@mhsutton

heart.head.work.life

Author: Mike

  • 17-April-2013: Sloooow!

    By: PeterWebb

    Check In

    I’m frustrated that everything I tried to do today took longer than I thought it would.
    I’m glad I stopped to consider why and what I could do about it.
    I’m mad that I needed to continue my task to research customers (this shit is important!!! and urgent) and I was not able to.
    I’m glad I decided to use a template instead of handcrafting the ServiceChat temporary skin – it made the day less sloow!
    I’m afraid that it is Thursday tomorrow.
    I’m frustrated that I can be let down by tech (my network) and entire hours can be swallowed up trying to solve it
    I’m glad that I can see an end to the re-skinning task tomorrow and I should get an opportunity to get on the Customer Discovery work.
    I’m glad that I had almost no distractions (just pain!)

    I’m in.

    Desired Outcomes For Today

    From my high of yesterday I had to reach my outcome of ServiceChat having its own visible identity and completing the work I needed to have at least 2 potential customers researched.

    I’m farther along, just not as far as my outcomes. Progress is progress – as they say in Spain  “poco a poco”.

    3 Things I Learned

    1. Sometimes I need to step back as a developer and look at what solution is required – I don’t have to build everything.
    2. Sometimes the people I pay to do things can do them better than me.
    3. Sometimes I really am the best person to do the thing I hired someone else to do.

    3 Things I Will Improve On Before The Next Retro

    1. Sketching/wireframe out what I want the new ServiceChat UI to look like (so I don’t overly experiment when I code)
    2. Taking my break when the timer goes off.
    3. Update my neglected Business Model Canvas!

    Something I’m Grateful For

    The huge list of stuff that I have done in my life. Skills that I cannot consciously recollect have been internalised in me and they crop up when I need them the most. I just know how to do certain things. Awesome!

    Outcomes For Tomorrow

    1. Continue to reach my original outcomes ( a rebranded  ServiceChat app that does atleast as much as ChittyChat does AND have at least 2 customers researched)
    2. An updated business model canvas that reflects what I have learnt since I last updated it 3 weeks ago.

  • 16-April-2013: Day One of the Rest of Everything

    Check In

    I’m sad I was too tired to wake up at my routine time and didn’t get to workout or do my language study.
    I’m glad I was much more focused on clear outcomes and really fought distractions.
    I’m glad I made time for things that normally distract me and I believe I limited their impact.
    I’m glad that I did 20 pushups in each of my 10 minute breaks.
    I’m glad I was much more relaxed today than I have been for ages. I feel less stressed than I have been for a long time – focus is great!
    I’m mad that my test code for ChittyChat (which was a hack) leaves much to be desired and now I’m having to tread with care with the port to ServiceChat.
    I’m very glad that @zurcherart, @auxbuss and @olaflewitz offered to help me to keep focus. Even if they don’t read this, I wrote it (which is what matters!).
    I’m afraid that I may have to stop building ServiceChat (or another startup ) in order to go raise more cash reserves by consulting.

    I’m in.

    Desired Outcomes For Today

    1604-trello

    I came into today with 3 outcomes to try and achieve (the bottom 3 in the ‘Achieved’ list).  I created the ServiceChat blog from nothing.

    Basically I was able to focus and manage distractions well enough that I achieved a fair bit more.  New options have opened up as a result.

    3 Things I Learned

    1. Working for 59 minutes and taking a 10 minute break seems ideal for me – I’ll do more of this.
    2. Keeping a Gratitude Book – making note of things that I’m grateful for – I learnt this from the very amazing Deborah Hartmann Preuss (@deborahh on Twitter) – If you need a coach, she is one of the best I know.
    3. There is a niche yet untapped in the customer service world.  Most folk are still hung up on arms length ‘satisfaction’. Very little work going into ‘delightful’ service that is truly in the service of the customer.

    3 Things I Will Improve On Before The Next Retro

    1. Do my hour of Spanish language study
    2. Do my 30 minutes of fitness workouts
    3. Read a customer service blog

    Something I’m Grateful For

    The opportunity to see the problem I’m trying to solve with ServiceChat everywhere and the privilege of being in Spain doing what I am doing.

    Outcomes For Tomorrow

    1. Have  a rebranded  ServiceChat app that does atleast as much as ChittyChat does.
    2. Have 3 early customers researched enough that I can approach them.

  • Finding Focus and a Plea for Your Help.

    By: Chris Waits


    Lately I have been feeling very bloated.  I don’t mean overweight (I am a little), but mentally bloated – with distractions, ideas, fears and schemes to allay fears.  But during a week in the UK visiting my daughters I had the opportunity to have some headspace and to retrospect and I found the determination for renewed discipline to finding the focus I desperately need.

    One of my greatest strengths is the ease I have in having ideas, however I find that execution is difficult for me – yet I enjoy trying to go beyond the idea to the the product and beyond still, to a thriving business around the product.

    As you may know , I am spending most of 2013 in Spain, working on my startup.  I am working on building a business currently called ServiceChat – which is aimed at helping online businesses enhance their customers’ experience and their business brand perception through deeper customer engagement.

    But focus has been eluding me since my family and I got here.  A number of ‘other’ things have distracted me –  Wizetrader (my automated forex trading Expert Advisor), this blog, twitter, my family settling in, improving my Spanish and also trying to improve my wellbeing through exercise and meditation.  All the while trying to build my startup – ServiceChat.

    Something has to give – either I focus or I forget the whole thing. The former is essential and the latter is not going to happen.

     

    My 3 Things for 2013

    I had a good chat with myself and we agreed that this year is about 3 fundamental things.

    1. The Startup
      Focus on customer discovery and development, find early adopter customers, get some funding, learn and build what my customers want.
    2. Get Conversational in Spanish
      We came to Spain to enjoy the country, to immerse ourselves in it. Language is a huge part of that immersion and experience and that is why this is important.
    3. Improve my Wellbeing
      I’m precious to myself, to my family and to the world. I have to take better care of my entire wellbeing. This means making time for exercise, improving my physical fitness (and yes, lose some weight), learning to be still and making time to play with my family.

    That is it – everything else not directly connected with any of these is out.  This means:

    • Less Twitter and more @buffer (now made easier with my app @bufferdm);
    • Make my trial routine permanent (more on this soon);
    • Measure how I’m doing daily (make short term goals and track how I’m doing against them).

     

    I Need Your Help.

    I plan to retrospect on my daily experience around 10:30pm Central European Time everyday except Saturdays. Following my daily retrospective, I will  re-plan and set my goals for the coming day.

    I commit to write a short blog post on what learnings and improvements I have made and the plan for the next day.

    Please check to see I have and ask me about it if I haven’t.
    Practically, this really means watch out for a tweet from me announcing the blog post (it goes out automatically on a post – hurray for WordPress).
    You should expect it around 11pm (Central European Time). I would love if you would then glance over the retro post and if you think its flakey  – please talk to me about it!  I promise to keep it concise and digestable (and who knows, you might even find some of what I learn valuable for something you are involved in).

    If you are willing to help, please tweet me with #HappyToHelp and I will add you to a list of helpers.  

    It would mean a huge amount to me if you could help me to find and sustain the discipline I need to focus. I would be delighted to do the same for you.

     

  • Why Sentiment Analysis is Promising But Currently A Waste of Time.

    I love you even though you beat me.

    Even though you don’t love me.

    Even though you shout at and deride my efforts.

    Even when you disagree with my existence.

    Even when you vilify me for the air that I breathe.

    I cherish you despite the cruel words with which you punish me.

    You cherish my destruction even when I detest that smallest of inconveniences to you.

    Even when the only thing that would satisfy you would be my death.

    My cruel killing at the hands of the most vicious destroyer.

    What do you think the above is about. Is it overwhelmingly negative or inherently positive?  What is its sentiment?

    Here is what one of the ‘leading sentiment analysis’ tools determined it was about:

    I had need to explore where Sentiment Analysis is today because I might have a future need to harness its ‘power’.  Well I was fairly disappointed.

    Scientists (in this case computer ones) will have you believe that sentiment analysis is so advanced and mature as to be reliable. Bullshit.

    They call it ‘Sentiment Analysis’ and this projects an illusion of precision, reliability and worse still they sell it as something you should base decisions on.

    It is no more than word counting and weighting.
    Fortunately it is simply a case of mislabelling. This is not ‘Sentiment Analysis’ it is Content Analysis. No more than looking in a basket of citrus fruits and counting lemons vs oranges vs limes. The trouble is when they sell it as a indication that the farmer has kidney stones!

    Sentiments deal with the emotional message the content is trying to communicate. Businesses deal with the emotive state of their customers and any indication of how a customer feels might provide competitve advantage and an opportunity to profit (in goodwill or stone cold cash).

    I say that Sentiment Analysis is promising because I believe that machines can learn to determine the emotional meaning of any content, but if this is the current approach then I fear that we are a long ways off.

    Currently the best way I know to understand sentiment is to have a conversation, to listen and be reasonably educated enough to understand what your co-communicators’ needs are. To look beyond the words used (they may be the wrong ones).  I wish that more businesses recognised this and invested accordingly instead of wasting time, energy and money on something that promises so much and delivers so little.

    BTW – using the same engine, this article scored -.107 and could be about renewable energy, hardware, technology or investing. Ouch!

  • El Castillo del Salobreña.

    image

    The old finally invaded by the new, which becomes old only to be reinvaded. And so it goes.

  • Beach Huts. Salobreña, Andalusia.

    image

    We went in search of ice cream as the wind blew and waves crashed. Across from the ‘Tres Hermanos’ bar was this beautifully contrasting structure with such striking colours.

  • A Nugget of Delight and Hope for the UK

    There is plenty to be cynical in the UK about these days, but during a recent trip (and farewell tour through my old neighbourhood) I found an unexpected nugget of delight that fills me with hope for the future of government engagement in the UK.

    Broken Toys and a Note

    I used to live in Tamworth, Staffordshire – famous for pigs and the Robert Peel (founder of the modern British police force ‘The Bobbies’).  It is also famous for a castle that marks the seat of the Mercian kings.  Today there is a play area in the Castle grounds that delights modern little princes and princesses alike.

    As I wondered through the Castle ground play area with my sons on Friday 04/Jan/2013 – I noticed an area of cordoned off fencing around some play equipment that had been removed.  I knew this equipment, it was in the under fives area and was one of those round-about installations where people get on, and someone pushes really fast and everyone feels queasy with possible projectile vomiting 😉

    Now it was gone. In its place was this note, attached to the fencing.

     

    This note delighted me so deeply I thought I might share it with you. It says to me that all is not lost within the heart of the State.

    I really think that this approach/idea is brilliant and its originator ( Peter Watkins – the person listed on the email  or whoever ) should be commended.  It seems like a genuine interest in trying to engage with their actual users – being humorous,  speaking directly to the children who will use the equipment and offering them simple and descriptive choices of what they prefer.  It demonstrates putting children first and being prepared to listen. Something, sadly, we are seeing less and less of with the UK government.

    The area is under the administration of Tamworth Borough Council and I sincerely hope that this is only one example of delightful engagement and interaction with the population of Tamworth.  I would love to hear of more.

    Help Me Amplify Goodness

    Hey, if you think this is a step in the right direction, please would you consider to do me a favour – tweet about this or perhaps say ‘Hello’ to Peter Watkins at the address above and let him know that you think this is a great idea.  I believe that those of us who work for a world with less distance between people must encourage the behaviour we want to see in this world and not let goodness go unacknowledged.  It doesn’t matter whether you are in the UK or not nor that you think they are just doing their job (in fact I think it matters most!)

    What do you think?  Have you seen simple acts of delight that you would like to share – I would love to hear them.

     

     

  • #ReceiveTheGift Recipients Notification

    First An Apology

    Just before Christmas I made an offer to 15 people to receive a gift of a message contained inside a book. I had promised to pick those 15 from the respondents and let them know by the January 01 2013. I’m sorry I was didn’t do this as planned.

    Actually I did pick the recipients at the time , but didn’t do the notifications. Many apologies for this.

     

    Who Gets the Book.

    20 people responded to my offer and to pick the 15 at random,  I used the traditional ‘name in a hat’ method – photos of names and hat coming soon!

    Here are the twitter profiles of the people that will receive my gift:

    @alipanick
    @mabsky
    @DavidAHood
    @zurcherart
    @RoueMothbard
    @woodyzuill
    @alanr100
    @berinder
    @PaulKuijten
    @kenrickchien
    @joe_jag
    @Bendre
    @ckeithray
    @KishenPanday
    @ddreptate

    What Happens Next

    Over the next few days I will request shipping addresses from the recipients and complete the orders on Amazon the most affordable way that also is reasonably quick (3-5 days may) – after all you committed to read this in January!

     

    How About The Folk Who Were Not Picked?

    I am sorry I could not offer this pick to everyone, I really wish I could.  Here is what may happen…

    • They are really inspired to buy a copy anyway.
    • They go on the ‘next up’ list and when I do this again, they will get a copy by default.
    • They get gifted a copy by a recipient.
    • Something else I haven’t thought about.

  • Almost All Five Fingered

    wpid-5fingerswolrd.jpgA year ago I got my first pair of Vibram Five Fingers. Today I have 4.

    They have replaced almost all my shoes, as you can see the Converse All Star HiTops are still hanging in there – but not for too long.

    Vibram Five Fingers are, without a doubt, the most comfortable footwear I have ever worn – by a long way.  I don’t intend to wear any other type of footwear (aside fromflip flops on the beach).

    I’ve worn them to work, conferences,  a wedding (but not yet to a funeral). I have a pair that are extra thermal for the winter months too. Some days I have them onand forget about them until bed time!

  • My Exclusive Gift To You

    I have a gift for you.

    It’s a gift that was given to me and it is changing my life and my relationships.

    It has given me a language that I didn’t even know I didn’t have.

    For me, this gift is everything a gift should be. Simple yet revolutionary, beautifully articulate yet infinitely understandable, defined but not a recipe, immediately practical yet intensely personal.

    This gift is a message contained in a book. The book is “Non Violent Communication – a Language for Life” by Marshall Rosenberg.

    I would like to make a few requests of you (these aren’t pre-requisites, you may still receive this gift without complying).

    • Can you commit to read this book in January?– its message was revolutionary for me and I regretted not reading it earlier so that I could have benefited sooner. I would like you to benefit from it as soon as possible. What better time than the start of a new year!
    • Would you consider paying this gift forward? – find a way of paying my gift forward. I trust you will find a way to gift someone something  you value – your time, your care, a book. Love does not like being cooped up – it wants to radiate through the universe. Help it.
    • Would you gift the book if you have no further use for it? – if for some reason the message did not resonate with you, that’s cool, but I would wish that this book would not gather dust on your bookshelf when it might be busy changing someone else’s life for the price of postage.
    • Please consider not selling this gift? If you really don’t want it and are unable/unwilling to pass it on, please send it back to me.

    That’s it.  Beyond these fairly reasonable requests, you can do what you choose with either the book or its message.  I hope it is as revolutionary for you as it has been for me and presents as many new options as it removes.

    Why Am I Doing This?

    The short and simple reason is Love.  Corny I know – but that’s it. Deal with it.

    The slightly longer reason is that I care that you (and everyone else ) are happy and fulfilled and  operates from empathy and compassion (and receives the same).

    Lately I have not been operating from empathy and compassion – damn near forgot about them. Truth is I’ve been operating from anger and frustration for a while, this book helped me rediscover empathy and compassion as more fulfilling places to operate from and provided immediate improvements I could make to get there.  It takes deliberate practice and self awareness but my relationships are significantly improved, I have more joy in my life and I feel more responsible for my own feelings.

    Something this powerful should be shared, I believe it should be required reading for everyone and this is the simplest way I know to start.  

    If even one person who receives this gift experiences the changes I experienced, my investment would be more than repaid.

    So, what are you waiting for?

    How To Get This Gift.

    I initially have 15 copies to gift. You can have either the paperback or the kindle edition.

    My preference is to gift the paperback as they are easier to share than the kindle editions.  But I leave that to your discretion (if you had the kindle edition and couldn’t share it. perhaps you might consider buying a kindle edition as your paying it forward or share)

    IMPORTANT!  To get this gift please tweet:

    @mhsutton Mike, I’d like to #receiveTheGift.

    I will pick 15 random responses at 00:01 on January 01 2013 (GMT) and contact each recipient individually to sort out delivery.

    For paperbacks: I’ll place the relevant order on Amazon (with Amazon or a marketplace vendor) and give them your preferred delivery address and you’ll get the gift in the post.

    For kindle editions: I will gift your kindle email address the book from my own kindle address.