How to Improve Your Business With Meta Learning

Most people know who Timothy Ferriss is because of his books like The Four Hour Workweek, The Four Hour Body, The Four Hour Chef, and Tools of Titans.

However, besides being a famous author and podcaster, he:

  • Speaks over 4 languages
  • Has won the Chinese kickboxing championship
  • Started an online nutritional supplement store
  • Is a high tech “angel” investor
  • Is a health nut
  • Travels extensively
  • Routinely experiments on himself with foods, exercise, supplements, diets, culture, etc.

Everyone assumes that he is some sort of crazy savant that has leveraged his strengths to the nth degree and become a kazillionaire doing it. And, there is probably some truth to the “crazy” description but one of the big reasons he is able to do what he does successfully is because of the accelerated learning process that he has perfected.

Ferriss calls this learning system DSSS.

What is the DSSS Learning System and How to Use it

How to Become an Effective and Focused Business Leader

Every business leader must have a rock solid organizational system in place so that they can lead a differentiated business. Failure to differentiate yourself results in a race for the bottom!

In a last week’s post I wrote about how a differentiated leader must have instant access to all of their past and current business notes, data, ideas, and plans. I mentioned that all of this information must be organized and indexed electronically in a manner that allows easy access from anywhere, at anytime, using any platform. Finally, I stated that this is not a product but a system that contains two distinct elements:

  1. a cloud based software tool (see last week’s post for more details)
  2. a systematic approach to organization for an effective business leader

This week we will focus on a systematic approach to organization that will help you become an effective and focused business leader!

Why You Need to Optimize Your Business

12 Steps to Business Transformation – Step 8

Over the last seven weeks, I introduced my Ebook 12 Steps to Business Transformation and I defined the first 7 of the 12 transformational steps. This week we are going to talk about the Operations Engine.

Defining your Operations Engine is step 8 in my new Ebook “12 Steps to Business Transformation.”

The Operations Engine is the power plant or dynamo of your business! This is where your products and services are created and produced. It is where all your operating processes and procedures live. It includes everything from recruiting to facility management, cash flow to business systems, products and services production to supply chain management.

It is the unique combination of these hundreds or thousands of components that defines your Operations Engine, what it produces and how efficiently it runs. So, basically, your Operations Engine will make or break your business.

The Checklist Manifesto – How To Get Things Right

As a new feature of Thinking Business Blog, I plan to publish a brief, one paragraph summary of the business books that I am reading. This will be a very high level synopsis of the book and what I gained from it. I will publish these summaries as I complete the books and not on a predetermined schedule. I trust you will benefit from them.

The first book I reviewed was Procrastinate on Purpose.

The second review was Bill Browder’s book, Red Notice

The third review is Atul Gawande’s book The Checklist Manifesto

I spent more time readying this book than most. It is really that good! Gawande’s entertaining writing style, engaging examples and the underlying message that we need to systematize as much of our business and activities as possible so that we minimize mistakes and maximize value is something that I really support.

My takeaway from this book is that an organization needs two types of checklists to be successful;