Interview with Andy Cohen

Follow the Other Hand: A Remarkable Fable That Will Energize Your Business, Profits, and Life
Andy Cohen
St. Martin's Press (2006)
ISBN 0312357931
Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (12/06)

Reader Views welcomes Andy Cohen, author of the inspirational business book “Follow the Other Hand: A Remarkable Fable That Will Energize Your Business, Profits, and Life.” Andy is being interviewed by Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views.

Juanita:  Thanks for talking with us today Andy.  You recently released your book “Follow the Other Hand: A Remarkable Fable That Will Energize Your Business, Profits, and Life.”  I understand that yours is business book disguised as a fictional tale.  Would you give us an idea of the storyline of your book?

Andy: I’ll keep it simple; a struggling businessman in NYC is advised by a successful colleague to seek the council of an advisor with a reputation of turning businesses around. The catch isn’t the advisor’s fees; it’s that he’s a professional magician.

Juanita: Many different metaphors are used to carry the tenets of the business world.  What led you to the theme of magic, and why do you think the business book told in fable form is so profound?

Andy: Magic is about the understanding of human behavior and the assumptions we make. A great magician understands this and gets his audience to follow certain assumptions that lead you away from the secret of the trick. The trade term is “misdirection.” Business is no different. In business, we blindly follow our assumptions – treating them as truths – rather than a set of beliefs with the result of misdirecting ourselves. Coke, IBM, Time Warner – they’ve all done this.

Juanita: How do you actually use magic to get your points across in your book?

Andy: Using magic is an experiential way of reminding people of the power of assumptions and how it can be used to screw things up or make you a success. Challenging your assumptions daily results in the latter, which lead you to solutions first perceived as impossible.

Juanita:  What inspired you to write your book?

Andy: Anyone, anywhere on this planet, at any time is thinking about creating a product or service that will compete with what you do. And they will do it faster, better and cheaper. This is forcing everyone to constantly generate new ideas and innovative solutions to compete. I wanted to write a book that empowers people to meet this demand - to generate new ideas as reflexively as breathing.

Juanita:  Why do businesses and people often stagnate?

Andy: Three reasons:

1. There is a concept called Social Proof – the bigger the organization, the more common the assumption that someone else is taking care of the problem.
2. Lack of time – people don’t have the time to think anymore and when they do – they don’t realize that generating ideas and innovating is a process – great ideas never come out of a two-hour brainstorming session without further refinement.
3. People don’t believe that innovation is a capability we all share, and it’s more a matter of challenging your day-to-day assumptions – rather than having to create the next concept for the iPod.

Juanita:  What type of business advice will “Follow the Other Hand” offer readers?  What benefits can they expect if they begin applying the principles you offer?  What areas of business are you targeting?

Andy: People tell me this book is a fast read; you can fly from Boston to Washington, D.C. and read the whole thing. When you walk off the plane you’ll be filled with ideas on how to increase sales, market a new product, sell an innovative concept to your boss, get your wife/husband/partner to agree, and in some cases, ideas on getting your 12-year-old to finish his homework on time. Follow The Other Hand may be a business book for global companies looking to innovate in communication, leadership or management– but the lessons in it are applicable to everything you do in life.

Juanita:  What does “follow the other hand” mean?

Andy:The metaphor for Follow The Other Hand is taken from a sleight-of-hand trick where the magician appears to grab the coin from the right hand into the left. When people see that the right hand is empty, they assume the coin is in the left. But if they were to challenge that assumption, in essence – follow the other hand – they would discover that the coin just dropped into the palm of the right hand and the left hand is empty. By challenging their assumptions – they would have discovered the secret of the trick – a new solution that was not considered before.

Juanita:  How many lessons do you outline in your book, and would you give us a brief explanation of them?

Andy: Five lessons: Challenging Assumptions, Making Your Audience (Customers/Loved Ones/Family and Friends) Part of the Act, Creating WOW (Getting heard in a world that doesn’t listen), Dealing with the Idea Heckler and Discovering Your Magic (gaining a competitive edge).

Juanita:  How will the lessons translate into creating successful business solutions?

Andy: The director of a bank, upon returning from my seminar, challenged his group to follow the other hand. Instead of focusing on what they didn’t have and who they weren’t, he had them think differently and focus on what they had that was different and how that made them special. Sales went from 4 products a day to 20 products a day. A locksmith in Northhampton, UK, used the principles of Follow The Other Hand to build trust by providing a customer first with choice and then control. He walked away with a very big job.

Juanita: Are there any potential pitfalls areas in the lessons where someone may get discouraged, and give up?

Andy: Of course. It’s very similar to learning the secret to a magic trick. Sometimes you only have to practice a few times and it naturally comes to you. Other times you have to practice a lot and go through the growing pains. Either way, most people I know find that the lessons empower them on the spot and the ideas instantly begin to flow.

Juanita:  Andy, what has been your experience in the field of business, speaking and consultation? 

Andy: I’ve spoken to the biggest brands; American Express, Time Warner, Novartis, and Nestle, and given my seminars around the world. The principles of Follow the Other Hand are as applicable in Altanta, GA and Amsterdam, Netherlands as they are in Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong. They are also equally effective for businesses of all sizes, from multinational corporations to sole proprietors.

Juanita:  You speak to a wide variety of businesses Andy, is there any difference when applying the lessons in your book to a Fortune 500 company compared to a small business?

Andy: The lessons are the same. The difference is the culture. Large corporations take time to react. Small businesses react immediately. So with large corporations, I spend more time focusing on “empowerment” and helping them integrate the lessons into the culture of their organization.

Juanita:  Who have been your influences in your professional life and your personal growth endeavors?

Andy: In business; Stan Rapp, Philip Kotler, Bill Bernbach, Theodore Levitt. In magic: Slydini, Irv and Lou Tannen, Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger.

Juanita:  Andy, thanks for taking the time to talk with us today.  We’ve enjoyed hearing your thoughts and encourage readers to look for your book at local and online bookstores.  How can readers find out more about you and “Follow the Other Hand”?

Andy: I invite visits to www.followtheotherhand.com. It’s an experience in itself – besides reading excerpts from the book, reviews from the New York Times and other national media, seeing videos of my seminars – it’s also a place to see other businesspeople letting their hair down and performing magic they learned in the seminar (“What’s Your Magic”). There are also opportunities to win a free book, magic lessons and more.

Read Review of Follow the Other Hand
Make Comments on weblog