Blog: Think Tank

The man can deliver a speech, yet he needs help with content and organization. The American people aren't policy wonks. Much of what President Obama said last night, went right over our heads. And the big question, how will these programs be funded, was put off until next week? Why?

He had the opportunity to speak directly to Americans, tell them that he understands their plight, announce a comprehensive program to create jobs, show how it could be funded without increasing the deficit and ask for their support to get Congress to move forward with him.

He covered those points, but he needed some easy to remember take-aways. Things that people could talk about today. He had three key messages: I know what to do. I have a plan. I can fund it. And, he had a weak call to action that was easily missed. Most of the speech should have focused on asking people to tell Congress to move our country forward by passing the American Jobs Act. At least, that’s what I think his call to action was.

Of course, the specifics of his plan are important, but he couldn’t convey them all in a single speech. They can be posted on a website, and certainly media would post them on their sites. In reality, a speech should inspire action. Unfortunately, President Obama didn't do that. Just because he didn't call us to action, doesn't mean we need to remain silent.

Tell Congress what you think.

Comment (0)

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” At least according to Albert Einstein. How many business owners believe that to be true? How many owners even think about nurturing imagination?

I thought about that the other day when a prospective client said, “We need some real creativity.” When I asked about his product and what innovations the company had made over time, he seemed genuinely startled. He’d never considered applying creativity to his product or processes. He only thought of creativity in terms of advertising.

The best campaigns are built on a deep collaboration that builds on a client’s innovation. A client who possesses a vision and pursues it aggressively provides a marketing agency something tangible with which to work. And the results are always impressive!

Creativity starts with a plan. As John Dewey said, “A problem well-defined is half solved.” Many people think creativity is something that happens spontaneously and that it can’t be guided and directed. But creativity doesn’t just happen. You need a sense of purpose, a direction.

1.    Talk to your staff, those closest to the customer and find out what customers like and don’t like about your product or service.
2.    Define the problem.
3.    Determine what you want to achieve.
4.    Do some research; gather as much information as possible.
5.    Get creative.

Think back to when you were a child. Everything was interesting, because you were constantly exploring. You were curious. You were surprised and delighted by what you found. You asked a lot of questions. Many of us need to re-learn how to be curious.

Remember your child. Recall the awe of discovering and experiencing your world. Encourage your staff to do the same. Invest in helping people build their imaginations, as well as their knowledge, and you’ll be well rewarded.

Comment (0)

Remember the fable of Rich O’Connor in The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni? I liked the author’s approach – though I think fable books are overrated. Anyway, every so often, I refer to the list I made after I read the book. Since spring is always a good time to reflect, I thought I’d share my list:

Build and maintain a cohesive leadership team: Build trust, eliminate politics and
increase efficiency by
- Knowing one another’s unique strengths and weaknesses
- Openly engaging in constructive ideological conflict
- Holding one another accountable for behaviors and actions
- Committing to group decisions

Create organizational clarity: Minimize the potential for confusion by clarifying
- Why the organization exists
- What behavioral values are fundamental
- What specific business it is in
- Who its competitors are
- How it is unique
- What it plans to achieve
- Who is responsible for what

Overcommunicate organizational clarity: Align employees by communicating key messages through
- Repetition
- Simplicity
- Multiple media
- Cascading messages

Reinforce organizational clarity through human systems: Ensure consistency in - Hiring
- Managing performance
- Rewards and recognition
- Employee dismissal

It’s a common sense approach, one that pays dividends. And, it always makes sense to take time to assess how we’re doing as managers. Lencioni’s obsessions give us a way to do that.

Be obsessed this year!

Comment (0)

2009 was a very good year for CAWOOD. I attribute that to advertising.

We bought the back cover of blue chip, a monthly publication dedicated to providing information for business owners and executives, and signed on with The Register-Guard as a Community Leader Together company. Quite simply, we increased our visibility.

But visibility alone isn’t enough when you want to make an impact. You also need an effective strategy. Let me tell you about ours.

When we decided to advertise in blue chip’s first issue, we knew the publication would fill a void in business news reporting. It was the perfect vehicle for us to showcase our clients. In addition, we wanted the ads to convey:
  - The collaboration between us and our clients
  - The breadth and depth of the work we do   - The creativity we bring to our clients

Each ad focused on a different client, a key CAWOOD staff person, and listed the specific services we provide. We led with Slocum Center for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine and focused on using a transition to create a strong brand.

Who hasn’t heard Ralph Parshall say, "Let us put a star in your future"? That was our second ad in the series, talking about how we work with Mercedes’ national agency to customize local messages and place ads to complement the national buy.

Taking choice online was the theme of our third ad. Of course, it was for Market of Choice and its new Web site. And the fourth was titled Every picture tells a story, the tagline for Oregon Imaging Centers.

We ran each ad three times and are using them again this year.

Our Community Leader Together ads give staff members a chance to shine a spotlight on a nonprofit organization that they support. We focus on a different organization every month. The ads feature a photo of our staff person supporting the organization, brief copy, and the organization’s logo. We always include a call to action, so others can get involved with the organization.

We get lots of comments on these ads. And nonprofits tell us that they’ve helped them generate volunteers and donations. That inspires us.

The ads increased our visibility. New clients commented on them. Clients and colleagues said the ads reminded them to refer new clients. Our nice bottom line at the end of the year proves, once again, that advertising works!

img#array, div.leading img {margin-left:4px !important;margin-right:4px !important;"}

Comment (0)

Keep your office clean

Every office has a kitchen. Most offices struggle with keeping their kitchens clean. What about yours?

We’ve solved that problem at CAWOOD with an old-fashioned chore chart. Since several clients have asked for a copy – and expressed great appreciation after implementing it – we’ve decided to share our chore chart. You’ll find it as a downloadable PDF at the bottom of this article.

You may be thinking this is a strange article for our Think Tank. Not so strange, when you think about how distracted you can be by little things that aren’t quite right. I realized that recently when I finally fixed a broken drawer in my refrigerator. It took me all of 20 minutes, and every time I open the drawer I feel good. I was energized. Plus, I enjoy cooking a lot more when I’m not fighting to get the veggies out of the drawer.

Use the chore chart to get rid of one of those annoyances that distract you from doing your best work. It’s a small gift for 2010 – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Comment (0)