Lessons Learned from Steve Jobs
May 9, 2012
By Kristy-Lee Johnston, Footprint Recruitment
I wrote this blog post on 6th October 2011, after the passing of Steve Jobs, but never posted it.
After watching the documentary “Steve Jobs: Billion Dollar Hippy” recently on ABC, I thought it was time to share my thoughts on the lessons Steve Jobs taught small business owners everywhere.
Thank You Steve Jobs, Written 6th October 2011
Today the business world lost a leader, an innovator, an inspiring human being and a remarkable talent.
Like many others, I feel compelled to write this reflection on the impact Steve Jobs has had on business leaders, existing or aspiring in small business everywhere and the lessons that can take away from his life’s work. I am not a long time Apple devotee, in fact I am a late comer to the I-Volution. This is not about the outstanding products and technology, it’s about the individual behind the ideas and vision which made them possible.
Most of us will never have the opportunity to lead an organisation that is as revolutionary, as successful or as purely awesome as Apple. So for those of us who continue to run small businesses, whether they may seem important, impactful, interesting or not, what lessons can we take from this reluctant corporate super star?
Conviction.
Whilst I didn’t know Steve Jobs personally, and never had the opportunity to see him present, what was painfully clear to me in what I read and the presentations I have watched is the courage of his conviction. He had ideas that people probably once thought were ludicrous, inconceivable and destined for failure, but he persevered and followed his passion. I think if most small business owners had nearly half of his conviction, they would be immeasurably better for it.
Talk to your customers, intelligently, excitedly, but in lingo they get! I am no IT geek, but I get I-Lingo. When Steve Jobs spoke, he engaged his customers, and I don’t mean the long term followers, the cutting edge IT lovers or those that ‘must have’ all the current tech gadgets – I mean the masses. The guy didn’t revolutionise the way we listen to and buy music, work, communicate and function without having ‘the masses’ on board, energised and convinced.
Embody your brand.
Many may disagree, but Steve Jobs was Apple. He embodied, projected and communicated everything that brand has to offer. Let’s hope he taught those who learned from him how to do the same, so we can continue to see the brand and organisation develop.
Enthusiasm is contagious.
There is something I find mesmerising about watching and listening to clips of Steve Jobs discussing the latest Apple technology, and the wider technology and communications world. Not only did he ‘get it’ in a way many will never, but he clearly loved it, was excited by it and was enthusiastic about whatever he was discussing. His enthusiasm, whilst sometimes contained and understated was infectious – you just couldn’t help but want to know more!
So to those small business owners everywhere, I encourage you, take just one of these lessons from this inspirational individual and implement it into your business, or life, today.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY KRISTY-LEE JOHNSTON:
- To Counter Offer or Not? How to Manage a Resignation
- Avoid These Common Recruitment Traps
- Recruitment 101: The Basics to Making Your First Hire
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Kristy-Lee Johnston RecruitmentKristy-Lee Johnston is the Director of Footprint Recruitment, a Central Coast based Recruitment and HR agency which is run by locals, for locals. Kristy’s background includes 10 years in Recruitment, as well as 10+ years in a broad range of other customer facing sectors. She possesses Post Graduate qualifications in Psychology, as well as a Masters in Human Resource Management. Kristy is passionate about bringing something unique to the recruitment sector in her local area and wants to see all businesses make the most successful staffing decisions they can.
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eBook Reveals Technology and Innovation Secrets of Businesswomen
April 24, 2012
Sydney, 23 April 2012 — The Australian Businesswomen’s Network (ABN) has released a new eBook showcasing how businesswomen have tapped technology to propel themselves to the top of their industries. Sponsored by Optus Business, the eBook is titled Innovation Through Technology: The Innovation Secrets of 10 Women-Owned Australian Small Businesses.
“The world’s most successful businesses are harnessing the power of technology,” said Suzi Dafnis, Community Director at ABN. “Regardless of the size of your business, you too can use all the cool technology tools to generate leads, communicate with clients, fine-tune business proceeds and manage virtual teams – even if you’re not a computer geek!”
The eBook features interviews with 10 businesswomen who share how they have leveraged technology in innovative ways. For example, Mandi Gunsburger, CEO of babyology, explains how her company’s remote workforce operates “entirely in the cloud.” Using cloud-based technology and open-source software, Gunsberger circumvents the high costs associated traditional office space and traditional office software.
Other featured businesswomen reveal how they employ technology to track the success of marketing campaigns, get the most out of social media and smart phone apps, balance business and motherhood, enhance productivity, reduce overhead and manage cash flow more effectively.
ABN is a membership organisation that provides networking opportunities, business education, and access to mentors to businesswomen throughout Australia.
Media Contact:
Suzi Dafnis
suzi@abn.org.au
1300 720 120 or +61 2 8332 5400
Customer Service and Company Values: How Zappos Built Business Success
April 19, 2012
When it comes to customer service and Australian businesses, often we find ourselves comparing the customer service experience in Australia to that which we experience when travelling to or dealing with US merchants. I know I do it.
Obviously there are exceptions. And, I won’t go for the ‘well, they’re being nice cause they want a bit tip’ argument when it comes to US customer service. Nobody HAS to provide good service.
I find that in the US, there seems to be more attention on training staff to manage customers and, especially in restaurants, the service is umpteen times better than in Australia.
The name Zappos has come to stand for a new standard of customer service, an amazing online shopping experience, a great place to work and the most impressive transformational business success story of recent years. Simply put, Zappos is revolutionising business and changing lives.
When it comes to customer service, I’ve experienced Zappos’ first hand and it WAS impressive.
Zappos customer service and their business success has become such a benchmark that one man, Joseph Michelli, has written a book about it: The Zappos Experience.
I finished the book last night and, while I’ve heard the Zappos story a few times, including LIVE at SXSW a couple of years ago when co-founder Tony Hsieh presented a keynote, the book was a great thought-starter for me because:
- Small businesses can often underestimate the power of values and culture, thinking these are things reserved for big businesses, when in fact, they are an important part of small business success too. When I had a team of 25, we had our vision up on the wall and getting to know these was part of staff induction. Now that I head up a small team, we don’t visit the company values or talk about our culture much. We have values and we do have a way of doing business and rituals that are uniquely ours, but we don’t explore them. This is something I want to change.
- Having a focus that incorporates love and generosity is not a normal idea. Zappos does it AND earns very handsome profits. The Zappos Experience made me question what the feeling is that we want customers to leave with after they interact with us. This will be a question I’ll ask our team and we’ll come up with an answer and direction.
- Customer experience and the speed with which their needs are met are paramount to business success. From page load time to the time it takes to answer a call, Zappos measures velocity as a way that satisfies customers. When was the last time you measured what it takes to make a purchase on your site or to get back to a customer inquiry?
- Learning and development are a high value and part of doing business. As an educational organisation, this one is a little easier for us because we’re delivering education and the team, me included, get to hear/see and read a lot. We are always learning new and wonderful things from our guest authors and subject matter experts. Sometimes what we’re learning, e.g., how to have a profitable website is directly relevant to someone’s responsibility. Other times, e.g., How to be more courageous (the subject of a recent herBusiness podcast) lends access to a more personal level of development. Could team learning be a part of your culture?
Today at 12.00pm, I’ll interview the author of “The Zappos Experience”, Joseph Michelli. Joseph had access to the inside workings of Zappos and we’ll discuss just HOW it is that they have built an enviable business – and how you too can build business success in your industry.
I’d love you to join me if you’re available. The session is free and you can register here.
Alternatively, pick up a copy of The Zappos Experience book. It’s a great read.
How Healthy is Your Organisational Culture?
April 3, 2012
By Janet Sernack, Compass Learning
No matter how many businesses I have worked with as a business consultant, whether it is a very small company or a large corporation, the business always seems to reflect the personality of its owner, CEO or leadership team. Sometimes that demonstrates a very healthy and constructive culture and sometimes it can be a very toxic one!
Sadly, the old saying “the fish rots from the head” is unfortunately true!
Your business’ culture is developed and sustained by the moods that govern your thoughts and your actions. This makes you the ‘deal maker’ as far as attracting and keeping the best people, maintaining high levels of productivity and ensuring that people are happy to continue working for you.
Your business’ culture, or the ‘way we do things around here’, will develop anyway; it will take the path of least resistance and organically grow. Or you can choose to be intentional and work towards developing a desirable and healthy business culture. It’s up to you!
The people who work for you will always be happier, motivated and more productive when their work environment is fun, fruitful and inspiring. Your staff will be motivated to contribute more and work harder when they believe in your ‘cause’ or ‘vision’.
They will be more engaged and satisfied if you enable them to:
- operate autonomously
- achieve mastery in their role(s)
- feel appropriately challenged and
- know that their efforts make a difference!
As the leader, or CEO, you “can not not impact” on your peoples level of commitment and motivation!
So you might ask yourself:
- How am I impacting on the people around me?
- Am I impacting in ways that inspire commitment, loyalty and productivity?
- Am I causing my people grief, frustration, pain or resentment?
Three Simple but Powerful Tips for Building an Engaging and Satisfying Business Culture:
- Pay attention to your moods and thoughts. If you notice that perhaps you are feeling angry, down or frustrated, take responsibility for these thoughts and feelings and see if you can manage them effectively so that no-one else notices or is affected by them.
- Spend as much time as possible communicating and listening to your people. Always see and communicate the positive side of things, pay attention to what people say, evaluate and not diminish or discard their ideas, or complaints. Don’t be afraid to ask them the hard questions.
- Be clear about roles and responsibilities. Ensure that everybody knows exactly what they are responsible for, their function and how they will be measured. Always acknowledge their contribution and efforts and provide useful feedback to focus and correct efforts.
Focus on being the best you can be by being a positive role model to your people — you never know, they might also become the best they can be and facilitate your business’ success!
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY JANET SERNACK
- How to Be an Extraordinary Leader!
- In what ways are you controlling and/or shaping your business efforts?
- How Women can become Efficient Managers (as well as Great Leaders)!
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Janet Sernack – Compass LearningJanet Sernack successfully runs her own international learning and development consultancy, Compass Learning, where she makes a difference to small and large businesses by designing and facilitating customised culture change programs, leadership and top team effectiveness learning programs. She is a business and marketing management consultant, corporate trainer, facilitator and executive coach. She has also held senior management positions in the wholesale, retail and consulting sectors, most recently as a Senior Consultant at Corporate Vision Pty Ltd (Mettle Group) and as Marketing Development Manager with Grace Bros (Coles Myer Group).
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For Resilience in Business, Invest in Your Attitude
March 19, 2012
By Yvette Vignando, www.happychild.com.au
I often see this Zig Ziglar quote on Twitter, on Facebook and on other people’s blogposts:
“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
By the way, I didn’t even know who Zig was until today – he is a champion salesperson and motivational teacher and trainer in the United States. He must have a successful attitude because he’s now over 85 years old and still working and publishing his ideas.
Quotes like this sometimes get me cranky – they seem so general, and often simplistic.
But every now and again, a quote ‘speaks’ to me and keeps me focused on my business goals.
Right now, my small business, the happychild website is achieving most of the things I wished – the brand is growing, thousands of parents across Australia read the articles on the website and I am proud of the information we share and the incredibly talented writers who contribute to its success. Having this small business has also given me travel and educational experiences and given me the opportunity to become a parenting commentator on national television – all sounds great doesn’t it?
It is.
But there are various challenges – similar to many small businesses, I have to build income streams, I have to wear many hats, sometimes I work long hours and there are times when I feel less optimistic. This week has been especially challenging because of the many hours I’ve had to invest to protect my happychild trade mark. And at these times, my aptitude for business and my expertise really has less to do with how successful I am. It’s my attitude. I have to remind myself that these are common experiences and challenges in business – I have to tell myself that although I am climbing a mountain that day, it will be all downhill tomorrow.
I’m guessing that plenty of entrepreneurs in their first few years of business have times when it’s only their attitude that gets them through a day or a week.
So it’s something worth working on.
To achieve the altitude you want, work on your attitude. Find a mentor, read a book, get some exercise, stay healthy, keep your eye on your goal and go for it. That’s what I am doing right now.
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY YVETTE VIGNANDO
- Focus on Your Competitive Advantage in 2012
- What is an Internship in Australia?
- What are Your Favourite Business Books?
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Yvette Vignando - www.happychild.com.auYvette is pursuing her passion – to take action that helps children develop great social and emotional skills as a foundation for a happy and successful life. Formerly a lawyer and then successful executive coach specialising in Emotional Intelligence, Yvette was encouraged by her experience of MentorNet to launch her business – a website for parents that publishes practical and engaging information about raising children with emotional intelligence. Yvette looks forward to sharing the challenges and successes of her experience as she navigates her way through the adventures of launching a website, and tackles online sales and marketing, an evolving business plan, and the growing universe of social media. Yvette hopes that by following her personal and professional development as an entrepreneur you will also be inspired to follow your passions.
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How to Be an Extraordinary Leader!
March 6, 2012
By Janet Sernack, Compass Learning
Wouldn’t the world be a different place if we could all be even just a bit more extraordinary?
One of my colleagues, the CEO of a global NGO, shared with me recently the most fascinating thing she learned from reading Steve Jobs’ biography:
“Quite fascinating, he talks a lot about his ‘reality distortion field’ that he used to not see reality and almost will things into happening. Mostly he instilled enough confidence in people to believe that something was possible, so they decided it was and were able to make it happen when before it was deemed impossible.”
Possibility Thinking
It seems to me that Steve Jobs was a ‘possibility thinker’, and able to share his ideas in such a way that people were inspired to believe in them, and would work together, tirelessly, to achieve them! To me, that indicates a certain type of fearlessness, almost an internal source of courage and conviction, that when expressed appropriately, ignites peoples passion and commitment.
Being Intentional
It also appears that Steve Jobs was also very ‘intentional’, indicating that he had deep clarity around the outcomes he wanted and was extremely focused towards achieving them. To me, this indicates an incredible depth of self confidence and assurance as well as an unwavering commitment to deliver what he set out to. This kind of leadership is very contagious; people love following someone who seemingly knows what they are doing and exudes a sense of certainty about it.
Possibility + Intentionality = Winning Formula for Being Extraordinary
Strategies for increasing your capacity for being (more) extraordinary:
For those of you who would like an additional ‘shot of the extraordinary’, you might like to take some time out, find a quiet space, ask yourself these four key questions, reflect on the answers and apply them to your business:
- If I could go back to scratch and start my business all over again, knowing what I know now, what could be possible for me and for my clients/customers?
- What options are available to me to manifest more of this possibility into my business, right now?
- What is my intention (my new focused high level and very clear outcome) that could distort or shift the current reality?
- What exactly will I do to improve my results?
- How will I engage and ignite people towards supporting me to achieve that?
Can you imagine how much fun it would be, how prosperous we could be and what a difference we could make if we as business owners adopted just a bit more possibility thinking and became more intentional?
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY JANET SERNACK
- In what ways are you controlling and/or shaping your business efforts?
- How Women can become Efficient Managers (as well as Great Leaders)!
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Janet Sernack – Compass LearningJanet Sernack successfully runs her own international learning and development consultancy, Compass Learning, where she makes a difference to small and large businesses by designing and facilitating customised culture change programs, leadership and top team effectiveness learning programs. She is a business and marketing management consultant, corporate trainer, facilitator and executive coach. She has also held senior management positions in the wholesale, retail and consulting sectors, most recently as a Senior Consultant at Corporate Vision Pty Ltd (Mettle Group) and as Marketing Development Manager with Grace Bros (Coles Myer Group).
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Thoughts of an Entrepreneur
February 23, 2012
By Alycia Edgar, Coastal Accounting Services
You started a business because you found something you were passionate about and wanted to create something meaningful around that work.
I’ve been thinking about what makes up the heart of a business a lot recently, and thought I could share my thoughts with you, both as a business owner and as someone who spends a lot of time turning businesses upside-down and inside-out to see into all the crevices, making tweaks here and there.
You are your business. All your thoughts, feelings and actions create your business. And you should be okay with that. This is what makes you YOU and YOUR BUSINESS unique. Show up everyday as YOU for the good of YOUR BUSINESS.
Here are some of my thoughts on life, running a business and how they intersect with you as the business owner:
- Life throws you curveballs. Sometimes they suck; deal with it and move on.
- Open the door; let people in. Just being there is often enough. Let it happen.
- There is always a positive. Believe, and you will see.
- Life is what you make it.
- Appreciate what you have.
- Live in the moment.
- Be true to yourself.
- You only get one shot at life. Make sure you embrace it fully.
- Stop playing small.
- Stop being comfortable.
- Take a chance.
- Don’t get stuck, push through.
- One step at a time really is all it takes.
- Don’t ever give up, regardless of how hard it gets.
- You can make a difference in the lives of those around you.
- There is always a solution.
- Live your life yourself, not through others.
- Stop dreaming about that experience; make it happen now.
- Now is where you should be. You can plan now for your future.
- If you can’t fix it, get help.
- Some things aren’t meant to be fixed. Walk away.
- Be there for others.
- Love others always.
What have you learned in running YOUR business?
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY ALYCIA EDGAR
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Alycia Edgar - Coastal Accounting ServicesAs an accountant and former surf shop owner, Alycia understands the issues that small business face everyday. She believes you can work on your business effectively simply by understanding your business numbers. She creates innovative systems and processes that enable business owners to be highly focused and productive in their business, including Bookzkeeper – The Accounting Survival Kit for Small Business.
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Reached Your Target? Keep Moving!
February 22, 2012
By Lisa Murray, Revive Business Coaching
Do you love the moments where you break a barrier, hit a target; arrive at the place where you knew success would be yours? Have you noticed that there is a tendency to go ‘I’ve made it’ in some way and soon after allow everything to slowly dwindle to a stop point?
Recently, I was at a class and I was expressing my frustration that everything I imagine doesn’t show up instantly in my business (I’m sure none of you have ever done that!) After going through the ‘well sometimes the universe needs to rearrange a few things first’ conversation, I asked ‘well what the hell am I supposed to do in the meantime? It’s boring waiting!!’ (Yes, I am totally Ms Impatient!)
Here it is: you keep creating and generating more… and more… and more… Yes, it may feel like you are being sold a set of steak knives (… but wait… there’s more!), but what you will create is the key to your business expanding exponentially because you have so many possibilities in the pipeline.
It will no longer be about waiting impatiently for something exciting to show up – more like, which exciting thing are you going to choose next because you have created so many?
So which would you prefer? No choice or multiple choices?
I thought so!! So the key is to keep moving… keep creating… keep generating, without a point of view as to which bits show up when. Whenever I do this in my businesses, it creates a sense of momentum and joy which becomes an invitation to others to contribute to the businesses. And that in turn expands the momentum and the possibilities even further.
Conversely, you may have had ‘slow’ times in your business when it felt like nothing was working. Did you keep creating and generating new possibilities, or did you get stuck in the points of view about what it ‘should’ be like and keep hammering away at the dead bits like a good beating would bring them back to life?
From experience, I’ve noticed that hammering the dead bits usually doesn’t create much that I would care to have. Introducing new ideas, changing what’s not working and making new choices in many directions seems to have a much greater effect! What’s interesting is that when we move onto the new, often the old will reinvent itself in ways we never expected. Those dead bits receive the break they needed and can often sprout new shoots!
Whatever is showing up in your business – keep moving forward!
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY LISA MURRAY
- Grow Your Business: Exponentialise Your Vision!
- Change: Are You Resisting the Flow, Going with the Flow or Creating Flow?
- Business is changing… are you ready?
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Lisa Murray - Revive Business Coaching/Bliss TribeLisa Murray is an experienced business mentor who brings bliss back into your business. Her holistic, unconventional and creative strategies help small business owners design authentic, ease-filled and profitable businesses. Through her BlissTribe community, Lisa is a catalyst for business owners to choose a phenomenal, rich and joyful life without compromise! The sky is not the limit… there are no limits… unless you choose them! Lisa connects the dots for you… she is an idea generator, a sounding board, a skilled facilitator, a strategist, a problem solver and a contribution to the authenticity and potency of you creating the business you truly desire and deserve. What else is possible? Ask and you will receive!!
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In what ways are you controlling and/or shaping your business efforts?
February 7, 2012
By Janet Sernack, Compass Learning
One of the key challenges that constantly confronts small business owners is finding the fine line between trying to be in control of everything that goes on in the business and then being flexible and adaptive enough to still, intentionally, shape its direction.
It’s both/and!
Whilst effective management requires us to plan and to install systems and processes that organise and focus our investment, effective leadership requires us to also be adaptive enough, at the same time, to intentionally shape both its current and future direction.
Being in control ensures that finances, production, deliveries and other resources are tightly managed. From my experience in consulting to small businesses, wilfulness often takes over and many business owners become quite myopic and very internally focused. They often find that being overly controlling can be quite exhausting and is extremely challenging to sustain. This is one of the key reasons for many small business owners to ‘quit’, as it all becomes just ‘too plain hard’!
Being flexible and adaptive enables us to not only do those important management functions, but also enables us to operate from a higher and often different perspective. Again, from my experience, once small business owners are able to moderate their need for control and begin to ‘let go’, they create the empty space for new possibilities to emerge. This is one of the most liberating decisions and the sustaining factors that keep small business engaged, creative and energised around their business.
Being both on the balcony and in the dance!
A very simple mindset to play with to support you to operate effectively in both the management and leadership space is to be simultaneously both ‘on the balcony and in the dance’! This is a powerful metaphor, and as it suggests, it means focusing your attention on both the details and the tactical aspects of your business, whilst also focusing on the bigger picture and the more strategic aspects of your business.
I enabled one of my clients, now a successful global fashion designer and manufacturer, to break her overly controlling cycle by practising doing just this. We worked on introducing some powerful meta-questions, which she could silently ask herself, prior to every business decision she had to make.
Some Dance Meta-Questions to play with:
- What is the most important thing I need to focus on right now?
- What is the worst thing that could happen if I didn’t do that now?
Some Balcony Meta-Questions to play with:
- What is really going on right now?
- What is possible in this situation?
So make best use of the small amount of free time some of you have before the year flies away, to practice asking yourself some of the big questions that, in time, will enhance your ability to be more flexible and adaptive.
You will be surprised how much of a buzz that will create around your business.
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY JANET SERNACK
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Janet Sernack – Compass LearningJanet Sernack successfully runs her own international learning and development consultancy, Compass Learning, where she makes a difference to small and large businesses by designing and facilitating customised culture change programs, leadership and top team effectiveness learning programs. She is a business and marketing management consultant, corporate trainer, facilitator and executive coach. She has also held senior management positions in the wholesale, retail and consulting sectors, most recently as a Senior Consultant at Corporate Vision Pty Ltd (Mettle Group) and as Marketing Development Manager with Grace Bros (Coles Myer Group).
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CEO and celebrity chef cookoff to feed people in need
January 26, 2012
On 6 February, 200 CEOs will cook with 30 celebrity chefs and feed 1000 people in need.
The CEO CookOff is a joint initiative of OzHarvest and Qantas and hopes to raise awareness around food security and one of Australia’s major social issues, homelessness and to raise significant funds for Australia’s food rescue charities, OzHarvest and Mission Australia.
Four female entrepreneurs, whom the Australian Businesswomen’s Network has interviewed for either our herBusiness podcast or In Her Shoes video series form the list of 114 CEOs who have already raised over $346,395 in donations for the event.
- Ronni Kahn, Founding Director, OzHarvest – Interview: Rescuing Good Food, Rescuing People in Need
- Rachel Argaman, CEO, Toga Hospitality – Interview: Why Culture Beats Leadership Strategy
- Lisa Messenger, Founder and Managing Director, The Messenger Group – Interview 1: Innovative Marketing. How Custom Publishing Can Boost Your Brand., Interview 2: Be Open to Opportunities. Take Risks and Jump Quickly.
- Andrea Culligan, CEO and Managing Director, Unimail – Interview: Stand Out from the Competition. Tips to Negotiate a Fair Salary.
To learn more about the event, including how you can get involved, donate or even sign up as a CEO, visit www.ceocookoff.com.au.
