Innovate or Capitulate: In The Struggle For Survival, The Fittest Win

"This means we can’t go backward, and we can’t stand still. We can’t rest on our laurels and we can’t keep doing what we’ve always done — even if we are doing our best, we need to keep doing it better."

Good Morning Folks,

"Innovation" is one of those buzzwords you hear all the time. People are always talking about being a "leader in innovation" or "taking innovation into the twenty-first century". It can look like some kind of innovation nation out there. It's hard to tell who is devoted to innovation and who is simply paying lip service to It. We at FSO are serious about innovation. So serious that we use the word (re) IMAGINE to define who we are: a partner dedicated to always finding new and better ways to improve service, lower costs and take better care of people.

I believe complacency is when innovation ends. The advantage every business has, but few in our industry leverage to the advantage that we do, is the ability to innovate and reinvent. So many great companies lose their edge and end up playing catch-up until they're obsolete. That’s not going to happen here.

Dramatic paradigm sights are occurring in every industry, YOUR industry because traditional barriers to entry don't exist anymore. If you don't think a new era of change and creative destruction isn't headed to your door step, you are sadly mistaken. If you want to be on top, you have to look at innovation in a new, interactive way. You have to believe it is worth coin, its worth doing wrong. You have to be willing to try your model, test it, innovate around it, get out, screw up, and then do it right. You have to understand that speed is everything in an electronic realm because you can fix mistakes before anyone realizes that mistakes were made.

We are facing the biggest transformation the way business is conducted since the industrial revolution. If you are willing to innovate, you are taking steps towards crashing your competition.

The problem according to ANTHONY IANNARINO of there sales blog is change, He writes:

==> Change is more difficult than you believe. Having an intellectual understanding the reason something needs to change isn’t enough. An emotional need to change is necessary and more powerful. 

 ==> Change is psychological. You first have to have a shift in your mindset, your personal philosophy, your personal psychology. Without that shift, there will be no change.

Why something is being changed is more important than how that change is accomplished.

==> Change takes longer than you believe.  It takes longer to sell, longer to build consensus, and longer to execute before results are seen. It is mistake to believe the results of change will be realized quickly, even though change happens in a second 

==> Change comes with built-in enemies. The very fact that you are trying to make change will cause some to oppose you. Resistance is your enemy when you try to change yourself. 

Most change initiatives die not because the idea isn’t good or necessary but because it was poorly executed. The change is usually poorly executed because it lacks executive engagement. People are exceptionally gifted at waiting out change initiatives. 

We overestimate what we can accomplish in a short period of time and underestimate what we accomplish over a longer period. When results don’t come fast, change initiatives are often abandoned. The better results were only a little bit further.

==> Sometimes change initiatives fail because too many variables are changed at once. One major change might have been enough to produce a result, but because so much was attempted, nothing really changed. When too much is changed, you can’t easily figure out what is working and what isn’t.

Radical change very quickly becomes the new status quo. It soon develops its own defenders who protect it from future change.

As an owner and CEO, I am keenly aware that rapid change in business and technology is the “new normal.” The only way for our company to survive, let alone thrive, is to continuously reinvent and redefine— everything.

This means we can’t go backward, and we can’t stand still. We can’t rest on our laurels and we can’t keep doing what we’ve always done — even if we are doing our best, we need to keep doing it better.

The spirit of innovation is a cornerstone of our company. Because at FSO, we never stop rethinking, refreshing and (re)IMAGINING a better future for our clients. We work together with our clients to foster innovation. Our process contains not only a method for generating ideas, but also a system for managing change. Similar to our methodology for continuous improvement, we challenge all levels of our organization to challenge the status quo.  

We reward continuous improvement and innovation; as a result our employees are motived to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation. Our employees are expected to always seek new ways to make our client’s life better through our white glove treatment; the whole FSO Experience. It is not just a tagline for our brand – rather, it is the culture that drives everything we do.

Since our founding six short years ago, we’ve matured from just a service provider among many, to a true strategic partner like no other. In over 160 client sites nationally we’ve become "entrenched" and so "important" to how our clients operate from the first impression - to amazing smiles and hospitality - to all services from mail, copy, records, conference centers, security, concierge, IT and much more. We are the glue that makes our clients business run seamlessly. We are part of their company, and critical to their success.

To our team: You have been given the opportunity to show what you’re made of, to be so much stronger and better than you were just the day before, and to show the world of business a better way.  

So as you get ready to start your day take a second to think; how am I contributing to my clients' success? How can I be better?

How can I get to infinity and beyond? 

How can I be that star, that hero that brings to our clients all the positive change, wealth and success they deserve?

IT IS YOU that makes FSO who we are. Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment." ~~ Charles Darwin

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S. ANTHONY IANNARINO is the President and Chief Sales officer for SOLUTIONS Staffing, a best-in-class regional staffing service based in Columbus, OhioHe is also the Managing Director of B2B Sales Coach & Consultancy, a boutique sales coaching and consulting company where he works to help salespeople and sales organizations improve and reach their full potential. And he works ass an adjunct faculty member at Capital University’s School of Management and Leadership. Anthony teaches Personal Selling in the undergraduate program, and I teach Persuasive Marketing and Social Media Marketing in the MBA program.

Why (re)IMAGINING (aka Change) Is Difficult

"We are either breaking out of our spirit depleting routines and breaking through to new insights and experiences, or we are breaking down."  

Good Morning Folks,

Why do our clients love us? 

Because everyday we do a little more than the expected. 

Everyday we open our eyes to see what else we can do to serve, to make our presence known, solve problems, and to help our client. 

Everyday we smile, say good morning, and make someone feel good about themselves. 

Everyday we (re)IMAGINE!

(re)IMAGINE is not just something we do... It is who we are. (re)IMAGINE is that skip, fire and twinkle; the clean, pressed career apparel; the morning smile! (re)IMAGINE is alive and well every time you do a little more. Think through a problem, go the extra mile, do more than expected, provide a solution... (re)IMAGINE!

But it's not easy to change. 

G. K. Chesterton wrote, "If you leave a thing alone you leave it to a torrent of change. If you leave a white post alone it will soon be a black post. If you particularly want it to be white you must be always painting it again; that is, you must be always having a revolution."

Without intervention, without progressive change, without revolution, everything in our work and our lives gets worse. Our bodies degrade, our relationships fizzle, our jobs disappear, and our ideas become obsolete (it has happened to countless organizations and to some of my friends). 

Face it: We are either breaking out of our spirit depleting routines and breaking through to new insights and experiences, or we are breaking down.  

To want to look for new and different, and perhaps, more sustainable ways of doing things is one of the hardest skills to master in business. Master Sales Blogger Anthony Iannarino puts it this way:

"Change is more difficult than you believe. Having an intellectual understanding the reason something needs to change isn’t enough. An emotional need to change is necessary and more powerful. 

Change is psychological. You first have to have a shift in your mindset, your personal philosophy, your personal psychology. Without that shift, there will be no change. 

Why something is being changed is more important than how that change is accomplished. 

Change takes longer than you believe. It takes longer to sell, longer to build consensus, and longer to execute before results are seen. It is mistake to believe the results of change will be realized quickly, even though change happens in a second. 

Change comes with built-in enemies. The very fact that you are trying to make change will cause some to oppose you. Resistance is your enemy when you try to change yourself. 

Most change initiatives die not because the idea isn’t good or necessary but because it was poorly executed. The change is usually poorly executed because it lacks executive engagement. People are exceptionally gifted at waiting out change initiatives. 

We overestimate what we can accomplish in a short period of time and underestimate what we accomplish over a longer period. When results don’t come fast, change initiatives are often abandoned. The better results were only a little bit further. 

Sometimes change initiatives fail because too many variables are changed at once. One major change might have been enough to produce a result, but because so much was attempted, nothing really changed. When too much is changed, you can’t easily figure out what is working and what isn’t. 

Radical change very quickly becomes the new status quo. It soon develops its own defenders who protect it from future change."

So .. when the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone screams at you, and it will definitely come, take it. Say no to the sure thing and say yes to a creative challenge. Say no to short-term, comfort producing activities, and say yes to fear and passion.

Today, team, lets 's do what's makes us unique and what makes us the best outsourcing company on the planet, go (re)IMAGINE and do a little more. It is that little more, that (re)IMAGINE, that creates clients that love us, creates growth, creates opportunities, creates more clients. (re)IMAGINE today!

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"The world steps aside to let any man pass if he knows where he is going."
~~ David S. Jordan
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Inspire ME Friday: (re)IMAGINE is good

"Passing up a cupcake may be a test of willpower but the goal of fitting into a smaller pair of jeans is an easily imagined, and often attainable, one."

Greetings,

(re)IMAGINE means change.

While many of us will say that "change" is the magic panacea when we aren't satisfied with an organization, political administration, personal relationship or management team, it is one of the things that we are inherently resistant to do. Change is hard, feels unnatural and moves us out of our comfort zone, even when we know that change will ultimately bring improvement.

Sometimes what we really mean is that we want change as long as it is similar to something that is familiar. That's why political platforms rarely differ; new CEOs may look the same as the previous ones; and budding relationships can resemble those we just left.

There are many reasons why we are resistant to change: dread for the unknown; fear of failure; a sense of powerlessness; we're creatures of habit, etc. But when we eventually make the necessary adjustments and begin reaping the rewards, we have a positive reference point for why change is beneficial.

The pivotal component in what makes change feel easy or difficult may be the level of choice we have in the experience. Personal change, like adopting good eating habits, is an individual choice that allows the greatest amount of control. Passing up a cupcake may be a test of willpower but the goal of fitting into a smaller pair of jeans is an easily imagined, and often attainable, one.

Organizational change, on the other hand, is often foisted upon employees, forcing adoption of new behaviors, systems, missions and processes that are neither individually chosen nor controlled. And while senior executives may have a voice in the change management strategy, they are not immune to the pain of change since the pressure is typically spurred by stakeholders.

Institutional change management initiatives that include components to empower and assuage the fears of the workforce, such as transparency, open communication and phased approaches, are likely to garner the most positive and least painful results. And leaders who can successfully guide their teams through transition will not only demonstrate agility, they will earn the trust and loyalty of employees.

What are you going to (re)IMAGINE today?  

I’m going to start small with.... the world.

Your energy, enthusiasm and professionalism are always greatly appreciated. 

Have a fabulous weekend filled with love and inspiration.  

Be great and (re)IMAGINE!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Only from the heart can you touch the sky."

~~ Rumi

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Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Speaking of Changing Fall Colors, A Leader's True Colors Are Revealed in Tough Times

"Regardless of where you work, always continue to learn what makes leaders successful and what makes them fail" 

Good Morning Folks,

As I have often reminded our teams, anything is possible. Regardless of where you work, or what you do, always continue to learn what makes people successful and what makes them fail.

Because.. The most important resource in the entire universe is YOU. Products, services, innovation, ideas, breakthroughs – they all exist in your head, your heart and your hands. The output of your thinking, the engaging of your heart and the enlistment of your hands create profound results.

“Successful people do what unsuccessful people can’t do”. Find me anyone with skip, fire and twinkle who wants to learn and grow, and I will promise you a career in my company, never just a job. No one ever sets out to be average at FSO, we need to be the best at everything we do.

I am forever grateful to you all for being such a loyal audience and for the great feedback you've been sending my way. I really appreciate it!

Great leadership seems easy when things are good and everybody's happy. When times grow tough, however, a leader's true colors are revealed.

Ten years ago, a group of U.S. soldiers tasted combat for the first time in Sadr City, Iraq. Bill Murphy Jr. got to know one of the junior U.S. leaders in that battle when he wrote a book about West Point and wartime.  

Murphy chronicles the lives of representative 2002 graduates of the United States Military Academy. A former trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and an army veteran, Murphy was protégé of celebrity journalist Bob Woodward and has military experience that may have helped him connect to his subjects and perhaps encouraged them to be open with him. He also reported from Iraq for the Post. Here's an excerpt from In Time of War that first appeared in INC:

Dave Swanson was a 26-year-old lieutenant then. He's out of the military now, and we talked recently about what he learned by leading 40 soldiers in 82 straight days of combat. Most of us probably won't be taking a platoon into a hail of gunfire anytime soon, but applying these principles can greatly improve your effectiveness as a leader, no matter what challenges you face. 

1. Control your fear.
As bullets whizzed by him for the first time, Swanson says he was very much afraid. However, he realized he had to subdue his fear because his soldiers were looking to him for clues as to how they should react. 

Courage doesn't mean the absence of fear, and of course being a leader certainly doesn't mean charging ahead blindly in the face of adversity. It does mean you can't allow your fear to become contagious. Your team needs to believe you're in control of yourself, if they're to have confidence that you can make smart decisions in tough times. 

2. Remember that the mission comes first.
You owe a lot to your team for giving you the privilege of placing their trust in you. First on the list, you owe them a goal worth dedicating their efforts to, and you need to demonstrate that you're willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it. 

"I say complete the mission at minimal expense to the people," Swanson says. "Every military leader will publicly say that the mission comes first, but we always accomplished the mission with the soldiers in mind."

3. Remember that the mission comes before you, too.
The only way that "mission-first" mantra can work is if your people truly believe that you will put the mission before yourself, too. In a life-imitates-art moment, Swanson says that in the heat of combat, he thought of a line from the 2001 HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers: "The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier." 

In combat, this means being willing to risk your own safety for others in the unit and the mission. In other contexts, it means demonstrating that you'll sacrifice your personal short-term interests for the team's goal. Otherwise, how can you ask them to do so? 

4. Rely on your preparation.
Swanson spent years preparing for battle. He had been an enlisted solider, he spent four years at West Point, and he trained for nearly two years after graduation. While training alone will never quite prepare you to lead in real life, he says, it's as close as you can get to the real thing. 

The same principle applies in any leadership context. Think ahead of time about how you'll react to tough situations, so you can free your mind in crucial moments to react and adapt quickly. 

5. Be tough, but human.
"To those who have been in combat," Swanson explains, "you live by hardness, intuition, and compassion." 

As an example, he stayed awake and on duty for 60 straight hours at the start of the battle, pushing himself until he physically collapsed, but he also found moments of humanity and even humor in the heat of combat. Your team needs to know that you're tough, but also that you're reacting to the world around you like an engaged leader, not a machine. 

6. Encourage your people.
Business is rarely a matter of life and death, but war certainly is. One of Swanson's soldiers, Specialist Jacob Martir, was killed in action during the months of fighting, and several others were wounded and sent home to hospitals in the U.S. 

"It absolutely ate me alive to lose anyone in the platoon," Swanson says. However, he realized that it fell to him to encourage his soldiers and inspire them to keep going. "They were all special. The next day after any [casualty], I would remind them that each of them had already sacrificed themselves for each other on a daily basis--and how, if required, I would sacrifice myself for any of them." 

7. Communicate effectively.
In the heat of battle, it's easy--almost natural--to shut down everything else and focus exclusively on the job at hand. That's a dangerous inclination, however. It's important to make communicating what's going on a priority as well. Your team and all of your stakeholders need to know what's going on, or they can't contribute. 

"Early on in combat, radio communications weren't always the greatest, but that was no excuse," Swanson says. "When technology fails--and it always does at the worst possible moment--you need to have backup ways of getting and giving information." 

8. Use your resources wisely. But use them.
Especially in the first days of combat, Swanson's unit dealt with destroyed and unarmored vehicles, and insufficient supplies of almost every sort. More important, confusion, combat, and casualties left them critically short of soldiers. 

At the same time, they made full use of everything they had. At the end of the first week of fighting, for example, Swanson reflected that he had personally gone through ten 30-round magazines, meaning he had fired 300 bullets at the enemy. Just about everyone else in his platoon had, as well. 

9. Imitate the leaders who inspire you.
When Swanson had to act in the heat of battle, especially when his soldiers' eyes were on him, he thought back to the lessons he had learned at West Point, and some of the other leaders he had known and respected. He also found himself asking a question that has circulated for years among military leaders as a sort of joke: "What would John Wayne do?"

"Regardless of where you work, always continue to learn what makes leaders successful and what makes them fail," he says.

We have amazing employees, customers and leaders at FSO. Thanks to our employees for all you do for us, and to our clients for awarding us with the privilege of serving you.

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"Excellence is not an act, but a habit"

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Lead or be Trampled: Used To Be Doesn't Count Any More

"We live and work in difficult times. Today, change is everywhere, competition is fierce, and windows of opportunity slam shut before they’re even fully open. You've got to lead or be trampled. And, after months of strategy sessions and careful planning, lead is exactly what FSO intends to."

Good Morning Folks,

I hope you are as rested and relaxed as I am after the really nice weather this weekend.

One of my favorite  bloggers, Seth Godin, served his short but pithy messages to over 3 million folks last year and got enough accolades to have his most popular messages reprinted by the New York Times. That alone shows you a shift in media, a shift in thinking and a trend which ushered in this year in general— Shift, change or get out of the way.

We live and work in difficult times. Today, change is everywhere, competition is fierce, and windows of opportunity slam shut before they’re even fully open. You've got to lead or be trampled.

One of Seth's final posts of 2014 was titled "Used to be." He reasoned:

• This hotel used to be a bank. 
• That conference organizer used to be a travel agent. 
• This company used to make playing cards.

"Used to be," is not necessarily a mark of failure or even obsolescence. It's more often a sign of bravery and progress.

At FSO we are we are fired up and ready to step up our operations and deliver better services that have substance, an impact on the bottom line, operational and strategic smarts. Throughout 2015 at FSO we have been focused on a very clear business model of People + Solutions, + Technology with greater energy, investment, smarts and focus than ever before.

Technology and business are evolving faster than your ability to adapt. "Used to be," counts for less and less. Therefore, 2015 is all about Possibility: The ability of Outsourcing to support any and every strategic business need. Our caring and supportive employees are here to provide unlimited value add services to help you gain additional revenue.

One of our clients put it this way, "“One of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned as an administrator is how to outsource strategically. This process is less about the capabilities of our vendors and more about us – and our own shortcomings.”

We express this in three simple buckets People + Solutions + Technology. 

+ People

People have always been our strength and focus and remain the foundation upon which to build every service offering. Our strategy is straightforward - we team the latest technologies with a highly trained, motivated, team oriented, passionate people who care about delivering the FSO Experience and doing a great job for our clients. We will stand out from the crowd with the most comprehensive training, awards and recognition programs in the industry and will be the happiest place to work. FSO’s employees will always have that “twinkle in the eye, skip in the step, fire in the belly,” which ultimately results in exceptional service delivery. 

+ Solutions

Outsourcing is increasingly considered to be a strategic decision. By pairing People + Solutions + Technology, FSO is adding real innovation to outsourcing to deliver value added services and gain additional revenue. Outsourcing is no longer just about saving costs. FSO provides operational expertise, service lines, resources and capabilities many companies do not possess and we are committed to challenging our clients to open their minds to the world of possibilities in the strategic and tactical running of their business. Counted among the greatest benefits of these new solutions are:

- Do things quicker and more efficiently 

- Get to the market faster than your competitors

- Maximize workforce flexibility 

- Gain access to highly qualified and hospitable employees

- Benefit day one from proven processes and years of experience

+Technology

New technologies can have revolutionary impacts with widespread and unexpected benefits. But how technology adds value to the people solutions and advice we provide is what sets FSO apart. With the introduction of BlueSky Solutions, powered by Salesforce.com, we have many unique offerings in the market and competitive advantages which delivers a unique level of strategic support and advice for our clients. While we are partners, we are always thinking about how technology can drive out costs and cycles, and make visibility, transparency and accountability a real time event.

FSO has dedicated significant resources in order to further support the growth and expansion nationwide. But we could not make the shift without a strong leadership team who collectively has hundreds of years of onsite outsourcing experience, having created hundreds of thousands of new jobs and solid solutions that have provided decades of success to tens of thousands of organizations.

FSO is all about engagement with our clients and becoming part of your business family. Our leadership team’s experience and ideas have come from the streets and not from behind a desk or from sitting in board meetings with endless graphs full of “why nots.” Our leadership team is out in the field with you - our clients – listening, impacting and improving the services we deliver every day. In addition to our proven leaders, Our Future Leaders are truly one of our greatest assets. Our mission with Future Leaders is develop business leaders across the FSO enterprise. 

Many of today's top field management has moved up the ranks, through the future leaders program. A most recent example of this is our new VP/GM of the West Coast who ascended to this position in four short years here from the ground up. Who better to manage direct reports than someone who has worn their shoes?

As technology continues to move faster and faster, rapidly innovating companies will find that trustability and management accountability will become indispensable. Moreover, when it’s not your core competency  it’s vital to have someone else managing it who knows how to hire and train in that type of role.

FSO's surge in growth and expansion throughout the United States has been largely driven by market and client demands. Our clients are asking us to grow with them. As they expand, they want FSO by their side. 

While we are partners, we are always thinking about how technology can drive out costs and cycles, and make visibility, transparency and accountability a real time event.

We appreciate and value your trust - we are blessed to have such loyal customers.

Look out for a strong finish to 2015!!!  Where you can count on us to show you new possibilities, new revenue and all the happiness and peace of mind you’ve come to expect from FSO.

Have a GREAT DAY as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

   

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POSSIBILITY:

"Give your customers the ability to do what they would want to do if only they knew it was possible.” 

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Throw Back Thursday: In The Struggle For Cell Phone Survival, As With Any Business, Only The Fittest Win

"Change is Good. You Go First, Because somebody's gotta win. It might as well be you."

Good Morning Folks,

"Innovation" is one of those buzzwords you hear all the time. 

I believe complacency is when innovation ends. The advantage every business has, but few in our industry leverage to the advantage that we do, is the ability to innovate and reinvent. So many great companies lose their edge and end up playing catch-up until they're obsolete. That’s not going to happen here.

Dramatic paradigm sights are occurring in every industry, YOUR industry because traditional barriers to entry don't exist anymore. If you don't think a new era of change and creative destruction isn't headed to your door step, you are sadly mistaken. If you want to be on top, you have to look at innovation in a new, interactive way. You have to believe it is worth coin, its worth doing wrong. You have to be willing to try your model, test it, innovate around it, get out, screw up, and then do it right. You have to understand that speed is everything in an electronic realm because you can fix mistakes before anyone realizes that mistakes were made.

We are facing the biggest transformation the way business is conducted since the industrial revolution. If you are willing to innovate, you are taking steps towards crashing your competition.

Just look how the today's "Throw Back Thursday" photo depicting the short history and rapid advancement of cell phone technology.

As an owner and CEO, I am keenly aware that rapid change in business and technology is the “new normal.”  The only way for our company to survive, let alone thrive, is to continuously reinvent and redefine— everything.

This means we can’t go backward, and we can’t stand still. We can’t rest on our laurels and we can’t keep doing what we’ve always done — even if we are doing our best, we need to keep doing it better.

Because at FSO, we never stop rethinking, refreshing and (re)IMAGINING a better future for our clients. 

Yesterday away a case in point. Yesterday at FSO was a great and fantastic day sitting the standard for innovation and perfection in everything we do. 

Over the past weeks our teams have received an amazing shot of passion, inspiration, tools and content supported by the  entire leadership team. We're focused on how to ensure consistency and execution across all of our site openings. 

We are doing some very out of the box and special things for our newest clients and I look forward to sharing our successes in future.

IT IS YOU that makes FSO who we are. Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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"In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment." ~~ Charles Darwin

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