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Category: Newsletters Published on Nov 23 2015

Karen,

 

My company just distributed a new values statement and I’ve been instructed to roll it out and make it a part of life in my department. I’ve never done this before – what should I do?

 

Katie, PA

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Category: Strategy Published on Nov 11 2015

I was just listening to the hit song “Gone, Gone, Gone” by Phillip Phillips and it made me smile. As I thought about why the song made me happy, I realized that it was not just about the passion and joy that Phillip Phillips brings to his music. I was also smiling because I admire Phillip Phillips as an artist and an individual.

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Category: People Published on Nov 04 2015

Culture is a much maligned concept. In many companies it’s a dirty word; it’s just not talked about. After all, it’s soft and squishy. And it’s not easy to measure.

 

And yet, in those companies that get it right – magic happens. And that magic is called community.

 

Let’s look at the difference between team work and community.

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Category: Newsletters Published on Oct 22 2015

Karen,

 

I recently heard the term ‘strategic leader’ used in conversation. What exactly does this term mean?

 

Robert, NJ

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Category: Strategy Published on Oct 19 2015

Sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? Creative and planning sound like words that should not be in the same paragraph, certainly not in the same sentence. Most people cannot plan to be creative; and we rarely think we are being creative when we plan.


And yet, effective planning demands creativity. Ichak Adizes in the book Corporate Lifecycles defines planning as “deciding what to do today in light of what you expect tomorrow to be.” Still sound uncreative to you?

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Category: Internal Brand Published on Oct 14 2015

Roshi came up to me after I spoke on branding and asked “Shouldn’t every company have customer service as a core value?”

 

Personally, I rank customer service very high when I choose where to shop. There is a very popular chain store that I rarely enter because they once gave me a hard time returning a Christmas present that was not operating… even with the original receipt.


So, I hesitated for a moment before replying: “No.” Every company should not have customer service as a core value because:

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Category: External Brand Published on Oct 06 2015

When I first started my business, I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to create a brand. Unfortunately, when speakers and trainers talked about branding and having a brand they would reference well-known brands like Coca Cola and Nike. No one ever spoke about how to build a brand from scratch.


What I learned over time is that your brand is made up of everything you do. It’s in:

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Category: People Published on Sep 29 2015

Did the title of this blog make you shudder? Or shout out “Yes!”? My response was one of curiosity. It’s actually the title of an article in the Harvard Business Review written by Gary Hamel.

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Category: Newsletters Published on Sep 28 2015

Karen,

 

In a past newsletter you talked about the importance of creating respect over becoming friends. This makes sense, but how do I create respect?

 

Marjorie, PA

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Category: Strategy Published on Sep 23 2015

What is your vision or goal of what you are trying to achieve now? Is it…
 - A certain revenue level?
 - A percentage of market share?
 - A desired net income?
 - A production or sales quantity?
 - Or, perhaps, something else?

 

Why are you trying to achieve this goal? What is the reason or emotion behind the chase?

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