From the category archives:

Current Event Commentary

Beware of bias…

0 comments February 3, 2012

Back when I was involved a bit in local television news — I was a free-lance anchor and entertainment commentator for the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis in the late ’80′s and early ’90′s — a broadcast veteran and I were talking about the media’s role in reporting Presidential politics. “Watch the next campaign,” he wisely [...]

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An ultimate experience from a reliable source

0 comments January 27, 2012

I’m flying from Baltimore to Vegas on an airline I don’t normally take…usually I would go Delta for the SkyMiles, but this airline has a non-stop, arriving two hours earlier, and I need the sleep. In the middle of the 5½ hour trip, a flight attendant makes an announcement, naming two passengers, and asking them [...]

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Distinction may involve what is absent from your business

0 comments January 24, 2012

At a recent meeting I was addressing near Boston, I learned the fascinating story of the Berry family, and their restaurant on Cape Cod, Moby Dick’s. It’s a true story of distinction. You can read on their website how the restaurant came to be — and how the oldest son, Todd, discovered how much he [...]

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The difference between profit and growth

January 11, 2012

There is profitability…and then, there is growth. Many businesses – and their leaders – do not understand the difference. If I want to be more profitable, I can do either one — or a combination — of three steps: 1) Cut expenses 2) Get my current customers to spend more money with me 3) Get [...]

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Quality of connections trumps quantity of connections…

January 5, 2012

“How many followers do YOU have on Twitter?” “Have you maxed out your ‘friends’ on Facebook?” “What’s the traffic on your blog?” Questions anyone on social media are being asked these days — and it exemplifies part of what has been wrong with our thinking in business: More must be better. And, it’s NOT: More [...]

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A great way to end the year…

2 comments December 31, 2011

If you read this blog regularly — and I really hope you do! — you know most of what is posted here is about improving your business; particularly as it regards the experience your customers receive. However, on a personal note, I just received something to end the year that has really moved me, and [...]

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Is there a compelling reason to go buy from Sears, Kmart, or YOU?

8 comments December 29, 2011

I loved the opening line of this recent news story, written by Joyce Smith of McClatchy Newspapers: ” It’s not only the Grinch who stole Christmas. Some grouchy salesclerks do, too.” The article states up to 40 percent of revenues for a retailer can come from holiday sales. Yet, at precisely the moment they should [...]

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Wishing you a VERY Merry Christmas…

December 24, 2011

Here is an audio message of gratitude for the Holiday… There are so many Christmas mornings I remember where I left the house in the pre-dawn hours of the morning to go to work at either a radio station…or, later, a television station in Indianapolis..and work until midday. My family was always wonderful and understanding [...]

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The Holidays can be your sabbatical…

December 23, 2011

Many years ago, when I worked as Director of Public Affairs and Annual Fund (which, upon reflection, was a very silly combination) for my alma mater, Franklin College, I would hear professors talk about taking a sabbatical. Frankly, at that early point in my life and career, I wasn’t quite certain what a “sabbatical” really [...]

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Update on making sure your people are sold on what they’re selling…

1 comment December 18, 2011

I should have known. Really…I should have. I just received an email regarding my previous post about the CEO of BMW Portugal and his effort to be certain his entire team was committed and enthusiastic about their opportunities to grow the company. The message was from Klaus Kibsgaard, the subject of the post, now CEO [...]

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