Weedin 360

I always like getting good news, and happy clients are always good news!

Mark Walters, a terrific value-based attorney who attended last week, had this to say about his experience….

Lawyers like me attend continuing legal education courses to stay on top of the law and legal trends.  I attend business training workshops to sharpen my  business skills and knowledge.  This helps me stay strong as a trusted adviser to my clients, and it helps me grow my business.  This was a fantastic workshop and everyone took away far more value than the cost of admission.  I won’t miss Dan and Libby’s next event.  

Thanks, Mark! The next Libby & Dan session is scheduled for June 21st in Seattle. Registration details are forthcoming. Stay tuned!

© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

PRESS RELEASE

The Consultant Mentors of the Northwest Kick of 2012 for Business Leaders

Seattle-area consultants hold first collaborative event

Poulsbo, WA (February 20, 2012) – Dan Weedin and Libby Wagner held their inaugural event titled, “Libby & Dan,” at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle on February 15^th. The event was attended by 24 consultants, executive coaches, and business professionals from around the Greater Seattle area.

The full-day workshop was aimed at helping business leaders to accelerate their professional growth. Topics included visioning, marketing gravity, value proposition, branding, and best practices. Diane Zakrajsek from Seattle said, “The information and your expertise was priceless!” David Dallaire from Bellevue said the workshop was a “home run!” Earl Bell from Seattle called the event, “Simply awesome!”

The next workshop will be held at the Washington Athletic Club on June 21^st. Registration information will be announced soon.

Dan Weedin and Libby Wagner have been personally trained by Dr. Alan Weiss as Master Mentors in his global consulting community. They are two of only 35 consultants in the world so accredited. Dr. Weiss is the author of Million Dollar Consulting, The Consultants Bible, and over 35 other business and consulting books.

For more information, contact Dan Weedin at (360) 271-1592; (360) 824-8100 (fax); or dan@danweedin.com. Please also visit our website at www.DanWeedin.com.

Twitter – #LibbyDan

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Libby and Dan

Libby Wagner

Barking Up a Tree.

My dogs have two very different world views on their fellow canines. Bella (on the left) could care less about dogs that happen to appear on the television. But get her out in the real world, and she becomes crazy. She knows where every dog on our walk lives; thinks there’s a dog in every car that drives by (based on seeing one once); and makes it her quest to bark maniacally at them. Captain Jack on the other hand doesn’t seem to be overly concerned with other dogs on his walk. He can pretty much take them or leave them. But, if he spies them on TV, he goes crazy. He attacks the television, searches behind it for those dastardly dogs, and now even recognizes the tunes in commercials where they pop up. Bella doesn’t care. In the end, neither cares about the others difference of opinion.

We all have different world views. Our own personal experiences and biases lead us to form political, religious, and economic notions. That doesn’t mean the other person with a different opinion is damaged.

During this political season leading up to a presidential election in November, social media has fueled the firestorm of conjecture and opinion. Everywhere I read, people are voicing their opinions louder and with more gusto than Captain Jack assailing my TV. Unfortunately, with it often comes boorish behavior. It’s not enough to have one’s opinion, but castigating those who think differently has become not only commonplace, but encouraged.

Don’t do this in business or you won’t last long. In fact, if you choose to do this in your social media platforms beware. You never know who is reading. Having an opinion is terrific and applauded. Tacking on foul language, degradation, and inappropriate humor may lose you business and friends. Always remember that the cyberspace curtain we hide behind is pretty transparent. Next time you bark, know that the entire neighborhood is listening…

This week’s quote – “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.” Muhammad Ali

The Journey.

Whitney Houston

I went into my iTunes Store on Sunday to purchase a couple of songs by Whitney Houston. I’ve always loved her voice, and with her tragic death on Saturday, I figured it was about time to add her to my library.

Back when I was a kid, I remember buying records in music stores. This was when vinyl was still in style and cassettes were cutting edge. I loved taking my time strolling along the aisles and flipping through LPs and reading the jackets. (I’m certain my daughters think of something completely different when they read jacket). The purchasing of my music was more expensive, took more time, and quite frankly was more enjoyable. Today, it took me a total of about 3 minutes to locate two Whitney Houston songs, pay less than $2 for them, and download them into my phone. (just as foreign language to someone living in 1975, right?)

The journey is almost always more fun than finally hitting that destination. My journey in the music store about 40 years ago was an event, normally done with friends, that I still hold as a fond memory. I can’t remember all the records I bought, but I do remember the journey.

That’s a lot like your life. Don’t blast through each day like you’re downloading music into your iPhone. Enjoy the journey. It’s what you’ll remember anyway…

This week’s quote – “Things that hurt, instruct.” Benjamin Franklin

From my Kitsap Business Journal column – January 31, 2012 @ 4:28pm | Dan Weedin

Change management is a hot buzzword in business circles today. Everywhere you turn, experts espouse ways to deal with change in the workplace, in the world, and even in your home. CEOs and executives want to learn how to manage change; implore change; beg for change; and even get exact change. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can stop. You don’t need no stinking change.

You read that right. You don’t have to change. You don’t have to know how to manage it or teach it. You can go on forever doing just what you’ve been doing all these years. It’s your life and your business. No change!

However, if you go that route, you need to know what you’re in for. In all decisions that we make, there are consequences — both good and bad. And let’s be honest, change management is a conscious decision. Let’s see what happens when we avoid making change in our organizations…

You become stale and obsolete. You can only sell the same “stuff” to the same people for so long. Daily newspapers, phone book ad executives, and video stores all found it out too late. There’s always a bigger and better ship coming around the corner. You need vision and the ability to be nimble to stay relevant.

Your people leave. Without change, people get bored. They don’t see growth or potential and will find greener grass. Maybe an even bigger problem is that they get complacent and just decline in efficiency and ability.

You can’t recruit new talent. This goes along with good people leaving your business. You have a certain “street cred” (credibility for all you non-changers). Your reputation gets around and the perception of you as being dull or dynamic will either bring in young talent or repel it.

You lose business. People want to work with cutting edge and vibrant organizations. If you are stale; can’t keep quality people; or run ineffective operations, then you’re yesterday’s news (which happens quicker today than ever before).

You don’t have to change in business. You also don’t have to brush your teeth, eat healthy, exercise, read books, or wear sunscreen. Those all have consequences, too.

If you do find yourself wanting to avoid those calamities I’ve listed, here’s a short and sweet guide to affecting change management in your organization.

Do a pulse check on yourself as a leader. What do your key employees think about how well you run the organization and treat them? There are many fine experts who you can hire to run a benchmarking analysis of your leadership skills. You have to start at the top if you plan on effectively leading change.

Be very clear about your vision. Your employees, your customer base, and your entire supply chain need to know the destination. They don’t necessarily need to know the methodology to get there; but they do need to know where you plan on leading them. Change without vision is doomed to failure.

Have patience. Change is a slow moving beast, especially as the organization gets larger. There is bound to be “gravitational pull” to default back to the good old days. Be patient, yet firm in the transition.

Don’t quit. The worst thing that can happen is that when the going gets tough, you capitulate. This is terrible role modeling and the quickest way to slide back. In the end, the decline would be worse than had you not tried to change at all!

Celebrate successes. I fear that one of the things we as humans are worst at is complimenting and rewarding good behavior. You have allies who will work hard to reach your vision. Recognize them and applaud their efforts. Pretty soon, you will find others trying to do the same.

We live in a global, highly technological, and fluid business world. The economy and business practices are going to change whether you’re on board or not. You don’t have to change, but not being prepared and skilled in change management will lead to dire consequences at some point.

Those businesses that embrace change, and know how to effectively manage it within their organizations, will ultimately be successful regardless of where and how the world turns.

Hey can you spare some change, pal?

When Facebook started years ago (not really sure because now it seems to have been around forever) it was for college kids. They posted what school they went to, who they were partying with, and what they would do over the summer. Then the adults figured it out. And according to many young people…ruined it. I’m starting to think they are right.

Here’s what adults have inflicted on Facebook…

• Facebook has become a venue for a plethora of sappy posters, ramblings, and other inanities. Last year, I had to block all the dumb games. Now my News Feed is filled with these posters. I’ve found one that was funny and I passed it on. Ironically it was on social media. The rest are mostly awful. Now, they are all over the place!
• It’s election season and I may have to take a 6-month hiatus. It’s bad enough to see a gazillion signs littered around our streets; horrid and often inaccurate commercials; and political debates that have become a circus. Now, I get to see every party – Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Tea Party, Tea Drinkers, and the Field – tell me their opinions and attitudes. I get the right to voice your opinion and overall, that’s okay. The problem is the way it now is delivered. This leads me the next bullet point…
• If you’re having a political conversation or discussion in person, you have more at stake to be civil. Now, even with your profile picture showing, it seems acceptable to talk like a belligerent drunk. Bad language, name calling, and vitriol unleashed. It used to be that Facebook was on par with walking around a cocktail party. Now, its 1:30 in the morning in a bar and chairs are flying.
• I don’t care if you are a Republican or Democrat (or one of the others); Pro-Life or Pro-Choice; For Gay Marriage Against Gay Marriage; Baby Boomer or Gen Xer; Like Cats or Hate Cats; Like the Patriots or Hate the Patriots; or on any side of any controversy; do yourself a favor. Be nice. Don’t think that just because someone may have a different opinion than you (and on Facebook you have no idea), that they are damaged. You never know who may be reading and how it may affect your ability to do business with them, or even to remain friends. I think the kids get this better than the adults do.

While I’m firmly positioned on my Soap Box, I’m going to continue…what the heck…I’m probably being “DE-friended” all over the place:

• Think twice about posting a picture of you with a huge cocktail in front of you as your profile picture. Yes, you’re undoubtedly well over 21 years old and it’s legal for you to drink. Just remember that a growing number of employers check out Facebook profiles prior to hiring. Even if they can’t see your wall, they can see your profile picture. Just saying…
• Think about what you can do to enhance relationships and improve others personally and professionally (for you business people), rather than insulting the other person’s intelligence.
• Voice your opinion. Just don’t assume the people on the other side (normally pretty close to 50%) is damaged. They just have a different opinion. Voice your opinion maturely.
• Don’t swear or curse (and that includes all the funky acronyms and spellings – we get it). It doesn’t ever show well for you.
• Use this amazing technology to re-connect with family and friends; help others in their business; promote the value your business can offer others; learn about others; promote your favorite charities; and share photos of your life with your friends.
• Be careful what you say. You never know who is reading. Be certain you’re willing to standby what you say and how you said it.

Okay, I’m stepping off my Soap Box. Facebook is about to go public. I’m certain it’s because they see a huge opportunity to make money as they watch adults turn this once innocuous platform for kids into a place where adults can aggressively spar and spit while sitting comfortably behind their computer screen or cell phone. As 2012 moves closer to elections, my guess is it will only get worse. My guess is that when it does, many adults and kids alike will begin to be more careful about who they “hang out” with…

© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

I often get asked, “How do you find your content to write your blogs and articles?”

The answer is simple. I pay attention and try to stay in the moment. If you’re creating intellectual property (IP for the rest of this article), then you need to find a way to use real-life, every day events that people can relate to as a metaphor for not-so-simple “stuff.”

Take Jerry Seinfeld. The dude made a boatload of money over 9 years making a television show about “nothing.” Add to it, that all of that material came from a highly successful comedy act, which he still uses today. Making money on “nothing.” That nothing, however, is what we deal with in our daily lives. One of my favorite episodes was when the gang lost Kramer’s car in the mall parking lot. An entire episode was dedicated to the goofy search for the car. How many of us have ever lost our car in a parking lot? I have…and recently at a grocery store when I realized that I have a new car and I should stop looking for the old one! That episode, as well as all the others take a real-life situation and engages the audience because we can relate.

If you follow my blog posts, my newsletters, and my speeches, you will hear stories about my dogs, my kids, my wife (although she scares me most so I have to be careful), my parents, my basketball coaching, my cooking, and my professional experiences. You’ve heard about me walking the dogs, moving furniture, burning my hand, hitting poor golf shots, and walking around New York City with $5,000 in cash. Why? Because you can relate to all of these things. They make the “stuff” I talk about – insurance, crisis leadership, risk management, executive leadership, and change management more palatable. I hope that when I draw a metaphor, the light goes on and you say “Ah Ha!”

So when you write your next blog post, article, or executive brief OR present your next speech or video, consider your uniqueness. As my professional mentor, Alan Weiss always says, there is nothing new under the sun. You’re methodology, theories, strategies, and the like are not necessarily new. However, you are unique and your experiences make your IP different from everyone else!

To create great IP, you have to add one key ingredient…YOU! Pay attention to your life. Don’t think nothing happens to you. It does. Be in the moment and find those crazy little things that make you chuckle or shake your head. Most likely, it’s the start of a great new story.

Now, if you only had a neighbor like Kramer…

© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

From my February newsletter – to subscribe, click here

Your Secret Sauce to Success: 
Re-Purposing

© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

Perspective on Life.

Joe Paterno

Legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno passed away over the weekend at the age of 85. Paterno was the head man at Penn State for over 40 years and built a legacy of greatness on and off the football field at Happy Valley over the years.

For many, especially without a lot of football history, they know Paterno as the coach fired abruptly in disgrace last November when it was revealed that a former assistant coach had allegedly abused children. There are still questions on what Paterno knew, when he knew, and what actions he took. On one of his final interviews, he acknowledges he felt he did the right thing, but in retrospect, he should have done more.

There are many ways people will view the life and legend of Paterno. I think I will choose to remember him as a man who had great impact on the lives of countless young men. Yes, I believe he made mistakes in the Jerry Sandusky situation. Yes, he should have done more. But in the end, when you take a look at the entire body of work, the final few pages of the last chapter should be viewed in perspective of the whole book.

How often do we judge people or issues based on a small sample set, rather than the entire body of work? The next time you have to, I hope you consider perspective in your decision.

This week’s quote – “Losing a game is heartbreaking. Losing your sense of excellence or worth is a tragedy.”  Joe Paterno

© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

Running the bases at Safeco. Somehow I got on base!

I just watched Moneyball last night. I am very familiar with Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics. My hometown team, the Seattle Mariners always seemed to have fits playing the A’s during the “Moneyball” years.

I know that “Hollywood” artistic license makes believing all that happened in the move in doubt. What can’t be doubted, however, is the concept of “Moneyball.” The concept is very simple. In order to win games in baseball, the number one key metric is scoring runs. In order to score runs, your players need to get on base. What Beane changed in the old school world of baseball executives and scouts was that he believed that he could find guys who were undervalued by other teams, but had skills to get on base a lot. He knew he could also sign them for virtually no money (in a professional sports definition). Beane was right. He took guys who didn’t exactly seem to fit together in a team, and used several key metrics (especially on-base percentage) to build a team that competed for championships with teams that outspent them by 4-5 times.

How does that apply to you as an insurance agency owner or company executive? You need people who can “get on base.”

You may have a lot of people on your team who pass the “eye test.” They look busy; they move a lot of paper; they work late; they always seem to be the hero. Here’s the problem. Very often, these people create their own inefficiencies. Maybe they spend too much time on social media, at the water cooler, or spending too much time on simple projects. Having too many of these “heroes” ends up meaning you aren’t productive, and you end up overpaying due to extra and overtime hours.

So what do you do? You need to set up metrics for your team. Just like Billy Beane used on-base percentage to evaluate hitters; and you have probably set up metrics for producers; you must do the same for your team. I’m not here to tell you what those metrics should be. You know your organization better. That being said, think outside the box. Maybe one of your metrics should be a different eye-test. Maybe one should be who leaves every night on time with the cleanest desk; with an e-mail Inbox that is caught up; and without a stack of to-dos in their desktop Inbox.

Just saying…

What if everyone on your team could literally walk out the door at 5:00 all caught up every day. How could that change your business?

But, that’s just me…

© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

Note: This is a new blog category for insurance professionals. As part of my 360, you will find a variety of categories on topics in which I work with clients. You may find that topics brought up in these sections apply to everyone.