Rework ( PDFDrive )

["Resumes\tare\tridiculous We\t all\t know\t resumes\t are\t a\t joke.\t They're\t exaggerations.\t They're\t filled\t with \\\"action\t verbs\\\"\t that\t don't\t mean\t anything.\t They\t list\t job\t titles\t and\t responsibilities that\tare\tvaguely\taccurate\tat\tbest.\tAnd\tthere's\tno\tway\tto\tverify\tmost\tof\twhat's\ton there.\tThe\twhole\tthing\tis\ta\tfarce. Worst\t of\t all,\t they're\t too\t easy.\t Anyone\t can\t create\t a\t decent-enough\t resume. That's\t why\t half-assed\t applicants\t love\t them\t so\t much.\t They\t can\t shotgun\t out hundreds\tat\ta\ttime\tto\tpotential\temployers.\tIt's\tanother\tform\tof\tspam.\tThey\tdon't care\tabout\tlanding\tyour\tjob;\tthey\tjust\tcare\tabout\tlanding\tany\tjob. If\tsomeone\tsends\tout\ta\tresume\tto\tthree\thundred\tcompanies,\tthat's\ta\thuge\tred flag\t right\t there.\t There's\t no\t way\t that\t applicant\t has\t researched\t you.\t There's\t no way\the\tknows\twhat's\tdifferent\tabout\tyour\tcompany. If\t you\t hire\t based\t on\t this\t garbage,\t you're\t missing\t the\t point\t of\t what\t hiring\t is about.\tYou\twant\ta\tspecific\tcandidate\twho\tcares\tspecifically\tabout\tyour\tcompany, your\tproducts,\tyour\tcustomers,\tand\tyour\tjob. So\t how\t do\t you\t find\t these\t candidates?\t First\t step:\t Check\t the\t cover\t letter.\t In\t a cover\t letter,\t you\t get\t actual\t communication\t instead\t of\t a\t list\t of\t skills,\t verbs,\t and years\t of\t irrelevance.\t There's\t no\t way\t an\t applicant\t can\t churn\t out\t hundreds\t of personalized\t letters.\t That's\t why\t the\t cover\t letter\t is\t a\t much\t better\t test\t than\t a resume.\t You\t hear\t someone's\t actual\t voice\t and\t are\t able\t recognize\t if\t it's\t in\t tune with\tyou\tand\tyour\tcompany. Trust\t your\t gut\t reaction.\t If\t the\t first\t paragraph\t sucks,\t the\t second\t has\t to\t work that\tmuch\tharder.\tIf\tthere's\tno\thook\tin\tthe\tfirst\tthree,\tit's\tunlikely\tthere's\ta\tmatch there.\t On\t the\t other\t hand,\t if\t your\t gut\t is\t telling\t you\t there's\t a\t chance\t at\t a\t real match,\tthen\tmove\ton\tto\tthe\tinterview\tstage.","","Years\tof\tirrelevance We've\t all\t seen\t job\t ads\t that\t say,\t \\\"Five\t years\t of\t experience\t required.\\\"\t That\t may give\tyou\ta\tnumber,\tbut\tit\ttells\tyou\tnothing. Of\t course,\t requiring\t some\t baseline\t level\t of\t experience\t can\t be\t a\t good\t idea when\t hiring.\t It\t makes\t sense\t to\t go\t after\t candidates\t with\t six\t months\t to\t a\t year\t of experience.\t It\t takes\t that\t long\t to\t internalize\t the\t idioms,\t learn\t how\t things\t work, understand\tthe\trelevant\ttools,\tetc. But\t after\t that,\t the\t curve\t flattens\t out.\t There's\t surprisingly\t little\t difference between\ta\tcandidate\twith\tsix\tmonths\tof\texperience\tand\tone\twith\tsix\tyears.\tThe real\t difference\t comes\t from\t the\t individual's\t dedication,\t personality,\t and intelligence. How\t do\t you\t really\t measure\t this\t stuff\t anyway?\t What\t does\t five\t years\t of experience\t mean?\t If\t you\t spent\t a\t couple\t of\t weekends\t experimenting\t with something\ta\tfew\tyears\tback,\tcan\tyou\tcount\tthat\tas\ta\tyear\tof\texperience?\tHow\tis a\tcompany\tsupposed\tto\tverify\tthese\tclaims?\tThese\tare\tmurky\twaters. How\t long\t someone's\t been\t doing\t it\t is\t overrated.\t What\t matters\t is\t how\t well they've\tbeen\tdoing\tit.","Forget\tabout\tformal\teducation I\thave\tnever\tlet\tmy\tschooling interfere\twith\tmy\teducation. --MARK\tTWAIN There\t are\t plenty\t of\t companies\t out\t there\t who\t have\t educational\t requirements. They'll\tonly\thire\tpeople\twith\ta\tcollege\tdegree\t(sometimes\tin\ta\tspecific\tfield)\tor an\tadvanced\tdegree\tor\ta\tcertain\tGPA\tor\tcertification\tof\tsome\tsort\tor\tsome\tother requirement. Come\t on.\t There\t are\t plenty\t of\t intelligent\t people\t who\t don't\t excel\t in\t the classroom.\tDon't\tfall\tinto\tthe\ttrap\tof\tthinking\tyou\tneed\tsomeone\tfrom\tone\tof\tthe \\\"best\\\"\tschools\tin\torder\tto\tget\tresults.\tNinety\tpercent\tof\tCEOs\tcurrently\theading the\ttop\tfive\thundred\tAmerican\tcompanies\tdid\tnot\treceive\tundergraduate\tdegrees from\t Ivy\t League\t colleges.\t In\t fact,\t more\t received\t their\t undergraduate\t degrees from\t the\t University\t of\t Wisconsin\t than\t from\t Harvard\t (the\t most\t heavily represented\tIvy\tschool,\twith\tnine\tCEOs).* Too\t much\t time\t in\t academia\t can\t actually\t do\t you\t harm.\t Take\t writing,\t for example.\tWhen\tyou\tget\tout\tof\tschool,\tyou\thave\tto\tunlearn\tso\tmuch\tof\tthe\tway they\t teach\t you\t to\t write\t there.\t Some\t of\t the\t misguided\t lessons\t you\t learn\t in academia: The\tlonger\ta\tdocument\tis,\tthe\tmore\tit\tmatters. Stiff,\tformal\ttone\tis\tbetter\tthan\tbeing\tconversational. Using\tbig\twords\tis\timpressive. You\tneed\tto\twrite\ta\tcertain\tnumber\tof\twords\tor\tpages\tto\tmake\ta\tpoint. The\tformat\tmatters\tas\tmuch\t(or\tmore)\tthan\tthe\tcontent\tof\twhat\tyou\twrite. It's\t no\t wonder\t so\t much\t business\t writing\t winds\t up\t dry,\t wordy,\t and\t dripping with\t nonsense.\t People\t are\t just\t continuing\t the\t bad\t habits\t they\t picked\t up\t in school.\t It's\t not\t just\t academic\t writing,\t either.\t There\t are\t a\t lot\t of\t skills\t that\t are useful\tin\tacademia\tthat\taren't\tworth\tmuch\toutside\tof\tit. Bottom\t line:\t The\t pool\t of\t great\t candidates\t is\t far\t bigger\t than\t just\t people\t who completed\t college\t with\t a\t stellar\t GPA.\t Consider\t dropouts,\t people\t who\t had\t low GPAs,\t community-college\t students,\t and\t even\t those\t who\t just\t went\t to\t high school.","","Everybody\tworks With\t a\t small\t team,\t you\t need\t people\t who\t are\t going\t to\t do\t work,\t not\t delegate work.\tEveryone's\tgot\tto\tbe\tproducing.\tNo\tone\tcan\tbe\tabove\tthe\twork. That\tmeans\tyou\tneed\tto\tavoid\thiring\tdelegators,\tthose\tpeople\twho\tlove\ttelling others\t what\t to\t do.\t Delegators\t are\t dead\t weight\t for\t a\t small\t team.\t They\t clog\t the pipes\tfor\tothers\tby\tcoming\tup\twith\tbusywork.\tAnd\twhen\tthey\trun\tout\tof\twork\tto assign,\tthey\tmake\tup\tmore--regardless\tof\twhether\tit\tneeds\tto\tbe\tdone. Delegators\t love\t to\t pull\t people\t into\t meetings,\t too.\t In\t fact,\t meetings\t are\t a delegator's\t best\t friend.\t That's\t where\t he\t gets\t to\t seem\t important.\t Meanwhile, everyone\telse\twho\tattends\tis\tpulled\taway\tfrom\tgetting\treal\twork\tdone.","","Hire\tmanagers\tof\tone Managers\t of\t one\t are\t people\t who\t come\t up\t with\t their\t own\t goals\t and\t execute them.\tThey\tdon't\tneed\theavy\tdirection.\tThey\tdon't\tneed\tdaily\tcheck-ins.\tThey\tdo what\t a\t manager\t would\t do--set\t the\t tone,\t assign\t items,\t determine\t what\t needs\t to get\tdone,\tetc.--but\tthey\tdo\tit\tby\tthemselves\tand\tfor\tthemselves. These\tpeople\tfree\tyou\tfrom\toversight.\tThey\tset\ttheir\town\tdirection.\tWhen\tyou leave\t them\t alone,\t they\t surprise\t you\t with\t how\t much\t they've\t gotten\t done.\t They don't\tneed\ta\tlot\tof\thand-holding\tor\tsupervision. How\tcan\tyou\tspot\tthese\tpeople?\tLook\tat\ttheir\tbackgrounds.\tThey\thave\tset\tthe tone\tfor\thow\tthey've\tworked\tat\tother\tjobs.\tThey've\trun\tsomething\ton\ttheir\town or\tlaunched\tsome\tkind\tof\tproject. You\t want\t someone\t who's\t capable\t of\t building\t something\t from\t scratch\t and seeing\tit\tthrough.\tFinding\tthese\tpeople\tfrees\tthe\trest\tof\tyour\tteam\tto\twork\tmore and\tmanage\tless.","","Hire\tgreat\twriters If\t you\t are\t trying\t to\t decide\t among\t a\t few\t people\t to\t fill\t a\t position,\t hire\t the\t best writer.\t It\t doesn't\t matter\t if\t that\t person\t is\t a\t marketer,\t salesperson,\t designer, programmer,\tor\twhatever;\ttheir\twriting\tskills\twill\tpay\toff. That's\tbecause\tbeing\ta\tgood\twriter\tis\tabout\tmore\tthan\twriting.\tClear\twriting\tis a\t sign\t of\t clear\t thinking.\t Great\t writers\t know\t how\t to\t communicate.\t They\t make things\t easy\t to\t understand.\t They\t can\t put\t themselves\t in\t someone\t else's\t shoes. They\tknow\twhat\tto\tomit.\tAnd\tthose\tare\tqualities\tyou\twant\tin\tany\tcandidate. Writing\tis\tmaking\ta\tcomeback\tall\tover\tour\tsociety.\tLook\tat\thow\tmuch\tpeople e-mail\t and\t text-message\t now\t rather\t than\t talk\t on\t the\t phone.\t Look\t at\t how\t much communication\t happens\t via\t instant\t messaging\t and\t blogging.\t Writing\t is\t today's currency\tfor\tgood\tideas.","The\tbest\tare\teverywhere It's\t crazy\t not\t to\t hire\t the\t best\t people\t just\t because\t they\t live\t far\t away.\t Especially now\tthat\tthere's\tso\tmuch\ttechnology\tout\tthere\tmaking\tit\teasier\tto\tbring\teveryone together\tonline. Our\t headquarters\t are\t in\t Chicago,\t but\t more\t than\t half\t of\t our\t team\t lives elsewhere.\tWe've\tgot\tpeople\tin\tSpain,\tCanada,\tIdaho,\tOklahoma,\tand\telsewhere. Had\twe\tlimited\tour\tsearch\tonly\tto\tpeople\tin\tChicago,\twe\twould\thave\tmissed\tout on\thalf\tof\tthe\tgreat\tpeople\twe\thave. To\tmake\tsure\tyour\tremote\tteam\tstays\tin\ttouch,\thave\tat\tleast\ta\tfew\thours\ta\tday of\treal-time\toverlap.\tWorking\tin\ttime\tzones\twhere\tthere's\tno\tworkday\toverlap\tat all\tis\ttough.\tIf\tyou\tface\tthat\tsituation,\tsomeone\tmight\tneed\tto\tshift\thours\ta\tbit\tso they\tstart\ta\tlittle\tlater\tor\tearlier\tin\tthe\tday,\tso\tyou're\tavailable\tat\tthe\tsame\ttime. You\t don't\t need\t eight\t hours\t of\t overlap,\t though.\t (Actually,\t we've\t found\t it preferable\tto\tnot\thave\tcomplete\toverlap--you\tget\tmore\talone\ttime\tthat\tway.)\tTwo to\tfour\thours\tof\toverlap\tshould\tbe\tplenty. Also,\tmeet\tin\tperson\tonce\tin\ta\twhile.\tYou\tshould\tsee\teach\tother\tat\tleast\tevery few\t months.\t We\t make\t sure\t our\t whole\t team\t gets\t together\t a\t few\t times\t a\t year. These\t are\t great\t times\t to\t review\t progress,\t discuss\t what's\t going\t right\tor\twrong, plan\tfor\tthe\tfuture,\tand\tget\treacquainted\twith\tone\tanother\ton\ta\tpersonal\tlevel. Geography\t just\t doesn't\t matter\t anymore.\t Hire\t the\t best\t talent,\t regardless\t of where\tit\tis.","","Test-drive\temployees Interviews\tare\tonly\tworth\tso\tmuch.\tSome\tpeople\tsound\tlike\tpros\tbut\tdon't\twork like\tpros.\tYou\tneed\tto\tevaluate\tthe\twork\tthey\tcan\tdo\tnow,\tnot\tthe\twork\tthey\tsay they\tdid\tin\tthe\tpast. The\t best\t way\t to\t do\t that\t is\t to\t actually\t see\t them\t work.\t Hire\t them\t for\t a miniproject,\teven\tif\tit's\tfor\tjust\ttwenty\tor\tforty\thours.\tYou'll\tsee\thow\tthey\tmake decisions.\tYou'll\tsee\tif\tyou\tget\talong.\tYou'll\tsee\twhat\tkind\tof\tquestions\tthey\task. You'll\tget\tto\tjudge\tthem\tby\ttheir\tactions\tinstead\tof\tjust\ttheir\twords. You\t can\t even\t make\t up\t a\t fake\t project.\t In\t a\t factory\t in\t South\t Carolina,\t BMW built\t a\t simulated\t assembly\t line\t where\t job\t candidates\t get\t ninety\t minutes\t to perform\ta\tvariety\tof\twork-related\ttasks.* Cessna,\tthe\tairplane\tmanufacturer,\thas\ta\trole-playing\texercise\tfor\tprospective managers\t that\t simulates\t the\t day\t of\t an\t executive.\t Candidates\t work\t through memos,\t deal\t with\t (phony)\t irate\t customers,\t and\t handle\t other\t problems.\t Cessna has\thired\tmore\tthan\ta\thundred\tpeople\tusing\tthis\tsimulation.+ These\t companies\t have\t realized\t that\t when\t you\t get\t into\t a\t real\t work environment,\t the\t truth\t comes\t out.\t It's\t one\t thing\t to\t look\t at\t a\t portfolio,\t read\t a resume,\tor\tconduct\tan\tinterview.\tIt's\tanother\tto\tactually\twork\twith\tsomeone. \t *Carol\t Hymowitz,\t \\\"Any\t College\t Will\t Do,\\\"\t Wall\t Street\t Journal,\t Sept.\t 18, 2006,\tonline.wsj.com\/article\/SB115853818747665842.html \t *Peter\t Carbonara,\t \\\"Hire\t for\t Attitude,\t Train\t for\t Skill,\\\"\t Fast\t Company,\t Dec. 18,\t2007,\twww.fastcompany.com\/magazine\/04\/hiring.html \t +Ibid.","CHAPTER DAMAGE\tCONTROL","Own\tyour\tbad\tnews When\tsomething\tgoes\twrong,\tsomeone\tis\tgoing\tto\ttell\tthe\tstory.\tYou'll\tbe\tbetter off\t if\t it's\t you.\t Otherwise,\t you\t create\t an\t opportunity\t for\t rumors,\t hearsay,\t and false\tinformation\tto\tspread. When\tsomething\tbad\thappens,\ttell\tyour\tcustomers\t(even\tif\tthey\tnever\tnoticed in\tthe\tfirst\tplace).\tDon't\tthink\tyou\tcan\tjust\tsweep\tit\tunder\tthe\trug.\tYou\tcan't\thide anymore.\tThese\tdays,\tsomeone\telse\twill\tcall\tyou\ton\tit\tif\tyou\tdon't\tdo\tit\tyourself. They'll\tpost\tabout\tit\tonline\tand\teveryone\twill\tknow.\tThere\tare\tno\tmore\tsecrets. People\t will\t respect\t you\t more\t if\t you\t are\t open,\t honest,\t public,\t and\t responsive during\ta\tcrisis.\tDon't\thide\tbehind\tspin\tor\ttry\tto\tkeep\tyour\tbad\tnews\ton\tthe\tdown low.\tYou\twant\tyour\tcustomers\tto\tbe\tas\tinformed\tas\tpossible. Back\tin\t1989,\tthe\tExxon\tValdez\toil\ttanker\tspilled\t11\tmillion\tgallons\tof\toil\tinto Alaska's\tPrince\tWilliam\tSound.\tExxon\tmade\tthe\tmistake\tof\twaiting\ta\tlong\ttime before\tresponding\tto\tthe\tspill\tand\tsending\taid\tto\tAlaska.\tExxon's\tchairman\tfailed to\t go\t there\t until\t two\t weeks\t after\t the\t spill.\t The\t company\t held\t news\t briefings\t in Valdez,\t a\t remote\t Alaskan\t town\t that\t was\t difficult\t for\t the\t press\t to\t reach.\t The result:\t a\t PR\t disaster\t for\t Exxon\t that\t led\t the\t public\t to\t believe\t the\t company\t was either\thiding\tsomething\tor\tdidn't\treally\tcare\tabout\twhat\thad\thappened.* Contrast\t that\t Exxon\t story\t to\t the\t rupture\t of\t an\t Ashland\t Oil\t storage\t tank\t that spilled\t oil\t into\t a\t river\t near\t Pittsburgh\t around\t the\t same\t time.\t Ashland\t Oil's chairman,\tJohn\tHall,\twent\tto\tthe\tscene\tof\tthe\tAshland\tspill\tand\ttook\tcharge.\tHe pledged\t to\t clean\t everything\t up.\t He\t visited\t news\t bureaus\t to\t explain\t what\t the company\t would\t do\t and\t answer\t any\t questions.\t Within\t a\t day,\t he\t had\t shifted\t the story\tfrom\ta\trotten-oil-company-does-evil\tnarrative\tto\ta\tgood-oil-company-tries- to-clean-up\tstory.\t+ Here\tare\tsome\ttips\ton\thow\tyou\tcan\town\tthe\tstory: The\t message\t should\t come\t from\t the\t top.\t The\t highest-ranking\t person available\tshould\ttake\tcontrol\tin\ta\tforceful\tway. Spread\t the\t message\t far\t and\t wide.\t Use\t whatever\t megaphone\t you\t have. Don't\ttry\tto\tsweep\tit\tunder\tthe\trug. \\\"No\tcomment\\\"\tis\tnot\tan\toption. Apologize\t the\t way\t a\t real\t person\t would\t and\t explain\t what\t happened\t in detail. Honestly\tbe\tconcerned\tabout\tthe\tfate\tof\tyour\tcustomers--then\tprove\tit.","","Speed\tchanges\teverything \\\"Your\t call\t is\t very\t important\t to\t us.\t We\t appreciate\t your\t patience.\t The\t average hold\ttime\tright\tnow\tis\tsixteen\tminutes.\\\"\tGive\tme\ta\tfucking\tbreak. Getting\t back\t to\t people\t quickly\t is\t probably\t the\t most\t important\t thing\t you\t can do\twhen\tit\tcomes\tto\tcustomer\tservice.\tIt's\tamazing\thow\tmuch\tthat\tcan\tdefuse\ta bad\tsituation\tand\tturn\tit\tinto\ta\tgood\tone. Have\tyou\tever\tsent\tan\te-mail\tand\tit\ttook\tdays\tor\tweeks\tfor\tthe\tcompany\tto\tget back\t to\t you?\t How\t did\t it\t make\t you\t feel?\t These\t days,\t that's\t what\t people\t have come\t to\t expect.\t They're\t used\t to\t being\t put\t on\t hold.\t They're\t used\t to\t platitudes about\t\\\"caring\\\"\tthat\taren't\tbacked\tup. That's\twhy\tso\tmany\tsupport\tqueries\tstart\toff\twith\tan\tantagonistic\ttone.\tSome people\tmay\teven\tmake\tthreats\tor\tcall\tyou\tnames.\tDon't\ttake\tit\tpersonally.\tThey think\tthat's\tthe\tonly\tway\tto\tbe\theard.\tThey're\tonly\ttrying\tto\tbe\ta\tsqueaky\twheel in\thopes\tit'll\tget\tthem\ta\tlittle\tgrease. Once\tyou\tanswer\tquickly,\tthey\tshift\t180\tdegrees.\tThey\tlight\tup.\tThey\tbecome extra\tpolite.\tOften\tthey\tthank\tyou\tprofusely. It's\tespecially\ttrue\tif\tyou\toffer\ta\tpersonal\tresponse.\tCustomers\tare\tso\tused\tto canned\tanswers,\tyou\tcan\treally\tdifferentiate\tyourself\tby\tanswering\tthoughtfully and\tshowing\tthat\tyou're\tlistening.\tAnd\teven\tif\tyou\tdon't\thave\ta\tperfect\tanswer, say\t something.\t \\\"Let\t me\t do\t some\t research\t and\t get\t back\t to\t you\\\"\t can\t work wonders.","","How\tto\tsay\tyou're\tsorry There's\t never\t really\t a\t great\t way\t to\t say\t you're\t sorry,\t but\t there\t are\t plenty\t of terrible\tways. One\t of\t the\t worst\t ways\t is\t the\t non-apology\t apology,\t which\t sounds\t like\t an apology\t but\t doesn't\t really\t accept\t any\t blame.\t For\t example,\t \\\"We're\t sorry\t if\t this upset\t you.\\\"\t Or\t \\\"I'm\t sorry\t that\t you\t don't\t feel\t we\t lived\t up\t to\t your\t expectations.\\\" Whatever. A\tgood\tapology\taccepts\tresponsibility.\tIt\thas\tno\tconditional\tif\tphrase\tattached. It\t shows\tpeople\t that\tthe\tbuck\tstops\twith\tyou.\tAnd\tthen\tit\tprovides\treal\tdetails about\twhat\thappened\tand\twhat\tyou're\tdoing\tto\tprevent\tit\tfrom\thappening\tagain. And\tit\tseeks\ta\tway\tto\tmake\tthings\tright. Here's\t another\t bad\t one:\t \\\"We\t apologize\t for\t any\t inconvenience\t this\t may\t have caused.\\\"\tOh,\tplease.\tLet's\tbreak\tdown\twhy\tthat's\tbad: \\\"We\tapologize\t...\\\"\tIf\tyou\tspilled\tcoffee\ton\tsomeone\twhile\triding\tthe\tsubway, would\t you\t say,\t \\\"I\t apologize\\\"?\t No,\t you'd\t say,\t \\\"I'm\t so,\t so\t sorry!\\\"\t Well,\t if\t your service\tis\tcritical\tto\tyour\tcustomers,\tan\tinterruption\tto\tthat\tservice\tis\tlike\tspilling hot\tcoffee\tall\tover\tthem.\tSo\tuse\tthe\tappropriate\ttone\tand\tlanguage\tto\tshow\tthat you\tunderstand\tthe\tseverity\tof\twhat\thappened.\tAlso,\tthe\tperson\tin\tcharge\tshould take\t personal\t responsibility.\t An\t \\\"I\\\"\t apology\t is\t a\t lot\t stronger\t than\t a\t \\\"we\\\" apology. \\\"...\tany\tinconvenience\t...\\\"\tIf\tcustomers\tdepend\ton\tyour\tservice\tand\tcan't\tget to\t it,\t it's\t not\tmerely\tan\tinconvenience.\tIt's\t a\tcrisis.\tAn\tinconvenience\tis\ta\t long line\tat\tthe\tgrocery\tstore.\tThis\tain't\tthat. \\\"...\t this\t may\t have\t caused\\\"\t The\t \\\"may\\\"\t here\t implies\t there\t might\t not\t be anything\twrong\tat\tall.\tThat's\ta\tclassic\tnon-apology\tapology\tmove.\tIt\tslights\tthe very\t real\t problem(s)\t that\t customers\t are\t experiencing.\t If\t this\t didn't\t affect\t them, you\t don't\t really\t need\t to\t say\t anything.\t If\t it\t did\t affect\t them,\t then\t there's\t no\t need for\t\\\"may\\\"\there.\tStop\twavering. So\t what's\t the\t perfect\t way\t to\t say\t you're\t sorry?\t There's\t no\t magic\t bullet.\t Any stock\tanswer\twill\tsound\tgeneric\tand\thollow.\tYou're\tgoing\tto\thave\tto\ttake\tit\ton\ta case-by-case\tbasis. The\t number-one\t principle\t to\t keep\t in\t mind\t when\t you\t apologize:\t How\t would you\tfeel\tabout\tthe\tapology\tif\tyou\twere\ton\tthe\tother\tend?\tIf\tsomeone\tsaid\tthose words\tto\tyou,\twould\tyou\tbelieve\tthem? Keep\tin\tmind\tthat\tyou\tcan't\tapologize\tyour\tway\tout\tof\tbeing\tan\tass.\tEven\tthe best\t apology\t won't\t rescue\t you\t if\t you\t haven't\t earned\t people's\t trust.\t Everything","you\tdo\tbefore\tthings\tgo\twrong\tmatters\tfar\tmore\tthan\tthe\tactual\twords\tyou\tuse\tto apologize.\tIf\tyou've\tbuilt\trapport\twith\tcustomers,\tthey'll\tcut\tyou\tsome\tslack\tand trust\tyou\twhen\tyou\tsay\tyou're\tsorry.","Put\teveryone\ton\tthe\tfront\tlines In\t the\t restaurant\t business,\t there's\t a\t world\t of\t difference\t between\t working\t in\t the kitchen\t and\t dealing\t with\t customers.\t Cooking\t schools\t and\t smart\t restaurateurs know\tit's\timportant\tfor\tboth\tsides\tto\tunderstand\tand\tempathize\twith\teach\tother. That's\t why\t they\t often\t have\t chefs\t work\t out\t front\t as\t waiters\t for\t a\t stretch.\t That way,\tthe\tkitchen\tstaff\tcan\tinteract\twith\tcustomers\tand\tsee\twhat\tit's\tactually\tlike on\tthe\tfront\tlines. A\t lot\t of\t companies\t have\t a\t similar\t front-of-house\/back-of-house\t split.\t The people\t who\t make\t the\t product\t work\t in\t the\t \\\"kitchen\\\"\t while\t support\t handles\t the customers.\t Unfortunately,\t that\t means\t the\t product's\t chefs\t never\t get\t to\t directly hear\twhat\tcustomers\tare\tsaying.\tToo\tbad.\tListening\tto\tcustomers\tis\tthe\tbest\tway to\tget\tin\ttune\twith\ta\tproduct's\tstrengths\tand\tweaknesses. Think\t about\t the\t children's\t game\t Telephone.\t There\t are\t ten\t kids\t sitting\t in\t a circle.\tA\tmessage\tstarts\tand\tis\twhispered\tfrom\tone\tchild\tto\tanother.\tBy\tthe\ttime it\t gets\t all\t the\t way\t around,\t the\t message\t is\t completely\t distorted--to\t the\t point where\t it's\t usually\t hilarious.\tA\t sentence\tthat\tmakes\tsense\tat\tfirst\tcomes\tout\tthe other\tend\tas\t\\\"Macaroni\tcantaloupe\tknows\tthe\tfuture.\\\"\tAnd\tthe\tmore\tpeople\tyou have\tin\tthe\tcircle,\tthe\tmore\tdistorted\tthe\tmessage\tgets. The\t same\t thing\t is\t true\t at\t your\t company.\t The\t more\t people\t you\t have\t between your\t customers'\t words\t and\t the\t people\t doing\t the\t work,\t the\t more\t likely\t it\t is\t that the\tmessage\twill\tget\tlost\tor\tdistorted\talong\tthe\tway. Everyone\t on\t your\t team\t should\t be\t connected\t to\t your\t customers--maybe\t not every\tday,\tbut\tat\tleast\ta\tfew\ttimes\tthroughout\tthe\tyear.\tThat's\tthe\tonly\tway\tyour team\t is\t going\t to\t feel\t the\t hurt\t your\t customers\t are\t experiencing.\t It's\t feeling\t the hurt\tthat\treally\tmotivates\tpeople\tto\tfix\tthe\tproblem.\tAnd\tthe\tflip\tside\tis\ttrue\ttoo: The\tjoy\tof\thappy\tcustomers\tor\tones\twho\thave\thad\ta\tproblem\tsolved\tcan\talso\tbe wildly\tmotivating. So\t don't\t protect\t the\t people\t doing\t the\t work\t from\t customer\t feedback.\t No\t one should\tbe\tshielded\tfrom\tdirect\tcriticism. Maybe\t you\t think\t you\t don't\t have\t time\t to\t interact\t with\t customers.\t Then\t make time.\t Craigslist\t founder\t Craig\t Newmark\t still\t answers\t support\t e-mails\t today (often\t within\t minutes).\t He\t also\t deletes\t racist\t comments\t from\t the\t site's discussion\t boards\t and\t pesters\t New\t York\t City\t Realtors\t who\t post\t apartments\t for rent\tthat\tdon't\texist.*\tIf\the\tcan\tdevote\tthis\tkind\tof\tattention\tto\tcustomer\tservice, you\tcan\ttoo.","","Take\ta\tdeep\tbreath When\tyou\trock\tthe\tboat,\tthere\twill\tbe\twaves.\tAfter\tyou\tintroduce\ta\tnew\tfeature, change\t a\t policy,\t or\t remove\t something,\t knee-jerk\t reactions\t will\t pour\t in.\t Resist the\t urge\t to\t panic\t or\t make\t rapid\t changes\t in\t response.\t Passions\t flare\t in\t the beginning.\tThat's\tnormal.\tBut\tif\tyou\tride\tout\tthat\tfirst\trocky\tweek,\tthings\tusually settle\tdown. People\t are\t creatures\t of\t habit.\t That's\t why\t they\t react\t to\t change\t in\t such\t a negative\tway.\tThey're\tused\tto\tusing\tsomething\tin\ta\tcertain\tway\tand\tany\tchange upsets\t the\t natural\t order\t of\t things.\t So\t they\t push\t back.\t They\t complain.\t They demand\tthat\tyou\trevert\tto\tthe\tway\tthings\twere. But\tthat\tdoesn't\tmean\tyou\tshould\tact.\tSometimes\tyou\tneed\tto\tgo\tahead\twith\ta decision\tyou\tbelieve\tin,\teven\tif\tit's\tunpopular\tat\tfirst. People\toften\trespond\tbefore\tthey\tgive\ta\tchange\ta\tfair\tchance.\tSometimes\tthat initial\t negative\t reaction\t is\t more\t of\t a\t primal\t response.\t That's\t why\t you'll sometimes\thear\tthings\tlike,\t\\\"It's\tthe\tworst\tthing\tI've\tever\tseen.\\\"\tNo,\tit's\tnot.\tIt's\ta minor\tchange.\tCome\ton. Also,\t remember\t that\t negative\t reactions\t are\t almost\t always\t louder\t and\t more passionate\tthan\t positive\t ones.\tIn\tfact,\t you\tmay\thear\tonly\tnegative\tvoices\teven when\t the\t majority\t of\t your\t customers\t are\t happy\t about\t a\t change.\t Make\t sure\t you don't\tfoolishly\tbackpedal\ton\ta\tnecessary\tbut\tcontroversial\tdecision. So\t when\t people\t complain,\t let\t things\t simmer\t for\t a\t while.\t Let\t them\t know you're\tlistening.\tShow\tthem\tyou're\taware\tof\twhat\tthey're\tsaying.\tLet\tthem\tknow you\t understand\t their\t discontent.\t But\t explain\t that\t you're\t going\t to\t let\t it\t go\t for\t a while\t and\t see\t what\t happens.\t You'll\t probably\t find\t that\t people\t will\t adjust eventually.\t They\t may\t even\t wind\t up\t liking\t the\t change\t more\t than\t the\t old\t way, once\tthey\tget\tused\tto\tit. \t *Reyna\t Susi,\t \\\"The\t Exxon\t Crisis,\t 1989,\\\"\t Effective\t Crisis\t Management, iml.jou.ufl.edu\/projects\/Fall02\/Susi\/exxon.htm \t +John\t Holusha,\t \\\"Exxon's\t Public-Relations\t Problem,\\\"\t New\t York\t Times,\t Apr. 21,\t1989,\twww.tinyurl.com\/yg2bgff","*Scott\tKirsner,\t\\\"Craigslist's\tUnorthodox\tPath,\\\"\tBoston\tGlobe,\tJune\t15,\t2008, www.tinyurl.com\/4vkg58","CHAPTER CULTURE","You\tdon't\tcreate\ta\tculture Instant\t cultures\t are\t artificial\t cultures.\t They're\t big\t bangs\t made\t of\t mission statements,\tdeclarations,\tand\trules.\tThey\tare\tobvious,\tugly,\tand\tplastic.\tArtificial culture\tis\tpaint.\tReal\tculture\tis\tpatina. You\tdon't\tcreate\ta\tculture.\tIt\thappens.\tThis\tis\twhy\tnew\tcompanies\tdon't\thave\ta culture.\tCulture\tis\tthe\tbyproduct\tof\tconsistent\tbehavior.\tIf\tyou\tencourage\tpeople to\t share,\t then\t sharing\t will\t be\t built\t into\t your\t culture.\t If\t you\t reward\t trust,\t then trust\t will\t be\t built\t in.\t If\t you\t treat\t customers\t right,\t then\t treating\t customers\t right becomes\tyour\tculture. Culture\tisn't\ta\tfoosball\ttable\tor\ttrust\tfalls.\tIt\tisn't\tpolicy.\tIt\tisn't\tthe\tChristmas party\tor\tthe\tcompany\tpicnic.\tThose\tare\tobjects\tand\tevents,\tnot\tculture.\tAnd\tit's not\ta\tslogan,\teither.\tCulture\tis\taction,\tnot\twords. So\t don't\t worry\t too\t much\t about\t it.\t Don't\t force\t it.\t You\t can't\t install\t a\t culture. Like\ta\tfine\tscotch,\tyou've\tgot\tto\tgive\tit\ttime\tto\tdevelop.","Decisions\tare\ttemporary \\\"But\twhat\tif\t...?\\\"\t\\\"What\thappens\twhen\t...?\\\"\t\\\"Don't\twe\tneed\tto\tplan\tfor\t...?\\\" Don't\tmake\tup\tproblems\tyou\tdon't\thave\tyet.\tIt's\tnot\ta\tproblem\tuntil\tit's\ta\treal problem.\tMost\tof\tthe\tthings\tyou\tworry\tabout\tnever\thappen\tanyway. Besides,\t the\t decisions\t you\t make\t today\t don't\t need\t to\t last\t forever.\t It's\t easy\t to shoot\t down\t good\t ideas,\t interesting\t policies,\t or\t worthwhile\t experiments\t by assuming\tthat\twhatever\tyou\tdecide\tnow\tneeds\tto\twork\tfor\tyears\ton\tend.\tIt's\tjust not\t so,\t especially\t for\t a\t small\t business.\t If\t circumstances\t change,\t your\t decisions can\tchange.\tDecisions\tare\ttemporary. At\t this\t stage,\t it's\t silly\t to\t worry\t about\t whether\t or\t not\t your\t concept\t will\t scale from\t five\t to\t five\t thousand\t people\t (or\t from\t a\t hundred\t thousand\t to\t 100\t million people).\t Getting\t a\t product\t or\t service\t off\t the\t ground\t is\t hard\t enough\t without inventing\t even\t more\t obstacles.\t Optimize\t for\t now\t and\t worry\t about\t the\t future later. The\t ability\t to\t change\t course\t is\t one\t of\t the\t big\t advantages\t of\t being\t small. Compared\t with\t larger\t competitors,\t you're\t way\t more\t capable\t of\t making\t quick, sweeping\t changes.\t Big\t companies\t just\t can't\t move\t that\t fast.\t So\t pay\t attention\t to today\t and\t worry\t about\t later\t when\t it\t gets\t here.\t Otherwise\t you'll\t waste\t energy, time,\tand\tmoney\tfixating\ton\tproblems\tthat\tmay\tnever\tmaterialize.","","Skip\tthe\trock\tstars A\tlot\tof\tcompanies\tpost\thelp-wanted\tads\tseeking\t\\\"rock\tstars\\\"\tor\t\\\"ninjas.\\\"\tLame. Unless\t your\t workplace\t is\t filled\t with\t groupies\t and\t throwing\t stars,\t these\t words have\tnothing\tto\tdo\twith\tyour\tbusiness. Instead\t of\t thinking\t about\t how\t you\t can\t land\t a\t roomful\t of\t rock\t stars,\t think about\t the\t room\t instead.\t We're\t all\t capable\t of\t bad,\t average,\t and\t great\t work.\t The environment\thas\ta\tlot\tmore\tto\tdo\twith\tgreat\twork\tthan\tmost\tpeople\trealize. That's\tnot\tto\tsay\twe're\tall\tcreated\tequal\tand\tyou'll\tunlock\tstar\tpower\tin\tanyone with\t a\t rock\t star\t environment.\t But\t there's\t a\t ton\t of\t untapped\t potential\t trapped under\tlame\tpolicies,\tpoor\tdirection,\tand\tstifling\tbureaucracies.\tCut\tthe\tcrap\tand you'll\t find\t that\t people\t are\t waiting\t to\t do\t great\t work.\t They\t just\t need\t to\t be\t given the\tchance. This\t isn't\t about\t casual\t Fridays\t or\t bring-your-dog-to-work\t day.\t (If\t those\t are such\t good\t things,\t then\t why\t aren't\t you\t doing\t them\t every\t day\t of\t the\t week?) Rockstar\t environments\t develop\t out\t of\t trust,\t autonomy,\t and\t responsibility. They're\ta\tresult\tof\tgiving\tpeople\tthe\tprivacy,\tworkspace,\tand\ttools\tthey\tdeserve. Great\tenvironments\tshow\trespect\tfor\tthe\tpeople\twho\tdo\tthe\twork\tand\thow\tthey do\tit.","","They're\tnot\tthirteen When\t you\t treat\t people\t like\t children,\t you\t get\t children's\t work.\t Yet\t that's\t exactly how\ta\tlot\tof\tcompanies\tand\tmanagers\ttreat\ttheir\temployees.\tEmployees\tneed\tto ask\tpermission\tbefore\tthey\tcan\tdo\tanything.\tThey\tneed\tto\tget\tapproval\tfor\tevery tiny\t expenditure.\t It's\t surprising\t they\t don't\t have\t to\t get\t a\t hall\t pass\t to\t go\t take\t a shit. When\t everything\t constantly\t needs\t approval,\t you\t create\t a\t culture\t of nonthinkers.\tYou\tcreate\ta\tboss-versus-worker\trelationship\tthat\tscreams,\t\\\"I\tdon't trust\tyou.\\\" What\t do\t you\t gain\t if\t you\t ban\t employees\t from,\t say,\t visiting\t a\t social- networking\t site\t or\t watching\t YouTube\t while\t at\t work?\t You\t gain\t nothing.\t That time\tdoesn't\tmagically\tconvert\tto\twork.\tThey'll\tjust\tfind\tsome\tother\tdiversion. And\t look,\t you're\t not\t going\t to\t get\t a\t full\t eight\t hours\t a\t day\t out\t of\t people anyway.\t That's\t a\t myth.\t They\t might\t be\t at\t the\t office\t for\t eight\t hours,\t but\t they're not\t actually\t working\t eight\t hours.\t People\t need\t diversions.\t It\t helps\t disrupt\t the monotony\tof\tthe\tworkday.\tA\tlittle\tYouTube\tor\tFacebook\ttime\tnever\thurt\tanyone. Then\tthere's\tall\tthe\tmoney\tand\ttime\tyou\tspend\tpolicing\tthis\tstuff.\tHow\tmuch does\t it\t cost\t to\t set\t up\t surveillance\t software?\t How\t much\t time\t do\t IT\t employees waste\t on\t monitoring\t other\t employees\t instead\t of\t working\t on\t a\t project\t that's actually\tvaluable?\tHow\tmuch\t time\tdo\tyou\twaste\twriting\trule\tbooks\tthat\tnever get\t read?\t Look\t at\t the\t costs\t and\t you\t quickly\t realize\t that\t failing\t to\t trust\t your employees\tis\tawfully\texpensive.","","Send\tpeople\thome\tat\t5 The\tdream\temployee\tfor\ta\tlot\tof\tcompanies\tis\ta\ttwenty-something\twith\tas\tlittle of\ta\tlife\tas\tpossible\toutside\tof\twork--someone\twho'll\tbe\tfine\tworking\tfourteen- hour\tdays\tand\tsleeping\tunder\this\tdesk. But\tpacking\ta\troom\tfull\tof\tthese\tburn-the-midnight-oil\ttypes\tisn't\tas\tgreat\tas\tit seems.\tIt\tlets\tyou\tget\taway\twith\tlousy\texecution.\tIt\tperpetuates\tmyths\tlike\t\\\"This is\t the\t only\t way\t we\t can\t compete\t against\t the\t big\t guys.\\\"\t You\t don't\t need\t more hours;\tyou\tneed\tbetter\thours. When\tpeople\thave\tsomething\tto\tdo\tat\thome,\tthey\tget\tdown\tto\tbusiness.\tThey get\ttheir\twork\tdone\tat\tthe\toffice\tbecause\tthey\thave\tsomewhere\telse\tto\tbe.\tThey find\t ways\tto\tbe\t more\tefficient\tbecause\tthey\thave\tto.\tThey\tneed\tto\tpick\tup\tthe kids\tor\tget\tto\tchoir\tpractice.\tSo\tthey\tuse\ttheir\ttime\twisely. As\tthe\tsaying\tgoes,\t\\\"If\tyou\twant\tsomething\tdone,\task\tthe\tbusiest\tperson\tyou know.\\\"\t You\t want\t busy\t people.\t People\t who\t have\t a\t life\t outside\t of\t work.\t People who\t care\t about\t more\t than\t one\t thing.\t You\t shouldn't\t expect\t the\t job\t to\t be someone's\t entire\t life--at\t least\t not\t if\t you\t want\t to\t keep\t them\t around\t for\t a\t long time.","","Don't\tscar\ton\tthe\tfirst\tcut The\t second\t something\t goes\t wrong,\t the\t natural\t tendency\t is\t to\t create\t a\t policy. \\\"Someone's\t wearing\t shorts!?\t We\t need\t a\t dress\t code!\\\"\t No,\t you\t don't.\t You\t just need\tto\ttell\tJohn\tnot\tto\twear\tshorts\tagain. Policies\t are\t organizational\t scar\t tissue.\t They\t are\t codified\t overreactions\t to situations\t that\t are\t unlikely\t to\t happen\t again.\t They\t are\t collective\t punishment\t for the\tmisdeeds\tof\tan\tindividual. This\t is\t how\t bureaucracies\t are\t born.\t No\t one\t sets\t out\t to\t create\t a\t bureaucracy. They\tsneak\tup\ton\tcompanies\tslowly.\tThey\tare\tcreated\tone\tpolicy--one\tscar--at\ta time. So\t don't\t scar\t on\t the\t first\t cut.\t Don't\t create\t a\t policy\t because\t one\t person\t did something\twrong\tonce.\tPolicies\tare\tonly\tmeant\tfor\tsituations\tthat\tcome\tup\tover and\tover\tagain.","Sound\tlike\tyou What\t is\t it\t with\t businesspeople\t trying\t to\t sound\t big?\t The\t stiff\t language,\t the formal\tannouncements,\tthe\tartificial\tfriendliness,\tthe\tlegalese,\tetc.\tYou\tread\tthis stuff\tand\tit\tsounds\tlike\ta\trobot\twrote\tit.\tThese\tcompanies\ttalk\tat\tyou,\tnot\tto\tyou. This\tmask\tof\tprofessionalism\tis\ta\tjoke.\tWe\tall\tknow\tthis.\tYet\tsmall\tcompanies still\t try\t to\t emulate\t it.\t They\t think\t sounding\t big\t makes\t them\t appear\t bigger\t and more\t \\\"professional.\\\"\t But\t it\t really\t just\t makes\t them\t sound\t ridiculous.\t Plus,\t you sacrifice\t one\t of\t a\t small\t company's\t greatest\t assets:\t the\t ability\t to\t communicate simply\t and\t directly,\t without\t running\t every\t last\t word\t through\t a\t legal-and\t PR- department\tsieve. There's\tnothing\twrong\twith\tsounding\tyour\town\tsize.\tBeing\thonest\tabout\twho you\tare\tis\tsmart\tbusiness,\ttoo.\tLanguage\tis\toften\tyour\tfirst\timpression--why\tstart it\toff\twith\ta\tlie?\tDon't\tbe\tafraid\tto\tbe\tyou. That\t applies\t to\t the\t language\t you\t use\t everywhere--in\t e-mail,\t packaging, interviews,\t blog\t posts,\t presentations,\t etc.\t Talk\t to\t customers\t the\t way\t you\t would to\tfriends.\tExplain\tthings\tas\tif\tyou\twere\tsitting\tnext\tto\tthem.\tAvoid\tjargon\tor\tany sort\tof\tcorporate-speak.\tStay\taway\tfrom\tbuzzwords\twhen\tnormal\twords\twill\tdo just\t fine.\t Don't\t talk\t about\t \\\"monetization\\\"\t or\t being\t \\\"transparent;\\\"\t talk\t about making\tmoney\tand\tbeing\thonest.\tDon't\tuse\tseven\twords\twhen\tfour\twill\tdo. And\tdon't\tforce\tyour\temployees\tto\tend\te-mails\twith\tlegalese\tlike\t\\\"This\te-mail message\t is\t for\t the\t sole\t use\t of\t the\t intended\t recipient(s)\t and\t may\t contain confidential\tand\tprivileged\tinformation.\\\"\tThat's\tlike\tending\tall\tyour\tcompany\te- mails\twith\ta\tsignature\tthat\tsays,\t\\\"We\tdon't\ttrust\tyou\tand\twe're\tready\tto\tprove\tit in\tcourt.\\\"\tGood\tluck\tmaking\tfriends\tthat\tway. Write\t to\t be\t read,\t don't\t write\t just\t to\t write.\t Whenever\t you\t write\t something, read\t it\t out\t loud.\t Does\t it\t sound\t the\t way\t it\t would\t if\t you\t were\t actually\t talking\t to someone?\tIf\tnot,\thow\tcan\tyou\tmake\tit\tmore\tconversational? Who\t said\t writing\t needs\t to\t be\t formal?\t Who\t said\t you\t have\t to\t strip\t away\t your personality\twhen\tputting\twords\ton\tpaper?\tForget\trules.\tCommunicate! And\twhen\tyou're\twriting,\tdon't\tthink\tabout\tall\tthe\tpeople\twho\tmay\tread\tyour words.\t Think\t of\t one\t person.\t Then\t write\t for\t that\t one\t person.\t Writing\t for\t a\t mob leads\t to\t generalities\t and\t awkwardness.\t When\t you\t write\t to\t a\t specific\t target, you're\ta\tlot\tmore\tlikely\tto\thit\tthe\tmark.","","Four-letter\twords There\tare\tfour-letter\twords\tyou\tshould\tnever\tuse\tin\tbusiness.\tThey're\tnot\tfuck\tor shit.\t They're\t need,\t must,\t can't,\t easy,\t just,\t only,\t and\t fast.\t These\t words\t get\t in\t the way\t of\t healthy\t communication.\t They\t are\t red\t flags\t that\t introduce\t animosity, torpedo\tgood\tdiscussions,\tand\tcause\tprojects\tto\tbe\tlate. When\tyou\tuse\tthese\tfour-letter\twords,\tyou\tcreate\ta\tblack-and-white\tsituation. But\tthe\ttruth\tis\trarely\tblack\tand\twhite.\tSo\tpeople\tget\tupset\tand\tproblems\tensue. Tension\tand\tconflict\tare\tinjected\tunnecessarily. Here's\twhat's\twrong\twith\tsome\tof\tthem: Need.\t Very\t few\t things\t actually\t need\t to\t get\t done.\t Instead\t of\t saying\t \\\"need,\\\" you're\tbetter\toff\tsaying\t\\\"maybe\\\"\tor\t\\\"What\tdo\tyou\tthink\tabout\tthis?\\\"\tor\t\\\"How does\tthis\tsound?\\\"\tor\t\\\"Do\tyou\tthink\twe\tcould\tget\taway\twith\tthat?\\\" Can't.\t When\t you\t say\t \\\"can't,\\\"\t you\t probably\t can.\t Sometimes\t there\t are\t even opposing\t can'ts:\t \\\"We\t can't\t launch\t it\t like\t that,\t because\t it's\t not\t quite\t right\\\" versus\t \\\"We\t can't\t spend\t any\t more\t time\t on\t this\t because\t we\t have\t to\t launch.\\\" Both\tof\tthose\tstatements\tcan't\tbe\ttrue.\tOr\twait\ta\tminute,\tcan\tthey? Easy.\tEasy\tis\ta\tword\tthat's\tused\tto\tdescribe\tother\tpeople's\tjobs.\t\\\"That\tshould be\teasy\tfor\tyou\tto\tdo,\tright?\\\"\tBut\tnotice\thow\trarely\tpeople\tdescribe\ttheir\town tasks\t as\t easy.\t For\t you,\t it's\t \\\"Let\t me\t look\t into\t it\\\"--but\t for\t others,\t it's\t \\\"Get\t it done.\\\" These\t four-letter\t words\t often\t pop\t up\t during\t debates\t (and\t also\t watch\t out\t for their\t cousins:\t everyone,\t no\t one,\t always,\t and\t never).\t Once\t uttered,\t they\t make\t it tough\t to\t find\t a\t solution.\t They\t box\t you\t into\t a\t corner\t by\t pitting\t two\t absolutes against\teach\tother.\tThat's\twhen\thead-butting\toccurs.\tYou\tsqueeze\tout\tany\tmiddle ground. And\t these\t words\t are\t especially\t dangerous\t when\t you\t string\t them\t together: \\\"We\tneed\tto\tadd\tthis\tfeature\tnow.\tWe\tcan't\tlaunch\twithout\tthis\tfeature.\tEveryone wants\tit.\tIt's\tonly\tone\tlittle\tthing\tso\tit\twill\tbe\teasy.\tYou\tshould\tbe\table\tto\tget\tit\tin there\tfast!\\\"\tOnly\tthirty-six\twords,\tbut\ta\thundred\tassumptions.\tThat's\ta\trecipe\tfor disaster.","","ASAP\tis\tpoison Stop\t saying\t ASAP.\t We\t get\t it.\t It's\t implied.\t Everyone\t wants\t things\t done\t as\t soon as\tthey\tcan\tbe\tdone. When\t you\t turn\t into\t one\t of\t these\t people\t who\t adds\t ASAP\t to\t the\t end\t of\t every request,\t you're\t saying\t everything\t is\t high\t priority.\t And\t when\t everything\t is\t high priority,\t nothing\t is.\t (Funny\t how\t everything\t is\t a\t top\t priority\t until\t you\t actually have\t to\t prioritize\t things.)\t ASAP\t is\t inflationary.\t It\t devalues\t any\t request\t that doesn't\tsay\tASAP.\tBefore\tyou\tknow\tit,\tthe\tonly\tway\tto\tget\tanything\tdone\tis\tby putting\tthe\tASAP\tsticker\ton\tit. Most\tthings\tjust\tdon't\twarrant\tthat\tkind\tof\thysteria.\tIf\ta\ttask\tdoesn't\tget\tdone this\t very\t instant,\t nobody\t is\t going\t to\t die.\t Nobody's\t going\t to\t lose\t their\t job.\t It won't\tcost\tthe\tcompany\ta\tton\tof\tmoney.\tWhat\tit\twill\tdo\tis\tcreate\tartificial\tstress, which\tleads\tto\tburnout\tand\tworse. So\t reserve\t your\t use\t of\t emergency\t language\t for\t true\t emergencies.\t The\t kind where\tthere\tare\tdirect,\tmeasurable\tconsequences\tto\tinaction.\tFor\teverything\telse, chill\tout.","CHAPTER CONCLUSION","","Inspiration\tis\tperishable We\tall\thave\tideas.\tIdeas\tare\timmortal.\tThey\tlast\tforever. What\tdoesn't\tlast\tforever\tis\tinspiration.\tInspiration\tis\tlike\tfresh\tfruit\tor\tmilk:\tIt has\tan\texpiration\tdate. If\t you\t want\t to\t do\t something,\t you've\t got\t to\t do\t it\t now.\t You\t can't\t put\t it\t on\t a shelf\tand\twait\ttwo\tmonths\tto\tget\taround\tto\tit.\tYou\tcan't\tjust\tsay\tyou'll\tdo\tit\tlater. Later,\tyou\twon't\tbe\tpumped\tup\tabout\tit\tanymore. If\tyou're\tinspired\ton\ta\tFriday,\tswear\toff\tthe\tweekend\tand\tdive\tinto\tthe\tproject. When\tyou're\thigh\ton\tinspiration,\tyou\tcan\tget\ttwo\tweeks\tof\twork\tdone\tin\ttwenty- four\thours.\tInspiration\tis\ta\ttime\tmachine\tin\tthat\tway. Inspiration\t is\t a\t magical\t thing,\t a\t productivity\t multiplier,\t a\t motivator.\t But\t it won't\twait\tfor\tyou.\tInspiration\tis\ta\tnow\tthing.\tIf\tit\tgrabs\tyou,\tgrab\tit\tright\tback and\tput\tit\tto\twork.","Thank\tyou\tfor\treading\tour\tbook We\t hope\t it\t inspires\t you\t to\t rework\t how\t you\t do\t things.\t If\t so,\t drop\t a\t line\t to [email protected]\t and\t let\t us\t know\t how\t it's\t going.\t We\t look\t forward\t to hearing\tfrom\tyou.","CHAPTER RESOURCES","About\t37signals 37signals www.37signals.com About\t37signals\tand\tour\tproducts. Rework\tsite www.37signals.com\/rework The\tofficial\tbook\tsite. Signal\tvs.\tNoise www.37signals.com\/svn Our\tcompany\tblog\tabout\tbusiness,\tdesign,\tculture,\tand\tmore. 37signals\tvideo www.37signals.com\/speaks Presentations\tand\trants\tby\t37signals. Subscribe\tto\t37signals\tnewsletters www.37signals.com\/subscribe Newsletter\t about\t new\t products,\t discounts,\t and\t more\t (sent\t out\t roughly\t twice\t a month). Stuff\twe\tlike www.37signals.com\/stuffwelike A\tlist\tof\tbooks,\tsites,\tand\tother\tthings\tthat\twe\tenjoy. E-mail [email protected]","37signals\tproducts Basecamp www.basecamphq.com Manage\tprojects\tand\tcollaborate\twith\tyour\tteam\tand\tclients. Highrise www.highrisehq.com Track\tyour\tcontacts,\tleads,\tand\tdeals.\tAlways\tbe\tprepared. Backpack www.backpackit.com Organize\tand\tshare\tinformation\tacross\tyour\tbusiness. Campfire www.campfirenow.com Real-time\tchat\tand\tfile\tand\tcode\tsharing\tfor\tremote\tteams. Ta-da\tList www.tadalist.com Ta-da\tList\tmakes\tit\teasy\tto\tcreate\tand\tshare\tyour\tto-do's. Writeboard www.writeboard.com Writeboard\tis\ta\tcollaborative\twriting\ttool. Getting\tReal gettingreal.37signals.com This\tbook\tby\t37signals\twill\thelp\tyou\tdiscover\tthe\tsmarter,\tfaster,\teasier\tway\tto build\ta\tsuccessful\tWeb-based\tapplication.","Ruby\ton\tRails www.rubyonrails.org An\topen-source\tWeb\tframework\tcreated\tby\t37signals.","Acknowledgments Very\t special\t thanks\t go\t to\t Matthew\t Linderman.\t Matt\t was\t 37signals'\t first employee\t in\t 1999--and\t he's\t still\t with\t the\t company\t today.\t This\t book\t wouldn't have\t come\t together\t without\t Matt.\t In\t addition\t to\t writing\t original\t content,\t he helped\t merge\t the\t distinctly\t different\t writing\t styles\t of\t the\t coauthors\t into\t a focused,\t cohesive\t book.\t He\t made\t it\t look\t easy,\t but\t it\t wasn't\t easy\t work.\t Thank you,\tMatt. We\talso\twant\tto\tthank\tour\tfamilies,\tour\tcustomers,\tand\teveryone\tat\t37signals. And\t here's\t a\t list\t of\t some\t of\t the\t people\t we\t know,\t and\t don't\t know,\t who\t have inspired\tus\tin\tone\tway\tor\tanother: Frank\tLloyd\tWright Seth\tGodin Warren\tBuffett Jamie\tLarson Clayton\tChristensen Ralph\tNader Jim\tCoudal Benjamin\tFranklin Ernest\tKim Jeff\tBezos Scott\tHeiferman Antoni\tGaudi Carlos\tSegura Larry\tDavid Steve\tJobs Dean\tKamen Bill\tMaher Thomas\tJefferson Mies\tvan\tder\tRohe Ricardo\tSemler Christopher\tAlexander James\tDyson Kent\tBeck Thomas\tPaine Gerald\tWeinberg Kathy\tSierra Julia\tChild Marc\tHedlund Nicholas\tKaravites Michael\tJordan Richard\tBird Jeffrey\tZeldman Dieter\tRams Judith\tSheindlin Ron\tPaul Timothy\tFerriss","Copyright\t(c)\t2010\tby\t37signals,\tLLC. All\trights\treserved. Published\t in\t the\t United\t States\t by\t Crown\t Business\t of\t the\t Crown\t Publishing Group,\ta\tdivision\tof\tRandom\tHouse,\tInc.,\tNew\tYork. www.crownpublishing.com CROWN\tand\tthe\tCrown\tcolophon\tare\tregistered\ttrademarks\tof\tRandom\tHouse, Inc. \t This\t book\t is\t available\t for\t special\t discounts\t for\t bulk\t purchases\t for\t sales promotions\t or\t premiums.\t Special\t editions,\t including\t personalized\t covers, excerpts\t of\t existing\t books,\t and\t corporate\t imprints,\t can\t be\t created\t in\t large quantities\tfor\tspecial\tneeds.\tFor\tmore\tinformation,\twrite\tto\tRandom\tHouse,\tInc. Library\tof\tCongress\tCataloging-in-Publication\tData Fried,\tJason. Rework\t\/\tJason\tFried\tand\tDavid\tHansson.--1st\ted. p.\tcm. 1.\tIndustrial\tmanagement.\t2.\t37signals--company. I.\tHansson,\tDavid\tHeinemeier.\tII.\tTitle. HD31.F755\t2010 658.22--dc22\t2009036114 eISBN:\t978-0-307-46376-0 rohdesign.com v3.0"]