Excerpt From: Seth Godin. “Linchpin." iBooks.
“The people you’re hoping will hire you, buy from you, support you, and interact with you have more choices and less time than ever before."
“Consumers are not loyal to cheap commodities. They crave the unique, the remarkable, and the human."
“Those are the only two choices. Win by being more ordinary, more standard, and cheaper. Or win by being faster, more remarkable, and more human."
“It turns out that what we need are gifts and connections and humanity—and the artists who create them."
“Today, the means of production = a laptop computer with Internet connectivity. "
“It starts with bloggers, musicians, writers and others who don’t need anyone’s support or permission to do their thing."
“Mediocre is merely a failed attempt to be really good."
“Markets are crying out. We need you to stand up and be remarkable. Be human. Contribute. Interact. Take the risk that you might make someone upset with your initiative, innovation, and insight—it turns out that you’ll probably delight them instead."
“Consumers say that all they want are cheap commodities. Given the choice, though, most of us, most of the time, seek out art. We seek out experiences and products that deliver more value, more connection, and more experience, and change us for the better. You can learn how to do this if you want to."
// I am trying to learn this by building a matrimony service www.earlymarriage.in
“If you want a job where you get to do more than follow instructions, don’t be surprised if you get asked to do things they never taught you in school.
If you want a job where you take intellectual risks all day long, don’t be surprised if your insights get you promoted."
“If we enlarged the pie by bringing in the best programmers from around the world, it’s inevitable that tons of jobs would be created for local talent as well."
// this is one thing we need to do in Vizag.
“Exceptional insight, productivity, and generosity make markets bigger and more efficient. This situation leads to more opportunities and ultimately a payoff for everyone involved. The more you give, the more the market gives back.
Abundance is possible, but only if we can imagine it and then embrace it."
// be generous.
“the one that markets around the world are embracing as fast as they can, is this:
Be remarkable
Be generous
Create art
Make judgment calls
Connect people and ideas
. . . and we have no choice but to reward you."
// embrace it now
“the competitive advantage the marketplace demands is someone more human, connected, and mature. Someone with passion and energy, capable of seeing things as they are and negotiating multiple priorities as she makes useful decisions without angst. Flexible in the face of change, resilient in the face of confusion."
// guideline
“In a factory, doing a job that’s not yours is dangerous. Now, if you’re a linchpin, doing a job that’s not getting done is essential."
// everyone in your company should be like this.
“Would your organization be more successful if your employees were more obedient?
Or, consider for a second: would you be more successful if your employees were more artistic, motivated, connected, aware, passionate, and genuine?
You can’t have both, of course."
“Your business needs more linchpins. It’s scary to rely on a particular employee, but in a postindustrial economy, you have no choice."
“Doesn’t matter if you’re always right. It matters that you’re always moving."
// keep shipping
“The law of linchpin leverage: The more value you create in your job, the fewer clock minutes of labor you actually spend creating that value. In other words, most of the time, you’re not being brilliant. Most of the time, you do stuff that ordinary people could do."
“It’s the art and the insight and the bravery of value creation that are rewarded."
“Your Job is a platform. You get paid to go to work and do something of value. But your job is also a platform for generosity, for expression, for art.
Every interaction you have with a coworker or customer is an opportunity to practice the art of interaction. Every product you make represents an opportunity to design something that has never been designed, to create an interaction unlike any other."
“challenging yourself to “give yourself an A." You’re going to do great—embracing your effort and visualizing an outcome—is far more productive than struggling to beat the curve."
embracing your effort and visualizing an outcome—is far more productive than struggling to beat the curve
“You can spend your time on stage pleasing the heckler in the back, or you can devote it to the audience that came to hear you perform."
“Organizations that can bring humanity and flexibility to their interactions with other human beings will thrive."
“Personal interactions don’t have asymptotes. Innovative solutions to new problems don’t get old. Seek out achievements where there is no limit."
“Avoiding the treadmill of defect-free is not easy to sell to someone who’s been trained in the perfection worldview since first grade (which is most of us). But artists embrace the mystery of our genius instead. They understand that there is no map, no step-by-step plan, and no way to avoid blame now and then.
If it wasn’t a mystery, it would be easy. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth much."
// keep this in mind and produce, your output
“Great jobs, world-class jobs, jobs people kill for—those jobs don’t get filled by people e-mailing in résumés."
// create your mark
“find a company that understands the value of the linchpin. Find a company that doesn’t use a computer to scan résumés, a company that hires people, not paper."
“If he waits for a job to be good enough to deserve his best shot, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever have that job."
// so in every job you have to put your best foot
“Two things were at work here. First, 37signals is a company dedicated to hiring only linchpins. They reject the traditional pump-and-dump approach to hiring, and they’re not indulging their egos by hiring people dumber than they are. Second, Jason is really good at what he does and he’s willing to stand up and be recognized for his work. You are not your résumé. You are your work.
If the game is designed for you to lose, don’t play that game. Play a different one."
// this is the way you have to build your company
// take a printout of this and keep it with you.
“Secret Memo for Employers
You want your employees to be indispensable.
Really? After all, if they’re the linchpins, you have to treat them better. Pay them fairly. You won’t be able to quickly fire them for any reason, knowing how easy they will be to replace with all those folks lining up at the door. The linchpin represents a threat to the orderly execution of your agenda, because the linchpin is necessary. The linchpin has power!
No one is irreplaceable, of course, because over time someone can be trained to fill the shoes of your linchpin employee. But right now, knowing you have to depend on someone is a scary feeling. Not only does he have power, but he might leave you hanging. This isn’t what you were taught in school.
Here’s the win (actually, there are two):
First, understand that your competition has been building a faceless machine exactly like yours. And when customers have the choice between faceless options, they pick the cheapest, fastest, more direct option. If you want customers to flock to you, it’s tempting to race to the bottom of the price chart. There’s not a lot of room for profit there, though. You can’t out-Amazon Amazon, can you?
In a world that relentlessly races to the bottom, you lose if you also race to the bottom. The only way to win is to race to the top.
When your organization becomes more human, more remarkable, faster on its feet, and more likely to connect directly with customers, it becomes indispensable. The very thing that made your employee a linchpin makes YOU a linchpin. An organization of indispensable people doing important work is remarkable, profitable, and indispensable in and of itself.
Second, the people who work for you, the ones you freed to be artists, will rise to a level you can’t even imagine. When people realize that they are not a cog in a machine, an easily replaceable commodity, they take the challenge and grow. They produce more than you pay them to, because you are paying them with something worth more than money. They do more than they’re paid to, on their own, because they value quality for its own sake, and they want to do good work. They need to do good work. Anything less feels intellectually dishonest, and like a waste of time. In exchange, you’re giving them freedom, responsibility, and respect, which are priceless.
As a result of these priceless gifts, expect that the linchpins on your staff won’t abuse their power. In fact, they’ll work harder, stay longer, and produce more than you pay them to. Because everyone is a person, and people crave connection and respect."
// very important to understand
Out of choise of thirty-eight factors that motivated them to do their best at work.
The top ten, ranked in order:
1. Challenge and responsibility
2. Flexibility
3. A stable work environment
4. Money
5. Professional development
6. Peer recognition
7. Stimulating colleagues and bosses
8. Exciting job content
9. Organizational culture
10. Location and community
Only one of these is a clearly extrinsic motivator (#4, money). The rest are either things we do for ourselves or things that we value because of who we are.
The interesting thing about money is that there’s no easy way for an employee to make it increase, at least not in the short run. Most of the other elements, though, can go through the roof as a result of our behavior, contributions, attitude, and gifts.
And yet, cynical management acts like a factory, figuring that the only motivators are cash and freedom from scolding.
“The people you’re hoping will hire you, buy from you, support you, and interact with you have more choices and less time than ever before."
“Consumers are not loyal to cheap commodities. They crave the unique, the remarkable, and the human."
“Those are the only two choices. Win by being more ordinary, more standard, and cheaper. Or win by being faster, more remarkable, and more human."
“It turns out that what we need are gifts and connections and humanity—and the artists who create them."
“Today, the means of production = a laptop computer with Internet connectivity. "
“It starts with bloggers, musicians, writers and others who don’t need anyone’s support or permission to do their thing."
“Mediocre is merely a failed attempt to be really good."
“Markets are crying out. We need you to stand up and be remarkable. Be human. Contribute. Interact. Take the risk that you might make someone upset with your initiative, innovation, and insight—it turns out that you’ll probably delight them instead."
“Consumers say that all they want are cheap commodities. Given the choice, though, most of us, most of the time, seek out art. We seek out experiences and products that deliver more value, more connection, and more experience, and change us for the better. You can learn how to do this if you want to."
// I am trying to learn this by building a matrimony service www.earlymarriage.in
“If you want a job where you get to do more than follow instructions, don’t be surprised if you get asked to do things they never taught you in school.
If you want a job where you take intellectual risks all day long, don’t be surprised if your insights get you promoted."
“If we enlarged the pie by bringing in the best programmers from around the world, it’s inevitable that tons of jobs would be created for local talent as well."
// this is one thing we need to do in Vizag.
“Exceptional insight, productivity, and generosity make markets bigger and more efficient. This situation leads to more opportunities and ultimately a payoff for everyone involved. The more you give, the more the market gives back.
Abundance is possible, but only if we can imagine it and then embrace it."
// be generous.
“the one that markets around the world are embracing as fast as they can, is this:
Be remarkable
Be generous
Create art
Make judgment calls
Connect people and ideas
. . . and we have no choice but to reward you."
// embrace it now
“the competitive advantage the marketplace demands is someone more human, connected, and mature. Someone with passion and energy, capable of seeing things as they are and negotiating multiple priorities as she makes useful decisions without angst. Flexible in the face of change, resilient in the face of confusion."
// guideline
“In a factory, doing a job that’s not yours is dangerous. Now, if you’re a linchpin, doing a job that’s not getting done is essential."
// everyone in your company should be like this.
“Would your organization be more successful if your employees were more obedient?
Or, consider for a second: would you be more successful if your employees were more artistic, motivated, connected, aware, passionate, and genuine?
You can’t have both, of course."
“Your business needs more linchpins. It’s scary to rely on a particular employee, but in a postindustrial economy, you have no choice."
“Doesn’t matter if you’re always right. It matters that you’re always moving."
// keep shipping
“The law of linchpin leverage: The more value you create in your job, the fewer clock minutes of labor you actually spend creating that value. In other words, most of the time, you’re not being brilliant. Most of the time, you do stuff that ordinary people could do."
“It’s the art and the insight and the bravery of value creation that are rewarded."
“Your Job is a platform. You get paid to go to work and do something of value. But your job is also a platform for generosity, for expression, for art.
Every interaction you have with a coworker or customer is an opportunity to practice the art of interaction. Every product you make represents an opportunity to design something that has never been designed, to create an interaction unlike any other."
“challenging yourself to “give yourself an A." You’re going to do great—embracing your effort and visualizing an outcome—is far more productive than struggling to beat the curve."
embracing your effort and visualizing an outcome—is far more productive than struggling to beat the curve
“You can spend your time on stage pleasing the heckler in the back, or you can devote it to the audience that came to hear you perform."
“Organizations that can bring humanity and flexibility to their interactions with other human beings will thrive."
“Personal interactions don’t have asymptotes. Innovative solutions to new problems don’t get old. Seek out achievements where there is no limit."
“Avoiding the treadmill of defect-free is not easy to sell to someone who’s been trained in the perfection worldview since first grade (which is most of us). But artists embrace the mystery of our genius instead. They understand that there is no map, no step-by-step plan, and no way to avoid blame now and then.
If it wasn’t a mystery, it would be easy. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth much."
// keep this in mind and produce, your output
“Great jobs, world-class jobs, jobs people kill for—those jobs don’t get filled by people e-mailing in résumés."
// create your mark
“find a company that understands the value of the linchpin. Find a company that doesn’t use a computer to scan résumés, a company that hires people, not paper."
“If he waits for a job to be good enough to deserve his best shot, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever have that job."
// so in every job you have to put your best foot
“Two things were at work here. First, 37signals is a company dedicated to hiring only linchpins. They reject the traditional pump-and-dump approach to hiring, and they’re not indulging their egos by hiring people dumber than they are. Second, Jason is really good at what he does and he’s willing to stand up and be recognized for his work. You are not your résumé. You are your work.
If the game is designed for you to lose, don’t play that game. Play a different one."
// this is the way you have to build your company
// take a printout of this and keep it with you.
“Secret Memo for Employers
You want your employees to be indispensable.
Really? After all, if they’re the linchpins, you have to treat them better. Pay them fairly. You won’t be able to quickly fire them for any reason, knowing how easy they will be to replace with all those folks lining up at the door. The linchpin represents a threat to the orderly execution of your agenda, because the linchpin is necessary. The linchpin has power!
No one is irreplaceable, of course, because over time someone can be trained to fill the shoes of your linchpin employee. But right now, knowing you have to depend on someone is a scary feeling. Not only does he have power, but he might leave you hanging. This isn’t what you were taught in school.
Here’s the win (actually, there are two):
First, understand that your competition has been building a faceless machine exactly like yours. And when customers have the choice between faceless options, they pick the cheapest, fastest, more direct option. If you want customers to flock to you, it’s tempting to race to the bottom of the price chart. There’s not a lot of room for profit there, though. You can’t out-Amazon Amazon, can you?
In a world that relentlessly races to the bottom, you lose if you also race to the bottom. The only way to win is to race to the top.
When your organization becomes more human, more remarkable, faster on its feet, and more likely to connect directly with customers, it becomes indispensable. The very thing that made your employee a linchpin makes YOU a linchpin. An organization of indispensable people doing important work is remarkable, profitable, and indispensable in and of itself.
Second, the people who work for you, the ones you freed to be artists, will rise to a level you can’t even imagine. When people realize that they are not a cog in a machine, an easily replaceable commodity, they take the challenge and grow. They produce more than you pay them to, because you are paying them with something worth more than money. They do more than they’re paid to, on their own, because they value quality for its own sake, and they want to do good work. They need to do good work. Anything less feels intellectually dishonest, and like a waste of time. In exchange, you’re giving them freedom, responsibility, and respect, which are priceless.
As a result of these priceless gifts, expect that the linchpins on your staff won’t abuse their power. In fact, they’ll work harder, stay longer, and produce more than you pay them to. Because everyone is a person, and people crave connection and respect."
// very important to understand
Out of choise of thirty-eight factors that motivated them to do their best at work.
The top ten, ranked in order:
1. Challenge and responsibility
2. Flexibility
3. A stable work environment
4. Money
5. Professional development
6. Peer recognition
7. Stimulating colleagues and bosses
8. Exciting job content
9. Organizational culture
10. Location and community
Only one of these is a clearly extrinsic motivator (#4, money). The rest are either things we do for ourselves or things that we value because of who we are.
The interesting thing about money is that there’s no easy way for an employee to make it increase, at least not in the short run. Most of the other elements, though, can go through the roof as a result of our behavior, contributions, attitude, and gifts.
And yet, cynical management acts like a factory, figuring that the only motivators are cash and freedom from scolding.
"
// use this when you build an organization
“The linchpin says, “I don’t want a job that a non-linchpin could get."
// don't hire non-linchpins
“Emotional labor is the task of doing important work, even when it isn’t easy."
// very important to note for every task I do.
“We’re not at all surprised when a craftsman sharpens his saw or an athlete trains hard. But when an information worker develops her skills at confronting fear (whether it’s in making connections, speaking, inventing, selling, or dealing with difficult situations) we roll our eyes.
It turns out that digging into the difficult work of emotional labor is exactly what we’re expected (and needed) to do. Work is nothing but a platform for art and the emotional labor that goes with it."
// don't hire non-linchpins
“Emotional labor is the task of doing important work, even when it isn’t easy."
// very important to note for every task I do.
“We’re not at all surprised when a craftsman sharpens his saw or an athlete trains hard. But when an information worker develops her skills at confronting fear (whether it’s in making connections, speaking, inventing, selling, or dealing with difficult situations) we roll our eyes.
It turns out that digging into the difficult work of emotional labor is exactly what we’re expected (and needed) to do. Work is nothing but a platform for art and the emotional labor that goes with it."