Some people regard discipline as a chore. For me, it is a kind of order that sets me free to fly.
                                                Julie Andrews

Great things in business are never done by one person.
                                                Steve Jobs

Scaling Up Virtual Master Class – 3-Hours Each Day -- Dec 14 & 15
Energize and prepare for 2023 by having you and your team review the fundamentals of Scaling Up. Verne will lead a 3-hour session Dec 14 and 3 hours Dec 15 (with a 90-minute CEO-only session Dec 13). Over 80,000 firms are using our tools to scale with less drama, like the following firm which jump-started their use of our tools at a similar workshop (in person vs. virtual). For more info and to sign-up you and your team, go to this link.

Family Biz Scales from $100 million to $650 Million (Scaling Up Case Study) 
This Scaleups.com article details how Master Electronics, founded in 1967, scaled significantly using our tools. This Phoenix-based firm sells products that facilitate human-machine communication. A family affair, founder Ike Nizam and his two sons Riad (President) and Jamal (CEO), first learned about Rockefeller Habits at a 3-day YPO-hosted training event in 2013. At the time $100 million, they aimed to professionalize the firm, setting a BHAG of $250 million. Less than a decade later they have crushed that goal, surpassing $650 million. Please take 2-minutes to read what worked best in driving this scale!

“Winning Loose” – Setting Priorities
Ike and his sons came up with a clever way to set priorities. Notes the article: 

“To set priorities, they used the concept of “winning loose.” “It’s a way to rank priorities, and see if they make sense to tackle,” Riad explains. “There’s a scale of what is the impact from 1-10? How hard is it to execute from 1-10? The goal is to do things that are a 7 or above in impact, but a 7 and below in terms of how hard they are. That helps us prioritize the important things we are going to do. It’s very, very effective.”

They have also focused on hiring and supporting A-players by creating a high-performance, high-reward culture. It’s the idea of having less people paid more than a bunch of people paid less. Please take 2-minutes to read the details (Jean, same link) and discuss which of their ideas you’ll use to scale your firm.

Richard Branson – Keys to Focus 
I just discovered this “Ask Richard” piece which appeared a year ago. Richard Branson addresses two critical questions: how to balance creative thinking (lots of ideas) and focus; and is EQ or IQ more critical? To address the first, Richard details 4 ways he focuses his efforts – please take 1-minute to scan that list in the article. What feeds that process is lots of lists. Write everything down you’re thinking of (calms your brain) and then determine the next best small tasks to move the initiatives forward. This is how you accomplish a wide range of things, like Branson, during a normal day.

Richard Branson -- EQ vs. IQ
Richard’s answer to the second question: 

EQ vs IQ. In short, I think being emotionally intelligent is more important in every aspect of life – and this includes business. Being a good listener, finding empathy, understanding emotions, communicating effectively, treating people well, and bringing out the best is critical to success. It will also help you build a business that really understands people and solve their problems, and it will make for a happier and healthier team too.

Enough said!! The key is getting the coaching you need to master the six behaviors he lists. Hard to do it on your own. Again, please take 2-minutes to read his great reminders of focus and EQ. Thank you to Steelcase executive Bob Hendriksen for sharing.

Diligent Robotics Tackles Nurse Burnout
Technology’s main role is to reduce the “administrivia/routine” of human jobs. This Fortune article details the role of robots in assisting nurses at major hospitals – delivering samples to the lab and meds to the nurse. This gives the nurse more time to focus on the patients. Vivian Chu is the founder of Austin-based Diligent Robotics – enjoy this quick article – then meet with your team to list the simple yet time-consuming aspects of your peoples’ jobs – and find technologies to handle these routine tasks.

Weekend Countdown – 1-Minute of Wisdom
Enjoy this kickoff to your weekend – some bits of wisdom from a fresh set of wise teachers, updated each weekend.
https://vimeo.com/showcase/weekendcountdown

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

Better Book Club â€“
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Melbourne, Australia – Nov 29, 2022 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Nov 30, 2022 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 1, 2022(Virtual)
Wilmington, NC - Dec 2, 2022 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Jan 20, 2023 (In-Person & Virtual options)
Ann Arbor, MI – Jan 26, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Feb 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia - Feb 9 - 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Washington, DC – Feb 21, 2023
Annapolis, MD – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)

COACHING: 
Now is the time to start planning for a strong Q4 and 2023. Implementing Scaling Up is not an overnight process but you can see quick wins if you know where to start. Our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance Program. Using our custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, we can match you with the right coach to help you scale faster.

We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. CLICK HERE! Or check out our FAQs.Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com.

Become an Authority and Reduce Your Marketing Investment
Top leaders know that branding is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Becoming an authority means you and your brand are synonymous with trust and confidence. Growing brand equity translates to greater pricing power and the ability to reduce marketing costs. If you’re interested in proven strategies to help outflank your competition and grow your audience, request a free copy of Authority Marketing. 

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

Better Book Club â€“
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

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