Linda's Marketing Leverage Blog

Top of Mind Thursday May 28, 2015: Penalty Kicks Abound

FIFA, the international governing body for professional soccer, was just hit hard with multiple indictments for corruption by the U.S. government, and it looks like the scandal will extend way into overtime. 

 

What's worse is that the response of the organization's president to the scandal is "I can't monitor everyone all the time."

As a leader, you're responsible for what happens on your watch. And a good leader sets strategy and develops culture that ensures the right actions are taken by employees within the organization.

A good leader develops a purpose that is reflected in the organization's brand and amplified by the actions of employees. And a good leader takes responsibility for mistakes made as well as goals scored.

It's time the soccer world called a foul on FIFA.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday May 21, 2015: Getting Back on Track

Last week's Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia was a horrible tragedy, killing 8 people and injuring hundreds more. Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman's communications to the public, however, have been stellar examples of how to effectively respond to a crisis. 

 

Boardman reached out to Amtrak riders with an email that discussed the tragedy. He took full responsibility for what happened, expressed sympathy for the families of those affected, thanked the local first responders, and discussed how committed his team was to understanding what happened so that improvements could be made to prevent similar incidents in the future.

 

His emails went out to everyone for whom Amtrak has an email address--even people like me who haven't taken the train in years. He reiterated that even though service was resuming, his organization still had work to do, both to mourn and to learn from the tragedy.

 

The message made it clear that unlike many companies that have not faced tough challenges head on (think Malaysian Airlines or Takata air bags), Amtrak is on track to recover the trust of its customer base.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday May 14, 2015: Gone to the Dogs

Mocha, my Siberian Husky, wound up wearing "the cone of shame" this week because he scratched at a spot on his back until it was raw. The problem was the cone didn't stop him from scratching the same spot with his back paw. 

While I'm sure there's an expensive solution available at pet stores and veterinarians to address it, our vet had a simple suggestion: put a t-shirt on him to cover the spot so he can't reach it and itch.

Voila! Problem solved, and we now have the best dressed dog in the neighborhood, too.

How often do we look for complicated technological solutions when there's a perfectly good answer right at our fingertips?  Sometimes we just need to look at what we already have in front of us, doggoneit.

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Top of Mind Thursday May 7 2015: Don't Confuse Selling With Installing

Sales reps sometimes have a tendency to sell a customer the solution they think the customer wants--regardless of whether that's exactly what can be delivered and installed. 

The disconnect between expectations and reality can get businesses into trouble. It's easy to sell the promise of what can be. It's not as easy to implement something that fulfills that promise in the light of day and on an ongoing basis.

Be careful not to set expectations you can't deliver. Instead of being happy with something that isn't exactly what they had been dreaming about, your customers are likely to be quite disappointed.

The sales process moves quickly, but you'll live with what's really installed for a long, long time.

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Top of Mind Thursday April 30 2015: The Sound of Silence

Yesterday, for the first time in the history of Major League Baseball, two baseball teams played a game in front of a live audience of none.   

Because of this past week's violence in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, the decision was made for the Orioles and White Sox to play to an empty stadium. The goal was to avoid potential violence in the proximity of Camden Yards, and to comply with a citywide curfew.

The first two games in this series were cancelled because of the same protests, yet it was the game played with no audience that captured the attention. That's because cancelling a game happens all the time; playing one to a purposely empty house is not.

By doing something totally different, Baltimore and Orioles sent the message that this was not business as usual. Sometimes the best way to stand out above the noise is without absolute silence.

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Top of Mind Thursday April 23, 2015: There's Always Someone Watching

One of my favorite lines in the movie Ocean's Eleven is when Julia Roberts says to her boyfriend, nasty casino operator Andy Garcia, "You of all people should know, in a casino, there's always someone watching." 

We're seeing a different side to police-citizen altercations now that police are wearing body cams and onlookers are shooting real-time video with their cell phones. This is particularly important when one of the participants is no longer alive to tell their side of the story.

But what if we extrapolate beyond the police force? What if we act as if all of our business interactions were able to be captured and put on display for the entire world to see?

I'm not advocating that consumers wear body cams when shopping. But I am suggesting that we remind employees that anything they say or do can be captured and reported upon online. Everything they do has always represented the company and the brand. It's just now we can be sure that someone will always be watching.

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Top of Mind Thursday April 16, 2015: And They're Off!

The 2016 Presidential Campaign just kicked into high gear with announcements of new candidates on both sides of the aisle. 

 

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodman Clinton announced her much anticipated candidacy on the Democratic side, while Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Jeb Bush, and Marco Rubio have thrown their hats into the Republican ring, and others are expected to join them.

 

An open primary with no incumbent involved is a great opportunity to watch the political marketing and branding process unfold. Each candidate will work hard to sell the American public on their version of what American needs. Each will attempt to capture voters' imaginations with their messages and slogans. Over the next year, this group will grow in size, then shrink down to just 0ne candidate from each party.

 

It's a fascinating quadrennial exercise. No matter what your political leanings, grab some popcorn, put your feet up, and get ready for a fun ride. 

 

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Top of Mind Thursday April 9, 2015: Eliminating the Static

The best planned communications can easily fail because the intended audience wasn't prepared to hear what we have to say. 

 

This happens when there are too many competing messages in the marketplace, but it also happens when the message itself isn't broadcast clearly.

Many times the interference--what I call static--comes from within an organization. Internal groups are not working together to present a unified front to the customer. The marketing team is off on a mission which may not be aligned with senior management. Or critical feedback and input from customers isn't being effectively integrated back into the organization.

Where is the static in your organization? And what are you doing to ensure your message is in tune with your customers and employees?

The best part about static is how clear things sound once it disappears.

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Top of Mind Thursday April 2, 2015: The Bad for Business Act

I'm not sure what was going through the minds of lawmakers in Indiana last week when they passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

 

I'm sure the last thing they expected was that this legislation would be bad for business in Indiana. Yet, because the law is seen as a way for businesses to discriminate against gays, and same-sex couples in particular, the backlash has been both immediate and significant.

Discrimination in any form should be unacceptable. Period. It's not that long ago that businesses turned away patrons based on the color of their skin, their ethnic background, or their religious heritage. That's no longer acceptable, and neither is it OK to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

 

What Indiana is now learning is that discrimination is bad for business. Really bad. Large, prominent business institutions, both inside the state and out, are saying this is wrong and we will take our spending elsewhere.

What's bad for customers is also bad for business. The good news is how quickly business has stepped up to let the world know.

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Top of Mind Thursday March 26, 2015: Changing the Conversation

Last weekend I was a featured presenter at the American Marketing Association's International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans.

I spoke to the students about how to stand out above the noise in the job marketplace, and I also spoke to a group of faculty.

I engaged the faculty in a lively discussion about changing the conversation about marketing....how to train the next generation of marketers to make sure we have the right talents and capabilities, in order to put new graduates into the market with the best foundation possible.

The working environment is changing for most industries and functions. The training that worked just a few years ago won't fly in the future. How are you preparing your workforce to be successful moving forward? Are your teams taking the right steps now to be effective contributors later? It's a conversation worth having.

 

My new book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters, is now available. 

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Top of Mind Thursday March 19, 2015: Go Slow to Go Fast

Speed is revered in our culture...we hear about the need to improve speed, agility, acceleration, to be first to market.  

 

It may sound counter-intuitive, but sometimes the best way to achieve speed is to start out slowly.

As a musician, I know that the most effective way to learn a difficult, complicated piece is to work through it slowly, tackling the challenging parts as they occur and learning to play with accuracy before pumping up the tempo.

This is in spite of the fact that I'm a pretty darn good sightreader,  and I can play many pieces of music fairly well on the initial read through. But it's the subtleties and nuances that need to be worked through, and the best way to do that is to start slowly and gradually crank up the tempo.

Are you taking the time to work out your strategies before jumping into implementation? It may be the best way to get off to a fast start.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday March 12, 2015: A Focus on Well-Being

This morning, at the Million Dollar Consulting Convention in Atlanta, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Martin Seligman speak about well-being. 

Seligman, the noted author of Learned Optimism, told us that rather than reducing stress in the workplace, we should be looking at increasing well-being -- for the individual, the corporation, and the nation.

He shared research that shows that focusing on improving positive emotion rather than attempting to reduce misery has much longer, more dramatic effects. Concentrating on what you're good at is much more effective than trying to improve your weaknesses. Increasing engagement (and flow), building good relationships, and finding meaning and purpose in what you do all leads to resilience and well-being. Furthermore, Seligman said that all of these factors can be learned and are measurable.

What are you doing in your organization to help increase the well-being of those you interact with? This includes not just your employees and your suppliers, but your customers as well. Are you improving the collective well-being or adding additional obstacles for your audiences to navigate?

 

 

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Top of Mind Thursday March 5, 2015: A Rare Brand Experience

Last week I had the opportunity to eat at a restaurant in Tampa, FL called Bern's Steakhouse. 

Inside a white nondescript building is an incredibly well-tuned operation...from the extensive menu (yes, there's more than steak!) to impeccable service, the world's largest private wine collection, and a separate dining area just for desserts.

My local colleagues had arranged a kitchen and wine cellar tour for us where we learned that all servers intern in the kitchen for 18 months before they are allowed to wait on guests. Our server that evening was a captain who proudly told us he had been working at Bern's for over 40 of the restaurant's 59 years in operation.

From the moment we walked in the door, we received an outstanding dining experience with an amazing attention to detail. No wonder this is a Tampa institution.

Unfortunately, this type of attention to customer service is rare in today's environment. But imagine how your organization could benefit by providing customer experience that is this well done.

 

 

 

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Top of Mind Thursday February 26, 2015: Leading Onward

On the heels of Patricia Arquette's pay equity comment during the Academy Awards, I had the opportunity to participate in Watermark's LeadOn conference in Santa Clara.  

 

An audience of over 5000 people (mainly women) heard speakers like Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jill Abramson, Kara Swisher, and Brene Brown discuss the issue of why there are not more women in leadership positions in Silicon Valley, as well as why pay inequalities persist in technology companies as well as across the countries.

 

There are no easy fixes, or the problem would already be solved. However, the first step to addressing any serious condition is to expose the situation and continue to shine light and attention where needed.

 

It's not a question of us vs. them, winners or losers, or leaning in, out, and around. It's a matter of maintaining focus and leading onward.

 

 

 

My new book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters, will be available March 24. Preorder now.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday February 19, 2015: A Funny Brand

Saturday Night Live toasted itself on Sunday with a star-studded 40th anniversary special.
 

It's hard to believe it's been four decades since we first met characters like Roseanne-Roseannadanna and Father Guido Sarducci or  saw the first editions of Weekend Update.

Over the years, comedians came and went. Some players were much more talented than others. Some went on to have great careers;  others seemed to fade away quietly. And some years, to be honest, the show was just not really funny.

SNL survived because it  stayed true to its brand promise: offering a weekly dose of silly live skits and impressions that poked fun at just about everyone, especially politicians and celebrities, and never took itself too seriously. The best part of most elections is seeing how SNL will skewer the candidates each week.

How many businesses have come and gone in that time period because they either didn't find a brand promise that worked or didn't stick with one that did? Well, excuuuse me.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday February 12, 2015: Newscasters as News

This week much of the news has focused on the newscasters themselves.
 

NBC's Brian Williams was suspended for fabricating a frequently told story about how his helicopter was hit by fire in Iraq more than a decade ago.  

 

This was followed by the announcement Jon Stewart will soon be leaving The Daily Show, and long-time 60 Minutes reporter Bob Simon was killed in a car accident. 

 

We like to think the media offers a somewhat fair, somewhat straightforward view of the news. Yet we fail to realize how much that message is impacted by the personality and brand of the individual who actually delivers the news to us. 

 

Trust and credibility are critical. Bob Simon had this for decades at 60 Minutes. Jon Stewart brought a new twist to his satirical faux-news show. Millions trusted Brian Williams--until they felt betrayed by the ongoing deception and exaggeration.

 

It's not enough to have a good message. Make sure the messenger chosen has the trust and credibility to match.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday February 5, 2015: A Shot of Common Sense

An epidemic is hitting America...with more and more cases diagnosed each week. 

 

No, it's not the flu, HIV, or even the much-hyped dreaded Ebola fever. It's the measles--that childhood disease that was practically eradicated with the introduction of vaccinations nearly 50 years ago. Nearly 100 cases have been connected to exposure at Disneyland in recent weeks. 

 

However, because of a few discredited studies that mistakenly linked the MMR vaccination with autism, too many parents are choosing not to vaccinate their kids. This is not a private choice; it becomes a public health issue because these unvaccinated kids infect younger children and those with compromised immune systems who shouldn't be exposed to a disease that may cause them serious harm.  

 

It's time we inject some common sense into the situation. Just like travelers are free to opt out of security screenings--but they can't board an airplane, parents who opt out of mandatory vaccinations should not be allowed to send their kids to school, to camp, and especially not to places like Disneyland.

We teach our kids that decisions have consequences. It's time for those who refuse to vaccinate their kids to learn this lesson as well.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday January 29 2015: Snowed by the Weather

Once again this past week we had an "epic" storm forecast. Weather predictions were dire; entire states declared states of emergency before the first snowflake hit the ground. 

 

What resulted was a pretty good sized winter snowstorm in parts of New England. Most of the rest of the northeast received only minor snowfall or very little precipitation whatsoever. However, many major transportation systems, as well as schools and businesses, closed in anticipation of what was billed to be a major catastrophic event. 

 

This is becoming a pattern. The media need to out-do their last prediction of disaster, so they engage in even greater hyperbole to get people's attention. The problem is we are training people to expect that these calls are overblown. Like the little boy who cried wolf, will anyone react when a REAL disaster strikes?  

Reasonable precautions are always prudent in these cases. Total disregard for common sense is not.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday January 22 2015: A Better State of Mind

In predictable fashion, the Democrats and Republicans disagree vehemently about the state of the union, following the President's speech this week.  

 

Without getting into political rhetoric, a few things are clear. The economy is strong. The stock market is near record highs. Unemployment is down. Oil prices are at their lowest point in decades.

 
Instead of arguing about what's wrong, maybe it's time to focus on what's right. How is your business taking advantage of today's strong economic conditions? How can you help your customers leverage this environment?

Instead of fixating on the problems that remain, how can you move to a better state of mind?

 

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Top of Mind Thursday January 15, 2015: It's What Happens Next That Matters

The world has come together in shock and grief over the tragic events in Paris last week. 

 

The terrorist attacks, which killed 12, have been denounced by a broad variety of world leaders -- including many from Arab and Muslim countries. Millions of people marched around the world in solidarity with the people of France and the staff of the Charlie Hebdo magazine.

All this is well and good, but what really matters is what happens after the initial outrage dies down. Will the tough decisions be made that can stop something like this from happening again? Will those people who marched be around to support the big policy changes needed?

It's easy to jump on a bandwagon -- particularly one that is on the side of goodness and justice. But it's what happens when the parade is long gone that will determine if the tragic lesson was really learned.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday January 8 2015: What Gets Measured Gets Managed

Wherever you go, it seems there are fresh new devices that provide new ways to look at, collect and analyze information. 

From the Fitbits for monitoring exercise information to sensors in cars that inform you what needs to be serviced and when,  we are surrounded with ways to measure our personal data.

Having all this data is not enough. We need to analyze it and make course corrections based on what we've learned. If you aren't measuring the right things to start with, how will you know what needs adjustment? But if you're measuring the wrong things, you may be wasting time and energy on variables that don't make a difference.

What kind of real-time, relevant measurement tools do you have in place for your business? Look beyond the traditional lagging indicators to make sure what you are measuring gives you the input you need to make timely decisions that matter.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday January 1 2015: Beginning Anew

What makes today different than yesterday? Not very much, except for the fact that it belongs to a new year, 2015. 

 

People around the world take time at the end of each December to stop and celebrate the start of a new year. Why? Because we need the opportunity to stop our daily routines and start over again.

Whether it's business or personal, we need the perspective that comes from starting anew. It's in our nature to look for another chance, another opportunity to get it right. We aren't satisfied with blindly continuing down the wrong path.

As we begin another new year, I wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous new year...complete with the ability and the support you need to start over and achieve what's important to you.

This year, we have made a donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank in honor of our friends, colleagues and clients. Happy holidays.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday December 25, 2014: A Glimmer of Light

The headlines over the last few months have been quite grim: terrorist attacks around the globe, cyberattacks on major corporations, two lost Malaysian Airliners, a pattern of police shootings of unarmed Black men in the US... 

 

And yet there have also been areas of optimism: a strong, robust US economy, a thaw in relations between the US and Cuba, the lowest oil prices in a generation, the elimination of many roadblocks to same sex marriage, a new dialogue around the complicated issues of race relations...

At the intersection of Hanukah and Christmas, it's important not only that we absorb the lessons of what went wrong this year, but also that we carry forward the light of went right.

Let's choose to build upon our strengths while continuing to address those areas where we can do better. Let's fan the flames of hope, peace, and prosperity.

This year, we have made a donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank in honor of our friends, colleagues and clients. Happy holidays.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday December 18, 2014: Failing the Interview

Filmmaker Sony Pictures has been scrambling to recover from a recent cyberattack, now blamed on the North Korean government. 

 

The hack focused on the release of Sony's upcoming film, The Interview, which detailed a fictional assassination of the North Korean leader.  Embarrassing emails from Sony execs about prominent celebrities have already been circulated, and the hackers appear to have gained access to much more sensitive information about Sony.

As a result of threats against movie theaters that ran the movie, the studio yesterday pulled the release of the film. It was a logical decision, given that most major theater chains had backed away from the film as a result of the threats.

Interestingly, a film that may not previously have stood out from the crowded pack of holiday offerings is now on everyone's mind and has gotten more publicity worldwide than anyone could have ever imagined.

But what kind of precedent are we setting by allowing hackers and foreign governments to control the entertainment choices in American theaters? What example are we setting for the next group of cyber thugs who holds us hostage?

 

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Top of Mind Thursday December 11, 2014: Shining a Light on Torture

This week Congress released a report detailing the systemic use of torture by the CIA in interrogating suspected terrorists. 

 

The report, prepared by a Democratic-led committee, has been debunked by the Republicans as partisan politics. Yet, Republican Sen. John McCain, a former victim of torture himself as a POW, broke with party ranks to talk about the importance of bringing this situation to light.

Do the ends justify the means? Is it ever OK to use torture? Should we release reports like this that may endanger our troops out in the field? How can we call out other countries for human rights abuses when we do these things ourselves?

We don't have the answers to these questions, but what's important is that we are shining a light on what happened and we are asking the questions. There are very few countries in the world where these issues can be raised without fear of retribution or government crackdown.

That's what makes us different and that's why it's important to bring these issues to light.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday December 4, 2014: Something Has to Change

Twice this past week, no indictment decisions came back in incidents involving the death of African American men at the hands of white police officers. 

 

None of us were present in Ferguson, MO or New York City when these incidents occurred. It is possible that these were nothing more than tragic incidents.

But as a consultant, I look for patterns of behavior that indicate ongoing trends. And the pattern that's developed over the last couple of years is disturbing, to say the least.

The officers involved may have felt they really had not choice but to fire their weapons. The families and friends of those killed feel their kids were unfairly targeted, and justice is not being served. And the communities feel they need to speak up and sometimes act out to draw attention to the problem.

It's time to change the dynamics  so these situations don't continue to occur. Having police officers wear cameras that capture interactions with the public is one way to change behavior. But it's not enough. We need to take a good look at what can be done earlier in the process to bring about different outcomes.

Something has to change.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday November 27, 2014: A Pause in the Proceedings

Today is Thanksgiving, the day Americans give thanks for the many blessings we receive throughout the year.  

It's also the start of the traditional holiday shopping season, which used to begin on the day AFTER Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday.

First we saw the advent of Cyber Monday. Then Small Business Saturday. Now we see pre-Black Friday sales, and in some cases, stores opening on Thanksgiving to start the shopping frenzy just a little bit ahead of the pack.

I find it highly unlikely that jumping the gun with an early sale will positively impact a store's business for the season. In particular, many consumers are consciously avoiding stores that open on Thanksgiving and force their employees to work on the holiday.

This year, let's take time for a pause in the frenzy to remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Holiday shopping will still proceed on Friday, but a pause to stop and reflect will do us all good.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday November 20, 2014: Speaking About the Unspeakable

There are no words to describe the horror and sadness at the brutal killing of four men in a Jerusalem synagogue on Tuesday. 

 

A house of worship, whether a church, synagogue, or mosque, is a house of sanctuary--a place where people can feel safe to pray or just to escape the problems they face in their daily lives.

What happened to four men at prayer in a house of worship in Jerusalem is unspeakable. Yet if we don't speak out about this type of incident, it will continue to happen, and that in itself is unspeakable.

"Never again!" is a declaration we hear about the Holocaust, but every genocide in history started not with mass killings, but with acts of violence like this one.

It doesn't matter whether the victims are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or something else. We must speak out to stop this from happening again.

 

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Top of Mind Thursday November 13, 2014: What You Say Isn't What They Hear

This week I am at the Sonata adult piano camp in Bennington, Vermont. In addition to practice and performance, we also have classes on musical subjects. 

 

Today's class was about musical overtones. Playing an A on the piano doesn't give you just that note, but a whole series of other tones that resonate in the background...an octave, a fifth, a third, and eventually the entire chromatic scale. We hear these other tones in the background and they change the way we hear the music.

Similarly, in your business there are likely overtones that creep into your communications: things that aren't said overtly but that influence your message. This can be everything from your brand image to employee interactions, competitive and market pressures, and even how much the listener is predisposed to be tuned in to what you're trying to say.

Stop and think about how these hidden elements may be changing your communications. How can you create a more conducive environment for getting the right messages heard?

 

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Top of Mind Thursday November 6, 2014: Change is in the Air

Republicans clearly trounced their Democratic rivals in Tuesday's election, putting both houses of Congress in Republican hands. This means we should be expecting significant change in Washington, right? 

 

Well, not exactly. Historically, between 80 and 96% of incumbents are re-elected to Congress each term. That means that even though there will be some changes with a new party in charge, for the most part,  we've returned the usual suspects to office.

Two weeks ago, Democratic political pundit James Carville told me no one individual can come to town and dramatically change Washington. Unfortunately, President Obama learned this the hard way.

Rather than wait for Washington to lead the way, wouldn't it make more sense for our businesses and organizations to take steps to change themselves?

I suspect, however, that in a short time, we'll see this dance play out again, and  again...unless something dramatically changes.

 

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