Bits and Pieces - July 30, 2016 - Partners in EXCELLENCE

It’s been a while since I’ve published this random collection of thoughts. Here are a few things that I think are worth checking out:

Continuous Learning:

In the last Bits and Pieces, I mentioned I was taking the Coursera course on Model Thinking. I’ve gone on to enroll in Design Thinking For Innovation.

Developing models and frameworks is critical for all sales and business professionals. As the complexity of our work, our organizations, and our customers skyrockets, we need models and frameworks to help us understand things, to help us evaluate how to most effectively achieve our goals, to help others understand what we are trying to achieve.

Unfortunately, too many people struggle with this. The courses on model thinking and design thinking are very simple courses to help us understand how to build models–as well as the limitation of models.

Some additional readings:

Virtually any of Russell Ackoff’s books are inspiring sources to better understand problem solving, critical thinking, developing models and frameworks. While most of these were published in the 60-s-80’s, they remain highly relevant classics.

Likewise, C.West Churchman’s books on Systems Thinking and Decisionmaking are classics and foundations to much of what others have written since.

The great thing about both Ackoff’s and Churchman’s books is that while they deal with very complex issues, they are very readable.

More currently Business Model Generation and it’s Business Model Canvas have introduced very powerful tools to help develop models and frameworks.

Perhaps to wet your appetites, I’m about 40% through writing the Sales Executive Survival Guide. Since this book will focus on how sales executives and leaders maximize overall organizational performance (both the sales function and the enterprise), developing models and frameworks to understand how all the pieces/parts of what we do in sales is critical. A good part of the book focuses on how to develop these and leverage them to drive performance. To help you in the interim, please look at any or the resources I’ve outlined.

Other Reading:

I recently completed Steven Pressfield’s Nobody Wants To Read Your Sh*t. It’s a fast read and an awesome book. While he is ostensibly writing for writers, his words have deep meaning for anyone trying to communicate with engage, or persuade others. In addition to learning a huge amount, his writing is hugely fun to read. For that matter, you should read anything he’s written.

Sales Manager Survival Guide:

I’m overwhelmed and very grateful for the feedback I’m getting on Sales Manager Survival Guide. The reviews in Amazon are humbling. Thank you to those who have contributed to the reviews. I’d love to get feedback and reviews from those of you who haven’t had that opportunity yet.

On a daily basis, I get emails and questions from others. Thanks so much for those, I really love the opportunity to discuss how to apply some of the ideas I present in the book.

One of the things, I’m having huge fun with is pictures people are sending me of the book–in their office, pictures of them reading the book, and so forth. In the next few weeks, I’m going to add these pictures to the website. So please send me your pictures! Ideally with you in it 😉

Here a few I’ve gotten recently: