I attended the PMI Global Congress in Phoenix this past week. We had multiple adventures, starting with an electrical fire at Sheraton Downtown that shutdown the hotel (and displaced 800+ guests including me). The highlight was Erwin (Magic) Johnson’s key note speech on October 26th.
Magic shared many inspiring stories from his life and career. There were at least a dozen great nuggets to consider, here’s the top 6 that I gathered for this post:
- Exceeds Expectation! This may not sit well within PMI’s definition of deliverable quality, but it is a great approach to life and business. Magic discussed how he practiced his basketball – consistently honing the key skills and always delivering results above expectation. This is true in his current business affairs too.
- Practice With The Best / Don’t Be Afraid Of Asking For Help! Even though he already excelled in basketball, he still has developmental areas. So, he found people who are better in those specific skills and asked if he could practice with them. In some cases, he got even better than them. But even when that is not the case, Magic still improved overall as a basketball player.
- Have a Winning Smile: He has a beautiful smile that warms hearts and closes distances. He was highly approachable and generous with a ready willingness for selfies and photos. (Unfortunately, I only have a photo of him the background. But Magic and a friend had a lively exchange and I videotaped it…). In short, I was impressed with his ability to connect with people.
- Be Optimistic: It’s important to think positive and the art of possibility. This has helped his basketball career (reflecting on the Lakers-Celtics rivalries) as well as his company, a vast empire that stretches across entertainment, food services, fitness centers, hotels and other industries.
- Personal SWOT: SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) analysis can be performed at many levels. As a strategic tool, it is usually applied to companies seeking for a better understanding of their positions. But this tool is as applicable to individuals. His advice is simple – regularly conduct a SWOT analysis of yourself – figure out your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and weaknesses – and create an action plan to continuously improve.
- Know Your Customer: Perhaps the most important advice is “know your customers”. Magic gave examples of introducing Starbucks to urban America and the need to replace scones with pound cake and other food that resonates with customers. “People said there is no way Latinos and African Americans will pay $3 for a cup of coffee. Yes, we will pay $3, but we don’t eat scones… I took out the scones out of my Starbucks and put in pound cake and other things that resonate with the urban consumer. You have to know your customer…”
Your thoughts?