halsed.com featuring Darryl Halse

Target Practice

There was an old computer game I used to play when I was a kid. It was a track & field game where you could run races (press spacebar as fast as you can), shoot targets with a bow and arrow (aim with arrows and press spacebar at the right time), and my favorite: the javelin game. Keep in mind, this was in the '90s which meant the game was pretty basic - picture pixels the size of dimes and you're probably not too far off. So the controls were equally rudimentary. Press spacebar to activate the power bar and press it again to stop it. If the slider got to the top and you didn't stop it your avatar would fumble a pathetic throw and you didn't get any points. The closer to the top, the farther your javelin went and the more points you got. You had to reach a certain amount of points to get to the next level and each level the point total increased. I loved that game because I mastered it - not in that I could hit the top every time, but I could consistently get high enough without going over to make it to the next level.

Don't worry, this isn't a review of mind-blowing 1990s video games, I have a point to make here and it's about goals.

What made me think about this old game was a chat I had with a friend about entrepreneurs. He was commenting that a lot of the entrepreneurs he encounters have delusions of grandeur. He tells me that this is why he could never be an entrepreneur himself. He felt that these people wanted to be the next Bill Gates, Michael Dell, or Seth Godin and, being a very realistic person, knew the numbers just didn't add up - the chances of achieving that success, regardless of how talented you are, are slim. So by going into that arena you are almost assuredly heading for failure.

While I don't think I have it in me to be an entrepreneur (at least not right now), I still disagree with his perspective. It goes back to the javelin game - you are always shooting for the top, always trying to be the next Steve Jobs or Sydney Crosby, but safe in the knowledge that if you don't quite get there you'll still be a success. The danger lies in not accepting that there is still success below this ultimate goal. If you're continually overreaching yourself to achieve something that is statistically unattainable you will surely burn out before you get there (Game Over). On the other hand if you consistently aim for the top, broaden your perspective of success, and keep yourself in the game you may very well find yourself surpassing even your own expectations.

Or your dad might turn off the computer just when you were about to beat your high score - come on man, I'll do my homework after, I promise!

Selling Ice to an Eskimo

"I could sell ice to an Eskimo!"

When I was growing up this was a fairly common saying. It's a cliché that was bound to catch on because it's clever and simple. This is probably why it won out over: "I could sell tennis balls to a guy who already has lots of tennis balls and probably doesn't need any more!". There is only one problem:

It is fundamentally rotten.

Since moving to Vancouver in September my wife and I have had to buy a few big ticket items, one of which being a TV. I ventured in to a local electronics store having spent many hours on the internet researching the ins and outs of plasmas, LCDs, HD, LED, and a host of other confusing acronyms.  I had an idea of what I wanted and went in to see what was what. I talked to a new salesman who immediately regaled me with what made his store different: their price matching guarantee, their warranty, the fact that they were Canadian, etc... I liked that he was clever enough to know that they had all the same TVs at more-or-less the same prices as everywhere else and he had to differentiate his store off the bat. We spoke about what I wanted and he showed me a few examples but when my questions got more detailed he had to get his manager to help me.

Queue the Ice Salesman.

He started off by asking me if I was going to buy a TV today, how much I wanted to spend, and what I was looking for. He barely waited for my response before charging off towards a TV. He was showing me this button and that button and all the modes of the TV and why it was so amazing. When he showed me the highlight feature (something that made the color 'pop') I commented that I couldn't really tell a difference between that and the TV next to it. He said it was much better quality. I told him that if I can't tell by looking at them then why does that matter? What does that even mean? He told me it was just much better.

He then told me the price which was $500 more than my max budget. I said let's move on and he told me to wait for a moment. He came back a few minutes later and explained that his boss could knock another $300 off the price for me.

I began to empathize with my northern countrymen - standing outside their frozen house looking from the salesman to the block of ice and then back to the grinning salesman thinking: "Seriously?".

I gave the guy a blank stare until he moved on.

He showed me another TV that was within my budget but didn't meet a single of my other criteria. This was the last model he had of this variety, he told me, and so he could do me a good deal on it. He started dry washing his hands together waiting for my response.

This is the problem with Ice Salesmen. He couldn't care less about what I wanted or what I needed. He wasn't trying to sell me what I needed, he was trying to convince me I needed what he wanted to sell me. He was trying to prove that he could sell ice to an Eskimo and in the end he didn't sell anything to anybody.

Selling ice to an Eskimo won't impress me. It just proves that you're a slimy salesman. Try selling them something they really need, something where you're not their only option, where you have competition and you can still come out on top.

"I could sell a snowmobile to an Eskimo!".

Now that will impress me.

6 Tips for Answering Tough Questions

I recently watched J Mays, the Chief Creative Officer at Ford, answer a number of questions posed to him at the Paris Motor Show (video below). Taking into consideration that the video is edited and could be omitting some poorly answered questions, I was impressed with how he handled himself. Here are a couple of things I picked out that we can learn from Mr. Mays on how to effectively answer difficult questions about your brand, project, product, or whatever it is that you do.

First, look at how Mr. Mays approaches each question before he begins his answer. You will notice three things that he does consistently.

“Hey Carl, great questions. First, let’s talk about the individual option being offered around the world…”

“Ok, Mario, great question. How will global taste be satisfied with one kinetic design theme?”

“Derek, great question about two-tone paint jobs…”

“Ok Dave, thanks for the probably hardest question that everyone’s asking. You’re not the only one to ask: where does Mustang go from here?”

“Finally, Cagri, good question about the Panther platform going out of production – will this see the demise of American style vehicles?”

Before every response he does three very calculated things:

1. Acknowledges the questioner by name.
2. Thanks them for the question or states that it was a good question to ask.
3. Repeats the question in a succinct manner.

These three things happen so quickly but do wonders for shaping the rest of the response. Naming the questioner sets a personal feel to the response - he's not talking to reporters or to a camera, he's talking to Carl (aka: you!). Thanking them or praising the question sets a positive tone for the rest of the response. Repeating the question in a succinct manner allows him to tailor the question to fit the response he is already preparing. This whole process gives him 3-4 seconds to prepare his answer without resorting to “Ummm,” or “Uhhhh,”.

When he gets to his responses, J Mays has three more tricks up his sleeve.

1. He is specific in his answers.
2. He is honest.
3. He knows his stuff.

When asked what models will show the new design language he tells you exactly which ones to watch for – there is no ambiguity here, only specifics. He’s not afraid to say that vehicles like the Mustang and F150 have their own design language that is separate from the rest of the brand. In response to the question about two-tone paint jobs he does say they’ve looked into it but also admits that it’s not something consumers will see in the near future. Even if you don’t like the conclusion, you have to respect the honesty.

Finally, he simply knows his stuff. He’s rarely caught out humming and hawing over a question – he just gets down to the business of answering.

So there you go – kudos to J Mays, the Chief Creative Officer of Ford for teaching us 6 great tips for answering questions.

Video courtesy of www.autoblog.com. Original story can be found here: http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/04/j-mays-very-cool-mustang-coming-in-2014-w-video/

The New 80/20 Rule

For those of you not in the know, let me explain the old 80/20 rule. It’s a rule in business that says 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your customers. Let’s say you’re a pet store. 80% of your customers will come in, shop around, by some pebbles for their fish tank, and go home. 20% will come in, get a $100 bag of pet food, buy some premium cat treats (like smaller, weaker cats), and maybe browse some new aquarium stands. Both sets of customers are valuable, but identifying that 20% and paying extra special attention to them is essential.

My new 80/20 rule is something a bit different.

Whenever I’m looking to make a purchase I like to research the heck out of it before hand. I like to read reviews, watch videos, and price check until my eyes bleed. It’s a bit of a disease, but I’m ok with it. Whenever I research these things, I'm aware that people are much more likely to pass on negative feedback then they are to pass on positive feedback. I think it’s because when something doesn’t work the way it is supposed to we tend to get much more worked up than if it does. We expect our purchases to work so when they do it’s no surprise, nothing to write home about, and certainly not worth posting about it online.

If it doesn’t work though – oh boy you better watch out.

Here’s my new 80/20 rule based on cold, hard figures that I made up myself: 80% of people who are not satisfied with their purchase will tell other people while only 20% of people who are satisfied will do the same. All of the sudden it makes it much more important to ensure as many people as possible (hint: it’s 100%) are satisfied with whatever you are doing.

And don’t make the mistake of thinking this doesn’t affect you because you’re not selling anything. This runs true for bosses, co-workers, landlords, and anyone else that you may come in contact with. If you ensure as many of those opportunities as possible (hint: it’s 100%) are positive encounters, if you play the 80/20 odds, you’ll end up with nothing but positive reviews.

Because of the new 80/20 rule, negative feedback is never hard to come by – so think of how impressive you’ll be if you can defy those odds.

Bingo Fuel

Bingo Fuel is not watered down glasses of cordial, cheap crackers, and cheaper cheese that the blue-hairs consume to keep them awake and alert enough to blot out B-47 when it’s called out. Ok, well it might be, but not in this case.

What I’m talking about is that point in your journey where you need to turn around and head back to base - the point where you only have enough fuel to get home and if you don’t turn around now, you’ll never make it back. I hear it all the time in sci-fi shows and movies. "Captain, we're at bingo fuel, we need to get out of here NOW!" Recently I had my own encounter with bingo fuel.

I was out cycling and I kept thinking to myself that I needed to gauge my energy well enough that I’d be able to return home without having to embarrass myself by being passed by a group of 12 year old girls on little pink bikes with streamers coming off the handlebars. That’s unbelievably embarrassing – trust me I uhh, I read it somewhere.

Meanwhile, on my ride, the more I thought about my own bingo fuel, the more I became acutely aware of where my energy was being spent. I started to slowly adjust my speed, my gears, my stance, and my attitude to try and conserve energy as best I could. I didn’t break unless I absolutely had to. I didn’t pedal as hard as I could but instead found a nice, optimum cruising speed. Soon it had become this great game, I had a mental image of my fuel tank in my mind and was pushing bingo fuel farther and farther away. In the end, I came home after a massive ride feeling exhilarated.

When I get excited about something I focus all of my energy on it for as long as that excitement lasts. And so even after the bike was parked and I was showered I was still thinking about bingo fuel. The more I thought about it the more I realized that we deal with bingo fuel every single day.

You spend a certain amount of energy each day at whatever it is you do. Your job, your family, your studies. Each day you reach bingo fuel, whether you are aware of it or not. That point where you’ve gone as far as you can go and now you’re on the way home. You can see the end of the day, you know what tasks you need to do, and you’ve decided that when those tasks are done you’re out of the woods. This really isn’t that revolutionary of an observation, but then I thought of my ride.

I didn’t pedal as hard as I could all the time. I managed my gears more efficiently. I didn’t waste energy braking. I pushed my bingo fuel.

When I think about my day and the activities I do I’m overwhelmed with how much I do that simply wastes my energy. Instead of trying to push bingo fuel as far as I can, instead of getting as far away from home as possible before turning back, I’m doing the exact opposite. The sooner I can make bingo fuel come the better.

Imagine what you could do if you pushed your bingo fuel as far as you could, every single day? Imagine if you eliminated all activites that bring bingo fuel closer and focused only on pushing it farther away? Imagine the impact on your own, personal fuel consumption.

Bingo Fuel. Imagine that…

Is Being Skinny Hard or Difficult?

I was watching an educational program the other day. And by educational program, I mean Dr. Phil.

Don’t judge me.

Most of you know that I don’t own a TV and this is precisely why. You turn it on, surf around, realize there is nothing on worth watching, and settle on Dr. Phil, Judge Judy, or some equally brain-paralyzing drivel. On this occasion I was in a hotel and the TV was there, calling me like the time-sucking vampire that it is. I am only human, after all, and so I was unable to resist the siren-song.

So I watched Dr. Phil.

The show was all about fat people. There were three enormous women on the right wheezing about how the hefties were being discriminated against and needed equal rights. One lady went so far as to compare the way fat people are treated to slavery and the civil rights movement. There were also three super-fit trainer types on the left trying to explain the dangers of obesity and the benefits of fitness. They did a commendable job, especially when you factor in their shockingly small vocabulary, dude. In the middle was Kelly Osborne. Apparently she was there to balance this doomed teeter-totter because she has recently lost some weight.

I know what you’re thinking – how can this not be amazing TV?

They went back and forth, over and over, arguing over … well I don’t really know because my brain had taken this opportunity to open the sliding balcony door and hurl itself onto the jagged rocks below. It was shocked backed to consciousness when one of the poor persecuted plumpers made the admission that she didn’t like being fat, she didn’t want to be fat. She explained the problem:

“Dieting is easy, I actually find it easy to lose the weight. It’s keeping it off that’s hard”.

Seems like a pretty reasonable statement until you think about it for half a second. Her argument for being obese is not a chemical imbalance, it’s not an eating disorder, it’s not a societal pressure, it’s that it’s hard.

Let’s take a moment here for a pair of Darryl’s definitions. There are two completely different scenarios that I want to differentiate between. I’m going to explain them and apply a word to each one – you can apply whatever word you want so long as you identify that the two are different. Here we go:

It’s hard: Something that you can do, but it will not be easy. The only thing stopping you from doing it is the fact that's it's hard. Example: It’s hard for me to stay focused on boring tasks.

It’s difficult: Something that has many barriers between you and it. There are many things preventing you from doing it that may not be in your control. Example: It’s difficult to make your resume stand out from the pile.

With me? Good.

When you think about it, the fact that something is hard isn’t even remotely acceptable as an excuse for you not doing it. I’m sure there are exceptions, but in my young life I’ve come to realize that anything exceptional that I have achieved has required hard work. For me, staying fit is hard. I know how to do it, I can do it, it's just not easy.

It cracks me up that people can use that as an excuse for lack of progress. Of course it’s hard, what did you expect? If it was easy then it wouldn’t be an issue, would it?

If you’re tackling a project or trying to reach a goal and not seeing success, ask yourself whether it’s hard or difficult? If it’s difficult you can start identifying the barriers and developing solutions to clear them.

If it’s hard then chances are there are no silver bullets, no easy answers, no cure-all pill. You just need to accept that it’s hard and get to work.

… or say "f*ck it" and go on Dr. Phil.

The Ultimate Sin: Changing Your Mind

Harold Ford committed one of the most egregious sins a politician can make – he changed his mind.

Ford held office in Tennessee before moving to New York and suggesting that he may challenge Senator Kristen Gillibrand in the 2010 New York primary. In Tennessee he was openly opposed to gay marriage. Not surprising given the general disposition of southern states towards the topic. The big shock came when, amidst speculation of his New York senate run, he declared that his stance on gay marriage has changed and that he now supports it.

Hmm. Seems a bit suspicious, no?

When confronted on the issue on The Colbert Report, Ford didn’t do what most politicians would do – deny deny deny! Instead, he offered a pretty simple explanation: “I changed my mind.”

Wait. What?

He went on to explain that since making his opposition to gay marriage known in Tennessee, he had met, spoken with, and debated with a number of supporters of gay marriage. As a result of speaking to these people and re-examining the issue, he changed his mind and now supports the issue.

Obviously, it’s suspect that this change happened when he was moving from a pretty red state to such a vibrant blue (rainbow) state. But why?

Let’s say you were raised in a place where you were always taught that gay marriage was bad and evil and the source of terrible things like aids and the boogey man. Would you not be excused from sharing these beliefs? Is it not also reasonable to assume that, given you had a decent capacity for free-thinking, if you were exposed to the other side of the argument, you could then change your mind? And what better way to be exposed to the other side than to move to a state where that other side is so prominent?

I’d be remiss if I suggested that this “I changed my mind!” rationale could be a viable excuse for wavering on any given issue. But I think it raises an interesting point on how we evaluate people, both politically and otherwise.

You can draw a pretty tidy parallel here between education and what I’m talking about.

Throughout elementary school, junior high, high-school, and an undergraduate degree you are evaluated on one thing repeatedly: your ability to memorize something and regurgitate it ad nauseum. The emphasis is rarely put on how you get there, just as long as you’re there. The end result is static. Reliable I suppose, but reliably mediocre.

Job seekers are being continually frustrated by the realization that a degree no longer separates them from the crowd. Degrees are easy to get and not a true testament to how valuable a potential employee is. Employers don’t want someone who has a degree – they want someone who has proven that they can use that degree.

And so it should be with politicians. Why do I care that you’ve held the same belief as long as you’ve been in politics? If anything, that shows closed mindedness. What I do care about is the decisions you have made, the changes in perspectives you have made, the risks you have taken. Someone with a history of making good (or at least informed, thought out) decisions certainly has the edge over someone who has avoided ever making those decisions in the first place. But hey, at least they’re reliable, right?

We’ve all got brains. We’ve all got degrees. It’s how you use them that will make a difference.

You Don’t Know Jack

We all know Jack.

Jack is new to the firm.
Jack is asked to take over a project about which he knows nothing.
Jack accepts the project without asking for help or clarification.
Jack does a shitty job.
Jack gets fired.

Until you have the guts to admit that you don’t know it all, you cannot learn it all.
Until you have the courage to ask a question, you will not know the answer.
Until you have the humility to admit that you need help, you will always need that help.

And If you never learn these simple lessons, you will always be the one who doesn't know Jack.

Stepping Outside of your Comfort Zone

I like my rum. Coming from a cluster of provinces in Canada so proud of their maritime heritage that they are called “The Maritimes”, it should be no surprise that I have an affinity for grog. Not just any rum will do though. I like to think that my years of (responsible) consumption have given me the right to be a bit picky. You could say that I have a rum comfort zone – within which resides a choice few labels of delicious and dark varieties. Occaisionally I am forced to step outside this comfort zone. One such night saw me bring back a new variety of rum to our table of about 15 party-goers. So proud was I that I had stepped outside my comfort zone that I inadvertently agreed to something that would blow my entire comfort zone wide open.

4 days later I was laying in the bottom of a tin boat with no creature comforts beyond a bedroll and the clothes on my back. I was 100 miles off the shore of Australia with no hope of seeing land again for another 48 hours. I wasn’t just a fish out of water; I was already battered, deep fried and covered in malt vinegar. This was not within my comfort zone.

I laid there and rocked with the ocean. The stars were absolutely brilliant – each one was bright and sparkling as if they were all competing for my attention at once. So desperate were some of my twinkling companions to win my favor that they threw their lives away and streaked across the sky in a brilliant hurrah. I liked those ones the best.

I had arrived in this situation partly due to my love of rum and partly due to my understanding of comfort zones. The run brought me a conversation with Captain Andy about his new boat. He was launching it that weekend and going for a three day fishing trip to the Great Barrier Reef with another friend of ours, Amos. I raised my glass and offered: “Well, if you need someone to come along and drink rum on your boat, I’m your man.” He invited me to come but warned me that there were no comforts aboard his boat and that we’d be gone for 3 days. What could I say?

“Well, actually I like to check my email daily. And my bum is very sensitive, if I don’t use 3-ply TP I get a rash on my tushy.”

No. I could only say: “Sure, sounds like fun.”

That night I lay in bed wide awake wondering what I had gotten myself into. My mind reeled with all the reasons why I should call and cancel, excuses came and went, even my stomach gurgled to life forcing me to ask the most important question (in the voice of a terrified 5 year old): “What if I have to poop?!”

I didn’t sleep much.

The day came and there I was, clutching the rails of the boat in a desperate attempt to avoid being a ‘man overboard!’. We ploughed out of the jetty and into the bay. Soon even the bay lay behind us and we were venturing into open water. We left all land, and all remnants of my comfort zone, behind us and set our sextants for the Great Barrier Reef. There was no turning back now.

So why would I embark on a voyage that would take me so far outside of my comfort zone? It’s simple. Because I know that a comfort zone isn’t static. It is constantly growing and expanding. Everything that currently lives within your comfort zone was once on the outside. It is the act of doing these things that we are not comfortable with that makes them comfortable. Most times we’re forced to walk the boundaries of our comfort zones – a new job with new tasks, a move to a new place, a new school. But it isn’t until you consciously work to expand your comfort zone that the rewards come tumbling in.

It’s difficult, it’s confronting, and goes against our nature sometimes but it’s precisely how we learn and grow.

When we pulled the boat out of the water after the third day I was unbelievably happy to be back on dry land. All I wanted was a fresh-water shower, a porcelain toilet, and to see Danielle and Nova. I was happy to be home, but even happier that I could now say my comfort zone includes one of the worlds 7 natural wonders.

It would have been easier to not go. To make up an excuse and spend a nice quiet weekend with the family doing things we’re all comfortable with. But stepping out of your comfort zone can take you to places you’ve only dreamed of. You’ll never know what’s out there if you don’t take a look. Don’t just take my word for it, see for yourselves:

Are you living a dogs life?

There are two types of Facebook parents – those who’s profile gets completely and utterly dominated by all things baby and those who tactfully sprinkle some baby-related updates in with the rest of their news (the term ‘news’ being used very loosely here). I have always held to the ambition that I would fall in the latter category. Unfortunately I seem to be losing that battle already. You may be wondering how that is possible when I have yet to spawn any pink, wrinkly offspring. Well, I joined the pre-school for parenthood and got a trial-baby, if you will. It has four legs, is furry, and is currently featured in my Facebook profile picture. In the words of the new youth - #fail.

Fortunately my blog remains unblemished. My last bastion of defense against the onslaught of ‘Awww!’. That is, until today. Before I go any further let me clarify: I’m not going to blog about my dog, but I am going to blog about something I have learned from my dog. So, even readers who hold no affinity for canine companions (sometimes referred to as: heartless bastards) should find some value here.

One thing you may have gleaned from following my writings here at halsed.com is I take the responsibility of being a consumer fairly seriously. I find it next to impossible to go out and buy something without first researching the item in question. Googling reviews, watching videos on YouTube, price checking with competition, going to stores to hold it, play with it, and test it out. After this long, sometimes painful process I am generally left with a purchase that is totally wicked. So, when it came time to buy a dog I was no less thorough. Even more so, really, since this decision had been 26 years in the making and began with my desire to be, er, have a wolf. Grr.

What I learned from all of my research was that, while different breeds have different characteristics, a dog's personality and disposition is largely a result of how it is brought up – more nurture than nature. I watched numerous videos and read article after article and decided on a German Shepherd. They seemed like a great canvas on which to create my ultimate companion: loyal, intelligent, big, and beautiful.

With the dog in hand I had to now provide him with the training and conditioning he would need to be all that he could be. Again, I was off to Google and YouTube. I discovered something so obvious that I never would have thought of it on my own. Dogs require three things to be happy and a happy dog will be much more malleable to your desires. Three simple things that you, as an owner, are responsible for providing your canine companion:

Physical exercise. Not exactly shocking, is it? Get his blood pumping, get him into the sun, and let him burn off his energy to stay healthy and fit.

A good diet. Another no-brainer. We get our food direct from our breeder and it costs us a fraction more than it would to buy the cheapest food at the grocery store. Add in some eggs, cod-liver oil, bones and you’re set. Easy.

Mental exercise. Ahh, here’s one that’s overlooked. Dogs, especially intelligent breeds, need to exercise that mental muscle or they’ll go a bit stir crazy. Training new tricks is a lot of fun and a great way to help him exercise his brain.

This is all well and good – but this isn’t a doggy blog. It’s a blog meant to get you thinking about things you may not normally think about. So let me get to my point.

I read a story about a man who owned three dogs. The RSPCA showed up one day because his neighbors had called them thinking the dogs were in danger. They explained that he had a duty to provide these dogs with a certain level of care and shelter. His yard was in disarray, paint was chipping, the inside of the house was moldy and filthy, and the house itself didn’t look terribly structurally sound. After a quick inspection the RSPCA removed the dogs from the premises.

Nothing out of the ordinary there right? Poor living conditions so they removed the animals.

They removed the animals.

And left the person.

I now put a lot of effort in making sure my dog has physical stimulation, a good diet, and mental stimulation. I drive 25 minutes out of the city to buy his food. I research training tips to help him learn new things, and I take him out to do everything from fetch my golf balls to swimming in the ocean.

When’s the last time you made sure that you were receiving all of the above? Are you mentally stimulated every day? Do you get yourself exercise every day? Do you eat well every day? Are you living as well as a dog?

Don’t you think you should be?