Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Why you must eat chocolate – NOW!
Last week we reported on a survey revealing chocolate as the best way to get someone to give you their password. Today we read research from Dr. Elizabeth Triche of Yale University. She notes that chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical known to stimulate the heart, relax muscles, and dilate blood vessels. Therefore chocolate becomes an effective treatment for high blood pressure, chest pain, and hardening of the arteries. These qualities also make it an important part of a pregnant woman’s diet it can reduce complications.The benefits of chocolate are much more extensive. For example, did you know that eating a piece of chocolate 30 minutes before a meal will curb your appetite? Also, chocolate qualifies as two servings of vegetables and one serving of dairy. Its made from cocoa beans, sugar beets, and milk. If you have chocolate covered raisins, cherries, or strawberries you can also count it as a fruit serving.
So dismiss the attitude that chocolate is bad and go grab something in a Godiva, Hershey, Ghirardelli, or Nestle wrapper and get healthy!
Labels: Attitude
Monday, April 28, 2008
Accomplishments may not be as easy as they look
Here is a reminder that leaders make accomplishments look easy. In fact, accomplishments are the result of tremendous perseverance.
Labels: Motivation, Video
Post-Industrial leadership beliefs
Yesterday we discussed the Industrial Leadership beliefs. As we move further through the transition from an industrial economy into the contemporary world of a service-based society, we are seeing a change in the view of leadership.Here are the basic truths of contemporary leadership, according to Komives, Lucas, and McMahon:
- Leadership is based on relationships and does not belong to any individual
- Leadership is meant to create change
- Leadership can be done by anyone, not just people are designated leaders
- Leadership is teachable
- Leadership (good or bad) occurs at all levels
Younger generations experience these leadership qualities throughout their academic life – and have experienced the success they create. Still many companies hold on to the traditional Industrial Leadership model.
Labels: Leadership
Sunday, April 27, 2008
How to find out someone’s birthday
According to a survey conducted by InfoSecurity, 61% of office workers will voluntarily provide their date of birth to someone pretending to be from the IT Department.Claire Sellick, event director for InfoSecurity Europe, says this is becoming a popular way hackers and identity thieves to get this important personal information.
Labels: Survey
Industrial leadership beliefs
When the United States and Canada entered the Industrial Revolution over a century ago managers were required to develop a style wherein former farmers could work in factories. They developed “Scientific Leadership”, which proved to be extremely successful in their environment.Now more commonly referred to as “traditional” or “industrial” leadership, many organizations still follow its concepts. A recent study by a large mid-western university found disengaged employees are often in environments where the four tenants of Industrial leadership are used. Here they are:
- Leadership is an individual possession
- Leadership is positional
- Leadership possesses particular qualities and skills
- Leaders act from internal motivations
Are these your beliefs?
Labels: Corporate_culture, Leadership
Saturday, April 26, 2008
An unlikely hero
Life Lesson: Bad motives often lead to failure.
When San Francisco’s Angela was refused a divorce by her husband, John, she decided drastic steps were in order. She convinced her lover, an auto mechanic, to cut the brake line on John’s car. Blinded by his love, the mechanic obliged.
Fate was on John’s side as soon after the dastardly deed was done a fourth person entered the scene. It was none other than Errol, a car thief. He stole John’s car that same night but could not stop at the bottom of one of the city’s steep hills. Errol died immediately in a horrible collision.
Police investigators eventually discovered the brake line tampering was discovered and Angela and her lover were sent to jail.
John now refers to Errol as his hero.
When San Francisco’s Angela was refused a divorce by her husband, John, she decided drastic steps were in order. She convinced her lover, an auto mechanic, to cut the brake line on John’s car. Blinded by his love, the mechanic obliged.Fate was on John’s side as soon after the dastardly deed was done a fourth person entered the scene. It was none other than Errol, a car thief. He stole John’s car that same night but could not stop at the bottom of one of the city’s steep hills. Errol died immediately in a horrible collision.
Police investigators eventually discovered the brake line tampering was discovered and Angela and her lover were sent to jail.
John now refers to Errol as his hero.
Labels: Anecdote, Motivation
Traffic biggest cause of tardiness
If an employee is late it is probably a result of their trip to work, regardless of what they say. A survey by Careerbuilder.com, recently reported by Boston Business Journal, showed that 39% of tardiness are due to a long commute or heavy traffic.The survey also revealed 24% of employees will lie about being late yet 27% of managers are skeptical of the excuses they receive.
It also noted that 43% of managers care more that work gets done on time rather than their employees are occasionally late.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Giving back vacation days
Harris Interactive has released their annual vacation day give-back report. During 2007, the International Vacation Deprivation Survey found 438,000,000 vacation days were given back to employers. As staggering as this number may seem, it represents a 23.7% drop from 2006.A give-back is vacation time not taken or reimbursed as unused vacation time. The term refers to time earned by an employee but given back to the employer.
Labels: Survey
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Employees worry about retirement
The 2008 Retirement Confidence Survey, taken by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, has seen the largest annual drop in its 18 year history. Only 18% of workers polled were very confident about having sufficient money for retirement, down from last year’s 27%.Confidence was lowest among the 25 to 34 year-old age group and among those earning less than $35,000 annually.
Healthcare and rising fuel prices are factors in the decline with a lack of savings also having an impact. Of those surveyed, only 22% had a savings account.
Employers that can connect employees to retirement security will find better retention, especially with Generation Y employees. However the solution must be more creative and portable than traditional pension and retirement programs.
Labels: Generation, Survey
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Target becomes top Internet retail destination
During March, Target took over the top spot for brick and mortar turned cyber retailers. According to comScore Media Metrix, Target topped former leader, Wal-Mart, 29,873 to 29,474 million unique visitors. Target was ranked 20th of all Internet sets with Wal-Mart positioned in 22nd place.What this means to other Internet entrepreneurs is that "trendy" trumps "price" as a strategy for Internet shopping. Make sure you have a unique value proposition that points out why you are better or different than others, and price becomes almost irrelevant.
Labels: Strategy
Trading chocolate for a password
There is no apparent end to what people will commission a survey to discover. Here is one of the strangest questions we have seen in a long time.According to a survey conducted by InfoSecurity, 45% of women and 10% of men will tell you their password in exchange for chocolate.
The survey did not specify the brand or how big a piece of chocolate works best.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Lateral thinking
Are you a lateral thinker? Read this story and you will find out.
A man was touring a senior’s home looking for a loving place for his aging mother. He was impressed by the cleanliness of the facility and the friendliness of the staff. That is until they got to the dementia wing where his demeanor immediately changed. The tour guide, trained to detect displeased guests, kept noticing rolled eyes, sneers, and a general attitude of disgust.
Her customer service training prohibited her from allowing the disgruntled tour taker from leaving without finding out what his so vehemently objected to.
“Everyone in this wing seems to have gone mad,” he remarked. “Have they all gone mad under your care?”
“Oh, no,” exclaimed the tour guide. “When people are admitted we give them a test. If they pass, they go into the other wing. If they fail, they come into this one.”
Intrigued, the man asked what the test was.
“We show them a bathtub full of water,” she explained. “Next to it is a bucket, a jug, and an 8-ounce glass. We ask them what is the quickest way to empty the tub.”
“Oh, so those with all their faculties will know it is the bucket, right?”
“Absolutely not,” she replied, “The bucket is not the right answer.”
For the correct answer, click here.
A man was touring a senior’s home looking for a loving place for his aging mother. He was impressed by the cleanliness of the facility and the friendliness of the staff. That is until they got to the dementia wing where his demeanor immediately changed. The tour guide, trained to detect displeased guests, kept noticing rolled eyes, sneers, and a general attitude of disgust.Her customer service training prohibited her from allowing the disgruntled tour taker from leaving without finding out what his so vehemently objected to.
“Everyone in this wing seems to have gone mad,” he remarked. “Have they all gone mad under your care?”
“Oh, no,” exclaimed the tour guide. “When people are admitted we give them a test. If they pass, they go into the other wing. If they fail, they come into this one.”
Intrigued, the man asked what the test was.
“We show them a bathtub full of water,” she explained. “Next to it is a bucket, a jug, and an 8-ounce glass. We ask them what is the quickest way to empty the tub.”
“Oh, so those with all their faculties will know it is the bucket, right?”
“Absolutely not,” she replied, “The bucket is not the right answer.”
For the correct answer, click here.
Labels: Anecdote, Creativity
How 3M coaches employees
Coaching employees is a challenge for any leader. Gene Nichols at 3M Medical in St. Paul wanted to find a way to initiate a successful coaching program using existing tools.A case study is now available (click here) to show how Gene successfully did it.
Labels: Assessments, Case_Study, Coaching
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The butcher and the chicken
Life Lesson: You cannot get away with trying to cheat customers.
Sometimes even the most ethical people might try to pull a fast one. If that ever happens to you, remember the story of this butcher:
Anxious to go home, the butcher was happy when a lady came into the shop because he was sure she’d buy his one remaining chicken. He placed it on the scale and said, “That will be $5.78,” he said.
“Hmm, that’s too small for my hungry bunch,” said the woman. “Do you have anything larger?”
Desperation overtook good judgment as he returned the bird to the refrigerator. After pausing a moment he took it out again.
“This one,” he said faintly, “will be $6.75.”
“That’s a little better, I’ll take it,” she said. Then thinking it over she added, “You know what, I better take both of them.”
Sometimes even the most ethical people might try to pull a fast one. If that ever happens to you, remember the story of this butcher:Anxious to go home, the butcher was happy when a lady came into the shop because he was sure she’d buy his one remaining chicken. He placed it on the scale and said, “That will be $5.78,” he said.
“Hmm, that’s too small for my hungry bunch,” said the woman. “Do you have anything larger?”
Desperation overtook good judgment as he returned the bird to the refrigerator. After pausing a moment he took it out again.
“This one,” he said faintly, “will be $6.75.”
“That’s a little better, I’ll take it,” she said. Then thinking it over she added, “You know what, I better take both of them.”
Labels: Anecdote, Customer_Service
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Wal-Mart fashions tie into the organic hunger
Recognizing the growing trend for organic products, Wal-Mart is introducing a line of t-shirts made from transitional cotton. Sporting the “Faded Glory” label, the t-shirts help customers add “eco-essentials” to their wardrobe.Generation Y is extremely supportive of organic products in their buying habits. Their buying power is allowing the organic farming industry to operate more profitably as they have a more consistent level of end consumers. Farmers now have confidence to turn over land to organically certifiable conditions and are more able to demand prices offsetting the more labor intensive practices associated with organic farming.
According to the Organic Cotton Exchange, Wal-Mart will use over 40 million pounds of the natural fiber. This makes Wal-Mart the world’s largest user of transitional cotton and will lead to other companies expanding their marketing of organics.
Do you have a strategy to go green for Generation Y? If not, develop one soon connect to the Millennial generation, Wal-Mart says their move will make it easier for their customers to have “eco-essentials” at lower prices.Millennial Generation is already
Labels: Generation, Strategy, Wal-Mart
Friday, April 18, 2008
New opportunities to sell to Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart is actively seeking to open its bank account to small local organic businesses. Entrepreneurs with organic produce, organic lawn care, water-saving techniques, recycling services, and organic cleaning services are able to contact local store managers to begin the process of becoming a Wal-Mart supplier.
Initially the program is being tested in Wisconsin and Minnesota where new vendors will be placed on a 60 to twelve-month trial to determine success.
If you are in any of the categories listed in the Wal-Mart targeted products and services, develop a value proposition sales strategy. Wal-Mart is not going to change to you simply because you are green. They want profits and costs are tremendously important. However they have been known to pay a little extra for quality, particularly if you can free their management and staff to concentrate more on creating their own sales.
Initially the program is being tested in Wisconsin and Minnesota where new vendors will be placed on a 60 to twelve-month trial to determine success.
If you are in any of the categories listed in the Wal-Mart targeted products and services, develop a value proposition sales strategy. Wal-Mart is not going to change to you simply because you are green. They want profits and costs are tremendously important. However they have been known to pay a little extra for quality, particularly if you can free their management and staff to concentrate more on creating their own sales.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The smart generation strikes again
On April 5th the posting was about a 5th grade student that had found a scientific reference error at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. The sign had been in place for more than two decades with the term in error in prominent boldface print.Now a story is coming out of Berlin about a 13-year-old (a.k.a. 8th grader) that has corrected the formula for predicting when an asteroid could collide with the Earth.
The youngster noticed the “boffins” in the equation had been miscalculated. Apparently this has something to do with the likelihood of the asteroid first hitting a satellite before entering the earth’s atmosphere.
The findings were discovered while preparing a project for a regional science competition.
What does this mean to the business world? Quite simply, the incoming talent will be able to do amazing things if we combine their textbook smarts with leadership skills.
Labels: Generation
The mailing list
Life Lesson: Not every mistake ends in disaster.
A small marketing company was engaged to help with a mailing to Fortune 500 companies. To keep costs down they gave the assignment to an entry level clerk – after all it was just a mail merge.
When the novice first looked at the address list, kept on an Excel spreadsheet, it was noticed the addresses were not in alphabetical order. Highlighting the company name column and hitting “sort”, the clerk quickly rearranged the list. Or did it?
In reality, only the company names were sorted, thereby the names were now on lines with the addresses of another company. The clerk did not notice the change and nobody double checked the work – so the mailing went out.
Disaster? No!
The mailing was a huge success. It seems people had a insatiable desire to read the other company’s mail.
Remember this for your next marketing campaign. Make sure it is creative enough to get the target’s interest.
A small marketing company was engaged to help with a mailing to Fortune 500 companies. To keep costs down they gave the assignment to an entry level clerk – after all it was just a mail merge.When the novice first looked at the address list, kept on an Excel spreadsheet, it was noticed the addresses were not in alphabetical order. Highlighting the company name column and hitting “sort”, the clerk quickly rearranged the list. Or did it?
In reality, only the company names were sorted, thereby the names were now on lines with the addresses of another company. The clerk did not notice the change and nobody double checked the work – so the mailing went out.
Disaster? No!
The mailing was a huge success. It seems people had a insatiable desire to read the other company’s mail.
Remember this for your next marketing campaign. Make sure it is creative enough to get the target’s interest.
Labels: Anecdote
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Will you spend less in retirement? Think again!
Over half of current employees (58%) feel they will spend less money in retirement according to the 2008 Retirement Confidence Survey, taken by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.If the survey is correct, this is a myth as only 46% of retirees say they spend less now that they no longer work.
When employees take the time to calculate their financial goals for retirement, 44% modified their savings plans, with 59% of those increasing their contribution.
Labels: Survey
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart team for recycled apparel
A new apparel line, “Drink 2 Wear”, will debut in select Wal-Mart stores this week. The “green” feature of the new product is that the fabric is a blend of recycled plastic cola bottles and cotton. Sporting the “Coca-Cola” label, the t-shirts will have such sayings as “Rehash your Trash” and “Make your Plastic Fantastic”.Additional products in Coca-Cola’s assortment include tote bags, messenger bags, caps, purses, and notebooks.
Although the bottle usage by items seems small, 4 bottles for a Men’s shirt and 3 bottles for a women’s shirts, Coca-Cola North America says Wal-Mart customers can be pivotal in removing 700 million bottles from the waste stream.
This is another strategy for connecting to the growing trend for earth-friendly products.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Business survival lesson from two ants
Yvonne, the clerk I wrote about in the difficult personality chapter of Life’s Leadership Lessons, once told me a joke. I remember it because it was such a great example of how to achieve success when it seems everyone is taking swings at you. Here is how the story goes:An ant colony had established itself in the sand trap at the country club. Life was typically quiet and peaceful as the ants went about their daily busy. However one afternoon the tranquility was suddenly broken when a golf ball landed smack dab in the middle of the main entrance to the colony’s underground tunnels. The ants tried to move the ball, but to no avail – it was simply too big and heavy.
Soon two men carrying clubs walked toward the ball and soon one would be standing next to it waving a club. He swing and missed the ball. Ant-filled sand was flying through the air and when it landed hundreds of ants were dead. The man took a small step forward and raised his club again. He swung even harder than before, sending another flume into the air. More ants were dead.
After a few more readjustment in where he stood, a few more swings, and more dead ants, the ball remained untouched.
Finally there were only two ants left. As the man got ready for another swing, one ant turned to the other and said, “It looks like the only way we are going to survive is if we get on the ball.”
Morale of the story: no matter how many times they swing at you, keep alert – stay on the ball.
Labels: Anecdote, Attitude, Strategy
Transitioning from salesperson to VP
Being the top salesperson does not necessarily equate to being a great Vice President of Sales. Leading a large sales organization is a completely different skill set and being able to close sales.This was a painful lesson when a leading salesperson at a home-building company accepted an offer to become vice president of sales.
To continue reading this case study, click here.
Labels: Case_Study, Sales
Friday, April 11, 2008
The English Lesson
Life Lesson: Know when to stop talking.
The teacher interrupted the conversation when one of the students say, “I don't know nothing about it.” To the educator this was an excellent opportunity to teach the class about double negatives and correct grammar.
The teacher explained, “In the English language a double negative makes the statement positive, so your assertion that you ‘don't know nothing about it’ is actually an admission that you do know something about it.”
Some of the class seemed very interested, so the teacher went on to demonstrate more of his knowledge of world languages. “Of course not all languages operate according to the same grammatical rules, for example, in Russian, a double negative remains negative, although perhaps surprisingly, there is not a single language anywhere in the world in which a double positive makes a negative.”
Suddenly a voice from the back of the classroom called out, “Yeah, Yeah.”
The teacher interrupted the conversation when one of the students say, “I don't know nothing about it.” To the educator this was an excellent opportunity to teach the class about double negatives and correct grammar.The teacher explained, “In the English language a double negative makes the statement positive, so your assertion that you ‘don't know nothing about it’ is actually an admission that you do know something about it.”
Some of the class seemed very interested, so the teacher went on to demonstrate more of his knowledge of world languages. “Of course not all languages operate according to the same grammatical rules, for example, in Russian, a double negative remains negative, although perhaps surprisingly, there is not a single language anywhere in the world in which a double positive makes a negative.”
Suddenly a voice from the back of the classroom called out, “Yeah, Yeah.”
Labels: Anecdote, Communication, Story
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The cost of disorganization
The Wall Street Journal reports that the average American business person loses six weeks a year searching for lost or misplaced articles from messy desks and files.This lack of understanding time management best practices translates into a loss of $3,125 for each $25,000 employee, when an hour a day is spent unproductively.
Labels: Survey, Time_management
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
CIOs see telecommuting benefits
Telecommuting is catching on as a business strategy as more top executives see real benefits from the practice. As fuel prices continue to raise and commutes reach record lengths of time, employees consider it a tremendous advantage when they can spend one or more days working from home.According to a recent survey by Intranet Dashboard, here are the top five telecommuting benefits:
- Greater efficiency 53%
- Reduced absenteeism 46%
- Productivity gains 44%
- Reduced office overheads 36%
- Improved recruitment and retention 32%
Labels: Employee_Retention, Survey
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Oops – I hired the wrong person
Have you ever hired someone and then immediately known you made a mistake? If so, you are not alone.
Assessments can help in the hiring process by identifying the work ethic, reliability, integrity, and propensity for drug and Internet abuse. Improving an organization’s supervisory skills also has an impact.
Here are the top reasons new hires are quickly fired, according to research from Michigan State University:
Assessments can help in the hiring process by identifying the work ethic, reliability, integrity, and propensity for drug and Internet abuse. Improving an organization’s supervisory skills also has an impact.
Here are the top reasons new hires are quickly fired, according to research from Michigan State University:
- Unethical behavior 28%
- Work ethic 18%
- Inappropriate use of technology 14%
- Failure to follow instructions 9%
- Lateness 8%
- Missing deadlines 7%
Labels: Assessments, Hiring, Survey
Monday, April 7, 2008
The hotel room without an exit
Life Lesson: New experiences can cause irrational results.
It was the young salesperson’s first road trip and the first time he had ever been in a hotel. After checking in he went to his room. He checked out all the amenities and hung up his clothes before getting ready to go out to dinner. Then he had a problem and had to call the front desk.
“You've given me a room without an exit. How do I get out?”
The desk clerk said, “Sir, that's ridiculous! Have you looked for the door?”
The man said, “Well, one door goes into the bathroom and another is for the closet. The only other door has a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.”
New employees often have the same problem as this man. We know the terminology, policies, and corporate culture yet most businesses do not provide an effective employee orientation program. Employees feel trapped because they do not want to seem stupid by asking. Trapped in their hotel room they try to make sense of things by themselves. Often they fail.
By instituting a best-in-class employee orientation program, an employer gives their new hire the confidence that translates in a long-term commitment to the success of their organization.
It was the young salesperson’s first road trip and the first time he had ever been in a hotel. After checking in he went to his room. He checked out all the amenities and hung up his clothes before getting ready to go out to dinner. Then he had a problem and had to call the front desk.“You've given me a room without an exit. How do I get out?”
The desk clerk said, “Sir, that's ridiculous! Have you looked for the door?”
The man said, “Well, one door goes into the bathroom and another is for the closet. The only other door has a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.”
New employees often have the same problem as this man. We know the terminology, policies, and corporate culture yet most businesses do not provide an effective employee orientation program. Employees feel trapped because they do not want to seem stupid by asking. Trapped in their hotel room they try to make sense of things by themselves. Often they fail.
By instituting a best-in-class employee orientation program, an employer gives their new hire the confidence that translates in a long-term commitment to the success of their organization.
Labels: Anecdote, Orientation, Story
Rewards of selling winning lottery ticket
The owner of a gas station and mini-mart in Redford Township, Michigan, has pledged to use the event to reward his customers. Tarek Saad, the station’s owner, will receive a check from the State of Michigan in the amount of $50,000 for selling the winning ticket in the Mega Millions multi-state lottery.When it was announced his station had sold the winning ticket, Detroit media outlets flocked to the station to do live remote broadcasts on their news programs. A prominent “Under New Management” sign appeared on the window, providing the station with excellent, free publicity. The owner, recognizing the value of the publicity, decided to extend his 15 minutes of fame by using his money from the state to get even more publicity.
The date of the sale has not been announced, but at today’s wholesale plus taxes, the cost would be around $3 per gallon.
Perhaps Saad’s actions will also help people understand the tight profit margin on gasoline.
Labels: Customer_loyalty, Strategy
Sunday, April 6, 2008
How to ensure a great review, initially
Life Lesson: Understand the facts before a performance review.
Two patients at a psychiatric residential center were walking by the pool when suddenly one fell in the deep end. Knowing the submerged senior could not swim, Bob jumped in to rescue him. Pulling him onto the deck, Bob did not hesitate to resuscitate his friend, saving his life.
The next day was Bob’s annual review. He sat nervously across from the director of the hospital’s review board.
“I have some good news and some bad news,” the director started. “The good news is that in light of yesterday’s heroism we feel you are sane and can return to your home. Now the bad news: When your friend returned to his room after your rescue he apparently hung himself in the bathroom with the belt from his bathrobe. I'm sorry but he's dead."
“He didn't hang himself,” Bob replied, “I put him there to dry.”
Two patients at a psychiatric residential center were walking by the pool when suddenly one fell in the deep end. Knowing the submerged senior could not swim, Bob jumped in to rescue him. Pulling him onto the deck, Bob did not hesitate to resuscitate his friend, saving his life.The next day was Bob’s annual review. He sat nervously across from the director of the hospital’s review board.
“I have some good news and some bad news,” the director started. “The good news is that in light of yesterday’s heroism we feel you are sane and can return to your home. Now the bad news: When your friend returned to his room after your rescue he apparently hung himself in the bathroom with the belt from his bathrobe. I'm sorry but he's dead."
“He didn't hang himself,” Bob replied, “I put him there to dry.”
Labels: Anecdote, Appraisals, Story
Cultural leap at restaurant eliminates red ink
Business up 87% by reaching new market
The food at the middle-eastern restaurant was delicious, fresh, and healthy. It was a popular eating spot for the students on the adjacent university campus due to its fast service and affordable prices. Many students were regulars due to a varied menu for those with typically American tastes and traditional Middle Eastern cooking for the school's Arabic population.
To continue reading this case study, click here.
The food at the middle-eastern restaurant was delicious, fresh, and healthy. It was a popular eating spot for the students on the adjacent university campus due to its fast service and affordable prices. Many students were regulars due to a varied menu for those with typically American tastes and traditional Middle Eastern cooking for the school's Arabic population.To continue reading this case study, click here.
Labels: Case_Study, Culture
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Is the Smithsonian smarter than a 5th grader?
Life Lesson: Never underestimate individual contribution.
Evidently not! A fifth grade student from Alamo Elementary School in Allegan, Michigan, noticed a sign at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington had a major error.
The sign, placed on a museum exhibit 26 years ago, used bold lettering to declare the Precambrian as an era. The boy knew from his science class that this was wrong, so turned in a suggestion card at the information desk.
He received a letter from the museum saying, "The Precambrian is a dimensionless unit of time, which embraces all the time between the origin of Earth and the beginning of the Cambrian Period of geologic time."
The Smithsonian has painted over the world “era”.
Evidently not! A fifth grade student from Alamo Elementary School in Allegan, Michigan, noticed a sign at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington had a major error.The sign, placed on a museum exhibit 26 years ago, used bold lettering to declare the Precambrian as an era. The boy knew from his science class that this was wrong, so turned in a suggestion card at the information desk.
He received a letter from the museum saying, "The Precambrian is a dimensionless unit of time, which embraces all the time between the origin of Earth and the beginning of the Cambrian Period of geologic time."
The Smithsonian has painted over the world “era”.
Labels: Humor
Friday, April 4, 2008
Sneakers and leadership
If you have purchased three or more pairs of sneakers in the last year, you are 61% more likely to demonstrate leadership qualities. So says a survey from Mindset Media. Sneaker seekers are 50% more likely to be assertive and 47% more likely to be spontaneous according to the report.
We decided to look more deeply into this matter. What we found was that sneeker manufacturer Reebok actually helps organizations with a unique motivational program.
Or do they?
When Felcher and Sons needed to improve employee productivity they turned to Reebok for help. Here is how Reebok answered:
We decided to look more deeply into this matter. What we found was that sneeker manufacturer Reebok actually helps organizations with a unique motivational program.
Or do they?
When Felcher and Sons needed to improve employee productivity they turned to Reebok for help. Here is how Reebok answered:
Labels: Humor, Motivation, Survey, Video
Thursday, April 3, 2008
A sicker workplace?
A recent survey shows that an overwhelming 83% of employees say they go to work – even if they are sick!The survey by ComPsych of Chicago shows a sharp increase since 2005 when only 77% of employees said the same.
Corporate culture is a contributor as employees go to work when sick because:
- they feel an obligation to their employer,
- do not have paid sick-time available, or
- they want to save sick-time so it will be turned into an unused sick-time check at the end of the year.
Labels: Corporate_culture, Survey
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Innovation connects viewers/soaps
Life Lesson: Times change – stay relevant.
The television soap opera, General Hospital, is celebrating 45 years on television. It began on April 1, 1963, when Kennedy was president and working mothers were in the minority. Today, the show continues its success by connecting to a new generation of viewers by meeting them on their turf.
The strategy used by General Hospital’s producers is a lesson for us all if we want to remain significant in the marketplace for an extended period. Here is what they do:
The television soap opera, General Hospital, is celebrating 45 years on television. It began on April 1, 1963, when Kennedy was president and working mothers were in the minority. Today, the show continues its success by connecting to a new generation of viewers by meeting them on their turf.The strategy used by General Hospital’s producers is a lesson for us all if we want to remain significant in the marketplace for an extended period. Here is what they do:
- Keep their message current. They have changed the way they connect to their viewers by keeping their scripts relative to the times. Just as other businesses find it important to connect to their audience by keeping up with current issues and the pop-culture, GH has addressed a changing line-up of issues.
- Connect with feelings. They have not stayed away from the issues impacting the heart of the nation. When breast cancer became an important topic, they wrote it into their script. Adoption, dysfunctional families, and other real-life issues have been addressed.
- Connect with technology. Characters have blogs, MySpace and Facebook pages, and connect in other ways to a new generation of viewers.
Success in career and business depend on these same key issues. Keeping a resume current, emotionally relevant, and showing knowledge and usage technology are important. Keeping a business current with its marketing message and mechanisms to connect to customers for purchasing and staff accessibility allows it to move forward.
Labels: Strategy
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Reaching your dreams
Life Lesson: Leaders enjoy the successes of others.
When preparing for Impact Today’s daily posting and the posting for my other blog, Tapestry™, I review a tremendous amount of material. It is an enjoyable effort as often I stumble across something absolutely remarkable. My friend, Richard Buzard, first called my attention to a video of Paul Potts. Paul was a common man, selling car phones in Wales, UK. Paul is also an uncommon opera singer being introduced to the world on television’s Brittan’s Got Talent.
It is featured on Tapestry because Paul has brought the culture of opera back into the public dialog. But there is something more to the story, which I realized this morning.
Each time I listen the same thing happens as his voice first reaches perfect tone at the high notes and the cameras pan a stunned panel of judges. At thus point I shed a tear.
This morning I realized why I can listen over and over and the same impact occurs. It is because at that moment it becomes clear that Paul has met a life-long goal. What a marvelous thing to witness, to share in, and in some way to remind us all that dreams can come true.
Paul Potts has now sung around the world, including a performance before the Queen of England. And with each performance he challenges us to turn our dreams into reality.
Visit our other blog, Tapestry™ to hear a mixed duet featuring Pavarotti and Potts. It is another moving performance.
When preparing for Impact Today’s daily posting and the posting for my other blog, Tapestry™, I review a tremendous amount of material. It is an enjoyable effort as often I stumble across something absolutely remarkable. My friend, Richard Buzard, first called my attention to a video of Paul Potts. Paul was a common man, selling car phones in Wales, UK. Paul is also an uncommon opera singer being introduced to the world on television’s Brittan’s Got Talent.
It is featured on Tapestry because Paul has brought the culture of opera back into the public dialog. But there is something more to the story, which I realized this morning.
Each time I listen the same thing happens as his voice first reaches perfect tone at the high notes and the cameras pan a stunned panel of judges. At thus point I shed a tear.
This morning I realized why I can listen over and over and the same impact occurs. It is because at that moment it becomes clear that Paul has met a life-long goal. What a marvelous thing to witness, to share in, and in some way to remind us all that dreams can come true.
Paul Potts has now sung around the world, including a performance before the Queen of England. And with each performance he challenges us to turn our dreams into reality.
Visit our other blog, Tapestry™ to hear a mixed duet featuring Pavarotti and Potts. It is another moving performance.
Labels: Goals, Motivation, Video
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