may 10 11, 2018 • las vegas, nv · a real-life underdog story, filled with humor and hope after a...

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During this LIVE Master Workshop, you will discover how to:

• Learn how to write a book just by speaking into your phone.

• Leave with a first draft of your manuscript.

• Write a book that establishes you as a credible expert in your industry.

• Learn how to market yourself with your book.

• Avoid the biggest blunders, mistakes that cost rookie authors thousands and tensof thousands of dollars.

And much more . . .

• Actively participate in discussions and activities.

• Take notes to capture your own “AH-HA!” moments.

• Decide which ideas you plan to act upon immediately.

• Review these ideas immediately after each session.

• Review your notes again within 24-hours – this reinforces retention.

• Check your progress towards your goals weekly and monthly.

• Find a humor buddy!

Oh, and HAVE FUN!

Stop Dreaming, and Start Writing

May 10 - 11, 2018 • Las Vegas, NV

To get the most out of this workshop:

Your Expert Faculty: Henry DeVries

Darren LaCroix, AS, CSP

Henry DeVriesIndie Books

Henry DeVries is the CEO of Indie Books International, a company he cofounded in 2014. He works with consultants and coaches who want to attract more high-paying clients by marketing with a book and speech.

As a professional speaker he trains business leaders on how to persuade job candidates, investors, and prospects with a story.

He is also the president of the New Client Marketing Institute, a training company he founded in 1999. He is the former president of an Ad Age 500 advertising and PR agency and was a marketing faculty member and assistant dean of continuing education for the University of California San Diego.

In the last ten years he has helped ghostwrite, edit and co-author more than 300 business books, including his McGraw-Hill bestseller How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett – now in five languages including Chinese. He is a paid weekly columnist with Forbes.com. Other books by Henry DeVries include Self-Marketing Secrets, Closing America’s Job Gap, Pain-Killer Marketing, Marketing with a Book, Persuade with a Story!, and Build Your Consulting Practice.

On a personal note, he is a baseball nut (his wife calls him an idiot baseball savant). A former Associated Press sportswriter, he has visited 42 major league ball parks and has two to go before he “touches ‘em all.”

Learn more about Henry on his website, www.MarketingWithABook.com

05/18 Copyright 2018. Darren LaCroix & Henry DeVries. All rights reserved. 1

A real-life underdog story, filled with humor and hope

After a failed business in 1992, Darren LaCroix took the stage in a Boston comedy club and bombed miserably. It was horrible. The headliner that night told him to "keep his day job." Friends told him that his dream of making people laugh for a living was crazy and stupid. He didn't listen.

He may have been born without a funny bone in his body, but Darren possessed the desire to learn and the willingness to fail. These were the essentials for achieving his dream. This self-proclaimed student of comedy is living proof that anything can be learned.

Less than nine years later, in 2001, Darren LaCroix outspoke 25,000 contestants from 14 countries to become the World Champion of Public Speaking. He did it with a very funny speech. Some said it was one of the best speeches in the history of the contest.

Since that victory, Darren travels the world demystifying the process of creating a powerful presentation. His story has roused audiences in faraway places like Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, China, Oman, Malaysia, and Taiwan with his inspirational journey from Chump to Champ. He is passionate about showing people that if you are a sponge and have the right mentors, anything is possible.

Darren is currently the only speaker in the world who is a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), an AS (Accredited Speaker), and a World Champion of Public Speaking. Darren always stresses, “Don’t go for the designations to get letters after your name; do it for the professional you will become in the process.”

Through his live workshops and online programs, Darren works with presenters eager to learn what it takes to connect deeply with their audiences. He is the founder of StageTimeUniversity.com, the ultimate online programs for presenters.

Learn more about Darren LaCroix and his learning resources on his website at www.StageTimeUniversity.com.


Day 18:30 am Doors Open9:00am pm LIVE Master Workshop begins

www.StageTimeLIVE.com

Break

• Step 1 of Book Blueprints

10:45 am

Lunch and Time to Work on Step 3

• Step 2 of Book Blueprints

3:00 pm • Feedback and Discussion of Step 3

Break

3:00 pm • Step 4 Discussion

6:00 pm • On Your Own Time to Do Step 4

10:00 pm • Email Raw Manuscript to [email protected]

Day 2

8:30 am Doors Open9:00am pm LIVE Master Workshop begins

• Feedback on Book Draft Manuscripts

Lunch and Time to Refine Raw Manuscript

3:00 pm • Feedback and Assistance

6:00 pm • Adjourn

This is a very rough list of topics to be covered.

It will change based on the needs (and hunger) of the students & facilitators.



Before you write a book, you need a plan. By following the questions in this step, you can create a blueprint to write the right book. The important aspect to focus on is to have the book in alignment with the area of your expertise.

Our philosophy is that a book should position a consultant, professional, or coach as a subject matter expert. The key to attracting high-paying clients is to be sought out for your expertise on a particular subject.

As author and pro speaker Simon Sinek says, start with why. Why are you writing a book? What will the book do for you? List the reasons why you are writing a book:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Visit a bookstore like Barnes and Noble (if, by the time you read this, there are any bookstores left in the world). The average Barnes and Noble bookstore has about 200,000 different books available for sale. Take a moment to study the bookstore and you will quickly see the organization scheme (maybe your book will only be available online, but Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com follow the same organizational structure).

The first question to ponder for your book is: where will my non-fiction book be shelved in a Barnes and Noble store? Here are your thirty-nine choices. Choose one and only one.

Your Book Blueprint Step

The Book Store Question



1. African Americans

2. Antiques & Collectibles

3. Art & Photography

4. Bibles & Bible Studies

5. Business

6. Christianity

7. Computer & Technology

8. Cookbooks, Food & Wine

9. Crafts & Hobbies

10.Education & Teaching

11.Engineering

12.Entertainment

13. Foreign Languages

14. Games

15. Gay & Lesbian

16. Health, Diet & Fitness

17. History

18. Home & Garden

19. Humor

20. Judaism & Judaica21. Law

22. Medicine

23. New Age & Spirituality24. Parenting & Family25. Pets26. Philosophy

27. Politics & Current Events

28. Psychology & Psychotherapy

29. Reference

30. Religion

31. Science & Nature

32. Self Improvement

33. Sex & Relationships

34. Social Sciences

35. Sports & Adventure

36. Study Guides & Test Prep

37. Travel

38. True Crimes

39. Weddings



Business SubsectionsLet’s assume, if you are like most consultants and coaches, that your book would be in the business shelves. But where exactly? The business shelves are divided into subsections. Which subsection category would work for you? (You cannot make up a new category, it has to fit into one of these.)

1. Accounting

2. Business & Commcercial Law

3. Business Biography

4. Business History

5. Careers & Employment

6. Economics

7. Human Resources

8. International Business

9. Libros en Español

10. Management/Leadership

11. Marketing & Sales

12. Personal Finance & Investing

13. Professional Finance & Investing

14. Real Estate

15. Small Business

16. Women in Business



Speaking Engagement TopicsOne of the most important ways to promote a book, and your consulting practice, is through public speaking. The following are the speech classifications from Vistage International, the largest CEO peer group in the world.

The following is how Vistage categorizes its speakers. Where would your speech fit on the Vistage list? The eight main categories are: Beyond Business, Busin

ess Services, General Business, Finance & Accounting, Human Resources, Marketing & Sales, Personal/ Professional Development, and Technology.

Beyond Business

Family & Relationships

Health & Well Being

Leisure/Entertainment

Politics & World Events

Religion & Spirituality

Personal Finances

Purpose & Passion

Mortality & Death

Business Services Environmental Concerns

Facilities Planning/Management

Insurance/RiskManagement

Legal Services Patents, Trademarks & Copyrights

Real Estate

Security

Transportation



Finance & Accounting

General Business

Banking/Financing

Bankruptcy

Credit & Collection

Economics

Financial Management

Financial Systems

IPOs

Purchasing/Inventory

Taxes

Benchmarking

Board of Directors/Advisors

Business Brokerage, Mergers & Acquisitions

Change

Consultant

Evaluation & Selection

Corporate Communications

Corporate Culture

Creativity/Innovation

Crisis

Ethics

Family Business

Franchising

Future Trends

Government Regulations

Growth Management

Industry Issues

International Business

Joint Ventures/Strategic Alliances

Management

Organizational Development & Lifecycles

Productivity & Process Improvement

Project Management

Strategic Planning & Visioning Valuation



Human ResourcesCompensation & Benefits Employee Termination Employment & Labor Law Hiring, Recruiting & Retention Mentoring/Coaching Motivation/Empowerment Outsourcing, Alternative Employment Performance Mgmt. & Appraisal Program/Policy Design & Compliance Safety in the Workplace Teambuilding, Conflict Resolution Training, Management Development Unions/Organized Labor Workers’ Compensation Workforce Diversity Manufacturing/Distribution Automation Industrial Engineering Manufacturing Plant/Warehouse Management Product Research and Development Product Safety

Marketing & Sales

Branding Customer Service Market Research Marketing Pricing PR/Advertising Sales & Sales Force Management



Personal/Professional DevelopmentCommunication/Presentation Skills Delegation Goal Setting Leadership Assessment Leadership/Role of CEO Life Planning & Personal Growth Meeting Planning & Facilitation Negotiation Problem Solving/Decision Making Productivity/Time Management Retirement/Succession Planning Stress Management Women in Business Self Knowledge

TechnologyComputer Security Internet, E-Commerce Technology Design/Development Technology Evaluation/Selection Technology Strategy and Management Technology Training & Support Technology, New & Emerging Telecommunications

If you had to pick one of these and only one, which one would you pick?

If you could pick two, what is your second choice?



Pulling It All Together

Your subject matter expertise

What subject matter expert positioning do you want? Based on the exercise of where your book will be placed in Barnes and Noble and what topic Vistage CEOs would hear you speak on, complete the following:

This book will position me as a __________________ subject matter expert. The book also opens up multiple opportunities for speaking engagements and publicity around the subject of future trends in ______________________ .



Preliminary Book Structure

What will the look and feel of the book be?

Here are some options:

u Textbook (50,000+ words)

u Business How-To (35,000 to 45,000 words)

u Tips Book (10,000 to 15,000 words)

u Parable Book (7,000 to 10,000 words)

What will this book convey?

u New information

u More information

u Better information

u Different information



What Type of Story?Every business book should tell a story. There are eight great meta stories that humans want to hear over and over again. What type of story are you telling? There are eight basic story structures a book can take, based on the classic eight structures that almost all “stories” follow. This is based on The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, a 2004 book by British journalist Christopher Booker, a Jungian-influenced analysis of stories and their psychological meaning. I compared Booker’s eight categories and discovered the same rules apply to the greatest business non-fiction books of all time. Here are the eight categories:

1. Monster. A terrifying, all-powerful, life-threatening monster whom thehero must confront in a fight to the death. An example of this plot is seen inBeowulf, Jaws, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Dracula. Most business books followthis plot.

There is some monster problem in the workplace, and this is how you attack it. Business book example: Slay the E-Mail Monster, The E-Myth Revisited, Whale Hunters, Growing Your Business

2. Underdog. Someone who has seemed to the world quite commonplace is shownto have een hiding a second, more exceptional self within. Think the Ugle Duckling,Cinderall, Jane Eyre, Rudy, and Clark Kent ("Superman"). The business books inthis category discuss how someone raised themselves up from nothing to succes, atypical rags-to-riches story. One of Henry's early favorites was Up From Slavery byBooker t. Washington. Donald Trump books don't count. He raised himself up fromriches to mega riches. Business book examples: Moneyball, Up the Organization,Grinding It Out.

3. Quest. From the moment the hero learns of the priceless goal, he sets out on ahazardous journey to reach it. Examples are seen in The Odyssey, The Count ofMonte Cristo, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Business book examples: The HP Way,In Search of Excellence, The One Minute Manager, How to Win Friends andInfluence People, How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffet, Never Be the Same.

4. Escape. The hero or heroine and a few companions travel out of the familiarsurroundings into another world completely cut off from the frist. While it is at firstwonderful, there is a sense of increasing peril. After a dramatic escape, they returnto the familar world where they began. Alice in Wonderland and The Time Machineare obvious examples, but The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind also embodythe basic plotline. Business book examples: The Prodigal Executive, TheInnovator's Dilemma.

5. Comedy. Think of the movies Tootsie and Some Like it Hot. Following a generalchoas of misunderstanding, the characters tie themselves and each other inot aknow that seems almost unbearable; however, to universal relief, everyone andeverything gets sorted out, bringing about the happy ending. This is really aboutsolving a problem with a wacky idea. Shakespeare's comedies come to mind, as do



Jane Austen's novels like Emma. Business book examples: 2030: What Really Happens to America, A Whack on the Side of the Head, How I Lost My Virginity, Swim with the Sharks

6. Tragedy. This is about solving a problem by going against the laws of nature,society, or God. A character through some flaw or lack of self-understanding isincreasingly drawn into a fatal course of action which leads inexorably to disaster.King Lear, Othello, The Godfather, Madame Bovary, The Picture of Dorian Gray,Breaking Bad, Scarface, and Bonnie and Clyde - all fragrantly tragic. Businessbook examples: Too Big to Fail, Barbarians at the Gate, Liar's Poker.

7. Rebirth. There is a mounting sense of threat as a dark force approaches thehero until it emerges completely, holding the hero in its deadly grip. Only after atime, when it seems that the dark force has triumphed, does the reversal takeplace. The hero is redeemed, usually through the life-giving power of love. Manyfairy tales take this shape - also, works like Silas Marner, Beauty and the Beast, AChristmas Carol, and It's a Wonderful Life. Business book examples, Out ofCrisis, Seabiscuit.

8. Mystery. This appeared from the time of Edgar Allen Poe. From SherlockHolmes to CSI Miami, the plot that involves solving a riddle has gained immensepopularity in the last 150 years. Business book examples: Good to Great, Thinkand Grow Rich, The Secret, Cracking the Personality Code.



What Type of AudienceEvery subject matter expert has a DNA that guides their expertise. What is yours? Here is an exercise to find out. Follow these steps:

u What is the name of your business? Is it clear what you do? Is your name apart of the business?

u

u In eleven words or less, who is your target client and what result do you achieve for them?

u

u What are the pains, worries, and frustrations that you help clients deal with?

u

u What is your solution for helping clients? Do you have a model, methodology, or proprietary process?

u

u What is the common misperception that holds many potential clients back from overcoming their pains, worries and, frustrations?

u

u What do your prospect clients need to do in general to solve their problems that you are the expert in? In other words, do you have basic steps that most clients should follow?

u

u In addition to solving their main problem, what other benefits do clients receive from following the course of action that you advocate?



Working Titles and Subtitles of Your BookNow, and only now, that you have answered the preceding questions are you ready to brainstorm a working title of your book. Working title means the title you start with to guide the project. Often during the writing of the book a better title will materialize. So be it. But you have to start somewhere.

Three working titles

1.

2.

3.

Three working subtitles (11 words max)

1.

2.

3.



Book Blueprint Template

Author: E-mail:Phone:Official Start Date:Official Target Completion:Date:

Title

Subtitle

Author



Book Blueprint TemplateSection Plan

AudienceBookstorecategorySubcategorySpeakingtopicSubjectmatterexpertFuturetrendsTypeofbookInfoconveyedMainproblemsolvedMainmessageTypeof8metastoryMetaformatContentDNAquestions 1Name

2Companyname3Primary:Iworkwith…4Secondary:Speakon…5Credibility:Infact…6Authorof:7Approachability:Onapersonalnote…

Workingtitle

URLsecured?WorkingsubtitlePreparation SeeSectionIIPublishing SeeSectionIIIPromotion SeeSectionIVEditororghostwriterForewordTestimonials



Your Table of Contents Outline StepThe Ten-Chapter Non-Fiction Formula Book Contents

Dedication

Foreword

Preface

Part I The Why

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Part II The How

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Part III What’s Next

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Appendix

About the Author

Acknowledgements



Your Draft Manuscript StepHow to Use the Draft Manuscript Template

When the time is right, we will send you a MS Word document that is the draft manuscript template. Insert your chapters in the proper places and the template will automatically handle the table of contents. The template is also a reminder of the contents needed to complete a publishable manuscript.

These are the typical elements: Title Subtitle Author Name Dedication Table of Contents Section I Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Section II

Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Section III Chapter 9

Chapter 10 Appendix Acknowledgements About the Author Back Cover Description of Book 'Back Cover Testimonials



Your Draft Manuscript Step1.Grab and insert your articles

2.Grab and insert your blogs

3.Grab and insert articles from the Internet with source information attached

4.Write stream of consciousness notes

5.Record stream of consciousness notes with Smartphone or iPad and transcribe withRev.com



Write Your Acknowledgements Page Setup

An acknowledgments page might initially seem like the simplest part of writing your book, but many authors feel stumped once they reach this part of the publishing process. How long should it be? Who to thank? How to say it? It can become surprisingly complicated surprisingly quickly. Read on for our tips on how to write a great acknowledgments page.

Who to Thank. Similar to making a wedding invitation list, the names of people you want to include may seem to pile on top of each other once you start brainstorming, leaving you overwhelmed with who to thank. A good rule of thumb is to stick only to the people who helped you directly in writing and producing the book (ie: not your friend from pre-K who showed you how to tie your shoes, as invaluable that life lesson may be). Common acknowledgment inclusions are family members, sources for nonfiction pieces, your editor and designer/illustrator, your publisher, and your book mentor. BPS also has a good piece of advice: “Be parsimonious in your praise of animals, too.”

Length. We’ve all read a few books whose acknowledgments drone on and on for several pages; don’t submit your readers to the same paper cuts. Keep your acknowledgments to one page. You shouldn’t be afraid of offending anyone you leave out.

Tone. The tone of an acknowledgments page can be tricky. If you’ve written a fiction book, it’s basically the only place you get to write in your own voice instead of that of a character, which can seem odd. If you’re a nonfiction author, you want to make sure that you’re writing in a casual tone, but aren’t straying too far from the tone used throughout your book. Taking a look at other acknowledgment pages of comparable titles will go a long way. Overall, stay personal, professionally casual, and descriptive (ie: don’t simply say “Thanks to my editor, Gil.” Tell us why Gil rocked.).

Privacy. You might consider asking permission of those you plan to include in the acknowledgments page before penning them in, especially if you’re not close with them. This is especially relevant for nonfiction authors or authors whose books may be controversial; some interviewees you’d like to acknowledge may wish to remain undisclosed because of privacy issues. If you’re not completely sure they’re on board, it’s always better to ask first than risk losing a supporter.

Placing. Acknowledgments pages are traditionally placed within the front matter of books, though they will occasionally appear in the back instead. The acknowledgments section is sometimes grouped within the preface. If the acknowledgments section stands alone, however, it should follow the preface according to The Chicago Manual of Style. Alternatively, some authors choose to place the acknowledgments either before or after the table of contents. Discuss the placement with your editor to help select the best spot for your section.



Write Your About the Author Page SetupWe like this advice from author Audrey Porterman writing in the Huffington Post.

Most readers when they pick up a new book will read the back cover first to learn about the book, then they’ll flip to the page or blurb about the author. This is true whether the book is in print or is digital (though “flipping” will be replaced by scrolling…).

A good author page can help you connect with your reader and entice them to read your book. The author page can convey a sense of your experience, authority, or general likeability, encouraging your reader to learn more about you and your book. As with any writing, putting together a good author page takes some work. Here are a few guidelines for helping you write a good one:

Match the Tone Is your book about the political ramifications of World War II? A light, cheeky tone for your personal bio probably isn’t appropriate. In contrast, if your book is the love story of a sassy fashionista living in the big city, then your bio shouldn’t seem overly formal or business-like.

Make sure your language and your tone matches that of your book. Even though your bio is about you, the passage is part of the total package. You and your book are part of the same “brand.” Make sure your marketing is consistent.

Highlight Relevant Experience If your book is about the political ramifications of World War II, and you have taught a class on the subject at a local university, highlight it in the bio. Any relevant experience or expertise that you have should be noted. Likewise, if your book is about the love story of a sassy fashionista living in the big city, highlight any experience you have working in the fashion industry or looking for love in all the wrong places and so on.

Show Off a Little Your bio is no place to be modest. If you have won awards or received professional accolades, highlight them in your bio. Of course, you should highlight writing awards. However, you should also include any awards that are related to your subject matter. You could also choose to highlight any relevant training or endorsements you’ve received.

Keep Personal Information Brief While it is recommended to include some personal information, you should keep it brief. A little personal information is enough to make you seem like a real person and endear you to your readers. Too much information can become boring or alienate your readers. Just add a line or two about your family, where you live, or noteworthy hobbies.

The author bio is a small but important part of your book. It’s a way to let your readers know a little about the person behind the book so they will feel more of a connection to it and feel more compelled to read. These tips can help you put together a professional yet interesting bio that will draw in your readers.



Here are some examples:

Bill Wooditch is a mentor and advocate for those who actively seek and are determined to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Purdue University and his master’s degree in public administration at Penn State.

He began his career on the phones, knocking on doors, and pressing flesh as he “found a way and made a way” to become the top salesperson in two Fortune 500 companies. He started his privately owned firm in 1993, a company that he continues to lead today through active recruiting, training, and mentoring.

He is the founder, CEO, and president of The Wooditch Group, a privately held risk management and insurance services firm. The Wooditch Group provides client-centric solutions and comprehensive risk management programs for clients whose revenues range from $10 million to $1 billion throughout the United States.

He is also the founder of Think Next, Act Now!, a learning forum that trains tomorrow’s entrepreneurs today. Think Next, Act Now! provides the strategy and techniques to inspire and motivate personal and corporate growth. His engaged leadership continues to enroll and enable people to achieve their dreams by continually challenging them to find their why, define the what, and execute the how to achieve.

He specializes in the development, coaching, and mentorship of sales professionals and leaders in business. He is personally active in the recruitment, training, and mentoring of today’s determined advocates and tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and leaders. He has developed a proprietary system that is proven, continually tested, and refined against the ultimate system of measurement that is termed the “bottom line.”

He is a dynamic, extremely high-energy speaker who has been an agent of change for companies throughout the United States who have sought him out to speak on leadership, sales, teamwork, and customer service. He delivers knowledge with intention and purpose of conviction.

To inquire about bulk book discounts or booking Bill Wooditch as a speaker, please e-mail [email protected] or call 949.553.9800.

Jayne Latz is CEO of Corporate Speech Solutions, LLC (CSS), facilitating both individuals and groups in Fortune 500 companies and small businesses with proven strategies to accelerate communication effectiveness. CSS has guided employees and executives from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ltd., Citigroup, and Harry Winston, to name a few. As a licensed speech/language pathologist, speech trainer, and coach with twenty-five plus years of experience, Latz launched CSS in 2006, customizing speech improvement and accent-reduction training programs to suit individuals and groups for both business and personal success.

Latz taught at New York University for six years, and mentored graduate students for twenty years. Her background provides her with the unique skill set to transform the corporate communication skills of both individuals and groups, with a goal that every participant develops the ability to communicate with clarity and confidence.

Latz is a current member of NSA (National Speakers Association), a featured speaker of the New York State Society for Certified Public Accountants, and is co-author of Talking Business, When English is Your Second Language and Talking Business, A Guide to Professional Communication. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, on the NBC “Today” show, and on air with NPR.



Craig Lowder is a sales-effectiveness expert with a thirty-year track record of helping owners of small and mid-size companies achieve their sales goals. He is the president of MainSpring Sales Group, which assists businesses in need of a strategic sales leader on a part-time contract or project basis to develop and execute a sales strategy, develop sales process and performance management systems, and ensure sales execution. Lowder has worked with over fifty companies and increased first-year annual sales from 22 to 142 percent.

For the majority of his career, Lowder has served in senior sales leadership and advisory roles. His expertise includes sales-strategy development, sales-channel management, sales operations, and marketing. His experience spans a variety of B2B and B2C industries, such as retail, manufacturing, capital management, information technology, software, and business services. He has worked for three Fortune 100 companies: Monsanto, Lucent, and CenturyLink.

He speaks extensively on the topics “Smooth Selling Forever” and “Your Sales Should Run Like Clockwork” for Vistage International, the world’s largest CEO peer-to-peer association, and other groups and associations.

Lowder is a 2011 recipient of the President’s Discretionary Award in the category of Focus / Prepare / Communicate as a Sales Enablement Consultant for CenturyLink, the 2010 Ownership COACH Action Man Award from a 300-plus member peer group, and the 2003 Early Stage Investment Conference Business Plan Award from the Chicago Software Association. In 2001 he served as chairperson of the National Business Alliance, the vendor advisory group to the 8,000-member National Emergency Number Association Board of Directors

Lowder received his BA degree in marketing from Bradley University and his MBA from DePaul University.

For more information on bulk-order discounts of this book or to learn more about hiring Lowder as a keynote or workshop speaker, please e-mail [email protected] or call 630-649-4943.



Write a Dedication StepThis is typically one line at the very front of the book. Please keep it brief. To spark your thinking here are some great dedications:

Haroun And The Sea Of Stories, by Salman Rushdie

Zembla, Zenda, Xanadu:

All our dream-worlds may come true.

Fairy lands are fearsome too.

As I wander far from view

Read, and bring me home to you.

(This is when Rushdie was in hiding, and note the acrostic—ZAFAR is his son.)

The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

To Lucy Barfield

My Dear Lucy,

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed andbound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand, a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather, C.S. Lewis

East of Eden, by John Steinbeck

Dear Pat, You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, “Why don’t you make something for me?” I asked you what you wanted, and you said, “A box.”

“What for?”

“To put things in.”

“What kind of things?”

“Whatever you have,” you said.

Well, here’s your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts- the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.

And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.

And still the box is not full.

JOHN 05/18 Copyright 2018. Darren LaCroix & Henry DeVries. All rights reserved. 26


Heart of a Goof, by P.G. Wodehouse

To my daughter Leonora without whose never-failing sympathy and encouragement this book would have been finished in half the time.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (books 1–13), by Lemony Snicket

(Lemony Snicket writes to Beatrice, a woman whom he loved and was engaged to until she broke off the marriage and died soon after.)

Cosmos, by Carl Sagan

“In the vastness of space and immensity of time, it is my joy to spend a planet and an epoch with Annie.”

Franny & Zooey, by J.D. Salinger

“As nearly as possible in the spirit of Matthew Salinger, age one, urging a luncheon companion to accept a cool lima bean, I urge my editor, mentor and (heaven help him) closest friend, William Shawn, genius domus of The New Yorker, lover of the long shot, protector of the unprolific, defender of the hopelessly flamboyant, most unreasonably modest of born great artist-editors to accept this pretty skimpy-looking book.”

Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman

You know how it is. You pick up a book, flip to the dedication, and find that, once again, the author has dedicated a book to someone else and not to you.

Not this time.

Because we haven’t yet met/have only a glancing acquaintance/are just crazy about each other/haven’t seen each other in much too long/are in some way related/will never meet, but will, I trust, despite that, always think fondly of each other!

This one’s for you.

With you know what, and you probably know why.

Visions of Cody, by Jack Kerouac

Dedicated to America, whatever that is.

The Secret Adversary, by Agatha Christie

To all those who lead monotonous lives, in the hope that they may experience at second hand the delights and dangers of adventure.



Storytelling Made Easy:Six Simple Steps to Successful Stories for Speakers,

Marketers, and Business Leaders

by Michael Hauge

Sample Draft Manuscript



TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: Why Success Stories? ....................................................

Stories That Sell ...............................................................................

The Hollywood Lesson .....................................................................

What to Expect From This Book ......................................................

Storyphobia ......................................................................................

How to Use This Book ......................................................................

Chapter 1: The Six Steps ....................................................................

Plot Structure ...................................................................................

A Glimpse of the Six Steps ..............................................................

Chapter 2: Selecting Your Hero ..........................................................

The Two Types of Success Story ....................................................

Finding Your Hero ............................................................................

Doing Your Research .......................................................................

Chapter 3: Step One—The Setup .......................................................

The Before Picture ...........................................................................

Empathy ...........................................................................................

Chapter 4: Step Two—The Crisis ........................................................

The Wakeup Call ..............................................................................

The Goal ..........................................................................................

Uncertainty .......................................................................................

Commitment .....................................................................................

Chapter 5: Steps Three and Four—Pursuit and Conflict .....................

Taking Action ...................................................................................



Obstacles .........................................................................................

Chapter 6: Steps Five and Six—The Climax and The Aftermath ........

The Finish Line .................................................................................

The After Picture ..............................................................................

You Have a First Draft! .....................................................................

Chapter 7: The Inner Journey .............................................................

From Identity to Essence .................................................................

Revealing Your Hero’s Fears ...........................................................

Chapter 8: Success Story Mastery ......................................................

Writing Style Made Easy ..................................................................

Tense ...............................................................................................

Details ..............................................................................................

Dialogue ...........................................................................................

Professionalism ................................................................................

Repetition .........................................................................................

Irrelevance .......................................................................................

Chapter 9: Hollywood Magic ...............................................................

Structural Tricks and Techniques .....................................................

Openings ..........................................................................................

Illustrations .......................................................................................

Chapter 10: Autobiographical Stories ..................................................

Chapter 11: Beyond Success Stories ..................................................

Mentor Stories ..................................................................................

Failure Stories ..................................................................................

Soap Opera Sequences ...................................................................



Testimonials .....................................................................................

The One-Sentence Story .................................................................

Chapter 12: Taking Your Own Hero’s Journey ....................................

Appendix I: Summary of The Six Steps ...............................................

Appendix II: Case Study Interview Questions .....................................

Appendix III: Corporate Client Interview Questions .............................



Introduction: Why Success Stories?

Are you a business executive? Salesperson? Consultant? Internet marketer?

Are you a public speaker, or do you give presentations in the corporate arena?

Do you write nonfiction books that guide people toward greater business or personal success, or greater happiness and fulfillment?

Do you use the media to establish yourself as an expert in your field, and to draw potential clients or customers?

Whatever your career or commercial endeavor, your job is always the same: You’re a problem solver.

Every dollar (or peso or euro or yen or farthing or clam shell) ever spent, in every transaction ever made, was because someone had a problem they wanted solved. Something was broken and needed fixing, someone was sick and needed healing, someone was bored and needed entertaining, or someone didn’t feel safe enough or wealthy enough or smart enough or sexy enough.

And the recipients of all those dollars were the sellers of the products or services or experiences that buyers thought could solve their problems.

Why did those buyers want their problems (or their perceived problems) solved—or at least lessened?

Just one reason: they believed doing so would make them feel better.

They thought that if they—or their loved ones—had more money, or success, or possessions, or education, or fame, or approval, or excitement, or tranquility, or redemption or laughter, then they would feel happier, or healthier, or safer, or more content or more fulfilled.

And they believed that the person or product or service they chose was the best one to provide that feeling.

In other words, any time someone pays you—or your company—they’re making an emotional decision.

So, imagine if every time you gave a speech, or wrote a marketing e-mail, or published a book, or made a sales pitch, or tried to inspire an employee, you gave your audiences or readers or potential buyers the emotional experience of solving their problems?

What if you could give them an actual taste of the relief or the satisfaction or the happiness or the success that you’re promising?

You can—by simply following the steps that follow.



Stories That Sell

When added to speeches and marketing campaigns, stories increase e-mail response rates, client enrollments, product sales and revenue.

You can—by simply following the steps that follow.

Why? Because well-told stories accomplish a multitude of benefits:

• They entertain

• They educate

• They inspire

• They hold the interest of listeners and readers

• They create a stronger connection between audiences and storytellers

• They deliver information in a simple, more involving way than facts, figures, anddiagrams

• And they move people to action

But they also achieve one more powerful goal: they give listeners and readers the emotional experience of success.

Almost anyone involved in sales or marketing or public speaking of any kind is already telling lots of success stories. But often these anecdotes and case studies and success stories are either overly brief, focusing only on the buyer’s results (“Lily Rosebottom bought our new FatBeGone pill and lost fifty pounds!”),

or they go on and on, meandering repetitively without clearly defined goals, conflicts or outcomes for their characters.

Such stories can still entice buyers, but seldom will they sustain the interest of potential customers and clients, add real credibility to the product or service being offered, or overcome all the obstacles that stand between you and financial success.

A truly effective story must possess certain key elements, and must be presented in such a way that your potential buyer, client or subscriber identifies with the hero of that story, and experiences the emotion of the story through that character.

When you tell a story about someone whose life was improved or transformed by your product, process or principles, your potential buyers must feel the way your hero felt when he succeeded.

With such a properly told success story, your target market has already experienced—on a subconscious level—the positive feelings that you are promising. And those feelings will move these potential customers closer to paying for your service or your product or your process.



In the pages that follow, this is the kind of story you will learn to create—simply, powerfully and profitably.

The Hollywood Lesson

My background is in Hollywood. I’ve written two books, created about a dozen audio and video products, and spoken to more than 70,000 people around the world about the process of writing and selling stories and screenplays.

And for more than thirty-five years I have worked with screenwriters, producers, studios and movie stars, helping them create film and television scripts that will touch people deeply and powerfully.

When my clients incorporate the principles that follow into their scripts and films, they create a shift in the emotional state of audiences around the world, offering them the opportunity to connect with their own humanity, and transform their lives.

So, what does this have to do with marketing stories?

Simply this: in 2015 Hollywood generated more than $11,000,000,000 in revenue. (That’s 11 billion, if you lost count of all the zeroes.)

And that’s just at the United States box office.

If you add worldwide box office, plus revenue from all forms of video as well—DVD, online and television—that number more than triples.

How does Hollywood do this?

By knowing how to tell stories, and by giving audiences the opportunity to experience emotion. Because film and television makers understand that the primary objective of any storyteller must be to elicit emotion.

Movies are magic—they have the power to change people’s thoughts and feelings, and to shift the consciousness of a generation.

I want to share with you in the pages that follow a bottled version of this magic, so that you can change the hearts and minds of your prospects, and ultimately help them make buying decisions that can transform their lives.

The storytelling principles and methods Hollywood uses aren’t limited to movies and TV. They are universal. They will elicit emotion and move audiences and readers to take action regardless of how they’re packaged.

This means that when you use the principles and methods in this book, you’ll be using the same magic formula that Hollywood has been using so successfully for more than a century.



What to Expect From This Book

My goal is to remove the fear, frustration and overwhelmed feeling that can accompany the thought of writing or telling stories—especially if you’re not a professional storyteller.

These principles for successful storytelling, and the process for creating your own persuasive stories, will give you a powerful tool that you can use easily, repeatedly and profitably.

The simple process outlined in this book will empower you to:

• Select the type of story best suited to your product or service

• Develop that story to skillfully target your prospective buyers, your potentialclients, your audiences or your associates

• Identify the most effective hero for each story you tell

• Apply the most effective overall structure to each story

• Employ the Six Simple Steps of every successful success story

• Easily master a simple, entertaining and persuasive writing style that isuniquely your own - even if you got Ds in English, and don't think you can writea decent grocery list, let alone a compelling story

• Apply the principles of great storytelling within a variety of arenas: e-mails,speeches, instructional stories, videos, podcasts, and testimonials

• Apply the principles of wound, fear, identity, essence, and courage to moveyour readers and audiences toward more connected and fulfilling lives

That’s a tall order, I know, but after witnessing the power of storytelling on readers, audiences, and writers for almost four decades, I truly believe all these rewards are within your grasp.

Storyphobia

I’m guessing that by now you’re thinking:

“Of course, storytelling is essential to being successful. I’ve been hearing that since I started working. But I’m not a storyteller! I don’t have a gift for it. I get confused or overwhelmed when I try to learn it, and terrified at the thought of doing it. What do you expect me to do?”

I know that the thought of anyone reading a story you wrote—or even worse, hearing you try to tell one on stage or in a meeting—can be terrifying.



But it doesn’t have to be. The process I’m presenting isn’t advanced calculus, and it definitely doesn’t require high-level writing skills (which can actually diminish the power of your story). It only requires your willingness to give it a try.

Once you do, creating success stories will actually be fun. And you’ll be able to transform the lives of a lot more people.

How to Use This Book

Here is how I recommend you make the best use of the principles and tools that follow:

1. Down your free Success Story Mind Map by going to:www.StorytellingMadeEasy.com/sixstepmindmap.

2. Read through chapter 1, just to get an overall sense of where we're headed.

3. Starting with chapter 2, select a single success story or case study aboutsomeone who has benefitted from the product or service or process you aremarketing, or that you believe will change people's lives. (This chapter will giveyou a lot more guidance in how to do this.)

4. Develop this one story as you go through and learn the process of writingabout this person's (or this company's) journey to success. In other words,write the first draft of this story as you progress through chapters 2 through 7.

5. Using the techniques in chapter 8, rewrite the story to sharpen its style,structure, and power.

6. When the story is as good as you can get it (which doesn't mean perfect -you're still in learning mode), ask some friends, colleagues, mentors, orsatisfied clients to take a look and give you honest feedback.

7. While you're awaiting their responses, read the rest of this book.

8. Use the feedback you get to do a final polish of your story.

9. Send the story into the world—in an e-mail, a speech, a companypresentation, or a blog. (This will probably be a scary step, so first readchapter 12: Your Own Hero’s Journey.)

10. Begin the process again with your next story—this time an autobiographicalstory about a past success of your own.

11. From there on, just keep applying the principles to new success stories, andto the other forms of storytelling that will grow your business to even greaterlevels of success and fulfillment.



12. As you continue increasing your expertise (and success!) at creating andemploying stories, keep visiting www.StorytellingMadeEasy.com to gain additionaltools and insights, and to learn about opportunities to work with me directly.That’s it. Time to start your journey into powerful—and profitable—storytelling.

That’s it. Time to start your journey into powerful—and profitable—storytelling.



Chapter 1: The Six Steps

Every story ever told, ever written, or ever shown on a stage or a screen, is built on a foundation of three essential elements:

Character

Desire

Conflict

In every movie and TV episode, every novel and short story, every play, opera, epic poem, fairy tale, and children’s book, a character (or characters) wants to achieve some compelling goal, and must overcome difficult obstacles to do so.

This character—the hero of the story—is our vehicle through which we experience the story. His or her desire propels the story to its resolution, and the conflict creates the emotion.

Whether it’s Romeo wanting Juliet, Winnie the Pooh wanting some honey, a stranded astronaut wanting to survive on Mars, or a chemistry teacher wanting to provide for his family by selling crystal meth, when we read or see these stories, we subconsciously become these characters as they pursue their desires. And we feel for them because of the obstacles they must overcome.

Therein lies the power of stories: they give us emotional experiences outside the bounds of our everyday lives. We laugh, or cry, or get scared, or fall in love, or tap our hidden powers because we inhabit the stories we hear. We are the ones having those adventures, and facing those obstacles, just as those characters do.

And so it is with stories used for marketing, or persuading, or inspiring. They get readers and audiences not just to think, but also to feel.

Whether or not a prospective customer or client or crowd takes action—whether they hire you or buy your product or follow your advice—is ultimately an emotional decision. So, the more emotionally involving your stories, the more successful you will be.

The ways you accomplish this goal—the methods for making your stories powerful and persuasive—are basically the same for you as they are for successful novelists and screenwriters and filmmakers. Because your stories, like theirs, are built on those same elements of character, desire and conflict. And your stories, like theirs, will always follow the same basic structure.

Plot Structure

Story structure—or plot structure—determines the sequence of events in any story.



Your goal as a storyteller is to maximize the positive emotional experience for your readers or audiences. By skillfully addressing the questions, “What Happens?” and “When Does It Happen?” you ensure that your potential buyers will connect with your hero, root for that character through the entire story and celebrate his or her victory. And then they will want to replicate that hero’s success in their own lives.

I’ve been teaching and coaching writers and filmmakers about structure since I began working in Hollywood. And while the basic formula for movie structure is fairly easy to explain, mastering all the variations and layers and principles involved takes a good amount of practice.

So, for our purposes, I’ve made it a lot simpler. Because success story structure consists of just six simple steps.

Think of these as the six “stops” your hero must make on her journey to victory—or the six story beats that will ensure your success as a storyteller.

When I use the term hero I simply mean the protagonist or main character of your story. This is the man or woman (or in some instances, the couple) whose desire will drive the story forward. It’s the person we’re rooting for.

I use the terms “customer,” “client,” “subject,” and “case study” interchangeably, because every one of these refers to the main character or protagonist of the story you’re telling. These are the people whose success was the result of the product or process or coaching that you’re marketing.

Similarly, you’ll see me use the words “potential buyer,” “potential client,” “reader,” “listener,” and “audience” to refer to the people reading your success story (if you’re presenting it in a book, blog or marketing e-mail) or hearing it (in your speech or webinar or recording or face-to-face meeting). Just substitute whichever of these terms applies to your own situation.

Because this character can be either gender, I will sometimes refer to the hero as “he” and sometimes “she.” That way you won’t have to keep reading the cumbersome phrases “he or she” or “his or her.” Trust me, you’ll thank me for this.

The six simple steps will form the spine of every story you tell. And whether your goal is making a sale, landing a new client or inspiring an audience, these six steps are essential to achieving your desired outcome.

A Glimpse of the Six Steps

To give you an overview of where we’re headed, what you will learn, and the process you will master, here are all six steps in sequence, with a very brief description of what you will accomplish with each one.



Step One: The Setup

You will begin your story by revealing the everyday life your hero was living before he heard about—or began using—your product or service. This “before picture” will create empathy for your hero, so your readers and audiences experience his success on an emotional level.

Step Two: The Crisis

Once you’ve painted a picture of your hero’s former everyday life, you will reveal the single event that forced him to solve his problem—the moment where things got so desperate, or the prospect of change became so appealing, that he had to do something.

But before he could move forward, your hero had to formulate a specific goal, and then figure out how he was going to solve his problem and achieve that outcome. So, you’ll reveal how he researched, and hesitated, and asked a lot of questions and considered other alternatives, until he finally chose you or your company or your product or your process to achieve it.

Step Three: Pursuit

Here you present the actual steps your hero took to accomplish his goal. This will give your potential buyer a clear (and emotionally involving) picture of what using your product or service, or what following your advice, entails.

Step Four: Conflict

Along with your hero’s forward progress, you must also reveal the external and internal obstacles he faced as he followed your program or used your product. The conflict of the story elicits emotion in your audience. And by including the hurdles and setbacks that your hero encountered—and overcame—you will give your buyers the emotional experience of solving problems they are already anticipating (and worrying about).

Step Five: The Climax

This will be the peak moment of your story—the victory your hero was striving for, and that your readers and listeners have been rooting for: when your hero overcomes that final obstacle, crosses the finish line—and wins!

Step Six: The Aftermath

This is simply the “after picture” of your hero’s story—the new life he is living as a result of achieving his goal. It will show your readers and audiences the future that can be theirs if they only follow in your hero’s footsteps.

That’s it. These are the six simple steps of a great story.

Now let’s explore each of these elements in detail as I guide you through the process of creating a powerful, persuasive success story.



Cracking the High-Performance Team Code

Action Steps for Building Turbocharged Teams

by Dana Borowka, MA & Ellen Borowka, MA

Sample Draft Manuscript



Copyright © 2018 by Dana Borowka and Ellen Borowka

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC.

Neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering legal or other professional services through this book. If expert assistance is required, the services of appropriate professionals should be sought. The publisher and the author shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the information in this publication.

ISBN-10: insert number

ISBN-13: insert number

Library of Congress Control Number: insert number

Designed by ___________________________

LIGHTHOUSE PUBLISHING

ADDRESS



Contents

Foreword by Sam Reese, CEO of Vistage International

Part I The Challenge ..................................................................................................

Chapter 1 Why Cracking the Team-Building Code is Vital ..........................................

Chapter 2 Putting Your Teams to the Test ....................................................................

Part II The How of Team Building ...............................................................................

Chapter 3 Building Teams ..............................................................................................

Chapter 4 Leading Teams ...............................................................................................

Chapter 5 Motivating Teams ...........................................................................................

Chapter 6 Compensating Teams ....................................................................................

Part III Sustaining the Team ..................................................................................................

Chapter 7 Managing Difficult Teams .............................................................................

Chapter 8 Keeping Teams on Track ..............................................................................

Chapter 9 Twelve Resources for Tackling Team Building ..........................................

Chapter 10 Tips and Tactics for High Performance ......................................................

Appendix ..................................................................................................................................

Resources from Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC ......................................................

About the Authors ...................................................................................................................



Foreword from Sam Reese, CEO of Vistage International

This book contains excellent advice from Vistage Chairs and Vistage speakers who have worked with companies all over the globe to help their leaders build high-performing teams.

Building high-performance teams is central to the success of every leader. Decisions related to this endeavor are often the most important decisions leaders face. Vistage’s sole purpose is to help high-integrity leaders make great decisions that benefit their companies, families and communities.

Founded in 1957, Vistage facilitates private advisory groups for CEOs, senior executives and business owners. An exclusive community of more than 22,000 business leaders across a broad array of industries and in twenty countries, Vistage allows members to tap into different perspectives to solve challenges, evaluate opportunities and develop strategies for better business performance.

Our vision at Vistage is to be the world's most trusted advisors to CEOs and key executives to help them become more effective leaders, and this vision is only realized if our members achieve stellar results.

An analysis of Dun and Bradstreet data revealed that Vistage members grow their companies at more than twice the rate of comparable sized nonmember companies.

Vistage groups are led by successful independent leaders, called Chairs, who provide valuable professional insight, executive coaching, and serve as a guide to help members access other elements of the Vistage Platform, the world's most comprehensive decision support system for business leaders. Chairs are accomplished executives and former business owners who combine their experience, their desire to help others, and their extensive training in Vistage methodologies to help their members succeed.

Vistage members place a high value on the stable of nearly 1,000 curated speakers who regularly help members to optimize their instincts, judgment and decision making leading to lasting results.

Thanks, Dana and Ellen Borowka, for gathering this valuable information (and thanks Dana, for being a Vistage member and speaker for twenty years). My hope is this book will bring clarity to CEOs, senior executives, and business owners.

Sam Reese

February, 2018



Chapter 1: Why Cracking the Team-Building Code is Vital

The days of seat-of-the-pants leadership are over. When managers understand what really makes their people tick, they can create more productive teams. Knowing the personality traits of team members can help with motivating teams, communicating change, and delegating authority. Any business that wants to maximize productivity should be concerned with building a great team.

Take a Lesson from the Sports World

Building a great team does not just happen. Also, it is not a matter of finding the most stars to be on the team. In the world of sports, championships are frequently won by teams that do not have the most star players.

For example, UCLA's college basketball program has the international reputation of being Number 1. There is a major reason for that: his name was Coach John Wooden. Under Wooden, UCLA won an unprecedented ten NCAA championships—seven consecutively from 1966 to 1973. The stars who played for Wooden included Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But Wooden once said, “The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.”

By acclamation, according to the NBA Encyclopedia, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball star of all time. A brief listing of his top accomplishments would include being five-time NBA MVP and six-time NBA champion. Commenting on team building, Jordan said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

The NFL trophy for the Super Bowl is named for Vince Lombardi, the coach who led the Green Bay Packers to five championships. It was Lombardi who said, "Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."

Championship-winning teams go all the way because the individuals do a better job of playing together as a team. Teamwork matters, both on the playing field and in the business arena.

Some Say Teamwork is Overrated

Is team building overrated? Not everyone in business today agrees with the sports analogy. Some critics of team building such as Gavin McInnes, who gave a TED talk on the subject, will paraphrase the icon of innovation, the late Steve Jobs of Apple, to make their case:

Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square



holes…the ones who see things differently—they’re not fond of rules…. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things…. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do.

These critics cite many academic studies examining people’s performance in groups. Far from finding a huge boost to performance from teamwork, they say the studies are neutral or only show small benefits. To make their point they quote findings such as the following:

• High-performing groups are not normal.

• Team brainstorming produces groupthink.

• Groups often have huge variations in ability from top to bottom.

• People in groups often waste time squabbling over goals.

• Groups frequently suffer downward performance spirals.

(Source: http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/03/why-teamwork-is-overrated.php)

In her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, author Susan Cain commented upon the research by stating, “Top performers overwhelmingly worked for companies that gave their workers the most privacy, personal space, and control over their physical environments and freedom from interruption.”

“Collectivism is a virus that has infected everything we do,” stated McInnes in an article for the online Taki’s Magazine. “I’m presently trying to get my kids into better schools and I’ve noticed the administrators fall into two categories: those who encourage the individual and those who think teamwork trumps personal development. Only incompetent people love the team, and they love it because it makes it harder to discover their incompetence.”

(Source: http://takimag.com/article/teamwork_is_overrated_gavin_mcinnes)

As harsh as his incompetence comments are, the views of McInnes reflect what many skeptics feel about the overimportance bestowed upon team building.

Underestimating Teamwork is a Miscalculated View

However, rejecting team building because there are many who thrive working in isolation is a gross miscalculation. Critics ignore the volumes of research that prove the value of teamwork and team building.



“Team building has a bad rap,” said Forbes.com columnist Brian Scudamore (March 9, 2016). “In most companies when a supervisor says, ‘We’re going to do some team building!’ employees start re-running old episodes of The Office. It’s one thing to see it on TV, but getting a real-life taste of your manager mimicking Steve Carell’s insanely-awkward-try-hard leadership style just isn’t as funny.”

Scudamore, a branding and culture expert, says “Team building is the most important investment you can make for your people. It builds trust, mitigates conflict, encourages communication, and increases collaboration. Effective team building means more engaged employees, which is good for company culture and boosting the bottom line.”

But Not All Team Building is Created Equal

Building a culture of teamwork does not happen by accident or luck. To get an edge in team building requires science—namely, the science of cognitive and personality testing of the team members.

Today there are around 2,500 cognitive personality tests on the market that can be used for team building. So how do you decide which one to use? To understand how to choose from the plethora of personality tests, it is helpful to understand the origins of these instruments.

As part of the research to help America’s war effort back in the 1940s, a Harvard University instructor and psychologist named Raymond Cattell working in the Adjutant General's office devised psychological tests for the military. After World War II he accepted a research professorship at the University of Illinois where the college was developing the first electronic computer, the Illiac I, which would make it possible for the first time to do large-scale factor analyses of his personality testing theories.

Cattell used an IBM sorter and the brand-new Illiac computer to perform factor analysis on 4,500 personality-related words. The result was a test to measure intelligence and to assess personality traits known as the Sixteen Personality Factor questionnaire (16PF). First published in 1949, the 16PF profiles individuals using sixteen different personality traits. Cattell’s research proved that while most people have surface personality traits that can be easily observed, we also have source traits that can be discovered only by the statistical processes of factor analysis. His sixteen measures of personality are:

1. Warmth—from reserved to attentive

2. Reasoning—from concrete thinker to conceptual thinker

3. Emotional Stability—from changeable to stable

4. Dominance—from cooperative to assertive

5. Liveliness—from restrained to spontaneous

6. Rule Consciousness—from non-conforming to dutiful



7. Social Boldness—from timid to bold

8. Sensitivity—from unsentimental to sentimental

9. Vigilance—from trusting to suspicious

10. Abstractedness—from practical to imaginative

11. Privateness—from openness to discreet

12. Apprehension—from self-assured to apprehensive

13. Openness to Change—from traditional to open to change

14. Self Reliance—from affiliative to individualistic

15 Perfectionism—from tolerant to perfectionistic

16. Tension—from relaxed to tense

In 1963 W.T. Norman verified Cattell’s work but felt that only five factors really shape personality: extraversion, independence, self-control, anxiety and tough-mindedness. Dubbed the “Big Five” approach, this has become the basis of many of the modern personality tests on the market today. There have been hundreds and hundreds of studies validating the approach.

Using the “Big Five” terms, here is what a manager is looking for on a spectrum of personality:

• Extraversion—introvert or extravert?

• Independence—accommodation or independence?

• Self-Control—lack of restraint or self-control?

• Anxiety—low anxiety or high anxiety?

• Tough-Mindedness—receptivity or tough-mindedness?

“This is a topic that’s been researched to death by the field of industrial and organizational psychology,” said Peter Cappelli, management professor and director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, to Inc. magazine in August 2006. “The amazing thing is how few companies take this seriously. It’s kind of mind-boggling that they would undertake such huge investments and not pay attention to what we know about how to pick out the people who are going to be the best.”

“In God We Trust; All Others Bring Data”

The famous quote, “In God we trust; all others bring data;” is attributed to W. Edwards Deming, the father of modern quality management. Professor Deming was heavily involved in the economic reconstruction of Japan after the second world war.



Deming’s fundamental philosophy was that data measurement and analysis were essential to attaining superior performance in every facet of business. That includes the performance of teams.

While we are staunch advocates of in-depth work style and personality testing, we admit there are limits to its power. If you meet a profiling organization that says you can decide to hire or not hire based on test data alone, please walk away. No, run away. In-depth work style and personality testing data is no silver bullet or magic potion.

The secret is to cultivate top performers through a three-step process: assess candidates with in-depth work style and personality profiling, screen candidates for behavioral tendencies, and manage teams more effectively based on behavioral styles. The goal is to base your hiring and managing decisions on the best team-building data that can be collected.

Data allows managers to graph or chart the information to visualize the dynamic nature of the team. This is helpful to team building because it allows managers to better understand how individual team members prefer to receive and give information. This is not secret data kept from the team. On the contrary, everyone on the team should gain an understanding of the strengths of the other team members and how best to communicate with them.

Insight Leads to Better Team Performance

In-depth work style and personality testing can be a valuable resource before you hire. The true value of any assessment comes in using the insights it provides. Personality assessments lend objectivity to decisions that may otherwise be largely subjective.

A proper test should reach beyond simple profiles and decipher an employee's underlying needs. This is key for team building, conflict resolution, and succession planning. Some tests only use five or eight traits to make an assessment; this is not enough. We recommend a test that utilizes the full sixteen traits to get a complete picture of the person.

Here are eight great ways to use in-depth work style and personality testing in the workplace to crack the code of team building:

1. Get the real picture when hiring team members. Naturally all job candidates foryour team want to put their best foot forward during an interview. However, through anin-depth work style and personality test, you can uncover a great deal about theirability to work well with other personalities, their problem-solving abilities, their thoughtprocesses and their ability to tolerate stress. This testing gives you objectiveinformation that can help you make an informed decision about whether thesecandidates would be good fits for the jobs and for the team.



2. Help team members be all that they can be. Everyone has strengths andweaknesses. Find out the real truth with an objective measure. Once you pinpoint the goodand the bad, then you place them in the right positions and coach them on where toimprove.

3. Take me to your leaders. Personality testing gives the manager and employees acommon language about how they like to interact as a team. The assessments can helpyou train future managers on how to get the best out of the team.

4. Know how to manage difficult team members. Face it, there will always be difficultpeople and flare ups on the job. Use objective in-depth work style and personalityassessments to diagnose potential sources of workplace conflict. The best way to deal witha problem is to prevent it in the first place.

5. Treat team members the way they want to be treated. In today’s fast-paced world ofbusiness there is little time to get to know many of your coworkers. Using in-depth workstyle personality assessments as the basis for team building exercises can quickly geteveryone to have a healthier respect for other ways of seeing the world.

6. Make managers better team leaders. When managers understand what makes theirpeople tick, then they can be better leaders. Knowing the work style and personality traitscan help with motivating teams, communicating change and delegating authority.

7. Pick better teams. Today so much work is done by ad hoc teams that come togetherfor a specific purpose. Before you assemble a team, it pays to know the strengths andweaknesses of the team members. Sometimes this can be the difference between aproductive team that gets the job done and one that pulls apart at the seams.

8. Set up employees for success. Sometimes we hire the right employee and then givethat person the wrong job. Understanding preferred work styles and where a person wouldbe happiest goes a long way to improving retention and productivity.

Pulling it All Together

The famous English scientist William Thomson, the Lord Kelvin, once said, “When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind. It may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science, whatever the matter may be.”

Science is the key to cracking the team building code. This is why when managers understand what really makes their people tick, they can create more productive teams. The key is using data to know the in-depth work style and personality traits of team members and to use that to motivate teams, communicate change, and delegate authority. Any business that wants to maximize productivity should be concerned with building a great team.



Once a person appreciates the why of team building, the logical next question is how. The how of cracking the team building code is the subject of the following chapter.

Team Building Code Crackers

Don’t attempt to do team building on the cheap. Please do not use these tests for hiring teams.

DISC. The DISC system of assessing personality characteristics is based upon the work of psychologist William Marston, author of The Emotions of Normal People. After extensively studying the characteristics, patterns and responses of thousands of individuals, Marston developed an assessment in 1928 to measure four important behavioral factors. The factors he selected were Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Cooperation, from which DISC takes its name. The DISC language of behavior has been validated in more than twenty-five countries since Marston introduced the model back in the Roaring ‘20s. This is not designed for candidate screening, only staff development.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Index. The MMPI was developed for mental patient profiling by Starke Hathaway. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the MMPI is a medical test. Per the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it cannot, therefore, be used as a selection test prior to offering a candidate a job. In that sense, the MMPI is no different than a drug test or physical examination—still permissible, but not during the “pre-offer” stage.

Myers Briggs Type Indicator. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is exclusively intended for the purposes of career development and team building within a company, not as a hiring or promotion screen. Rather than tapping the Big Five personality characteristics, the Myers-Briggs test is based on the work of Carl Gustav Jung and addresses four areas of personality to create sixteen distinct types (the number sixteen is just a coincidence and not related to Cattell’s work). The four areas are perception, judgment, extraversion and orientation toward the outside world. While the Myers-Briggs is used in many organizations and is very popular among employers and employees, there is little empirical evidence of its validity for employee selection.


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