The other day we went out and invested in a scale as a part of the “New Year’s Resolution”.  So – of course – I started weighing myself every morning.  And – to no surprise – on the days when my weight went down a little – I was feeling better about myself.  And – again to no surprise – on the days when my weight went up – I was not feeling so proud.  But – and this was a little bit of a surprise – I now find myself thinking more and more as I eat things how it might affect my “weigh in” tomorrow.

This got me thinking – it is not that I was unconcerned with what I was eating prior to buying the scale, but I was not paying as much attention.  Then, by addition in this measurement into my daily routine, all of a sudden my thinking had changed and the level to which I paid attention to what I was doing increased significantly.  Is this transferable to the world of business?  I would postulate that it is and that a lot can be learned about human behavior from the most simple things.  I have always been a fan of metrics – but have never really thought through the scales that could help in terms of motivation.

Can you implement a scale in your every day activity?  Can you assign scales for your team members?  Try it.  Let me know if it helps.

Over the years of running tech and media companies, I have discovered one thing is true and critical in any successful venture – working with the right people.  Unfortunately, although obvious, the converse is also true – working with the wrong people is a key leading indicator of potential failure.

So I have been asking myself – what are the key traits that define “the right people”?  It has been said over and over again – surround yourself with people smarter than you.  No question.  This is obvious.  But I there is more.  For me, those characteristics are:

• Self -starter
• Self-motivated
• Internal drive
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Creative Thinker
• Fearless
• Not Satisfied with the status-quo
• … and finally – someone who wants more in life

Is this asking too much?  I don’t think so.  I have surrounded myself with exactly these types of people in the ventures that we are now involved with and in doing so am looking forward to having a lot of fun and a very bright future.