I know that's counter-intuitive, but the most expensive person in your company is not your highly paid COO, your HR Head, or yourself for that matter. It's whoever is paid to be stuck waiting for a decision you should have made a long time ago.

That sounds ridiculous, if you think about it. People getting paid to do things they can't do...

But ask yourself this. When was the last time you looked at people around you wondering why things took so much time?

I've seen this in growing companies with a handful of people, and in groups running hundreds of staff across multiple countries and the dynamic is always the same!

I talked to a COO who got stuck structuring a 2000 staff company after a merger : his CEO wouldn't give him the authority he needed to rebuild.I talked to an entrepreneur who owned six restaurants and couldn't find a minute to sign up on a dozen of game-changing franchise agreements, yet he wouldn't delegate to his staff because he didn't have any decision-making process in place and wouldn't trust them to get the job done.I talked to a executive responsible for signing millions in real estate deals annually but who couldn't do that because the internal org chart didn't give him the authority he needed to get things approved in time.

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The story just repeats itself wherever you look: someone in there has a job to do, faces a problem, knows exactly what to do, has the competence to do it, but they cannot move ahead because the organization wasn't designed (or upgraded) to let them do their job.

That's the key here: people issues are an excuse. The real issue often comes from a lack of decision-making somewhere in the org chart. At your level in the org chart, I mean.

Yes, of course, some people lack initiative and just wait to be pushed. That happens, and there isn't much you can do about those people.

What you can do, however, is to focus on those who want to get things done, push a project they care about greatly, and get everyone closer to that common goal you have been pushing for a long time.

What those people need isn't someone to tell them what to do but someone to create a system where they can thrive. They need autonomy, they need clear delegation, they need the possibility to do what has to be done.

And while that's often missing, that's definitely the kind of thing you (yes, you) have to organize high up in the org chart.

At the end of the day, what makes this common situation silly is that it's both invisible and insanely expensive.

It doesn't show up in your P&L and nobody writes a report on decisions that never happened. But, somewhere in your business, right now, a restructuring is stalled, a commercial opportunity is sitting untouched, or a manager is fighting frustration instead of building value.

Just because the sign-off never came, or because nobody ever said out loud who was actually allowed to decide.

More than management, that's a governance problem, and it only gets solved by redesigning who decides what, at which level, with what mandate. Which is what your job is about, right?
So, three questions to take into your week(end): 1- Who in your organization is competent, motivated, and stuck (and what exactly are they waiting for)?
2- If you mapped every decision that crossed your desk last month, how many of them should genuinely have been yours?

3- What is the one decision you have been the bottleneck on the longest over the past months, and what would it take to hand it over for good?

The org chart tells you who reports to whom. It doesn't tell you who is allowed to decide what. That second map is the one most companies never draw.

People are waiting, there's no excuse.

You rolled out AI in your company and your teams are using it. Outputs are being produced, decisions are being made based on those, and the whole thing looks like it's working. But here's the question nobody asked when the deployment went live: what context did you give the model to work from? Have you provided your AI and teams with some documented background clarifying who you are, what you do, what you stand for and what’s acceptable? Most companies don’t do that because they have no clue. But the truth is simple: their AI is just filling the gap with something it made up and they will pay the price for that sooner than later.

I co-hosted a workshop on AI and marketing strategy for fifteen professionals last week. Marketers, consultants, a few founders and two CMOs. All sharp people really, and one expectation: tips on getting better outputs, faster results, sharper copy.

Except I opened with a different question.

How many of you have built a proper context base for your AI? Something that tells the model who it's working for, what the constraints are, what the brand sounds like, what actually matters?

Two hands went up, out of fifteen.

Most were discovering the concept. They were looking ahead, hoping for solutions to move forward faster, but they hadn’t thought of documenting some context the AI could use as a solid foundation for the rest.

Anna, a CMO in the room had been watching this gap play out for months with her clients and got into the conversation with me. “They produce AI outputs, present them as analysis, make decisions from them because the output looks authoritative”, she said, “but nobody realizes that since there’s no strong basis the models are just inventing something convincingly wrong”.

In plain English? Garbage in, garbage out, dressed up in a clean font and a confident tone.

My take in this? You wouldn’t hire a trainee and put them in front of clients on day one without onboarding, right? Still, that’s exactly what most companies do when they roll out AI.

They give their teams the tool, they skip the onboarding and leave people to it.

The AI has no context, no background as to what the company does and what it needs to be about. And the teams, without training, start to produce things and make decisions from those things without the slightest oversight.

This could sound like a user problem, but it really isn’t.

When AI gets deployed without context, the instinct is to blame the people using it. They don’t know how to prompt, they need training, they’re not curious enough.

Except that the decision to deploy without documentation wasn’t made by them. Someone above decided the tool was ready to roll out, but did they ask something like “oh, but, what are we giving it to work from?”.

Nope.

Said differently, that’s an omission at the top rather than a competence failure. And the issue is that this kind of omission compounds fast, because every output produced from an empty context drifts a little further from what the company actually is.

Every marketing brief or production gets a little farther from what the brand is about. Ask Anna!

And every decision made from that output carries the drift forward.

All of this quietly, consistently, and at scale.

You don’t feel it on Tuesday, but you feel it six months later when something produced from your “AI-powered” process looks nothing like you and gets you in deep.

So, three questions to take into your week:

1. When your team uses AI today, what context are they working from? Is it documented, or is it assumed?

2. If you asked three people in your organization to describe your brand voice, your client, and your core constraints, how different would those descriptions be?

3. Who made the decision to deploy AI in your organization, and did that person also own the question of what the AI would be working from?

People are waiting, you have no excuse.

Two numbers came out of a March 2026 HBR study that I haven’t stopped thinking about this week.

One, 64% of employees say they don’t feel properly supported through their company’s AI transformation. And two, more than half report using AI tools outside of any company framework, without guardrails, without guidance, on their own terms.

Read those two together: what you get isn’t large scale adoption as many commentators suggests, it’s rather difficult adaptation and complex governance.

Your people aren’t against AI but they’re not really leveraging it either, they are simply figuring it out.

Why? Most likely because they are waiting for a framework that hasn’t arrived yet!

For instance, I had a conversation recently with a lead market data analyst at a large company. When the subject turned to AI, she gave me an embarrassed face and said they weren’t using it much. I dug into that so she agreed to show me what her team actually uses.

Tool one: Copilot connected to internal spreadsheets. Her team uses it every day to extract patterns, isolate numbers, come up with insights nobody really considered and produce conclusions from complex data tables. Conclusion, they save hours and have a pretty clear use case.

Tool two: a white-label version of GPT, deployed company-wide. Outdated since an old version of the LLM was still running without any update, no ability to set context, no defined purpose attached to it apart from having a glorified search tool at their disposal. Conclusion, like most of her colleagues she opened it a few times, then stopped trying.

So that gives us two tools, with one decision coming from the top to deploy with the rank and field that apparently never happened.

The part that struck me about that conversation? She wasn’t frustrated and she wasn’t complaining. She’d just selected what worked and quietly set aside what didn’t, while the global group she worked for had moved on without noticing.

So, while we hear constantly about companies replacing headcount with algorithms, why is it that we spend so little time on the most common situation: companies that deployed AI without defining what it was for, and whose teams have already figured out the answer on their own?

As I wrote yesterday in a LinkedIn post, the fish is moving faster than the organizations trying to catch it, while the people closest to the water who already know which tools work haven’t been asked. That sounds rather silly to me.

The 64% who feel unsupported aren’t just unsupported because of a training gap. They’re unsupported because nobody above them answered the foundational question before the tools went live. What changes for your teams when AI enters their work? What happens when the old way and the new way collide? Who decides, and based on what?

Those aren’t just implementation questions, they also touch upon governance questions that need answers from the Board, HR and information systems directors.

Imagine the consequences of that, though? An analyst using their own 20$ AI to save time on confidential data management? A marketing junior drafting social media posts using AI, without a proper context and AI workflow thus leading to wrong brand voice and communications? An in house lawyer repeatedly using AI to correct tiny bits of a contract, without realizing that run after run other parts of that contract have been affected?

Your teams have already done their own triage. They know what works. The question is whether anyone in the room where strategy gets decided has thought to ask them. That’s where the power of AI adoption lies these days: teams!

So, three questions to take into your week:

- Can you name the AI tools currently deployed in your organization and describe the specific use case each one was designed for, from the perspective of the people using them?

- What’s the gap between the AI transformation your board thinks is happening and what your teams are actually doing day to day?

- Who should you have a discussion about AI adoption with on Monday?

The field has answers and the boardroom has budgets, at some point those two perspectives need to be in the same room. In the meantime, people are waiting, you have no excuse!

Two things I’ve been thinking about this week, that I want to come back to for a moment.

First point: nobody ever calls me to say they have a governance problem.

The board people I work with call about founders who aren’t aligned. They talk about board meetings that go in circles, or management teams that should step up but aren’t stepping up. Either way, the vocabulary changes a bit from one company to another, but the problem is the same: if the “who decides what” isn’t defined and clear for everyone, then the dynamic gets stuck and you end up with confusion. Brilliant confusion, as I noted on Tuesday, but confusion nonetheless.

Second point: the people in those rooms are rarely the issue. They are sharp, very sharp actually. They are experienced, and they are genuinely trying (which makes the pattern harder to explain, not easier). There, the conclusion was simple: you can’t see your own blind spots and nothing can change unless you get out of your own box (or let someone in, for that matter).

The thing is, these two observations are connected, and the connecting dots are what’s worth understanding.

One, when a decision system hasn’t been properly designed (yes, I’m talking systems here), people feel like there is a communication issue inside the company. Maybe personalities clash, maybe working methods suck, maybe people don’t manage to communicate, or maybe the management in place needs better training.

Except that these gut feelings point to symptoms, not structural reasons. And yet, the lack of a proper decision system is nothing but a structural matter.

Two, the issue usually is that when people (who by definition are inside the system) read the symptoms, then the structural issue is in a blind spot.

We’re not talking about an intelligence failure here, we’re talking about architecture and geometry: when everyone in the room shares the same perspective (and perception), they see the same wall and they share the same blind spots.

The issue is simply invisible from where they’re standing!

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The good news is, there are ways to get this sorted.

In particular? Well, it goes without saying that bringing someone from the outside is often a good way to get a different angle to the conversation.

That can be someone whose job is to challenge groups and ask the silly questions (shameless plug here, hello!). But it can also be as simple as involving Peter, the Chief Something Officer who should have been involved in the discussion since the beginning.

If you are a decision-maker reading this, here’s my takeaway for the week.

The people you’re frustrated with are probably reading the situation as clearly as they can from where they are, but there’s a limit to what people do and the most common limit is the wall you’ve put in front of them over time.

The question isn’t whether they’re seeing it right. That wall is all the can see at the moment.

The question is whether anyone in that room is standing somewhere different enough to see what everyone else can’t.

I’m only making a structural observation here.

A well-designed decision system doesn’t just clarify who does what. It creates the conditions under which the people inside the system can actually see it clearly enough to run it. Not ruin it. Run it.

When that design is missing, you don’t get chaos. You get brilliant, well-intentioned people circling the same problem indefinitely. Best case scenario, each will be convinced that they’re close to solving it. Worst option, they feel like the situation is doomed and have already started looking for a better option for themselves.

To wrap this up, here’s a few questions to take into your week:

- Look at the recurring tensions in your board or leadership team. Are you diagnosing the symtpomes they perceive? Or the structure they’re operating in?

- Say the decision system in your organization can be redesigned tomorrow. What is the one thing you can ask someone to handle differently and without you?

- Oh, and what is the uncomfortable conversation nobody in your leadership team is having these days? Maybe because they can’t see the issue from where they are? Or maybe because nobody can see a solution from where they stand?

As a wise Chinese master probably said at some point, the smartest people in the room can only see as far as the room allows. If things get tensed, it is time to open the door and bring in more perspective!

Til’ next time!

A.

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And also, some (not recent but still interesting) reading on the matter, just in case:

Srini Pillay, MD, “Your Brain Can Only Take So Much Focus,” Harvard Business Review (2019) — including reference to Dumas & Dunbar (2016), “The Creative Stereotype Effect,” PLOS One.

The last time I published here, I was writing for entrepreneurs building and growing their businesses, looking for ways to build motivation and keep the momentum going. Good vibes from Hong Kong where I then lived, real challenges from wherever my clients were, content I enjoyed writing!

But at some point I missed a direction and sort of lost track.

Until now!

My own work has shifted since then, and so has the angle I want to write from.

I now spend a lot more time inside board rooms, working with the leadership teams of more established companies, and focusing on the one thing that quietly determines everything else: whether the decision layer delivers as it should.

The point isn’t whether the strategy is smart or whether the people are right, wrong or talented. It really is about whether the way decisions happen: who decides what, at what level, with what clarity, and whether things actually get built for the company is going. Which is a topic of its own, actually.

Most of the time, however, execution and operations create major blind spots and the people inside the board room are the last ones to realize because they all see things from the same angle.

That’s what this Substack is about now.

So, every Saturday morning, I’ll send you one read. I’ll share a challenge I’ve observed, a story my team went through, a blind spot I’ve seen from the inside, a dynamic that looked like a people problem but was actually a structure problem.

Just what I see from where I sit and insights you’ll be able to leverage too.

If you’re a board member, a founding partner, or an HR director who already knows something is off but hasn’t found the right words for it yet, this is you I’m talking to.

If you’re not interested in this shift, no hard feelings. The unsubscribe button is right below.

See you next Saturday!

Antoine

You’re still here? That’s awesome!

I’ve been afk (away from keyboard, come on, follow) over the past few months because of a few thing, including travelling around Asia, relocating to Lisbon, opening a podcast and content recording studio for content creators there, and… starting a podcast!

That podcast is all fresh (yay!) and it is dedicated to entrepreneurs and inspiring people who put their best efforts in getting their projects (and mindsets) to the next level.

One of the first episodes we’ve recorded (in Lisbon!) was a Masterclass by Simon Stawski on social media, being an influencer a value creator, building your personal brand online, and… not burning yourself along the way.

I’ve loved the exercise and felt inspired by Simon’s passion for educating and giving sense to the things he does. I hope you’ll feel as inspired as I was.

So, without further due…

Until next time!

A.

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Imagine your job, as you know it, ceasing to exist because a sophisticated AI system has replaced you.

It’s efficient, tireless, and seemingly flawless in executing tasks that once filled your 9 to 5. So, you find yourself at a crossroad, drawing the line between being overlooked and staying relevant. What makes you unique when the algorithm has taken your seat?

Like it or not, we are now getting into unchartered territories, where AI is not just an aid but becomes the new employee of the month, every month.

Scary?

It’s a scenario that provokes fear, uncertainty, but also a chance for introspection. What facets of your persona hold value that a machine will never replicate?

In the cold, hard logic of AI, there’s no room for empathy, creativity, and the innate human ability to understand nuances of social interactions.

Machines follow patterns; humans create them. Until machines can learn and replace humans at creating patterns. It’s adapt or perish.

So, what is the future really about?

Good news, something stands out.

Your life experiences, your struggles, triumphs, and the organic relationships you’ve nurtured over time paint a picture that no algorithm can.

You see, it's not about the mechanical execution of tasks. It's about the human narrative behind every action, the story that unfolds with every project undertaken, and the unscripted interactions that leave a lasting impact.

Your new role is far from traditional job descriptions. It’s shaped by your audacity to challenge the conventional, to question the impersonal efficiency of AI, and to inject soul into the poker face of automation.

As a business leader, your role isn't merely about filling market gaps; it’s about touching lives, understanding the pulse of the community, and weaving a fabric of change that resonates on a personal level. These are dimensions where AI falls flat.

Your uniqueness now depends on your ability to adapt, to think beyond the binary, and to nurture human connections in a digitally dominated terrain. It's about pivoting from being a component in the machinery to becoming the heartbeat in a world that’s growing cold with code.

It’s about crafting a narrative that resonates, that stirs emotions and incites actions. This is where your power lies. In the warmth of human interaction. In the empathy, understanding, and the drive to create a ripple of impact that a machine can never replicate.

However, if you hold on to the old ways, refusing to evolve, you find yourself swept aside, outdated in the modern, automated work landscape.

Oh, dude!

Boy it's harsh. Brutally harsh. But it's the reality we are fast approaching.

The responsibility is on you to carve out a niche where your human touch is the invaluable asset, where your ability to empathize, innovate, and inspire holds paramount significance.

In the brutal effectiveness of AI, your human touch is the irreplaceable asset, the essence that machines will never emulate. It's a stark reminder that in a world run by code, the human spirit remains mysterious, indecipherable, and indispensable.

So, in a near future where machines can mimic your job but not your heart, where do you stand?

The ball is in your court; either evolve and stride into a new horizon of unexplored potential or remain an outdated piece awaiting obsolescence.

And as you think through this stark reality, by the way, note that this article was mostly written by AI – this line included – based on a written prompt of the author urging you to unleash the untouched layers of your human uniqueness.

Share And It's Up to You! by Antoine Martin

Hi again!

Time for the real me to take over. I played a little trick on you today, didn’t I?

I know. I wanted to see how far AI could go in replacing me with this writing exercise and the results were pretty interesting.

The first attempts were bland. Unoriginal, automatic, mechanical, intention-less (and easily identified by AI detection softwares as being 100% written by AI).

But here’s the thing.

I then used the AI differently.

Instead of telling it what to write, I told it how to write it. I tweaked the way I was making requests, and I suggested some style improvements. I then made some (very) slight editing, and I put the result through the same AI detection software. And it gave me this result:

In plain English?

“This score reflects our AI's confidence in predicting that the content scanned was produced by an AI tool. A score of [53%] original and [47%] AI should be thought of as "We are [53%] confident that this content was created by a human"

Said differently? The AI that detects AI (and is honestly great at it) isn’t too sure anymore, because I’ve put some intention into the thing.

That means three things.

1. AI can mass produce and it can replace us in many way - but its content is typically boring and awful to read. You have to learn to go one step ahead.

2. The AI that wrote the content has told you one true thing, though! If you hold on to the old ways, refusing to evolve, you find yourself swept aside, outdated in the modern, automated work landscape.

3. Knowing what makes you “you” is therefore where the difference lies. Your tone, your ability to provoke and make people smile (or not), the heart you put into things, the value you create that makes things and people work and think differently. These are the things that allow you to leverage the world around you instead of letting it take over.

The question is, have you started to think about it? It’s up to you!

Until next time,

A.

Exit Thinking: One Key Mindset Change to Gear Up & Scale

It’s funny how entrepreneurs and people with big ideas that have the potential to change the world (and make money along the way) tend to think about how to make things happen.

I mean, the goal is usually the same: you spend a lot of time on building a business and a team to run it, and so you expect to cash in down the road. Right?

Right.

But how do you get there, exactly?

Long story short, you need to think about funding your development, which typically implies self-financing, debt raising, or equity funding. And to get there, you have to think long-term.

If you plan on self-funding everything, you have to think cashflow and margin.

If you plan on raising debt, you have to think cashflow (again) and repayment capacity (because bankers lend to those who can repay).

And if you plan on raising equity, you have to think cashflow (still!) and return on investment (because investors want their equity investment back with a premium).

The common denominator here? Your best chance to get somewhere you want is to think about where you want to get a few years from now – which is called exit thinking.

Do entrepreneurs and business owners do it? Definitely not enough, and definitely not the right way either. And that’s because the topic is typically in a blind spot for most.

Exit thinking means planning to pass on.

First angle – business owners and entrepreneurs often keep their nose to the grindstone and focus on the daily and operational routines.

They focus on getting sh** done (quoting here, excuse my French) and by the same token they drop the long-term perspective every captain should keep in mind at all times.

Instead of building a system that progressively works for them, they keep doing ‘stuff’.

Instead of focusing on how to pass on to the next leader, they hold on to what they have as hard as they can.

Instead of showing that they are looking to let go, they show the business is worth nothing without them.

And instead of inspiring partners and funders looking for sustainable projects to invest in, they give them the certitude that the business will never be able to roll on its own.

Too bad, isn’t it?

Exit thinking means anticipation and strategic thinking.

Second angle – having the exit in mind means that you now have a way to define what you want to achieve, and to anticipate whatever strategic steps will need to be taken along the way.

Think about it this way: which type of business owner would you partner with?

The ones who have big dreams but no real sense of direction and achievement, and no idea of how to leverage financial previsions?

Or the ones who approach their development pragmatically and have a sensible idea of what money and partners they need to secure to obtain specific results five years from now, because they think in terms of business planning and can come up with a reasonable business plan illustrating their thinking?

Some plan their next step(s) based on their exit plans, but most don’t!

No exit thinking means no vision, and no funding!

Said differently? No exit thinking means no vision, no long-term thinking, no strategic thinking, a lot of randomness, and no funding prospects!

Why? Because exit thinking typically suggests that you have some basic business planning skills every partner expects to find.

In case you’d want a pragmatic illustration of this, here is a basic mathematical translation of the point I’m making.

Consider that any investor will take ten percent of your company in exchange for the money you ask for (typical situation).

Option A: you have a five-year strategy with a five-year profit estimate that takes into account carefully anticipated development funding needs. You can therefore reasonably assume that your business could be worth a 10m paycheck – hence an investor would typically give you 1m for ten percent of the equity right now.

Option B: you have no strategy and mostly focus on today and tomorrow. By the end of the year your business might make half a million in turnover (lucky scenario) but you have no clue about short-term profit estimates – let alone long-term!

Well, guess what? That’s what your business is worth. “No clue”.

Tell me, though. What is ten percent of ‘no clue’?

Help yourself. Think exit.

You got my point. If you want to give your business a chance, exit thinking is key.

It’ll get you to build the vision you need, but it will also give you a strong basis to start thinking in terms of business planning.

Now that you know, you have no excuse! As usual, though, it’s up to you! 💪🏻

Until next time,

A.

Ps: this newsletter was written in partnership with e27, the Asian source of insights for Asian Startup entrepreneurs.

You'd be surprised to see how many business owners try to sell stuff (including their own name card) without leveraging an impactful value proposition people can relate to.

Worse, you'd be even more surprised to see how many of them don't even have a value proposition at all!

I see the issue frequently in my work with entrepreneurs and business owners. And to be frank, it’s something I’m having a hard time understanding, if only because an introduction without value proposition gives me absolutely nothing to play with and keep the discussion going.

Think about it. Someone introduces themselves in the flattest way possible. How do you get things going?

“I make money doing sh*t for clients, whatever they throw at me I’m doing it”. Uh?

“I’m a designer”. Oh? That sounds fun…

“I’m a developer”. Oh… that sounds technical…

“I’m a coach”. Meh… anybody is a coach these days.

“I run a restaurant”. Okay! That must be tough!

“I run a cosmetic company that wears my name”. Wooo…

“I run a company that sells insurance, do you need one?”. Oh, come on!

Does that sound familiar to you? I have no doubt.

Does it sound like something you’d say? Probably as well, even though you really shouldn’t.

The reality is, this type of valueless introduction is so classic to me I’m now surprised when someone tells me what they do in a language that turns me on.

Sounds exagerated? Hmm, not that much, really.

So, here’s a question for you: can you tell what pattern I’m describing here? Beyond a clear lack of pitch, I mean.

The answer is simple: most business owners lack a value proposition they can rely on to turn people on, get them curious and excited, and turn chit-chat into a conversation that possibly leads to… building leads!

Now, I won’t go into the details of how to build a kickass value proposition here, but I’ll give you three ideas to use right now to leverage your own value proposition smartly and efficiently.

1.    Think storytelling.

Nobody cares about ‘what you do’ because it’s boring.

Too direct? Sorry if I punched your ego a tiny bit, but provoking people and ideas is what I do and you’ve got to call a spade a spade.

Being a designer, a developer, a coach, a restaurant owner, or an assistant is boring because makes you sound like (pretty much) everyone else. And people don’t want to spend their time talking to random ‘everyone elses’.

They are, however, hoping to be surprised and stimulated by someone different who can tell some interesting stories about the impact they make day after day. And that's precisely where you want to hit.

2.    Put the expected transformation first.

Putting a dose of storytelling in your introduction is only a first step - you also want to hit directly into the expected transformation your ideal client wants to achieve.

Two points here.

One, when introducing yourself, make sure your pitch resonates with people you want to work with.

Maybe the person in front of you won’t be receptive, but that’ll tell you they aren’t your target and so you’ll be able to move on faster.

If they recognize themselves in whatever you are saying, however, the alchemy moment will start naturally because your pitch will resonate and turn into immediate value worth spending time on.

Two, replace the status by the impact.

They won’t care about your insurance agent, developer, designer or coach tag but they will want to know more about the exciting transformations you make. Especially if they are a potential target for you!

3.    Shock people to hook them up.

If you want to hook people up, shock them. In a nice way obviously, but do it!

Give them something to click on. Give them something to remember. Give them something to be excited about, and something to repeat to others.

Don’t be a designer. Create spaces and make people feel special wherever they are.

Don’t be a developer. Create unique games and creative experiences everyone talks about because they are awesome.

Don’t be a restaurant owner. Work with the best organic suppliers and give their tastebuds a Wow! moment.

Don't be a social entrepreneur. Change the world!

Don’t be a just a coach. Provoke, challenge, transform lives, scale businesses, and get them where they won’t go without a mindset change. And give them a kick in the butt, since you’re a it.

Can you imagine the impact of this on your next pitch? Just saying, though. In the end, it’s up to you!

4.    Package it.

Last but not least: Turn that kick-ass value proposition of yours into a relevant offering people will buy into without thinking (too much). Not because it’s cheap compared to others, but because it’s spot on, meaningful, transformational (remember point #2?) and impactful.

My five minutes are long gone so I’ll keep that part for another day, though.

In the meantime, feel free to get in touch! I’m curious to see what your value proposition sounds like!

Yours,

A.

PS: Part of this week’s newsletter was published in partnership with E27, the Asian Startups Community Platform.

My job as a business coach means I talk with a lot of people, including entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. They want to solve issues and solve market gaps, and it’s exciting, stimulating and all that, but… wait a minute.

Read that first sentence again. Why would I distinguish social entrepreneurs from entrepreneurs in the first place? Is there a difference justifying this language split?

It depends.

A lot of social entrepreneurs seem to think that, yes, there is a difference worth emphasizing, which is why I wrote my first line this way. But do I believe the distinction makes sense? Absolutely not.

Worse, that’s a real problem from a credibility standpoint and a fundraising standpoint.

In many discussions, I’ve had, “social” entrepreneurs insisted on being treated differently.

They demanded discounts on what they wanted to purchase because, well, their enterprise was a social one, so it was fair to ask for an effort. They wanted to raise more funds at a discounted rate because the purpose was social and deserved to be supported even more.

They refused to talk in terms of profit because, somehow, the word seemed incompatible with the social principles behind their enterprise.

The problem is that this type of discourse sends the wrong message to entrepreneurs and funders who know what the reality of entrepreneurship and business is like. And it isn’t something you want to inflict on your business.

Entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs

Feel free to spend some time wondering about the definition of social entrepreneurship if that floats your boat. As far as I am concerned, social or not, entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs.

From a language standpoint, first, social entrepreneurs would call themselves charity people, world changers, magicians or change makers if they weren’t entrepreneurs. But since they do use the term, then that means something pretty clear to me.

From a pragmatic and operational standpoint, then, social entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs because, like it or not, what they do is based on entrepreneurship principles.

Yes, they want to fill a market gap, make an impact and change the world. But to get there, they have no choice but to act as responsible business leaders who know what it takes to run an organisation with teeth.

Value proposition, USP and offering

First, any social entrepreneur who refuses to think in terms of value proposition, unique selling point and offerings are driving blind.

If there is to be a beneficiary (see how I didn’t talk about ‘client here?) in the end, there must be a real issue to solve on their side and a real value proposition on your side.

Because there is always competition, you must also have a unique selling point that makes you… you! For instance, imagine how many charities seek money to help people in need and put yourself in a banker’s shoes. Why would he fund you more than another?

Hence, your social enterprise must also be able to put a clear offering in front of that banker. They get this if they pay this. But they get more if they pay more. The question is, “What’s in it for them”. And the only way to answer it is to think about market value and business opportunity.

Business modelling and profits for all

If social entrepreneurship is not a value proposition, social leaders must also think in terms of business models: whatever comes out has to come in the first place, including profit.

Basic costs must be met, but profit is crucial if you want to go beyond just basic: it is your investment capacity-building powerhouse!

The primary focus should not be to express disdain towards profits due to their perceived negative connotations, as such an attitude can quickly lead to dismissal by others.

It is to make a profit on whatever you invest, so you can re-invest it in your cause to make a bigger impact. The issue isn’t profit, and it’s what you do with it!

Please don’t roll your eyes. I’m not being judgmental here; explaining this to social workers does really take a lot of time because when the cash historically comes from donations, this logic is not always that logic.

Keep boosting your entrepreneurial skills

In short? Invest all your energy and talent in making the difference you want to make, and don’t look back. What you are doing is fundamental, and I’m deeply grateful.

Still, keep some bandwidth to focus on the business management aspects (offering, modelling, financial planning) of what you do. This is key. And as usual, feel free to reach out ;)

A topic came back in a few discussions over the past weeks, so when I was invited to publish some thoughts on the E27 - the Asian platform for startups - I figured there was a few things to talk about.

Working with partners is probably one of the most efficient ways to grow and scale your business, but it can also be a source of frustration for founders.

Relationships work well when things are running smoothly, but as soon as one of the people in charge becomes very opinionated, they can turn into a management battle.

This is a common situation, if only because scaling a business is all about managing people. Nevertheless, it is a concern we have to deal with on a regular basis with the entrepreneurs, founders, and top managers we coach.

However, there are some tips that can be used to make things go much smoother. All it takes is a bit of intention and patience with the implementation.

Take a moment to find out how people think

One tip we use systematically is to get founders and their managers to take a moment to find out how they think. I’m talking about personal mindsets and behaviours because these very personal traits have a huge impact on how we work and make decisions.

Some founders are quiet and don’t say much until they’ve come to a logical conclusion that works for them.

Others are extremely directive and rarely share how they arrived at a conclusion.

And some need to speak out loud to filter ideas and make up their minds.

This can obviously make communication a bit tricky, so it’s important to take a moment to observe everyone’s decision-making patterns. Doing a team profiling exercise also works well.

Learn to listen first and react later

The second leverage tip is that you (as the leader) need to learn to listen first and respond later.

Listening is key because the people around you want to be heard. Even if you decide differently in the end, listening will make them feel that you care — which is the most important part from a team dynamics perspective.

Once you’ve heard what your partners have to say, don’t rush to a decision. Tell the team that you’ll consider all their points and that you’ll take a moment to think and decide. Then tell them what you have decided and move on.

Establish clear roles and responsibilities

To do this, you need to make sure that the roles and responsibilities of the partners are set and clear. There needs to be a captain on board, whose role it is to make the decisions that will keep the ball rolling.

So, accept to be the leader and make the decisions. That’s your job!

Similarly, the other partners must have their own roles, with their own scope and responsibilities. Once these are defined, a RACI matrix is a good way to formalise them. As long as everyone knows who is responsible for what and who makes decisions, team communication tends to run much smoother.

Move on

Last tip: move on.

Your job as captain on board is to steer the boat in a certain direction – which, by the way, should be shared and clear to everyone. This means that while it is your job to consult and decide, it is also your job to keep moving forward with your own agenda.

If people can’t keep up with your pace, discuss the situation with them and find out why they can’t. If they keep blocking, ask why, ask for alternative options, but keep going. If they want to get their ideas through, they need to adapt to your pace, not the other way around.

Communication is key

To cut a long story short, if partners become a little too difficult to manage and make your role a difficult one, remember that communication plays a big part.

Communication can be verbal, but it can also be a matter of behavioural patterns along the way and a matter of role definition in the first place. Make the most of it!

I know, I know, it's been a while!

I've had the best (bad) excuse ever to be a little less rigorous with my writing routine though: I am traveling around Asia, and that keeps me busy with a lot of new things.

In Japan?

Learning how to bound properly to say hi, figuring out the public transportation system, visiting temples and exceptional cultural sites, looking at elegant people as they walk down the street in their traditional kimono, tasting a lot of new dishes… and admiring the beautiful Sakura flowers everywhere because, well, the right season for that is just now.

Oh. And I forgot some of the best things. Walking around video game shops packed with consoles from the 90’s, and having coffee next to a guy dressed in such a beautiful kimono it felt like meeting a Jedi.

In Vietnam? Totally different style. Still a lot of food to try out, a lot of people to meet, and even new business models to consider.

Look at this!

The eggman: carrying eggs on bumpy roads in a simple metal cage. I'm guessing he charges you an extra dollar if the eggs arrive already scrambled, but I must admit my vietnamese wasn't good enough to ask…

As far as the rest is concerned, well, I do 't have the words so here's the best I can think of.

That's a lot!

When you are not busy trying to cross the road without getting yourself killed by a hord of hurried Vespas, that is. 👇

The ambiant agitation is crazy. The noise is constant and things feel like being in an anthill that never, ever, stops.

But you know what?

This is inspiring. This is f****** inspiring.

This is exactly how I felt when I first stepped foot in Hong Kong ten years ago. This is what the Asian vibe feels like. And I can't wait to get to Ha Long and Thailand in the coming days.

Which gets me to two questions for you my friend: what inspired you recently, and what did you do to get some sparkling in your life?

By the way. I wrote a book.

Speaking of inspiration: I wrote a book, and this is my coming out.

Not recently. The first draft was published in 2017 on Amazon.

Not about my recent traveling. The topic is leadership development.

Do 't look for it yet, my name was never on it because, well, call it my own imposter syndrome. But a couple of people (readers!) recently made me realise that now was the time to dare so here I come.

I'll tell you more in the next email, though. The final preps are on the way and I wouldn't want to spoil the fun!

Until next time!

A.

Yesterday was people day. A farewell party gave us a chance to get a lot of people together around what really matters.

Booze.

Friends.

Team.

Clients.

Partners.

Clients and partners turned into team.

Clients, partners and teams turned into friends.

In short? People.

People from here. People from there. People from everywhere, in fact. But people.

At the end of the day, people is everything that matters.

Fun, passion, business, team-building, leadership-building… whatever you have in mind, people are the foundation that get you going, and the glue that keeps everything together.

Some get inspired by whatever's in the air. Others are inspiring and get you to your own next level.

Some learn from what you can say. Others teach you through passion, experience, and humility.

Some come to be with you and gift you with their time, attention and trust. Others bring friends and expand your horizon in ways you never expected.

Some can't make it because, well, baby is finally on the way. But they still care enough to let you know they're around in spirit.

One thing is certain, people leave their mark on you. And they are the best fuel ever for comes next, whatever that is.

I can't wait, and I'm grateful.

Thanks!

Until next time,

A.

1. Boldness and assertiveness are important language traits when it comes to sending a message efficiently.

2. Being just bold or just assertive, however, is a very different topic and it can backfire or make things very complicated for others.

3. The difference? Authority and leadership are two very different things and you have to leverage (one of) them right. Make sure to sign up 👇 for more insights!

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I was a part of a few discussions recently but one echoed in a rather weird manner. Not because of the topic discussed (customer journey improvement, for the record), but because of the tone used by the (freshly appointed) CEO, and because of the message that CEO sent as a result.

In retrospect, being assertive was clearly important for the CEO. His way of speaking was clear, sharp, and eloquent. Even bold at times. The way he spoke showed that he knew what he wanted.

At first, the message was that the team had to be in charge and that the team had to be trusted. The tone clearly felt like one of supervision, charisma, and leadership - we had a good basis to work with.

Over the course of the discussion, however, the tone changed and the CEO took over. The team felt excited and engaged because it felt empowered, but then a gut-feeling decision was made, and the story shifted dramatically.

The agenda changed suddenly.

The initial desire to let people build turned into a need to take back control.

Assertiveness, clarity of speech, and leadership turned into a mix of dominance and authority.

Blame was used to justify the shift. And the initial trust and capacity-building message got replaced with a status demonstration exercise.

Being bold, assertive, and stuff.

The issue, said differently, isn't being assertive and bold as a character trait. It is to use assertiveness and boldness as communication tools that allow you to pass a message while showcasing a personality others can feel aligned with.

Being assertive isn't a matter of dominance and it isn't a matter of imposing stuff. It is a matter of being clear, saying what you do, but also doing what you said you'd do.

People who are just assertive or just bold tend to be perceived as dominant, unwilling to listen, and, well, as balls-breaking BS providers.

They are difficult to communicate with, they convey toughness, even fear sometimes. They don’t leave you any room to grow, and as a result, they often push you to think that finding a plan B is becoming urgent because, well, there isn't much left for you.

Not a nice form of assertiveness.

Look, it's simple. As Seth Godin wrote it beautifully in a recent post, if all of it is bold, then nothing is bold.

Charisma and leadership aren't a matter of imposing authority and forcing your will on people. They are a matter of setting a tone that inspires them and giving them the willpower and the confidence to grow and move ahead without you.

To that extent, being bold and assertive is a communication tool that you have to leverage to pass a message and provoke a reaction. It can be one weapon in your arsenal, but it can't be all of it, otherwise, you are missing something the point.

It's up to you, though!

Until next time,

A.

Today's thoughts are going to be shorter than usual, but sometimes keeping things to the minimum can be a lot more impactful.

I've had three intense discussions yesterday with the entrepreneurs and managers I coach, and they both got me to one, big, insight.

#1: Imagine you are about to invest your time and energy into joining a promising startup you are really excited about.

Your thoughts get you to one question (among others): I'm gonna be part of the team and I'll source their stuff, how do I negotiate the equity I want to get?

In the end, the discussion gets you to one much bigger thought, though: how can you think like an investor and use this first experience to start building a system (a logic, framework, a process) that'll allow you to use your expertise to invest in more companies, and build your own little empire (instead of just building theirs).

Hmmm…😏

#2: Imagine you are managing a team. One of your guys is changing departments so you have to revise all your organization.

Your thoughts make you wonder how you'll manage the workload, and they get you to hope things won't get complicated until there's a budget to hire someone else.

In the end, the discussion gets you away from your stress and get you to realize that you have an opportunity to revise the way people work, plus push towards the adoption of tools and system that'll make your life a lot easier while improving the overall team process. That's called transition management, and that's actually one of the highly valuable skills you needed to acquire as a promising mid-manager to get to your next step.

Hmmm. 😏

#3: Imagine your business needs to get to the next level and you're not sure how to handle all the mess that creates.

After a (tiring) workshop in which we've set your strategy for the next three years, your thoughts get you to worry about how the heck you'll deliver on everything that has to be done.

What you are also about to realize, though, is that what you now have is not just the foundation of the springboard you needed to push that company of yours to its next level. It’s also a huge basis to set your own leadership path. Growth is getting tangible now that there’s a plan, and that puts you in charge of leading those who will be managing the big work…

Hmmm… 😏

Long story short? There is always an opportunity to think bigger, larger, and wiser. There is always a way to take things from a different perspective. And there is always a way to turn the worries of your monkey mind into something that builds up your leadership power.

Scale up your thinking, that's the best way forward. I'm curious to know how it goes, but it's up to you! 😉

Until next time,

A.

• New year's good resolutions are a tradition. They're also wishful thinking, and they're a loss of potential.

• New year’s great reVolutions (with a “v”) are the closest thing to positive change. If you are serious about yourself, that is.

• The only thing that really separates you from change, though, is a kick in the butt! Subscribe to this 👇 weekly 5min newsletter for more insights on how to do that!

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That's it! The year has begun and tons of ideas are bubbling in our heads as far as what we want to achieve next is concerned.

And then the nasty question comes: “oh, what are your good resolutions for this year?”.

The thing is, that question is a trap, my friends.

Either it pushes you to give an answer you don't want to give, in which case your good resolutions will be close to zero from a personal improvement and personal challenge standpoint.

Or it leads you to tell the world about things you wish you could achieve within the next twelve months.

You've thought about them, for sure. But have you really decided to make them happen, let alone commit to them?

My two cents? Probably not. I'm not judging by the way. Feel free to be you. Still, that's your loss.

ReSolutions vs ReVolutions

On paper, resolutions imply a decision to act. A 'firm' decision, in fact.

See for yourself!

In truth, many people do act upon their good resolutions! They take gym memberships and ditch the cigarette lighter for a time.

Still, while millions each year decide to take a gym membership, how many actually keep going once muscles start to ache?

Does the gym next door look like it's rolling at its full potential?

Meh. Of course not.

Why?

Look at the definition thing again. Actually, let me bring it back.

Read this and tell me why people who take resolutions never get anything done.

What do you see? A decision to do, or not do.

Okay, what does that tell you?

That tells me people decide to do, but that also tells me they don't decide to commit to doing it.

That definition sounds strong, but it's actually the closest thing to nothing.

I can decide to take a gym membership.

I can decide to start a business.

I can even go register a company.

But hey, what if I don't commit to going for a run three times a week?

What if I don't commit to building a product that kicks ass, a business model that rocks, and a client base that gets me to six or seven figures?

Will my decision to act land me any results if I don't commit to making that difference actually happen?

You tell me. As far as I'm concerned, I'm opting for another choice of words.

ReSolutions suck. ReVolutions create change.

“Behead the b*tch” would say the French. “Get that thing done, goddammit!” would say the coach!

I'll leave it to you to guess what kind of a mix a French coach might get to, but you get my point here: rebel against your own status quo, behead the bad habits, revolt against what makes no sense for yourself, and commit to making change work for yourself for good!

Three ideas to do that?

Sure.

One: ideas in your head are wishful thinking, but ideas on paper become a plan you can act on. So make the damn plan. Not tomorrow, now!

Two: Revolutions won't happen in your head. They take collective détermination. So, get yourself in a collective action mood.

Build your own little club, and surround yourself with like-minded people who will be in the mood to push you (and get themselves pushed by you).

If you work better on a one-one basis, get yourself a coach who will make you accountable and will push you to become your best self. Life-wise, and business-wise, there are options and you should use them - I'll connect you with my team if you decide to move.

Three: Don't give up after six months. Commit, commit, commit.

You are your worst enemy here, and while the best changes happen after five to six months, that's also when a lot of people stop acting for themselves. Don't do that to yourself, never give up on yourself!

Think, decide, commit. Build your own revolutions.

My five minutes are over. It's time to think, decide and commit. Don't do it for me, do it for you.

That being said, I wish you the best year 2023 ever, with tons of joy, good health, inspiring ideas, and exciting projects!

Until next time!

A.

• How you describe your past year tells a lot about who you are (and how big your tolerance to BS is).

• Taking ownership is key. Focusing on what you want to remember is up to you.

• Having a victim's mindset sucks, don't do it! And make sure to sign up 👇 for more tips on leadership building and personal growth hacking.

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December. Already. Damn, time flies!

At the same time last year, I was about to land in Paris for a three-week Xmas trip (that ended up lasting for five months in the end), and I was wondering what I'd want to get done over the coming year.

A year later, Paris looks more like a coffee shop by the beach in Hong Kong, and looking back tells me that a lot has actually happened.

Funnily enough, most people will never take a moment to look behind and think retrospectively.

They keep going. They keep rushing. They hope for the next holiday break, a few months from now, but in the meantime, they keep their nose to the grindstone and get on with what the f*** has to be done.

Typical conclusion when you ask them how things go?

“Uh, it's been a busy year!”

“Thank God the winter break is coming!”

“Hopefully next year is going to go smoother…”

Well. You know what?

That sucks.

Why?

Because like it or not, you get what you tolerate. And end-of-the-year complaints like the ones I just mentioned suggest that your tolerance level to BS is gigantic. And you're paying the bill for that, by the way.

Hope isn't a strategy.

Complaining about how tough life is won’t get you anywhere, and hoping things will get better won't help either.

Why?

Because there are two categories of people as far as “taking ownership” is concerned.

Those who do, and those who don't.

Those who don't take ownership of what happens to them have a humongous tolerance for BS, and they accept whatever life throws at them.

Especially when sh*t hits the fan - excuse my French.

They feel like they can't do anything about it, and they complain about carrying the weight of the world.

You know what, though?

There's a name for that kind of mindset: it's called being a victim.

Sounds bad? I know.

But you've got to call a spade a spade, right?

If being called a victim hurts your feeling, I'm not sorry. My job is to call BS when I see it, and that's why you've signed up for this, by the way.

Like it or not, the only valid way to respond to my provocation is to tell me what you plan to do about it.

Fire me? Sure, you can do that if that helps you sleep at night, but you'll only make my point stronger.

Decide to make change happen for yourself? Now we're talking.

Those who refuse to be victims have one very simple card to play. They take ownership of whatever comes next, and if sh*t hits the fan, they pull the plug or change the fan. Period.

They decide to stop feeling bothered by what they can control.

They decide to focus their attention on what they can influence.

They look back to assess. They look ahead to move on. And they take the deliberate decision to energize themselves.

And then life becomes a very different story.

Look back. Look ahead. Energize yourself.

Here's what I see when I look back on 2022.

Yes, I've worked way too much.

Coaching, mentoring, facilitating brainstorming workshops, being an entrepreneur, creating content, writing for me, ghostwriting for others, teaching at uni, starting the day at 8:30 am in a time zone, starting another day when another time zone wakes up around 4 pm….

Did I manage to do everything I wanted to do? Nope.

Did I match my targets in terms of recording online content? Nope.

Did I find the time to get started on that book I want to write? Nope.

Did 2022 suck? Nope.

Am I tired? Sure, but there's nothing to be a victim about here because beyond the hours I've put into working and building, there are a bunch of things I'm very proud of.

I've left a stressful lifestyle to live by the beach, 365 days a year. That's what December looks like here.

Mondays are off. Perfect for paddle boarding.

Fridays are off too. Perfect for writing.

My sunglasses have become part of my work routine.

(Something like that)

Speaking of work routine, I've realized I could spend six months a year away from home, yet the business would keep growing because there's a team.

2022 was Paris. 2023 will be Tokyo, Kyoto, Hanoï, a cruise in Ah Long Bay, Chiang Mai, and probably some well-deserved beach life around Phuket. Did I mention Lisbon?

What else?

The team is growing and we build a trusting relationship with partners who reach out to us because they feel aligned with what we fight for. That's worth a lot more than just hours of work.

I've become a master coach. I now train people in the team, three years after starting.

I was fortunate to work with people who decided they wanted to change their lives, and who trusted me to kick their butt along the way.

I've worked with passionate entrepreneurs who shared their energy and stamina with me and trusted me to get them even further.

I've contributed to creating a couple of mid-management teams in companies that didn't have such a thing, and I was given the backup I needed to make those mid-managers emerge as leaders. Thank you for your trust, people, that means the world to me.

I've been challenged by people with strong characters, who impressed me at first, but eventually reminded me that holding on to an idea is the best way to take (or keep!) The lead.

I've realized that the way I do things is working, and it's okay to come from wherever you come from. I've officially fired whatever was left of my imposter syndrome, to say things differently.

I've started to take “me time” to write a newsletter about topics I deeply care about (leadership and personal growth hacking). And I've (sort of) managed to stick with it. Thanks for being here!

I've been fortunate enough to teach critical thinking and communication to a group of fifty uni students who accepted to go outside of their comfort zone with me (and Ron, my partner in crime) and gave us the best advertising ever in the end.

I've been fortunate enough to be encouraged constantly by friends who give me a push, one lunch at a time, just because they follow and show me they notice.

Oh. And becoming a dad scared the hell out of me and the little one has added a lot more things on my plate (got to be honest here). But it's totally worth it and I'm enjoying every moment of that - this year has been a blessing in that regard.

How about you?

Long story short?

Yeah, I'm tired like everyone, and I'll enjoy my winter break in the best way possible.

But I only want to see the positive side of my year.

No, I haven't done everything I wanted to do. Still, 2022 was probably the best year ever, and taking a moment to look back tells me I've done everything I could to take the lead and walk my talk.

And I'm thankful.

Now, here's some homework for you.

Hit reply to this email, and take fifteen minutes to tell me what you've achieved this year.

• I want to know what results you've obtained over the past 12 months.

• I want to know what you're proud of. And why.

• And since we're at it, I want to know what you have in mind for 2023. (Warning: tell me you'll take a gym membership and you’re fired).

That's it. That's all I'm asking. Fifteen minutes of your time. Free coaching, the rest is up to you.

Taking ownership of your year is your responsibility, and you have no valid excuse. Just saying!

Until next time,

A.

TL;DR:

1. Brainstorming sounds easy, but it's not an obvious tool for most people.

2. The issue with brainstorming is figuring out how to process information.

3. Teams usually have no method to make brainstorming an efficient thing.

4. It's not just school. Businesses struggle the exact same way. Make sure to sign up 👇 for more leadership and performance-building tips!

Subscribe now

I had an amazing experience with my university students this week, and it made me realize a few things about brainstorming (and about people's ability to leverage brainstorming, actually).

Monday night is teaching night (Fintech & Reg-tech, in case you forgot) and last Monday was a bit special.

We had three topics to cover in about three hours (instead of nine) so I wondered how to make the most of our time whilst teaching our students something useful.

Really, really useful, I mean.

A bit of background

To give you a tiny bit of background, my fellow co-lecturer Ron (Hi Ron!) and I have built the whole class as a double curriculum.

On the one hand, Fintech and Regtech. And we invite a bunch of really smart guys to do the talking, by the way.

On the other hand, public speaking and persuasive communication.

Said differently? We use a finance & tech topic as an excuse to teach masters students how to take on a project, research it, shape it, and pitch it to their boss in a way that makes sense.

Why?

Because while discussion material can be found online and in books, the mental process used to turn information into a convincing argument cannot.

So, over the past weeks, we've taught our class not just how to listen (instead of sleeping, that is) but also to catch and use information.

Using color codes and a ten-meter whiteboard, we've shown them how to filter the relevant elements, how to isolate the details from the concepts, and how to draw insights from those concepts.

All this using simple markers.

This Monday, we then added post-its to the exercise.

My teammate Sam from Impactified joined us (Hey Sam!) So we could make three groups (one for each topic).

And the students took the discussion into their own hands to build their own collective intelligence on three complex topics - consuming around two hundred and fifty post-its along the way.

And It's Up to You! by Antoine Martin

5 ways to build collective intelligence (& why it matters)

Idea of the day? Just “collaborating” with people sucks. It creates no value, and it doesn't push any boundaries, ever. Building collective intelligence does that, however, and all it takes is a decision to give it a try. Will you…

Read more

4 years ago · Antoine Martin (Ph.D.)

The whole process got me to four conclusions, which are all applicable to whatever you do business-wise.

1 - Brainstorming doesn't come up as an obvious and actionable tool.

First conclusion: people say they have brainstorming sessions all the time, but they don't and in most cases, brainstorming is not leveraged as an actionable tool.

The reality is, chit-chatting at the coffee machine and picking someone's distracted brain for ten minutes over the phone is not brainstorming.

Booking a moment with someone to have a fully focused discussion over a determined topic, with a reliable information-processing method, and a way to come up with actionable conclusions is brainstorming.

I made a test.

To warm up the class, I asked the students how they would work on coming up with a convincing pitch for their boss if they were asked to prepare a memo on a potential investment.

Thirty students produced about a hundred post-its (one post-it, one idea) and guess how many thought about naming brainstorming as a way to work?

One.

One!

Researching? A dozen.

Analyzing? Two dozens.

Prototyping and testing? Tons.

Timelining? A reasonable handful.

Brainstorming? One. On a hundred-ish!

I know, right?

You know what, though? Actually, make sure to read conclusion #4, I'll get back to that.

2 - The key issue with brainstorming is processing information

Second conclusion: the key issue is to process the information.

We made another test as part of our learning process.

Every single week, we’ve asked some students to take the markers and do the note-taking work on the ten-meter whiteboard. Their teammates would speak up and explain their research, and two volunteers would turn the explanations into a mind map on the whiteboard.

The goal was simple: give everyone a clear, visual, mind map-based, and actionable summary of a 30 min discussion.

And the rule was simple too:

• Basic info in black.

• Concepts in orange.

• Insights/takeaways in purple.

Guess what?

The first reflex is always the same: write everything down. Everything. In black.

No filtering. No decision to eliminate the noise. No selection between what's worth writing and what's not.

And everything is in black.

The important concepts are not isolated naturally - let alone the takeaways that should be remembered.

That was the point of the class though. Teach them how to filter, eliminate, select, categorize and isolate what needs to be remembered and acted upon.

But, the exercise is not a natural one, and the experience suggests that most people would be lost if you asked them to try.

3 - Teams have no method to make brainstorming an efficient thing.

Third conclusion: teams have no structured method to turn brainstorming into something efficient that creates actionable collective intelligence.

My students were lost because nobody at school ever taught them how to process information as a group.

And it's not just my students.

I participated to a similar workshop two years ago with four hundred students (400!). They were lost the exact same way.

I’m sure you’re not surprised, though.

Hey, by the way… Did you know that your online visio-conference software has an integrated brainstorming tool that uses post-its to facilitate discussion?

Zoom has one.

Meet has one.

Teams has one.

Have you used it? Probably not.

Would you know how to use it if you knew the thing was there?

Probably not, because that kind of training is not standard for business either.

That gives me a fun job as a Aha! Moment workshop facilitator, I'm not complaining!

Still, most people have no clue as to how to use brainstorming constructively.

4 - It's not just school. Businesses have the same limits.

Fourth conclusion: school, business, same struggle. People need a push.

Let me give you two examples.

A banker friend of mine calls me and asks how to organize a brainstorming session on his company values.

Expected attendance: 10 to 15 people.

Allocated time: 45 minutes, at lunch break.

Him:

Me:

Appropriate brainstorming for that type of work takes between one and three days, with a structuring thinking process, and a real opportunity to give everyone a voice.

Lunch chit-chatting is not brainstorming.

Other example?

A promising manager drops me an email. “Antoine, please help. I need to build a strategy and I have no clue where to start. I need two hours!”.

Method? Post-its and structured thinking.

Fifteen minutes in?

Two hours later?

Outcome of the session:

• At first, the whiteboard is full of random ideas. Tons of to-dos, but no logical frame.

• After thinking with method: Goals are set. Priorities are set. The action plan will come next.

What made the difference? Having a methodical approach. And making sure that brainstorming was a real thing leading to a real outcome in a given amount of time.

Conclusion?

I wrote a while ago that teaching students how to structure their thoughts to reach an outcome is pretty much the same as facilitating a $10.000 workshop.

And It's Up to You! by Antoine Martin

Why teaching university students is exactly the same as facilitating a $10.000 workshop.

TL,DR: I started teaching class again yesterday and it got me thinking about pitching, message building, and selling. Teaching is selling (but what makes a good seller teacher?) There's a way to turn teaching into permission marketing. It's time to leverage education as a way to communicate. Keep reading and sign-up 👇 for insights on how to do that…

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4 years ago · 3 likes · Antoine Martin (Ph.D.)

I'm still a strong believer in that.

There's immense value-creating power in brainstorming, because that’s the best way to build collective intelligence. But… it has to be done right, and with intention.

A lot of intention.

Take it like a fun game, because that's what it should be in the end. A fun game between willing participants. It's up to you!

Well, my two cents anyway!

Any thought? Feel free to hit “reply” and let's get the discussion going.

Until then,

A.

TL;DR:

1. As far as ideas are concerned, less is never more

2. Leveraging collective intelligence is one of the most efficient ways to push walls

3. Building collective intelligence takes a bit of thinking (and a lot of fun!). Sign up 👇 for more insights on team productivity and leadership building!

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Friday is often brainstorm day at Martin&Co, and today was exactly about doing just that.

My partner in crime Philippe and I spent some time reflecting on what creates the biggest ‘instant value' for the entrepreneurs and leaders we work with on a routine basis, and we came up with one conclusion (amongst others): building collective intelligence often comes to the top of the list.

What

Realize less is not more

Leverage signals

Make people collaborate co-create

Build a culture of collective intelligence

TL;DR:

1. One-on-one meetings are often seen as a burden and optional thing by hands-on managers.

2. They are however a great opportunity to boost team performance, short and long-term.

3. They’re also a great opportunity to build the manager's coaching and leadership skills! Speaking of which, make sure you're subscribed 👇 to this newsletter!

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Just another week comes to an end and with it a series of exciting one-on-one discussions with a variety of interesting and forward-moving people.

The profiles were rather varied: a couple of entrepreneurs, some innovation people, some salespeople, some promising managers, a lawyer, a banker…

What did all of them have in common? Two things.

One, a strong belief that regular one-on-one discussions help you move to your next steps a lot faster than dealing with sh** on your own.

And two, an understanding that the most productive discussions are the ones that are facilitated and channeled (as opposed to random discussions that go nowhere).

I'm a business performance coach so I believe in that kind of thing very much, obviously. Still, an interesting article by Steven Rogelberg (Make the Most of Your One-on-One Meetings - HBR, Nov-Dec 2022, link provided in the end) gave me some food for thought I wanted to share.

Long story short: research says that one-on-one discussions are a blindspot for many managers, and most of the time those meetings are considered sub-optimal by the collaborators who sit in those meetings.

The question is, what makes a good meeting, and how to leverage the exercise so every participant gets out stronger?

Sounds relevant? Here we go.

1:1 meetings are in a blind spot for many managers

There's something I keep hearing again and again when I talk to managers: “there are so many meetings to attend… I need less, not more!”.

There are meetings and meetings, though.

There's the team meetings that are focused on projects, with or without purpose, with or without focus. There's the team meetings without leadership, where nothing happen. And there’s the team meetings aimed at planning the next meetings, of course.

The same goes for one-on-one (1:1) meetings. No agenda, no purpose, no particular outcome, and no takeaway to leverage either…

In both cases, the experience is frustrating and, as far as the 1:1 meetings are concerned, about half are rated as sub-optimal by the participants (according to Rogelberg’s study focused on 250 interviews).

Why such a disappointment?

Because the topic of 1:1 discussions - as opposed to just 1:1 meetings - is largely overlooked and typically sits in what we (as performance coaches) call a blind spot.

The topic of 'just meetings' is there, under your nose, and it’s damn boring. The topic of leveraging empowering discussions, however, is hidden behind your ears, and accordingly, your awareness of the stakes is null.

And that's too bad because how you use the meetings is what matters the most. It's what gives the team direction but also a boost in terms of confidence, leadership, and productivity!

Just critical issues vs role & professional development

One idea we often have to deal with is that 1:1 meetings are a loss of time because while we chit-chat, emails pile up and more work awaits.

That's why many managers avoid multiplying meetings with their teams, for starters, which also means the teams don't get much guidance as to what's expected and how to make things happen.

In fact, that's also why we, as performance coaches, often struggle when we're asked to begin a working relationship with a new manager. The boss is asking, so they show up, but to be frank they'd rather be doing “stuff” than talk to us!

Building awareness is a big thing.

Why is that? Because meetings are usually organized and used so poorly that nobody sees the bright side of the exercise.

Time-consuming? Yes!

Productive? Meh…

Educational? Uh…

Empowering? Dude!

There’s a reason for that! Typical meetings happen when things go wrong or when there's a problem. They aim at correcting trajectories or at addressing issues.

Do they aim at building trust? No.

Are they used to create a constructive discussion space that gives people ways to think about their personal next steps? Nope.

Do they push collaborators to think about the skills they need to build? Uh…

Are they a source of inspiration and personal development? Uh uh…

Do they build a daring culture inside the company? Erh.

Result? Teams don't reach out to their managers unless there's a problem to solve, and they rarely dare put forward-thinking topics on the table.

Drop meetings. Make 1:1 conversation a thing.

The issue with the typical approach is that it creates a feeling that “meetings” are only for routine case management or for when things go wrong, and that's one of the most counterproductive things ever.

Instead? Make 1:1 conversation a real thing!

Take some time to focus on your collaborators, put some effort into building a culture of productive 1:1 thinking, and give your teams a chance to think constructively, way beyond 'just handling issues'.

What makes a good 1:1 time?

As Rogelberg puts it, 1:1 discussions are not an add-on burden. They are “foundational” because they build leadership (on the Manager's side) and engagement (on the team's side).

To him, a good 1:1 session ticks the following boxes:

• There's a “focused space for direct report”

• There's a “focus on the needs, concerns and hopes of the employees”

• There's an emphasis on making the collaborators active, not passive.

• The manager’s role, therefore, is (1) to make sure that the meeting occurs, and (2) to “facilitate” it by encouraging “genuine conversation”, asking enabling questions, offering good support, and equipping the collaborator “for short-term performance and long-term growth”.

Expect results within two to six months.

Another question is, is there any actionable result at all? And the answer to that is yes, within two to six months on average as far as Impactified is concerned.

One-on-one focussed discussions will boost your productivity after a couple of months and can make you save two days a week off routine work after a year.

Staff can acquire a Manager's mindset after just a couple of discussions, just because they have been provided with the right context.

The necessity to think differently and the importance of building leadership then become part of the new vocabulary and routine soon after.

And the top management will see autonomous mid-managers emerge within six months.

All it takes is to create a space in which the team knows it has the possibility to grow. A coach can act as a support but you can also be the coach for your team, that's totally up to you!

“Not in the same place” is not an excuse!

Oh, and location isn't an excuse here, by the way.

Rogelberg makes it very clear: while virtual meetings in the study were rated as less desirable than in-person meetings, their overall value was rated similarly regardless of the format.

I had coaching sessions with Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo, and Los Angeles this week and none were in-person - you really have no excuses.

Takeaway: Make 1:1 time a thing!

Make time for 1:1 time, it's worth it.

Spend that time with the people you work with, they'll only get more comfortable and confident in doing what they need to do.

And if you need a push to get that done, or a personal discussion space for yourself then click 'reply' to this email.

Oh, and if Rogelberg's article picks your curiosity, here's a link: Steven G. Rogelberg , Make the Most of Your One-on-One Meetings (HBR, Nov-Dec 2022)

Until next time!

A.