Tom Peters at The Art of Management

This was the person I most wanted to see at the recent Art of Management event in Toronto – Tom Peters.

It was after reading his book Brand You 50 that I started to get interested in personal branding, it's approach, how I had used many similar approaches in my own corporate career, advised others to do the same and how I could see this becoming a much bigger subject. Here are some of his observations:

Listening is a proper core value

Appreciation is a proper core value

Apologizing (effective repair) is a proper core value.

Thoughtfulness is a proper core value.

Listening, Appreciation, Thoughtfulness and Apologizing are of the utmost strategic importance.

Listening, Appreciation, Apologizing and Thoughtfulness is a profession.

There is nothing harder to sell than the obvious. Perception is all there is. The four most important words in any organization should be "What do you think?"

Ask your employees – "What is the first name of the person who cleans this building?"

Inside Companies:

#1 Problem – Cross function communication

#1 Opportunity – Never waste a lunch – make 40% of your lunches with people from other functions.

"I believe the essence in excellence is what it is all about – human development"