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November 30, 2007

Work/Life: We All Need A Little Music To Get Us Through

Today is the birth anniversary of Allan Sherman, the guy who introduced my generation to the song parody. For those of you a little younger, he was the Weird Al Yankovic of your parents’ generation. For those of you too young to remember Weird Al Yankovic…you are a frightening reminder of the passage of time and I hate you.

Those of us who do recall Mr. Sherman still think of “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” every time we hear Ponchielli’s “Dance of the Hours” during the local classical music station’s fund drives. (And there’s a whole generation behind me who associates that same music with “Fantasia,” so they probably think I sound like a young whippersnapper now.) In any case, I felt it only proper to honor Allan Sherman on his birthday, and compose a few work/life parodies for your perusal. Get out your tuning fork and your kazoo if you are so inspired.

I WILL UNWIND (to the tune of “I Will Survive”)

First I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinking I would be confused without my nine to five
But then my wife explained to me that if we don’t take a break
Then the next time she would see me it would be at my own wake
So now I’m gone, I’m out the door
I took a week off, and I’m not working anymore
Yes, I’m the one who can’t sit still for minute one
But gosh darn it I will do it, I will lie down in the sun
And close my mind
I will unwind
Oh, as long as I know how to rest I might even recline
I’ve got all this week ahead
If it kills me I’ll stay in bed
I will unwind!
I will unwind! Hey, hey….

IMAGINE (to the tune of, uh, "Imagine")

Imagine there’s no deadlines
It’s easy if you try
No boss above us
To yell and make us cry
Imagine all the people
Driving fifty-five…I, I, I….

Imagine multi-tasking
Is no longer required
No e-mails in your in-box
You go home when you’re tired
Imagine no one caring
About that Power Point….you, hoo-hoo
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m working on a hunch
I think some day you’ll join us
And the world will be at lunch

And finally, as a tribute to Allan Sherman, here’s Ponchielli (or “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah”)

Hello daughter, lovely daughter
Do you still like Harry Potter?
Or is Sponge Bob to your liking?
Maybe Dora the Explorer and her hiking.

See the point is, I’ve forgotten
As a parent, I am rotten
Presentations, dinner meetings
I am never home and I deserve some beatings

But I promise, if you’ll let me
I’ll make sure you don’t forget me
Cause I love you and I won’t spoil it
I have flushed my phone and Bluetooth down the toilet!

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Hey, don’t forget to tip the waitresses, and feel free to submit a song of your own!

Posted by Tom Stern at 8:04 AM | 2 Comments

November 29, 2007

Careers: Why a Job Interview is Like a First Date

Have you noticed any similarities between your dating experiences and your job searches?

What these two puzzle parts have in common is a quest for better relationships. Granted, for some of us, both of these personal quests are fraught with frustration.

But in Shawn Graham's new book Courting Your Career, he spins the metaphor in amusing and insightful ways. Networking is matchmaking. Career fairs are akin to clubbing. Cover letters are like pick-up lines. And job boards are linked to online dating (and about equally successful).

Graham, a fellow Fast Company Experts blogger, has served as a career counselor at UNC-Chapel Hill where he field-tested this metaphor and found that it resonated well with students. When you're looking for a job you want to work with amiable people, right?

Yet, how do you know if a job is "your type"? Why naturally you date around! Although dating in this context may be informational or job interviews and internships. A sturdy metaphor, Graham even compares group interviews to group dates. "Sometimes, what started out as a romantic, one-on-one date can unexpectedly turn into a group outing without warning," he writes. "The same holds true with job interviews." He recommends having extra copies of your resume on hand in case this happens because you will appear well prepared.

The key to a successful interview is a good two-way conversation, he explains. He doesn't explore the non-verbal side of interview chemistry except to suggest that you present yourself well including carefully selecting what to wear.

Graham clues into the often confusing part of a first date: the goodnight kiss. "The close of an interview is a lot like the end of a date," he writes. "Although you'll never, and I repeat never, actually go for a goodnight kiss at the end of an interview, there are some things you can do to seal the deal." Well, I won't kiss and tell, but Graham offers some good advice here.

He explores a wide range of job search issues, including the trendy question about video resumes. Like me, Graham's not sold on the value of putting your skills and accomplishments on video instead of on paper. He cites three main problems including inconsistent content; the employer's inability to search or organize video; and possibly subjecting yourself to a recruiter's biases that may work against you.

The book includes lots of useful resources including sample resumes, cover letters and a job evaluation worksheet. There's also a helpful list of action verbs for resumes although I'm not quite sure how I would use the word "liquidated" effectively.

I unhesitatingly recommend Graham's book, particularly to graduates just starting their careers. I don't know about Graham, but I recall having better dates - and interviews - once I had a decent job.

Rusty Weston, My Global Career • San Francisco, Ca • http://www.myglobalcareer.com/ •

Posted by Rusty Weston at 2:15 PM | Add Comment

Innovation: Starwood Hotels- Lobby vs. Lobby, Does the Customers’ WIN?

The other day I was researching hotels for an upcoming trip to Europe and came across a review on a Starwood property in Venice; it was beautifully written, very balanced, and complete with photographs. A customer wrote it.

It turns out that two avid Starwood fans created a whole site where customers can find unbiased reviews of the chain’s properties uploaded by other customers -- the users themselves. The site was created at the end of 2005 by John H. and John P.

Continue reading "Innovation: Starwood Hotels- Lobby vs. Lobby, Does the Customers’ WIN?"

Posted by Valeria Maltoni at 10:15 AM | 1 Comment

Design: Are you a consultant or a vendor?

Put another way, do you give your clients what they ask for, or, do you offer your best judgment even when it’s not what they want to hear?

Now before you dismiss this as a question meant for someone else, let me say this: No number of design awards, glowing articles, or Fortune 100 clients grants you exemption from this question.

Design consultancies lead a precarious life. They rely on the good graces of their clients. Of course, a big part of doing business is nurturing relationships, but just because you have a relationship with a client doesn’t mean it’s a healthy one. An upset middle managers at one Client Company or another can ruin a quarter for a design firm - big or small.

Continue reading "Design: Are you a consultant or a vendor?"

Posted by David Oliver at 10:05 AM | 2 Comments

What's In A Name? A Lot, It Turns Out

Back in August, I wrote a post on the re-branding of Washington Mutual as WaMu. I didn’t like the way the new name sounded and still don’t. More recently, there has been a blast of ads from the pharmaceutical industry for new medications whose names sound just awful. And last week, Ad Age columnist Jonah Bloom wrote an interesting and I think on-target column about efforts at naming products and companies.

Lately, naming has stunk. No more are we hearing graceful, even beautiful sounding brand names like Omnicom, Aeron or Zithromax. Today it’s Google (and a slew of “oo” imitators), Aflac or Byetta (it’s a drug even though it sounds more like a small town in the deep south).

According to Dean Crutchfield of London branding agency Wolff-Olins, it’s important to name carefully. Says Crutchfield, “The best names communicate who, what, why or an attitude. They’re critical, a cornerstone of a brand.” He goes on to say that finding just the right name is more difficult than ever and because people don’t want to pay much or have the process take too long. Fees of $2 million used to be common for naming, which gives us an idea of the importance with which it was viewed.

Continue reading "What's In A Name? A Lot, It Turns Out"

Posted by Ruth Sherman at 10:00 AM | 4 Comments

Careers: Personal Branding and Work-Life Balance Part 2

I appreciate all the great responses to my post a few weeks ago on work-life balance. Here is the link to the Terrie Williams article I wrote about.

Since a lot of us struggle with work-life balance, living the antithesis of the "four hour work week," I thought it would be great if we collectively create a list of our ways of copying. Thanks toCarlos Hernandez, of The Fearless Entrepreneur, for sharing his, which I'm reposting right below:

Two of my favorites...going to a San Francisco Giants baseball game...getting up early for a morning walk, followed by respite at the local cafe to sip my morning coffee while reading the newspaper.

And here's one from Christopher Day, of Evergreen Advisers:

My strategy for making up lost life (doesn't always work): Visit "tourista-ville" Mystic, Connecticut, walk around, have a cocktail and then go to a casino. That 6 hours and then stay-over can work wonders.

My own is hitting balls on a tennis court or skiing hard down a mountain on a windless, crisp day where you're so into the moment the day-to-day worries suddenly aren't there.

I'd love to hear your strategies for coping in our 24/7 culture.

Wendy Marx, Personal Branding and Public Relations, Marx Communications

Posted by Wendy Marx at 8:35 AM | 3 Comments

November 28, 2007

Work/Life: Houston's "Flex in the City" Takes Commuting Into the 21st Century

It seems I’m not the only one asking the question from my blog post a couple of weeks ago, “Why do we all commute at the same time?” Not only are others asking the question, but they are doing something about it!

FC Expert Blog readers shared examples of organizations rethinking how we commute in the comments section of the post—thank you! One was about staggered shifts at Boeing in Seattle, and the other about IBM in Germany where there are no set hours.

But companies aren’t alone in trying to bring commuting into the 21st Century. Communities are also recognizing the benefits of using flexibility to save money and resources that are currently wasted during our daily “mass” commute.

Yesterday, when I was having lunch with my former boss Ellen Galinsky, President of Families and Work Institute she mentioned the City of Houston’s “Flex in the City” initiative. The goal of Flex in the City (love that name!) is to get companies and individuals in Houston to use flexibility at the same time for one week in September to reduce the number of people commuting during the traditional rush hour period. The city’s 2006 Flex in the City effort resulted in an estimated $16.8 million savings. Here’s a description of the initiative from the City of Houston’s website:

Continue reading "Work/Life: Houston's "Flex in the City" Takes Commuting Into the 21st Century"

Posted by Cali Williams Yost at 12:36 PM | Add Comment

Leadership: When to Say Good-Bye

Tens of millions of Baby Boomers will be retiring over the next decade. Organizations are working diligently to plan for their replacements as leaders as well as hiring new recruits to fill new positions that open up due to succession plans. Boomers themselves are executing final plans about their own leaving. Financial planning aside not enough attention is paid to exits of senior leaders. One man serves as an example about how and when to leave. He is Lloyd Carr, who is retiring after 13 seasons as the head football coach at the University of Michigan.

At the press conference announcing his leaving, Carr joked, “I’m not tired. I may look tired.” Then he turned serious. “But, I still have a great passion for the game, for the players and for the competition. But I also know that there are some things that I don’t have anymore, and so it’s time.” That in a nutshell sums up what leaders must consider when they take their leave: know what you can do as well as what you cannot do any longer.

Being the head football coach at a major collegiate program is a grueling occupation that devours time, energy and resources. There is always the pressure of winning and winning repeatedly. Toward that end, coaches spend long months identifying and recruiting players with the talent and skills to succeed in their program. There is always, certainly at schools like Michigan, the expectation to “win with integrity” and so coaches and players need to live by the standards that the university expects for academics and athletics but also for personal conduct. Higher than the standards perhaps are the expectations of the program and its supporters; they expect conference championships and even national championships – every year.

Continue reading "Leadership: When to Say Good-Bye"

Posted by John Baldoni at 10:24 AM | Add Comment

Leadership: Waiting for a crisis

I was talking to a dear friend and fellow Coach this afternoon about ‘waiting for a crisis to change our ways of being’. It applies in all aspects of our life, work, personal relationships, and health, as well as the health of an organization.

To say human beings process things a certain way is to give validity to a perspective or paradigm that doesn’t serve us. Why wait for a crisis to implement change or rethink and reinvent something? Why not just create something incredible to start off with when everything is already good?

Could it be we automatically settle because amazing things happen to someone else, not us? Is it possible we don’t want to ‘press our luck’? Many become workaholics and yet won’t redefine their lives until their partner is about to ‘walk’. There are those who won’t redefine how a company operates until it’s in crisis and about to go under. Why wait until the last moment when digging yourself out is so much harder than building something new?

There might not be a simple answer, but I’d love to hear your insights on this.

Donna Karlin • Executive and Political Shadow Coach™ • Ottawa, Canada • •www.abetterperspective.com

Posted by Donna Karlin at 3:07 AM | 1 Comment

November 27, 2007

Organizational Creativity

Creativity is a powerful motivator. If one does anything the same way for long enough it becomes boring, it doesn’t matter what it is or how lucrative it may be. People are usually very motivated when asked and challenged to use creativity to solve problems or invent new methods or discover new opportunities. Design is the tool that most organizations can embrace to infuse creative thinking into the equation. This is one of clearest reasons that Design and Design thinking are so important to business today, they serve as the method for “achieving use from creativity”. But the need is deeper than the role of the designer, it goes to the whole organization. Everyone is creative if given the opportunity and giving the opportunity is becoming an imperative.

Is creativity fostered, promoted, nurtured in your company? If so, in what ways?

Mark Dziersk

laga

Posted by Mark Dziersk at 6:03 PM | 1 Comment

Careers: Navigating the "Coaching Carousel"

Another season of college football is winding down and, as is typically the case, the number of head coaching vacancies is increasing by the day. For most of those who were, and will continue to be let go, I’m sure it wasn’t a huge surprise. After all, if they weren’t winning enough games or if they were selling a VIP newsletter as was the case with Dennis Franchione, they were on the hot seat. And they don’t call it a hot seat for nothing.

Luckily, most of us aren’t on as short of a leash as most coaches. But, if we’re caught up in corporate shake up or one of our key team members leaves unexpectedly, we also have to deal with the sudden unexpected loss.

According to Dr. Phil, there are four stages of grief: shock, denial, anger, and resolution. Losing your job, whether or not it was expected, definitely counts as grief for most of us. And how we handle each of those stages as we exit the organization will determine whether we leave there with our brand intact. Because resolution isn’t something you’ll need to react to during the process, for today’s discussion we’re going to focus on the first three stages.

Shock: Besides anger, this is the hardest one to mask as, when you hear the news, the only thing that hits the floor before your jaw is likely the pit of your stomach. And, because you’re in shock, there’s a good chance you’ll say something you’ll regret. When I was downsized a few years back, I went the opposite route. Usually someone who was never at a loss for words, I sat there speechless for what seemed like hours but was probably more like 60 seconds.

Don’t feel as though you have to respond right away. Take a few moments to compose yourself, catch your breath, and then respond as you see fit. And that doesn’t mean unleashing a series of expletives.

Denial: This always reminds me of an unexpected breakup. Unfortunately, usually when it’s come to this point, it’s likely all over but the shouting so there’s no sense rehashing how you got to this point. But we’ll talk more about shouting in a minute. In most cases, you should have seen the writing on the wall so any bouts of denial will be limited.

Anger: Whatever you do, don’t get angry. I know it’s easier said than done, but do your best to keep your cool, at least in public. When you let off steam, which you will, talk it over with your partner, a family member, or your dog. Remember, in most cases it’s business, not personal. Do your best to finish out your time with the company in stride. Don’t trash talk your boss or the organization during the downsizing or afterwards.

How we exit an organization is just as important as what we accomplished while we were there. Even though we might not get caught in the “coaching carousel,” there’s a good chance we’ll have to navigate the stages of grief mentioned above at some point during our career. As mentioned above, do your best not to be “that former employee”—the one everyone jokes about because you stormed off in a huff.

Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).

Posted by Shawn Graham at 2:43 PM | Add Comment

Marketing Communications Vocabulary

Being on the same page with regards to vocabulary is one of the most effective ways to ensure that your projects come in on strategy, time, and budget. A while back, Ernie Mosteller did a great job of boiling down the basics with this marketing communications vocabulary. It's just as relevant today as ever.

Brand. Your brand is your personality, as determined by how the world sees you. How you want to be seen can affect how the world sees you, but it doesn't define it. The world gets to define its own take on you. Lots of things go into what the world sees of you. Your brand = (what you want it to be) + 2(X) what the world says it is. The world's actual view of you is at least twice as important as your desired view of you. As the world's view of you becomes more negative, X gets larger. As it becomes more positive, X shrinks.

Design. Design is not your brand. But it can affect your brand. Design is the clothes you wear in order to attempt to affect the world's perception of your personality. It may also be the car you drive, or the house you live in. It's your outward, visual, projection to the world. It may or may not have anything at all to do with who you really are -- though good design is always based on what's inside. Design can, and should, touch everything you do that the world sees. Which, basically, is everything.

Advertising. Advertising is not your brand. Advertising is what you say about yourself in order to attempt to affect the world's perception of your personality. What you say can also be defined as: how you act in public. Which is, everywhere. What you say about yourself is greatly affected by how you say it, because how you say it determines whether people will hear and/or listen. Whispering in the middle of an NFL stadium doesn't have the same effect as shouting in church. If I were you, I wouldn't do either. Advertising, by the way, is no longer defined as the placement of a pre-determined message in a purchased medium. Advertising is any piece of communications with an agenda.

Public Relations. PR is not your brand. PR is an active attempt to get other people to say something positive about you, without directly paying them to do so. Because this definition is so broad, and so clearly goes light years beyond churning out a press release, you can safely assume that I believe PR is pretty much anything, and is an integral, specialized component of quality advertising. PR is also the component you need to turn to for crisis management, assuming you're managing the crisis honestly. Because almost anything else has a real chance of making things worse.

Collateral. Collateral is not your brand. Collateral is reference material for people who have already expressed an interest in your brand. Whether it's a business card or brochure, collateral has almost no ability to create interest in you. Its function is to enhance interest, and provide information, for those who have already decided (if even in a small way) to check you out. Most websites function as collateral, though they are capable of a lot more.

Concept. A concept is no longer simply a storyboard, or a headline/visual relationship. A concept is an idea designed to encourage a specific action from the person who interacts with it. A concept could be an event, a direct mail piece, a Super Bowl commercial, a You Tube video, a boy band, or a newspaper ad. The key to making a concept work is to focus your attention on the desired action from the viewer, and simplify that action to its most basic element. A concept doesn't sell a car. A salesman sells a car. But the right concept can get someone to talk to a salesman. Or click a link. Or remember the car you have for sale, the next time they think about buying one. Good concepts surprise people. Great concepts hold their attention. Effective concepts are very specific, and very simplistic, about what they want to achieve.

---

Nick Rice - I work with successful professional service firms that struggle to attract new clients - http://www.nick-rice.com

Posted by Nick Rice at 11:07 AM | 1 Comment

Work/Life: Say Buy-Buy To Holiday Gift-Buying Woes

CEO Dad’s Tuesday Tirade….

Hey. Thanksgiving’s over. And you still haven’t gone out and done your civic duty by shopping for holiday gifts? You people make me sick. So what if nobody you know actually needs another gift certificate, pair of gloves or hot lather machine (remember those?), how the heck are they going to know you love them if you don’t for gosh sakes buy them something already?

And with that in mind, here’s a little holiday merchandise guide designed to streamline your present purchasing power (and your skill with alliteration, for that matter).

TOM STERN’S ONE OF A KIND HOLIDAY WORK/LIFE BALANCE GIFTS.
(FOR THE PERSON WHO DOES EVERYTHING.)

THE ELECTRONIC REMINDER REMINDER REMINDER - An exclusive add-on to your Blackberry or Palm Pilot, this helpful feature automatically programs your own reminder beep to beep two additional times: once six hours before the thing you needed reminding about, to remind you that in six hours you have to remember to do it; then one more time two hours before the reminder beep you set to remind you that you will shortly have to remember that you needed to remind yourself about something. Sounds confusing, yet is. But stressed out workaholics quickly find it becomes indispensable.

THE AUTOMOBILE HIGH CHAIR – Tired of trying to efficiently use your steering wheel AND eat a messy sandwich or hamburger while driving? Your worries are over, with this combination booster seat/handy food tray that keeps that burrito right by your mouth for the entire trip, just like the high chair you had as a baby. All you have to do is lean forward and chew. Bib optional, but this product is also a great release for your inner child. And if anyone needs an excuse to remind the world that they still act like they are two years old, it’s us.

TONY ROBBINS’ “I’M DEPRESSED” DVD – Essential viewing for everybody who secretly knows how tough it is to keep up the façade of a driven, over-achieving maniac, this revealing look at an “off morning” for inspirational speaker Robbins finds him unable to get out of bed, certain that nothing he has to say could possibly be reaching anybody and why does he even bother. If one of the richest men in America, who also happens to have some of the most impressive teeth in the country, can experience a setback in “doing it all,” then so can you. Comes with an ergonomic pillow.

STERN’S STRESS INDUCING BALLS – Use that stress you get from a botched meeting or a frustrating phone call! Help it to propel you into even more aggressive and profit-inducing behavior to take your business to the next level! Why clutter your desk with a million pliable stress relieving balls when these stress inducing balls can bring you back to the state you know and love so well? Scientifically formulated to remain rock solid no matter how hard you squeeze them, our patented stress inducing balls strengthen your anger and resolve, storing up resentments when you need them most, so you can get back on that phone and tell whoever it is where to get off! Not recommended for home use. Not responsible for acid reflux disease.

Well, if you can’t choose a gift for that special someone from the above list this year, then chances are you know a bunch of well-adjusted people. And that is, in and of itself, a gift. Happy Holiday time!

Posted by Tom Stern at 7:23 AM | Add Comment

November 26, 2007

Maslow-Minded Merchandising

OK, it's that time of year when we all become transactional. We overstuff our bellies on Thanksgiving Thursday and then overextend our credit on Black Friday when America's malls remind us that capitalism is alive and kickin' in the good old US of A. But, what if a retailer were to take a more transformational approach to their customers during this busy time of year? Or, what if you or I were to purchase experiences rather than possessions as a way of gifting our relatives and friends?

Abraham Maslow suggested that we all aspire to self-actualization in the course of our lifetime after we've had our base needs met. In my book PEAK, I suggested that peak-performing companies move beyond the transactional nature of most customer relationships at the bottom of the pyramid so they can address their customer's higher needs (which are often unrecognized or unspoken by the customer). A great company creates peak experiences for their customers in a way that almost transforms them into a self-actualized customer.

I was reading the SF Chronicle today where I saw a Business page cover story on how Apple is remaking their already-successful retail stores. The first line of the article is "Not a cash register in sight." Ron Johnson, who runs Apple's retail stores worldwide (and is quoted in my book), tells the reporter, "We try to pattern the feeling to a five-star hotel. It's not about selling. It's about creating a place where you belong." Apple's "Genius Bars" (friendly technical support, especially for those self-actualized Apple customers who pay $99 annually as part of the Procare program which allows them one hour a week of extra training and attention) have been expanded. It's almost like a hotel that came to realize they were making big bucks on their lobby bar so they decided to extend the bar. Well, at Apple, they're dispensing wisdom, not cocktails, but they're finding this relationship-driven approach to selling computers to be highly profitable. It's a far cry from Radio Shack.

In fact, Apple has now banished the cash registers so that their "concierges" who help customers find their products can just whip out a portable scanner on the spot in order to facilitate the payment for the goods. Notice that the transaction is the last step of the process and is completely understated. Has this worked? You bet it has. Conventional wisdom in 2001 (when Apple opened their first stores), suggested computer retailing was passe as Dell's "Direct" approach was going to take over the world and Gateway was going out of business. Yet, Apple became the fastest retailer of any kind to ever make it to $1 billion in sales. Now, they're up to $4.2 billion annually just in retail sales.

So, how can you apply Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to your shopping habits this holiday season? First of all, just remember that most of us have way more stuff than we need and we have precious little storage space to "stuff" all this additional stuff we're going to receive these next few weeks. Take a lesson from MasterCard - who frankly would appreciate it if we all bought billions of dollars of useless crap for each other - which reminded us that what's most important in life is what's "Priceless." What's priceless in our lives isn't the material possessions, it's the experiences and memories we create with our loved ones. The big gift I give the 11 members of my extended family each Christmas is an annual family vacation. Last year, it was an art-themed weekend in LA. This year, we're going (along with an additional 3 family members) to the Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite where we'll have a traditional white Christmas and experience the legendary Bracebridge 17th century English yuletide ceremony (which has been celebrated annually for 80 years at the Ahwahnee and has to be booked a year in advance).

If you want to create a transformational holiday experience - as opposed to the typical transactional approach - consider the following three questions: (a) what kind of unique experience can you create that your family or friends will remember for years? (b) what kind of gift can you give that will self-actualize your gift recipient (for example, how about donating $100 to a teenager's favorite cause?)? or (c) what's an educational experience you can gift someone that will boost their sense of esteem and will benefit them for years to come? In sum, as the feverish shopping season kicks into gear, consider a new approach to creating a more meaningful season of giving.

Posted by Chip Conley at 10:45 AM | Add Comment

November 25, 2007

The Seven Steps to Instilling Confidence

As a leader, your company looks to you for clarity. The clearer you are about the following seven steps and in being able to articulate it to your company (including shareholders), the more confidence they will have in you.

1. What do you love making (product) or doing (service) that has enough value that other people would be willing and want to pay for (your DREAM)?

2. What desire or problem is your product (what you make) or service (what you do) the best answer or solution to (your VISION and MISSION)?

3. What people or what company has a desire or problem that most urgently needs your product or service, i.e. who are the ones that "Gotta' have you!" (your MARKETING)?

4. How do you get those people or that company to be aware of their urgent need for your product or service (your ADVERTISING)?

5. How do you convince those people to buy that service or product that they “gotta have?” (your SALES)

6. How do you get your product or service to those people or that company (your PRODUCTION and DELIVERY)?

7. How do you continue to increase the satisfaction and enthusiasm for your product or service, so they'll tell others (your CUSTOMER SERVICE and CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT of products and services)?

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Posted by Mark Goulston at 4:49 PM | Add Comment

Hurry Sickness

I'm sitting here on a Sunday working. I've been working most of the weekend except for a walk on the beach with my beloved dog Roxanne (she doesn't think it's anywhere near enough walking -- she's bored!).

I'm feeling guilty about working all weekend, but I do it all the time! I feel guilty if I don't because there is sooooooooo much to do, and I'd fall sooooooooo far behind if I didn't. I've been promising myself for years that I'd stop this.

There is a thing called Hurry Sickness; we literally make ourselves sick by hurrying all the time to get too many things done -- work and personal stuff. Having too much to do seems to be so much a part of our lives these days that we just take it for granted and accept it -- well, there's even a name for it!

I like Craig Wilson's column in USA Today. Once he wrote about simplifying his life. Seems like we all want that. If we could do so, maybe we wouldn't have Hurry Sickness and work all weekend! He mentioned that the founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning says we should ask ourselves two key questions:

1. If you had only 24 hours left, who did you not get to be?

2. What did you not get to do?

Supposedly these get at what is really meaningful: have you been devoting your life to making money, when important things such as your family, your community, your "spirit" have been ignored? Yikes, that hurts!!! There are a few leaders I know who might think about this too.

Anyway, I'm done with this blog, and I'm not working anymore today, so there!

Jim Bolt*jbolt@executivedevelopment.com*www.executivedevelopment.com

Posted by Jim Bolt at 2:06 PM | Add Comment

November 23, 2007

Office Secret Santas

At Ferrazzi Greenlight, someone asked whether we could do Secret Santas. It brought back memories of what I was like when I was in college. This serves as an example of what not to do with Secret Santas at the office.

Back at Yale, we did a Secret Santa and there were about six gifts leading up to holiday vacation. I remember getting my first gift and it was something like a big candy worm. I had no interest in it. I didn’t know the woman who I had on my gift-giving list, so I figured this was easy. I will just give her what I was given and re-gifted all the gifts through Secret Santa.
Turns out that I had drawn the name of the same person who was giving me gifts. I was totally busted. I thought it was funny. She did not find it amusing. She found me insensitive.

I promise to be more creative for my own staff this year.

Happy Holidays!

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Posted by Keith Ferrazzi at 3:57 PM | Add Comment

Careers: Thank You, Readers

I've been busy celebrating Thanksgiving with my family but wanted to say "thanks" to everyone for reading my blog. I've met some terrific people through this blog and appreciate everyone who has commented and reached out to me.

My fellow FC blogger and leadership expert, Ruth Sherman, has a terrific post on the value of hand-written thank you notes that I urge you to check out. Because of some bug in the FC site, I couldn't link directly to her post today but if you scroll down you'll see it under "Leadership: Getting Noticed by Giving Thanks."

Wendy Marx, Personal Branding and Public Relations, Marx Communications

Posted by Wendy Marx at 9:01 AM | Add Comment

Work/Life: Please Don't Squeeze The Priorities

Things slowed down a little over Thanksgiving, which of course only makes me aware of how difficult it can be when the phone isn’t ringing, and no life-or-death business situations of my own devising are occupying my time. Well, if all of my sensible clients are going to put a moratorium on calls, e-mails and texting for four days, I am darn sure going to….have to find other ways to make sure I give my brain the illusion that it’s working.

Hence, my post-Thanksgiving meal (post-unbuttoning my top button and laying back in my Dad’s reclining chair to watch football, post-marveling at how there’s nothing like Thanksgiving to make you realize what a bunch of wackos your family are) round of Internet surfing. During which I discovered this get-a-life gem:

It seems that two advertising men in their 70’s are still arguing about who wrote the tag line “Please Don’t Squeeze The Charmin.” Even more ironically, it was the death of Dick Wilson, the actor who played Mr. Whipple in the commercials, that returned the issue to the front burner. You can almost picture the scene from the black comedy movie, wherein the two septuagenarians stand over the casket of the late actor, begin to argue about who was responsible for the Charmin catch phrase. A shoving match ensues, and it all culminates in the coffin being tipped over onto them while a roomful of aghast mourners try not to look.

What is it about we humans that can make us spend a lifetime hanging on to a credit-where-credit-is-due issue? In this case, there is no paper trail to prove which of the two men came up with the famous line. Of course it is wrong for someone else to get the glory for something we have done, but there comes a time when one has to suck it up, appear on Oprah, weep in front of millions and let it go. Obsessing over something you think is rightfully yours takes a lot of energy, just ask anyone who ended up losing that dog they loved when their relationship ended.

But if that injustice becomes something you carry with you to your grave, your whole life becomes a rush to get there, just so you can have a little peace of mind. And as we all know, your mind is rarely as peaceful as it is when you are dead. Meanwhile, you run the risk of discounting all the other things that have made your life a pretty interesting journey. Loved ones. Travel. Old friends. Family Thanksgivings. (They may be an infuriating bundle of neuroses and hot-button issues, but they’re YOUR infuriating bundle of neuroses and hot-button issues.)

People got a little joy out of the fictional idea that it was nearly impossible to resist squeezing a package of toilet paper. In fact, during the height of the campaign, thousands of people probably gave into the temptation in full view of everyone at the supermarket. It must have been an interesting time to be a manager at the Piggly Wiggly, that’s for sure. So at that point, pop culture has laid its claim to the idea, whomever it was that wrote it. And since each man claims to have, let each one be content with knowing they gave folks a dose of enjoyment for a while.

Hey, look, about twenty years ago I came up with an incredible office management idea that nearly doubled efficiency levels in my workplace of the time. In the rush to implement the plan, my contribution to its founding was somehow overlooked, but the benefits to the office were what was most important. Am I still bitter about it? Something that happened at exactly 3:16 pm on an overcast but mild September 30th in 1989 when the boss was wearing a blue shirt and red-striped tie when he announced the new plan at the morning meeting? Of course not. I can barely remember it.

Posted by Tom Stern at 6:28 AM | Add Comment

November 22, 2007

Innovation: 5 Ways to THANK Your Customers

Forget shiny objects, including prospects, for a moment. Forget social media, networks and online opportunities. You have plenty of material to work with as it is -- your customers are already doing business with you. How about showing them some appreciation? Here are 5 things you can do to show them how grateful you are for their business:

Continue reading "Innovation: 5 Ways to THANK Your Customers"

Posted by Valeria Maltoni at 8:20 AM | 2 Comments

November 21, 2007

Leadership: Ignorance Can Be a Good Thing

How many times have you heard “Knowledge is power”? Knowledge can also kill your power.

One of the most difficult roadblocks to get past with my clients is when they become successful. Many many years ago I used to do an exercise with my clients on SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and tangible). They used to set short term and long term goals. When they reached their half way point, way too often they would back off and plateau. This wasn’t the kind of plateau that George Leonard speaks about when he says you achieve mastery while plateauing; it’s the kind of plateau where you hit a brick wall and start regressing because something inside you says “I never thought I’d ever get this far. Maybe I should quit while I’m ahead and not press my luck”. Sound familiar?

Luck has nothing to do with it. My clients achieve success because of hard work, determination and an energy that won’t get them down. Sometimes the process can bring you down and sometimes too much information can stop you dead as well. What do you have to pay attention to and what shouldn't you pay attention to?

I’m not stating this is the only way to go and that it would work for the masses (caveat ahead of time). For years I’ve been asked about my business plan. “What is your 5 or 10 year business plan so you can measure your success against it?” How many set goals for themselves that seem realistic but they’re sidetracked, make new decisions to go in a different direction or decide they wanted to make new choices in their lives? Then along come friends, colleagues and family members who ask “Whatever ever happened to….?” and self-confidence flies out the window as you find yourself making excuses as to why you’re not already successful.

How many set goals and plans for themselves and miss incredible opportunities along the way? If I had stuck to “the plan” half of the amazing opportunities that have presented themselves over the years would have been tossed aside or completely ignored.

Starting out, many who are now successful leaders didn’t necessarily have all the knowledge they needed to start a company or dive into a profession but their passions guided them there. As they didn’t gather the data or speak to so called experts who would tell them it couldn’t happen, it didn’t occur to them that it couldn’t happen. Rather they knew they would do all they needed to do to make things happen.

When I broke away from being an associate with a large national company I didn’t look for all the data that would back up why I would fail on my own. I didn’t look at statistics or gather reams of information. What I did do was listen to what the needs were of the people around me and figure out what I could do to meet those needs and then some. For me, ignorance with regards to the business piece of my practice was bliss, and because of that, every year I reach a new high in my work and my life.

You could either look at all the ‘why nots’ or say “Why not?” Choice is yours. Next time you have the opportunity to meet with someone successful in their field, ask them how much was planned and how much just happened. And if you’d like to share some of that with us, great. We’d love to hear!

For all my neighbours south of the border, wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving!

Donna Karlin • Executive and Political Shadow Coach™ • Ottawa, Canada • •www.abetterperspective.com

Posted by Donna Karlin at 8:32 PM | 1 Comment

The New Rules of Innovation

Rule # 1 - None of us are as smart as all of us.
The image of a lone genius slaving away in a dimly lit basement or garage is the traditional image of the inventor. However, according to Andrew Hargadon (Assistant Professor of Technology Management at the University of California) this is largely a myth. Moreover, when it comes to innovation, a collective effort is more usually the norm. Andrew Hargadon's book (How Breakthroughs Happen) says that innovation is largely a result of networks. These are formal and informal collections of people and projects ranging from employees and suppliers to customers and even competitors. These networks are highly social in nature, which means that cultivating relationships is important. Another key observation is the thought that ideas are rarely new. New ideas are usually a recombination of old ideas and thus diversity in terms of people, ideas and experience is key for innovation. Having said all this, the best way to kill a good idea is to involve a committee, so ensure that there’s someone in charge to bang heads together and, if necessary, dislodge the gridlock.

Continue reading "The New Rules of Innovation"

Posted by Richard Watson at 4:58 PM | 1 Comment

Leadership: Heads Up on Coaching

The need for executive coaching is booming.

One reason for the boom is the increased emphasis on succession planning. More and more senior leaders are looking for replacements, not simply for themselves but for key levels throughout the organization. Part of this shift is demographic; baby boomers will begin to retire in record numbers. Another part is a realization by senior leaders that they have not prepared their managers to become more senior leaders. Leadership development programs are one solution; another more personalized solution is executive coaching. [Source: Conference Board and Bersin & Associates]

Executive coaching most often involves behavior-based change. [Exceptions include coaching related to business and strategic development.] An individual works with an executive coach to develop a plan of action that addresses behaviors that when improved can affect performance. Typical coaching focuses on aspects of leadership related to communication, delegation, decision-making and conflict management. Sometimes the coaching is developmental; other times the coaching is corrective, finding ways to overcome behaviors that are interfering with productivity as it relates to people and processes.

Continue reading "Leadership: Heads Up on Coaching"

Posted by John Baldoni at 9:15 AM | Add Comment

November 20, 2007

Innovation: Does My Stomach Believe My Eyes?

The worst institutional food short of Sloppy Joes at a junior high school cafeteria has long been found flying through the air. Inflight fare hasn't been the butt of jokes for no reason — food service has become a casualty of hard economic times that airlines have faced over the recent years.

And today, in fact, the real airline innovators don't feed you at all.

Continue reading "Innovation: Does My Stomach Believe My Eyes?"

Posted by Robert Buckman at 10:27 PM | Add Comment

Military vs. MBA

At an employment fair in San Diego, Nextel, Amazon.com, Morgan Stanley, Johnson & Johnson and Clorox, to name a few or the 49 companies present, were very busy hiring former military service members. These companies were eagerly snatching up veterans; even in some cases offering hiring bonuses. What's up?

According to the head of leadership development at one company, "The No. 1 thing is their leadership ability. They learn fast. They're disciplined. They are a lot more serious than their civilian peers." A senior exec from another firm said, "We find that military people really understand managing multiple priorities, and overall customer satisfaction. They have a real go-get-it attitude. They are self-starters who won't leave until the job is done right."

Hmmmmm, I know a few companies who could use some of this. And, not only to address the benchstrengh challenges most of them are facing. What I mean is, do the typical MBAs you are hiring today (and paying a gazillion dollars for) have these traits????

OK, I admit it I'm biased. I went through Air Force Officer Training School and it was the best training I could have had. I think we should have mandatory two year military service for everyone -- there I said it, go ahead, send in the nasty rebuttals!
Executive Development: Past, Present & Future * jbolt@executivedevelopment.com * www.executivedevelopment.com

Posted by Jim Bolt at 5:22 PM | 3 Comments

WORK/LIFE: 'Tis the Season to Be Thankful

Don't settle for giving a "thank you" at Thanksgiving
when you can give a POWER THANK YOU

If you want to make the people who are special to you, feel special, try a Power Thank You. It has 3 parts:

Part 1: Thank them for something specific that they did for you (it can also be something they refrained from doing that would have hurt you).

Part 2: Acknowledge to them the effort it took for them to do it (by saying something like: "I know you didn't have to do ----" or "I know you went out of your way to do ----").

Part 3: Tell them the difference it personally made to you.

I still get choked up when I think of the power thank you a CEO client gave me a couple years ago.

He told me: "1. I think you might have saved my life; 2. I can be very tough and hard headed but you took me on. You told me very firmly and in no uncertain terms about the incredible pain my 15 year old, underachieving son was in by having a high IQ and not being able to use it because he couldn't focus. I just kept treating him like he was lazy; 3. And what did it mean to me? I remember when I asked him (as you suggested), how bad it got for him (that he couldn't concentrate), and he broke and started crying and let me in instead of blowing me off like he usually did. And then I'll never forget when I asked him, why he hadn't told me it was so bad and he looked right back at and through me and said (correctly), 'Dad, you didn't want to know!'

I told my son I was sorry for not knowing and for not caring enough to find out. He looked back at me at said, 'I'm sorry for all the self-destructive things I did, when I didn't give a damn because you didn't either.' That's when I knew I had to go from hurting my boy to helping (the guy was choked up as he said this) him."*

* This CEO started keeping his son company every night as the boy struggled through his homework, because as his dad said to him: "I can't allow you to be alone feeling so awful." This change in attitude turned everything around at home. That CEO then realized how he was doing the same thing at his company to his board and management team and turned those situations around as well.

Posted by Mark Goulston at 11:39 AM | Add Comment

Work/Life: A Few Words of Thanksgiving, Not My Own

CEO Dad’s Tuesday Tirade…

The Tuesday Tirade has become synonymous with some form of sarcastic rant about the state of things among those of us who are overworked and (on their worst days) loving it.
But this is Thanksgiving week, and I’ll tell you what I’m grateful for: those moments in life when you get some perspective, and calm down, and realize you’re just a human being trying to outrun the bombardment of dubious messages you’ve gotten your whole life. If you’re like me, you usually have to rely on outside sources for them, since at the end of a long day about the only wisdom I’m capable of is something like “wow, Tivo is good.”

So, to reiterate, I’m thankful at this time of year for the words I often need to hear whether I know it or not. Here is a representative sampling:

“Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.” – Edgar Bergen

“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?” – (same as above)

“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.” – Bertrand Russell

“Business conventions are useful because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.” - Anonymous

“So I was driving my car, and my boss called and said 'You've been promoted.' So I swerved. And then he rang a second time and said "You've been promoted again.' And I swerved again. He phoned a third time and said 'You're managing director,' and I went into a tree. When the policeman asked 'What happened to you?' I said 'I careered off the road.’ ” – Tim Vine

“Working gets in the way of living.” – Omar Sharif

“My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it.” -- Abraham Lincoln

“By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day.” -- Robert Frost

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” - Buddha

Just a few of the perspective-inducing thoughts I’ll take with me to the table this Turkey Day. If you have a favorite quote that imparts some basic wisdom, I’m sure there are plenty of people who would just gobble it up at this time of year.

Posted by Tom Stern at 7:21 AM | Add Comment

November 19, 2007

Work/Life: "Good" Mothers Don't Miss Back-to-School Night

A couple of months ago, I got an invitation to a national gathering of flexibility experts. This was a unique opportunity to spend two days sharing best practices with some of the most respected individuals in my field, and guess what my first thought was? “Oh, I can’t go because I will miss back to school night.”

That’s right. As I looked at my calendar to see if I could attend this once-in-a-lifetime event, my primary concern was back-to-school night and the how I couldn’t possibly miss it. Looking back now, it sounds silly. But in the moment, the choice seemed very clear. And it wasn’t attending the meeting.

Continue reading "Work/Life: "Good" Mothers Don't Miss Back-to-School Night"

Posted by Cali Williams Yost at 12:34 PM | 2 Comments

November 18, 2007

Work/Life: Google Alerts go where your friends don't dare

Do you check out your reflection in spoons?

Secretly coif your comb-over in a cufflink?

Attempt to zap a zit in a mirror ball tile?

OK, let's be serious: does anyone really care about your forthcoming volume of slam haiku?

Google alerts, the online narcissist's favorite tool, can help with all but the first three (but give it time). A Google alert tells you when someone noted or quoted you on the web, seemingly in the last 5 nanoseconds. You know instantly if someone found your bleat about something you liked or hated useful, or if you've butchered a sacred cow on the way to making a point.

I'm sure Google alerts aren't new to the fast folks reading this, yet I meet business owners every day with websites who draw a blank when I mention it. So this post is for them.

Continue reading "Work/Life: Google Alerts go where your friends don't dare"

Posted by Lynette Chiang at 11:30 PM | Add Comment

November 16, 2007

Work/Life: The One Reality Show We Really Need

Just when I think I’ve let go of my compulsive need to win and am finally ready for the work/life balance I always talk about, I see that the media doesn’t care about that balance at all. Everything is still set up as a competition. The losers on Dancing With the Stars make the week’s headlines. Matt Damon is declared the Sexiest Man Alive (ladies, take heart: us guys are—sometimes--given unrealistic expectations by the media, too); Hollywood writers are going to the mat with producers in a winner-take-some battle that’s leaving plenty of lower echelon folks in the dust. Is it any wonder we’re all a little bit schizophrenic? Somewhere between our childhood and the start of our college years, we go from “it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game” to “kill or be killed,” and our American Idolized culture is in lock step with that transition.

Well, listen up, Hollywood: while you’re deciding how you want to treat your writers, you’ll probably be cranking out a bunch of new reality shows. Here’s my submission (and don’t try to steal it, or the blog police will be all over you).

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN RELAX?
Treatment for a Reality Program by Tom Stern

First round elimination occurs as one hundred contestants stand on stage holding Bluetooth-enabled Blackberries. In unison, one hundred urgent-coded rings go off in each of the contestant’s hands. Anyone taking less than thirty seconds to compulsively answer the call is eliminated. The remaining three contestants move onto the semi-finals.

Semi-final rounds include relaxation tolerance competitions, including attempts to sit quietly through an elementary school Christmas pageant without getting up to call the office, a driving-to-work simulator in which contestants get behind the wheel and are given electric shocks for every attempt at multi-tasking (eating, phoning, Books-On-Tape) and finally “Tivo Challenge,” in which a home environment is duplicated (TV room and bedroom side by side), and an actor-portrayal of a spouse gets into evening wear and goes to bed, waiting for the contestant to stop surfing Tivo and actually join them. Even the most work/life balance committed will be brought down by this conundrum.

Finalists will compete in the talent portion, which consists mainly of trying to shut the hell up for three minutes while the karaoke music of their choice plays in the background. The winner will get a five-year contract as the CEO of a company that desperately needs someone who finally has their priorities in order. (Get in line, companies.)

Copyright Tom Stern, All Rights Reserved.

Feel free to suggest other reality show ideas, but remember I can’t promise anyone a cut of the back end. I’m just not that balanced yet.

Posted by Tom Stern at 8:13 AM | Add Comment

November 15, 2007

Leadership: Getting Noticed by Giving Thanks

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It’s always felt to me like the one, true American holiday. Almost everyone celebrates it and for these reasons, it is appropriate to discuss the critical communication skill of saying thank you.

Most people, including myself at times, are guilty of emailing thank yous. It’s understandable. Someone does something nice and the immediate reaction is to thank the person. The quickest way to do it is to fire off an email. Showing gratitude, however, is a key interpersonal skill. I see it as a leadership skill. At the very least, it demonstrates that the thanker has good manners. As such, it takes some thought.

The problems with saying thank you by email, txt or IM, are legion, but chief among them is that such messages get buried in the hundreds of communiqués we all receive every day. In addition, there is something terribly impersonal about emailed thank yous.

So I’m pleased to report there is a better way: A handwritten thank you note.

I have been preaching about handwritten thank you notes for years. A handwritten note rises above the clutter of email so effectively. Think about it: You may not respond to most of the hundreds of emails you get each day. But I’ll wager you immediately open a piece of mail with a handwritten address and that doesn’t come in a #10 envelope. I know I do.

I love getting these thoughtful notes.The act communicates so much: The writer took time, she or he cares, the receiver is important. When was the last time an email made you feel that way?

Marc Halpert of Your Best Interest LLC, has begun to send out handwritten thank you notes to all his clients at Thanksgiving instead of sending Christmas cards. The note is simple:

Dear ____

There is no better time to say thank you to our loyal customers than during this early holiday season.

We appreciate working with you and would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours good health and happiness in the coming year.

Sincerely,
Marc W. Halpert

Last year Mark sent about 110 cards and received 3 new pieces of business. Clients felt so good about him as a result of receiving his note, they referred him to others. This year, he tells me, he sent out 200 – that’s 200 handwritten and addressed notes. It’s time consuming so requires planning. But the results speak for themselves. Marc told me that he dropped in on a client this week and the client said, “Oh, it’s the thank you note man.”

Marc and I agree that sending handwritten notes is so rarely done, it always gets noticed and – this is key – the reaction is always positive.

I don’t do Thanksgiving notes the way Marc does, but I always write a note when someone does something nice for me. I sometimes write them at other times such as when I see someone I know mentioned in the news or, of course, to express sympathy or good wishes when someone is ill. Some people have personalized cards printed with their business logo or initials. My preferred method is to use art cards (I’m currently into the impressionists). I write 2 or 3 sentences, address the envelope including my return address and – this is worth the price of admission – use a nice stamp. They cost exactly the same as the boring stamps. (NEVER use the postage meter – way to ruin the moment.) In certain cases, I include my business card.

Anyway, I would love to hear your stories of sending and receiving thank yous, both handwritten and not.

Ruth Sherman • Ruth Sherman Associates, LLC • Greenwich, CT • www.ruthsherman.com

technorati tags: communication, leadership, Thanksgiving, giving thanks, handwritten notes

Posted by Ruth Sherman at 11:00 AM | 14 Comments

Careers: Personal Branding and Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance. It’s one of those throwaway phrases that everyone salutes but a lot of us, including myself, often forget to practice. I just read a moving article written by PR superstar, Terrie M. Williams, who for years suffered from depression and eventually had a major breakdown. Recovered now and an evangelist for work-life balance and mental health, she attributes a lot of her problems to a life gone out of whack. As she writes,

"I’ve habitually spent my days immersed in projects, pouring over details and running from one engagement to another without a break – and it’s suffocating. I’ve even gone so far as to hold my urge to use the bathroom all day so I could make one more phone call, one more meeting, or one more something."

While Williams was an extreme case of work overload, many of us in this crazy 24/7 work culture know what she means. While it’s important to work hard, all work and no play is a recipe for diminishing returns not to mention dysfunction. Our personal brands and our sense of self need nurturing. Williams has a seven point strategy for balancing work and life that’s worth repeating:

1. Connect with a higher power for spiritual strength and give thanks for your blessings
through prayer and meditation.
2. Take the focus off you by volunteering to help others in need.
3. Indulge in “me time” through joyful activities.
4. Work your stress out through exercise or a favorite pastime.
5. Reach out to an understanding loved one for support.
6. Take a few deep breaths to relax.
7. Consider talk therapy (should your life be so out of balance).

Are you keeping your life in balance? I'd love to hear from you.

Posted by Wendy Marx at 9:08 AM | 16 Comments

Innovation: Customers Miss REVOLUTIONARY Credit Card News

Is it because we do not like to be anonymous? A new kind of credit card launches in September and it’s not all over the news. Founded by AOL’s Steve Case and an impressive team of experienced veterans of the credit card and banking business, Revolution Money has all the hallmarks for success. Where are the success stories?

This may be the greatest customer-friendly product you never heard about. According to an article in inside A.R.M.

Continue reading "Innovation: Customers Miss REVOLUTIONARY Credit Card News"