Devin Thorpe posted a great commentary the other day on how people can change. I highly encourage you to read it. Thanks, Devin for inspiring this post.

People can and do change. Change comes intentionally and unintentionally. Change comes with age. I know that I am a very different person now compared to when I was 18. Marriage changes you. My wife has been a great influence on me. Children change you. When my daughter was born almost nine years ago I was instantly changed. I use to have dreams that she was getting married and I couldn’t afford to give her a nice wedding. Strangely enough that forced me to do better in school and to excel at what I do.  

Other things that can change you include death, sickness, divorce, religious awakening, kids leaving home and repentance. All these things have the ability to force significant personality changes.  

I’ve talked about this before but it’s worth mentioning again. In 2003-04, I was part of a mentoring program in MBA School. I was matched up with star management consultant and author, Chuck Coonradt. I’ve never had such a hard core personality work over in my whole life. I would spend nights sitting up thinking about the things Chuck made me realize. This is how a lot of our conversations would go:

Chuck: Why are you a jerk at work? 

Chris: I’m not a jerk at work!

Chuck: (Burst out in laughter) BS! You know you’re a jerk at work!

(Long silence) 

Chris: Yeah you’re right. What do I do about it?

Chuck: 90% of the battle is admitting you have a fault. Once you’ve humbled yourself, then fixing it is easy if you have a desire to do so.

Chris: So what do I do now?

Chuck: it looks like you have a desire to change so make an effort to be genuinely nice to people. It will come easier and easier until you will wake up one day and you’ll be the nicest person you know.

I’m obviously still working on all this. It takes effort, humility and a strong desire to change your personality but it can be done. For me, I’ve noticed that a lot of negative stress turns me into a jerk at work but I’ve come a very long way!  

If it already hasn’t happened there is going to come a time in your life where you will need to force some kind of change. The older you get the harder it will become. What are you waiting for?

On a similar note:

There is a big difference between being a jerk and being outspoken. I’m outspoken. I take sides. I have an opinion. This doesn’t make me a jerk. It just means that I have a backbone. I find in Utah that there are so many spineless people. They avoid face to face confrontation because they don’t want to “rock the boat” so they go off and talk behind other peoples back’s. There is nothing I hate more than passive/aggressive personalities. There is nothing worse than a manager who pretends to be everyone’s friend and then doesn’t manage or leaves it up to someone else to do their dirty work. The businesses in this state are plagued by people like this. They’re more interested in looking like a nice guy then actually being one.

You can have an opinion and not be a jerk. Here’s one tip to help you with this - avoid the following statements:

• “Do you know what your problem is…?”
• “I don’t agree with you.” or “I don’t agree with what (insert name) says” - I hear that one a lot at church of all places.
• “With all due respect..” - people who say this never respect the opinion of the person they are about to address.

Replace that with:

• “Can I offer another view?”
• “Or we could approach it this way…”
• “I know this is a hot issue and everybody has an opinion. My view is that…”

Once we learn how to properly manage and deal with others in the right way - a lot will change around here.

So I challenge you to change. I have a desire to change. I’m doing it. I’m better for doing it.

Are you?

I like music. I like it even better in iTunes. So with that, here are the artists, albums, and songs heavy in my rotation for early 2007 ordered by ones I'm listening to the most. Nota bene: these aren't necessarily what have been released in early 2007, just what I'm currently listening to:

• Ben Kweller - (Self Titled): Ben Kweller's latest album is just awesome. This kid can write, sing, and play good tuneage. I can't get enough of this album and even my wife likes it. That's a rarity. "Nothing Happening," "Sundress," "Magic," and "Until I Die" are the standout tracks, but all are good.
  
• Pheonix - Alphabetical AND "Rally" from It's Never Been Like That Where to begin? Pheonix is one fine electronic/traditional band. Their songs seem a bit flat at times, but flat in a good way. Never overproduced. Just right. Excellent band and a newly discovered one for me in 2007.
• Magnet - On Your Side AND The Tourniquet. Norwegian songwriter Magnet can do no wrong. Both of these albums will go down as a pair of my all-time favorites. Want beautiful, soft, acoustic/electronic music? Look no further. Magnet is stellar.
• Beck - The Information. It's Beck's new album! What more could you ask for? My favorite track is the current single, "Think I'm In Love."
  
• Teddybears - "Different Sound." Their Soft Machine album is a bit out there, but "Different Sound" is such an infectious song. Highly recommended track.
  
• Daft Punk - Human After All. The. Best. Electronic. Album. Out. Right. Now. Recorded in only six weeks, this one is clearly underrated. Human After All is almost exclusively what I listen to when running (if I'm running).
  
• The Clientele - "(I Can't Seem To) Make You Mine." I can't speak for the entire album, but I really dig this bands soothing sounds.
  
• Philip Glass - The Illusionist (Soundtrack). Minimalist classical music at its finest. I think I've listened to the theme track over 75 times in the last month alone.
  

Of course, my playlists are also peppered with 80's, classical, and a bunch of other stuff, but this is what has my attention as of late. I'm also anticipating Air's new album due March 5 (new single here). Mmmm. Air. What are you currently listening to?

Communications professionals know that the choice of words they use is a key component to messaging to the public. Republican strategist Frank Luntz, the man who coined the phrase ‘Death Tax’, has just written a book titled “Words that Work”. The book discusses the importance of word smithing in communications, and while reviews of the book have been mediocre at best, it does have some interesting case studies, including the coining of the phrase ‘Death Tax’.

Jimmy Carter found this out the hard way when he released his new book on the Middle East, titled “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” Supporters of Israel were deeply offended by the use of the word apartheid. Or perhaps Carter strategically chose that word, either way; it’s affect created quite a controversy.

There are examples of “word” blunders almost every day, and we’ll see a lot more as we near the 2008 elections. With the advent of new media such as blogs and podcasts, and the influence of the traditional media, it’s more important than ever for communication professional to choose their words wisely. Words matter.

I just got an email from Dennis Wood at V|Spring notifying me that I have been nominated as a candidate for this years v|Spring V|100. Thanks to those who nominated me and congratulations to my fellow nominees. The list reads like a who’s who of Utah business. It looks like there are about 500 to 550 nominees.

The way this works now is that the nominees go through the list and pick 10 peers in order of who you would choose (first to last) to go on to the final round. It took me 20 minutes just to scroll though the list. This list contains what are probably the 500 busiest people in the state of Utah. So I’m wondering how many of the nominees will actually take the time to vote. I’ll do it and hope the other nominees will as well.

A quick glance at the list reveals some interesting things:

• It looks like there about 14 people from Omniture on the list
• About 30 people are missing titles
• One of my mentors, Chuck Coonradt made the list
• Anthony Soohoo, who made it last year is on the list again this year. My understanding is that Anthony has no real ties to Utah (other than friendships) but he keeps making it on the list. Maybe I’m missing something here.
• I counted at least 66 people with “*” by their names which means v|Spring doesn’t have contact info for that nominee.
• Recently fired Dell CEO, Kevin Rollins made the list.
• Entire executive teams across numerous companies made it on the list (Nextpage, Podango, Omniture, Hirevue @Task, Move Networks, Control4, MWI and on and on)
• I’m willing to bet that way less than 5% of the people on this list are woman.
• David McInnis who recently sold PRWeb out of Washington state then started Chispa Labs in Springville made the list

Overall its a good list. It should be interesting to see who comes out on top. Let the voting begin!

Recognizing that I am a little late to the Podcast party, I'm beginning to get the hang of it. Recently, I've started listening to the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders series hosted by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program.  Each week, a speaker makes a presentation to students.  The presentations range from mildly interesting to fascinating. One notable presentation was made by Joel Peterson of Peterson Partners, who discussed negotiations. More recently, Reid Hoffman the Founder of Linked-In spoke.  Last week, Gregory Waldorf of eHarmony presented on Valentine's Day.

From Business Wire:

“Speaking Roses International, Inc. (OTCBB:SRII - News), the company that invented patented flower embossing technology, today announced that creditors holding short-term notes of $3,603,356 (71% of SRII existing debt) have agreed to a long term extension and an additional $1 million line of credit.”

“‘This shows the collaborative effort with our creditors to the long term success of our company,’ said Alan Farrell, Speaking Roses CEO.”

The press release doesn’t say who “the creditor” is but one can only assume that it’s Rolly Walker or another member of the board of directors. Whoever it is they just lost another million bucks.  

I can’t wait for Speaking Roses 2006 annual filing to come out. I’m going to have a hay day going through it line by line and reporting all the details here!

(disclosure - if you’re a frequent reader of my blog you know that I used to work for Speaking Roses)

There are note worthy examples of individuals who succeed in business without formal training in business, but if you dig into the stories you always find they have a business education. They might have gotten it by starting in a “family business” at 10 years old, they might have years of experience in their industry where they built up knowledge through a series of escalating responsibilities, or they might have come into business through an affiliated profession like law where they had to master finance, accounting, and tax issues as part of studying regulatory law. These stories also regularly feature some bad road rash from a fall along the way. An education was had, but it hurt.

People can go a long way in business on charm and motivation. There is a component of success in organizations, whether government, social service, non-profit, religious, or business, that is based on social and communication skills, and many people get promoted into good jobs based on these skills. But at some point along the success path, people get into positions that require decisions that matter. Whether entrepreneur or corporate manager, there are moments of truth strewn with land mines that will go off with one wrong move. These are good times to know what you are doing.

I know a CEO who is now retired from a firm that in its time was in the major leagues of corporate America. When he became the President of the firm, he did something that surprised his board, his employees, and to some degree himself: He enrolled in the David Eccles School Executive MBA Program. In talking to him about going back to school after he had “made it” by anyone’s standards, he said something very interesting: “I had come up on the marketing side of the business, and I knew the business as well as anyone in the industry. But once I started going to Board meetings, I realized I really did not understand the firm’s financials. They were complicated, and while I could see how we were doing, I really did not understand what they were telling everyone else in the room. What the EMBA gave me was a set of tools to understand every facet of the business. As a result of doing the EMBA, I was able to participate with the Board in setting direction for the business and make contributions beyond what I was previously making, which gave the Board the confidence to ultimately make me CEO. I needed to grow as President of the firm, and the EMBA helped me grow rapidly to the point I was ready to become the CEO when the opportunity became available.”

One of the recurring themes in classic Greek tragedy is the heroic figure destroyed by hubris, the Greek word for arrogance associated with pride. The force that takes down the heroic figure is typically fate, often embodied by the intervention of one of the mythic gods who has taken offense. Hubris is a dangerous trait in entrepreneurs and corporate managers, because at some point fate comes calling. Those who are successful as entrepreneurs and corporate leaders are among the most humble individuals I meet, and the CEO above is a great example. He had the humility to go back to school and pick up the key knowledge he found he was lacking rather than try to fake his way through or learn “from experience,” which he realized was dangerous for the firm and his career. Humble leaders also get the most from their people because they understand their success is the result of the efforts of many individuals who are following their lead. Finally, humble leaders help those in their organization get the knowledge they need to succeed in the opportunities that will define their careers. The individual who came back to get his EMBA has sent many others in his organization back to school in programs all over the nation, many of them already in senior positions. Most of those he encouraged became presidents and CEOs, and they are leaders who have the tool set to make vital strategic decisions.

There is a phrase I have heard many times, and I think it summarizes the point here well: Education is experience you do not pay for. Yes, all the lessons of business were once learned the hard way, and businesses failed and careers were ruined in the process. Much faculty research in business focuses on developing best practices and cataloging mistakes. This research is the basis for what is taught, and the mistakes are a context for learning why strategic decisions need to be approached in a certain way. There is wisdom that comes with career experience that is tough to teach, but we know a lot about the landmines that destroy businesses and careers that we can teach. Experience you do not need to pay for.

It is possible to make a fortune in Vegas in a day by making all the right bets at the roulette wheel, craps table, or any of a dozen different bets. The same is true in business: it is possible to make all the right bets over a career that lasts 40 or more years. Last I checked, the casinos in Vegas are not owned by individuals who raised their capital at the gaming tables.

Later.

I remember the first evidence (which at the time I wholeheartedly rejected) I received that I am in fact a jackass. 

(By this I mean that I am a jerk or in the even more crude vernacular of the day, I am what is commonly called an a--hole.  Personally, given the difficult personality traits reportedly exhibited by actual jackasses or donkeys, I prefer the animal reference to the crude anatomical reference with little metaphoric meaning, beyond the vague, yet sharp insult.)

The evidence of my official status as a jackass was that in 1995, I was leaving a job I'd had for a year in a regional investment bank here in Salt Lake.  My boss, Ed, was a stern former CFO with whom I had a rather tenuous rapport.  When I left, he volunteered to take me to lunch as a form of exit interview.  There, he explained, "Devin, you are confrontational."

"Like hell I am!" I thought, but thankfully didn't say out loud.

In hindsight, I think this was a rather kind way of telling me that I was a jerk with whom people don't like to work.  I would certainly have rejected the criticism at the time no matter how it might have been conveyed. 

The annual Utah IP Summit was held in downtown Salt Lake City yesterday. Congratuations to Sam Straight, chair of the Utah State Bar Intellectual Property Section and the rest of the committee on a job well done.

Speakers included: Judge Randall Rader, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, John Love, Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Judges Dee Benson and Dale Kimball of our local federal Court, and several local and out of state attorneys.

Some interesting hightlights:

- The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has nearly 800,000 pending patent applications waiting to be examined.

- In 2006, the PTO completed examination on 332,000 application. The average time from filing to first examination is a little over two years. (In the late 1980s, the goal was completed examination in 18 months).
 
- In 2006, 54% of cases were allowed - the lowest percentage on record.

Anyone who has significant IP responsibilities should consider attending next year. Likewise, any out of state attorneys who need CLE and a mental health brake (9 ski resorts within a 1 hr. drive) should be here next February.

We have a running discussion in my office and over a few blogs over what consistutes an entrepreneur. Every seems to disagree to various degrees with the dictionary definitions we've found, but no one has been able to articulate a definition that most of us agree with. So far we are stuck with it requires starting a business, creativity and risk. Does anyone have a good definition?.