Five Things — May 2021
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Dear friends,
I hope this letter finds you well!
Starting now, I will be sending the newsletter on 1st day of each month. I was sending them on the last day of the month. Most of you were only reading it the next day, making it feel like “old news”.
As usual, if you enjoy reading this newsletter, please recommend it to one friend who might also like it. Just send her/him this website www.alexnewsletter.com
Thank you for your time,
Alex
#1 Managing Client Relationships — A must-see if you work in Consulting
Managing Client Relationships as an Investment Banker, Lawyer or Consultant (YouTube, 17 min)
This the video I wished I had seen when I was working as a Consultant.
Jim Donovan (again), Managing director from Goldman Sachs, explains how he manages client relationships and how to become “the rain-maker”. Not only with existing clients but also for bringing in new business.
You should check the video, but if you don’t have time here are the main advices:
- Find a mentor — Do whatever it takes to shadow someone very experienced in your field and take notes of everything they do.
- Be an ‘everything adviser’ to your client — Don’t just stick to your engagement scope. If you can add value in any other way, do it. Become the go-to person for the client. Also, try to be more strategic with the advice.
- Ask open-ended questions — Speak less and inquire more. More often than not, the client will like you just because you listen. It will also help you understand the underlying context on why the client is doing something a certain way.
- Be creative — Don’t become “Dr. No”. Be creative and try coming up with a solution to ensure you can make things happen.
- Establish trust by being honest to the client — If something is good for the client and not that good for your firm, tell the client the way it is. In the long run, this helps you build a better business relationship.
- Put the client first — Don’t just say it, but mean it. This might lead you to think about work-life balance in terms of months and years, instead of just days and weeks.
- Be upbeat — Keep high energy every time you are with the client. Maintain the distance between your professional behavior and your personal life.
#2 How Toyota Changed The Way We Make Things
How Toyota Changed The Way We Make Things (YouTube, 5 min)
I know I come late to the party, but I have been studying the Toyota Production System (TPS). We are now implementing lean principles in our business. This video is a cool historical introduction to this system and its principles.
If you want to give a try and implement it in your business (or personal life), do a quick read of 2 Second Lean by Paul Akers, a practical and pragmatic way to implement lean — perfect for small businesses and projects.
Quick tip: start doing daily kaizen (small improvements), record the before and after, and share them with your team through WhatsApp.
#3 A inside look at Mourinho’s motivation tactics
Mourinho and Harry Kane conversation (YouTube, 3 min)
Last month, José Mourinho was sacked after 17 months at Tottenham. During this period, he and his team were filmed for the exclusive documentary All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur (available on Amazon Prime). This documentary shows the behind-the-scenes of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and a look at Mourinho’s motivation tactics.
In this video, we can see the setup and talk with Harry Kane (Tottenham and England national team captain) to prepare the beginning of the season and show that Mourinho “was there to help him”.
#4 Motivation can come from all places — Peter Schmeichel talks about Sporting CP’s Paulinho
Peter Schmeichel’s Praise for Paulinho (YouTube, 2 min)
Paulo Gama, known as Paulinho, is a popular Sporting CP coaching team assistant. He was born with psychomotor limitations and was placed in the care of a social institution. Paulinho arrived at Sporting at only 16 years old and after more than 35 years he is still at the club.
In this video, Peter Schmeichel (legendary Danish goalkeeper and ex-Sporting) explains the importance of Paulinho in Sporting and how he talks about his story to motivate people.
#5 Portuguese Padel Rackets: Volt and Cork
I am getting more addicted to padel and this year I will start playing federated tournaments. For my next padel racket, I will choose either a Volt or a Cork. I want to highlight these two brands that design and build word-class padel rackets in Portugal.
Bonus: see how Cork padel rackets are made.
If you enjoyed reading this newsletter, please recommend it to one friend who might also like it. Just send her/him this website www.alexnewsletter.com
