Steve Job's Best Quotes - WSJ

By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries

Steve Jobs has stepped down as CEO of Apple, the company he founded and turned into the largest technology company in the world. Although his tenure as CEO will be remembered for ushering in fundamental changes in the way people interact with technology, he has also been known for his salesmanship, his ability to turn a phrase – and a knack for taking complicated ideas and making them easy to understand. Below, a compendium of some of the best Steve Jobs quotes.

On Technology

“It takes these very simple-minded instructions—‘Go fetch a number, add it to this number, put the result there, perceive if it’s greater than this other number’––but executes them at a rate of, let’s say, 1,000,000 per second. At 1,000,000 per second, the results appear to be magic.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“The problem is I’m older now, I’m 40 years old, and this stuff doesn’t change the world. It really doesn’t.

“I’m sorry, it’s true. Having children really changes your view on these things. We’re born, we live for a brief instant, and we die. It’s been happening for a long time. Technology is not changing it much — if at all.

“These technologies can make life easier, can let us touch people we might not otherwise. You may have a child with a birth defect and be able to get in touch with other parents and support groups, get medical information, the latest experimental drugs. These things can profoundly influence life. I’m not downplaying that.

“But it’s a disservice to constantly put things in this radical new light — that it’s going to change everything. Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” [Wired, February 1996]

***

“I think it’s brought the world a lot closer together, and will continue to do that. There are downsides to everything; there are unintended consequences to everything. The most corrosive piece of technology that I’ve ever seen is called television — but then, again, television, at its best, is magnificent.” [Rolling Stone, Dec. 3, 2003]

On Design

“We think the Mac will sell zillions, but we didn’t build the Mac for anybody else. We built it for ourselves. We were the group of people who were going to judge whether it was great or not. We weren’t going to go out and do market research. We just wanted to build the best thing we could build.

When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that.

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.

“Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have. [Wired, February 1996]

***

“For something this complicated, it’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” [BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998, in a profile that also included the following gem: "Steve clearly has done an incredible job," says former Apple Chief Financial Officer Joseph Graziano. "But the $64,000 question is: Will Apple ever resume growth?"]

***

“This is what customers pay us for–to sweat all these details so it’s easy and pleasant for them to use our computers. We’re supposed to be really good at this. That doesn’t mean we don’t listen to customers, but it’s hard for them to tell you what they want when they’ve never seen anything remotely like it. Take desktop video editing. I never got one request from someone who wanted to edit movies on his computer. Yet now that people see it, they say, ‘Oh my God, that’s great!’” [Fortune, January 24 2000]

***

“Look at the design of a lot of consumer products — they’re really complicated surfaces. We tried to make something much more holistic and simple. When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions. Most people just don’t put in the time or energy to get there. We believe that customers are smart, and want objects which are well thought through.” [MSNBC and Newsweek interview, Oct. 14, 2006]

On His Products

“I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard on something, but working on Macintosh was the neatest experience of my life. Almost everyone who worked on it will say that. None of us wanted to release it at the end. It was as though we knew that once it was out of our hands, it wouldn’t be ours anymore. When we finally presented it at the shareholders’ meeting, everyone in the auditorium gave it a five-minute ovation. What was incredible to me was that I could see the Mac team in the first few rows. It was as though none of us could believe we’d actually finished it. Everyone started crying.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

Playboy: We were warned about you: Before this Interview began, someone said we were “about to be snowed by the best.”

[Smiling] “We’re just enthusiastic about what we do.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them.” [On Mac OS X, Fortune, Jan. 24, 2000]

***

“It will go down in history as a turning point for the music industry. This is landmark stuff. I can’t overestimate it!” [On the iTunes Music Store, Fortune, May 12, 2003]

***

“Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything. … One is very fortunate if you get to work on just one of these in your career. Apple’s been very fortunate it’s been able to introduce a few of these into the world.” [Announcement of the iPhone, Jan. 9, 2007]

On Business

“You know, my main reaction to this money thing is that it’s humorous, all the attention to it, because it’s hardly the most insightful or valuable thing that’s happened to me.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” [The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993]

***

Q: There’s a lot of symbolism to your return. Is that going to be enough to reinvigorate the company with a sense of magic?

“You’re missing it. This is not a one-man show. What’s reinvigorating this company is two things: One, there’s a lot of really talented people in this company who listened to the world tell them they were losers for a couple of years, and some of them were on the verge of starting to believe it themselves. But they’re not losers. What they didn’t have was a good set of coaches, a good plan. A good senior management team. But they have that now.” [BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998]

***

“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” [Fortune, Nov. 9, 1998]

***

“The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament.” [Apple Confidential: The Real Story of Apple Computer Inc., May 1999]

***

“The problem with the Internet startup craze isn’t that too many people are starting companies; it’s that too many people aren’t sticking with it. That’s somewhat understandable, because there are many moments that are filled with despair and agony, when you have to fire people and cancel things and deal with very difficult situations. That’s when you find out who you are and what your values are.

“So when these people sell out, even though they get fabulously rich, they’re gypping themselves out of one of the potentially most rewarding experiences of their unfolding lives. Without it, they may never know their values or how to keep their newfound wealth in perspective.” [Fortune, Jan. 24, 2000]

***

“The system is that there is no system. That doesn’t mean we don’t have process. Apple is a very disciplined company, and we have great processes. But that’s not what it’s about. Process makes you more efficient.

“But innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we’ve been thinking about a problem. It’s ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea.

“And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We’re always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important. [BusinessWeek, Oct. 12, 2004]

On His Competitors

Playboy: Are you saying that the people who made PCjr don’t have that kind of pride in the product?

“If they did, they wouldn’t have made the PCjr.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“Some people are saying that we ought to put an IBM PC on every desk in America to improve productivity. It won’t work. The special incantations you have to learn this time are the “slash q-zs” and things like that. The manual for WordStar, the most popular word-processing program, is 400 pages thick. To write a novel, you have to read a novel––one that reads like a mystery to most people. They’re not going to learn slash q-z any more than they’re going to learn Morse code. That is what Macintosh is all about.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste. They have absolutely no taste. And I don’t mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don’t think of original ideas, and they don’t bring much culture into their products.”

“I am saddened, not by Microsoft’s success — I have no problem with their success. They’ve earned their success, for the most part. I have a problem with the fact that they just make really third-rate products.” [Triumph of the Nerds, 1996]

***

“I wish him the best, I really do. I just think he and Microsoft are a bit narrow. He’d be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger.” [On Bill Gates, The New York Times, Jan. 12, 1997]

On Predicting the Future

“I’ll always stay connected with Apple. I hope that throughout my life I’ll sort of have the thread of my life and the thread of Apple weave in and out of each other, like a tapestry. There may be a few years when I’m not there, but I’ll always come back. [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it to a nationwide communications network. We’re just in the beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for most people––as remarkable as the telephone.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“The desktop computer industry is dead. Innovation has virtually ceased. Microsoft dominates with very little innovation. That’s over. Apple lost. The desktop market has entered the dark ages, and it’s going to be in the dark ages for the next 10 years, or certainly for the rest of this decade.

“It’s like when IBM drove a lot of innovation out of the computer industry before the microprocessor came along. Eventually, Microsoft will crumble because of complacency, and maybe some new things will grow. But until that happens, until there’s some fundamental technology shift, it’s just over.” [Wired, February 1996]

***

The desktop metaphor was invented because one, you were a stand-alone device, and two, you had to manage your own storage. That’s a very big thing in a desktop world. And that may go away. You may not have to manage your own storage. You may not store much before too long. [Wired, February 1996]

On Life

“It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.” [1982, quoted in Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple, 1987]

***

“When you’re young, you look at television and think, There’s a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you realize that’s not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want. That’s a far more depressing thought. Conspiracy is optimistic! You can shoot the bastards! We can have a revolution! But the networks are really in business to give people what they want. It’s the truth.” [Wired, February 1996]

***

“I’m an optimist in the sense that I believe humans are noble and honorable, and some of them are really smart. I have a very optimistic view of individuals. As individuals, people are inherently good. I have a somewhat more pessimistic view of people in groups. And I remain extremely concerned when I see what’s happening in our country, which is in many ways the luckiest place in the world. We don’t seem to be excited about making our country a better place for our kids.” [Wired, February 1996]

***

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

***

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

***

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

***

“I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” [NBC Nightly News, May 2006]

***

And One More Thing

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

How do you get kids ready to become entrepreneurs?

How do you get kids ready to become entrepreneurs?

Journal Report

Read the complete Small Business report.

The classic answer, of course, is the lemonade stand: Encourage your kids to start a homespun business instead of just bugging you for money. But entrepreneurs and educators say the real solution goes much deeper than that. There are crucial psychological traits an entrepreneur needs to succeed, they say, and parents should help kids develop them at every opportunity.

Here's a look at those attributes—and how to foster them.

Adventurous

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Paul Hoppe

Parents should urge kids to explore their environment—and don't let them get too comfortable, advises Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot Inc. and owner of the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons. That means urging them to ask questions constantly and develop an inquiring mind. For instance, "get them the right kind of toys—in which kids must figure out for themselves what to do," he says. And "on vacation, try different restaurants outside their comfort level."

Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay Inc., agrees that exploration and inquiry are crucial lessons. "Our kids seem to thrive in situations that engage their curiosity and allow them to explore and discover the world around them on their own terms," Mr. Omidyar says.

In his own childhood, he was immersed in both Persian and French culture thanks to his parents' backgrounds. "Being exposed to and learning about these cultures taught me early on that there are different ways to think about any single situation, and that you don't always have to do things the way they've always been done," Mr. Omidyar says.

Dependable and Stable

Pramodita Sharma, a visiting professor at Babson College and director of the school's STEP Global Project for Family Enterprising, also advises parents to help their kids develop an inquiring mind. But she says a couple of other traits are just as important: conscientiousness and emotional stability.

Parents should insist that kids deliver high-quality work at the promised time, whether it's chores, homework or extracurricular activities. And parents should model good behavior, demonstrating control when emotions run high. They should also urge their children to take steps such as waiting to respond when they lose their temper.

Observant

Parents should help kids recognize that their world is full of business opportunities, and finding them just takes some careful observation and creativity.

Christine Poorman, executive director of the Chicago office of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, which provides an entrepreneurship course for at-risk youths, says students are encouraged to walk around their communities and evaluate business needs. One student found her neighborhood's bodegas and hardware stores didn't have an online presence, so she created logos and websites for them.

Real-estate magnate Sam Zell also puts a high value on teaching curiosity and observation. An entrepreneur, he says, is always "seeing problems and then seeing solutions."

Sometimes those problems aren't as obvious as they look. "When I was 12, my parents moved from Chicago to the suburb of Highland Park," says Mr. Zell. Every day, "I would go into the city by train after school to attend Yeshiva school. I noticed that under the L track, they were selling Playboy magazines. I would pay 50 cents apiece for them and then bring them home to the suburbs to sell to my friends for $3—it was my first lesson in supply and demand."

Team Player

Sports can be a great classroom for entrepreneurial values. Mr. Blank says his six children, who have all played a variety of sports, have had to learn how to deal with setbacks and how to move past losses. "Sports teach how important teamwork is. The germ of the idea for Home Depot was with Bernie [Marcus] and me, but we also needed the ability to get other people excited about the idea—to get in the game, so to speak," he says.

Related Video

A child born with an extraordinary gift in the arts or intelligence can be difficult to raise. Kelsey Hubbard talks with WSJ's Sue Shellenberger about some of the challenges parents' face encouraging their kids without squashing their potential.

His son Joshua is captain of his eighth-grade soccer team, he says—a role that will help the boy learn about leadership and inspiring others, as well as playing his own position.

"Not winning every game and teamwork—these are all good lessons for entrepreneurship," Mr. Blank says.

Solitary pursuits can instill good values, too. Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Co., found climbing mountains a good building block in becoming an entrepreneur. "Climbers are a lot like entrepreneurs. They are willing to put themselves in a risky situation and then once there they become careful and cautious and try to reduce and eliminate the risk," says Mr. Koch, who taught mountaineering for Outward Bound in British Columbia in the 1970s.

Lead by Example

In the end, many entrepreneurs say the most valuable thing you can do to teach your kids about entrepreneurship is to practice it yourself.

For Mr. Blank, his parents were his biggest influence on his becoming an entrepreneur.

"I saw living examples of entrepreneurs," he says. "My dad was 39 years old when he started a pharmacy wholesale business. He passed away at 44 when I was 15. My mother, who was 37 at the time, had no business experience but was a risk taker in her own way. She grew the business and later sold it to a larger pharmaceutical firm."

For Scottrade founder and chief executive Rodger Riney, the entrepreneurial model was his grandfather, who owned several small businesses in Hannibal, Mo., including a fertilizer plant, cemetery, grain elevator, insurance firm, alfalfa plant and trailer-rental business.

His mother's lessons in the Golden Rule were another big inspiration. "I paid attention to that and tried to treat people the way I wanted to be treated, and that later translated into how I wanted to treat my customers," Mr. Riney says.

Ms. Haislip is a writer in Chatham, N.J. She can be reached at reports@wsj.com.

Data

Fast Slow : Strategy

Activity Vector Analysis

In 1940, using Marston's model, Walter Clarke developed a tool called the Activity Vector Analysis. It measured how one perceived themself and how one thought others perceived them. Participants took it twice with these two response focuses. The combination from these two focused responses described behavior with these four dimensions: Aggressive, Sociable, Stable, and Avoidant.

In 1950 John Cleaver created a 24-question forced-choice instrument from the Activity Vector Analysis. This instrument required the participant to select two words from four choices -- the word that was the MOST and LEAST like them.

In 1970, two professors from the University of Minnesota -- John Geier and Dorothy Downey -- created the DiSC® Personal Profile System, which took the responses from Cleaver's 24-question forced-choice instrument and identified a total of 15 classical patterns that emerged. They created a company called Performax Systems International to promote this assessment. In 1984, Curt Carlson (also a graduate of the University of Minnesota) purchased Performax Systems International and created Carlson Learning Company.

In 1994 the Personal Profile System was revalidated. Since the meaning of some words had changed over the years, some of the words were changed in the forced-choice instrument, and four more tetrads were added. Today's DiSC® assessment includes a total of 28 tetrads.

After Curt Carlson died, his company sold the DiSC Personal Profile System to The Riverside Company in 2000, which soon thereafter became Inscape Publishing, Inc. (Inscape is a hybrid word created from internal landscape.)

Today, more than 50 million people around the world have benefited from using the DiSC® assessment. Inscape Publishing has trademarked DiSC® with a small "i". The DISC model itself cannot be patented because Marston never developed a product to patent. He created the model and theory behind it, but never created an actual product that could be sold. Therefore, a number of companies have since created profiles based on Marston's model. The original assessment tool is the one created by what is now known as Inscape Publishing, Inc. You can always tell if you have the original assessment by looking for the small "i" in DiSC®.

In addition to DiSC, Inscape Publishing has created a number of other assessments and learning tools. We invite you to spend some time looking over the many samples, which you will find links to on this site.

* * * * * * * *

What does DiSC Mean? DiSC® is a non-critical tool for understanding behavioral types and styles. It is designed to help people explore personality and behavior types so they can better understand themselves and others. Each person's DiSC® profile is based on the combination of these four primary behavioral dimensions:


Dominance:

Direct, driver & decisive -- D's are strong-minded, aggressive, strong-willed people who enjoy challenges, taking action, and immediate results.

They thrive on power, prestige, authority, and individual accomplishment. They fear being taken advantage of through loss of control. Their focus tends to be on the bottom line. They ask WHAT questions. A good high D slogan: Just do it! (good with RESULTS)
Influence:

Social, optimistic & outgoing -- I's are "people" who prefer participating on teams, sharing ideas, entertaining and energizing others. They like to gain consensus.

They thrive on popularity, recognition, expression, and talking. They fear loss of social approval. They focus on shaping the environment by influencing or persuading others to see things their way. They ask WHO questions.

A good high I slogan: Don't worry, be happy! (good with PEOPLE)
Steadiness:

Stable, sympathetic & cooperative -- S's tend to be helpful team players. They prefer being behind the scenes, working in consistent and predictable ways. They don't like rapid change, and they don't like conflict. They are often good listeners.

They thrive on team work, structure, predictability, and calming down excited people. They fear loss of stability in the environment and abrupt changes. They focus on cooperating with others to carry out the task, being patient and loyal. They ask HOW questions. A good High S slogan: Don't rock the boat! (good with PROCESSES)
Conscientiousness: Concerned, cautious & correct -- C's usually plan ahead, constantly check for accuracy, and use systematic approaches. They thrive on details, proof, critical thinking, analysis, accuracy, and perfection. They fear criticism of their efforts or actions. They focus on quality and accuracy. They ask WHY questions. A good high C slogan: Measure twice, cut once! (good with DETAILS)

Six Keys to Changing Almost Anything - HBR

Six Keys to Changing Almost Anything - HBR

Change is hard. New Year's resolutions almost always fail. But at The Energy Project, we have developed a way of making changes that has proved remarkably powerful and enduring, both in my own life and for the corporate clients to whom we teach it.

Our method is grounded in the recognition that human being are creatures of habit. Fully 95 percent of our behaviors are habitual, or occur in response to a strong external stimulus. Only 5 percent of our choices are consciously self-selected.

In 1911, the mathematician Alfred North Whitehead intuited what researchers would confirm nearly a century later. "It is a profoundly erroneous truism," he wrote, "that we should cultivate the habit of thinking of what we are doing. The precise opposite is the case. Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them."

Most of us wildly overvalue our will and discipline. Ingenious research by Roy Baumeister and others has demonstrated that our self-control is a severely limited resource that gets progressively depleted by every act of conscious self-regulation.

In order to make change that lasts, we must rely less on our prefrontal cortex, and more on co-opting the primitive parts of our brain in which habits are formed.

Put simply, the more behaviors are ritualized and routinized — in the form of a deliberate practice — the less energy they require to launch, and the more they recur automatically

What follows are our six key steps to making change that lasts:

1. Be Highly Precise and Specific. Imagine a typical New Year's resolution to "exercise regularly." It's a prescription for failure. You have a vastly higher chance for success if you decide in advance the days and times, and precisely what you're going to do on each of them.

Say instead that you commit to do a cardiovascular work out Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m., for 30 minutes. If something beyond your control forces you to miss one of those days, you automatically default to doing that workout instead on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Researchers call those "implementation intentions" and they dramatically increase your odds of success.

2. Take on one new challenge at a time. Over the years, I've established a broad range of routines and practices, ranging from ones for weight training and running, to doing the most important thing first every morning without interruption for 90 minutes and then taking a break to spending 90 minutes talking with my wife about the previous week on Saturday mornings.

In each case, I gave the new practice I was launching my sole focus. Even then, in some cases, it's taken several tries before I was able to stay at the behavior long enough for it to become essentially automatic.

Computers can run several programs simultaneously. Human beings operate best when we take on one thing at a time, sequentially.

3. Not too much, not too little. The most obvious mistake we make when we try to change something in our lives is that we bite off more than it turns out we can chew. Imagine that after doing no exercise at all for the past year, for example, you get inspired and launch a regimen of jogging for 30 minutes, five days a week. Chances are high that you'll find exercising that much so painful you'll quit after a few sessions.

It's also easy to go to the other extreme, and take on too little. So you launch a 10-minute walk at lunchtime three days a week and stay at it. The problem is that you don't feel any better for it after several weeks, and your motivation fades.

The only way to truly grow is to challenge your current comfort zone. The trick is finding a middle ground — pushing yourself hard enough that you get some real gain, but not too much that you find yourself unwilling to stay at it.

4. What we resist persists.

Think about sitting in front of a plate of fragrant chocolate chip cookies over an extended period of time. Diets fail the vast majority of time because they're typically built around regularly resisting food we enjoy eating. Eventually, we run up against our limited reservoir of self control.

The same is true of trying to ignore the Pavlovian ping of incoming emails while you're working on an important project that deserves your full attention.

The only reasonable answer is to avoid the temptation. With email, the more effective practice is turn it off entirely at designated times, and then answer it in chunks at others. For dieters, it's to keep food you don't want to eat out of sight, and focus your diet instead on what you are going to eat, at which times, and in what portion sizes. The less you have to think about what to do, the more successful you're likely to be.

5. Competing Commitments.

We all derive a sense of comfort and safety from doing what we've always done, even if it isn't ultimately serving us well. Researchers Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey call this "immunity to change." Even the most passionate commitment to change, they've shown, is invariably counterbalanced by an equally powerful but often unseen "competing" commitment not to change.

Here's a very simple way to surface your competing commitment. Think about a change you really want to make. Now ask yourself what you're currently doing or not doing to undermine that primary commitment. If you are trying to get more focused on important priorities, for example, your competing commitment might be the desire to be highly responsive and available to those emailing you.

For any change effort you launch, it's key to surface your competing commitment and then ask yourself "How can I design this practice so I get the desired benefits but also minimize the costs I fear it will prompt?"

6. Keep the faith.

Change is hard. It is painful. And you will experience failure at times. The average person launches a change effort six separate times before it finally takes. But follow the steps above, and I can tell you from my own experience and that of thousands of clients that you will succeed, and probably without multiple failures.

Oxymorons

1. virtual reality

2. original copy

3. old news

4. act naturally

5. pretty ugly

6. living dead

7. jumbo shrimp
8. rolling stop

9. constant variable

10. exact estimate

11. paid volunteers

12. civil war

13. sound of silence

14. clever fool

15. only choice

Great Proverbs

From 4-hour Work Week


Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. - MARK TWAIN

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination - OSCAR WILDE

Assertive Communication

Elements of the Assertive Style

1. Mottoes and Beliefs
* Believes self and others are valuable
* Knowing that assertiveness doesn't mean you always win, but that you handled the situation as effectively as possible
* "I have rights and so do others."
2. Communication Style
* Effective, active listener
* States limits, expectations
* States observations, no labels or judgments
* Expresses self directly, honestly, and as soon as possible about feelings and wants
* Checks on others feelings
3. Characteristics
* Non-judgmental
* Observes behavior rather than labeling it
* Trusts self and others
* Confident
* Self-aware
* Open, flexible, versatile
* Playful, sense of humor
* Decisive
* Proactive, initiating
4. Behavior
* Operates from choice
* Knows what it is needed and develops a plan to get it
* Action-oriented
* Firm
* Realistic in her expectations
* Fair, just
* Consistent
* Takes appropriate action toward getting what he/she wants without denying rights of others
5. Nonverbal Cues
* Open, natural gestures
* Attentive, interested facial expression
* Direct eye contact
* Confident or relaxed posture
* Vocal volume appropriate, expressive
* Varied rate of speech
6. Verbal Cues
* "I choose to..."
* "What are my options?"
* "What alternatives do we have?"
7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
* Negotiates, bargains, trades off, compromises
* Confronts problems at the time they happen
* Doesn't let negative feelings build up
8. Feelings Felt
* Enthusiasm
* Well being
* Even tempered
9. Effects
* Increased self-esteem and self-confidence
* Increased self-esteem of others
* Feels motivated and understood
* Others know where they stand

Clearly, the assertive style is the one to strive for. Keep in mind that very few people are all one or another style. In fact, the aggressive style is essential at certain times such as:

* when a decision has to be made quickly;
* during emergencies;
* when you know you're right and that fact is crucial;
* stimulating creativity by designing competitions destined for use in training or to increase productivity.

Passiveness also has its critical applications:

* when an issue is minor;
* when the problems caused by the conflict are greater than the conflict itself;
* when emotions are running high and it makes sense to take a break in order to calm down and regain perspective;
* when your power is much lower than the other party's;
* when the other's position is impossible to change for all practical purposes (i.e., government policies, etc.).

Elements of the Aggressive Style

1. Mottos and Beliefs
* "Everyone should be like me."
* "I am never wrong."
* "I've got rights, but you don't."
2. Communication Style
* Close minded
* Poor listener
* Has difficulty seeing the other person's point of view
* Interrupts
* Monopolizing
3. Characteristics
* Achieves goals, often at others' expense
* Domineering, bullying
* Patronizing
* Condescending, sarcastic
4. Behavior
* Puts others down
* Doesn't ever think they are wrong
* Bossy
* Moves into people's space, overpowers
* Jumps on others, pushes people around
* Know-it-all attitude
* Doesn't show appreciation
5. Nonverbal Cues
* Points, shakes finger
* Frowns
* Squints eyes critically
* Glares
* Stares
* Rigid posture
* Critical, loud, yelling tone of voice
* Fast, clipped speech
6. Verbal Cues
* "You must (should, ought better)."
* "Don't ask why. Just do it."
* Verbal abuse
7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
* Must win arguments, threatens, attacks
* Operates from win/lose position
8. Feelings Felt
* Anger
* Hostility
* Frustration
* Impatience
9. Effects
* Provokes counteraggression, alienation from others, ill health
* Wastes time and energy oversupervising others
* Pays high price in human relationships
* Fosters resistance, defiance, sabotaging, striking back, forming alliances, lying, covering up
* Forces compliance with resentment

Elements of the Passive Style

1. Mottoes and Beliefs
* "Don't express your true feelings."
* "Don't make waves."
* "Don't disagree."
* "Others have more rights than I do."
2. Communication Style
* Indirect
* Always agrees
* Doesn't speak up
* Hesitant
3. Characteristics
* Apologetic, self-conscious
* Trusts others, but not self
* Doesn't express own wants and feelings
* Allows others to make decisions for self
* Doesn't get what he/she wants
4. Behaviors
* Sighs a lot
* Tries to sit on both sides of the fence to avoid conflict
* Clams up when feeling treated unfairly
* Asks permission unnecessarily
* Complains instead of taking action
* Lets others make choices
* Has difficulty implementing plans
* Self-effacing
5. Nonverbal Cues
* Fidgets
* Nods head often; comes across as pleading
* Lack of facial animation
* Smiles and nods in agreement
* Downcast eyes
* Slumped posture
* Low volume, meek
* Up talk
* Fast, when anxious; slow, hesitant, when doubtful
6. Verbal Cues
* "You should do it."
* "You have more experience than I do."
* "I can't......"
* "This is probably wrong, but..."
* "I'll try..."
* Monotone, low energy
7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
* Avoids, ignores, leaves, postpones
* Withdraws, is sullen and silent
* Agrees externally, while disagreeing internally
* Expends energy to avoid conflicts that are anxiety provoking
* Spends too much time asking for advice, supervision
* Agrees too often
8. Feelings Felt
* Powerlessness
* Wonders why doesn't receive credit for good work
* Chalks lack of recognition to others' inabilities
9. Effects
* Gives up being him or herself
* Builds dependency relationships
* Doesn't know where he/she stands
* Slowly loses self esteem
* Promotes others' causes
* Is not well-liked

3 Requirements of Change Efforts

OCTOBER 27, 2010
Know the 3 Requirements of Change Efforts
Setting a new direction, changing behavior, or transforming a culture is never easy. Before you start down the road of change, know three of the things you'll need on your journey:

1. A clear destination. Many change programs fail because not everyone understands where they are headed. Be clear up front with everyone who needs to change about what the end point looks like.
2. A starting point. Big goals are intimidating and sometimes paralyzing. Get started by taking small steps toward your goal. Momentum will build.
3. Persistence. Most change efforts look like they will fail at some point, usually in the middle. Don't give up prematurely. Find a way around obstacles, make necessary alterations, and keep going.

Good One by SP

Seth Priebatsch
“I had friends at Princeton; I’m sure it’d be fun to see them,” he says. “But I know that what I’m going after is huge and others are going after it, and if they’re not, they’re making a mistake. But other people will figure it out, and every minute that I’m not working on it is a minute when they’re making progress and I’m not. And that is just not O.K.”

Link to this Article

Transformational and Transactional Leaders

Scholars in organizational studies tend to divide the world into “transformational leaders” (the group that hypomanics are bunched into, of course) and “transactional leaders,” who are essentially even-keeled managers, grown-ups who know how to delegate, listen and set achievable goals.

Both types of leaders need to rally employees to their cause, but entrepreneurs must recruit and galvanize when a company is little more than a whisper of a big idea. Shouting “To the ramparts!” with no ramparts in sight takes a kind of irrational self-confidence, which is perfectly acceptable, though it can also tilt into egomania, which is usually not.

SOAP vs. REST

Web Services, Part 1: SOAP vs. REST
By Brennan Spies

* Web Services
* XML

Developers new to web services are often intimidated by parade of technologies and concepts required to understand it: REST, SOAP, WSDL, XML Schema, Relax NG, UDDI, MTOM, XOP, WS-I, WS-Security, WS-Addressing, WS-Policy, and a host of other WS-* specifications that seem to multiply like rabbits. Add to that the Java specifications, such as JAX-WS, JAX-RPC, SAAJ, etc. and the conceptual weight begins to become heavy indeed. In this series of articles I hope to shed some light on the dark corners of web services and help navigate the sea of alphabet soup (1). Along the way I'll also cover some tools for developing web services, and create a simple Web Service as an example. In this article I will give a high-level overview of both SOAP and REST.

Introduction

There are currently two schools of thought in developing web services: the traditional, standards-based approach (SOAP) and conceptually simpler and the trendier new kid on the block (REST). The decision between the two will be your first choice in designing a web service, so it is important to understand the pros and cons of the two. It is also important, in the sometimes heated debate between the two philosophies, to separate reality from rhetoric.

SOAP

In the beginning there was...SOAP. Developed at Microsoft in 1998, the inappropriately-named "Simple Object Access Protocol" was designed to be a platform and language-neutral alternative to previous middleware techologies like CORBA and DCOM. Its first public appearance was an Internet public draft (submitted to the IETF) in 1999; shortly thereafter, in December of 1999, SOAP 1.0 was released. In May of 2000 the 1.1 version was submitted to the W3C where it formed the heart of the emerging Web Services technologies. The current version is 1.2, finalized in 2005. The examples given in this article will all be SOAP 1.2.

Together with WSDL and XML Schema, SOAP has become the standard for exchanging XML-based messages. SOAP was also designed from the ground up to be extensible, so that other standards could be integrated into it--and there have been many, often collectively referred to as WS-*: WS-Addressing, WS-Policy, WS-Security, WS-Federation, WS-ReliableMessaging, WS-Coordination, WS-AtomicTransaction, WS-RemotePortlets, and the list goes on. Hence much of the perceived complexity of SOAP, as in Java, comes from the multitude of standards which have evolved around it. This should not be reason to be too concerned: as with other things, you only have to use what you actually need.

The basic structure of SOAP is like any other message format (including HTML itself): header and body. In SOAP 1.2 this would look something like










Note that the

element is optional here, but the is mandatory.

The SOAP

SOAP uses special attributes in the standard "soap-envelope" namespace to handle the extensibility elements that can be defined in the header. The most important of these is the mustUnderstand attribute. By default, any element in the header can be safely ignored by the SOAP message recipient unless the the mustUnderstand attribute on the element is set to "true" (or "1", which is the only value recognized in SOAP 1.1). A good example of this would be a security token element that authenticates the sender/requestor of the message. If for some reason the recipient is not able to process these elements, a fault should be delivered back to the sender with a fault code of MustUnderstand.

Because SOAP is designed to be used in a network environment with multiple intermediaries (SOAP "nodes" as identified by the element), it also defines the special XML attributes role to manage which intermediary should process a given header element and relay, which is used to indicate that this element should be passed to the next node if not processed in the current one.

The SOAP

The SOAP body contains the "payload" of the message, which is defined by the WSDL's part. If there is an error that needs to be transmitted back to the sender, a single element is used as a child of the .

The SOAP

The is the standard element for error handling. When present, it is the only child element of the SOAP . The structure of a fault looks like:



env:Sender

m:MessageTimeout



Sender Timeout


P5M



Here, only the and child elements are required, and the child of is also optional. The body of the Code/Value element is a fixed enumeration with the values:

* VersionMismatch: this indicates that the node that "threw" the fault found an invalid element in the SOAP envelope, either an incorrect namespace, incorrect local name, or both.
* MustUnderstand: as discussed above, this code indicates that a header element with the attribute mustUnderstand="true" could not be processed by the node throwing the fault. A NotUnderstood header block should be provided to detail all of the elements in the original message which were not understood.
* DataEncodingUnknown: the data encoding specified in the envelope's encodingSytle attribute is not supported by the node throwing the fault.
* Sender: This is a "catch-all" code indicating that the message sent was not correctly formed or did not have the appropriate information to succeed.
* Receiver: Another "catch-all" code indicating that the message could not be processed for reasons attributable to the processing of the message rather than to the contents of the message itself.

Subcodes, however, are not restricted and are application-defined; these will commonly be defined when the fault code is Sender or Receiver. The element is there to provide a human-readable explanation of the fault. The optional element is there to provide additional information about the fault, such as (in the example above) the timeout value. also has optional children and , indicating which node threw the fault and the role that the node was operating in (see role attribute above) respectively.

SOAP Encoding

Section 5 of the SOAP 1.1 specification describes SOAP encoding, which was originally developed as a convenience for serializing and de-serializing data types to and from other sources, such as databases and programming languages. Problems, however, soon arose with complications in reconciling SOAP encoding and XML Schema, as well as with performance. The WS-I organization finally put the nail in the coffin of SOAP encoding in 2004 when it released the first version of the WS-I Basic Profile, declaring that only literal XML messages should be used (R2706). With the wide acceptance of WS-I, some of the more recent web service toolkits do not provide any support for (the previously ubiquitous) SOAP encoding at all.

A Simple SOAP Example

Putting it all together, below is an example of a simple request-response in SOAP for a stock quote. Here the transport binding is HTTP.

The request:

GET /StockPrice HTTP/1.1
Host: example.org
Content-Type: application/soap+xml; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: nnn


xmlns:s="http://www.example.org/stock-service">


IBM




The response:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/soap+xml; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: nnn


xmlns:s="http://www.example.org/stock-service">


45.25




If you play your cards right, you may never have to actually see a SOAP message in action; every SOAP engine out there will do its best to hide it from you unless you really want to see it. If something goes wrong in your web service, however, it may be useful to know what one looks like for debugging purposes.

REST

Much in the way that Ruby on Rails was a reaction to more complex web application architectures, the emergence of the RESTful style of web services was a reaction to the more heavy-weight SOAP-based standards. In RESTful web services, the emphasis is on simple point-to-point communication over HTTP using plain old XML (POX).

The origin of the term "REST" comes from the famous thesis from Roy Fielding describing the concept of Representative State Transfer (REST). REST is an architectural style that can be summed up as four verbs (GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE from HTTP 1.1) and the nouns, which are the resources available on the network (referenced in the URI). The verbs have the following operational equivalents:

HTTP CRUD Equivalent
==============================
GET read
POST create,update,delete
PUT create,update
DELETE delete

A service to get the details of a user called 'dsmith', for example, would be handled using an HTTP GET to http://example.org/users/dsmith. Deleting the user would use an HTTP DELETE, and creating a new one would mostly likely be done with a POST. The need to reference other resources would be handled using hyperlinks (the XML equivalent of HTTP's href, which is XLinks' xlink:href) and separate HTTP request-responses.

A Simple RESTful Service

Re-writing the stock quote service above as a RESTful web service provides a nice illustration of the differences between SOAP and REST web services.

The request:

GET /StockPrice/IBM HTTP/1.1
Host: example.org
Accept: text/xml
Accept-Charset: utf-8

The response:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: nnn



IBM
45.25


Though slightly modified (to include the ticker symbol in the response), the RESTful version is still simpler and more concise than the RPC-style SOAP version. In a sense, as well, RESTful web services are much closer in design and philosophy to the Web itself.

Defining the Contract

Traditionally, the big drawback of REST vis-a-vis SOAP was the lack of any way of specifying a description/contract for the web service. This, however, has changed since WSDL 2.0 defines a full compliment of non-SOAP bindings (all the HTTP methods, not just GET and POST) and the emergence of WADL as an alternative to WSDL. This will be discussed in more detail in coming articles.

Summary and Pros/Cons

SOAP and RESTful web services have a very different philosophy from each other. SOAP is really a protocol for XML-based distributed computing, whereas REST adheres much more closely to a bare metal, web-based design. SOAP by itself is not that complex; it can get complex, however, when it is used with its numerous extensions (guilt by association).

To summarize their strengths and weaknesses:

*** SOAP ***

Pros:

* Langauge, platform, and transport agnostic
* Designed to handle distributed computing environments
* Is the prevailing standard for web services, and hence has better support from other standards (WSDL, WS-*) and tooling from vendors
* Built-in error handling (faults)
* Extensibility

Cons:

* Conceptually more difficult, more "heavy-weight" than REST
* More verbose
* Harder to develop, requires tools

*** REST ***

Pros:

* Language and platform agnostic
* Much simpler to develop than SOAP
* Small learning curve, less reliance on tools
* Concise, no need for additional messaging layer
* Closer in design and philosophy to the Web

Cons:

* Assumes a point-to-point communication model--not usable for distributed computing environment where message may go through one or more intermediaries
* Lack of standards support for security, policy, reliable messaging, etc., so services that have more sophisticated requirements are harder to develop ("roll your own")
* Tied to the HTTP transport model

What's Next

In the next article in this series I will discuss WSDL, what contract-first web service development means, and (the dark horse) WADL. Stay tuned!

Winning by Core Idea + Partnership - Allurent

Adobe
Adobe (www.adobe.com) is motivated by the belief that great experiences build great businesses. Adobe's software empowers millions of business users, developers, and designers to create and deliver effective, compelling, and memorable experiences - on the Internet, on fixed media, on wireless, and on digital devices.

Allurent uses Adobe technology extensively in its core product suite. Additionally, Allurent has built a prototype desktop application named Allurent Desktop Connection (ADC) which is built on the Adobe® AIR,™ platform.
Scene 7
Scene 7, an Adobe Company www.scene7.com), offers Scene7 On Demand, a hosted rich media platform to enable companies to grow revenues, enhance customer experience and cut production costs. Adobe Scene7 On Demand offers rich media solutions built on a robust, integrated technology platform for unrivaled breadth, depth, scalability and ease of ongoing rich media use.

Allurent has extended its existing partnership with Adobe Systems to resell Scene7 On Demand in North America. This reseller relationship provides online retailers with a one-stop shop for creating compelling shopping experiences that leverage the combination of Allurent's rich Internet commerce and Scene7's industry-leading Dynamic Imaging solutions.
Blueport Commerce
Blueport Commerce is the trusted provider of e-commerce technology and services to considered commerce retail chains representing over 2,100 stores and $8 Billion in sales. Created by the management team of Furniture.com, the furniture industry's leading e-commerce solution, Blueport Commerce is a one-stop shop combining a decade of experience, innovative technology and customized services to help make the considered commerce retailer's transition to e-commerce easy, worry-free and profitable. Learn more at www.blueport.com.

Blueport Commerce offers Allurent on Demand to its ecommerce clients. Allurent on Demand interactive widgets are used by Leon's, Canada's largest retailer of home furnishings, as well as Flooring America and Carpet One.
ATG
ATG (www.atg.com) makes the software that the world's largest and most prestigious companies use to create and manage highly targeted, relevant, and rewarding online marketing, sales, and service initiatives. Core to ATG's solution set is the ecommerce platform declared a market leader by both Forrester Research and Gartner. ATG powers the online business of many of the world's best known brands including: Best Buy, The Body Shop, Casual Male, Foot Locker, J.Crew, Restoration Hardware, Sephora, Target, Walgreen Company, Sharper Image, Benetton, Neiman Marcus, InterContinental Hotels Group, American Airlines, Sony Online, Hotels.com, and Mercedes Benz.

ATG and Allurent have partnered to deliver Allurent Checkout, Allurent Details, and Allurent Display as part of the ATG Commerce OnDemand platform. Through this partnership, ATG leverages Allurent's rich shopping features that highlight ATG's strong personalization and commerce capabilities.
Bazaarvoice
Bazaarvoice (www.bazaarvoice.com) develops outsourced technology, services, analytics, and expertise to encourage and harness word of mouth marketing and bring it closer to a company's brand and customer experience. The company is privately held with venture capital funding from Austin Ventures.

Allurent and Bazaarvoice cooperate in marketing and sales initiatives.
Coremetrics
Coremetrics (www.coremetrics.com) is the leading provider of online marketing and business optimization solutions. Its products help businesses increase revenues and find and retain their most profitable customers by maximizing every online interaction. More than 1,500 online brands globally, transacting more than $20 billion this year, use Coremetrics' Software as a Service (SaaS) to optimize their online marketing. The company's solutions encompass Coremetrics web analytics and integrated precision marketing applications, including search engine bid management, email targeting and cross sell recommendations to acquire customers more cost effectively, increase conversion rates, and increase lifetime customer value.

Allurent and Coremetrics cooperate in marketing and sales initiatives.
Demandware
Demandware (www.demandware.com) provides an ecommerce platform that combines full merchandising control and flexible functionality with the optimal profitability that only a Software as a Service (SaaS)-based pricing model can offer. With Demandware, retailers and manufacturers have complete control over the online brand and customer experience because they can tailor every aspect from the "look and feel" to the functionality to meet the needs of their specific customer profile. And all with a scalable architecture that provides features and functionality retailers will never outgrow.

Through its partnership with Allurent, Demandware customers can leverage Allurent's full suite of products and features improving all aspects of the online shopping lifecycle.
Endeca
Endeca's (www.endeca.com) innovative information access software powers the user experience of the world's most successful and demanding websites. More than 500 leading global organizations including Barnes & Noble, Circuit City, Discovery Communications, The Home Depot, Marriott, Newegg, Nike, Panasonic, and Walmart.com rely on Endeca to boost revenue, reduce costs and increase customer loyalty.

Allurent has partnered with Endeca to offer retailers an integrated solution that incorporates the Endeca Information Access Platform with Allurent Navigation and Allurent Details. For additional information, please visit www.endeca.com.
ForeSee Results
ForeSee Results (www.ForeSeeResults.com) is the leader in online customer satisfaction measurement, using online voice of customer data to help organizations around the globe increase sales, loyalty, recommendations, and website value. Using a proven, patented technology, ForeSee Results identifies the improvements to websites and other online initiatives with the greatest ROI. With over 28 million survey responses collected to date and benchmarks across dozens of industries, ForeSee Results offers our clients unparalleled expertise in customer satisfaction measurement and management. ForeSee Results works with clients across industries, including: retail, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications, and government, including clients such as Borders, Sears, Newegg, Ace Hardware, NFL, and The Finish Line.

Allurent and ForeSee Results cooperate in marketing and sales initiatives. ForeSee Results, a privately held company, is headquartered in Michigan and can be found on the web at www.ForeSeeResults.com
Omniture
Omniture (www.omniture.com) is a leading provider of online business optimization software. Omniture's software, delivered to customers through hosted, on-demand services, offers an easier and more flexible way to manage online, multi-channel and off-line business initiatives without costly investments in IT infrastructure.

As an Omniture Accredited Application Partner, Allurent's innovative e-commerce products are available for automated integration via Omniture Genesis. Companies can now use a pre-configured wizard to automate integration between Allurent's rich media products and Omniture SiteCatalyst®.

Online retailers implementing Allurent's rich commerce applications can successfully measure the ROI of e-commerce transactions that take place in Flash-based applications through the integration with Omniture SiteCatalyst.
Onestop Internet
Onestop Internet provides turn-key e-commerce services to companies on a completely outsourced basis. These services include design, fulfillment, customer service, technology, photography and marketing. Clients include Seven for All Mankind, Betsey Johnson, London Fog, J Brand, Paul Frank, Nicole Miller, True Religion Brand Jeans, lululemon athletica and Splendid, among other esteemed brands. The company is based in Rancho Dominguez, California. Please visit www.onestop.com.

Onestop Internet offers Allurent on Demand to its portfolio on ecommerce clients. The companies currently have several joint deployments underway.
PowerReviews
PowerReviews (www.powerreviews.com) is an enterprise solutions company that provides customer reviews and social-merchandising solutions to retailers, driving higher conversion and increased purchase satisfaction. PowerReviews' patent-pending PowerTagsTM technology captures customer opinions in their own words, making reviews more useful for shoppers, empowering them to make more informed and confident purchase decisions. Its customers include Staples, Toys'R'Us, the Wine Enthusiast, NetShops, Ritz Camera, the Sports Authority, and over 100 more. With the introduction of Buzzillions.com, the company has entered the consumer shopping portal market, leveraging its tag-based technology to introduce social navigation and affinity recommendations into the shopping research process for consumers.

About Winners

Winners are too busy to be sad,
Too positive to be doubtful,
Too optimistic to be fearful,
And too determined to be Defeated

Ways to Get Your Team Engaged

Courtesy - HBR

2 Ways to Get Your Team Engaged

Team meetings are supposed to be collaborative events. If you are doing all the talking and your team members are doing all the listening, something's not right. Here are two ways to revive your team and get their best thinking out on the table:

1. Share your ideas sparingly. It is tempting to share all of your genius ideas upfront. Instead, share one or two suggestions at a time. By limiting your comments, you give others the chance to contribute.
2. Ask lots of questions. Don't worry about having all of the answers. Ask insightful questions that spark discussion. When people speak up, ask them to clarify their ideas so others can understand.

Steps to Recover from a Mistake

Courtesy - HBR

3 Steps to Recover from a Mistake

While most people accept that mistakes are inevitable, no one likes to make them. The good news is that even large errors don't have to be career-enders if they are handled well. Next time you make a blunder, follow these three steps to recover gracefully:

1. Fess up. Trying to hide a mistake or downplay its importance can be fatal to your career. Be candid and transparent about the mistake, take responsibility for your part in it, and don't be defensive.
2. Make necessary changes. Mistakes are important learning opportunities. Explain to your boss and other interested parties what you will do differently going forward.
3. Get back out there. Don't let your errors keep you from ever taking risks again. Once the mistake is behind you, focus on the future.

Good One1

If you treat people well and let them know you value them, they will often live upto your expectations.

Relationship Tips

Problem-solving strategies: You and your partner can develop trust in each other by following these tips :

* TRUST - Key to Relationship
* Be consistent.
* Be on time.
* Do what you say you will do.
* Don't lie -- not even little white lies, to your partner or to others.
* Be fair, even in an argument.
* Be sensitive to the other's feelings. You can still disagree but don't discount how your partner is feeling.
* Call when you say you will.
* Call to say you'll be home late.
* Carry your fair share of the workload.
* Don't overreact when things go wrong.
* Never say things you can't take back.
* Don't dig up old wounds.
* Respect your partner's boundaries.
* Don’t be jealous.
* Be a good listener.

3 Tips for Achieving Short-Term

3 Tips for Achieving Short-Term
Career Goals
Development efforts often focus on how you can achieve your career goals over the long term. Short-term successes, however, are critical to making your next move and preparing for those long-term aspirations. Here are three immediate ways to build your career options:

1. Play to your strengths - Do more of what you do best. Early in a career, it makes sense to try a bit of everything and push to improve in areas of weakness, but at a certain point, it is better to focus on your strengths.
2. Reinforce your "brand." Choose activities outside work that develop the image you want to convey. For example, volunteer for the school building committee if you're good at managing projects. Gain broader experience and conversational ways to reinforce your capabilities at work.
3. Create the context for success. Surround yourself with people you need to do your work well. People have to recognize common values and goals before they're likely to share what they know, so invest in these relationships.

From HBR-> Mgmt-Tip

Good One - Need to Know

Never Break Four Things in your Life - Trust, Promise, Heart and Relation. Because, When they BREAK they don't make NOISE, But PAIN'S a LOT.

PEST

Should You Be An Entrepreneur?

Should You Be An Entrepreneur? Take This Test

by Daniel Isenberg - Babson College

Some of your friends are doing it. People who do it are in the front pages and web almost every day. Even President Obama is talking about it. So should you do it? Should you join the millions of people every year who take the plunge and start their first ventures? I've learned in my own years as an entrepreneur — and now an entrepreneurship professor — that there is a gut level "fit" for people who are potential entrepreneurs. There are strong internal drivers that compel people to create their own business. I've developed a 2–minute Isenberg Entrepreneur Test, below, to help you find out. Just answer yes or no. Be honest with yourself — remember from my last post: the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

1. I don't like being told what to do by people who are less capable than I am.
2. I like challenging myself.
3. I like to win.
4. I like being my own boss.
5. I always look for new and better ways to do things.
6. I like to question conventional wisdom.
7. I like to get people together in order to get things done.
8. People get excited by my ideas.
9. I am rarely satisfied or complacent.
10. I can't sit still.
11. I can usually work my way out of a difficult situation.
12. I would rather fail at my own thing than succeed at someone else's.
13. Whenever there is a problem, I am ready to jump right in.
14. I think old dogs can learn — even invent — new tricks.
15. Members of my family run their own businesses.
16. I have friends who run their own businesses.
17. I worked after school and during vacations when I was growing up.
18. I get an adrenaline rush from selling things.
19. I am exhilarated by achieving results.
20. I could have written a better test than Isenberg (and here is what I would change ....)

If you answered "yes" on 17 or more of these questions, look at your paycheck (if you are lucky enough to still get one). If the company that issued the check isn't owned by you, it is time for some soul searching: Do you have debts to pay? Kids in college? Alimony? Want to take it easy? Maybe better to wait. Do you have a little extra cash in the bank and several credit cards? Do you have a spouse, partner, friends, or kids who will cheer you on? If so, start thinking about what kind of business you want to set up. It doesn't matter what age you are: research by the Kauffman Foundation shows that more and more over–50s are setting up their own businesses. Talk to people who have made the plunge, learn how to plan and deliver a product or service, think about that small business you might buy, talk to people with whom you would like to work, and talk to customers.

"I like to take risks" is not on the list. People don't choose to be entrepreneurs by opting for a riskier lifestyle. What they do, instead, is reframe the salary vs. entrepreneur choice as between two different sets of risk: the things they don't like about having a steady job — such as the risk of boredom, working for a bad boss, lack of autonomy, lack of control over your fate, and getting laid off — and the things they fear about being an entrepreneur — possible failure, financial uncertainty, shame or embarrassment, and lost investment. In the end, people who are meant to be entrepreneurs believe that their own abilities (e.g. leadership, resourcefulness, pluck, hard work) or assets (e.g. money, intellectual property, information, access to customers) significantly mitigate the risks of entrepreneurship. Risk is ultimately a personal assessment: what is risky for me is not risky for you.

"I want to get rich" is not on the list either. All else being equal (and all else is rarely equal in the real world), on the average, people who set up their own businesses don't make more money, although a few do succeed in grabbing the brass ring. But the "psychic benefits" — the challenge, autonomy, recognition, excitement, and creativity — make it all worthwhile.

Daniel Isenberg is a Professor of Management Practice, Babson College

10 Rules of Life by CC

cherie carter-scott's rules of life

Cherie Carter-Scott PhD is a very modern guru. Her theories explain our attitudes and behaviour with a special clarity, and provide a practical guide to behaviour and self development. Dr. Carter-Scott achieved her PhD in human and organisational development and for the nearly 30 years has been an international lecturer, consultant and author. She founded the MMS (Motivation Management Service) Institute and has been called a guardian angel to CEO's. Carter-Scott's book 'If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules' is essential reading if you are interested in behaviour, relationships, communications, and human personality. Cherie Carter-Scott's rules for life - also known as 'The Ten Rules For Being Human' and referenced in her book with Jack Canfield: 'Chicken Soup For The Soul' - are a map for understanding and pursuing personal development, and for helping others to understand and develop too. 'If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules' is also commonly referenced book in the life-coaching industry.

Here is a brief summary and explanation of Cherie Carter-Scott's 'rules of life'.

cherie carter-scott's rules of life

(Carter Scott references this quotation:) "Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." (Helen Keller)

Rule One - You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it's yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what's inside.

Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons specific to you, and learning them 'is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life'.

Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it's inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you'd want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it's also 'the act of erasing an emotional debt'. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that 'mistakes' are simply lessons we must learn.

Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - 'causality' must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn't happen overnight, so give change time to happen.

Rule Five - Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the 'rhythm of life', don't struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities.

Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here". The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what's good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace.

Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.

Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don't get angry about things - bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us - use it when you need to do what's right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead.

Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you. Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration.

Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth. We are all born with all of these capabilities - our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise - wisdom the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself.

Porters Five Forces + Blue Ocean Strategy

Combining Porter's FIVE Forces for Competitive Strategy and Blue Ocean Strategy can yield really measurable results.

Complete focus on Blue Ocean Strategy might let to break even point. But controlled focus on BOS and concentrating on Five Forces can lead to measurable results in Business

Difference between : Losers - Defenders - Dreamers - Winners

Types of People that we come across in our LIVES:

Losers - These are people who don't really care about things in life. They take life as it comes or turns to them.

Defenders - These are people who give reasons for not doing things in their life. They makeup reasons for their failures without making sincere effort to succeed in their respective endeavor.

Dreamers - These are people who have a dream to acheive BIG/SMALL, but don't have concrete plan to achieve them. They just think they will do it, but they really don't know how to do it not they don't take initiative to get to the state of realizing their dream.

Winners - These are the people who dream to acheive BIG/SMALL and have a GAMEPLAN to achieve it. They focus on their execution to adhere to the plan and make all necessary efforts sincerely to SUCCEED and they surely do succeed either exceed or meet their targets.

Ten Powerfull Phrases for +VE People

I'm Wrong
I'm Sorry
You Can Do It
I Believe in You
I'm Proud of You
Thank You
I Need You
I Trust You
I Respect You
I Love You

Keys for Thought

1. Managing Innovation
2. Managing Change
3. Customers First - Agents for Business Success

Take Innovation Baby Steps

Forget Breakthroughs: Take Innovation Baby Steps
Every innovator hopes for and works toward breakthrough innovations. But in tough economic times, innovation often requires too much risk for an organization and its change-resistant customers. Instead of dreaming of The Next Big Thing, focus on innovating in smaller, shorter bursts. Look for improvements to current products and services. Use small and cheap experiments to test new ideas. Seek out innovations that are easily adapted by consumers and don't require huge investments. These innovations are more likely to be palatable to your stakeholders and customers, and they're often the building blocks for larger, more long-term breakthroughs.

From HBR-MgmtTip