January 26, 2011
Blogger Bill Taylor recently featured Ray Davis and the culture of Umpqua Bank as an example of “finding the revolution before if finds you.”
The article revisits the banks roots in Roseburg and its ascendancy to a multi-state bank with assets totaling more than $111 billion. It salutes Davis’ vision of changing the banking experience by appealing to all five senses. An interesting article about vision and change made all the better because of our local connection. Read it here.
November 3, 2010
Since reading “Playing favorites, identifying your best customers” in Entrepreneur.com I’ve been much more aware of how much of our time is consumed by dealing with people who are perpetual problems.
Some have been easy to spot this election season as we find lots of time chewed up by a few letter writers who regularly refuse to provide documentation to back up their political claims. and complaints. They will then argue endlessly that we are obligated to publish their letter as submitted. The takeaway from the Entrepreneur article is that the time we give to these people, week after week, is diminishing our ability to take good care of our best customers and to take care of business.
Every successful business has great customers, but also deals with people who drain time and emotional energy – they suck the joy out of your day. I mentioned this insight to one of our successful, local businessmen who told me he got rid of his worst customers years ago and now he loves his work and his customers, who reciprocate by buying more.
While the customer may always be right, they don’t always need to be a customer – their choice, or yours? The next time you find your in-box stacking up with calls and work for your best customers, while you listen to a chronic complainer, it may be worth remembering you have a choice.
November 3, 2010
This weekend I happened upon a very smart blog and podcast from Jill Geisler entitled “What Great Bosses Know”.
After listening to a few of the three minute podcasts, I downloaded the set that has already been provided – about 80 podcasts from I-Tunes University. They are short, well presented, and offer not only confirmation for what I think is important but have pointed out a few of my shortcomings – like not appropriately closing the loop on some internal email.
Some of the topics: Face time and feedback; the power of questions, making change stick, breaking collaboration barriers, powerful communications and more.
October 19, 2010
Margaret Heffernan, who bills herself the Serial CEO, has some opinions about why American companies’ return on assets have sunk to 25% of what they were in the mid 1960s.
In her bnet.com article, she says we are doing less with more. A paradox during times when we have heard for years the need to do more with less.
The title of her article is, “Where did our productivity go”, and I think her answers will surprise you.
June 15, 2010
John Wooden was a great coach and a great human. We are not reminded often enough that there are men and women who walk among us who are just better people than we are and that we should strive to be more. John Wooden’s death last week reminded us of tales of greatness and humility and I was once again astonished. If you would better understand Wooden’s way to great leadership you’ll really enjoy his official website. Don’t miss his Pyramid of Success, here is the link to the printable version.
June 15, 2010
We all know great customer service is central to a healthy and growing business and sometimes its nice to be reminded of ways to provide it. Here is a quick list from SMB InformationWeek. The list includes reminders to:
May 4, 2010
Try selling an aspirational and expensive leisure item during a down economy and you’ll recognize some of the challenges H-D CEO Keith Wandell faced this past few years. Tough as in plant closures, selling divisions, employee layoffs and new products. Interesting story from Journal-Sentinel.
May 4, 2010
This story in the Los Angeles Times tells of Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly’s decision not to charge for baggage – you know the ads, “Bags fly free!” Kelly calculates the decision captured $1 billion in market share and kept them profitable while others struggle.
I like this story. Not just because a single, gutsy decision was successful. I like it because of some of the other leadership lessons, like to be an excellent leader you have to be a superb follower. I have some folks that work here that are like that.
Check out this this entertaining video from TED about how movements get started.
March 30, 2010
Part of business life is just dealing with people who are just not fun. This article from Forbes is part of their very interesting “how to” series and offers some entertaining ways to get past some of the sticky points in life. You’ll also find links afor articles suggesting how to identify people who are lying, how to deliver bad news and anger management techniques.
February 6, 2010
If you’re fortunate, the brainstorming sessions in which you have participate have been facilitated by someone who actually knows how to run one. If not, you’ve endured the misery that besets most contemporary decision-making sessions.
It is not just sloppily run brainstorming that is behind some of corporate America’s worst decisions, research is showing that brainstorming works best for moderately complex issues and poorly for very complex issues. In fact, psychologists have found a greater quantity and better outcomes from the same number of people working on the issue solo.
So, this article in Harvard Business Review suggests you consider the type of problem you face before rolling out the sticky pads and white board.
This post also gives me an excuse to use one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite books, A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. Speaking a small flower that grows in poor soils he writes, “Only gravel ridges are poor enough to offer pasques full elbow room in the April sun. They endure snows, sleets, and bitter winds for the privilege of blooming alone.”
Bloom on,
Mark
Business Events The News-Review Business
