by admin | Dec 5, 2016 | Uncategorized
Christmas lights have come a long way since I was a kid. In the days of old, Christmas lights were all on one circuit, so if one bulb…one itty bitty bulb… burned out, the whole strand of lights would stop working and you’d have to check each bulb to...
by admin | Mar 11, 2016 | Leadership, Marketing, Organizational Design, strategy
I’m a huge fan of using guiding principles. In fact, I often suggest trying to replace formal strategic plans with a good set of memorable, actionable guiding principles wherever possible. You can find more on that HERE if you’re interested. The idea of...
by admin | May 4, 2015 | Brand, Entrepreneurship, strategy
Jack Welch gave me some of the best business/career/strategy advice I’ve ever received. Now, to be fair, he didn’t do it in one of our intimate conversations. Mr. Welch and I have never had any intimate conversations. Or any other manner of...
by admin | Dec 20, 2014 | Innovation, Marketing, strategy
Christmas lights have come a long way since I was a kid. In the days of old, Christmas lights were all on one circuit, so if one bulb…one itty bitty bulb… burned out, the whole strand of lights would stop working and you’d have to check each bulb to...
by admin | Mar 14, 2013 | Brand, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Leadership, Marketing, Organizational Design, Research, strategy
Google has an interesting guiding principle. They believe that everything – every product, every process – is constantly in beta. This helps them avoid the all-too-common “paralysis by analysis” that often derails businesses of all sizes. It...
by admin | Feb 6, 2012 | Marketing, Organizational Design, strategy
In previous entries I’ve suggested that a much more ACTIONABLE alternative to long, drawn-out, boring strategic plans is to have a set of guiding principles that give members of the organization direction on how to make decisions. How to take ACTION, which is...
by ambooth | Jan 19, 2012
Programs tailored forYOUR audience Great Game of Networking ECHO Marketing System The Auctioneer in YOU! Great Game of Networking Minimize effort, make more contacts, get more leads, make more money, and have a lot more fun doing it! Based on his book by the...
by admin | Jun 7, 2011 | Marketing
One of the things I detest about most strategic plans is that they involve a bunch of talk and very little “do.” A strategic plan is pretty much worthless unless it results in action, so my thought is, why not just skip all the time-wasting stuff and...
by admin | Dec 5, 2010 | Marketing
Christmas lights have come a long way since I was a kid. In the days of old, Christmas lights were all on one circuit, so if one bulb…one itty bitty bulb… burned out, the whole strand of lights would stop working and you’d have to check each bulb to...
by admin | Jul 16, 2009 | Marketing
I once heard of a law firm that had one guiding principle that was ingrained in every single employee at every department from the time they were first hired. It goes like this: “You’re either serving the client, or you’re serving the person...
by admin | Jun 16, 2009 | Marketing, Networking
The other day I went on John Deere’s website to get my 2 year old son a John Deere cap to replace the toddler-sized one he’d outgrown. While there, I also bought the little fellow a John Deere Toy Lawn Trimmer, seriously considered a John Deere Toy mower,...
by admin | May 5, 2009 | Marketing
Disney Animation Legend Joe Grant gave Pete Docter, Director of Pixar’s UP, a pencil. The pencil’s visible wear (see for yourself) attests its use in the creation of Disney-caliber artwork of yesteryear. The pencil became one of Docter’s prized...
by admin | Apr 14, 2008 | Marketing
Before you think you’re reading some slang for a profane phrase used in instant messaging, allow me to explain! WTGBRFDT stands for “What’s The Good Business Reason For Doing This?” It is a guiding principle that drives every action, every...
by Dr. Burt Smith | Nov 3, 2007 | Networking
Do it anyway! First, there is a difference between being “sick” and just not “feeling good.” A client of mine who owned several retail stores used that as a guiding principle for employees who considered missing work because they...