Unsexy Socks and Healthcare

Little BIG Things: Strategy (24 Segments - 61 Minutes)

20x12=240 - Lunch Opportunities 2:17

Try this formula: 20 (days in a month) x 12 (months) = 240. 240 is the number of potential useful opportunities to connect with someone in your organization. Use it to build relationships. Use it to mend relationships. Use it to connect with people. It's a powerful tool.

A Bias for Action Wayne Gretsky 1:42

One of Toms very favorite slides speaks directly to bias for action. Its a quote from the hockey player, Wayne Gretsky. Gretsky said, You miss 100% of the shots you never take. Or, as Tom says, If you arent trying it; it isnt gong to happen!

Best Practices 2:20

Tom loves "best practices." Tom also hates "best practices." When "Best Practices" become policy, they can be extremely counterproductive. There is a fine line between the positive learning value and the negative of mimicry.

Big Items need Big Carts 2:01

Tom has found that simple things can make a big difference. For example, when Wal-Mart slightly increased the size of their carts, their sales of physically big items rose by 50%.

Big Red Button 1:28

At Commerce Bank every computer at the bank has a special red key on it that says, Found something stupid that we are doing that interferes with our ability to service the customer? Tell us about it, and if we agree, we will give you $50. Smart companies are willing to go to war on their systems.

Boomers and Geezers 2:51

This is what Tom thinks on consumers turning 50: We are the Aussies & Kiwis & Americans & Canadians. We are the Western Europeans & Japanese. We are the fastest growing, the biggest, the wealthiest, the boldest, the most (yes) ambitious, the most experimental & exploratory, the most different, the most indulgent, the most difficult & demanding, the most service & experience obsessed, the most vigorous, (the least vigorous,) the most health conscious, the most female, the most profoundly important commercial market in the history of the worldand we will be the Center of your universe for the next twenty-five years. We have arrived!

Distance Matters 2:42

If your office is more than 100 feet away from another person's office then it might as well be miles away. Find out why distance matters to your work groups, productivity and bottom line.

Diversity Wins 2:58

Tom speaks about diversity (with a lower case d). He says if you mix things (and people) up you get better outcomes. In fact, it makes a HUGE difference.

Front Line Supervisors 2:38

What is the #1 cause of employee dissatisfaction? The answer is: The quality of the first line supervisor. Arguably one of the most important strategic decisions that a company makes is the promotion of first line supervisors (and their training.)

Give Your Speeches the Personal Touch 2:29

We all give speeches. They may be 15-second speeches in a meeting or full-length keynote addresses. You can improve anything when you add a personal touch. that will resonate with your audience.

Ho-Humm 3:04

I thought to myself, What a dreadful mission I have in life. Id love to get 6,000 restaurants up to spec, but when I do it is only Ho-Hum. Its bugged me ever since. Its one of the great paradoxes of modern business. We all know distinction is key, and yet in the last twenty years we have created a plethora of ho-hum products and services. Just go fly in an airplane. It could be such an enlightening experience, but Ho-Hum. We swim in an ocean of ho-hum, and Im going to fight it. Im going to die fighting it. Barry Gibbons, Burger King

I Am Your Customer 3:05

Advertising is changing and needs to grab the attention of young people. Tom argues the point that advertisers should also pay attention to the people over 50, "the future market with the money will be boomers.

Kindness is Free 3:24

Press Ganey studies patient satisfaction in hospitals. They conducted a huge survey of several hundred hospitals and over 100,000 patients looking at the top 15 things that determine patient satisfaction. None of the top fifteen items had to do with whether you get well. Every single one of the top 15 had to do with the experience, morale, and other intangibles. What people remember is the quality of the human interaction.

Know When to Hold em 1:49

"Know when to hold'em; know when to fold'em." A lot of people who succeed do so because they hang onto a project past the time other people would "fold'em." Persistence often yields extraordinary results. So HOLD ON!

Over Budget Projects are More Interesting 3:04

Many times projects go over budget. Is this always bad? Not always. Sometimes going over budget means that really interesting things get done. Many terrific things do go over budget and after they are done, we all think it was worth every penny.

R&D Everywhere 1:46

Tom has an "Innovation Equality Act." Innovation shouldnt just happen in the R&D office. Its not all about new product development. Innovation is equally important in every part of the organization. Your competitive advantage can come from many different sources, so work on innovation throughout the organization.

Rate Innovation 2:02

Take every project - small or large - and rate them 1 to 10. (1 being maintenance or something dull. 10 would be something cool something that makes you say WOW). Tom's idea is that you always want a few projects that score "8 or above." You need to do cool stuff.

Recession Thoughts 2:46

A conversation Tom had with a Chief Lending Officer at a small bank really brought this issue to the forefront. The banker said, Tom let me tell you the definition of a good lending officer. After church on Sunday, on the way home with my family, I take a little detour to drive by the factory I just lent money to. I dont go in, I just drive by. Tom believes that this is just one small but important example of staying in touch. It is a lesson we can all understand. Business is ultimately all about individuals.

Say I'm Sorry 2:44

We spend trillions of dollars a year in healthcare. Some people say that hundreds of billions are spent on unnecessary tests. Some hospitals are dealing with it in a rather unique way. Their approach? They say, "I'm sorry." When they say this, it can reduce malpractice claims very significantly.

Stories Are Powerful 1:54

Storytelling isnt just provocative; it is built into human DNA. Stories are more powerful than the brand. (Or you can say, the brand is the story.). If you can translate anything into a short meaningful story, it will help you tremendously.

Surviving Tough Times 4:53

Tom presents a list of 44 ideas for dealing with tough times. 44 things you can begin doing TODAY to help survive the tough times.

The Brand is the Quality of The Talent 1:54

The message is simple: put people first. Tom believes in branding, but he also thinks that whether you are running a football team or a six-person training department you have to look beyond the brand. At the end of the day, the brand is the quality of the talent.

Unsexy Socks 2:53

There is a human tendency to like "sexy" things. But often the simple solutions make a difference. Tom talks about compression socks. If more people in hospitals used compression socks, then tens of thousands of lives could be saved every year. There is always an unsexy solution for your organization.

Women and Business Relationships 2:19

Much of business is about relationships. Statistically, women are better at relationships than men. Relationships are important - now more than ever, so everyone needs to work on this skill.