Q: How would you facilitate a meeting-of-the-minds between two competitive nonprofits? A: Very carefully. That was my challenge when I was asked to facilitate a special meeting of two organizations striving to enhance their impact in their community: one was a local affiliate of an established nonprofit and the other was a grass-roots start-up. Both
The arrival of spring combined with advent of mass COVID vaccinations is the perfect time to refresh ourselves as we emerge from our winter cocoons and quarantines. This year in particular, it’s also the perfect opportunity to safely indulge in a little fun with a re-visit to one’s inner child. Here’s why: “We’re living in
I often hear marketing staff commiserate about how they struggle to get respect and buy-in for their programs. Several reasons account for this: given its work with advertising agencies, media firms, and incentive and premium providers, marketing is primarily associated with creative (aka “fun”) processes to promote the brand marketing teams typically work within functional
Last year’s disruption by COVID-19 led to copious content on its impact on the workplace discussing how leaders could navigate, cope, innovate, sustain and/or continue to grow in anxious and uncertain times. As an advocate for a positive and engaged organizational culture, I was fascinated with the discussions and resulting responses to the pandemic. And
“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” Garrison Keillor I’m a fan of giving books as gifts especially when paired with soothing tea, specialty coffee, indulgent chocolate or other sweet treat. Such gifts feed the senses as well as the mind. So I’m happy to recommend five new nonfiction books that
Confession: I have as much fun talking about LEGO® bricks as I do working with them. I actually use these colorful plastic building blocks in team development as a Certified Facilitator in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) – a novel approach that enables participants to “think with their hands and listen with their eyes.” I had
In the quest for product/service innovation, it’s easy to overlook an obvious source: your own customers. How to effectively involve and engage them – and make them feel valued in the process – can be found in Chip Bell‘s just-released book, Inside Your Customer’s Imagination: 5 Secrets for Creating Breakthrough Products, Services, and Solutions. Renowned
[Note: I’m pleased to share this timely post from Matthew Fenton, a Chicago-based marketing professional and founder of Three Deuce Branding that specializes in brand clarity. Here he offers a fundamental strategy to uncover the brand values a business needs to survive and thrive in these challenging times. More on Matthew’s work can be found
[Note: When I wrote about the harm of ghosting at work, it focused on how the actions of prospective employees and HR can damage the employer brand. In the following post, well-respected authority on customer service, Chip R. Bell, addresses how ghosting can also damage the consumer brand when customers experience “intentional indifference.” This was originally
To hold on to your customers amid strong competition, it’s important to provide a positive customer experience. But where do you begin? You start from the inside out with the employee experience because the way employees feel is the way customers will feel – and if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers.