Innovations In Teamwork

Are you frustrated with corporate environments that limit your ability to create, collaborate, and share ideas freely?

I know the feeling. That's why I recorded a special radio show on the subject of the problem with PYRAMID systems and my approach to a solution, the DIAMOND-CIRCLE.

I call it turning the pyramid from TOP-DOWN to INSIDE-OUT. My model has the core not at the top, but in the middle. My functional managers aren't on rings further down a pyramid ladder, but layered in concentric circles from the core.

Does this resonate with you?

If so, I'm creating software to help facilitate this type of model in enterprise systems and organizations. It is especially useful when you have groups located across geographical boundaries and crossing functional boundaries. If you want to be on the email list for BETA experimentation, please contact me.

Otherwise, you might enjoy my discussion on this subject here:

The Value Of Starting Small - The Savvy Entrepreneur Series, part 1 of 10

Welcome to "The Savvy Entrepreneur Series - Part 1 of 10 - The Value of Starting Small"!



It is valuable to start small if you aspire to be a savvy entrepreneur.

When entrepreneurs dream, they often dream large. Is that good or bad? Well, if you ask many people, the problem with dreaming large is that large projects require large money to get off the ground. I recall my first seminar I launched. Rather than start small, with a handful of people in the room, I "dreamed large" and booked a room that held 600, scheduled guest speakers, booked a band, and so forth. I then went on the radio and promoted this seminar. Several days prior to the big event, we had less than 20 sign-ups for this seminar and realized I ought to have dreamed a little smaller when I launched the seminar. Or, at least I could have started smaller and held the bigger dream as a future goal. I ended up pulling the plug on that seminar after I realized a small turnout wouldn't cover overhead and lost about $2,000 in promotion fees plus a considerable amount of valuable time. It also gave me a little egg on my face at the time, too.

My point: start small.

The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is starting too big, or even "acting" like they're big. Hey, if you're small, that means you're nimble. Be quick. Be nimble. And be DIFFERENT. This is the value of being small. Capitalize on that value. Start small and ACT like you're small.

Match your marketing with what you offer:

Don't act big when you're not big. Act small and promote the strength of being small to your clients.

If you're seeking ways to grow your business, don't be afraid to admit you're not a huge company. I'll admit that ARRiiVE Business Solutions is not a big company at the time of this writing. Will it grow? Probably. Do I need to act bigger to succeed with my products and services? Not really. Because people who hire me KNOW that I have an extensive network of resources at my fingertips. If my team can't get the job done, we know who to outsource work out to in order to complete stellar work at a highly reasonable fee.

Make sure you deliver what you need to deliver:

Maximize what you can do. Outsource what you can't do that is directly related to what you can do and need to deliver. Don't do the rest.

Make sure that you know your products and services. Build your team to deliver those services. And, if you can't hire permanent employees, build a network of outsourcing partners who enable you to deliver high quality work. I've been doing this successfully at ARRiiVE Business Solutions for several years, now.

Keep your start-up costs low:

When we start small, we can keep our cost structure low, develop a core service, then repeat and grow our marketing message until a massive number of customers consider us a valued business partner. From there, we can grow bigger. Use your noggin and be a quick, nimble, savvy small fish in a small pond and you'll eventually grow to be a bigger fish who can jump to a bigger pond.

Coming soon:

Be A Better Entrepreneur: The Savvy Entrepreneur Series, part 2 of 10. ________________________________________

Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Team Building Strategies with Andrew Long, CEO of Critical Pathfinders

Join us for the ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Radio Show today on "Team Building Strategies" with special guest, Andrew Long, CEO of Critical Pathfinders:

When: July 9, 2008 at 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM EST

Topic: Team Building Strategies

How to Participate:

Call (724) 444-7444, enter show 37798 # 1 #
Visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798

Description:

Many companies recognize the importance of team building, especially in today's competitive labor market. Yet, most companies are highly inefficient in their approach to team building. Team Building expert, Andrew Long, shares some invaluable insights on team building to save your organization time and money. Andrew's company offers corporate adventure and training for corporate teams. Andrew's last show on team building was very informative and enjoyable - dial in: you'll kick yourself if you miss this one!

Call in - it's simple & easy, fun & educational to join the call and ask your questions!!

Listen Now:

Executive Team Building - Don't Waste Their Time

In team-building exercises for executives, one of the biggest challenges is not in planning the event itself, but in properly structuring the activities and putting thought into how to facilitate your event.

It is not enough to plan a date to meet, invite your leadership team, schedule an outside expert, and then figure you'll discuss key strategic subjects and expect anything useful to result.

You can all go play golf together and you might get a little better at golf. Or, you can spend three days rafting down rivers and you might eventually get better at rafting down rivers!

When planning executive team building, more attention is often paid to the executive retreat location, the recreational activities and food choices than the substance and exercises to create results to the team's challenges.

Facilitated exercises must be more than justification for expenditures. They must be the core of the event!

If your company spends for a luxury venue but fails to set objectives, goes soft on facilitation, and dedicates only three hours or a half day for the key exercises, then I'd argue that you're really not doing the executive retreat to accomplish anything other than having fun together. There's nothing wrong with having fun - we all need to have fun as leaders in business just as in other parts of life.

But take the extra steps to ensure your executive retreat is planned properly, executed flawlessly, and thoroughly debriefed, and you'll likely learn a lasting result that can be developed further each year you get the team together.

If you're seeking a resource for your executive event, consider utilizing my friend Andrew Long's company, Critical Path Finders, to help you plan and facilitate your retreat. He's got the right perspective and does an excellent job!
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Are You Failing Successfully?

Join us! Join Gina Mollicone-Long, Author of "The Secret of Successful Failing" on the ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Show tomorrow at 2PM PST / 5PM EST for an insightful talk from a master of team-building and success.

Description: Learn how to get MORE of ANYTHING that you want in any area of your life – business, personal, spiritual. This is more than just “learning from your mistakes”. This is about learning how to leverage everything that happens EXACTLY how it happens. Hidden inside every failure is the exact recipe to get what you want and you just need to learn how to identify it and USE IT.

Have your team listen in to gain advice and strategies on starting a company and team building.

It's easy, simple, educational and fun to participate.

When: Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at 2PM PST/ 5PM EST
What: 60 minute internet show - Talkshoe show ID 37798

Call in to join the show:
Dial (724) 444-7444
Enter 37798 # (Talkcast Show ID)
Enter: 1 # or your Talkshoe PIN

Join from your computer (with LIVE CHAT!):
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798 or

Listen after the show: http://www.arriive.com/arriive_liive.htm

Click here to visit/follow the show: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798 (select "follow the show" box)

***** Excellent Show for Any Business Person - Reviewer: BusinessIIBusiness 12/19/07 09:25 PM EST Full Comment: This is an excellent show on various business related topics. Scott is a master at interviewing and it was a pleasure being on the show. I will definitely follow this Talkcast from www.ARRiiVE.com -Jennifer Cannon, CEO BusinessIIBusiness http://www.BusinessIIBusiness.com

***** Great business resource - Reviewer: teambuilder 12/05/07 06:27 PM EST
Full Comment: The breadth and depth of material here is outstanding. Congratulations Scott on creating a most useful and generous business resource center. I look forward to hearing more great interviews. Andrew Long Chief Pathfinder http://www.criticalpathfinders.com http://www.iloveteambuilding.com

Special Guests: Send email to: info@ARRiiVE.com to be a guest. We request you provide a unique topic related to sales, marketing, product launch, or collaboration. We request that you invite your following or list of newsletter subscribers to attend the radio show.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Teams: Mother Natures Master Class, on ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Show

ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Radio Presents TEAMS: MOTHER NATURE'S MASTER CLASS, with Ken Thompson, CEO of www.Bioteams.com and www.SwarmTeams.com companies and websites.

Ken and Scott will discuss how we can make our teams and groups and communities much more satisfying, more productive and more agile by adopting some simple principles which Mother Nature has successfully evolved over millions of years to organize her teams (such as bees, ants and geese...).

The Show AIRS: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM EST

Description: Ken is a master of virtual communities and business/social networks. Ken has just published a major book through Megan-Kiffer Press (http://www.mkpress.com/) entitled ‘BIOTEAMS - a blueprint for building organizational teams, mobile workgroups, virtual communities and business networks that will prosper in the 21st century.’ Ken is also the founder and CEO of a new high-tech venture Swarmteams (http://www.swarmteams.com/) which is a mobile community engagement system developed on bioteaming principles.

Join Scott Andrews, Host of the show, as he interviews Ken regarding this exciting topic. This show promises to be educational, fun, and easy to participate.

How To Listen & Participate:

1. Visit Talkshoe (http://www.talkshoe.com/): Enter Talkshoe show ID 37798 to text comments and listen to the show from your computer.

2. Call in to join the show: Dial (724) 444-7444, enter show 37798 # 1 # if you wish to ask questions of the host or guest.

Also, you may click here to visit/follow the show: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798 or http://www.arriive.com/arriive_liive.htm or listen in after completion of the show.

Some useful comments have been added to this show, if you missed it:
http://www.bioteams.com/2008/01/23/teams_mother_natures.html#comments

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Copyright © 2008 by Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. Build better teams: SUBSCRIBE to learn more.