As it turns out, the universe has generously supported Anika Ellison Savage and her partner, Michael Sales, to create a wonderful book that equally imparts beauty and knowledge. “Life Sustaining Organizations–A Design Guide” offers detailed research into what makes an organization come `alive’ and gives reasons and inspiration to believe that modern organizations care to embrace their employees’ uniqueness. By designing an aesthetic environment that appeals to the mind and to the heart, by purposefully engaging in deep listening and in cross- functional dialogue, organizations can improve human dynamics and can stimulate the best in their people: their curiosity (”humble, yet joyous”), creativity, fierce loyalty, innovation, and not least, their joy for life (that, so often, is the twin sister is self expression).

Part 1 of the book walks the reader through each step of the strategic leadership process of Structural Dynamics methodology and explains the role of the leader (the initiator of the process) in each sequence of the action. Part 2 illustrates the Structural Dynamics process at work in the GoGo company case. The second part reads like a thriller. We have access to the participants’ initial perspectives, and later, to the shift in these perspectives as they go through all the phases of the Structural Dynamics process. As we follow them for almost a year, GoGo employees work together as a group, explore forces that have shaped GoGo, discover new options for their company as they engage in strategic scenario planning, and finally, they embody the new learning and sustain the results throughout the organization. This is a well designed process that stimulates many types of intelligences to come together, peacefully, to design a thriving (and esthetically pleasing) environment for all GoGo employees going into the future.

The emphasis on beauty (also defined as flow and harmony) is prevalent throughout the book and this is an extra bonus.  “Life Sustaining Organizations” is a ‘guide’ in the sense of being very pragmatic, and so, of immediate use to leaders at all levels in an organization. But more than just a guide, Michael Sales’ and Anika Savage’ s is a lovely book that encourages us to bring the best part of ourselves to work everyday– that creative, divine spark – that part of the Self that requires a supportive environment to stay alive.

• You learn how to support your kids’ explorations of life and business opportunities
• You get inspired and excited (we all love games) and may dust off an idea or old dream of your own
• You learn from your kids new market insights, and creative ways of being into the world
• If you need it, you may get your groove back!

In a very recent example, parents (Rick and Lauren) supported their young daughter (Hannah, 10 years old) to create what they call “cool stuff for really cool kids.” The family creates zipper pulls (see Pogy the Penguin zipper Pull), and many other fun stuff for kids at affordable prices. Dad, Rick, is now working for the company, CoolZips.com, and Hannah fills the “Marketing Genius” position. And, hmm, did I mention that the company brings half a million dollars in annual revenue?

I WONDER: would you have thought that selling charms, zipper pulls, fun figurines and pencil sharpeners would make such a great business idea?

THE EXPLORER GAME:

The purpose of this game is for a group of parents and kids to come up with ONE IDEA for a product/service that they are very excited about, and for which they:

• Know at least 5 people who need their product/ service
• Know at least 2 people who would pay money to get their product/ service

Wishful thinking is considered cheating in this game!

TOTAL PLAY time: 1 hour (for a group of 4)

PARTICIPANTS: It plays best with 4 people or more, but 2 is a beginning. Kids can play starting at 8 years old.

TOYS: papers and pencils, pens of all colors, focus, concentration, willingness to play, excitement about adventure

DON’T DO: Phone, email, TV or any other multitasking interruptions

GAME RULES:

• Kids and adults get equal time to speak and share! No one gets more time just because they are younger (and smarter) or older (and more fun)
• No one dominates the conversation and there is no screaming for attention
• Irrespective of age, everyone listens respectfully
• Appoint one person to keep the time, and to move the game along
• Ideas can be shared verbally or in colorful pictures that people draw on the spot
• Limit everyone to the generation of 1 idea
• The purpose of this game is for the group to eliminate what is not working and to  end up with ONE IDEA to share

I. IDEA GENERATION:  (15 minutes for 4 players)

Consider the following as you generate ideas:

• MY TALENT: What do I think is my greatest gift or talent?
• BEING GOOD AT SOMETHING: What do people always say to me? (Wow, John, you are so good with… you Jane,  I am amazed how well you do …)
• LIKING TO DO SOMETHING: What do I like? What do I do often, and would even pay to be allowed to do?
• NEED: What did I notice in my school, at work, food store, other stores, in my neighborhood? Did anyone complain about something? Did anyone ask for help? What did I hear, read lately, or saw on TV that made me think possibilities?
• INVESTIGATING: you may want to keep these questions in mind and then ask a few people what item/ service would improve their lives

Ultimately, when you decide on ideas, consider your talents, skills, and what you enjoy doing!

ACTIONS:

• One idea per person
• Every idea is recorded swiftly (words, or pictures)
• Every idea is welcomed with enthusiasm (applauses are great)!
• No judgment of any sort (verbal or non-verbal during this phase)
• Keep track of time, and move fast. Don’t dwell on ideas, or get paralyzed by thinking too much.

II. FRAMEWORK — how to think about ideas: (45 minutes for 4 players)

When all ideas are written (or painted) on paper, put all the papers in the middle of the circle and pick one at random.

ACTIONS:  For each idea have everyone in the group answer the following questions:

• IS THERE A NEED? is there a real need? Is there a need you foresee and keep noticing? Keep it simple. Don’t think about functionality or features, or how cool your product is. Think of people who might need what you offer.
• WHAT IS THE MARKET?  Describe the people who might need what you offer. Do you know at least one person in that ‘market’ in need of your service/product?
• WHAT RESOURCES do I need? How easy or difficult is it to create a first prototype? How easy or difficult is to create a first service or product?  What resources do you need to start? How do your talents fit with your idea?
• WAS IT DONE BEFORE? Do you know anyone who does who you want to do? Can you do it better (better service) or in a different market?

Allow for questions to flow freely. If you want to offer feedback, start with “If it were my idea, I would do this…”  Avoid cutting remarks, even if you believe you are right and/or helping each other.

After you allow 5-8 minutes per idea, at the end of this phase, each idea gets votes from the audience. Better even, rate each idea on a scale from 1-10.  See how many points each idea scores. I hope you end up with ONE idea!

THE WINNING IDEA

In the next week, have everyone do research for the winning idea. How many companies do that already? Do these “competitors” focus on the market that is of relevance to you? Go out and ask people if they were interested in having the product or service you want to create.

FOLLOW UP:

Regroup a week later:  Discuss the idea again from the perspective of new learning and research. See how you all engage with this idea.

Something magical happens when you do the WORK: you generate ideas, you hustle, you do research, you hold that idea in mind, you keep asking questions, you do more research, and you share that idea with others. A body (of insights and knowledge) starts to come to life.

And there is particular magic that happens when you play this game with your kids, spouse and family. Everyone in the family knows how talented and smart everyone is, and there is (shared) excitement about creating something together than is equal to no other joy!

Let me know how much fun it was for you!

“Oprah said the other day that we all need validation.”

I asked “Who should validate you?”

“Well–  he cleared his throat– I guess it’s me.  I will validate myself.”

(Really?)  If we were able to validate ourselves we would not have to ask for validation from others (fans, friends, family, readers, etc).

“If so– I asked– will you validate yourself even when others do not validate you?”

“Well, I need others, I want to connect, I don’t want to be alone, I am not one of those people who want to do it alone.”   

Validation implies acceptance and appreciation. Receiving validation, we know that we are needed, loved, appreciated. Receiving validation shows that others find us “Valid.”

Connection, support and feedback—yes, we all need them, we should cherish them as great gifts, and we should offer them generously. They are not the same as validation.

You just started a new business and it’s hard; you’re writing a new book and it’s confusing; you are building a new house and it’s expensive; you quit your job to travel the world and your friends think you’ve lost your mind; you are excited beyond words, and frightened beyond words. Will it work, will it not work? Will you lose money, time, face or friends/ family over this amazing new adventure?  Are you right? Are you wrong?

You are well on your way with a new project – suddenly,  you don’t know,  anymore.   Are you seeking inner or outer validation at this moment?

In each instance, you give yourself truly to the endeavor of creating a new experience, business, book, house or new life– without knowing the final result. When you don’t receive approval or you feel you are not validated– will you go ahead anyway?

William W. Purkey’s words were quoted so many times that they became common place.  Still, who truly lives their life accordingly?

 “You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.”

Rejection (overt or implied) can be such a healthy mechanism.  It can help you focus and clarify your thinking,  it can increase your inner ardor and strengthen your resolve,  it can show you the path not taken,  it can show you that something is not working in a present incarnation, and it can help you find a new product/service that otherwise you would have not considered.

Validation may come later when you are already successful (people will say, “I knew it all along, I knew that you would be successful”). Or not!  

Either way, by the time you are done with your work, you would have validated yourself simply because you could NOT not follow your heart– so strong was the inner call.  On the way, you will get plenty of feedback and support. Joseph Campbell, the great American mythologist, wrote “I feel that if one follows what I call one’s “bliss” — the thing that really gets you deep in your gut and that you feel is your life — doors will open up. They do! They have in my life and they have in many lives that I know of.”

Working with young entrepreneurs who are excited to play, and enjoying every minute of the game of discovery, I see less need for validation. It’s quite interesting to me since kids need a lot of guidance and encouragement while they are in the process of developing identity, and particularly when we support them to become powerful leaders.  

Kids are so involved in the game of starting a new project or a new venture, that the pleasure of doing and playing overrides the fear and the need for validation.

Could we all play the game of “this- is- so-important- to –ME- that- I- will- go- ahead and –do- it- even –if- no- one- validates- me?” It can be a new business, a new book, a new job, a new gig, a new anything—anything that forces you to come out and play as if nobody is judging.

Can you validate yourself today?

Young people are where the majority of entrepreneurs will come from and it is the role of society to provide a climate that encourages that entrepreneurial thinking. That means that we need to start right back at the earliest age possible to encourage a culture where young people believe they can and are not afraid to try.

Many people think creative people are born that way. In fact all of us were born with creative ability. Left to our own devices we would probably all come up with innovative solutions to problems that are faced in growing up. In other words, we are born with the ability to think ‘outside of the box’ as there is no box at birth.

However, other people soon start to build the ‘box’ for us. Parents set rules that define part of the box and this is soon followed by school teachers, university lecturers and work. Too many people in our lives define the ‘box’ by presenting us with the rules rather than letting us experiment and find solutions for ourselves.

This ‘box’ defining gives us our first indication as to why entrepreneurship is a great choice for young people. Young people are much more likely to challenge the status quo and to develop innovative solutions. Sony has recently taken on the winning team from a Lego competition to design a robot as entrepreneurs. They are aged 10 – 13 years!

The second thing that assists young people in looking at entrepreneurship as an option is that many opportunities today are based around technology. This gives young people are real start over older people as older people are less likely to understand the true implications of a technological opportunity and are hence less likely to try and build a ‘box’ around the solution.

Thirdly, most definitions of entrepreneurship include the concept of risk somewhere. Indeed, neurological tests on entrepreneurs have indicated that the only measurable difference between entrepreneurs and others is that they react less strongly to risky situations. This too benefits young people as they are less likely to be put off by risk than older people with responsibilities for the home and a family.

At first sight, therefore, one wonders why all young people don’t choose entrepreneurship as a career path. Probably the single biggest reason is the fear of failure. Whether it is our parents, our teachers or society in general, others often define for us what they see as success. How many times have parents said “we want you to get really good qualifications so as to get a good job” and yet have never said “we want you to keep your creativity by challenging and experimenting so that you can be a good entrepreneur”!

In our fast modern world, where society measures success by the number and level of certificates, the importance of different jobs or the size of the house or car, it becomes all to easy to join the status ladder at the earliest opportunity. Education that is totally certificate focused will have no time for experimentation or alternative solutions.  It is interesting to note that there are now people developing learning packs for young people that have no one solution and which requires experimentation, risk and creativity.

For anyone to achieve true entrepreneurial status they need to remove the fear of failure. They need to recognize that to achieve something new they will need to try more than once to succeed. Many people use WD40 as a lubricant for stopping water getting into engines without realizing that the WD stands for Water Displacement and that 40 was the number of times they had to try before they got it right.

Most successes came as a result of a number of unsuccessful attempts. Edison took 10,000 attempts to get the light bulb right but he did not talk of failure, he simply said that he found 9,999 ways that did not work! The person that invented the vacuum cleaner with no bag took 5126 prototypes before he got it right and Thomas Adams tried making toys, tires and boots from chicle  (from a Mexican tree) before he accidentally started to chew on some and invented chewing gum! All of them understood that failure is not in falling down, but in failing to get up and try again.

A few years ago I had the good fortune to work with a young man who was long term unemployed. He had gained a degree from university but could not get a job. He had a business idea that all of the older advisers he talked to said would not work. However, I recognized that he had the entrepreneurial spirit and today he sells his products in all major UK stores as well as the internet and has just launched in America. His turnover last year was over ten million Euros. His success mirrored so much of what I believe about young people and entrepreneurship.

Many who have heard me speak to groups of young people will know that I always finish my talks with the statement ‘Remember the Bumble Bee’.  I do this to encourage young people wanting to go into business not always to listen to the so called old and wise. For those that have not heard me speak, if you study aerodynamics then the bumble bee is too fat, too heavy, his wings are too small and they flap too slowly and yet he flies. The reason he does so is because he believes he can.

__________
Roger Cowdrey has supported numerous young entrepreneurs all over the world.  He has expertise and experience in a variety of business areas with particular skills in SME development, entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development. After a 20 year career with IBM, Roger became the CEO of a start up business agency in Oxford, UK. Roger has helped develop numerous incubators and was involved with creating school and university programs. This article was reposted with his kind permission.

As always, I first play a little game with the kids: “Tell me, what qualities do you think are necessary today to be successful in a career? “ Kids almost step on each other to give me answers: “Be smart!” “Have fun!” “Think on the spot!”  “Have your own business!”

Then, I play the game with the parents in the back of the room asking them the same question. A long, thoughtful silence is followed by: “Be a team player!” “Have strong technology skills!” “Have strong communication skills!” “Listen to you boss!”

I ask the little girl in the front row how does one learn to think on the spot. “Well, practice more!”  she replies unfettered. And what is her business idea?  She tells me about a recipe for a new drink, which she would sell in the summer, together with cookies for which, she again, has a unique recipe.  All the other kids nod approvingly, and jump in with suggestions. We do a quick brainstorm to find the right name for the drink. “Red Surprise” gets the highest number of votes.  Then we play with the three steps I gave them for starting a business:

• Create value (product/service)
• Engage your audience (marketing, delivery channels)
• Have a fair exchange (sales, pricing)

When I ask the kids what do they understand by ‘exchange” they quickly reply: “To make money? Ya, we like making money!”  The little girl looks at me with big eyes and says: “I did not realize there are so many steps to selling my special drink.”

There are a few steps, yes, but when one practices how to start new little ventures often, these steps become fun and useful explorations. And when one learns early in life what goes into finding and creating new business opportunities, thinking on the spot gets really easy.

On April 7^th at 7PM I will speak at the Newton Free Library about guiding young entrepreneurs to build ventures and to follow dreams, and about the importance of parents’ participation in fostering entrepreneurship.

We will play a few games and have a live demo for entrepreneurs of all ages!

Many young entrepreneurs have excellent money making ideas, and need a bit of support in getting their projects off the ground. Kids are great at playing with ideas, and are less risk averse than adults in experimenting. Parents have an important role in supporting and stimulating the entrepreneurial drive in their kids. We will speak about simple steps parents can take at home to teach their kids the art of the entrepreneur.

What: Raising Young Entrepreneurs

Date: April 7^th, 2011

Time: 7PM

Where: Newton Free Library || 330 Homer Street, Newton, MA 02459

Now, of course, that is not really true– I mean the love. My relationship with Verizon is painful.  Painful to me, the customer,  that is.  Since June 2010 I have been asking for a simple thing:  a bundle phone and upgraded FIOS deal. It ain’t happening despite my monthly calling, despite promises, despite being recorded every month on a meaningless tape where I commit to a two year relationship on my new deal.

Here’s what Verizon Customer service people are good at:

• Saying “NO!”: “I don’t know why we can’t help you,” “I am not going to apologize for what someone else did before me”  
• Adding things I don’t ask for and don’t need (Starz Play and Security Suite, etc), insisting that I should at least give them a try (in a pretty irritated, get-a-life-lady, tone of the voice)
• Making me call a million times to cancel that which I did not order   
• Making me call every month to inquire why the product I have ordered is not there (the bundle of joy mentioned above), and then putting me in my place for asking
• Refusing to give me a follow up after they have done the work on my account

You tell me Bob—what can a girl do to get a Verizon upgrade (and some polite follow up with it)?   

And by the way, since we are on the topic of customer service, don’t pull a Verizon on your customers.

Her new book “Carry A Paint Brush – How to be the Artist Director of your Own Career” is now available on Amazon. This is a great book with very clear directions and empowering, creative exercises. It speaks to the soon- to –graduate-where- is- my- life going young person, as well as to the older mid- career-in –transition-confused-about-what- new—direction–to–take.  

The best part of all is that the techniques she describes in the book apply to many areas of one’s life. Are you waiting to be picked by an employer, a movie producer, a new business partner? Learn how to do the picking yourself. Are you a bit awkward about networking? Learn how to network “by fives” (ask five people for five minutes of their time). Are you at that point where you simply and plainly can’t move forward? There is a delightful exercise that works with passions, interests and capabilities to help one move into a place of personal power.

“Carry a Paint Brush” is for anyone looking to express their essence creatively (or who wants to learn “how to” create a personal brand), and for anyone who wants to make loads of money since they are having so much fun in the process!   Check out www.carryapaintbrush.com!

At one level, all these questions are connected. We should understand the market in depth to be able to offer services that clients need. At another level, one needs to start with the simplest thing to better understand the market:  learn from one’s customers and employees.

I advise clients that understanding the market and their customers is not the type of research to be undertaken as an audit, that is,  from time to time. Quite the opposite. Your company should have an ongoing strategic engagement plan with customers and with prospective clients. This strategic plan should help you:

• Engage customers in an active feedback process and create an on-going assessment system that supports and spurs the sales process
• KNOW and understand exactly what niche your products fill at all times
• Create an internal monitoring system to alert you to similarities in client feedback — they may indicate new services or product opportunities
• Continuously ask for referrals from existing clients (ask for only one name, not ten, and send a personal note to the customer, rather than a group email)
• Find the balance between doing the tried- and- tested, and starting something new (innovation).

Sure, advertising for services using a number of different channels can be important (and costly), and showing up at local events to talk your clients’ language is great but not enough. And because I like very simple things, let me say this again: you should start with what you have and with what you know best:  your customers.

I am a little embarrassed to state such commonplace:  start with the first step, and with what you know. But I have heard clients all too often say: oh, I was too busy with *work*, to continue that ‘”marketing,” “sales” or “customer stuff” you did.

I mean– too busy to grow your business? There is no marketing, there is only growing a business—or increasing the bottom line, or whatever you want to call your “love affair” with your customers and with your small business.

For the client who hired me, I got the group of engineers together and we all came up with 1) old leads that could be revived 2) leads in their personal Rolodex 3) ideas on how to engage present clients 3) ideas on how to best communicate the brand to different groups or forums to which each of them belonged. And then, we implemented those ideas! In two months, they started to sign up new business.

So, yes, have a “love affair” with your clients and prospects—a mad, crazy love that pushes you to court, perform, exceed expectations and romance as often as you can.  And of course ask for reciprocity.

If you ask for only one referral from each of your 20 present clients, you might get five leads, and if you do your job well, you might sign up one or two. These leads come extra qualified. For the prospects that are not ready to give you their business, keep showing up patiently and with gifts in hand: invite these prospects to learn from you, to try your products, to accept your audit, to get a deal from you, and so on.

And then call again!  (If you have done your research and you know how you stand on your products and customer service). In the end,  it’ s all about patience, perseverance and personal presence!

And of course, everything takes three times longer than you think it does.

These may seem as heavy issues pertaining to business, but it may surprise you how receptive kids are to these concepts. We use playful tools, such as mind maps and idea maps, to help them understand market research in context. We create maps with colorful images and use symbols that appeal to them to help them place their solo venture on the market and project revenue.

One of my students, Emma a 12 year old girl, created a little venture called “Cozy Clothes” and her idea was to sew and sell onesies for small babies.  Her competitive advantage, so to speak,  was her personalized approach and her strong network within her community. She was able to put together a list of people, create a communication campaign (of course learning to express herself and learning to write about her business were very important), and she started selling.  On her map there was a tree, and all the other businesses were featured as part of the tree, but not in a threatening way, all bold colors, while her business was depicted in her favorite pastel and on the top of the tree.

The tools I gave Emma pertain to the business domain: how to start, how to sell, how to negotiate, how to create a distribution channel, how to calculate revenue, and net worth—but the most important learning that she integrated belongs to the entrepreneurial realm: “I can do this”, “I am confident,” “I know how to engage my audience”, “I can sell”, “I know how to change route if this does not work”, “I trust I can start any new project in the future”.

And I bet that whatever job Emma chooses in the future, from working for a corporation to running her own, she will have a mindset that will help her not only to be successful –in the strictly social definition of the term– but to be engaged and accomplished as only someone who creates her own art can be.