Thomas Edison on Work and Money
“One might think that the money value of an invention constitutes its reward to the man who loves his work. But… I continue to find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.”
- Thomas A. Edison
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7 Awesome Lessons from Bill Gates – Love Him or Hate Him, He is a Genius
Love or hate Bill Gates, it’s up to you, but no one can deny the impact he has had on business. Microsoft was setting the standards of working happy before most of Silicon Valley got on board. They have a career development compensation program as well as health care investment programs. They also do little things like free drinks (anything you like), on-site services (dry-cleaning/laundry service and grocery deliveries), professional counseling, office ergonomic consultations, and paid health-club membership.
Bill Gates understood the value in paying well, giving great perks, and investing in his employee’s future. He has probably made more people wealthy than any other CEO alive. He also understands what it takes to motivate his employees so they were engaged and excited about their work. Bill Gates is a leader that we can all learn from. Here are 7 quotes from Bill Gates that will help you understand his ability to work so successfully.
1. Failure Teaches Resiliency
“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
The employee deserves recognition for great work, but mistakes should be recognized. and when an employee or co-worker makes a mistake. It may be a small failure, but it must also be acknowledged, not swept under the rug, so it can be turned into a gain. Microsoft has made countless mistakes. They’ve put out software that wasn’t ready or that was fragile against hackers, but they learn from their mistakes and do their best to make the software better.
I own Vista and it’s not a great operating system, but it hasn’t crashed or been attacked by a virus. I’m a huge fan of the Microsoft Office products. They are still the best office based programs available to companies, and they constantly being improved.
Microsoft understands what a person needs and then they try to over deliver. They don’t always hit the mark, but neither will you, so try to use each mistake to improve your company.
2. Understand Your Ego
“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
If I don’t keep delivering value, all of you will stop reading this blog. I can’t just push out a bunch of recycled material from someone else’s blog and expect my readership to grow.
Take a look at how you might be coasting. Some bands make a whole career out of just one hit. One hit wonders. They think that they can just ride out the wave and not come up with anything else new. If you want to separate from the pack and become the success that your mother had hoped for, then stop believing your own hype and keep those ideas coming.
3. Unhappy Customers Help You Improve
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”
The customers that don’t complain are ones that don’t care enough about the company to come back and buy again. They will just take their money to someone else that listens.
I’ve dealt with this when I ran my own wild mushroom mongering business when I was in college. I didn’t take enough care to throw away the mushrooms that were riddled with tiny worms. I thought that I didn’t have enough time to worry about it. I got up at 6am and picked wild mushrooms until 1pm, just as the lunch rush ended. I took a quick shower and was at the first restaurant by 1:45, then I rushed until 6pm trying to peddle my mushrooms to the various chefs at each restaurant. I thought that the sous chefs could deal with the mushrooms that weren’t good enough to serve their customers.
Well…I learned quickly. The chefs stopped dealing with me. I learned this because one chef told me that I was giving him crap. He told me to come back when I had better mushrooms. I made sure that the next batch that I picked was of higher quality, which meant less money since I was paid by the weight. It worked. The head chefs started buying from me again.
Make sure you listen to your customers at every stage of the process. If you ignore what they have to say, they will soon ignore you.
4. Leadership isn’t about Control; It’s about Trusting Others
“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”
I love companies that empower their employees to make the company better. Toyota is the company that has almost perfected this technique. They give rewards to any suggestion that is implemented into the company’s processes. Even if it’s a small suggestion such as a new type of cleaner for the oily floor, they will give the employee a monetary reward.
Toyota understands that every employee must be involved in improving the company, otherwise you’ll have managers making all the decisions. Managers are sometimes so far out of the loop that they can’t make informed decisions that help with day to day operations.
Being empowered makes an employee feel proud. A proud employee feels appreciated. That’s what most employees want more than anything else: to contribute to a company that appreciates them.
5. Treat Everyone with Respect
“Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.”
Be nice to nerds, your secretary, the supervisor in the next building, and the co-worker that just doesn’t know when to shut-up. Whoever you are dealing with, they could one day become your superior. If you were a jerk to them, they won’t do you any favors when you need them the most.
I worked with someone that treated me like crap. When I moved up he suddenly wanted to be my best friend. I knew that he was only out for himself. I was nice, but never bent over backwards to help him. My boss could see this and one day we had a discussion about this employee. I vented my frustrations. He was gone by the end of the month.
I’m not proud of this and didn’t expect him to be fired, but if you don’t give more than you get you won’t be successful at your job.
6. Action Creates Results
“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.”
Listen to everyone because they just might have a great idea that might bring in a lot of revenue. Howard Shultz, the CEO of Starbucks, didn’t like the idea of the Frappuccino. He was a coffee purist. He finally relented when he saw how his partner (Starbucks likes to call their employees partners) was so adamant in wanting to serve a drink to her customers that was cold, creamy and sweet. After telling her to stop trying to make her anti-pure coffee drink, she ignored him and made it anyway. He finally listened and took action, letting her come up with a concoction that her customers would like. Through this process they saw the potential. They eventually perfected the idea and it was an instant hit.
Starbucks now bottles Frappuccino and sells it in grocery stores and convenience stores throughout the world. They are pushing the Starbucks brand to new people every day.
What if Howard stuck to his guns and stayed the course with what he thought was best? If he didn’t listen to his coffee partner that wanted to give her customers what they really wanted, they might not be the strongest coffee powerhouse in the world.
7. Step Back and Look at the Bigger Picture
“Until we’re educating every kid in a fantastic way, until every inner city is cleaned up, there is no shortage of things to do.”
Work is great, especially when we have a good year and the boss loves our production, but work in itself shouldn’t be our whole lives. Bill Gates understands that he may be the richest man in the world, but if he doesn’t help others lift themselves out of tough circumstances, he hasn’t lived to his full potential.
We need to give back to the people that are less fortunate than us. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the largest donators to underprivileged people in the world.
Because there is no shortage of people who need help, Bill was able to help Microsoft become stronger and he will continue to work happy because he is isn’t afraid to set new goals.
Bill Gates is a controversial figure, but he is making history. No one can deny his influence on business and charity. He is working to his full potential. Bill is not perfect, but he does care about the choices he makes. When I think of Bill Gates I think of many descriptions, but lazy is not one of them.
When you use the resources that you have to take action, you are creating a work happy mindset. Whether you are a marketing assistant or the CEO of a fortune 500 company, make sure you are engaged in every decision you make. The work happiness will come when you allow yourself to be involved.
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Stop Flopping Around Like a Goldfish – Create a “Goal Post” Business
Great companies understand that they need to have a “goal post” philosophy to ensure their company’s success. Every employee (player) must know his role. First they need to have the philosophy (foundation) to hold up the employees (cross bar) that support the processes (left upright) as well as the assessment of accomplishments (right upright).
I promise that I won’t use only football concepts to forward my ideas. Like any great game, even the game of business, there are both metaphors that are obvious and those that are hidden deep within. I hope my example pushes on an emotional button that encourages you to improve your company.
We’ll cover the three foundations to creating a “goal post” business.
Philosophy
If your company doesn’t have a philosophy then you probably have workers that are looking for one. Employees need to connect with something more than just, “Make money.” We are in an age where people want to know why they are doing their jobs.
A philosophy is the foundation of every organization. Every team needs to have a philosophy to guide its actions. The greatest coaches understand this and set the mood for the season. Many teams give up halfway through the season because they were given the philosophy of Superbowl or bust. If a team lost a few games they might believe they weren’t good enough; when this happens no amount of money can make them play hard. Employees in a business are the same way. They want to be paid well, but if the company doesn’t motivate them emotionally they will eventually lose interest.
If you watch football you’ve probably seen teams play awful in the first half of the season then turn it around; the coach probably gave them a philosophy to hold on to that kept them motivated. The coach willed them to believe that they could win.
Most people have a philosophy that guides them through tough times. They use it to make good choices. Great organizations make sure that they clearly convey their message to the rest of their employees.
- “Do no evil” – Google
- “The People of Southwest Airlines are the creators of what we have become – and of what we will be.” -Southwest Airlines
- “ Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.” – Starbucks
The employees believe in the philosophy and give 100% to make it happen.
Process
Every job must have a process or the employee flounders with what to do and how to do it. I’ve worked for companies who have broad job descriptions and I’ve seen workers, including myself, flop around like a goldfish on a countertop, gasping for water.
A process creates action. When people understand what is expected of them, they want to get moving to accomplish their goals. This is good, but we don’t want them to work to feel busy, we want them to work smart. Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots knows how to teach the difference.
Bill Belichick makes sure his players understand where they need to be in every situation. They won three Superbowls in the last seven years because the players understood their roles. They never tried to overextend themselves, which would have caused blown plays. They are also never out of position. Belichick also gives his players instructions on what to do if a play breaks down. They always have options that are calculated risks to minimize bone headed plays.
When we empower people within the process we get intelligent action, instead of just action for the sake of moving. You can do this by encouraging every employee to take an active role in improving the company.
Assessment
Assessing the accomplishments or lack there of will help the company improve. Almost every company I worked for assessed my work, but never gave me the proper tools to help me improve my job. I rarely felt motivated or properly rewarded.
A regular assessment is vital to making positive changes. We wouldn’t sprint through a forest during a cloudy night and we wouldn’t run an organization without checking in and making sure the organization is going in the right direction. The people who are best positioned to assess and improve the company are the employees. They are best able to fix any problems because they are closest to the problem, and the employees who are willing to identify a problem are more likely to find a solution.
That’s why great teams point out the faults of their players and show them how they can improve on the play. Players that take assessment personally and sulk are less likely to improve and may never take their play to the next level. The great players know that they have to improve on their mistakes to become great. A company needs to be able to listen to and empower their employees to move a company in the right direction. Management can’t do it all by themselves, they need their employees’ wisdom. Two heads are better than one and 500 heads are better than 50.
A positive solution is to create a reward system for every employee’s suggestion that is implemented into the company. If an employee suggests buying a computer program to save time and it is implemented then they should receive a small gesture of thanks. The employee understands that he is being listened to (feeling of empowerment) and the company improves. Toyota implements this system and they give between $5 and $2,000 depending on the value of the suggestion.
Every company is different and maybe a monetary reward wouldn’t fit with your company. You can reward employees in other ways like an extra hour off work or a dinner for two after a certain amount of improvements were implemented due to their suggestions.
Review of Creating a “Goal Post” Business
Your company must create a winning attitude otherwise you’ll become a stagnant pond of unhappiness. I know that this sounds extreme, but I’ve seen it happen. Unhappy teams kill all chances for success. You must ask yourself, “Does my company have a “Goal Post” business?” Most companies that I’ve worked for have been small and didn’t have a philosophy that helped an employee connect with the company.
If you feel your company can improve then sit down and write down a revised company philosophy, the process of your job, and five ways your company can improve. If you are the boss then implement them, if not then take it to your manager and see if you can get the “Goal Post” business working for you. If you are hesitant in any way, contact me and I’ll talk to your company and see if we can create a system that encourages improvement and not just by using the same old methods, but by implementing systems that take people’s ideas into account. I believe it’s the best way to grow a business.
- ”Do no evil” – Google
- ”The People of Southwest Airlines are the creators of what we have become – and of what we will be.” -Southwest Airlines
- ” Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.” – Starbucks
What is your company’s philosophy? If you don’t have one what do you think it should be?
Related articles:
- All Employees Deserve Respect
- How Toyota Became #1 and a Peek into the Short Interview with the Author
- The Five Most Important Things You Need to Know About Working Happy
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