WISDOM IN A NUTSHELL

Innervation
Redesign Yourself For A Smarter Future

By Guy Browning
ISBN 1843 04002 6 Pearson Education Limited UK 2001 213 pages

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Author and book web site: http://www.smokehouse.co.uk/innervation.htm

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The Big Idea

Innovate where it counts. Inside.
Here is a funny, frank, and refreshing book on how to not only survive but also succeed in todays new economy or at least get what you want out of life and work while stepping on as few people as possible. This one tackles the big issues like what kind of person do you really want to be (a bastard? there are many of them in business) -are you living for the future or are you stuck in an old economy dinosaur company? Guy Browning says exactly what nobody else dares to say about real-life/work issues, and thats why its so fresh. Redesigning yourself means working hard on the brand that is You. How do you get out of the rut youre currently in? What are the new Ten Commandments for the millennium? How do you learn to really listen, relax, work, and be happy? Everything from sexual politics to creativity, to trashing old economy leaders, discovering the real meaning of networking, and making effective, short, and simple communications, to managing people who are less talented and good looking than yourself its all in a light and punchy addition to your business library! The three big assumptions about you 1. You want to make good things happen 2. You want to balance life and work 3. You can think for yourself

Innervation is about a new way of being, thinking, and doing. You only have control over yourself. So its about time you started shaping up and getting with the program.

The future is now

Communication, the Internet, mobile phones, and mass media assault us every day. They sell things to us, and tell us how to live our lives. Ironically, increased communication doesnt necessarily mean more people are happy today than they were ten years ago, nor do people actually listen to what the other person is really saying Our work environments have changed, our offices are designed to be homey, and our homes are designed to have offices in them! Bosses have disappeared in this age of highly skilled workers. More and more people are working from home. Small businesses thrive as specialized teams are assigned to tackle specific jobs and then disband once the project is completed. Todays information

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age has allowed consumers the power to choose. Brand loyalty may now depend on a companys ethical practices.

The old new economy

There used to be a lot of teen-age stock option instant millionaires that used their raging hormones to drive their slick new Internet companies. But it wasnt long before these great whiz kids showed no profit, no office, and no truly great idea. Most ended up losing all their money and becoming poor teen-aged students, like everyone else.

How to get ahead by being a bastard (and waste your life doing it):
Talk loud and dont listen to other people Dont help anyone do anything Over-promise and under-deliver Lie and then lie about lying Talk behind other peoples backs Take the credit for other peoples efforts Bully people weaker than you are Waste other peoples time Concentrate on money and power

How to be happy
Being busy doing something constructive is the fastest way to happiness because it keeps you and your mind occupied. Clearly define your brand values. The brand is you. Communicate brand definition to all. Exercise rigorous quality control for the product. Build functional and emotional benefits. What should people value you for? Brand every detail of delivery. Do things your own way! Be consistent in brand communication. Treat all people and situations equally. Guard brand equities. Dont let other people ride over whats dear to you, whether it be your family, or your dreams and aspirations. Train for better brand delivery. Keep acquiring new skills. Constantly nurture affection for the brand. Service your relationships with family, friends, and workmates. Taking someone for granted is the surest way to lose them. Life is continually evolving and you should evolve along with it.

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Emergency de-glumming programme

First. Get moving. Take your dog for a walk. Go to the gym. Ride a bike or go roller-blading. Do something! Second, do your laundry, clean all your dirty dishes, throw away your trash and old stuff and pour yourself a large drink while playing a CD at an unethically high volume, then dance around like an idiot until you collapse with exhaustion. When you get into bed tell yourself things are a lot worse in other parts of the world.

Rules to reduce stress to a minimum:

Stick to your own agenda. Stress comes from doing too many things for other people. Learn to politely say no and guard your time. If it isnt necessary, dont do it. Say thank you, but no thank you. Just say no when people ask you for too much of your time and energy. Get ahead by meeting the deadline early so you know you have more time to revise and make improvements. Never take your work home. Your family has better things to talk about. Jealously guard your time and space. Put time in your diary for things you really need and want to do for yourself. Relax your body and your mind will follow. Laugh, eat well, and enjoy company. Life is meant to be enjoyed! Relax, its only a job. Its not Bosnia.

The new Ten Commandments

1 Treat other people as they want to be treated 2 Be generous with your time and talents 3 Respect other peoples culture and beliefs 4 Dont discriminate on race, gender or sexual orientation 5 Look after the environment 6 Listen 7 Respect other peoples time
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The Agenda 8 Tell the truth 9 Put something back into the community 10 Love and protect your family

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How to be good in a bad world

As a general rule, the more painful the experience, the better you learn the lesson. Things in life are sent to you in order for you to learn from them. Remember, you are a one-person learning organization. Here are some useful lessons that are best learned the hard way. It takes real life experience to internalize them, you may not fully grasp some unless you put this paper away in a drawer, live your life a couple of years, and then return to it when youre throwing old papers away. It would be good to look at this list of tough and painful lessons to learn more often: Dont neglect yourself. Value you own judgment Beware of those you threaten Dont be too open too soon Keep things in perspective Comply when necessary Stick to strategy Deal with things quickly Dont let things fester Involve people in decisions Occasionally be ruthless Think how others will react Clarify tasks Keep your mouth shut Keep things simple Get the right information Dont trust everyone Never pretend to know what you dont Dont talk of wings try to fly Never work with friends The harder the decision the better the outcome Not everyone likes you all of the time Losing control means losing an argument Never assume Confront bullies Trust your instincts Everything takes longer Dont trust authority
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The Agenda Dont play with matches No effort, no reward Details matter Make sure instructions are understood Be nice on the way up You cant do everything by yourself Get it in writing Understand the value of no Understand others aspirations Other people have other standards Get it in writing You have the right to get what you want Dont assume support in a crisis

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Sexual politics whos on top?

Hard to say, but the sad truth is most of what evolution has done to men has simply transferred their hunting instinct to the workplace. Everything they do at work is a sexual display of who can reproduce and survive better. Todays modern workplace appreciates and values the feminine qualities of multi-tasking, communicating, kindness, and consistency of service. In tribal societies, women always did 80% of the useful work, and men went off hunting, not really to supplement the vegetables women planted, but to simply show off. There are many powerful, intelligent and high-earning women today, and many men are learning to accept that their spouses may be earning more than they are.

Creativity
If you think Viagra was a hit, think of the profits for the first company that manufactures a legal, non-addictive, mind-altering drug. Business is probably more creative than the field of the arts. Art has lost its function in a world where clever ideas are not limited to those who wield a paintbrush or a pot of clay.

Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.

The biggest thing in the arts world in the last decade was a sliced sheep in a Perspex case. There might be more artistry in the latest mobile phone than in the Turner Prize.

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The Agenda Give yourself these 3 things and stop making the excuse that you are not creative. You need these three things: quiet, time, and permission, to unleash your creative nature. Still blank? Try Object A and object B

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A good formula is to take two unrelated things and see how you can associate them. Lets improve a product, say, yogurt, by focusing on the qualities of water. The yogurt can come in transparent packaging. There! You just had a creative idea because you applied one concept to a product. If youve solved every aspect of the problem and you still have a problem, then maybe the problem is you.

Rule number one for creativity is to think.

Use your personal opinions, knowledge, and experience in a more effective manner, or look for new opinions, knowledge and experiences other than those you currently have. And what if you applied the concept of water to improve cat food? You could say that maybe cat food should come in little plastic traveling dishes made more convenient for the pet owner. You could make bubbles or edible balls the cat can play with and then eat. You could layer cat food or make cat soup! Ideas come when you relax and open yourself to them. Just let it all flow out of your mind and onto a piece of paper. You can take any two unrelated objects and use one to play off the other for new ideas. When youre a creative individual you are able to shift your frame of reference at will, seeing all sorts of possibilities and potential in any environment. Real creativity takes getting down to the real question behind the question. Take this copy: We aim to delight our customers and exceed their expectations by supplying a one-stop shop of environmentally friendly products and services, anytime anywhere and anyhow, benchmarking against best practice to be a world-class organization. We will do this by empowering our greatest asset, our people, in an e-enabled, flexible, and coaching working environment.

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Sounds like all the fancy new jargon but it really doesnt mean anything to your audience. Ditch the clichs and go for something more like this copy: You know money isnt the end all and be all in life. You also know how important money is to do the things you want to do in life. You probably want to concentrate on holidays, education, getting a new car, paying for the house. We can help you with this tell us how you want to manage your life and well help you to manage your money to make more of the good things happen. Now doesnt that sound much better? Get stuck in clichs and you lose touch with an ever-changing reality. People who say no to new ideas usually say no because they cant visualize it or they are so stuck in an existing view of the world they see nothing outside of it. In the new economy, you have to think first, use information second, and always remember that information is no substitute for imagination, intuition and pure thought.

The map of the human heart Mapping the human heart into four quadrants: needs, desires, reliability and enjoyment can explain how you see your partner, a job, a bank, or a brand of toothpaste. People buy into ideas because of the emotional and the rational. Passionate affairs concentrate on the desire and enjoyment side, while happy marriages involve the need and reliability side of the map. Your relationships with the people you work and live with determine if you are a bad or good egg. Can you be counted on? Are you an all around good person? Do people genuinely like you and want to be around you? Your emotional intelligence can take you further in the new economy, more than your regular IQ or MBA or PhD. Its really about how you nurture relationships: with clients, suppliers, colleagues, family, and friends. If you cant manage your own home or department, how can you manage anything bigger? Start with you. Be your own boss. Now this doesnt necessarily mean quit your job and start a business, it means work on your own initiative, supervise your own quality

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standards, treat people as they want to be treated, and if you are a boss, please make sure you are not an Old Economy type of boss. Manage your bosses better than they manage you Do your job without bothering them Keep them informed before not after Tell them when they are doing a great job Ask for the benefit of their experience Remember the names of their children Invite them out for a drink or lunch

Lets do lunch!
We must emphasize taking someone out to lunch is the most powerful business tool you can use to your advantage. People naturally bond over lunch. Starters small talk Hows your cat? (Better yet, Hows Tabby? Its plus points to remember names of pets, children, and significant others) Main course context setting Have you noticed the sales dive in apricots? Dessert problem solving Perhaps we could repackage them Coffee next actions Ill give you some research budget and well look into it Paying gratitude expression This ones on me. Youve really helped me out Taxi get one for her if you are a gentleman, whether you are a client, boss, or subordinate, it doesnt matter. Dont ride in the same cab unless youre going to the same place, and if you are -dont snuggle! This is strictly a business lunch, not a romantic dinner! Know whats appropriate.

Leading teams
Communication and point leadership/leadership from the Front Passionately believe in your vision. Enthusiasm is contagious. Build a team that shares your vision. Tell your team exactly what you expect of it Tell it like it is Listen before you speak Headlines first, then the whole story Consistency is the clearest message If it really matters, do it face to face Encourage feedback and act on it Involvement is the best persuader Little and often is better than long and loud
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The Agenda Communication works when something changes

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The best basis for leadership is mutually understood expectations. When people are absolutely clear on where theyre going and what role they play in the journey, leadership becomes a matter of a light hand on the tiller rather than continual wrenching efforts to keep everyone on track. How to be a good point leader: Respect team members input and skills Keep everyone informed and motivated Work harder than everyone else Very occasionally be ruthless and get rid of the person who refuses to change Incentives and saying thank you play a big part in motivating people Share the rewards/profit Give training and space to grow Old economy networking When the guy gives you his card within 30 seconds of meeting you. New economy networking Think about what you have to offer, and not what you can get from each person in the room. You see, the problem with the old economy types at a party is they ignore people who are of no use to them in business. Have you noticed?

There is no such thing as an interesting meeting.

First make clear which type of meeting youre having: a selling or presentation meeting, an information-sharing one, a problem-solving one (translation: this will take a while) and the socialization / food meeting or in other words: office party. The more people you have in a meeting the less likely it will achieve anything. To get the right people in the meeting, announce what its all about so you dont have totally useless people sitting around wasting time.

How to conduct a proper meeting:

Prepare an agenda Start and finish meetings on time, especially if people are likely to get hungry towards the end People who come late cannot expect information to be repeated for their benefit Introduce everyone to everyone else. Manage egos and control airtime

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Control people who sway off the agenda, if they want to discuss other matters, tell them to schedule another meeting Reach agreements on who does what by when

Communication
Speak in headlines Practice active listening Ask for clarification Check your body language Maintain eye contact Dont take notes while listening, you cant compose notes and listen properly at the same time Make clear that you have time to sit and listen, so people are more likely to open up to you When making presentations, speak, dont read your notes Dont use statistics in presentations. Theyre meaningless. Kill your babies. When in doubt, leave it out. Slides only help if they look great. Dont put so much information on them. Practice presenting before the presentation For written communications, make sure everything you want to say fits on one A4 size sheet of paper. Write in headlines. Say it in the shortest and simplest language you can. Give the background, supporting points, and conclude. Take responsibility for your statements. Be clear and single-minded.

How to resign effectively

Resignation is a strategy not a tactic. If you want to shout, do it outside. When youre calm make the decision If it feels right at 9 am it is right Carry on working happily Look for a new and better job Complete all paperwork Resign gracefully and thank everyone Try to avoid working during your notice Take a holiday between jobs if possible

How to make it happen for customers

Dont keep them waiting Act on their feedback Let them choose their channel Deliver when you promise Keep them informed Make paperwork clear and easy Involve them in development

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The Agenda Never compromise on quality Make doing business a pleasure Treat your staff as well as customers

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How to manage people

Establish mutual expectations from the start Monitor working relationships while they still work Put people at their ease Dont take people for granted- thank them now Manage in context understand all sides Ask people what they think Avoid upsetting people Go out for lunch Stay calm and keep a sense of humor its only work

How to get people to change

Start with some praise Mention your own mistakes in the area Talk about the effects of their old behavior Understand the reasons for their old behavior Explain the benefits of the new behavior Tell them the change is well within their capabilities Agree targets for changed behavior Give them a new title and job description

How to be efficient in business

Get organized before you buy an organizer Start work a half hour earlier Work in small digestible chunks Think in the morning, act after lunch Put time in your diary for you Only travel if youll return richer or wiser If youre not adding value, delegate Plan tomorrow but act today

How to be effective in business

Define your goals and stick to them Be enthusiastic its contagious Talk to people with experience Take short-term pain for long-term gain Do it, then talk about it Under-promise and over-deliver Take the big risk when youre ready Talk is nothing but talk. People like to see concrete results.

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How to make more money

Do what you do best and ditch the rest. Charge on value not cost (if only you can do it, charge accordingly) Improve your skills Cut costs that arent useful or enjoyable Stop adding and start multiplying. Make bigger and bolder moves instead of being satisfied with a 5% pay raise. Think big. Keep changing things Make sure effort is linked to reward Change your job Take control then take ownership Build a business to meet an unsensed want Either be a lawyer or make sure you dont run your business in such a way that youll be needing one Always get a better quote Chase debtors to hell and back. They owe you money. Its your money. Work harder, faster, and smarter. Lucky for you in the new economy, creativity, speed, and efficiency are highly appreciated.

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