The Challenger Sale

Michael Porter on Competitiveness

Evernote video

I'm an absolute Evernote nut. Some of my biggest regrets involve me realising that I could have used Evernote for something and didn't. So I made this video to share the love.

Learning to code

Over the last couple of months I've been working on a education project which I can't discuss on this site. But I can say that the project involved me learning Joomla. I've had alot of fun learning joomla, playing around with my new microphone and using Camtasia. I'm now taking the next step and learning to code. I found this great resource www.codeacademy.com and would highly recommend it!

Digital Life

I'm currently working on a project that I can't talk about publicly but it's taking the education aspect of www.econstudent.org to a new level. It's been a really great experience regardless of the outcome. I have learned to use Joomla at least partially and developed my self-efficacy. (Self-efficacy is a concept similar to self confidence but is more specific to certain tasks)

One thing I've learned in this digital age it's possible to develop a product with extremely limit resources and stand on the shoulders of others. For example I can't program but that hasn't stopped me developing a website with a full learning management system. In my day job I see everyday the incredible power that Xero's open API allows. Business can run their accounts of Xero, use captule as a CRM and integrate their business with an E-store and point of sales system. They could do this for $200 a month. Compare this with the costs of setting a business in even the cheapest retail environment. Technology is a game changer, making our economy more dynamic with lower barriers to entry and making small business scalable in ways that were never possible.

Steve Jobs is quoted in Walter Isacson's biography, "When our tools are broken, we feel broken."Through the cloud and open source technologies we now have tools beyond the imagination of people only 20 years ago. Ironically many of the tools which make this new era of technology possible are a result of open systems which Steve Jobs spent his career arguing against.

I also tried to use Freelancer to find a website designer but didn't have success using that site. I was however successful in finding graphic designers through gumtree and consider using services such a 99 designs. As the internet has developed over the last 20 years our ability to connect with other people and make better informed decisions is dramatically increasing.

Interview with Jeff Bezos

Jim Collins on Drucker

Lean Start Up

38:00 "Sales people rule the world"

Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job

While driving down to the University of New England I listened to the audible version of Quitter: Closing the Gap Between your day job and your dream job by John Acuff. John shares his experience of transitioning from his day job to his dream job. He had been employed at autosales.com and on the side was writing a blog Stuff Christians like in addition to other writing projects. Autosales.com was not his dream job, he wanted to be a writer. In Quitter he details the challenges and practicalities of changing careers.

  Career transformations usually aren't instant. I started my Masters program in mid 2010 and only recently started in a position that could be considered my "dream job". During that time my mortgage still needed to be paid and I still had to perform in my job. Acuff provides practical advice and a much needed reality check to job switchers. He encourages the reader to view their current employer as a patron who makes their makes their dream possible. He also explains that having a day job gives the job switcher the ability to say no and not compromise their dream.

 He also argues that we can't compartmentalise our lives. Our attitudes and behaviour and one part of our lives will affect others. We can't be lazy in our day job and not have that affect us in our personal lives. This is a lesson I wish I learnt earlier in my career. I was always waiting to be given the dream job before putting in a full effort. Of course I was never given the dream job because I hadn't proven myself by mastering the mundane.

My job title has recently changed from Disability Employment Consultant to Associate Account Manager. I've been surprised by the amount of parallels between the two jobs. As an employment consultant I had marketing duties where I would market clients on my caseload into employment. On my caseload at any point of time I had people who were not employable in the short term and others who were job ready. To perform in that job I needed to keep good records of what I had discussed with clients, prioritise job ready client and manage my time effectively. It doesn't take a genius to workout that these skills are transferable to account management. Imagine if for the last two years I had slacked off in my day job. Would I have developed good case management skills which could help me perform in my dream job working for a technology company? Probably not.

If you're currently using the phrase "I'm a .......... but," then I recommend you read Quitter and get some practical advice from someone who has been there.

Offically Graduated

After what has been a long journey I have now finally finished my Masters of Economic Studies!

Myers Briggs Test

I just completed a Myers-Briggs test that said I was an Administrator (ESTJ) Extrovert, Sensing, Thinking and Judging.

 Extroverted (E) 51.43% Introverted (I) 48.57%
Sensing (S) 55.88% Intuitive (N) 44.12%
Thinking (T) 70% Feeling (F) 30%
Judging (J) 65.52% Perceiving (P) 34.48%

ESTJ - "Administrator". Much in touch with the external environment. Very responsible. Pillar of strength. 8.7% of total population.

Take Free Jung Personality Test
Personality Test by SimilarMinds.com

What I learned from Steve Jobs' biography.

I recently finished reading Steve Jobs biography for the third time. I really love Walter Isaacson's book, he shows the real Steve Jobs. The man who went from being a smelly, vegan, drug taking hippy to being a technology tycoon.

The biography doesn't paint Jobs as an all knowing genius or an emotionally intelligent leader. While the book show Jobs was a genius in the area of design and had great ideas, it also showed a man who could be cruel, immature and eccentric. He was a man who saw the world in extremes. Things were either brilliant or shit. He was a man who would take credit for other people's ideas and overlook practical reality using his reality distortion field.

What the book demonstrates better than any other business book I've read is what it takes to be great. In the main, focus. Jobs had the ability to focus and be completely obsessed by a problem or design issue. In the book he is quoted saying that on every major product Apple produced their was a moment where he needed to hit the stop button and rewind. A moment when the team realised they had got something fundamentally wrong and would need to start again.

During his time at Pixar there was a moment when they needed to re-write Toy Story. With the Mac there were many times when Jobs wouldn't accept good enough. With Apple's famous Apple Stores a last minute decision about layout caused the stores opening to be delayed by months.

How many of us really have what it takes to do that. To realise that we have fundamentally missed the point on the essay and it will need to be rewritten. Do we do that? No, most of the time we accept good enough or even something that is lousy. Why? Because to redo something is hard. To find a second wind and start all over is next to impossible. But is this what separates genius from average.

As a society we like to believe the myth of the genius. We don't want to acknowledge the truth that we were just too lazy to produce really good work. We like to believe average is our lot in life rather then the reality that looked at the opportunity cost and settled for second best.

When Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 he brought a laser focus. He simplified their product lines and clarified what Apple did. Gone were the printers and PDAs. Apple made computers for creative types that focus redefined the brand and stopped them competing in markets they couldn't win and got them in markets where they could. Jobs wasn't the perfect man which the business literature tells us we need to be, instead he was a flawed human being he did great things because he focused and was able to get other people to focus. As someone who can some time offend others and can have poor emotional intelligence I find Jobs life story reassuring.


Disclaimer: I am not an apple fan boi, though their products are starting to grow on me. I love my ipad and miss my iphone but I find my Macbook Pro limited when compared to a PC. (The Macbook is a work computer, my personal computer runs Windows 8). Office 2011 is total crap compared to 2010 on Windows. One would think Microsoft dropping the ball on office would have open the Mac market up for some good alternatives. The lack of a serious Office suite on the Mac leads me to believe that no one does serious work on apple products. Also my blog is based on the Microsoft philosophy of releasing faulty products and fixing them with patches. Spelling and gramatical errors will be patched as required. 

HBR Guide to getting the right work done.

The Easter break and my birthday snuck up on me this year. Having just started in a new role and I gave neither the holiday or my birthday much thought. I'm back up at Marcus Beach relaxing and planning for the next quarter. I've been using the down time to do some reading. I'm currently reading, "HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done." The book is a series of short articles on time management and prioritisation. I was happy to find out several techniques I had already been using are recommended. Doing your most important tasks in the morning, scheduling time in 90 minute periods and the need to stop multi-tasking.

In my new role good time management determines my success. The more effectively I manage my time the greater my ability to support accountants in embracing the cloud. The more accountants I help the greater the likelihood I will achieve my targets.

I have noticed that after about 2pm my effectiveness is dramatically reduced. I therefore have set myself the goal of making my most important phone calls prior to that time and use the afternoon for urgent-non important tasks. Unfortunately, in the workforce we are often required to address matters that have nothing to do with our long term objectives. Sometimes it's an option to simply not do these tasks, other time they are important to people senior to us even though they will not contribute towards any of the metrics our role is measured by, we need to do them. It's therefore best to acknowledge that our energy levels vary throughout the day and do those tasks that are most important when our energy is highest and using the low energy time to get through those other tasks.

Another article I found interesting was, 'Stop Mulitasking." The evidence clearly shows that a person who does one task at a time is far more effective then an "effective" multitasker. In fact humans can't multitask all we do when we are multitasking is switching our focus between different tasks. Multitasking results in an effective decrease of our IQ of 10 points. This is the equivalent of being sleep deprived and twice the effect of marijuana smoking. That's right mulitasking makes you a sleep deprived pothead!

Another important take away was the importance of sleep. All the studies confirm it, but people still ignore all the evidence that not getting between 7-8 hours sleep reduces our effectiveness by 40%. Could you be sleep walking through your career? Could the failure to disciplined yourself to goto bed at a decent hour be destroying your career prospects? Chances are, you are a sleep deprived multitasker!

Another article I thoroughly enjoyed was, "Get a raise by getting the right work done." Fortunately, I have a performance review coming up and will have the opportunity to discuss with my manager what I need to achieve in my role. (Though because I'm in sales this is fairly obvious.) Another good read was, "A practical plan for when you feel overwhelmed."

The 'HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done' is a very easy book to read and one I would recommend to any overworked over stressed professionals.

Overloaded Circuits: Why smart people underperform

I just got round to reading an article 'Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform' on my kindle from the Harvard Business Review's 'On Managing Yourself' 10 Must reads on managing yourself. http://hbr.org/product/overloaded-circuits-why-smart-people-underperform/an/R0501E-PDF-ENG

In my new role as an account manager my success depends on my ability to focus on contacting potential and exisiting partners. Obviously there are plenty of things that can distract me from this core responsibility. Or trying to respond to multiple emails or phone calls at the one time can result in my effectiveness dropping. In the article, one executive had an OHIO policy. Only Handle It Once. There will be nothing revolutionary in this article, but probably a lot of things you're not doing that you know you should be. 

ICAA Conference

Just came back from the ICAA conference on the Gold Coast. It was great to see so many accountants embracing the cloud. Having previously worked in a CPA firm I felt like I was on enemy territory though. Of course I had already crossed that line when I started dating a CA :-0.

Week in Melbourne.

Well it's been a crazy week. I've definitely over ate and am starting to get sick. But I've had a great time. It's really great working with a bunch of "A" players and people excited to be at work. In my new role there is alot of technology to get my head around and I'm learning to use a Mac for the first time. It's a very frustrating experience.

I have to admit I've done my typical thing of being timid of learning new things. I've probably allowed myself to get too worried about learning systems. A marketing email went out and I've been receiving calls and emails all afternoon. Sometimes getting thrown in the deep end is the only way to learn. Basically my role involves me helping accounting firms to start using Xero and get trained up. If I focus on providing good support and focus on their needs, I can't go wrong. Ultimately, as far as I am concerned. Sales really is all about providing solutions to other peoples' problems.

A lot of people don't want anything to do with sales or business because they think it's about taking and making money. Of course people in business want to make money, but you can't make money in a competitive market if you don't have something of value to offer. I am in the fortunate situation to have something of value far beyond the price to offer my clients. Good business is finding a way to serve the needs of others and being able to do that cheaper than what they could do for themselves or elsewhere allowing you a profit margin.

Now I'm going to focus on getting better!

Radio Xero!

First day of my induction at Melbourne

How I changed my career.

Since 2010 I have been studying a Masters of Economics Studies through the University of New England. Like most people who study mid-career my ultimate goal was a career change. However, I didn’t really know what I wanted to change to or where I fit. Approaching the end of my degree I started applying for jobs and started to fear that my hard work was for nothing.

In 2007 I graduated with a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) CQU and soon found employment in a local public practice. It didn’t take me long to realize that I wasn’t well suited for a career as an accountant. While I enjoyed the ideas and theory of accounting and business more generally I didn’t particularly like spending my day’s number crunching. I soon moved into the world of recruiting.

I’ve spent the last five years working in the recruitment and employment services industry. Having worked part-time as a telemarketer when I was a student I found out I had already developed one of the most important skills in recruitment. I never would have thought that the skills I was developing as a telemarketer for Guidedogs Queensland were the basis of a career when I was studying. Ultimately, recruitment depends on the consultant’s ability to one sell a recruitment services to employers and sell the vacancy to the candidate. To do this well the consultant needs to understands the needs of both parties and to properly match a good candidate with an appropriate job.

When global financial crisis started to affect Australia, I moved from recruitment to employment services. Working in the disability employment area I helped clients understand what employers were looking for, how to address their weaknesses and to directly market them to employers. I also worked with employers to help them incorporate people with a disability into their business and to access government funding. While I enjoyed this role and was good at it I ultimately saw myself as a failure having strayed so far away from my original career. This led me to studying a Master of Economics Studies at UNE.

I originally didn’t have a very clear idea of what I wanted to do, I just knew I wanted to be part of the business world or developing government policy. I didn’t take me long to remember why I loved economics. Economics gives students a way of understanding our society and trade offs that are made to manage scarce resources. I got particularly interested in microeconomics understanding the incentives individuals have to do the things they do. I joined the Young Economists and UNE Economics Society and made some friends who shared my interest.

Two years on I still hadn’t had success in changing career. I didn’t get into any of the very competitive government graduate programs. I had been interviewed for a business development assistant role I found through the UNE job blog. Ultimately they were looking for a more experienced candidate who could do valuations. I was short listed for an economic development officer position with the Moreton Bay Regional Council and missed out. Another role was for a Marketing Associate for a superannuation company. I was 1 out of 7 people interviewed for a role that received over 100 applications. While being very disappointed to have not secured a job it was clear my masters was opening doors.

This really highlights the importance of securing an intern position or a junior role in the industry you want to work in while studying. I tried to sell my experiences from employment services to employers but it was hard to compete with directly relevant experience.  Ultimately, there are only so many graduate positions to go round and having industry experience is a massive plus.

In the long run I’m extremely pleased I missed out on those other roles I applied for. After a conversation with my neighbor I learnt of an exciting development in accounting software. Using cloud technology, firms had removed much of drudgery from public accounting. The holy grail of accountancy is providing current advise rather than solely helping clients comply with their tax obligations. The efficiency made possible by the cloud has made this long held dream of accountants possible. The economist in me could see how technology was lowering the barriers to entry to markets and allowing small and medium enterprises to access technologies previously reserved for large companies. I had found a company and product I believed in and decided to apply for a job with the market leader.

Like the previous roles I had applied for the application process was competitive. I first role a cover letter that spelt out why I was the perfect candidate, I then was screened over the phone by the human resources department, I then I had an interview with the local manager, followed by two skype interviews with the senior managers in Sydney and Melbourne. After several weeks and much emotion, I finally got the job. I now have a role that allows me to use my education and past experience. Financially the package I have received has justified the $20,000 I invested in a master’s degree. After a very long journey my studies have allowed me to enter a very exciting industry and to do work I am passionate about. I really hope other students will read this account of my journey and know that they will eventually get their opportunity and their setbacks aren't permanent. It's also important to be flexible, the role I secured is very different from any role I imaged, but it's the perfect role for me. I just didn't know it!

Success!

Well after much anxious waiting I found out that I was successful in gaining the position with the cloud based accounting company. It's very exciting to be working in a company that is doing amazing things. Having worked as an accountant in the past and done some bookkeeping work I am very excited about selling these benefits to other accountants.

This role is very different from any role I imagined gaining with my masters but it's probably better than any of those roles I imagined. A part of me is just relieved that my investment in education has paid off. It would have been very sad if I stayed in the same job after investing 20k in a masters.

In the next week I will be spending my time re-reading some of my sales material and getting familiar with the product. I know they have a great product and I want to make sure I am able to communicate that!

Third Interview

I've been asked to do a third interview for an associate account manager position with a cloud based accounting software company. They have checked my references, read my resume, asked me about my experience. Surely none of these things are in any doubt at the moment. I know they have a choose between and another applicant. 

It's now up to me to convince them that I believe in their product and have the ability to sell it to accountants. I am 100% confident that this is the case. I have sold $40 tea towels for Guidedogs Queensland, I have recruited welders, diesel mechanics and sold lots of things I haven't particularly thought were good value. 

I this companies service is vastly superior to traditional accountant packages. I can definitely convince other accountants about the benefits of this companies product. Lets hope I can convince them of this next week. Fingers Crossed. 

The last week.

Well I've had a big week. My car is in the shop and found out it needs a new radiator and likely a new headgasket. So in the Queensland heat I've been walking the 1.5km to and from the train station. I've finished up at my old office and transferring to a new one on monday. I've always joked that you can tell how popular you are by the lunch people put on for you when you go. I got an afternoon tea and a lunch with my team at the pub. I was very touched, no woolworths' mudcake for me.

I'm still apply for a role with online accounting software company. I'm very excited about it. It's a great product and the company seems to have an amazing culture. Apparently it's down to me and another person. They are now doing my reference checks which is always a good sign. The process for people interested was first applying with a coverletter, then being screened by the phone, then a meeting with the accounts manager in Brisbane, followed by a skype interview with the national sales director. It was my first skype interview and I was nervous about getting the technology wrong since I'm not a skype user. Luckily it all went well.

Obviously all that yummy food was a slight setback for my diet but all is good. It's funny that walking to and from the train has actually made it harder to do proper excercise because I'm getting home latter and already a bit tired. Today I ran to my parents place in the next suburb to pick up there car. Luckily I have took up running because I've need to get around on foot a bit lately!

Anyway hopefully good news next week!

Today on my jog.

Don't be that runner.

I'm afraid to say this video hits close to home.

Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind

I'm currently reading this amazing book 'Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind' I won't try explain it as I won't do it justice but I will share an excerpt from the book.

"The difference between the mind and the body is that no one is surprised to get winded while running to catch the bus. Nobody gets mad at themselves, saying, “I can’t believe I can’t run 26.2 miles!” However, when we become overwhelmed by longer hours at work, more e-mails, or more parenting duties, we become irritable, moody, and unhappy. It doesn’t occur to us that our mind is out of shape. We put more stress on ourselves because we assume we should just be able to handle it all. We should not be surprised when we can’t, for we have not built the base of the mind."

Mipham, Sakyong (2012-04-10). Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind (pp. 24-25). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. 

Excel is Fun

There is something a bit wrong with me, I love Excel and I use my spare time to learn more about it.  I have mentioned Excel is Fun on www.econstudent.org several times, but I'm constantly amazed how much high quality material is on youtube.com. For free I am able to study a course in bite size pieces that is superior to anything I would get from a university or tafe. Check it out for yourself! The link to the Excel Channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/ExcelIsFun?feature=edu

First 1km Run.

For the first time since I was a child, I ran a full kilometre. It's true that's actually not that far, but for me it was a big accomplishment. It wasn't that long ago when I couldn't have ran 300 metres without slowing to a walk. My goal is to be able to run in a 5km race without having to slow for a walk.

Up until now I've been using MapMyRun, I've just downloaded Runkeeper and it has programs in it. One program is for a new runner to train up to a 5km run. Sounds perfect for me. So I will try that. I've also purchased a book on amazon, "Ultimate Beginners-Running-Guide Book" for $5. It was pretty helpful and was worth the price.

As lame as it is, the idea of being a runner has always appealed to me, even when I hated running. I'm a bit of a morning person and have always liked the image of going for a run in the early morning wearing the university t-shirt/jumper. One day when I create a company I want to able get up early and go for a run wearing the company's t-shirt. When I ran for council in 2008 I have to admit I loved wearing my campaign t-shirt. There's nothing like wearing a t-shirt with your own name on it!

Humility

I've been reflecting on humility a lot lately. It's an area of personal development that I have been uncomfortable with, because people often use humility as a way of putting people in their place. I've been conflicted on it's relationship with self confidence.

I've come to this conclusion, true humility is the fruit of self confidence. A person who has a proper accounting of his/her personality know their strengths, weaknesses and realises regardless of their talents they need other people. They understand that every person has a unique contribution and it makes sense to benefit from other people's strength. They are concerned with making others feel valued rather than self promotion.

Humility is not down playing your strengths or faking being humble. It's a willingness to share your knowledge with others. A focus on build other people up and taking the opportunity to learn from others. It's understanding that there's enough problems in this world for all of us and other people's strength takes nothing from us. 

A lack of humility stems from a lack of self confidence, the need for constant reassurance and deep fear of not being good enough. The truth is we all are good enough, we all have a contribution to give. Not having a true north and attempting to measure oneself against a costly moving goal post can lead to such doubt. 

I've set myself a little challenge of reassuring any people who are talk down to me or are boastful. Normally such people would get my back up, but now I see this people really need to be told they are doing good and are desperate for praise. Why not help them feel better about themselves.

Jogging

I've recently taken up jogging, this was inspired by my recent trip to Marcus Beach where I woke up at 4.30 in the morning and walked along the Beach. I use to be a keen cyclist but after a near collision with a 4WD, I decided that cycling wasn't for me. About 6 weeks later my supervisor come off her bike and needed surgery and months of rehabilitation. Demonstrating her winning character she said in an sms, "Cycling is no longer one of my hobbies."

The reason why I've always been a reluctant jogger is that I've never been able to run very far without having to stop. Cycling I could peddle for a while then cruise, peddle than cruise. Of course with jogging you have to keep going. At the moment I'm jogging then walking, but my speed is increasing and the time I'm spending jogging is increasing rapidly.

It's ironic that I always complained that there was no good cycling in Strathpine because their are no bike paths and all the roads are very busy. Yet I can walk out of my house and run a 5km return journey along the local creek. One thing I always liked about cycling, unlike working out at the gym once I start I can't just stop. I had to turn around and cycle home, I would often be gone for 2 hours or more.  At the moment my runs are lasting 40 minutes which is double what I normally do at the gym.

In April I'm returning to Armidale for my graduation. The residential schools where I stay is at the bottom of a hill with the university campus up the top. It's about a 20 minute walk up the hill, my goal by April is to be able to do a run around the campus up the hill and back, with only a brief stop when I reach the top.

Principles vs Values

Stephen R Covey discusses in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People the difference between principles and values. Principles are based on natural laws, they aren't subjective. Values can be anything, both good and bad. The best values are based on natural principles. Covey compares school with the farm. Many of us when we were students slacked off all term then studied hard just before the exam. We studied for the test, not getting a real education, but we met that social value of the passing grade. Did we get an education? Maybe, but more likely we memorised some facts that we didn't really understand and missed out on a genuine opportunity to learn. The farm is very different from school, can a person sow some seeds just before harvest, work real hard a few days before? No, of course not, a farm works on natural principles.

Many people are extremely unhappy in life because they are working toward goals that are based on social values rather than principals. They want the social value of financial success, but don't apply the principles that would lead to genuine financial success. They want friends, aren't a friend to others. They want to be appreciated, without appreciating others.

For example a person can have a value of selfishness. Their value system only looks to their own needs, their wants. However, a natural principle is that relationships are only sustainable if both parties benefit. No business, employment and personal relationships is sustainable if one party constantly winning at the cost of someone else. If you're my customer and I'm selling you a product that you're not getting value from you're not going to come back.

Another example, is in weight loss. Looking good and appearing healthy are values. The principles that underpin those values is the principles of diet and exercise. I know from personal experience, I've eaten junk food and reduced my exercise then got on the scales and hadn't put on any weight. From a superficial value viewpoint, I had got away with it, but if I were principle based, I would know that I really hadn't. I would know I would have lost muscle and gained fat and more than that I would know I had started to sow the seeds of weight gain.

Currently I'm experiencing the reverse situation, I've been jogging, controlling my diet for the last week, yet I haven't lost any weight. If I were value based, I would give up, but because I understand weight is a result of natural principles. I know that perhaps over Christmas I lost some muscle and gained some fat and now I'm reversing that. My weight hasn't changed, but most like a week from now my weight will start decreasing.

My advice for what it's worth, any area of your life that you're not getting the results you desire, look past the superficial values and look for the principals that underpin those areas. Understand those principle and commit to living by them, achieve the private victory by working towards goals based on principles and overtime this will translate to legitimate achievement of social values.