I'm not a real political guy. I think if we blame one person for all our problems, then that means we think one person can solve all our problems. That sounds crazy to me.
The last few years, Americans have become more polarized. More anger has been expressed. More disagreement. But there is a good side to all this.
Americans are paying attention to what's happening in this country. More Americans are voting. Sure, we get out of line and can be pompous with our opinions. But at least we're more engaged than we have been in decades.
With engagement comes hope.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Technology--Stress reduction or stress creation?
When I first got my PDA, I loved it. I didn't have to worry about what emails came in while I was away from the office. I had it right in front of me. Stress relief.
But that was before I knew what PDA stood for. I thought it meant personal digital assistant. I was wrong.
PDA stands for Pavlov's Dog Assistant. When we hear that beep, instead of salivating, we jump to the PDA and look at what just happened. If we don't hear the beep, we press a button to check if anything came in that we missed. We don't go to an event with our kids, we don't go to church, we don't go for a walk and we don't even meditate without it. We allow this technology to interrupt conversations, thoughts and relaxation...
Maybe it's time to stop waiting for the bell or the beep and turn off the chimes. Let's leave the PDA behind when we're doing non-business things or when we are giving someone our full attention and see if the world is still there when we check our PDA later. I bet it will be.
But that was before I knew what PDA stood for. I thought it meant personal digital assistant. I was wrong.
PDA stands for Pavlov's Dog Assistant. When we hear that beep, instead of salivating, we jump to the PDA and look at what just happened. If we don't hear the beep, we press a button to check if anything came in that we missed. We don't go to an event with our kids, we don't go to church, we don't go for a walk and we don't even meditate without it. We allow this technology to interrupt conversations, thoughts and relaxation...
Maybe it's time to stop waiting for the bell or the beep and turn off the chimes. Let's leave the PDA behind when we're doing non-business things or when we are giving someone our full attention and see if the world is still there when we check our PDA later. I bet it will be.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Get Rid of Mass Communications
Want to increase business? Improve morale? Reduce mistakes? Minimize how many people you insult?
Reduce or eliminate mass communications--you know, the "Dear Owner" or "Dear So and So Customer" letters or emails that are sent out everyday.
We can all spot a generic communication. How do you respond? I usually don't read it. I throw it out without opening it up.
Why would you give money to a cause, no matter how good it is, that asks for money through a generic letter? Would you hire an employee that sends a generic "To whom it may concern" letter alerting you to his or her talents?
If you have 150 potential donors, why not a handwritten note to each? If you have a universe of less than 200 customers or prospects, why would you ever send form letters?
It takes more time to personalize. It takes more thought. You actually have to care enough to do it. And more people will read it if it's personal.
The less mass communications you do, the stronger your results.
Reduce or eliminate mass communications--you know, the "Dear Owner" or "Dear So and So Customer" letters or emails that are sent out everyday.
We can all spot a generic communication. How do you respond? I usually don't read it. I throw it out without opening it up.
Why would you give money to a cause, no matter how good it is, that asks for money through a generic letter? Would you hire an employee that sends a generic "To whom it may concern" letter alerting you to his or her talents?
If you have 150 potential donors, why not a handwritten note to each? If you have a universe of less than 200 customers or prospects, why would you ever send form letters?
It takes more time to personalize. It takes more thought. You actually have to care enough to do it. And more people will read it if it's personal.
The less mass communications you do, the stronger your results.
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