Monte Armstrong’s Post

Hot Take, Your ability to communicate an idea will get you further than the idea itself 📢 👀 I recently spoke about this on a podcast episode and discussed how too many professionals miss the opportunity to influence internal decisions simply because they can't articulate their ideas effectively. The best ideas I've ever seen pitched had stakeholders going straight to debating on which strategy to take, not debating if there was a problem worth solving. They were already sold. I noted some key takeaways from that talk. 1. Before starting, familiarise yourself with the broader business objectives 2. Look for existing, measurable goals to align yourself to 3. Find ways to demonstrate how your idea impacts multiple departments 4. Work with stakeholders early and often 5. Prepare mitigations for identified risks to strengthen your proposal Bonus points if you can: - Quantify Impact and Support with Data - Include market research, industry trends, and relevant statistics - Use specific metrics to illustrate the problem and potential solutions - Offer multiple solutions or approaches to the problem Further Reading & Full Post below. What else would you add to this list?

I recently saw a podcast clip that really struck a chord. "What percentage chance would you give yourself to make 1 million dollars (legally) by the end of 2024?" Most of you would answer, 0%, 1%, maybe some optimist would say 5% because who knows right? The responses are the same, everyone would indicate a very low percentage chance of accomplishing this difficult feat. Then they asked a different question. "What percentage chance would you give yourself to make 1 million dollars (legally) by the end of 2024 and if you didn't you and your entire family would be killed." The responses are would be wildly different, 100%, 100%, 100% across the board. Why? The goal has not changed at all. The question has not changed at all. The only variable is the "why" behind the goal. Moral of the story. Figure out your why, or fabricate one. Have a reason and a why.

The Creative Brief as The Critical Bridge Between Agency and Client In my recent podcast episode with Dr. Grace Kite, we discussed the challenge of getting clients to understand and become comfortable with creativity Something that can be especially challenging for clients coming from a performance marketing background. This made me think about how agencies and clients live in different universes, creativity- in one world it's part of the fabric of life and in the other, it's both alien and risky. This got me thinking about just how critically important the creative brief is. It's not just a piece of paper, it's a bridge or a portal that connects the agency world to the client world. Not just a piece of paper, it's the beginning of the dialog that defines the hopes, and the whys and the hows that lead you to creativity being the answer. Think of the creative brief as the bridge that takes the client from their world to the world of creativity makes them comfortable with creativity and helps de-risk it. The thinking is explained in more detail in the enclosed slides.

Although nothing can best actual experience, you can amplify it and speed it up by learning what to look for or how to look at it with those that have been there before. Great podcast on innovation. https://lnkd.in/egPiVhJM

Research increasingly shows that CQ Strategy—or more precisely, meta-cognition—is a cultural intelligence superpower. This is why CQ Fellow Trisha Carter created an entire podcast, The Shift, dedicated to understanding and developing this critical skill. One of my favorite meta-cognition strategies comes from the late Daniel Kahneman: "What would you think if this were someone else's decision?" We often struggle with our own decisions, but gain clarity when we approach them as an outsider. For example, if you’re contemplating whether to quit your job and start a business, the decision can feel overwhelming. But if a friend asked for advice, you’d likely focus on practical considerations like savings, market research, and a backup plan—shifting from emotion to logic.

Is your organization ready to harness the power of intellectual capital? This Culture of Convenience episode challenged my thoughts about intellectual capital as a tangible component. This podcast hit home that it's not just about what your team knows but how they interact and the structures that support them. The comprehensive approach hosted by Kahler and Sundberg challenges us to look beyond traditional metrics and consider the full spectrum of our organizational strengths. This episode calls on business leaders to reassess and potentially revamp their approaches to human resources, company culture, and strategic planning. How do you measure and nurture intellectual capital - your most valuable intangible asset? Share your insights in the comments—I'm curious to hear how others navigate this approachin their business strategy.

Have you heard of a concept called the "Surface Area of Serendipity"? I heard the idea recently on the My First Million Podcast. The model is based on the idea that the more someone does something they're passionate about and the more people they share it with, the more likely they are to experience good luck. In short, Luck = (Passionate) Doing x (Effective) Telling In business and in sales especially, this idea makes a lot of sense. Pour your energy into something you are passionate about and build expertise in something that can deliver value. Next, make other people aware of that value and tell them in a way that's easy to understand and relate to. When people become aware of your expertise, a percentage of them will want to capture the value you can deliver. They'll want to hire you or partner with you, and when it happens, it will be serendipitous. A simple concept, but a powerful one. It means you are in control over how lucky you get. What has luck brought you recently?

HOW TO REDUCE STRESS & FRUSTRATION? ✔️ Go to a quiet place ✔️ Relax and close your eyes ✔️️ Slowly enhale and take 3 deep breaths It is medically proven to help and it takes less than 5 minutes. Want to know WHY it works PLUS 3 other stress reduction techniques? ✔️ Go to the INVENTORS HELPING INVENTORS podcast Thursday Thought: ✔️ https://lnkd.in/g7Q7HiMe Let me know what you think.

As platforms evolve, it’s no longer just about connecting buyers and sellers - it's about streamlining everything that happens around that transaction. Think about all the time and effort that goes into finding, contacting, and vetting suppliers or customers. What if a platform could help cut down all that back-and-forth communication and make it easy to close deals faster? That's where the true value lies - hidden transaction costs to boost productivity. Take a listen to the podcast on this topic, over here: https://lnkd.in/exAqGsgc DNA-Business

You're building a platform business? Stay informed. Take a listen this episode on 'The transaction costs in B2B marketplaces/platforms', over here: https://lnkd.in/ehxyPgjq DNA-Business