Listening is one of the most powerful things we can do. It is also very challenging. It seems strange that it is difficult. But it is… because it demands us to be both self-aware and willing to be compassionate. Active listening is all bright-eyed, big smile and nodding approval kind of a listening. Deeper listening is … Read more
Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) is a metric applied for the measurement of brand value of an entity. BAV was developed by Young and Rubicam. BAV measures a brand under the two broad categories: Brand Vitality and Brand Stature. Brand Vitality refers to the growth potential of the brand. Brand Vitality is sub-divided into Differentiation and … Read more
Altruistic behavior is common throughout the animal kingdom, particularly in species with complex social structures. For example, vampire bats regularly regurgitate blood and donate it to other members of their group who have failed to feed that night, ensuring they do not starve. In numerous bird species, a breeding pair receives help in raising its … Read more
You may start with a problem or a discovery. You may discover a problem or, in solving a problem, make a discovery. It is rarely, if ever, a linear process of one then the other. There are innovation frameworks, methods and techniques. They help… but innovation is a messy process that includes going to unfamiliar … Read more
Mental models are psychological representations of real, hypothetical, or imaginary situations. They were first postulated in the late 1800’s by the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce but it was the Scottish psychologist, Kenneth Craik, in 1943, who describes mental models as the mind constructs “small-scale models” of reality that it uses to anticipate events, to … Read more
My wife called from the garden to my daughter asking for the time. My daughter replied three fifty (3:50). I immediately thought “why didn’t she say ten to four?” Then I realized that she rarely looks at an analog clock – she probably doesn’t even know what “ten to four” means. Or how about “half … Read more
Good mentors are important. The best workplaces have formal programs to develop mentoring relationships. LinkedIn has even launched a feature to help you find one. And how to be a good mentor is a topic of perennial interest. “For mentors, the most important thing, really, is to ask questions, to be this guide on the side, rather than the … Read more
I have been fortunate to have some great leaders along my path. They seemed to have genuinely cared about me and instilled in me a strong trust and loyalty to them. These leaders had empathy, they were good listeners and knew how to inspire a team with a clear vision. “Success is a team sport. … Read more
A mission statement is a written declaration of an organization’s core purpose. Properly crafted mission statements: serve as filters to separate what is important from what is not clearly state which markets will be served and how communicate a sense of intended direction to the entire organization A mission is different from a vision – … Read more
Over the years, I have developed my share of Design vision, missions, goals and strategies. Early in my career, I developed the teams from scratch but now it is more about helping existing teams level up. At the core of any good team, is a clearly understood vision. As I have stated many times over … Read more
The Four Stages of Learning suggests that individuals are initially unaware of how little they know, or unconscious of their incompetence – we don’t know what we don’t know. As we recognize our incompetence, we consciously acquire knowledge (we know what we don’t know). When we are consciously using knowledge then we know what we … Read more
Your products and services are delivering an experience to your customers regardless if you are consciously managing them. A good experience delights customers and generates a steady revenue stream while a poor experience sends customers to the competition and can be the demise of an organization. Savvy organizations understand their experience design maturity, invest in … Read more