Task lists are interesting animals, aren't they? Almost organic in nature, they seem to grow overnight, evolve, mock us and elicit guilt just as easily as a living, breathing creature.
One of the most definitive indicators of whether a week will be productive and positive or frustrating and negative is how sure a grip I have on my To Do List. Most of us struggle to track and manage the myriad of small activities we need to accomplish. Here are a few tricks that help me - I hope they help you too!
Put tasks on your calendar. I've become religious about doing this, and it is a great tool for time management. You see, your to do list isn't just about remembering all the tasks... it's about making time to complete those tasks. Simply listing things on a sheet of paper doesn't give you any idea of how much time will be required to accomplish them, or help you organize your schedule to find that time. A calendar (unlike paper lists) is finite. There are only so many hours in a day. And when you think through how each pending job fits into the big picture of your day, you are forced to get realistic about what will get done and when. When you make a conscious decision about when and where you are going to do something, the chances of you accomplishing that task increase dramatically.
Do it now! There is no time like the present. When I update my To Do List there are inevitably a ton of minor tasks that make the list seem more daunting than it really is. Look through your To Do List every day and find the phone calls to return or the documents to mail. It never fails to amaze me how many things have been languishing on my list for weeks that, once I decide to do them, take only a few minutes. I've learned that those things should be done immediately. The sense of accomplishment and relief you feel in seeing your To Do List drop dramatically in 30 minutes is priceless.
Schedule tasks according to when they are due. I don't view every task with the same urgency. Some items on your To Do List probably need to be done today. But many of them don't. Don't make the mistake of listing activities with no order, dates or rank. A random list of tasks ranging from personal chores to phone calls to pressing project deadlines isn't very helpful for prioritization. Whether you use an A/B/C system (with A being urgent and C being eventually), or you cluster tasks by date, make sure you go into each day with certainty about what must be accomplished and what might be accomplished.
Don't do it. I know, this is a funny suggestion, but there truly are things on your To Do List that don't matter. It's OK to delete tasks and move on. Let's say there's a book someone mentioned that you want to purchase or a thank you note you've intended to write for two months - is the earth going to explode if you don't do it? No. The task only exists because you've created it, and no one else will even know if you don't accomplish it. Be willing to let some of these jobs go when you're feeling overwhelmed. If actually deleting the task from your list completely goes against your nature, another option is to create a 'Someday List'. This is a great place to house those little things that you'd like to get to one day, but which don't matter in the present. A URL to look at, a book to buy, an old friend from high school to reconnect with... the Someday List is the place!
That's my system. By staying on top of your To Do List, you'll avoid the horrible feeling of trying to outrun your To Dos, the shame of missing an important deadline, or the guilt of ignoring things that really matter.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Building Loyalty in Younger Customers
Something interesting is happening the customer relations game... historically winning strategies and services are not working on the youngest customers in the marketplace. Companies that have maintained a positive public image and strong consumer loyalty for decades are faltering in their ability to connect with the thirty and under crowd.
Why? There are typically a few key factors contributing to the lack of appeal to young customers:
The dominant sales model is oriented toward the company and not the consumer. Take, for example, buying automobile insurance the traditional way. You have to deal with an agent in person. This individual holds all the cards. They take your information, assess your situation, and make recommendations. You never see all your options, competitors rates, outside reviews, or anything else to reinforce the validity of the deal you're offered. You're expected to trust.
The younger generation isn't so big on blind trust. Wise beyond their years, they want to see the complete picture, take an active role in determining what is best for them and drive the decision to buy. The traditional sales model is not set up for that dynamic. In fact, many companies consciously try to hide negative reviews, competitors pricing and lower cost alternatives from their customers. This attitude will not fly with twenty-somethings! If they perceive the sales process to be focused on maximizing corporate sales and not acting in their best interest they will view it as untrustworthy and shop elsewhere.
You have to communicate in the manner your customers prefer. Twenty-somethings don't connect very often in person - especially for business. They don't like to talk on the phone. They live in a world of text messages, Facebook, Twitter, chat rooms and YouTube. Forcing them to engage in meetings, endure multiple phone calls, read reams of impenetrable documents in small print or navigate a clunky website is sure to make them hate you. My daughter recently informed me that email is 'old-school' and she doesn't check hers very often anymore.
For most large organizations human interactions are based on a model from the 50's and even their online tools and resources are more in tune with 90's technology than 2011. In order to build real relationships with younger customers you have to join the 21st century! Otherwise they will do business with you only grudgingly and run to a competitor the first chance they get. Going back to our auto insurance example, Progressive is stealing young customers left and right from players dominant in the industry for decades. They show competitors rates side-by-side with their own, allow customers to easily shop online, never force interaction with an agent, share testimonials, and offer a plethora of policy options.
Alignment of quality and care claims has to match your customers' reality. Every company says they care about meeting their customers unique needs... every company claims to have an appealing and intuitive website... every company says the sale will be quick and simple. We've all heard the claims, but they seldom match what happens in real life. Baby boomers and middle-age professionals are likely to sigh and buy from you anyway. Twenty-somethings are disgusted and they leave.
Rethink your website. Openly share information and elicit feedback. Make as many transactions as possible online. Introduce apps. Provide multiple signals of quality. Use email, text and social media to offer updates, discounts and reminders. And when someone does have to deal with a human being - you had better make it an efficient and positive experience. If you don't, eventually a competitor will come along who realizes that it is 2011 and they will decimate your market share.
Why? There are typically a few key factors contributing to the lack of appeal to young customers:
The dominant sales model is oriented toward the company and not the consumer. Take, for example, buying automobile insurance the traditional way. You have to deal with an agent in person. This individual holds all the cards. They take your information, assess your situation, and make recommendations. You never see all your options, competitors rates, outside reviews, or anything else to reinforce the validity of the deal you're offered. You're expected to trust.
The younger generation isn't so big on blind trust. Wise beyond their years, they want to see the complete picture, take an active role in determining what is best for them and drive the decision to buy. The traditional sales model is not set up for that dynamic. In fact, many companies consciously try to hide negative reviews, competitors pricing and lower cost alternatives from their customers. This attitude will not fly with twenty-somethings! If they perceive the sales process to be focused on maximizing corporate sales and not acting in their best interest they will view it as untrustworthy and shop elsewhere.
You have to communicate in the manner your customers prefer. Twenty-somethings don't connect very often in person - especially for business. They don't like to talk on the phone. They live in a world of text messages, Facebook, Twitter, chat rooms and YouTube. Forcing them to engage in meetings, endure multiple phone calls, read reams of impenetrable documents in small print or navigate a clunky website is sure to make them hate you. My daughter recently informed me that email is 'old-school' and she doesn't check hers very often anymore.
For most large organizations human interactions are based on a model from the 50's and even their online tools and resources are more in tune with 90's technology than 2011. In order to build real relationships with younger customers you have to join the 21st century! Otherwise they will do business with you only grudgingly and run to a competitor the first chance they get. Going back to our auto insurance example, Progressive is stealing young customers left and right from players dominant in the industry for decades. They show competitors rates side-by-side with their own, allow customers to easily shop online, never force interaction with an agent, share testimonials, and offer a plethora of policy options.
Alignment of quality and care claims has to match your customers' reality. Every company says they care about meeting their customers unique needs... every company claims to have an appealing and intuitive website... every company says the sale will be quick and simple. We've all heard the claims, but they seldom match what happens in real life. Baby boomers and middle-age professionals are likely to sigh and buy from you anyway. Twenty-somethings are disgusted and they leave.
Rethink your website. Openly share information and elicit feedback. Make as many transactions as possible online. Introduce apps. Provide multiple signals of quality. Use email, text and social media to offer updates, discounts and reminders. And when someone does have to deal with a human being - you had better make it an efficient and positive experience. If you don't, eventually a competitor will come along who realizes that it is 2011 and they will decimate your market share.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
View Video of Client, Wendy Booker, on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Click below to view PR client Wendy Booker’s guest appearance on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson that aired on Friday, March 4th! She and Craig discuss, MS, marathons, mountains and her upcoming expedition to the North Pole via dog sled.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Got Gear? Got Cheer?
Oh yes, Boulder... it's time for Gear & Cheer - one of Boulder’s best parties of the year, benefiting The Women’s Wilderness Institute!
In its ninth year, the Arts themed event will be the best yet!
Brush off your dancing skills, don your most colorful attire and join us, March 16th, 2011 at The Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, as we host over 500 local outdoor enthusiasts for an evening of live entertainment, a fashion show, local beverage and food tasting as well as an amazing auction of high performance outdoor gear, great local services, and exciting trip packages.
Your evening of merriment will directly fund another brilliant season of outstanding wilderness courses and community programs for girls and women of all ages and backgrounds. Because of your annual generous support and dedication for the Gear and Cheer fund raising event, The Women’s Wilderness Institute is able to continue to provide the gifts of courage, confidence and leadership to a multitude of outstanding girls and women each year.
Register now at http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=932754.
In its ninth year, the Arts themed event will be the best yet!
Brush off your dancing skills, don your most colorful attire and join us, March 16th, 2011 at The Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, as we host over 500 local outdoor enthusiasts for an evening of live entertainment, a fashion show, local beverage and food tasting as well as an amazing auction of high performance outdoor gear, great local services, and exciting trip packages.
Your evening of merriment will directly fund another brilliant season of outstanding wilderness courses and community programs for girls and women of all ages and backgrounds. Because of your annual generous support and dedication for the Gear and Cheer fund raising event, The Women’s Wilderness Institute is able to continue to provide the gifts of courage, confidence and leadership to a multitude of outstanding girls and women each year.
Register now at http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=932754.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Testing an Innovative Idea Before you Act
Innovators create something different that makes an impact. But how do you rapidly assess whether an idea is "innovative" or a dud? Nine ways an innovator can increase their confidence in making the right decision, each of which takes no more than an hour to do.
1. Talk to a prospective customer to get their perspective. Remember, that is likely to be different from your perspective. And friends and family members can be prospective customers. Talking to a single potential customer might feel a bit random, but, hey... it's more than you have now.
2. Go to where prospective customers might hang out and watch them for an hour. Write down things that you didn't expect to see. Think about how that might influence your idea.
3. Research an analogy. Who did something similar? What can you find out about how well that worked from public sources? Remember, a failure doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, it just means you need to understand why the failure happened.
4. Talk to someone who you think has good innovation instincts but isn't involved in the day-to-day grind of your operations. Ask what that person would do. Think about people outside your industry who have proven to be successful innovators and share your idea.
5. Begin to network toward an expert. If you could talk to three people in the world about your concept, who would they be? Who in your network might be in their networks? People love to talk about their areas of expertise, so if you can get to them they typically offer a wealth of information.
6. Visualize it. What would the thing look like? Create a sketch or mockup to bring the idea to life. Consider a six-panel storyboard (like a cartoon) that describes how people find out about, obtain, and then use your product or service. Visualization sometimes helps you understand your idea more concretely. Even more importantly, it gives you something you can share with people to get their feedback.
7. Do a simply financial calculation. Not a super-complicated one. Just one with three or four variables that help you understand what conceivably would have to be true for the idea to make sense. This exercise can help you understand the economic potential and risk of the idea.
8. Conduct a broader assumption identification exercise. This is really nothing more than asking yourself "what would need to be true" for this idea to be viable. Which of those assumptions makes you worried? Can you address those concerns using any of the techniques here?
9. Spend an hour conducting a past pattern exercise. That is, look back at things you have done that have worked, and things that haven't worked. What separates them? For example, factors could be things like "every time I am skeptical it doesn't work" or "things that person X says are crazy are in fact crazy." Once you have the list, how the current idea stacks up?
These kinds of straightforward activities can provide deeper insight into opportunities, help you formulate more compelling ideas, and help make sure that an idea moves from the notepad to the market.
1. Talk to a prospective customer to get their perspective. Remember, that is likely to be different from your perspective. And friends and family members can be prospective customers. Talking to a single potential customer might feel a bit random, but, hey... it's more than you have now.
2. Go to where prospective customers might hang out and watch them for an hour. Write down things that you didn't expect to see. Think about how that might influence your idea.
3. Research an analogy. Who did something similar? What can you find out about how well that worked from public sources? Remember, a failure doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, it just means you need to understand why the failure happened.
4. Talk to someone who you think has good innovation instincts but isn't involved in the day-to-day grind of your operations. Ask what that person would do. Think about people outside your industry who have proven to be successful innovators and share your idea.
5. Begin to network toward an expert. If you could talk to three people in the world about your concept, who would they be? Who in your network might be in their networks? People love to talk about their areas of expertise, so if you can get to them they typically offer a wealth of information.
6. Visualize it. What would the thing look like? Create a sketch or mockup to bring the idea to life. Consider a six-panel storyboard (like a cartoon) that describes how people find out about, obtain, and then use your product or service. Visualization sometimes helps you understand your idea more concretely. Even more importantly, it gives you something you can share with people to get their feedback.
7. Do a simply financial calculation. Not a super-complicated one. Just one with three or four variables that help you understand what conceivably would have to be true for the idea to make sense. This exercise can help you understand the economic potential and risk of the idea.
8. Conduct a broader assumption identification exercise. This is really nothing more than asking yourself "what would need to be true" for this idea to be viable. Which of those assumptions makes you worried? Can you address those concerns using any of the techniques here?
9. Spend an hour conducting a past pattern exercise. That is, look back at things you have done that have worked, and things that haven't worked. What separates them? For example, factors could be things like "every time I am skeptical it doesn't work" or "things that person X says are crazy are in fact crazy." Once you have the list, how the current idea stacks up?
These kinds of straightforward activities can provide deeper insight into opportunities, help you formulate more compelling ideas, and help make sure that an idea moves from the notepad to the market.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Artist Damián Ortega... I Really Like this Guy
I don't often feature something artistic or 'touchy feely' on my business blog, but Damián Ortega blurs the line between business and aesthetics so I'm going for it.
Ortega’s work explores specific economic, aesthetic and cultural situations and in particular how regional culture affects commodity consumption. As a former political cartoonist, his work has an intellectualism to it that I like, but it's also beautiful and playful.
I love the way he explores how pieces come together to make a whole. I look at a company very much the same way - lots of individual ideas, people, systems, products, etc coming together to create something larger than the sum of the parts. Take a look at a few of his pieces and you'll see what I mean:
Cosmic Thing (2002) Ortega disassembled a Volkswagen Beetle car and re-composed it piece by piece, suspended from wire in mid-air, in the manner of a mechanic’s instruction manual. The result was both a diagram and a fragmented object that offered a new way of seeing.
Controller of the Universe (2007) Ortega assembled found tools and wire in a visually stunning way - who new old rakes and picks could be so sexy!
Here's a selection of other works by Ortega that caught my eye:
As Sebastian Smee said, "For Damián Ortega, ideas and things, far from being connected by logic, have a deeper, unaccountable relationship, amounting to a kind of magic act. It’s a relationship that’s destructive one minute and creative the next, but it’s never less than funny."
Ortega’s work explores specific economic, aesthetic and cultural situations and in particular how regional culture affects commodity consumption. As a former political cartoonist, his work has an intellectualism to it that I like, but it's also beautiful and playful.
I love the way he explores how pieces come together to make a whole. I look at a company very much the same way - lots of individual ideas, people, systems, products, etc coming together to create something larger than the sum of the parts. Take a look at a few of his pieces and you'll see what I mean:
Cosmic Thing (2002) Ortega disassembled a Volkswagen Beetle car and re-composed it piece by piece, suspended from wire in mid-air, in the manner of a mechanic’s instruction manual. The result was both a diagram and a fragmented object that offered a new way of seeing.
Controller of the Universe (2007) Ortega assembled found tools and wire in a visually stunning way - who new old rakes and picks could be so sexy!
Here's a selection of other works by Ortega that caught my eye:
As Sebastian Smee said, "For Damián Ortega, ideas and things, far from being connected by logic, have a deeper, unaccountable relationship, amounting to a kind of magic act. It’s a relationship that’s destructive one minute and creative the next, but it’s never less than funny."
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Five Lessons from 2010 Worth Repeating — Without Repeating 2010
January 3, 2011
By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter (Harvard Business Review Blogs)
Before 2010 is dumped into the dustbin of history — and it was a year when cleaning up after disasters was not just a metaphor — it's worth finding the gems among the trash.
Apple, Facebook, Twitter, IBM, PepsiCo, P&G, Stonyfield Farm, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and former British politicians provided me with occasions for pointing to business strategy and leadership lessons, good and bad, that shouldn't be forgotten. Here are my top five lessons from last year's blogs that can be carried confidently into the new year.
1. Surprises are the new normal. Resilience is the new skill. Back-up plans are strategic assets. Volcanic ash, generally not on any company's worst case scenario list, disrupted air traffic for several weeks. ("Surprise!) As BP proved, minimizing crisis doesn't cut it, and failure to communicate honestly is the biggest mistake. Kanter's Law still holds — that everything can look like a failure in the middle. The number of things that can hold things up has burgeoned, especially when politics are involved; Chinese regulators are the latest deal-delayers, this time for the NSN-Motorola deal. It helps to have leaders who are Energizers, a favorite idea from 2009, because their positive spirit can keep things moving.
2. Innovation takes courage and the willingness to be out in front rather than following the herd. Speaking of herds, while sacred cows can hold companies back if there is no courage to challenge orthodoxy, cows proved to be a better set of celebrity endorsers than Tiger Woods for Stonyfield Farms and their yogurt marketing. The creativity to produce innovation can involve a great deal of improvisation rather than sticking to a fixed script. It also takes dedication. Perhaps some entrepreneurs have a passionate desire to prove something.
3. Straight-line careers are over-rated. Zig-zags might better serve companies and leaders. When change is ubiquitous, stepping outside of familiar territories — whether fields, geographies, or industries — can provide important new insights and perspectives, particularly for emerging opportunities. Veer, soar, and return to the home base triumphant, as Apple CEO Steve Jobs showed. But that doesn't mean that leaders can parachute in from one setting to another and expect to be effective. Jobs took a pause and learned a few new consumer entertainment tricks. It is a good idea to take learning pauses to prepare for next steps.
4. Openness and inclusion should be the new standards. As the movie Inside Job argues about the banking crisis, closed circles of elites can reinforce dysfunctional behavior when there are interlocking financial interests and self-dealing relationships. Including people from formerly excluded groups might add perspectives that surface problems earlier or discourage throwing caution to the wind. Power goes to the connectors, a 2009 lesson. Connectors bring new ideas and information across groups, a very important role when the best new opportunities lie in emerging markets unfamiliar to those. Thus, the leadership ranks must be globally diverse. But though women are proving themselves as CEOs, challenges of inclusion remain.
5. Forget privacy, especially if you're a leader. Leaders are always on. Microphones and video cameras are always on, too, as former British prime minister Gordon Brown found to his peril. Xerox CEO Ursula Burns received better coaching her predecessor, Anne Mulcahy, and provides a positive model. But other CEOs weren't so fortunate. As former HP CEO Mark Hurd learned, small lapses can trip up leaders, even smart ones producing financial results, if they do not have a base of support. In the digital age, the spotlight is always, and the erosion of privacy affects everyone, a 2009 lesson that looms larger every day.
2010 will soon seem like ancient history, but these lessons will endure. Especially because 2011 is certain to bring surprises that will require still more innovation and even more open leadership.
By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter (Harvard Business Review Blogs)
Before 2010 is dumped into the dustbin of history — and it was a year when cleaning up after disasters was not just a metaphor — it's worth finding the gems among the trash.
Apple, Facebook, Twitter, IBM, PepsiCo, P&G, Stonyfield Farm, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and former British politicians provided me with occasions for pointing to business strategy and leadership lessons, good and bad, that shouldn't be forgotten. Here are my top five lessons from last year's blogs that can be carried confidently into the new year.
1. Surprises are the new normal. Resilience is the new skill. Back-up plans are strategic assets. Volcanic ash, generally not on any company's worst case scenario list, disrupted air traffic for several weeks. ("Surprise!) As BP proved, minimizing crisis doesn't cut it, and failure to communicate honestly is the biggest mistake. Kanter's Law still holds — that everything can look like a failure in the middle. The number of things that can hold things up has burgeoned, especially when politics are involved; Chinese regulators are the latest deal-delayers, this time for the NSN-Motorola deal. It helps to have leaders who are Energizers, a favorite idea from 2009, because their positive spirit can keep things moving.
2. Innovation takes courage and the willingness to be out in front rather than following the herd. Speaking of herds, while sacred cows can hold companies back if there is no courage to challenge orthodoxy, cows proved to be a better set of celebrity endorsers than Tiger Woods for Stonyfield Farms and their yogurt marketing. The creativity to produce innovation can involve a great deal of improvisation rather than sticking to a fixed script. It also takes dedication. Perhaps some entrepreneurs have a passionate desire to prove something.
3. Straight-line careers are over-rated. Zig-zags might better serve companies and leaders. When change is ubiquitous, stepping outside of familiar territories — whether fields, geographies, or industries — can provide important new insights and perspectives, particularly for emerging opportunities. Veer, soar, and return to the home base triumphant, as Apple CEO Steve Jobs showed. But that doesn't mean that leaders can parachute in from one setting to another and expect to be effective. Jobs took a pause and learned a few new consumer entertainment tricks. It is a good idea to take learning pauses to prepare for next steps.
4. Openness and inclusion should be the new standards. As the movie Inside Job argues about the banking crisis, closed circles of elites can reinforce dysfunctional behavior when there are interlocking financial interests and self-dealing relationships. Including people from formerly excluded groups might add perspectives that surface problems earlier or discourage throwing caution to the wind. Power goes to the connectors, a 2009 lesson. Connectors bring new ideas and information across groups, a very important role when the best new opportunities lie in emerging markets unfamiliar to those. Thus, the leadership ranks must be globally diverse. But though women are proving themselves as CEOs, challenges of inclusion remain.
5. Forget privacy, especially if you're a leader. Leaders are always on. Microphones and video cameras are always on, too, as former British prime minister Gordon Brown found to his peril. Xerox CEO Ursula Burns received better coaching her predecessor, Anne Mulcahy, and provides a positive model. But other CEOs weren't so fortunate. As former HP CEO Mark Hurd learned, small lapses can trip up leaders, even smart ones producing financial results, if they do not have a base of support. In the digital age, the spotlight is always, and the erosion of privacy affects everyone, a 2009 lesson that looms larger every day.
2010 will soon seem like ancient history, but these lessons will endure. Especially because 2011 is certain to bring surprises that will require still more innovation and even more open leadership.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)