Category Archives: Consulting

Bruce Willis and Resent

Bruce Willis fans stop here.  Or, at least be warned: He’s teaching today.

Why?  According to Kevin Smith, Willis, these days, is just a paycheck player.

On the set of Cop Out, Willis refused to shoot until noon.  Whined on set every day.  And despite everyone else taking massive pay cuts to make the movie, Willis made sure to let everyone know he wasn’t getting paid nearly enough for “this shit”.

Whining about being underpaid transcends Hollywood.  And, if you choose to do it, the outcome is always the same: Your team resents you.  And you aren’t given any more money.

10 ways to enjoy low-hanging fruit

It’s the easy stuff.  The stuff within reach.  The stuff that takes minimal effort, but gets you started.  More than what you got, picking the low-hanging fruit gets you momentum.

Picking the low-hanging fruit gets you first 25%.  Then, the next lowest hanging fruit gets you half way there.  The next 25% is easy since you’ve already done twice that much.  Finally the last 25% takes some strategy, but is why you started.

There are so many opportunities to use the low-hanging fruit principle.  Start with the easy stuff and ride the momentum.  Here are some real-life examples.

10 ways to enjoy low-hanging fruit:

  • At the gym: 4 sets seems daunting.  Doing just one does not.
  • Around the house: Cleaning the house is a huge chore.  Starting with the dishes is not.
  • At high school: 20 page papers are scary.  Creating an outline is not.
  • At grad school: Dissertations are intense.  Fact gathering with note cards is not.
  • In competition: Overcoming a 30 point deficit may seem impossible.  Getting one basket is just one basket.
  • In the kitchen: Having an awe-inspiring kitchen is a dream.  Starting with a Vitamix 7500 is realistic.
  • In policy: Making high fructose corn syrup illegal may take a lifetime.  Raising awareness takes a couple minutes.
  • In education: Learning to read can be frustrating.  Learning a couple words is delightful.
  • In dating: Finding your soul mate might be the goal.  But, going on one date is step one.
  • In your career: Quitting your job and working for yourself is not realistic.  That is, unless you’ve begun to build your email list.

Go one tree at a time

Grabbing the low-hanging fruit will get you started.  And it will get you the momentum you need.  Soon, all that’s left will be the fruit at the top.

But, just because picking the low-hanging fruit is good, doesn’t mean it’s all you should do.  Because if you go from tree to tree without finishing, you’ll be left with a bunch of trees with a little fruit on top.  And that’s not why you started.

Read more about getting the low-hanging fruit by reading “Switch”, one of my favorite resources.

Getting the fruit from the top

Tons of fruit to pick.  It was a massive undertaking.   But, by getting momentum with the low-hanging fruit and then next lowest we were 50% done.  Then, we brought the project to life by getting to 75% complete.  Finally, the top of the tree was all that remained.  And it needs to be picked.

The student’s paper is nothing without diction, voice and tone.  The traveler’s suitcase is worthless without her toiletries.   The weight-loss seeker’s Vitamix is just an expensive decoration if it sits idle.

It’s easy to forget the reason you started.  And it’s easy to be satisfied with simply having started.  Or being almost done.  That’s sort of reverse-low hanging fruit.  And now your brain is really messing with you.

Remember, it often takes the most strategy to finish the job.

And, the fruit at the top is high.  You really have to push.  But getting it all is the reason you started.

The fruit that brings the project to life

When the low-hanging fruit is gone, what’s left?  You’re 50% done, so doing another 25% should seem easy.  It’s only half of what you’ve already done.  And, it will get you to 75% complete.

The student fills in the outline with sentences.  The traveler chooses outfits.  The weight loss-seeker goes to the grocery store.

When the low-hanging fruit is gone, and the relatively low-hanging fruit is gone, the next step is bring the project to life.  It’s sometimes the toughest step.  But, knowing that afterwards you’ll be 75% finished makes it easier.  And seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (or in this case, the fruit on top of the tree) makes it worth it.

Another cool thing about low-hanging fruit

So you picked the low-hanging fruit.  What’s next?  Get some more.

The student can hand-write an outline for their paper.  Travelers can pull shirts they may want to wear.  Weight loss seekers can print a smoothie recipe.

You might have to reach a little higher.  But it’s still low-hanging fruit.  The lowest, anyway.  And once you’ve picked it, you’re 50% done with the tree.

On getting updates

Getting an update is always good.  Even if the news isn’t.

When your contractor calls you to say he’s over budget, you’re glad you got the update.  When the subway announces the train will be stopped for ten minutes, you’re glad you got the update.  When your waiter says they’re out of the dover sole, you’re glad you got the update.

Good updates are obviously better.  But the bad ones are better than nothing.

So if getting updates is so good, why not give more?

What’s in your backlog?

The writer with a notebook full of ready-to-go articles.  The consultant with a book of business on retainer.  The retiree with a stack of books to read.

A lot of people have a bucket list.  But what about for non-once-in-a-lifetime stuff?  For stuff you want to produce.  For work you want to do.  For things you want to learn.  Now.

All in your backlog.

If your backlog is empty, do something about it.  I just wrote about mine.

So you wanna escape consulting?

Why?  Didn’t you start because you like to help people?  Don’t you like being the expert?  Don’t you like the excitement of a dynamic workplace?

I did, too.  But still wanted to escape consulting.  So what did I do?  I figured out what I actually wanted to be an expert in.

Then I started to build an email list.

Before I knew it, I was able to escape.  And the best part?  I am still helping people.  Still an expert.  Still in a dynamic workplace.  I’m just happier in this one.

Ask.com didn’t ask

Their toolbar just showed up on my browser without my permission.  Why?

These days, Ask.com survives on strategic trickery.  Their toolbar lands in places it’s likely to stick.  Old folk’s desktops.  Foreigners laptops. Or in the office of a small-business person who is simply too busy to deal with the annoyance.

Ask.com never would have done this ten years ago. People used to came to them to asking questions.  Now, people come to them asking them to go away.

When you land your first job at a Big Four consulting firm

You should be thrilled.

You’re going to travel and see new places.  You’ll be responsible and accountable for your work like never before.  You’ll make new friends and tons of memories.  Best of all, you’ll learn a ton.

It’s a lot like you’re undergraduate college years, really.  Enjoy it.  Work your hardest.  And cherish every moment.

But after your fourth year doing the same stuff that used to be new, exciting and rewarding, you need to graduate.  Just like college.  Move on.  Start your life. Because the people that stay in Big Four consulting past four years are just like the people that stay in college past four years.  Suckers.