and organize the Army of the Potomac (Union) for most of the first half of the War Between the States.  McClellan was a brilliant organizer who was well liked by his subordinates.  He did a great job of giving structure to a chaotic northern army.  But for all of his organization and mental brilliance, he had one major flaw.  He could not commit the army he built to beat a far inferiorly supplied Army of Northern Virginia.  At times he outnumbered Robert E. Lee’s army by 2 or even 3 to 1 but still was concerned about being outnumbered.  The fact is that McClellan couldn’t ever “pull the trigger” on putting his great army into action.  He never felt like he was prepared enough.  After a couple bungling years by McClellan, he was eventually replaced.

Recently, we were advising a start-up where they loved to prepare infrastructure.  They are exceptional at organizing, building procedures, and documenting what to do when a customer might sign.  But unfortunately, they forget the golden rule of small business, “Nothing happens until somebody sells something.”  They focused more energy on building infrastructure and planning than they did on selling their offering.   This is a recipe for disaster.  Being brilliant and organized is important at a start-up, but selling and getting clients is how winning and losing is measured.