Essentialisim

book-notes , strategy
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Essentialism is deciding what goes on your todo list, not how many things you can cross off. Being an essentialist means you say ‘I choose to’ not ‘I have to’, ‘Only a few things matter’, not ‘all things matter’ and ‘I will do one thing’, not ‘I will do both’. The essential questions are ‘How do I know when I’m done?’, ‘If I didn’t own this, would I buy it?’, ‘If I didn’t have this opportunity what would I do to acquire it?’

This is a summary of Essentialisim

Essence

  • Essential Intent is a Strategy that is Concrete, Inspiring, Memorable and Clarifies what not to do.
  • Three critical questions:
    • How do I know when I’m done?
    • If I didn’t own this, would I buy it?
    • If I didn’t have this opportunity what would I do to aquire it?
  • Three key differences between essentialisim and most people.
    • I choose to NOT I have to
    • Only a few things matter NOT it’s all important
    • I can do any one thing NOT I can do both.
  • Three steps essentialists take:
    • Explore and Evaluate
    • Eliminate
    • Execute
  • If you don’t choose, someone else will.
  • Less but better

Explore and Evaluate

2) Choose: You need to choose ☑

tbd

3) Discern: Only a few things matter, the rest are fluff. ☑

tbd

4) Trade off: Which problem do I want ☑

  • Try to avoid reality of trade-offs, but in reality they can’t be ignored.
  • Trade offs exist, can’t be ignored.
  • Embrace the trade off

5) Escape: Be unavailable ☑

  • Need to make space to think
  • To have focus, need to escape, to be able TO FOCUS.
  • Space to concentrate
  • Space to read

6) Look: See what matters ☑

  • Lead - The essence of the story.

    • Journalism Concept
    • Anecdote: Find the lead in high school:
      • Mr Black, principal of school announced all teachers will go to a conference on new topic, by famed anthropologist, blah blah blah.
      • THE LEAD IS: NO school on Thursday.
    • Figure out what matters, don’t relay facts.
    • Start with the 5 W’s
    • Then find the relationship between them.
    • What is the whole from the sum of the parts?
    • Overwhelmed, Confused, can’t find what’s important? You’re missing the LEAD!
  • With so much distraction, need to find the headlines.
    • ASK: What is the headline? What is the most critical thing here?
    • Lead is usually missed by others.
    • Find what is not being said.
    • Focus on what you think is critical, but listen to everything.
  • The big picture
    • Stop focusing on the small details and look at the big picture.
    • Train to look for the lead then …
    • See what you and others have missed …
    • Connect the dots into trends …
    • Focus on what matters instead of reacting to minutia.
  • Keep a journal
    • Faintest pencil better then strongest memory
    • Every 90 days review journal entries.
    • Look for the headlines in your journal, what matters most.
    • Daily view, very different from monthly view.
  • Get out into the field
    • The problem often isn’t the first order problem.
    • Need to immerse yourself in the problem see it in action
    • E.g. Customer Development/Self Awareness/Customer Visits/Amazon time on factory.
    • Story 20K electric incubator, Nepal can’t afford:
      • Goal: 1% of cost
      • First blush, 200$ electric incubator.
      • Team went to Nepal, saw home birth no electricity.
      • Built wax that could be warmed in boiling water and put in sleeping bags.
  • Key your eyes peeled for abnormal or weird
    • Find the key that has been missed.
    • See story as a spider web you can jump around to find the key.
    • See the problem from others perspectives
  • Clarify the question
    • Figure out the right question.
    • It’s easier to avoid it. But find it, and keep focused on it.
    • Only when you see the question clearly, can you answer it.

7) Play: Embrace your inner child ☑

  • Play doesn’t help us explore essential, it is the essential.
  • Anything we do simply for the joy of doing it, rather then a means to the end (xref: hobbies)
  • A mind invited to play
    • Nothing fires up the brain like play.
    • Don’t forget to do at work as well as home
  • Play makes us flexible and creative because:
      1. Broadens options
      1. Reduces stress
      1. Positive effect on executive function

8) Sleep: Protect it ☑

  • Don’t sleep, don’t think. Don’t think, can’t choose well.
Loading (/insomnia)

Eliminate

9) Select: Hell Yes” or “No”. ☑

  • Rule out pretty good, and only settle for “Hell Yes”
  • Ask: Do I absolutely love this (as opposed to, would this be useful one day).
  • The 90% rule
    • Find most essential criteria, score 0 to 100, and if it’s not over 90, drop it.
    • Also, make criteria explicit so anyone can call your bluff, especially in a team.
    • Decisions are trade-offs, and sometimes you’ll lose, but it’s worth it.
  • Opportunity Knocks
    • Easy to get drawn to an OK opportunity thinking it’s a great deal.
    • But, don’t since it takes away your opportunity to do something awesome.
  • Should I take an opportunity meditation?
    • Write down opportunity
    • 3 minimum criteria the opportunity MUST pass to be considered.
    • 3 ideal/extreme criteria for opportunity for opportunity to be approved [Examples?].
    • 2 of 3 extreme criteria MUST pass
  • Explicit Validated Criteria:
    • Choosing criteria is hard, get reflection/coaching on it.
    • Make explicit, provides you clarity, and lets others help you.
  • Finding a new opportunity?
    • Tighter the criteria, better our brain/mentors can help us.
    • Vague: What’s a good opportunity?
    • Specific: What am I passionate about AND uses my talent AND meets a real need in the world?

10) Clarify: How will we know we’re done? ☑

  • How will we know we’re done?
  • Specific enough to know what NOT to do.
  • Intent Strategy that is Concrete, Inspiring, Memorable and clarifies what NOT to do!
  • Pretty Clear -> Really Clear
    • Pretty clear is ambigious
    • Ambiguity: stress, confusion, frustration.
    • Clarity: shared purpose, motivation, collaboration.
  • Ambiguity Pattern 1: Playing Politics
    • At work, when no idea what matters, you’ll try to look good to the boss.
      • Don’t know what matters? Try to show yourself better then peers, since it’s arbitrary.
      • Probably provides no value to the company.
    • At home, when no idea what matters, try to look good to peers.
      • Don’t know what matters? Try to show better then your peers since it’s arbitrary.
      • But it probably doesn’t matter to you.
  • Ambiguity Pattern 2: It’s all good (aka. bad)
    • TEAM: Everyone does what’s best for them in the moment, but it doesn’t add up to anything.
    • Personal: Do what’s best for you in the momember, but it doesn’t add up to anything.
    • See picture of magnetic by poles.
  • Essential Intent:
2x2 Grid Vague Concrete
Inspirational Vision/Mission Essential Intent
Bland Values Quarterly Objective
  • Vision/Mission - Sounds like inspiration, but so vague ignored.
  • Values - So generic, doesn’t inspire passion
  • Quartely Objectives - a specific tactic/how, not inspiring.

  • Intent - Strategy that is Concrete, Inspiring, Memorable and says what NOT doing.

  • Answer the question, do not wordsmith.
    • Stop rearranging words, only answer the questions …
    • Answer: If we were great at one thing, what would it be?
    • Answer: If we succeeded, how would our accomplishemnt be described?
    • Answer: How do we know if we’re done?
  • Living with Intent
    • Apply to all aspects of your life.
    • It’s hard, but worth it.

11) DARE: Say No gracefully ☑

  • SAYING NO IS A CRITICAL LEADERSHIP SKILL
  • Say no firmly, resoloutely, and gracefully
  • LIFELONG MEMORY FOR KID:
    • Covery, Plan to spend time with his daughter, ran into friend asking over for dinner.
    • Daughter sad, since she was so excited about date with daD.
    • But, Covey said yes, but not today. I Have a date with my daughter.
    • Daughter recalled this story at Covey’s funeral.
  • Good ways to say no.
    • I’m flattered you thought of me, but I’m overcommitted
    • I’d love to, but I don’t have the bandwidth
    • Use the pause, count to 5, or let the person fill the void.
    • No but - I am currently writing a book, but I’d love together once this has happened, reach out then
    • Let me check my calendar Gives you time to come up with a good answer.
    • E-mail bounce Set a local OOF to give you the time to break through
    • Yes, what should I deprioritize
      • What would you like me to deprioritize to make this a prioirty?
      • I want to do a good job, and I won’t be able to do a job I’m proud of if I take this on.
    • You are welcome to X, I’ll do Y: I won’t write the deck, but I’m happy to give you feedback.
    • I can’t, you can try X
  • Ackward, but eventually you get respect/admiration.
    • See Drucker’s answer to Csikszentmihalyi
  • Focus on the trade off
    • Think about what you’re giving up, know this, and you’ll find the courage.
    • You can’t say yes, without saying no to something else.
  • Remind yourself that everyone is selling something
    • When you say yes, you’re buying something, make that thing essential.

12) Uncommit: Cut your losses. ☑

  • What else would I do with this energy/time/money if I walked away now
  • If wasn’t already invested, how much would I invest?

The tricksters:

  • Sunk Cost bias - Already put so much in, will be a win with just a bit more.

    • Antidote: Realize waste is OK (especially since it’s already happened).
    • Anecdote:
      • Realize waste is OK. Remember this story.
      • Buy ticket A for 100$, 2 weeks later ticket B for 50$
      • Expect concert B will be better
      • A and B on same day, need to choose which to go to.
      • Many pick A, because they’d waste less money.
      • BUT WRONG CHOICE.

  • Endowment affect (divestiture aversion) bias - You over value what you own

    • Antidote: Pretend you don’t own it yet
    • Examples
      • No one washed a rental car.
      • Can’t get rid of a book you don’t read.
      • Can’t get rid of clothes you don’t fit into.
    • ITEM: If I didn’t own it, how much would I pay?
    • OPPORTUNITY: If I don’t have this opportunity, how hard will I work to get it?
    • INVOLVEMENT: If I wasn’t involved, how hard would I work to get involved?
  • Need to admit failure to begin success.
    • Until we admit failure, we’ll keep going in the wrong direction.
  • Stop trying to force a fit
    • Sometimes it’s the wrong job/opportunity/product for us. Need to let it go.
    • Antidote: Get an objective second opinion.
      • They can see clearly without sunk cost, or emotional investment.
      • It’ll give you “permission” to let it go.
  • Status quo bias
    • Do something just because you’ve always done it.
    • Antidote: Apply zero based budgetting
      • Don’t re-evaluate from history.
      • Re-evaluate from history
      • What would you pay for TODAY, not delta from yesterday.
      • Hard, but worth it.
  • Stop making casual commitments
    • Take 5s to ask if this is essential before you commit.
  • Get over FOMO
    • Loss averse, don’t want to miss out.
    • Antidote: Reverse Pilot
      • Try to stop doing it for a while, and see if anyone notices.
  • Meta: It’s hard
    • Uncommitting harder then not commiting but worth it.
    • Feel guilt to reneg - but it’s worth it.
    • Grandmother mind on this.

13) Edit: Invisible Art - Cut Early, Cut Often. ☑

  • Making better is through subtracting
  • Best picture, usually nominited or wins best editting.
  • Editting is hard to see, since it’s been removed.
  • A great editor provides clarity by removing the non-essential.
  • Removes annoying distractions
  • Eliminate everything distracting (words/images/details)
  • Cut out options
    • Painful, but in long run joyful, since no wasted energy and bad decision.
    • To write is human, to edit is divine.
  • Condense
    • Increase signal to noise, by removing noise.
      • Meaning to activity ratio.
    • In Words:
      • Are you saying what you want to say?
      • Can you say it as clear and concisely as possible.
    • In Life:
      • Are you doing what you want to do?
      • Can you do it simpler, and with minimal activity?
    • Can activities/assets have double duty? (Bike riding with kids)
    • Less waste.
    • Would have written something shorter, but didn’t have the time.
  • Correct
    • Are we in alignment with our overarching purpose?
    • If not correct it.
    • Need to check regularly. Review scorecard and mission statement.
  • Edit Less
    • Best surgeon cuts the least, not the most.
    • Don’t step in if don’t have to.
    • Don’t argue laws of physics.
    • Talk last, and only if needed
    • Minimize times of change.
  • Edit continuously - Avoid big bangs
    • Make more, but smaller correction
    • Frequent feedback.
    • Make cut/condense/correct a common part of our lives.

14) Limit: Set boundaries ☑

  • If you don’t set your boundaries someone will in advance.
  • Make boundaries clear before hand so people don’t feel jilted.
  • Don’t defend your boundaries and you’ll not be able to maintain them.
  • Boundaries are liberating
    • Anecdote: School on busy road. Kids afraid to play near road. Add fence, now can get close to road.
  • Don’t let them put their monkeys on your back.
  • Tell other your boundaries so they can respect them.

15) Buffer: Because, it’ll go wrong ☑

  • REALITY: You just can’t predict, add buffer.
  • Your estimate is wrong, add 50% buffer.
  • IF you don’t need your buffer, you’ll get free time and feel great.
  • DO NOT ASSUME BEST CASE.
  • Scenario planning.
    • What risks do you face on this project
    • What is the worst case scenario
    • What would make the social effects of this be
    • What would the financial impacts be
    • How can you invest to reduce risks or strengthen resilliance

16) Subtract: Can only ship by cutting ☑

  • Shipping is blocked by constraints/obstacles on the long pole.
  • Produce by removing constraints/obstacles on the long pole, not be doing more work on other things.
  • You ship by cutting features, not by adding features
  • Mythical Man Month - Ignoring the constraints, adding more production capacity.
  • Example, Boy scout hike, make the slowest hiker more efficient, put him at front of line, and help him.
  • Find and fix the long pole.
    1. How do we know we’re done? Crisp, specific statement of done.
    2. What is holding that back?
      • List+Rank: What is keeping me from completing this?
      • List+Rank: What obstacle, if removed, would make the majority of other obstacles dissapear?
      • Focus on top of list.
    3. Remove Top Problem
      • Too high a quality? Change perspective - done is better then perfect.
      • Blocked on person? Ask them slowest hiker, and what you can do to help.
  • Grandmother mind again - it’s hard, but the first step makes a difference.

Execute

17) Progress: Drip, Drip, Drip, Done ☑

  • Drip, Drip, Drip, Done.
  • Progress most motivating because 1) momentum 2) reminds future success.
  • Create small wins, celebrate progress
  • Focus on small wins till done, forcing a big win much harder.
  • Do the minimal viable progress
    • Easy to know you’re tackling a small chunk.
    • Done is better then perfect
    • Leave state where it’s much easier to start (aka. Call Susan @ 206-925-3219, as opposed to call susan)
    • Pixar: We don’t actually finish our films, we ship them.
  • Start minimum viable preperation as early as you can.
    • Start early and small.
    • It’s not intimidating, and you can get so much done before it’s urgent.
    • Seeing the progress makes it easy to take the next step.
  • The more clear progress, the better - put things on your wall, add check marks
    • Bonus, seeing success makes us enjoy and have satisfaction the process.
  • TODO: Figure out systems that make this easier:
    • Book summary - start with chapter outline, then section out line per section, the flesh out. Progress helps.
    • Scrum and Kanban.
    • Bug Burn down charts.

18) Flow (Habit): Genius of Routine ☑

  • Design a routine that focuses on essential, and makes execution effortless.
  • Make the essential the default routine.
  • Making it look easy
    • Routines lets us avoid distraction on fluff.
    • Routine cuts decision fatigue since decisions/willpower not required.
    • Repetition makes it autopilot
    • Autopilot mode gives us back cognitive capacity to work on hard stuff.
  • Routines are usually automatic.
  • A routine is; Trigger -> Routine -> Reward. After a while trigger/reward mingle.
  • Remove negative routines: change response on trigger.
  • New routine, create new triggers
  • Do the most difficult thing first - hard stuff done while we have will power.
  • Mix up your routines - each day different?
  • Tackle your routines one by one - it’s hard, use grandmother mind.

19) Focus: What’s important now? Be present. ☑

  • There is only now - be present.
  • Lose vs Beaten:
    • Beaten - external factors outside your control (better competition/external forces)
    • Lose - Lost focus, didn’t do the best you could given the situation.
  • Figure out what is important now
    • List 1) What do I need to do know so I can sleep well tonight
    • When stressed, ask what is important now.
  • Get the future out of your head
    • List 2) What will I do someday (get it out of your head so you don’t stress or forget it).
    • Gets open loops out of your head.
  • Prioritize: Work through lists in priority order
  • Pause and Refresh - a breath brings you back to the present instead of monkey mind.

20) Be: Summary ☑

  • Always ask what is most essential, cut everything else
  • Choosing and your todo list:
    • Life is about what you decide to put on your todo list, not how efficiently you cross things off.
    • Focus on essential is a choice, make it, or someone else will make your choices, and it’ll suck.
  • You will regress:
    • You’ll forget that you can’t do everything, you’ll lose discipline
    • They’ll happen, keep grandmother mind, and try again.
  • Living a life that matters:
    • Family most important thing in your life, everything else will fade over time.
    • You need to stay energized with your phyiscal and emotional health habits.
    • You have so little time – go look at cemeteries to see how little you have.
    • Remove fear of choosing the wrong thing, just choose and move on.
    • By deciding what is most important and doing it, you’ll have no regrets.

A1) Essentialist Leadership Principles

  • Essentialist teams
  • Leading as an essentialist
  • Ridciously selective
  • Debate until you have a crystal clear intent
  • Go for extreme empowerment
  • Communicate right things, to right people, at right time
  • Check often to make sure meaningful progress.