Say “Yes Master” At Work: The Toyota Way, a Style of Learning on the Job

Perhaps we should be saying “Yes Master” at work more often!   It might make us better learners, better leaders, and a better functioning team.

“Yes Master” is derived from the idea of Sensei in the workplace model of The Toyota Way leadership model.  The Toyota Way is the title of a book and a management method based on a well known production system called Toyota Production System.  This book is a little dry in the writing, but contains some interesting insights into management practices at Toyota (and presumably in other Japanese companies).

The core idea of the Sensei in The Toyota Way is to match up a very experienced mentor to each and every employee (even the plant President).  This Sensei uses three phases of leadership to train you “on the job” at the Genba (work site).  The three phases might make one say “yes master” now and again.  The first phase is Cho: the practice principle.  Practice precisely the masters movements until you are proficient.  The next phase is Han: to work on your own only with occasional  oversight, but without variation from the Sensei’s method.  Finally, the Ri phase: to become so proficient as to be automatic, allows the student to begin to practice Kaizen , or continuous improvement towards perfection.  This cycle might be repeated many times in many different places for the Toyota leader.  And it is very humbling.  In some cases the Sensei would have the student stand in a white circle only to observe for a full day and write many, many Kaizen observations.

Can I really mean to implement “Yes Master” in the workplace?  Yes.  Imagine the level of respect being shown, and the amount of pride both master and student can share in success.  Yes. Imagine the simplicity of organizational structures.  Yes. Imagine the clarity of roles.  Yes. Imagine the humbling experience this would be for so many “Type-A” leaders.  Remember, even the President and CEO needs a Sensei.

To think one needs not a Sensei is hubris of the highest level.

Engineers hate “Pre-launch” activity.

Never tell an engineer that you are doing “pre-launch” marketing.  You will get anger, pleading, and hatred in ways you cannot imagine.  Why is this?  Why do engineers hate “pre-release” marketing activities?  And why do marketers love it?

Engineers hate it for an obvious reason: “what if that feature doesn’t work or live up to the hype?”  Fear of under-delivering is a healthy fear for your engineers, but it is also irrational.  If the product under-delivers, you’ve got bigger problems, usually, than the fact that you made bigger promises early.  My advice: deliver! Also commonly, engineers can’t understand the need for pre-launch buzz and hype. 
Marketers want pre-launch buzz and hype.  Why?  Three simple (and one sad) reason.
1. Sad reason: because many don’t know how to add much value in “pre-launch” phase.  It’s sad because there is much that can be done: competitive analysis, pricing studies, etc.  Those are not the sexy parts of marketing however, so they get “not done”, and pre-launch becomes the exciting focus.
2. Simple Reason: Economics.  Increase demand!  If you can get an early start on “creating unfulfilled demand” than when the product does launch, there will be a rush to buy and be proud you got one!
3. Simple Reason: Measure Demand.  If you do the buzz marketing, and get no buzz… you may have an issue (or need to tweak your marketing/positioning).
4. Simple Reason: Press.  Getting press involved early means getting 2 stories instead of just 1.  Without a pre-launch story, all you get (often) is the “launch” story.
Now get out there and “pre-launch” something!

Branding 101: What sets your Brand Apart?

Brand is one of those things many people (including engineers AND marketers) misunderstand.  Some think it is a color, a logo, a label, a trademark, a phrase or some combination.  It is not.  Brand is exactly this: what those who have heard of your product/company ‘think’ your product/company is about.  That’s it.

Where in the mind of your target audience does your company/product sit?
Which ‘mental filing cabinet’ do they put you in?
Can you influence it?

These questions have led to the development of most modern branding theory.  The answers may surprise you.

Learning where in the mind of your target audience your product lives is easy: just ask.  Ask your customers.  Ask them how you compare to competitors.  Ask them what they think.  http://surveymonkey.com can help.

The answers should let you see what kinds of filing cabinets exist (usually arranged in the minds of users by “Price”, “Value”, and “Quality”).  But can you get into a “New/Empty” filing cabinet?  Can you be the “most/best” of something, so your file comes up first in the mind?

Yes.

You can influence where in the mind your product lives.  To do this you must first really understand your product & your competitors products.  WHAT SETS YOUR BRAND APART?  What are you really special at?  Nothing?  Going to be hard to file you in a cabinet.  (no room for ‘not best at much’ category).

Figure it out or make it so.  Be the “most or best” at something.  Unequivocally.

Now how to brand it that way?   Exude your most-ness.  Your messaging should refer it.  Your graphics should bleed it.  You should get your customers give testimonials claiming it.  You should get reviews saying it.  You must emphasize at all times, you are the ‘most/best/only’ X.

Build that brand on top of your key distinguishing attribute.  Then stick to it.

Got a new version of the same product that is even more “mostness” of the same key benefit?  Fine.  Keep the same brand name.

Got a new product with different feature mix?  Fine.  Build a new brand! DO NOT extend your old brand.  Don’t even keep the company name unless you have to (see P&G, Kraft, etc.).  The new brand should exude it’s new uniqeness and key attribute.  (not attributes mind you).

Debate welcome below in comments.

Engineers Need to learn Diplomacy

Diplomacy is not just a great game from the 1950s, its also a vital skill, that so many engineers (myself included) lack proficiency in.    Sure we know what it means, we may even have the “theory“, but we suck at it.  We engineers are too “black and white”.  Diplomacy is not about black and white/right or wrong.  It’s about understanding and mutual benefit.  My recent read of How to Win Friends and Influence People has led me to start thinking hard about how I communicate with people.  Read on for some situations that may apply to you!

Here are some situations where Engineers have the wrong idea & how to correct them:

  1. “You are wrong, and I am right.”
    • Wrong!  (hehe, see I’m an engineer).  You can’t put the real world into right and wrong.  There are shades of gray.  
    • A better approach: “I’m sure there is much to your statement that is correct.  However, I have a slightly different understanding.  Lets discuss till we can at least see each others viewpoint.”
  2. “This is a negotiation, I will try to get what I want.”
    • Wrong!  A negotiation should be a mutual discussion to find where both parties can find benefit (1+1 = 3).
    • A better approach: “I would like to tell you what areas we really need, and where we can be flexible   If you can do the same, perhaps we can find some win-win agreement, or just move on otherwise”
  3. “This is a sale, I will try to sell the other person, by convincing them this is the best for them.”
    • Wrong! A Sale situation should be about “qualifying” the person, and truly helping them determine if the sale is right for them.  (they have to decide, you can only ask questions and point out benefits that are relevant to their situation).
    • A better approach: “We are a X company, and we help people with Y.  Do you have any problems with Y or would you like your Y to be better?  Maybe I can be helpful, but if not, no worries.”
  4. “This is a rule, do not break it.”
    • Wrong!  Rules are for science & children.  Being flexible to the situation and listening to peoples concerns is the diplomatic way.
    • A better approach: “I’d like to understand what happened better to see if this rule is still applicable, or if there is some situation where it is broken.”
  5.   “Why should I bother helping this person, when they are clearly incompetent?”
    • Wrong!  This one is hardest for me.  But diplomatic way would be to learn more about the incompetence to be able to prevent the problem in the future or create a learning system that fixes the incompetency.
    • A better approach: “I’d like to discuss the problem further and understand how you get here so I can prevent it from happening in the future.”
Can anyone recommend a good book on Diplomacy?
I think I can use a good refresher as well!

Got Marketing Questions? I’ll answer them here!

I know a lot of my blog readers already are marketers… but I would welcome questions from you or anyone.  Feel free to be specific with your situation/example.  If I’ve ever encountered a problem like yours (likely) I will answer it with an example from my past.  Are you an engineer-type?  My answers will be logical (hopefully), and use an engineering problem-solving methodology.   So, ask away.  Comment below, or message me… I’d love to learn more about your specific marketing challenges.  And remember, Marketing INCLUDES product design and development… so those questions are welcome too!

Father Forgets

I just started reading “How to win Friends and Influence People“, a book with an unfortunate title.. as it is not at all about “hucksterism” or “cheap ways to make friends” (unlike another book I am reading, “Never Eat Alone”.. more on that later).

Instead it is about character and psychology…  and it contains the readers digest version of Father Forgives by W. Livingston Larned.

PLEASE READ THIS if you haven’t.  It’s very good.

(Or click here to listen to it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEr6Ld-xQpM)

(text borrowed from here: http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~chrislw/dadforget.html)

Father Forgets

by W. Livingston Larned

Listen, son; I am saying this as you lie asleep, one little paw crumpled under your cheek and the blond curls stickily wet on your damp forehead. I have stolen into your room alone. Just a few minutes ago, as I sat reading my paper in the library, a stifling wave of remorse swept over me. Guiltily I came to your bedside.
There are things I was thinking, son: I had been cross to you. I scolded you as you were dressing for school because you gave your face merely a dab with a twoel. I took you to task for not cleaning your shoes. I called out angrily when you threw some of your things on the floor.

At breakfast I found fault, too. You spilled things. You gulped down your food. You put your elbows on the table. You spread butter too thick on your bread. And as you started off to play and I made for my train, you turned and waved a hand and called, “Goodbye, Daddy!” and I frowned, and said in reply, “Hold your shoulders back!”

Then it began all over again in the late afternoon. As I came Up the road, I spied you, down on your knees, playing marbles. There were holes in your stockings. I humiliated you before you boyfriends by marching you ahead of me to the house. Stockings were expensive – and if you had to buy them you would be more careful! Imagine that, son, form a father!

Do you remember, later, when I was reading in the library, how you came in timidly, with a sort of hurt look in your eyes? When I glanced up over my paper, impatient at the interruption, you hesitated at the door. “What is it you want?” I snapped.

You said nothing, but ran across in one tempestuous plunge, and threw your arms around my neck and kissed me, and your small arms tightened with an affection that God had set blooming in your heart and which even neglect could not wither. And then you were gone, pattering up the stairs.
Well, son, it was shortly afterwards that my paper slipped from my hands and a terrible sickening fear came over me. What has habit been doing to me? The habit of finding fault, of reprimanding – this was my reward to your for being a boy. It was not that I did not love you; it was that I expected too muchof youth. I was measuring you by the yardstick of my own years.

And there was so much that was good and fine and true in yourcharacter. The little heart of you was as big as the dawn itself overthe wide hills. This was shown by your spontaneous impulse to rush in and kiss me good night. Nothing else matters tonight, son. I have come to your bedside in the darkness, and I have knelt there, ashamed!

It is a feeble atonement; I know you would not understand these things if I told them to you during your waking hours. But tomorrow I will be a real daddy! I will chum with you, and suffer when you suffer, and laugh when you alugh. I will bite my tongue when impatient words come. I will keep saying as if it were a ritual: “He is nothing buy a boy – a little boy!”

I am afraid I have visualized you as a man. Yet as I see you now, son, crumpled and weary in your cot, I see that you are still a baby. Yesterday you were in your mother’s arms, your head on her shoulder. I have asked too much, too much.

Manufacturer Coupons

If you are a marketer, and you sell products at retail, you might have wondered: “how do I make a manufacturer coupon that works for any retailer?”  The answer is quite complex, but I’ve figured it out.. and here are my instructions/thoughts:

1. Get a GS-1 barcode.  You’ll have to have an approved GS-1 Prefix (ID) number.  http://www.gs1.org/

2. Your products should have a GS-1 barcode on them.  Start grouping your products with the 3-digit group id.  (Products around the same brand or price can be grouped for example).

3. Your coupons will use that same GS-1 Prefix.

4. Find a Coupon Design shop… (here is my favorite: http://couponsindemand.com/  Small company, but great service!).  Got a big budget or making a LOT of coupons?  Go to: http://coupons.com  (expensive but good in volume).

5. Build a coupon!  (use their wizard, as understanding the GS1 codes is not easy!).

6. Get (or borrow) some legal text for the front of your coupon… (example: look at any other MFG coupon, and ‘borrow’ the legal verbs from it).

7. Test the coupon!  (be sure to put your street address where the coupon can be redeemed).

8. IF you don’t want to handle processing coupons yourself, get a “clearing house” to do it for you… this is the best one for small companies:  
http://www.mpspromotions.com/ 

9. Good to go!

It really is that easy to do MFG coupons.  You might get some flack from your retailers, so giving them a heads-up is a good idea.  But in general, coupons can be a great thing to reward or motivate your loyal customers or get some new people to try your products.

Is Zynga Marketing Dumb?

The short answer is yes.  The longer answer is yes… but it’s complicated!  A good friend of mine recently blogged that he thinks Zynga Marketing is failing because they don’t adjust pricing in a failing game.  I disagree with this statement, although he is on to something (but the problem is bigger).  Pricing is extremely complicated in social games and is based on strategy: so changing pricing at the whims of players is bad.  That said, there is a problem at Zynga with their marketing, and I’ll tell you what it is.

I’ve been in Social Network marketing since 2008, running my own business Karmaback, and recently joined venture form Creeris Ventures where I have been (and still am) consulting by running Marketing at Night Owl Games (Dungeon Overlord is the free game I run).  Anyways, in my experience in social games, the key to marketing is: 1.) know your target customer. and then 2.) MEASURE everything.

So what is Zynga doing wrong?  I’m not sure, I don’t have their data… but I think I know what is going on.  They are doing a classic mistake with branding: “Line Extensions”.  So many executives think that “we can leverage the brand we built by doing a new kind of thing with the brand.”  This is flawed thinking.  Re-using the brand to target the same customers with almost the same thing is usually fine and good.. but using the brand for a NEW product/game/service/model/target customer is bound to fail.  Colgate frozen dinners anyone?

With Zynga, their problem is not making a Pay-to-Play game and sticking to it… their problem is trying to extend the Zynga brand into pay-to-play.  The need to create a new company/brand that caters to “hardcore” gamers or gamers that are willing to pay more to play more type… Then the new brand can focus on games like that.

So, Zynga, get a clue.  Stick Zynga in your brand closet and keep it for “Ville” type games.  You need to build a NEW brand if you want to make different kinds of games for new markets and players.

Better Work Through MORE Willpower.

In business and in life, we all struggle with Willpower.  Willpower, as described in The Willpower Instinct by Dr. Kelly McGonigal, Ph.d, an amazingly awesome book, is both the iWant power (wanting to do/get/be something) and iWont power (wanting to stop doing/getting/being something).  In business, this is usually doing the “hard work” that will actually make a difference.  In Marketing, for example, it means ‘actually talking to customers (some say yick!)’… or stopping  the ‘usual marketing we always do’… or ‘killing that poor product/brand’.  THIS BOOK is the definitive resource for improving your Willpower (both iWant and iWont).   If you want to lose weight, be more productive, be a better person, or whatever you “want”… READ THIS BOOK NOW!  I, for example, WANT to write a non-fiction book about marketing.  Ironically, this book is so rich and filled with examples and real studies, I think I may ‘use’ this book for iWant power, AND ‘use’ this book as a guideline for how to write non-fiction.  I should mention I do not know the author personally… but I would love to do one of Dr. McGonigal’s seminars.

So, what did I get out of this book?  Here’s a few takeaways…  I’ve ordered a physical copy too, so I can better quote the book and use it as a writing reference (since I only read this on Audible so far).

  1. Meditation Increases Willpower.  
    • (the simple kind, where for 5-10min a day, you just relax and ‘not think’, but listen to your breathing)…
    • (also, get enough sleep/and eat healthy.. it increases willpower (really))
  2. Forgiveness Increases Willpower.  
    • (learn to forgive yourself!  based on Scientific research, forgiving your splurge will be MORE impact-full than punishing/blaming yourself!).
  3. Find a way to Motivate Yourself.
    • The Chance of a Random Reward drives Willpower.
    • (give yourself random rewards for successes, think of the goal/future self).
    • (lotto tickets as a reward).
  4. Social Pressure Fuels Willpower (and Weakness).  
    • (stay away from social settings that might make you lose in your willpower goal.  Find mentors or sponsors who support your goal.  Make your goal public.)
  5. Think of your “Future” Self. 
    • (just thinking about your future self leads to greater power for iWant or iWont).
  6. Don’t try to Suppress Thoughts/Cravings. 
    • (when you try ‘not’ to think of something, you end up thinking more of it… when you try to reject bad thoughts, you have them more and worse… in both case you ACT on them more.  Instead, “accept” the thoughts, and then accept that you can control your actions.)
  7. Change iWont into iWant.  
    • (iWant power is easier than iWont.  Dieting does NOT work.  Wanting to eat ‘more’ of healthy foods does!).
Here’s a great video by Dr. McGonigal about Willpower:

Colors and Styles

One of the big challenges of marketing is dealing with different people’s opinions about color and style.  “I like it blue.”  “No, I want it rounder.”  “That Font is too hard to read.”   All of this is, of course, opinion.  So, how do you choose?  How do you deal with this conflict the best possible way?

In my experience, the best outcomes happen when the marketer takes feedback from everyone, listens closely for “real problems”.  Then, chooses 1 person to give complete control of the color/style/design.  That person should come from a design background/school.  If there is noone on your team that has that background (such as Art School), then trust the instincts of your art contractors (or hire one!).

You cannot accept the opinions of untrained people over that of seasoned professionals whose job it is to make stuff look good!