your current performance, yet challenging yourself to envision an
enhanced future. In my first five years
as a professional speaker, I employed
this philosophy as a post-speech
ritual. After my presentation, I’d
take 15 minutes to write a stream-of-consciousness list, including every
thought, every feeling and every
evaluation of my performance. What
worked? What didn’t work? What
killed? What bombed? Then, when
I was done, I’d make a note at the
bottom of the document that read,
“In my next speech, what I plan to
do differently is ____________.” This
simple ritual grew into a profitable
practice for continuous performance
improvement as a speaker. How could
you apply the same reflection process
to your job performance?
What’s next? My readers and audience members frequently ask which
one of my books is my favorite. After
eight years, the answer is always the
same: “My next one.” I challenge
you to embrace that same attitude of
“What’s next?” in your work., first on
a micro level in terms of productivity,
and then on a macro level in terms of
projectivity. Ask yourself this question
throughout your creative process to
ensure consistent execution. What is
your legacy for taking action?
Does this new thing …? Does this
new thing allow you to command
higher fees than before? Does this new
thing allow you to learn new skills?
Does this thing enable you to leverage
more than in the past? Does this new
thing expose you an important future
opportunity? Does this new thing
increase (not just sustain) an existing
relationship? Does this new thing lead
to future work with the same organization? Does this new thing lead you
into a new industry? Does it represent an organization you would hate
to lose? Does this new thing represent
long-term business potential? Does
it serve as a reference or example for
other clients?
other people left off, you see their
idea through a new set of eyes. And
sometimes that’s all it takes to leverage garbage into gold. Some people
look into a wastebasket and see trash;
other people see treasure.
How does this fit into your theory
of the universe? Your expertise is a
filter. The challenge is to bring ideas
from one field of knowledge into
another field of knowledge. You have
to observe your encounters objectively by asking, “What’s the key
idea here, regardless of the context?”
Other variations of this question are:
“What does this have to do with me?”
“How does this have to do with my
expertise?” “How is this a symbol
or example of my expertise?” “How
could I use this as an example in my
work?” Make connections between
seemingly unconnected things.
How can I make this idea last forever?
Anchor your expertise in that which is
timeless. Democratize and genericize
your thoughts so they outlast you.
Always be on the lookout for ways to
increase the shelf life of your material. Ask questions like, “In five years,
will this idea still be irrelevant?” “Is
this a fad, a trend or an evergreen?”
and “What is a bigger, more stable
theory of the universe that I can
attach this idea to?” Remember: If
you’re not current, you’re not credible. Remember to run your expertise
through the wringer of time. Stabilize
your content.
How can the basic concept be
applied to different areas? If you
have an idea, product or service that
works in one discipline, discover how
you can transfer the basic principle to
another. For example, if you set up a
statewide Web directory, think about
the other states. What if they copied
your same model? Could you license
your templates to the other 49 states
and make money while you sleep? If
it worked in one venue, it might work
in another.
What else can be made from this?
The key to leverage is to look at
something you’ve created and then
play with its potential. It’s called
“Movement Value.” For example,
if you’ve been posting on your blog
every day for a year, could you
combine those writings into a book?
Or, if you have collected a stack of
pictures from various customers over
the years, why not create a “Meet
Our Clients” slide show and post it
online? Accumulation is equity.
How can you reuse, resurrect or reposition something people threw away
or quit on? Many sculptors, artists,
musicians, inventors and innovators have built impressive careers by
reusing trash, litter, recycled materials
and other forms of discarded content
in their work. Now, this doesn’t mean
you need to go trudging through a
landfill. But, when you pick up where
What else does this audience need to
know about me? On your products,
you should cross-sell your website.
Throughout your website, you should
cross-sell your workshops. In your
workshops, you should cross-sell your
teleconferences. During your teleconferences, you should cross-sell your
ezine. In your ezine, you should cross-sell your products. See the pattern?
