Weekly Bookmarks
73rd Edition – June 28, 2020
My journey is about learning. Actually, it’s about learning how to learn.
Ralph Stayer, former CEO of Johnsonville Sausage
1. Think Like a CEO
What does it mean to think like a CEO? Did you know that you can cheat by buying Benton’s 1999 book, How to Think Like a CEO which weighs in at close to 500 pages? But I do not recommend it.
I love coaching new CFOs. The first exercise I have them work on is called Think Like a CEO. It’s a three-part process where they start by having a one-to-one conversation by asking their CEO what keeps them up at night.
After that meeting, I ask the young CEO what they will do to eliminate those fears and frustrations of the CEO. That is the starting point of thinking like a CEO. It also makes you more valuable as a financial leader.
2. HR Leaders and Addiction
Your closest friend at work gets up the courage to speak to the HR Director about their ongoing addiction problem. They need help. Does your HR Director follow a cold, impassive script or do they show sincere empathy seeking a long-term solution as they would with a close family member?
I am a Joe Polish fan who is the founder of Genius Network and Piranha Marketing, a product I bought years ago while attending a Strategic Coach workshop in Chicago.
Joe recently interviewed several rising stars in their domain spaces. As a way of saying thank you, I bought all their books. One of those authors is Anna David.
If you want the short version of Anna’s platform, here are some short articles for you and the HR team:
- I Was an Addict at Work and HR Didn’t Know What to Do
- Overcoming Addictions – Hal Elrod Podcast
- The Miracle Morning for Addiction Recovery: The Animated Version
3. The 19-year-old Who Will Never Need a Resume
The homesickness is finally behind you, and you’re cruising through your second semester of your freshman year at college until you’ve been sent home due to the coronavirus outbreak. Now what?
Alex Dickinson accepted his dad’s offer to work in the family business by selling. We’re not talking order taking. Alex had to make upwards to a hundred calls a week by sourcing and then selling food products to complete strangers. This is mentally challenging work not to mention an emotional drain after hundreds of, “I’m not interested.”
But the young man persisted, and he crushed it. This week, I published his story on LinkedIn, and it is probably my favorite article I’ve ever written. Reading time is only about 7 minutes. Have college kids? It is must-reading material.
4. After Sale Service
Just because we are financial leaders doesn’t mean we don’t care about the sales process in our businesses.
Dean Jackson of the I Love Marketing Podcast talks incessantly about nurturing lifetime relationships because selling is never a once-and-done relationship.
If Alex decides sales is his life’s mission, this would be my first advice to him – love-up on those customers forever. His dad is a great example – several of his customers have become lifetime friends who even do hunting trips.
Suggest Dean’s Breakthrough DNA to your sales team. His simple framework of the before selling unit, during sale unit, and after sale unit is creative yet sticky and actionable. Plus, it’s only a 99-cent short read.
5. I Love Teasing Engineers
Early in my career, I’m not sure which jokes I liked the best, the ones about engineers or actuaries – I have friends who work in both fields.
After reading the Unwritten Laws of Engineering, I’ve decided to cut back on teasing them behind and in front of their backs.
My favorite recommendation is, “Regard your personal integrity as one of your most important assets.”
Incidentally, exchange the word engineer for Sales, Legal, HR, Accounting, or Marketing, and this book applies to every department of a business.
Thank You For Reading. Thank you for making this a successful newsletter.
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Stay safe and healthy.
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