Monthly Archives: July 2011

July 28, 2011 · 8:07 am

How the Accretive Coaching Process℠ Accelerates Entrepreneurial Success

Key Concept ~ Contemporary market conditions and competitive influences are shifting at unprecedented speed.  Continuous and future success will require creativity and adaptability that can only emerge from embracing a fresh perspective.  A perspective that integrates state-of-the-market processes through a disciplined, structured approach.

In Monday’s blog I shared with you how we’ve reached approximately a quarter of a million potential prospects in three months.  We’ve done so by leveraging a strategic mix of traditional and new economy approaches.  While the tools may reflect an integration of old and new, it is the content that will differentiate us in the marketplace going forward.  This lesson applies to us all.  If your content doesn’t resonate with your target prospect, you may get their attention, but you’ll struggle to secure traction and build sales.

Our value proposition is a combination of more than twenty years of real-world, progressive experience, shaped and tailored for today’s marketplace, by three years of research, development, and validation.  The result is an innovative, blended approach to coaching and consulting designed to accelerate success in our volatile and uncertain economy.

To paraphrase Albert Einstein, “Problems cannot be solved by the same level of consciousness that created them.”  The goal of what we’ve created, our intention, is to assist entrepreneurs and independent business professionals discover and leverage a new level of business consciousness.  From this elevated level of awareness, clarity emerges, and an entirely new set of tools are delivered to drive success.  This is what the Accretive Coaching Process℠ is all about…and this is why it works!

You may be wondering, “Why us?”  Why has Performance Transformation been able to create such a powerful approach for accelerating  your success?  First and foremost, we approached today’s adaptive challenges grounded in more than ten years of distinguished performance in strategic planning and execution with the investor-driven startup community.  From the dot com bust through the Great Recession.  This track record was enabled by nearly a decade of executive performance in Corporate America throughout the 1990s.  And all of this emerged after working for six years in field sales and serving a stint with U.S. Naval Intelligence.  It is a perspective tempered by the fires of multi-faceted experiences.

From this foundation, we then took the time, three years in fact, to canvas the research conducted by the best and the brightest minds in business and academia today.  This brought us to the rapidly emerging discipline of Applied Behavioral Economics, which in turn, led us to incorporate peer-reviewed research from performance psychology, emotional intelligence, creativity, core emotional systems, neurophysiology, and adult learning styles.  The culmination of our experience, research, and integration resulted in the publication of “The Transformational Entrepreneur ~ Engaging The Mind, Heart, & Spirit For Breakthrough Business Success” earlier this year.

If you happen to follow the major, multi-national consulting firms, or regularly read the Harvard Business Review, you’ll notice a strong parallel in our thinking.  Yet, consistent feedback from corporate colleagues, one’s that engage these high-priced organizations, comment on how we are actually a step ahead of these industry giants!  Our approach is also more integrated, offering our clients comprehensive, turn-key solutions in months, not years.  Our typical, strategic engagement runs between three to four months, and our clients are off and running with a fresh, innovative action plan for success.  Many clients choose to continue to tap into our developmental and entrepreneurial expertise.  Performance Transformation’s custom seminars, training, and one-on-one coaching engrains and leverages leadership development, exceptional teamwork, and sales execution.  The net result delivers a continuously evolving, adaptive competitive advantage in rapidly changing times.

You may also notice we run an open blog.  We don’t have a landing page or use gimmicks offering valuable free secrets in return for your email address.  If you wish to follow the blog, you do.  Our intention is to be generous with our knowledge.  To help support like-minded entrepreneurs and small to mid-size business owners find success and freedom in a world increasingly dominated by soul-less corporations.

© Terry Murray, 2011.

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July 26, 2011 · 2:22 am

Paul Roberts Interviews Terry Murray on WNTN Boston

I had the chance to be interviewed by Paul Roberts on 1550 Today on WNTN Boston late last week.  It was a spirited discussion on a wide range of topics including the current employee engagement crisis, the erosion of trust in leadership, the importance of human creativity in the workplace, and how the human element drives value creation in today’s economy.  Our conversation also explored how mindful strategic planning can help mitigate the challenges aspiring entrepreneurs face when making the transition from corporate employment to self employment.  Our conversation extended to exploring how cultivating the soft skills in health care can help the industry navigate the turbulent waters that lie ahead.  As I said, it was a lively discussion!  You’re welcome to listen to a podcast of it here:  

© Terry Murray, 2011.

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July 25, 2011 · 12:37 pm

Seven Ways to Cut Through the Noise and Reach Your Target Prospects

Key Concept ~ Today’s marketplace is noisy and cluttered, with millions of entrepreneurs vying for attention, 24/7.  How do you cut through the noise and reach your target prospects?  Leveraging your marketing mix between traditional media and new, social media can drive your brand presence and lift your voice above the din.

Back on April 20th, I wrote a blog that shared our branding toolbox.  It detailed our multi-dimensional approach for marketing and differentiating our firm, Performance Transformation, LLC, in our marketplace.  It’s been about 90 days since that post, and I’d like to share with you how these activities are coming together for us as an example of how you can do the same things for your business!

1.)  I Wrote a Book.  The Transformational Entrepreneur walks the reader through our entire process; of aligning leadership, strategy, and culture for breakthrough performance.  The book is providing us value on several levels. 

~ The book is resonating with its intended audience.  The feedback has been outstanding and it is beginning to spiderweb out in multiple directions!  It is communicating credibility.

~ We’ve employed the detailed process from the book with several recent clients and have experienced exceptional results.  After a former client from two years ago read the book, they’ve come back and engaged us once again!

~ It has opened the door for partnering with other businesses.  We’re now a “preferred resource” and listed on other companies’ websites.

~ People are buying it!  The book is being picked up by all the major internet book retailers (we only started with Amazon, the rest happened organically and without effort) and it is spreading around the world (Australia, India, England, and Canada).  It is also being picked up by independent retail bookstores.

~ The book is the driver behind our public relations campaign.  Since July 5th, we’ve been booked for nine radio interviews all over the country and dramatically increased our presence on the internet and in print (see below).

2.)  Blogging.  If you’re reading this, it must be working on some level, right?

~ In less than five months, and without any advertising, this blog began receiving enough traffic that WordPress began placing advertisements on it!  We upgraded to eliminate the ads, as we don’t have control over their content and these ads don’t necessarily serve you, our readers. It does, however, indicate the growth of our readership had reached a point that the hosting company could begin to generate revenue from it.  We’re growing in subscriptions, too, and without using free giveaways, landing pages, or gimmicks to grab email addresses!

~ In June we launched a second blog site on Leadership Development and Team Building to specifically address a focused, target market segment.  While this blog is not nearly as active as The Transformational Entrepreneur, it still receives traffic every day and that traffic is growing over time.

~ We’ve also been invited to begin guest blogging on other blog sites, expanding our reach to people that normally wouldn’t hear our message.

3.)  Article Writing.  We consistently write and freely distribute articles on the internet based upon our areas of expertise.

~ One of our recent articles on Biznik was read by more than 1,650 people in a week.  All together, on a variety of free article sites, we’ve reached approximately 10,000 readers in a few, short months.

4.)  Videos.  Did you know that more than 90% of communication is non-verbal?  It’s true.  The use of videos, video podcasts, and the placement of videos on sites like YouTube enables us to communicate on this non-verbal dimension.  People can see us, see what we do, and get a sense of whether or not we may be a good fit for their needs.  Television changed the world…online videos can help change yours.

~ Our YouTube Channel enables us to deliver “demos” of our professional develop programs that are highly conceptual.  What we do will not go “viral”, but we’ve had more than 1,500 views (and YouTube has told us their counter system has not been logging all views lately) of our programs.  This summer, we’ll be greatly expanding our video programming for entrepreneurs as well.

5.)  Social Media.  Here’s what we’ve learned about social media:

~ We’ve figured out what works for us and want doesn’t.  What’s interesting is our second largest generator of traffic is The Wall Street Journal’s website.  This has emerged simply by commenting on articles that align with our content.

~ All of our traffic from social media has been driven by discussion thread participation and joining a few, select groups.  We have yet to start “connecting” with large numbers of people.

~ Our largest prospect opportunity for the year so far has came through social media.

6.)  Public Relations.  We just launched a radio and print campaign with a P.R. company (E.M.S.I.) that understands our message and aligns with our philosophy.

~ Initially, we started getting the word out using a free press release service earlier in the year.  We are judicious with this platform, only issuing a release when we have something substantial to announce.  With just a handful of free releases we’ve generated approximately 4,000 views, all at no cost.

~ We launched our formal PR campaign on July 5th, just 14 business days ago, and in the middle of vacation season.  Since that time we’ve been booked for interviews on nine radio shows around the country, including major markets and nationally syndicated programs.  Here’s my most recent interview that was conducted with syndicated radio host Frankie Boyer on the Lifestyle Radio Network:

~ Our print campaign (which includes the internet outlets of magazines and newspapers) has already hit more than 150,000 impressions!  We will reach 10 million impressions by the time this cycle is completed.

7.)  Trade Shows.  Yes, we attended an old fashioned trade show, The American Society for Training and Development conference in May.  I also had an opportunity to speak at the exhibit.

~ We video taped my presentation and have used it in a variety of ways…

~ The leads generated have us in conversation with major biotech companies, medical device companies, large law firms, potential partners, and universities around the country.  We’re also in play internationally as well.  It has already led to us conducting a workshop earlier this month.

The key is to approach your use of traditional and new media to deliver a multi-faceted approach for driving traction in your target markets.  In just a few months, we estimate our message has reached a minimum of 250,000 potential prospects at a relatively low cost!  In addition, depending on various key word searches, this integrated activity has delivered exceptional visibility on search engine results.  Experimenting with a highly targeted key word search (one that demonstrated the breadth of our presence) brought up results that dominated the first 17 pages of a Google® search!

All of these tools are out there, and readily accessible to aspiring entrepreneurs.  The point is, you can do this too!

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome!

© Terry Murray, 2011.

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July 22, 2011 · 5:22 pm

Frankie Boyer Interviews Terry Murray About What it Means to be a Transformational Entrepreneur

I had the privilege of speaking with syndicated radio talk show host Frankie Boyer earlier this week on the Lifestyle Radio Network.  We spoke about the importance of engaging the human spirit in business to build resiliency and tap into our passion and creativity.  You’re welcome to listen to the podcast by clicking the following link or the player in the post:

Frankie Boyer LIfestyle Radio Network

© Terry Murray, 2011.

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July 20, 2011 · 9:58 pm

An Inspirational Read

As entrepreneurs seeking greater meaning through our work, we occasionally move through a period of challenges that can drain our energy and lead us to question our intention.  We live in what can appear to be a difficult world.  We see the headlines nearly every day about another corporate scandal or the betrayal of our trust by various leaders throughout our society.  In fact, a survey just published by Maritz Research® reports that only one in ten of us feel the management of the companies we work for will make the right decisions during uncertain times.  The report goes on to reveal that slightly more than one in ten Americans believe their company’s leaders are ethical and honest.  About the same number of people believe their employer genuinely listens and cares about them.  This supports the research done by Gallup Company® indicating nearly three out of four workers in America are disengaged with their employer.

I’m confident those of you that are out there trying to gain traction, start a business, and develop a customer base during this Age of Disengagement fully appreciate how challenging it can be to maintain our enthusiasm and persistence in such a climate.  People are overworked and under-appreciated.  Companies have short staffed many functions during the recession and have yet to pick up their hiring, continuing to demand more from people while providing less in return.  As a result, voicemails go unanswered, emails are never returned, and it can sometimes seem impossible to get a real prospect on the phone.

As Transformational Entrepreneurs we must find ways to recharge our batteries from time to time.  To replenish our spirit with the positive intention we seek to deliver through our work.  Author Linda Commito has published a book that can help us all do just that.  “Love Is The New Currency – Creating A New Measure Of Wealth” is a beautiful collection of real life stories that can serve to remind us why we’re walking the paths we have chosen.  Linda’s prose is delicate and lovely, and the stories she shares of kindness, generosity, and grace will rekindle the most dampened of flames.

Linda somehow captures the natural beauty of the human spirit, from people in circumstances that would make most of us hunker down and further disengage, with a sweetness that never becomes saccharine.  It is a book of short, little stories that reveal remarkably big hearts.  It reminds us of the joyfulness that we can experience through the gift of giving without the expectation of reciprocation. It reminds us of what it means to be an authentic human being.

I highly recommend Linda’s book.  This book has become a companion for me…almost like a little friend that whispers in my ear during the times of struggle and doubt that we all inevitably experience, from time to time, as entrepreneurs.  You can find it at Amazon.

© Terry Murray, 2011.

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July 19, 2011 · 11:23 pm

Terry Murray Discusses “The Transformational Entrepreneur” on Radio Station WOCA in Ocala, Florida

I had the privilege of being interviewed this morning by Larry Whitler and Robin MacBlaine on the AM Ocala Live! show on WOCA.  We spoke for a little over twenty minutes about authenticity, integrity, and the importance of engaging the human spirit in business, as well as other key aspects of launching a successful startup from my book, “The Transformational Entrepreneur ~ Engaging The Mind, Heart, & Spirit For Breakthrough Business Success”.  You’re welcome to listen to the interview here:  

 

© Terry Murray, 2011.

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· 5:39 pm

Are You Tapping Into Your Intuitive Abilities to Accelerate Success?

I’m a strong believer in the power of our intuition as a vibrant source of information and insight.  Both in our businesses and in our lives.  Those of you that are familiar with my book know that my approach to conducting a comprehensive Marketing Assessment begins with tuning into my intuition.  I allow it to lead me into my research as to the opportunities that may, or may not, exist with one’s value proposition in the marketplace.  It allows a remarkable freedom for exploration, often uncovering opportunities or approaches to a market that may not appear obvious on the surface.  Of course, I always validate my intuitive assumptions with tangible evidence before moving forward.  Yet, as Albert Einstein once said, “The only real valuable thing is intuition.  The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery”.

Learning to trust in our intuition is not something that we’re formally taught in our educational system.  It comes to us experientially.  It comes to us when we connect with our embodied wisdom, what the famous German psychiatrist, Karlfried Graf Dūrckheim called our life wisdom.  Dr. Dūrkheim goes on to explain that we are all manifestations of a mystical power and our life wisdom that exists within us emerges from this source of energy that is continuously pouring into the dimensions of time and space.  From my experiences, it is our intuition that connects us with this greater consciousness; a creative power that is beyond our traditional perceptions of knowledge and information.

I’d like to share an example of this phenomena that I witnessed and experienced during a workshop I conducted this past weekend.  My firm, Performance Transformation, LLC conducts workshops based upon Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning (the second half of our demo video at this link explores this process).  The workshops are highly self reflective, enabling participants to experience a heightened sense of awareness.  As prey animals, horses are exceptionally sensitive to their surroundings.  Horses mirror human emotion and intention.  They do so without judgement, and their feedback to our own emotions and state of awareness is immediate and undeniable…they are consistently in their own natural state of being horses.

This past weekend I had the privilege of leading a workshop in the high Rocky Mountains in Colorado.  It was at a beautiful horse ranch at 8,300 feet, surrounded by snow fields and peaks that soar to over 14,000 feet.  One of the exercises is called “Meet the Herd”, where participants simply stand silently in front of each horse without touching them.  They have a sheet of paper with a human outline and a horse outline printed on it.  With a set of colored pens, each participant is asked to express what they are experiencing, in whatever form or manner that comes to them, as they encounter each horse.  The results were remarkably consistent, horse-to-horse, and participant-to-participant!

The participants, in relationship to a mare named Shanti, created drawings that expressed a strong feeling of her being remarkably grounded and big hearted.  A young stallion named Serabi, resulted in expressions of playfulness and unpredictability.  The drawings that emerged regarding an older gelding named Big Sky indicated tears, empathy, and sharp, zig-zag lines in red indicating pain.

The next day some interesting insights were independently shared by the horses’ owner who was not present during the exercise.  The comments by the owner were shared in a matter-of-fact manner in conversation, without prompting or any knowledge of what we experienced.  As we were chatting, the owner commented that Shanti is a “very grounded, very sweet mare”!  She went on to tell us how Serabi is very impetuous and a bit of a clown.  And remarkably, she asked us if we could let Big Sky rest because he has some really sore hooves from a stone bruising and she would need to soak his hooves that day to alleviate his pain.

How did different individuals receive such consistent and accurate information about these horses?  The only explanation is that it came to each of us intuitively.  From a source of knowledge and connection that is beyond our typical approach of acquiring information through our physical and cognitive senses.

This is not the first time I’ve witnessed this intuitive connection and process in these workshops.  In fact, it is remarkably consistent and, quite frankly, awe inspiring for the people that experience it first hand.  It is a powerful exercise for building trust in our intuitive abilities.  Intuition is very real and can serve us on many levels.  Tapping into this sensitivity that resides within us all, this life wisdom, elevates our consciousness and provides us with insights we may miss by relying on reason alone.  Looking inward can deliver an outward clarity of unprecedented vision of our opportunities that may be right in front of us, lying quietly, just beneath the surface!

© Terry Murray, 2011.

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July 13, 2011 · 5:35 pm

Cultivating Adaptability in a World of Accelerating Change

Key Concept ~ Our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing world lies in developing our Emotional Intelligence. 

We live and work in a time of remarkable change.  It has been estimated that humankind’s scientific knowledge is doubling every five years.  I don’t know about you, but for me, that’s hard to fathom.  This implies that within 20 short years our database of knowledge will be sixteen times greater than it is today!  In roughly a single generation going forward, we will have sixty-four times the scientific knowledge we now have at our fingertips.  How can we, as human beings, successfully navigate through this unprecedented rate of change and the tsunami of information that is heading our way?

Success going forward will require an almost fluid adaptability.  Interestingly, this level of mindful responsiveness requires a strong sense of being grounded in one’s authentic self.  Ideas, opportunities, constraints, and challenges will move so quickly, and in such unpredictable ways, those that identify themselves only with their ego will very likely have a difficult time.  The ego attaches itself to things of material value, power, prestige, and the opinion of others.  Things that can shift quickly in a rapidly changing world.  When this shift occurs, the ego is left untethered, or worse, still attached to things that no longer matter or are no longer perceived to have value.  When this happens, a person whose sense of self is defined by their ego will find themselves feeling displaced, obsolete, and lacking worth.

So, with all the discussion about building adaptability in the workplace, how do we actually go about doing it?  The answer to cultivating adaptability lies in developing our Emotional Intelligence.

The concept of Emotional Intelligence slowly evolved over the course of the twentieth century, culminating with the research of Dr. John Mayer, Dr. Peter Salovey, and Dr. Daniel Goleman in the 1990’s.  Salovey and Mayer first defined the term Emotional Intelligence in 1990 as, “a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action.”* Their original model can be summarized as the a person’s ability to:

1.)  Perceive emotions, in self and others.

2.)  Use emotions to facilitate our tasks.

3.)  Understand emotions.

4.)  Manage emotions in self and others.

Dr. Goleman’s model** varies slightly and is defined by four main constructs as well:

1.)  Self-awareness.

2.)  Self-management.

3.)  Social awareness.

4.)  Relationship management.

The core of the concept is our ability to understand our own emotions and the emotional landscape that surrounds us, empowering us to choose how we wish to interact in social and professional settings.  By elevating our self-awareness we are better able to discern between our own emotions and the emotions of others and maintain healthy boundaries that protect us from emotional contagion.  It enables us to fully experience our emotions without appearing to be emotional, allowing us to remain calm and express empathy even in highly charged, rapidly changing situations.

Emotional Intelligence reflects a level of self-awareness that is indicative of being authentically connected with one’s true self.  Free from socially conditioned behavioral patterns, we are capable of tapping into our inner wisdom, a wisdom that resides within our bodies as much as it does in our heads.  Being connected with our authentic selves enables us to be connected with others around us.  In fact, research indicates more than 80% of success in life can be attributed to a person’s Emotional Intelligence with the remaining 20% associated with cognitive abilities.

They key to adaptability, of staying grounded and present while everything is changing around us, lies in developing our competencies in Emotional Intelligence.  Thankfully, these are skills that can be learned.  Recent discoveries in neurobiology demonstrates the fact that our brains have plasticity.  This plasticity  enables our brains to rewire our responses to emotional stimuli.  In doing so, we develop a witness to ourselves and our environment.  It enables us to get off the dance floor and into the balcony, alleviating our ego and attachments that hobble our development and ability to creatively meet unanticipated, adaptive challenges.

*P. Salovey and J.D. Mayer, “Emotional Intelligence,” Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 9, 3 (1990). 185-211.

**D. Goleman, “Working With Emotional Intelligence”, Bantam Books, New York, NY. 1998.

© 2011, Terry Murray

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July 11, 2011 · 7:24 pm

Opportunities for Innovation – How Drucker’s “Discipline of Innovation” can Drive Value for Small Businesses

Key Concept ~ Innovation is critical for entrepreneurs.  It drive’s value creation and can be the key differentiator for your company. Insights from Peter Drucker’s article, “The Discipline of Innovation” can help entrepreneurs discover opportunities to innovate.

So much of how we engage our world and our work depends on our perspective and mindset.  Do we see challenges or opportunities?  Do we see obstacles or situations that beg for innovation?  We work and live in an entirely different world than the one that existed a mere ten or fifteen years ago.  A world of accelerating change, constrained resources, shifting demographics, emerging globalization, and unprecedented access to information.  As entrepreneurs, how we choose to be and what we choose to do in the face of catalytic change is critical to our success.

One of the advantages an entrepreneurial endeavor has over large companies is the ability to quickly adapt and deliver innovative value.  In 1985, Peter Drucker, developed his concepts on “The Discipline of Innovation” that were adapted for an article that was published in the Harvard Business Review in 1998.  There are some wonderful points of reflection that are worth revisiting in light of today’s environment.

In this paper, Mr. Drucker proposed that opportunities for innovation emerge almost entirely within seven situations.  Here are his seven points and some thoughts on how entrepreneurs can benefit by seeking opportunities for innovation in a world of rapidly shifting conditions:

1.) Unexpected Occurrences:  Drucker points out that the implications of unexpected successes and failures are overlooked by most businesses.  Many fantastically successful products were a result of developmental failures aimed at entirely different goals.  Teflon®, Post-Its®, and Novocain® are prime examples of leveraging the unexpected.

Creativity is non-linear.  When we are compulsively attached to a pre-determined outcome we can miss the real value that can surprisingly emerge from the unexpected.  I’ve witnessed this myself.  Many years ago I was engaged to write a strategic plan for a life science company.  They were focused on bringing a new process technology to market.  During development, they accidentally discovered a biological that represented an opportunity that was thousands of times more valuable than their original process.  They were about to make this unexpected discovery a secondary focus until we were able to validate the market opportunity through the strategic planning process.

2.)  Incongruities between expectations and results or between our assumptions and the realities of the marketplace can reveal opportunities for innovation.

This is especially common today.  When organizations attempt to navigate seismic changes while clinging to outdated assumptions, incongruities emerge.  Significant opportunities for process improvements exist by investing in the creativity and adaptability of human beings rather than investing in another layer of technology, yet many still look to technology as the end-all-and-be-all solution.  This fixation and mindset highlights incongruities between the challenge and the solution.

3.)  Process Needs:  Process improvements open the door for innovative opportunities.

See my point above or just look at the challenges the health care system is facing today.  New processes based upon a shift in perspective need to emerge in order to resolve the challenges at hand.  The health care providers that embrace this and develop innovative approaches to the delivery system will be successful.  Entrepreneurs that consciously and continuously examine their own processes of delivering value can discover new ways of executing that are more meaningful and valuable to their customers.

4.) Industry and Market Changes:  If this doesn’t define our time, I don’t know what does!  Rapidly changing markets change the rules of the game, often catching large, entrenched players off guard.

This is where entrepreneurs have a distinct advantage.  Just look at how the explosion of the internet has disrupted Microsoft’s dominance in information technology while (once) small, innovative startups have come on strong (i.e. Google).

5.) Demographic Changes:  At the beginning of this calendar year, approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers will retire each and every day for the next 18 years.  Major population shifts are occurring too, with people moving out of the rust belt to the South and Mountain States.  Immigration is also changing the cultural landscape.  We are living in a time of major demographic change.

One of the most interesting questions that has yet to be answered is how the Baby Boomers will define their version of retirement.  They’ve redefined nearly every traditional aspect of what it means to be a teenager, a thirty-something, and middle aged.  Entrepreneurs that can deliver innovations that appeal to this and other demographic segments will thrive.

6.) Changes in Perception:  What people value changes over time.  Just look at how this relates the the demographic changes identified in point five.  How will Baby Boomers perceive what it means to be retired?  How will cultural influences change various perceptions of value?

Members of the Gen Y generation perceive opportunity and value in very different ways than the Baby Boomers.  I also see the changes in peoples’ desire to find greater meaning from their work than those of a generation ago.  Entrepreneurs that can get on the leading edge of these changes in value perception can tailor products, services, and solutions that are a step ahead of their competition.

7.) New Knowledge:  Mr. Drucker referred to knowledge-based innovations as the “superstars of entrepreneurship”.  He goes on to comment that when strands of various knowledge come together, innovation occurs.

The convergence of disparate technologies will usher in remarkable innovations (i.e. the convergence of biotechnology, information technology, and nanotechnology will result in novel approaches for health care and the targeted treatment of diseases).  Another, less high tech example, is what we’ve done with the creation of our Accretive Coaching Process™.  We’ve integrated knowledge from Applied Behavioral Economics, Emotional Intelligence, Performance Psychology, Neurophysiology, Core Emotional Systems, Creativity Research, and the Learning Style Inventory with traditional coaching methods to create an innovative approach to professional and strategic development.  The drivers behind this approach were due to the incongruities of traditional coaching methodologies with the adaptive demands emerging due to industry and market changes.  An innovative approach was needed to deliver the competencies and skills entrepreneurs and professionals require to succeed in today’s dynamic business climate.

To learn more about Peter Drucker’s views you may wish to read his book, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Practices and Principles”, Harper & Row, 1985.

© 2011, Terry Murray.


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July 7, 2011 · 12:10 am

How Planning for the Future can Ground Us in the Present

Key Concept ~ It may sound like a paradox, but the discipline of strategic planning, and looking out into the future 3 to 5 years, can help cultivate presence in yourself and your organization.

“For eternally and always there is only now, one and the same now; the present is the only thing that has no end.”*  Erwin Schroedinger, Quantum Physicist and Nobel Laureate (1887-1961).

Fascinating statement, don’t you think?  How eternity can only exists in the present moment.  Such a simple concept, yet also somewhat of a paradox.  The concept of tomorrow is just a cognitive projection of the mind and yesterday certainly no longer exists.  All that we really have is now…this fleeting yet eternal moment.  Erwin Schroedinger, one of most important luminaries in the field of Quantum Physics, wrote this statement some fifty years prior to the publication of Eckhart Tolle’s best-selling book, “The Power Of Now”**.

This is not a new concept, but it is an old problem.  How do we stay present, I mean truly, mindfully present in the moment throughout the course of doing business?  After all, this moment is the only actual point in which we can exercise any influence.  We cannot change tomorrow until it is here and now, and then, suddenly, it’s yesterday.  Only a very imaginative and somewhat larcenous accountant would even attempt to change yesterday!

Here’s another paradox; that aspect of strategic planning that sets goals 3 to 5 years over the horizon can cultivate presence.  Not just for you, but for your entire organization as well.

That aspect of strategic planning that sets Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics (yes, the dreaded GOST of business future) is a form of creative visualization.  While this actualization didn’t occur to me with any clarity until later in my life, it is a concept that was, at least, unconsciously embraced for many years.  A mentor of mine back in the middle 1990s taught us to always express our 3 to 5 year Goal statements as if they had already come into existence.  Now, this was an old school CEO, so perhaps he was just letting us know missing the mark wasn’t a plausible outcome for us (he did walk around customer service with a baseball bat in his hands on the last day of each quarter…I’m not kidding)!

Here’s my explanation…

Goal statements (or what we used to call what we want to be when we grow up statements) should be visionary and bold.  Visualize that wondrous future and state it like it already exists.  Own it outright!  Next, create tangible Objectives that, when achieved, will deliver you to your Goals.  Objectives must be measurable and have a clear deadline, preferably within the upcoming year.  You see what we’re doing?  Our Objectives just pulled our 3 to 5 year vision a little bit closer to the present day.

Strategies encompass how we are going to go about achieving our Objectives.  Strategies are where we leverage our core competencies and address our weaknesses to create value for our customers and create a competitive advantage for the firm.  Which brings us to our Tactics; the day-to-day, week-to-week activities that must occur in order to implement our Strategies.  Incremental, manageable action items we can act upon now, in the present moment.  

It has been my experience that organizations that do this well do very well.  It focuses and aligns the entire organization to act now upon the right activities.  Don’t worry about tomorrow, next week, or the next quarter…create value for your customer today, in this very moment.  It is through this discipline that, to paraphrase Alan Lakein***, we can pull the future into the present so we can act upon it now.

*This quote is from page 98 of Ken Wilber’s book, “Quantum Questions – Mystical Writings Of The World’s Greatest Physicists”, Shambhala Publishing, Boston, 2001.

** “The Power Of Now”, Eckart Tolle, New World Library, Novato, CA, 1999.

*** Alan Lakein popularized the discipline of Time Management in the late 1960s and is the author of “How To Get Control Of Your Time And Your Life”, Signet, New York, 1974.

© 2011, Terry Murray.

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