An Army laboratory experienced a series of accidents resulting in employee injury and equipment malfunction. After investigating, leaders realized that employees were sacrificing safety to be more productive. In this environment, employees cut corners and ignored safety rules of the…
We are fans of surveys and questionnaires around here. When constructed and applied correctly, they provide valuable data and insight and with only a light burden being placed on the survey-takers. Surveys and questionnaires are a frequent, and important, part…
In a podcast I recently listened to on appreciative inquiry (which is a technique we employ in facilitating strategy sessions with our clients), David Cooperrider used the term “The Art of the Question” to describe the essence of appreciative inquiry. The questions…
A nifty copywriting rule to remember is to always use odd numbers. For some reason, even numbers are not as effective as odd ones in copy. An example of this is, "The Six Energy Stocks You Must Own Now" is…
Avoiding Burnout as a Consultant As consultants serving an array of customers -- all who have hired us to solve pressing problems -- it is not unusual to experience burnout. This manifests in a variety of ways: procrastination, avoidance, negativity,…
Customers do you an enormous favor when they take the time to complain about your product or service. Most people simply stop engaging you or buying from you and you never know why. Chances are good that there is a…
Follow Your Heart A famous trapeze artist was instructing his students how to perform on the high trapeze bar. Finally, having given full explanations and instruction in this skill, he told them to demonstrate their ability. One student, looking up…
Do White Papers Work? Do White Papers still work as a direct response offer? Yes, says Nick Copley, Vice President of Bitpipe. “The big [magazine] publishers are scaling back the amount of editorial space they have to offer,” he explains.…
How to Murder the Entrepreneurial Spirit in an Organization Many of us have had work experiences in organizations that seem to stifle all innovation and entrepreneurial energy. Just as entrepreneurial organizations have certain characteristics in common, so do anti-entrepreneurial ones.…
It is surprising to no one that the way you ask a question can yield different responses. And in a customer relationship, asking questions and framing them properly can allow you to deliver far more value than simply taking a…