Professor John Glynn (http://bit.ly/JGlynn) sadly just retired after 20 years of teaching at GSB. I can't say how lucky I am to be in his last class taught at GSB. It's often unbelievable such a humble, nice gentleman who lectured us every Tuesday and Thursday morning is one of the oldest and most influential figures in the Silicon Valley. Above all, I learned a great deal of humility from Professor Glynn.
In his last class, Professor Glynn shared with us a number of personal wisdoms. I will share them in the next few blogs with you all:
Personal Advice (my favorite):
In an era of commercialism and rampant greed, you need to be reminded about the powers of idealism, community, diversity and self-respect.
1. Begin with an end in mind. Know where you are going to understand where you are now.
2. Accept responsibility for yourself. Put the monkey on your back. Obstacles to success are usually not external.
3. Embrace the unknown and distrust the known.
4. Understand then be understood. Listen to how others see things. Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes.
5. Focus on implementation. Organize and act around priorities.
6. Make commitments and live up to them. Do what you say you are going to do.
7. Never ask people to do something you would not do.
8. Continue to learn. "It's what you learn after you know it all that really counts." John Wooden
9. Obey the absolutes of right and wrong. Adhere to your principles even when it hurts to do so.
10. Develop some humility. Most entrepreneurs are long on ego and need more humility.
11. Don't take yourself too seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself.
12. Focus on the glass being half full and not half empty.
13. Play to win. Do not fear failure. Fear of failure is often worse than inertia. Take risks and embrace failure. There is no disgrace in failure if you have acted in a fair and honest manner.
14. Be aware of the shadow you cast.
a. Avoid the total focus on what is good for me.
b. Look at how your actions affect others.
c. Put your ego in place so people can communicate with you.
d. Show your commitment to your people and their importance to your organization. Create a sense of belonging.
e. Be genuine and natural with people and be honest and consistent in dealing with them.
15 Finally, get your priorities straight:
a. Family is #1
b. Wife or husband is #1. Spend time with them.
c. You need a balanced life. Take vacations and breaks to stay sharp.
d. Enjoy life before it is gone.
e. Give rather than take.
f. Do rather than talk.
g. Say it can be done rather than it's impossible.
h. Inspire others rather than discourage.
i. Light a candle rather than curse the darkness.
j. Do more than exist - LIVE.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Key Lessons Learned from Prof. Mark Leslie on Enterprise Sales and Leadership
Mark Leslie (http://bit.ly/MLeslie) is one of my favorite professors here at GSB. It's my fortune to sit in his class and learn the knowledge he accumulated from leading and growing technology companies for the past 30+ years!
I particularly enjoyed our last day of the enterprise sales class I took given by him and Mark Stevens (partner at Sequoia Capital).
Mark shared the following key lessons:
First, he shared the virtuous cycle below about building a strong company and the value of good sales management:
(1) Set goals realistically. Set the quota at a level that allows 70% of the organization achieve 100% or more of the quota. Allowing people to succeed build confidence and a virtuous cycle of success. Positive reinforcements are most effective.
(2) When sales overachieves, company has enough end of quarter or end of year business to avoid discount pressure or channel stuff.
(3) The company can exceed profit expectations.
(4) As a public company, high stock prices build the public reputation of the company.
(5) As a result, you create an environment where you can attract the best and brightest.
(6) You also have money to acquire new products, enter new markets, build strategic partnerships, and leverage industry trends.
This comes back to the importance of forecasting and setting achievable goals. Typically, he used to set a team's overall goal as less than 80% of the sum of individual quotas, as a rule of thumb. Another tip he shared was that while you tie most sales' people's compensation directly to their revenues, you should tie the VP of sales' compensation to the company's overall goal to avoid conflicts of interests. He/she should think more like a CEO.
Second, he warned that inertias exist in a company's revenue plan. You cannot expect to change things and expect a 180 degree change over night.
Third, it's important to inspire people to be heroic and to not rest on your own laurels. NEVER, NEVER read your own press clips. Remember where you come from.
Fourth, set each of the operating function's expenses at a proportional share of the revenue dollar.
Fifth, build trust with your VP of sales to avoid gaming. Realistically ask for the "highest number you're certain you can make. Anything less will inhibit our investment in the future of the business."
Finally, the most important thing for a leader is to create a "high-trust" environment above the mission of "self". Talk to people in the frontline and filter out the BS. Never shoot the messenger and provide as much transparency as possible in the organization. Ask yourself "is there any good reason why people shouldn't know this?"
A quote he shared at the end was very inspiring for me, especially as I'm pursuing an entrepreneurial path:
"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. - Sidney J. Harris (1917-1986)"
I particularly enjoyed our last day of the enterprise sales class I took given by him and Mark Stevens (partner at Sequoia Capital).
Mark shared the following key lessons:
First, he shared the virtuous cycle below about building a strong company and the value of good sales management:
(1) Set goals realistically. Set the quota at a level that allows 70% of the organization achieve 100% or more of the quota. Allowing people to succeed build confidence and a virtuous cycle of success. Positive reinforcements are most effective.
(2) When sales overachieves, company has enough end of quarter or end of year business to avoid discount pressure or channel stuff.
(3) The company can exceed profit expectations.
(4) As a public company, high stock prices build the public reputation of the company.
(5) As a result, you create an environment where you can attract the best and brightest.
(6) You also have money to acquire new products, enter new markets, build strategic partnerships, and leverage industry trends.
This comes back to the importance of forecasting and setting achievable goals. Typically, he used to set a team's overall goal as less than 80% of the sum of individual quotas, as a rule of thumb. Another tip he shared was that while you tie most sales' people's compensation directly to their revenues, you should tie the VP of sales' compensation to the company's overall goal to avoid conflicts of interests. He/she should think more like a CEO.
Second, he warned that inertias exist in a company's revenue plan. You cannot expect to change things and expect a 180 degree change over night.
Third, it's important to inspire people to be heroic and to not rest on your own laurels. NEVER, NEVER read your own press clips. Remember where you come from.
Fourth, set each of the operating function's expenses at a proportional share of the revenue dollar.
Fifth, build trust with your VP of sales to avoid gaming. Realistically ask for the "highest number you're certain you can make. Anything less will inhibit our investment in the future of the business."
Finally, the most important thing for a leader is to create a "high-trust" environment above the mission of "self". Talk to people in the frontline and filter out the BS. Never shoot the messenger and provide as much transparency as possible in the organization. Ask yourself "is there any good reason why people shouldn't know this?"
A quote he shared at the end was very inspiring for me, especially as I'm pursuing an entrepreneurial path:
"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. - Sidney J. Harris (1917-1986)"
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Professor Aaker's Research on Happiness
Professor Aaker at Stanford GSB has been known for research of happiness. She found that pursuit of happiness alone is often an endless act that can evaporate quickly. You are happy on average for only three days after a promotion. However, she suggests us to chase effectiveness and meaningfulness which will result in a deeper sense of happiness in the long term.
I also love the 8 weird principles she showed us based on research done over 10+ years:
(1) Time shift: First how many hours of deep, hard thinking do you get done each day? In corporations, there are often too many meetings and not enough deep, hard thinking. Another interesting finding is that the most productive time is often between noon and 3pm within corporations. They are the most creative at 3pm-6pm. She suggests that we try to block out time to do deep, hard thinking - and to think creatively. Also spending time with Others brings happiness, unsurprisingly!
(2) Work on projects you LOVE (not like): It releases happiness in your brain! People become more effective when the brain releases endorphines! Most corporate professionals can't think of such happy moments at work. SAD! She suggests that we think hard on creating projects that the employees LOVE! Interestingly the two top frustrations at work are: too many projects and too many EMAILS! :) (that's why our Mokini project is important).
Research has found that people often anticipate pleasure before vacations but the pleasure quickly gets overwhelmed by workload as soon as they return from vacation. According to the research, you just keep "planning the trips" but do not actually take them, to just enjoy the endorphines and not suffer from the post-vacation stress.
Also, stop complaining! Research shows that complaints produce more disutility than utility. Even when you want to provide negative feedback, try to use a "sandwich", say "yes, and..." or "I'm curious..." (rather than "I'm confused").
(3) Reframe expectations: An example: http://bit.ly/LouisCK10 People take technology for granted today and forget about the very recent past. Lowering expectations brings happiness.
(4) Create a reward system: Rewards make people happy. Try to create rewards, even small ones. Make unhappy or stressful things feel better by creating "emotional buffering", such as chocolate chips, candles, flowers, runs, beverages!
(5) Carve out clear areas of incompetence: Claim areas of incompetence! Admit it. It improves your life and work tremendously.
(6) Cultivate emotion contagion
(7) Create sticky memories: the "who" and "what" are important. Research (in the US) has also found that morning and night memories are stickier, as well as Christmas - the most memorable holiday.
A few tips:
"Perceived" free time is important!
Social skills: Typically there are 8 close committed relationships. family, close friends, siblings, partners, etc.
Dancing: makes people happy!
Volunteering: People who report time and money report greater well-being!
Being Part of SOmething Bigger
Not money! you just need enough money to live happily. Research also found that spending money on your friends and people you care actually makes you happier.
(8) Improve sense of humor!
She also discussed the "Six Selves Model": friends, parent, partner, work, community/spirituality, and health, which are the foundations of personal happiness. Try to allocate time over these different areas. Although you can be very busy, identify "temporal sweetspots". Allocate quality attention to each spot, even if it's temporal. She further suggested listing favorite traditions to build habits. Brand those traditions, like "Hot Tub Nights".
I also love the 8 weird principles she showed us based on research done over 10+ years:
(1) Time shift: First how many hours of deep, hard thinking do you get done each day? In corporations, there are often too many meetings and not enough deep, hard thinking. Another interesting finding is that the most productive time is often between noon and 3pm within corporations. They are the most creative at 3pm-6pm. She suggests that we try to block out time to do deep, hard thinking - and to think creatively. Also spending time with Others brings happiness, unsurprisingly!
(2) Work on projects you LOVE (not like): It releases happiness in your brain! People become more effective when the brain releases endorphines! Most corporate professionals can't think of such happy moments at work. SAD! She suggests that we think hard on creating projects that the employees LOVE! Interestingly the two top frustrations at work are: too many projects and too many EMAILS! :) (that's why our Mokini project is important).
Research has found that people often anticipate pleasure before vacations but the pleasure quickly gets overwhelmed by workload as soon as they return from vacation. According to the research, you just keep "planning the trips" but do not actually take them, to just enjoy the endorphines and not suffer from the post-vacation stress.
Also, stop complaining! Research shows that complaints produce more disutility than utility. Even when you want to provide negative feedback, try to use a "sandwich", say "yes, and..." or "I'm curious..." (rather than "I'm confused").
(3) Reframe expectations: An example: http://bit.ly/LouisCK10 People take technology for granted today and forget about the very recent past. Lowering expectations brings happiness.
(4) Create a reward system: Rewards make people happy. Try to create rewards, even small ones. Make unhappy or stressful things feel better by creating "emotional buffering", such as chocolate chips, candles, flowers, runs, beverages!
(5) Carve out clear areas of incompetence: Claim areas of incompetence! Admit it. It improves your life and work tremendously.
(6) Cultivate emotion contagion
(7) Create sticky memories: the "who" and "what" are important. Research (in the US) has also found that morning and night memories are stickier, as well as Christmas - the most memorable holiday.
A few tips:
"Perceived" free time is important!
Social skills: Typically there are 8 close committed relationships. family, close friends, siblings, partners, etc.
Dancing: makes people happy!
Volunteering: People who report time and money report greater well-being!
Being Part of SOmething Bigger
Not money! you just need enough money to live happily. Research also found that spending money on your friends and people you care actually makes you happier.
(8) Improve sense of humor!
She also discussed the "Six Selves Model": friends, parent, partner, work, community/spirituality, and health, which are the foundations of personal happiness. Try to allocate time over these different areas. Although you can be very busy, identify "temporal sweetspots". Allocate quality attention to each spot, even if it's temporal. She further suggested listing favorite traditions to build habits. Brand those traditions, like "Hot Tub Nights".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
