In this current era of economic hardship, it’s popular in the world of suits to cut costs and corners and in general look for ways to do less, yet make more (instead of doing more with less). Yet, it’s during tight times that ad spends are critical, when extreme customer service is crucial. It’s when things are tough that it’s necessary to step back and enhance an offering. And it’s the details that matter.  Whether it’s:

• your business card
• your services
• your products
• your business dress
• your office appearance
• your laptop
• your desktop on your laptop
• your website
• your answering machine
• your cell answering machine
• your phone greeting
• your tone of voice
• your follow-up
• your clients
• your peers
• your accolades
• your company car
• your referral incentive
• your client gifts (or lack thereof)

Details do matter; these companies prove it:

• MINI
• The Body Shop
• Fairmont Hotel
• 37Signals
• AMEX
• Lexus

Want success in a competitive world? Differentiate through details and be remarkable; details get people talking about you.

Lately I’ve heard people talk about problems. About running from problems. I hear people talk about such things, and I have questions.

What is a problem? The dictionary says it’s,

“…a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome…”

A problem is a state of mind, a place in your head. I agree that you cannot “run from your problems”. Your legs have a strange habit of taking your brain along with them wherever you go.

Thousands of actions and reactions occur around us in any given moment, and we are able to process an infinitely small portion of these events. Every time we observe an event, it’s filtered through a complex framework that we’ve developed, genetically and socially. There are billions of potential problems we could perceive around us, but if we were always processing them, we’d never have time for anything else.

If your eyes take in the fact that you’re standing on the edge of a cliff, neurons fire in your brain telling you that it’s in your best interest to keep a good distance between yourself and the edge of the cliff. The cliff is a potential ‘problem’ for your desire to live. If you obey the biological instinct to stay away from the perceived threat to your survival, you’ll avoid one problem. Base jumping is an entirely different way of dealing with the problem of a cliff. If you need to get to the bottom of the cliff for some reason, it could be a far more efficient way of dealing with the problem, even if it goes against your instincts.

Survival examples are pretty straightforward, most of us tend to regard dying as something to be avoided. The societal framework that we determine problems by isn’t anywhere near as clear cut.

I have a friend who recently made a life changing decision. He made major steps towards his goals and asked people he cared about for feedback. Several of the individuals who had a very different set of values from him said that they thought he was running away from his problems. Coincidently the ‘problems’ they referenced were situations related to them, situations my friend had no control over.

It’s all too often that people are dissuaded from paths of great adventure and growth by the opinions of others, of people that claim to care about them. I’ve been around too many people who wait for a person to have an idea, and experience some sort of reassurance in themselves, by casting doubt and trying to create ‘problems’ within the ideas of others. Most of the time they don’t even realize what their doing. I’ve seen more people dissuaded from trying to do great things by the care and concern of people around them than by any real circumstance.

The truth is, my friend was running from some of his problems. He was running from an environment where stagnancy was applauded and going to an environment where he’d be encouraged to reach his potential. The individuals who thought he was making a bad decision assumed that their system for spotting problems was universally applicable. It wasn’t. Thankfully my friend realized that and didn’t allow their opinions to dissuade him.

Lately I’ve been watching myself to see how often I create problems that don’t really exist, both for myself and others, it happens a lot more often than I would have liked to think. The more I become aware of this, I’m able to change my habits to create a positive reality. I’m creating and achieving goals rather than creating and wasting time worrying about problems. Circumstances tend to be difficult enough on their own, why make things any harder for yourself than you have to?

Marshall has a serious case of wanderlust, and writes about his wanderings at the wonderfully entertaining LazyVoice.

I’m gradually working my way to the “ultimate workstation”, and here are some of the better clippings currently in the archives:

1. This article on setting up the ultimate home office by the always fantastic D. Keith Robinson is a good place to start.

2. Obviously it’s important to take the long term consequences on the body into account, so I’m paying some attention to this article on healthy computing habits.

3. Worth mentioning from the article above is the online tool that will help you arrange your workstation for maximum comfort, and the workstation assessment from the same company.

4. Coding Horror’s article on computer workstation ergonomics lays out the basic steps needed to avoid getting hurt at your desk (no joke, it is possible to hurt yourself at your desk).

5. IMO, there’s also a lot to be said for standing while you work, and I eventually want to alternate between between standing and sitting.

6. Once it’s all setup, why work with a clunky monkey after going through all the pain, sweat, and tears of setting up the perfect workstation? Go Mac, Go!

7. Would this be the ultimate Mac setup then?

1. Offer to help your customers

2. Present data visually

3. Use readable type

4. Use simple forms

From ‘Getting Real‘ by 37signals;

“…success isn’t the only thing you’ll find in the details. You’ll also find stagnation, disagreement, meetings, and delays. These things can kill morale and lower your chances of success.”

“Forget about locked-in specs. They force you to make big, key decisions too early in the process. Bypass the spec phase and you’ll keep change cheap and stay flexible.”

If you haven’t read ‘Getting Real‘ I highly recommend it.

I greatly enjoy the book and appreciate much of the content, but I have to wonder if the “agile” attitude to design is so easily accepted because it encourages laziness. If planning is distasteful to you then saying, “Screw specs we don’t need em!” is extremely easy. It’s probably not beneficial though.

Saying specs are unnecessary and they prevent ‘agile’ work is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water. A well thought out plan prevents problems. If you’re in an environment that says the spec is the golden rule which cannot be broken, then throwing out specs, for a while, may be a good idea.

If you find yourself constantly modifying features, encountering delays based on client expectations, or are in a continual state of crisis, it might be worth your time to develop some preventative maintenance.

Agile is defined as, ‘Being able to move quickly and easily.’ Agility can be achieved by a lack of planning, sometimes. Most of the time this is not the case. If you’ve got a development team that’s worked together for years, has some sort of a psychic mind meld, or you’re just one person working on a personal project, you may be able to launch faster without specifically defining your product.

However, if you’re working on a team without a telepathic connection, I’d recommend you take the next best route. Write out a game plan. If you don’t have someone who’s capable of writing a decent spec, hire one. Having a good plan will only enhance your agility.

Make the spec agile, change it when you need to. You’ll never be able to anticipate every issue that will arise in a project, but planning for what you can anticipate will save you from unnecessary deliberation and disagreement. Don’t sacrifice the agility that having a well written spec can provide, embrace it.

Here are several great articles to get you started.

Marshall is slightly crazy. You can read about his adventures in Europe at the incredibly entertaining LazyVoice.com

It had been a long week, and since not much had been accomplished blog wise, I decided it was ok to break my secular sabbath rule, and finish off of a draft I had recently began working on.

3 hours later, I had read every article on Obama’s win, I now know that I’d probably make a good president too, and I now have a slight desire to seastead. I also have a better appreciation for stories, and the difference between mysteries and puzzles (excellent, but lengthy article by Malcolm Gladwell). To be sure, these are all very wonderful things to know (I hope). The only problem is, I still don’t have a blog post, and half of my “sabbath” just disappeared.

Clearly, I need to focus my time a little better.

The thing is, if I can figure out where my time is going, I can use it more efficiently to gain many things, most precious of which is: time!

Or so the theory goes.

But time being what it is, you have to let it pass to properly take on such a bold task (time management is ultimately a never-ending fight against yourself, so yes, this is a bold undertaking). I rather like the passage of time, so this shouldn’t be much of a problem; it’s the manage part that’s kind of difficult to hunt down.

Obviously, I’m turning to the Internet to help me out, and I’m gradually amassing a list of time management tools to help with the dirty work. Here are some of the weapons I currently have in my arsenal (some I’ve tried, and others I intend to look into, but I’m waiting for… time).

RescueTime
I’ve been using this for a while now, and I still find it useful (previously covered here).

Map Your Time
The best thing about mapping your time is that it provides you with a schedule you can keep up with, and adjust as necessary.

RememberTheMilk
The best thing about RTM is it’s Gmail Integration, which is a fantastic way of keeping track of tasks, etc… (especially when used in conjunction with Better Gmail 2).

Time Tracker
Basically, Time Tracker will tell you the truth about how much time you’re spending on tasks, projects, etc… Because you can break it down into projects, this is also a handy way of keeping track of both productive and unproductive tasks.

Mail Trends
I intend on trying this out sometime in the future. The benefits to this would be amazing, considering how much time one could save with a better understanding of their email habits. Meanwhile, I’m still hoping I’ll come across a more user friendly alternative (Mac, preferably open source please).

Judo
This is what it boils down to at the end of the day. Ultimately, the goal is to use time wisely, not to amass a bunch of cool tools (although coolness doesn’t hurt either).

In the meantime, drop me a line if you know of other time judo moves, time hacks, apps, etc… My measuring stick for a good time hack is simple: After the initial excitement, if you’re still excited about it after a few days, you owe it to those around you to share the good news (the comments section is also a good place to start).

• Dynamic Web
• Amazon’s A9
• BBC News
• Merriam-Webster
• USA Today
• Technorati
• Wikipedia

1. Eat Breakfast
The list of good reasons to eat breakfast are long (here are some reasons, and then some more, and then one more), and the benefits are enticing (a full stomach is always a good thing). The “I don’t usually feel like eating in the morning” excuse is flimsy, and it is possible to eat a healthy breakfast on the go.

No more excuses, please!

2. Learn something new
If Newton could learn from something as ordinary as an apple (as legend has it), finding something to learn from shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Why don’t you learn Korean, a computer language, or better yet, volunteer?

3. Write a manifesto
“At its most base level, a manifesto is a written declaration of your principles and intentions. However, they can be a blast! Not only do you get to set forth what you believe, without justifying it, but you can also denounce everything you don’t like! You can use it focus your passion and fill yourself with a sense of purpose.” (from Creative Creativity)

Then share your’s at ChangeThis (aka Manifesto Central).

4. Make a Bucketlist
The only way to tell good stories is to live an interesting life. You probably have more than enough time on your hands anyway, so why not live an interesting life?

Tip: Remind your future self to live with 43 Things.

5. Be Useful

6. Sweat the Little Stuff (but only after sweating the big stuff).

7. Keep in touch
We all have friends who live in different cities, and sometimes all over the world. College ended, better (or worse) jobs come along, or the cold became unbearable, etc… There a million reasons people end up drifting apart.

Back in the day, that would have been a good enough to lose touch with old friends. Not anymore: today you have Facebook, Myspace, Flickr, bebo, GolfingMyWay, FriendFeeder, Skype, Youtube, and a million other ways to stay in touch.

8. Share good blog posts with 2 people you give a rats tail about (you can start with this one).

• MoinMoinWiki
• PBwiki.com
• PmWiki
• DokuWiki
• Wetpaint
• Google Sites
• TiddlyWiki
• Wikispaces
• Although it’s not a wiki, strictly speaking, Google Notebooks can be used like one, and will come in handy if you get the Firefox extension

Bonus:

Why use a wiki? Which wiki is right for you?

Apart from being a Google product, there are many other reasons to use Blogger.

Profy is still invite only, but I can’t wait for the amazing stuff that’ll come out once it’s out of beta, and here’s why.

In the meantime, Vox is easy to use, and is almost as comprehensive as Profy.

Proof that less is more: Tumblr.

Typepad: Because not all blogging platforms are created equal.

Apart from being a great blogging platform, Wordpress can also serve as a solid CMS.

1. Tutorial9’s School of Photoshop (highly recommended)

2. 23 Most Incredible Photoshop Tutorials

3. Photoshop Tutorials and Design Resources for Designers (from MickM.com)

4. Create a 60’s Psychedelic Style Concert Poster (from PSDTuts.com)

5. Colorful Typography Photoshop Tutorial (from Photoshop-Garden.com)

6. Photoshop Tutorials.ws

7. Only Photoshop Tutorials

8. 100 wonderful photo effects Photoshop tutorials (from The Photoshop Roadmap)

Of course, you can also “stick it to the man” and use 10 free web-based alternatives to Photoshop

I was sitting outside a cafe in Prague, sipping on a glass of Jameson.

Vanessa, from Brazil, points at my wrist and asks, “What does your tattoo say?”

“It says, ‘Who is John Galt.’”

“Who is John Galt?” She asks. It’s the natural follow up question, one which I’m used to getting.

I was with a group of people who all went to the same church. Most of my best friends are quite religious, my father is a pastor. I however am not extremely religious. I do enjoy the study of philosophy. My personal philosophy is based on several different schools of thought. I appreciate Ayn Rand and her work, and while I don’t agree with all of her conclusions I find her picture of the ideal man to be particularly inspiring.

“It’s a character from a book called ‘Atlas Shrugged.’ A person who works extremely hard, he’s a creator, and he refuses to violate his principles.” I tell her.

Across the table I hear my friend John ask another individual if he’s ever read ‘Atlas Shrugged.’

“I started it, but quickly realized it was humanistic BS and a waste of time.” The individual replied.

I’m used to people disagreeing with me. It’s a part of life that I find incredibly enjoyable actually. Debate is a form of conversation particularly rewarding to me. Even when people disagree with me vehemently, I find something valuable in listening to and trying to understand the opinions of others.

It amazes me though how some people, no matter their personal beliefs, are incredibly capable of alienating people around them. There are a few basic steps anyone can take that will instantly make their ideas more appealing to those around them. This is not an exhaustive list, just three important things. Please note that none of these rules apply to politicians.

Don’t be a Jerk (The Golden Rule)

Lets face it, all of your opinions are truth. Being right however is not an excuse to berate anyone who disagrees with you. It can be extremely tempting (and fulfilling) to call someone who doesn’t agree with you “blind”, “retarded”, or whatever your choice of insult. This will however result in the rest of the world labeling you as ignorant, and probably rightly so. How often do you listen to someone who insults you, gives you wedgies, or treats you like a child? That’s about how often others will listen to you if you demean them.

Be Genuine

When I was eighteen I began a journey away from a certain ideology. There were several reasons for this, some emotional, others intellectual. During this time there was one individual in particular who made an effort to talk with me about this on a consistent basis. I was perfectly willing to talk to this individual about the intellectual reasons for my changing opinion. He however wanted to discuss my emotional reasons. He may have really cared about me as a person, but all his attempts to get me to open up came across as incredibly fake. We hadn’t had a deep relationship before, but now that I was ‘jumping ship’ he wanted to be my best friend.

We’re more likely to listen to someone who seems genuine than someone who comes across as unauthentic. If you don’t seem sincere, you’re going to have trouble persuading others.

Be Honest

You won’t ever have all the answers. When you unsure of something, admit it, tell people you’ll research it, then do. If part of your opinion is distasteful to some people don’t try to sugar coat it. Lying, or even stating the truth in a misleading way will only hurt you when you’re found out (unless your name is John McCain.) There’s nothing more refreshing than someone who’s willing to be completely honest. You may not end up making a sale, but people will certainly be more inclined to give your ideas serious thought. If nothing else they’ll probably respect you for your candor.

“So why did you get that tattoo?” Vanessa queries.

“Well I agree with some of the ideas in the book. It’s like someone who gets a Bible verse as a tattoo.” I say this hoping the other person at the table will hear, and maybe think twice the next time they want to call some ones opinion ‘BS.’

Marshall has a serious case of wanderlust, and writes about his wanderings at the wonderfully entertaining LazyVoice.

• A project pays the bills, but doesn’t grow the company.
  Just say no.
• The client has a checkbook in hand, but doesn’t trust in your approach and doesn’t have accurate expectations.
  Just say no.
• You can’t meet their desired deadline, but you want to try.
  Just say no.
• You have honest concerns about a project.
  Just say so. Your clients and customers will only appreciate the fact that you’re putting your concerns and their experience above your desire for revenue.

Moral of the story: you simply can’t be everything to everyone.  And you should stop trying.  Go from being a “yes-man” whose word is meaningless to an authentic person with an authentic business who says what he means.  If you want to help someone, by all means say “yes” and help them.  But only if you can go all out.

If your customers are requesting a certain feature or your clients are driving your business, it may be time, though, to step back and analyze the situation for what it is.  Better to step back and consider than simply say “yes” and allow inertia and other people’s desires evolve your business into something you never intended it to be.

Saying no has another funny affect.  I say no all the time to prospects and projects that don’t align well with our core service-set and paradigm or that simply have short-term potential and not long-term potential.  By saying no and filtering our decisions, we ensure that where we do spend our time, we make an impact.  And since there are only 24 hours in a day and only 1/3 of those hours are spent working, it makes sense to choose your battles.

Related Reading:

http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/1050-ask-37signals-how-do-you-say-no
http://www.esquire.com/features/honesty0707-2