Read this amazing article:

http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/1

Thanks to my friend Tom who forwarded to me this great article about how you plan your life instead of just your career. This book illustrates how to use our principles for even the smallest decisions. There is so much pressure to tip toe across those lines and daily living can overwhelm us.

How many of us could have stayed our personal course the way the author did to not play on a Sunday for his college basketball championship, (and he was the center!). Could you have withstood the pressure to give in just this once? I am not sure I could have. Yet, this one decision early on in the authors life really set the course for the rest of it.

Daily contemplation of a core set of “how I want to live my life” set early in the author’s life seems to have been his answer. Now it’s up to me to find an hour each day to think those thoughts and I am not exactly college age.. but hey, its never too late!

Listen to this story.  It is an interesting piece about consumer studies where too much choice stops people from buying and stresses shoppers out.  In a Marketplace Money segment linked below the question was just how many jams do you need to sample to make a buying decision. 

The answer is a bit like Goldilocks- there is a “ just right” number.  In a grocery store test consumers were given over a diffferent numbers of homemade jams to choose from.  What was the right number for sales?  

The first weekend a huge table of selections, over 20, created a buzz and crowds to sample all the flavors; but very low sales.  Too many choices; too many reasons to put off the idea of buying.

The following weekend shoppers were given six jam choices.  Consumers didn’t hover, there was definitely less buzz, yet they purchased: See, taste, process, decision.  Six choices made it easy to decide in this case.  It makes perfect sense.

We are all seeing the reining in of choice at the store level to help our poor distracted brains.   It is not because the Best Buys of the world are reining in inventories.  Target, Walmart and SuperValu are all reducing the brands and items they carry-  to help you decide to buy.  (One request, though, SuperValu please stock Healthy Choice fudge bars again. Skinny Cows just aren’t as good.) 

On the web choice is endless. I think at some level we know bottomless choice is always a google away.   Is that why when I cruise through ebay, Amazon and Travelocity and such I will  digitially wander aimlessly and rarely make a  buying decision?

I saw how this worked in my own business this week.  We signed a one page IT agreement that spelled out everything simply and forthrightly.  They made the agreement easy to read, understand and yet comprehensive.  

Instead of a 26 page tome with language to worry and haggle about it was clean, simple and clearly stated everyone’s needs and requirements.  To do this in one page was elegant and brilliant,  and I was grateful.  Thanks Corporate Technologies for making it easy to decide.

In the promotional products industry choice is endless in the same way.  Careful or you will overwhelm a buyer.   How do we put out the great idea and yet not strangle the need to make a decision.  

Starting always with the GOAL and how we measure it success is the only way to start.   The art of keeping that simple rule in front of you will fuse creativity and function.   A great sales and creative team will give you the “just right” amount of choices so decisions can be made.  Many times a simple idea is the very best one.  

How many jams do you need to make a decision?

http://tinyurl.com/22oznjs

Those of you who know me or have worked with me a while know there are two business and life philosophers that I really like and take to heart:  Dale Carnegie and Peter Drucker. 

Many of you may have received from me the Little Golden Book by Dale Carnegie that I like to give away.   I try to re-read the handy little brochure once a week or so to remind me the best way to approach things: be positive, cheerful, look at the other person’s point of view approach and don’t worry! 

Alas, I mostly fail doing things this way.   Yet as Joan Baez sings in her song, God is God, from her Album The Day after Tomorrow….”Every day on earth is another chance to get it right.”  so, I do keep trying.

I re-read some of my favorite Peter Drucker quotes and I here they are as relevent and right on as ever, so here are some of my favorites:   

 ”The purpose of a business is to create and retain a customer. “

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”

“Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed nothing else can be managed.”

“Today knowledge has power. It controls access to opportunity and advancement.”

 ”The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”

 ”The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different.”

 ”Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans”

 What are  your favorite quotes?  I collect them so I would love to get more from you!

 How many of you like the new show, Undercover Boss?  I kind of like it.  First because it shows business owners and executives who really do care and are human beings.  CEO bashing has become a bit of a blood sport.  The goofballs get all the press. 

My experience is that folks who own and run businesses large and small not only really care about their employees and communities they are the first to sponsor the kids baseball leagues, various charities and raise their hands to help out. 

I have watched a few of the Undercover Boss episodes and it all boils down to the same thing.   How easy it is for good bosses to lose the opportunity everyday to do simple, inexpensive things to engage and recognize their employees.  I am as guilty as anyone.  And we are in the rewards and recognition business, so really I have no darn excuse. 

Business ownership and executive duties can be an all consuming life and carving out that time to really, really listen, recognize and value the little things staff does each day is something that absolutely should not, but sometimes does fall to the bottom of the list.   I promise to do better!

Last nights show featured 1-800-flowers President trying lamely to do the little things that his company employees have to do each day to make the business work.  The lesson was the same in this week’s episode as in others I have seen:  the power of recognition and small, immediate rewards. 

Two of the employees were moved to tears when one was asked to help design Mother’s Day arrangements, and another was visibly shaking with emotion when the Undercover Boss named an arrangement in their permanent line for her because of her exceptional customer service he witnessed. 

And that cute 19 year old kid the Undercover Boss decided to mentor, well, even my husband did an “aahhh, that is so cool”, response.  (He generally dislikes these reality shows.)  These are super easy, inexpensive things to do.

An article in this month’s Fortune reinforced this idea of incremental and immediate rewards.  Below is the link.  The challenge us and for all in business is having a systematic, yet spontaneous  rewards and recognition program that measure results.

Sometime throwing a gift card at someone is really nice but how do you sustain it, budget for it,  program it and measure it.   As this article shows the reward “thing” is secondary.  It is the thought that counts, just like our mom’s taught us.   And that thought is very, very powerful.   http://tinyurl.com/yjmbbad

This next article is interesting too.  It talks about the damage a “superstar” can do to an organization when employees, or in this case the entire professional golf field, ala TW (Tiger Woods), feels when someone talent is unattainable for them to reach.  

Very interesting statistics and very counter-intuitive.  Apparently in golf, superstar performers do not raise others game.  Do you agree?

The moral of this story is:  superstars can kill productivity, creativity and efficiency.  And when taking a big test with many people, always sit at the front of class.  Check it out:   http://tinyurl.com/yfojwpj

I hear that last week of January is the most depressing of the year.   It gives most people the blues.  The NPR segment of Marketplace Money I heard Saturday,  January 30th, certainly did nothing to dispel that myth for me.   I feel like my mother after listening to this segment on Marketplace Money: What is this world coming to?

The link below is the interview of author Lisa Dobson who is selling a new book unbelievably named, The Underground Morality.   There is nothing moral about this book.  She advocates “market adjustments” by employees and managers to right their perceived economic wrong:  Steal from your employer to give to other employees.

Tess Vigeland, the show host says nothing to challenge this reprehensible author, nor does she play this crazy concept forward in terms of what it means to our economy where employees blithely steal prom dresses, pad overtime and do other altruistic theft in the name of morality.  

So Tess, why don’t you try this idea out on your show with staff interns or others YOU think are underpaid and lets just see how that all works out for you and the employee when you get caught.  Maybe American Public Media will put out a policy on how to steal from them so all in your company can participate in the company’s new: Economic Market Adjustments Initiative Policy.  I see a 40 page manual.  

It seem Ms. Dobson found plenty of underground morality out there.   That is what freaks me out.  She wrote a whole book on how to steal.  Hey, Ms. Smartypants-Big-Box Store Manager:  Spend you own money buying a prom dress for your employee’s daughter instead of “finding one that didn’t sell” that you gave to your employee.  

And you Mr-Pad-the-Overtime-Hours restaurant manager- why not start a general tip jar or find assistance, either from you, or other folks willing to help your workers instead of lie and steal from your employer.   At no time in this segment was there even a mention of how to help struggling worker with their own money.  It was all about theft from the employer.

Small businesses have lots on their plates to worry about and now we have this crazy woman out there telling employees it is moral to rip us off. 

I have dealt with employee theft and it is heartbreaking to find out when trusted employees steal from you.  I see in our culture this kind of incrementalism that hey, maybe stuff like this isn’s so bad?  But it is wrong!  Where does Dobson miss this? And how can she and Tess Vigeland not even see it?

Join me in challenging Ms Dobson and lets call what she characterizes as “underground morality” what it really is:   Stealing.    Contact me if you are with me.  pady@scpromo.com

http://tinyurl.com/yfu4y4q

I have to share the most amazing customer service I had this week at Costco while getting gas.  Do you ever think of Costco as the epicenter for customer service?  I bet not.  

At the pump a fully parka inflated gentleman with the kindest smile and bearded face, monitoring the gas lanes, came up to me and said, “Let me pump that for you and let me clean the salt off your windows.” 

He was so happy, so enthusied to be out there on a cold Minnesota day to help me that I was speechless.  He exuded geniune care and appreciation that it knocked me over.  Wow.

On the same note I just came back from a trade show and heard a wonderful speaker:  Scott McKain.  Scott tells another story of a Jacksonville, Florida taxi driver that takes customer service and care to the highest level. 

This taxi drive also capitalized on this penchant for customer service.   What Blue Sky opportunities he was able to find simply through his absolute commitment to customer service.  Watch this video.  Its great.  P  http://tinyurl.com/yok9k3    

What did you do for the holidays?  Well one of the things our team did was have a blast putting on a Company Store fashion show.    Our Retail management team of Julie, Lori and a crew dancers one of which was Maddy had a little fun showing off everything from our great logo products to our dry cleaning and sandwiches!  And of course there were Snugglers!   Happy New Year everyone.   Check out the video.   My favorite continues to be the Snuggler, but the Chicago Fire Soccer Jersey and NASCAR outfits were cute too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j4uqn3DUgc

Give your customers a price point that works for them with great value and they will buy.   Check out the article in the Minneapolis Business Journal this week about our new Holiday HQ program.   Our $5, $10, $20 stocking stuffer program is works and we are excited to see our retail sales increasing.

We also are finding our business clients who purchase logo, gift and recognition products and programs love price point programs that still say thank you now on a budget.  Check out our article and what are your thoughts about buying and giving this holiday?   What is motivating you?  Let me know: pady@scpromo.com

http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2009/11/30/focus1.html?b=1259557200^2507321

You would never think finding amazing, knock you over customer service would be at a doctors office.  But that is where I found it.   Tria Orthopaedic Center in Bloomington Minnesota.  It was a WOW experience from the minute I finally found the parking lot until an hour and twenty minutes later when I walked out of there all patched up and cured. 

I had a minor but aggravating hip injury and it has been such a hassle to get an appointment at Park Nicollet.  You hope you call the right “general number”, sit on hold and then get transferred.  If you do get an appointment in this century it is a stepping stone appointment to nowhere.  You will more than likely go one place for one thing, another place for xray or mri, different days, yadda, yadda.   What a royal pain and in the meantime you limp.

I decided to just stop at this beautiful Tria building I have watched rise from the frontage road dust at 494 and France driving  to work everyday.  I will just stop by and try to set up an appointment instead of navagating some robo-phone system.   Did their tv ad’s influence me?  Its possible.

I walked in the door and saw a lovely retail store on the right, huge, bright, modern yet warm  reception area with a great snackbar.   (Fix your hip and eat a chocolate chip cookie- my kind of place.)  The picture wall of the Doc’s and associates all wearing black casual shirts, not a stethoscope or white jackets, was contemporary and cool, even though some of these Doc’s looked like they were 12 years old to me.   Full disclosure:  Doc’s do wear white jackets when they see you.

Sport memorabilia was everywhere and the whole feel was very sports, youth oriented yet you saw older folks with walkers and who looked perfectly comfortable.  There are elegant, yet quirky displays of sports memorabilia that have the appearance of an art gallery- ok, that might be a stretch.

They definitely want you to know they work on the best.  The signed Adrian Peterson poster caught my eye.   If they are good enough for #28, they must be able to fix me, is the psychological jump you make.   I know better but can’t help it.  

I was immediately greeted by another black clad receptionist (is this the Lancome counter at Macy’s, or what?) and as she smiled she said the Tria mantra:  “We are so glad you came ” It may sound trite, but every single person I encountered at Tria said this to me, and after a while you really did feel they were glad to see you.   Trained and measured customer service at a Doctor’s office, pretty cool.  

The receptionist told me I could be seen not only that day, but that minute.  She walked me upstairs to the check in receptionist, in black, and within 30 minutes I had a workup, xray and was seen by a Doctor who did not look 12, but maybe 19 years old.  All was well, a little shot to help with swelling and then out the door I went, limping no more.

So not only was Tria efficient, pleasant, welcoming they got the job done on demand.  It was a WOW experience.   And inspirational challenge for our company to execute this kind of WOW everyday with our On Demand products and retail customer service.   

Now we will see if the Tria bill is a WOW.

We went to see “This is it” last weekend.  The Michael Jackson movie made of rehearsal footage for his, now defunct, sold out 50 date concert series in London.  My husband Dennis grudgingly came along with a “I will get even with you” look in his eyes.   I loved Michael Jackson.  I was saddened and puzzled by all his troubles; yet he was a one-of-a-kind entertainer and true creative professional. 

MJ’s concerts were the best you could ever hope to attend: All visual, magic and rock.   If I had to rank concert talent it would be Michael, Prince and U2.   The Beatles and the Monkees were pretty cool too but that was a long time ago and there was alot of screaming involved.  Remembering those concerts makes me feel lucky to have seen them but, man, can that be 40 years ago?  Yikes.  (I was one of the lucky 11 year old girls at the Monkee concert to be given $2 to start screaming when they came on stage by promoters.)

You simply have to admire a world and culture that can dream big ideas and make them a reality.   In one part of the movie the director was trying to come up with a specific cue for a song to start and MJ, who looks truly fit, healthy, respectful and in charge, says;  “don’t worry about that, I will feel it and start then.”   That  ”feel” part of creativity captivates me.   How do you find and execute:   ”I will feel it. ”   

Yesterday while thinking about the discipline of the creative process the movie inspired I came across an article in yesterday’s Minneapolis Star Tribune.   Glenn Karwoski, is billed as an ”Idea Man” teaching the capturing the creative process to companies.  

I think he is right when he says “one  of the enemies of creativity and innovation is success….complacency… There is nothing like fear and panic to make someone get creative real fast.“  He seems to have a techinique to answer the question: yeah, great idea but now what?   He might be a useful speaker at our industry meetings and summits.  http://www.startribune.com/business/69438047.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU 

Our promotional and retail business is a like this.  Creativity drives ideas, but how to pick the right ones  and execute successfully is where it is at.   We constantly strive for that creative edge, yet creativity won’t win without the preparation and execution.   Visiting the clouds of creativity, but coming down to earth, Karwoski seems to understand that,  MJ’’s felt it.

Back to MJ – Spoiler alert: Toward the end of the movie, the best part in my opinion,  MJ rehearses Billie Jean and does a full out dance with the song in front of just his backup dancers.  The movie theater is rock-still watching this amazingly gifted entertainer pull out perfection just for his team:   No audience, creative juice and execution.  And at the end of this amazing number he says, “and it will be something like that”.  The dancers and extras go  wild because they know they have witnessed something pretty magical.   

How sad we will never see the full vision of MJ.   That unique, creative discipline is gone.    And make no mistake about it, even with all his troubles this was a disciplined, team oriented guy.  See “This is it” even if you don’t like MJ.   This show would have been a monster hit.

Enjoy one of Billie Jean and Black & White below. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En-cHBv7UpA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI9OYMRwN1Q