How to Build a Culture of Accountability

Too many American workplaces allow or encourage people to behave irresponsibly--failing to keep their commitments, being chronically tardy, and consistently favoring their own interests at the expense of their teammates or customers. That view comes from Julie Miller and Brian Bedford, co-authors of Culture Without Accountability: WTF? (WTF? in this case stands for "what's the fix?").

A culture of non-accountability, even in seemingly small matters, can lessen your standing and wind up costing you customers or career advancement, as fellow Inc.com contributor Geoffrey James explained last week. But simply avoiding the 16 behaviors that can kill your reputation isn't enough. You have to proactively encourage responsible behavior in your organization, especially because we all live in a culture that frequently rewards the opposite.

"Trying to instill a culture where people are accountable can be difficult," Miller says. "People will not be accountable unless there's some system in place that encourages it." That's why she and Bedford have created a four-step process for building a standup workplace. The good news, she says, is that it's a lot easier to do in a small company than a big one.

1. Create an elevator pitch.

Just as if you were engaging a customer, have a short pitch that will persuade employees that a standup culture is an important goal. "Make it a compelling pitch about how accountability will benefit us all," Miller says.

2. Write some guidelines.

What does it actually mean to be accountable? Different people will have different ideas, and you need to set some specific rules in place for your organization. "That brings accountability to life," Miller says. "You might say, 'We're going to provide feedback. We're going to do what we say we will do.'"

This kind of thing can be very useful when your team is facing a difficult decision. "Imagine a group of people sitting in a conference room trying to decide whether to ship something or not," she says. "If your accountability guidelines include the statement, 'We do not ship anything unless it's a quality product,' then the decision is easy."

3. Weave accountability into your organization.

Whatever you do, don't write a set of guidelines, hang them on the wall, and consider the job done. "That's where you'll get skepticism," Miller says. Instead, make a point of interviewing for accountability when you hire people, and put it into your performance review system as well. Don't reward or promote employees if they reach their goals at their co-workers' expense. That alone will send a very powerful message.

4. Be a model.

Perhaps the best way to create a standup organization is to lead by example. Make sure employees understand what you expect of them, and that you're holding yourself to the same high standard. Follow through on your promises, own up to your mistakes, and give feedback even when it isn't easy. "That's how you create a culture," Bedford says.

Article from www.inc.com

How to End Your Dependence On Other People

The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.Swedish Proverb

A couple of months ago, I made the decision to end my financial dependence on my mother.

I had on eighty-four cents in my bank account, no place to live and the only income I had was from a part time job and a couple of freelance projects.

Though the timing may have been a bit dramatic, there was a sense of urgency in my decision. I was desperate to free myself from the cycle of repeatedly leaving home only to return with my tail between my legs and no money to speak of.

Each time I came home, my mother would offer to pay my bills and I would accept though we both secretly resented it.

I realized that I wasn’t living up to my greatest potential because I didn’t have to. I never stuck with anything for very long because I knew my mother would always be there to bail me out if I failed. When things became too difficult, boring or routine I could quit.

I did quit.

Not only was I taking advantage of her, I was sabotaging my own growth and personal development.

Establishing my financial independence from my mother meant no longer accepting her offers of assistance. It also meant pursuing my writing career in earnest to generate additional income. I walked the three miles to or from work to save money on gas and transit passes.

I slept on a terribly uncomfortable futon in someone else’s living room. At times, I didn’t eat for several days until my next paycheck arrived.

It was such a humbling experience and a lesson I hope I don’t have to repeat. But, I learned so much about who I am and what I’m truly capable of by challenging myself to become independent.

Establishing Independence

The relationship between a child and a parent is only one of the many relationships that may require one or both individuals to develop independence. Other examples include relationships between romantic partners and friendships.

Although every relationship has its own complexity, what I’ve learned is that there are three general steps on this path toward independence: declaration, separation and reconnection.

1. Declare It

The first step in the process is to declare your independence. Think of the declaration stage as severing the emotional umbilical cord. In this stage, you share your intent to become independent from the other person.

This declaration might be met with confusion, anger, sadness and a variety of other responses and emotions. Here are some things to remember when declaring your independence:

• Communicate your message confidently and assertively.
• Keep your message short and to the point.
• Use “I” statements to communicate that your decision is not about them, it is about you.
• Don’t feel the need to justify or apologize for your decision.
• Release the need to take responsibility for the other person’s response.

The actual content of the message can be relatively simple. Consider this example.

“I’m making some positive changes in my life though they may not be easy for me to make. I’m trying to take more responsibility for myself and my life. I want to be more independent and to discover who I am. I’ve been dependent on you for (insert specific information) and I need to step away from my dependence on you and step more fully into myself. My decision is not a reflection of you. It’s a statement about me and where I am in my life. So, for a period of time, I’m going to have less involvement with you.”

It is likely that they may ask you for a specific time frame; simply state that you will take as long as necessary to develop your independence and discover who you are.

2. Separate Yourself

To separate means to form a distinct boundary between yourself and the other person. This can be done by separating physically, sexually, financially, or emotionally—what’s needed depends on the nature of the relationship.

If physical separation is not possible, limit the amount of time you spend talking to or interacting with this person.  Focus on defining healthy emotional boundaries and living according to them.

Ultimately, the purpose of separation is to allow you to see yourself more clearly and to discover what is necessary for your own wellbeing. In the space created by the separation, you allow your inner self to speak. The distractions once created by the needs, opinions, thoughts and feelings of the other person will begin to clear away. You are finally able to distinguish what is authentic, true and honest for yourself.

You become aware of the needs that were once fulfilled by your dependency on the other person and discover ways to meet those needs for yourself. Maybe you were dependent on the other person to motivate you, soothe you, distract you from your problems or make you feel loved.

What do you do when this other person no longer plays that role in your life?

You learn to take responsibility for motivating, soothing and loving yourself. You can also begin to address the issues you once avoided and ignored. Separation allows you to truly experience your independence and to regain power over your choices, behaviors, beliefs and the emotional footprints you create and leave behind.

Paradoxically, the more responsibility you take, the more freedom you will have—the freedom to be yourself and to live your life purposefully.

You’re probably asking, “How long should I separate?”

This depends on the circumstances and the nature of the relationship between you and the other person. However, it needs to be long enough for you to identify and understand your own needs, opinions, thoughts and motivations independently.

For some this may take days, weeks, years or even decades. Others may determine in the course of separation that reconnection is not a healthy decision no matter how much time has passed.

A simple test is this; tune into yourself.  What feelings emerge when you think about or interact with this person? If they are still predominantly negative or confusing, you may not be ready to reconnect.

If it is not possible to interact with the other person without losing yourself, evaluate whether this person deserves a place in your life at all.

3. Reconnect When You’re Ready

The final stage is reconnection. This stage involves making new agreements and re-negotiating the roles within the relationship. These roles should be clearly stated and agreed upon by both individuals.

Questions to consider:

• What behaviors are acceptable? Unacceptable?
• What expectations will you hold of one another?
• What consequences will there be if these agreements aren’t honored?

Having consequences in place is not an attempt to control or manipulate the other person. Rather, it is a matter of being extremely clear about what works and what doesn’t work. Once you communicate these expectations, the other person then has the power to decide whether they agree or not.

This process requires you to be completely authentic and to act with integrity. If something isn’t working for you and you accept it anyway, you are being dishonest with yourself and the other person. This often causes confusion and repressed anger.

Clearly state your intentions.

Take time to discover your authentic self.

Re-negotiate the roles in the relationship.

Article from www.thinksimplenow.com

9 traits of underearners

 learned that the big difference between highly successful women and less successful women was how they valued themselves and what they were willing to do to get what they wanted.”

I’ve never thought of myself as an underearner. I value myself highly, and I’m willing to work very, very hard to get what I want. So I was surprised when I got to the chapter on underearning. Stanny outlines nine traits of the typical underearner, and contrary to what I thought, I fit the bill for quite a few.

(Note: While the book definitely addresses women’s issues, I think men can get just as much from Stanny’s insight.)

1. Underearners have a high tolerance for low pay

“High earners make darn sure they’re well compensated for their time and work,” Stanny writes. “But it rarely dawns on (or appeals to) an underearner to set her sights on a higher salary.”

As I read this, I thought to myself, I wouldn’t say I have a high tolerance for low pay, but I have tolerated it in the past.

I tolerated it because I felt I had to pay my dues. Low pay never lasted long, as, after a while, I began to suspect I was worth more only to discover that, indeed, I was.

But the fact that I was rationalizing this made me feel uneasy about what was to come.

2. They underestimate their worth

Stanny points out that “women, in particular, have a tendency to undervalue themselves.” She uses various university studies to support her argument. In those studies, women consistently paid themselves less than men did for doing the same task. Psychologists call it the “depressed entitlement effect,” saying that, subconsciously or otherwise, minorities devalue themselves.

When I decided to become a freelance writer, for example, I assumed it wouldn’t be a very lucrative career. And even now, in the back of my head, there’s the stigma that writers should be poor.

Stanny points out that you shouldn’t put a limit on what you think you should be making. Within reason; she admits that there are certain fields where six figures aren’t possible (though she says it’s still possible to earn more). “Women accept lower wages because they presume they must deserve less,” Stanny writes.

Although I’d like to think that “women” is interchangeable with “writers” in my situation, the point is, perhaps I underestimate my worth.

I hear people talk about what they’re “worth” a lot. My old, practical philosophy is that you’re only worth what someone is willing to pay you. But that philosophy is evolving. It’s not just about how much you’re paid, but how much you can offer.

3. They’re willing to work for free

“Underearners regularly give away their time, knowledge and skills for nothing. They’ll work at no charge without thinking twice. Most of the time, it’s so ingrained they aren’t even conscious they’re doing it.”

Stanny’s not just talking about directly working for free, but also the indirect work we often don’t think to bill. She cites an example of a woman who was offered to speak at a women’s finance event — for free. She refused, unless they agreed to pay her.

“It’s not right to ask women to have economic empowerment and not practice it themselves,” the woman argued. Stanny added that the woman did occasionally do things pro bono.

“…those are choices I make, not obligations.”

I found it significant that Stanny used the term “pro bono” in place of “free” when describing work that the woman chose. I also wondered how the woman determined what was a choice and what was an obligation.

I’ve written about how I’ve done work for free, because when I was switching careers, every bit of advice I read suggested that you may have to work for free or next-to-nothing in the beginning in order to build a portfolio.

So yes, I was willing to work for free. Am I doomed to be an underearner?

4. They’re lousy negotiators

“Underearners are reluctant to ask for more,” Stanny writes. “…Underearners hold back simply because they’re too scared. ‘What if I raise my prices, and they laugh in my face,’ said Annie, a bookbinder.”

I’ll admit, I’m scared to negotiate. Even at flea markets, I have a hard time asking for the mutually understood discount. But I’m not afraid of being laughed at; my fear is a fiscal one. What if they don’t consider me for future projects? What if they decide to hire someone else altogether? These are the understandable doubts that run through my head, but perhaps I’m devaluing myself.

While reading this, I felt a little disappointed in myself. But Stanny had some encouraging and empowering words:

“It’s hard for most women in all income brackets to demand more. High earners might not like it (and they rarely do), but they do it. That’s how these six-figure women got where they are. They do what they are afraid to do.”

5. They practice reverse snobbery

Hate rich people? Then you might be an underearner. I harbor no ill will toward the rich, but I am admittedly kind of a frugal snob. When I see a $100,000 car, I roll my eyes. And that’s not very nice of me. Many underearners equate money with limitations, so they grow to become resentful of it. Stanny believes this is indicative of someone resigned to earning less.

“Just about every underearner I’ve met believes real wealth comes at too high a price. … The irony is that few people work harder or obsess more about money — or rather, the lack of it — than underearners do.”

6. They believe in the nobility of poverty

“At the same time underearners are spurning the wealthy, they are singing their own praises for surviving on so little.”

Despite my financial situation, in the back of my mind, I still have an impoverished mind-set that’s no longer doing me much good. I’ve been trying to rise above the notion that poverty gives you access to all sorts of qualities wealth can’t.

“…many underearners genuinely believe money is tainted, materialism is bad, and there’s something virtuous about surviving on a shoestring,” Stanny explains. “According to this line of reasoning, they are much better people for rejecting financial gain.”

While I still believe in the value of frugality, I do see her point. You can overdo it. You might spend too much energy on a false sense of virtue instead of realizing your earning potential. You might put forth a little less effort to earn more, because, in the back of your mind, you equate wealth with materialism and vice.

7. They’re subtle self-saboteurs

Stanny argues underearners unwittingly set themselves up for failure:

“…applying for work they’re not qualified for, creating problems with coworkers, procrastinating or leaving projects unfinished, hopping from one job to another, always stopping just short of reaching their goals. The common thread is their propensity to be scattered, distracted and unfocused.”

She adds that underearners always seek out a scapegoat or a savior rather than take responsibility for their own behavior.

8. They’re codependent

“There’s a fine line between loyal employee or devoted wife and sacrificial lamb,” Stanny writes.

Indeed, when it comes to work, I often find myself volunteering to bear the brunt of the load. Of course, employers come to expect this after a while, and this eventually leads to resentment, which Stanny predicts:

“Subjugating our needs for the sake of others inevitably leads to resentment, depression, burnout and breakdown.”

I still believe in workplace gratitude, but I’m reconsidering my level of service. I do tend to tiptoe the boundary between loyal and sacrificial.

9. They live in financial chaos

Finally, Stanny makes the point that underearners are “more likely to be in debt, have smaller savings, fewer (if any) investments, and little idea where their money goes.”

While I’m debt-free and handling my finances well, there was a quote in this section that stood out to me. Stanny interviewed financial counselor Mikelann Valterr, who described the psychology behind debt:

“Debt is about giving your energy away … it cuts off our options, giving the illusion there’s enough because when the money runs out, you can just whip out a credit card and continue spending. You never have to confront head-on that you aren’t making enough. Which is why people use debt. It keeps you from confronting your fear of success, making hard decisions about how to earn more, and experiencing the discomfort when life becomes more expansive.”

It takes courage to get out of debt, Stanny says.

And really, it takes courage to overcome any of the traits on her list. Negotiating, not always volunteering, letting go of some of my past philosophies — it’s overwhelming and a little scary to consider all of this.

But she would argue that this fear is natural. Six-figure women are scared, too. They just do it anyway.

Article from www.getrichslowly.org

15 Quotes to Inspire Great Teamwork

The difference between success and failure is a great team. 

When I first became an entrepreneur, in the spring of 2002, I was a consultant working for myself. As Dave Kerpen Strategic Consulting, I could make my own hours, determine my own success, and avoid answering to a boss. But as a one-man business, I was very limited in the potential to grow. It might be fun, or interesting, or exciting to be on your own, but it's also limiting. A one-person business can only grow so much. Ultimately, that first business of mine failed.

No matter how smart, talented, driven, or passionate you are, your success as an entrepreneur depends on your ability to build and inspire a team. A successful leader is one who can inspire his or her team members to work better together toward a common vision and goals. 

To inspire your team members, you'll have to talk to them, of course. I hate meetings, but I love short (seven to 20 minute) huddles to get the team aligned, motivated, and inspired. One very effective way to begin or end a huddle is by sharing a quote. Here are 15 quotes from well-known coaches, athletes, business leaders, and authors that will inspire you and your team members to work better together:

1. "Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." --Vince Lombardi
2. "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." --Michael Jordan
3. "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." --Andrew Carnegie
4. "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." --Helen Keller
5. "Remember teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability." --Patrick Lencioni
6. "I invite everyone to choose forgiveness rather than division, teamwork over personal ambition." --Jean-Francois Cope
7. "None of us is as smart as all of us." --Ken Blanchard
8. "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." --Henry Ford
9. "If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." --Henry Ford
10. "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." --Phil Jackson
11. "Collaboration allows teachers to capture each other's fund of collective intelligence."--Mike Schmoker
12. "It takes two flints to make a fire." --Louisa May Alcott
13. "Unity is strength. . . when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved." --Mattie Stepanek
14. "To me, teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one. You become selfless." --Mike Krzyzewski
15. "The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison." --James Cash Penney

You can do better with your team than you or I could do it alone. Here's to your--and your team's--success! What is your favorite quote to inspire your team? 

Article from www.inc.com

6 Myths About Selling

There's a lot of bullsh*t about selling floating around the business world. Here are some popular examples of what passes for "wisdom"--and why each is awful advice.

Myth 1. Friendliness counts!

Customers deeply resent it when a seller is too friendly too quickly. Customers don't really want to be friends; they want you to help them solve a problem or create an opportunity. If you work together for a while, friendship might develop, but until then, customers want professionalism, not friendliness.

Myth 2. Fake it till you make it

Customers, like all normal human beings, immediately sense it when another person is not being genuine.  More than anything else, customers want honesty from their vendors and suppliers. If you're pretending to be something or somebody you're not, you're raising all sorts of red flags.

Myth 3. Always be closing (ABC)

Customers hate being pushed and really hate pushy sellers. Customers want you to have their best interests at heart and to help them make the best decision, even if that decision is to buy elsewhere or not to buy at all. That's impossible when you're concentrating on closing the sale.

Myth 4. Never take no for an answer

Customers do sometimes say no when they actually mean maybe and want you to help them understand why they might reconsider. However, if you ignore that no as if it didn't exist and keep on pushing and selling, you'll turn it the maybe into a NO!

Myth 5. Sell the sizzle, not the steak

What's meant by this maxim is that you should direct the customer's attention to the sexy features (sizzle) rather than product itself (steak). In fact, though, customers want neither sizzle nor steak; they want the benefits (taste and nourishment) of eating the steak.

Myth 6. The customer is always right

Though some customers may enjoy being patronized, most want you to help them make the best decision, not tell them that they're "right." Sellers who always agree with customers are seen by customers as "yes men" and therefore a bit creepy.

Article from www.inc.com

Matthew McConaughey and the Art of Reinventing Our self

After decades of headlining chick flicks, Matthew McConaughey is a Best Actor Oscar nominee this year, for the gritty biographical drama Dallas Buyers Club. He is up for one of the highest honors in Hollywood because he knew it was time for a change. A few years ago he decided to start over and, as he said, “un-brand himself”.

Earlier this week on CBS Sunday Morning, he described how he turned away from his “fastball”, the safe romantic comedies he's done well so many times, and took a step back to relook at everything.

“I was going fine in my career. I was enjoying my career," McConaughey said. "But, my life started to feel more exciting than my career did…I said, I'm gonna have to stop doing what I've been doing."

He started taking on roles that were a stretch for him or as he described it that “shook his floor”.  Success can keep us from trying something new and putting ourselves out there. Why change?

In my upcoming book, Make Waves: Be the One to Start Change at Work and in Life, I interviewed Charley Johnson, president of the Pay it Forward Foundation. Charley shared his view on the importance of curiosity and learning even when you are doing well. He said, “Those crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. To have enough humility, but also that ego to believe you can do it. To be almost a walking contradiction. To just be unbelievably curious, to read so many different books, and listen to so many different opinions. To want to be taught something. To want to sit down with people smarter than you and that think differently than you and truly listen. I didn’t do that in my last business. Things were going too well.” Yet, it set in motion his decision to devote his career to Pay it Forward and leave his old career behind.

Both Matthew and Charley decided to un-brand and change their course not because of failure or disappointment, but in the midst of great success. Yet, they had their own personal definition of success that created a turning point.

In writing my first book or in my business, I can get caught up in the end result that I hope will happen. ‘I hope my book does well!’ or ‘If we do great work, then the client will want us to create next year’s program’.  But, those results aren’t in our control. We control what we do each day – our decisions, actions and attitude.

Of course we need goals and a strategy, but the best coaches often talk about doing the right things, following a disciplined process and the results will come.

Nick Saban, Head Coach of the University of Alabama football team, said that they have a process that creates excellence. On 60 Minutes, they explained that Saban's players have faith in their coach largely because of a revolutionary approach he designed years ago called The Process. "Ignore the scoreboard," Saban preached to his players. "Don't worry about winning, just focus on doing your job at the highest level, every single play, and the wins will follow.”

Clint Hurdle, a Wave Maker in my book, and the Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the National League Manager of the Year shared his view on results. He said, “You never start by talking about the results you want on the field. It’s about how the players talk and think. They need to take ownership of the game and of the team. When that happens, the results will take care of themselves.”

Some questions to consider:

-          How is success helping you and limiting you?

-          Is your current path taking you where you want to go? What changes are needed?

-          What is your “process” for doing what matters most?

-          What type of “un-branding” do you need in your reputation, career or work?

-          Where and how do you need to stretch and learn – even if it feels like a step back?

If you are due for a career reinvention, it is time to start learning, stretching and in McConaughey’s words, ‘shaking your floor’. But, rather than thinking about success and outcomes, it will take some faith, patience, and getting uncomfortable.

As McConaughey said, “I haven’t been thinking about results for some time and, now, results are coming my way.” 

Article from success.com

10 Tips on How to Be Good Entrepreneur in 2014

The beginning of a new year is a great time to put our work habits under a microscope, toss the idea that haven't been working and put new action into play. Each year has its lessons, so it's always good to reflect on what you've learned and optimize the knowledge for the coming year.

Below are 10 tips on how entrepreneur can start 2014 on the right foot.

1. Confront and work on your challenge areas. Knowing your strengths is easy. Facing and fixing your weaknesses can sometimes create inaction in all of us. But to grow, it is important to make this change.

There are a billion "I can't" reasons and most are founded on nothing but fear -- many times we are simply standing in our own way.

Use 2014 to pinpoint and build up the areas that are challenging you. Classes are great, but as entrepreneurs we need action now. Be proactive by turning to the internet. Look for information, articles, mentors and online tutorials for help.

2. Blend work-life and personal life. Professional life and personal life can be horrible counter weights to each other, creating an imbalance. Scrap the balancing act. Focus on what you're passionate about and maintain your intention to have more of it in your life.

For 2014, look for quick and convenient ways to blend personal life and professional life into a healthier lifestyle that works better for you, the people you love and your job. Honestly, if you add value it doesn't matter how the job gets done.

3. Let apps do the hard work. What's taking up your time? There's probably an app for it. Let it do the work. For instance, Cardmunch is awesome. It automatically converts business cards into contacts with a click of a button. Or 1Password stores all your logins and passwords in a safe, easy to access place. If you find a task taking up too much time, see if there is a tool that can make your life easier.

4. Give a little help. When someone hands me a business card I make a note of how I can help that person. I like to connect people and have always valued when it's done for me, so I try to give back when relevant. It could be as easy as connecting them with a colleague or sending a book or digital article relevant to a conversation.

5. Play tag. Another business card tip? "Tag" business cards when you receive them. Immediately jot down tags, or notes, to help you remember what the business card doesn't tell you, such as their interests, goals, alma mater or a mutual contact, among other details. Act fast, while the light bulbs are coming on in your head and be succinct.

6. Have the difficult conversations. A friend and advisor told me something a few years ago that has really stuck with me. He said, "The person who can't have the difficult conversations won't be around long." What a profound, true statement that is -- both personally and professionally.

Have the difficult conversations in 2014: at work and at home, with others and yourself. If you approach these conversations in the right way, you're likely to learn and grow in the long run.

7. Make a game out of KPI (Key Performance Indicator). In everything you do this year, find the KPIs by looking for the things that signal success or failure.

Make a game out of KPI and have fun. For example, when we make a big announcement at my company Sage One, an online accounting application for small businesses, we try to beat the high score for opened emails, clicks and trials.

8. Have a two-minute rule for no-brainer tasks. Save your perfectionist and OCD tendencies for the important stuff. I like to blaze through the mindless tasks first thing in the morning when I am planning my day and setting daily goals. When things pop up and take two minutes or less, I like to figure them out immediately.

The time to kick the OCD into high gear and give proper attention is when focusing on higher priorities and early-stage ideas. Otherwise, they will die on the vine.

9. The visual bypass. What is the best way to receive buy-in on ideas to ensure they reach market? Who knows: I still haven't figured it out yet.

But lately I've found I saved a lot of time by presenting my ideas visually. Aside from it saving time, telling your story, plan or strategy visually creates more groupthink within the team. How so? A visual of an idea with succinct requirements tends to be shared more across groups, thereby, increasing early-stage comprehension of a new idea or project. This is always a good signal that you're on the right path, and it accelerates the validation from important stakeholders -- a key requirement for any idea to gain early traction.

My go-to tool is Omnigraffle. It's great for mapping the journey of our customer and finding areas where we can improve.

10. Take an improve class. I took a weekly improv class for six months. I can't tell you how much this helped me professionally by allowing me to be myself more, took away my jitters and taught me the ever-important fearlessness to fail.

Improve is challenging, but you're with a tight-knit group, and the teacher creates a comfortable environment for true participation. 

Article from http://www.entrepreneur.com