The Harvard Business Review has been a great source of case studies (and many other important information) that business owners will find useful.

Their book entitled Culture And Change will help you learn how organizations are influenced not only by the cultural baggage that exists in their workplace, but also on how decisions are made, regardless of their particular management structure

Regardless of their roots, genre, and customs, employees define the organization´s culture, which affects the working climate, processes, systems, decisions (and yes, its influence on their clientele as well).

Read more articles on by the HBR and Read the book on Organizational Culture.

 

Read About Luis Lopez

To be honest, on first glance I hated best-seller The Four-Hour Workweek.  And by proxy, I hated its author, Tim Ferriss, and everything he seemingly stood for.  I was on deadline for my monthly column here at ASB when the book was starting to build a buzz.  So I grabbed a copy of the book, literally at the bookstore, scanning it quickly in an attempt to ferret out just enough of the key points to sound intelligent in reviewing it.  See, I didn't need to buy it or even go to the library, because I had already made up my mind that I hated it. 

With a skill-set I learned going all the way back to the Georgetown High School debate squad, I can quickly hop on either side of an argument and be on my way.  So standing in Borders that day, I wasn't seeking truth, only evidence.

With a few hastily scribbled notes, I then spent an hour at the laptop as I unloaded on the book and its author, spewing much venom and bile in the process, making it personal early and often.

Man I'm glad that I decided not to publish that book review.

Therein, I wrote the book off as facile and over-simple, and what's worse:  a symptom of every shortcut run amok is this microwave world of ours.  I'd never been a fan of outsourcing to begin with (as I understood it anyway:  those beliefs anchored in my stereotypes of foreign sweatshops and language barriers; those subsequent beliefs anchored in even deeper, even-more-wrong-headed stereotypes about nationalism and the economy; and those most guttural of beliefs rooted in the deepest of stereotypes that were instilled in me by my parents, which I've hopefully grown out of, and of which I am frankly embarrassed to even acknowledge here, even if I was not so forthright about all those underlying issues at the time).

But I didn't just pan the book.  Oh no no no no no. I went off on author Tim Ferriss as well, early and often.  I dismissed him as a charlatan and huckster.  A con man.  A hyper-connected harbinger of slack, perpetuating a get-rich-quick cult of personality. I knew 4HWW would be lapped up like pigs feeding at the trough and it was pissing me off more and more with each keystroke.  The fact that I hadn't read the book was incidental.  What was very real in the there-and-then was this oddly cathartic confluence of justification and rage percolating up out of me:  what felt like a Lincoln-Douglas-worthy rant about everything wrong in the world (Resolved: Tim Ferriss is part of the problem, not the solution) and hanging that albatross around his neck as though he were on the stand at Nuremberg.

Man I'm glad I decided not to publish that review here at ASB.

And how I came to such a reversal of opinion about Ferriss and 4HWW is an interesting exercise (pun intended) in accidental magic, an occurrence of what I have earlier described as scatterbrain synesthesia.

I have spent the better part of this year immersed in the process of retooling my mess of an online identity, a heretofore (still) sloppy juggling act that includes but is not limited to this platform (ASB), plus my core business site at www.onemanbranding.com (and how to interlink them with all my super-smart business partners in the Wizard of Ads group), plus the platforms for my radio show at www.krox.com and www.chillville.com, plus my adventures in filmmaking, and of course all the attendant  Facebook and MySpace pages, blogs, multiple twitter feeds, and the list goes on and on and on.

The longer I marinated on all this, the more I believed that at the core of an integrated solution would be my personal homepage at www.seggern.com, which could serve as a portal to the myriad rabbit-holes and side-roads in this massive interwoven online clusterphuck.

So I'm fishing for ideas of style and content, and therefore laundry listing some of my faves in the world of thought leadership.  I planned to spend the day just culling ideas for functionality from some of the great ones:  everyone from the Gladwells and Godins to some my Wizard of Ads partners.  And in this attention-deficit exercise of synesthetizing my likes and dislikes, I stumbled onto Ferriss' blog. 

And even though I did not publish that scathing review all those months ago, I had never given him a fair shake. All that time, instead of raging against the 4HWW machine publicly, I was vehemently ignoring it (but certainly aware of its continuing popularity).

And a crazy thing happened on the way reimagining my online presence(s) that day.  One of the categories on Ferriss' blog is the Four Hour Body. 

Unlocking the riddle of physical fitness--a plan that really works and resonates for/with me--has felt like a marathon with no finish line the last few years.  I'm pinballing from plan to plan, trainer to trainer, gym to gym.  And my results since recommitting to fitness (roughly 2005 to present) have crested and fallen between 200 pounds-plus on the high side, to my high school game weight of 169 pounds at my leanest (the game being interscholastic public speaking contests. 

Oddly enough, reading about Ferriss' takes on centering your plan around developing lower back strength in conjunction with a particular spin on a high-protein diet has become an instance of sympathetic vibration like I have rarely experienced, and certainly never when it comes to fitness.  I am getting results like gangbusters, like I have never enjoyed before.

Man I'm glad that I decided not to publish that review way back when.

And here is where it gets really interesting, pumping up the muscle (pun intended) of my theory of scatterbrain synesthesia.  Because Ferriss resonated so strongly with me on fitness, Dude is now Number One with a bullet on my list of big brains to follow (on Twitter and everywhere else).

I'm in the process of re-reading 4HWW (OK, actually, umm, reading it for the first time, page-by-page, like people do).  Never before has being so wrong felt so good.

It reinforces my belief, and stop me if you have heard this before:  I'm sure glad that I didn't step on my weenie and publish that panning of The Four Hour Workweek publicly.

And true to form, chasing the Tim Ferriss rabbit into the forest has yielded several more happy accidents.  The latest of which is a presentation at TED called "How To Feel LIke The Incredible Hulk."  Instead of betraying the secrets of what that 16-minute video holds, except to say that you should drop what you're doing and go watch it... now), I'll share with you the quote with which Tim ends the presentation, and I'll let you backtrack and discover what "that" means and put it into context as you see fit.:

"If any of you are interested in that," Ferriss offers, humbly and approachably, "I would love to speak with you.

"I know nothing.  I am a beginner. But I ask a lot of questions, and I would love your advice."

It reminds me of another unforgettable quote, this one from Austin Chronicle film critic Kimberley Jones when dissecting the undissectible Charlie Kaufmann opus "Synecdoche, New York."

"I don't know what it all means.  But I sure know what it means to me."


 

Read About Ray Seggern

Brazil, Belgium, Italy, Mexico, France, Japan, New York.  Christopher Fitzgerald is quickly becoming one of the most widely appreciated artists around the world.  His abstract expressionist works have sold in well-regarded art galleries across America.  But it’s not among art critics and aficionados that he makes his greatest impact, although his work has been favorably reviewed and regarded.  Christopher Fitzgerald has brought fine art to anyone capable of  “Finding a Fitzgerald” on the street.

"No one really experiences paintings anymore," Fitzgerald says.  "They only get access to reproductions and copies."    "I hope to create the anticipation of finding something extraordinary in an ordinary day."

Extraordinary is the only word to describe an artist who leaves his art for people to find.  "Generosity" and "free to the public" just don't fit the stereotype of a starving artist.  And it's not like he painted 5.  He's already painted hundreds and has plans for many more.

“Fitzgeralds” lurk on the shelves of retail stores and outside the windows of storefronts.  They sit patiently, 4x4 inches of wood and paint, reclining on the benches of railway stations and fireplace hearths, waiting to be seen, discovered and inhaled.  They offer themselves to the public and people who’ve never owned a piece of art in their life.  And they’re available to anyone who thinks they’re worth picking up. 

"I found this painting on a railway station in Gent.  It's a lovely small painting."
                        - De Volder Dirk: Tielt, Belgium

"We didn't know this art before so it was a big surprise.  We're very proud to have this piece here with us in Brazil.
                        - Wizard Candelaria, Candelaria - RS. Brazil.

"I was extremely excited.  Who knows how long it had sat there, unnoticed."
                        - Ryan, New York

For all the wonder produced by renowned painters throughout the ages, unnoticed describes most of today's "fine art".  "Who's searching...  ...to bridge the gap between popular culture and highbrow, academic paintings?" Fitzgerald asks.   "I want to share original art like I shared Snoopy drawings back in third grade."  

In fact, sharing isn't just accomplished by Fitzgerald, it's accomplished by the finder as well.   On the back of each painting appear the words: "Public Paintings.  Find and keep for a month."  Art becomes more than just a treasure to hoard.  It transforms into a gift to share, an invitation to take part in both a private conversation with art and a larger, interactive story with the world.

What better story connects people across cultures and economic status than an artist who gives his art freely for all people to share?  Whether he's ever recognized by critics for his artistic brilliance or social statement to the creative elite, Fitzgerald is opening the eyes of those who have never before owned original art.  And for that, as Johan of Valenciennes, France points out, "(he) deserves all of our attention."

Read About Peter Nevland

 Just before Hurricane Ike spit on us...

...my wife waited in a line of 100 people for to get her hands on one of an extremely limited supply of generators.

She was buying a generator for her widowed grandmother.

Read About Joshua A. Stevens

Based on analysis of 40 million blog posts collected during the past six months, Toyota, General Motors and Honda are the topics of a large amount of spontaneous consumer online discussions regarding environmental sustainability -- and have a higher-than-average number of positive mentions, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Environmental Sustainability Report.

J.D. Power and Associates Web Intelligence Division, which specializes in blog research and consumer generated media for market insight, has released its first comprehensive look at consumer conversations about environmental sustainability, global warming, purchase trends and user demographics, which are captured from online blogosphere conversations. The report is designed to provide automotive industry executives with ongoing measures of the extent of consumer engagement around the topic of sustainability, and how that engagement is influencing the buying habits and preferences of their customers and other consumers within their targeted demographics.

The inaugural report details discussions about the sustainability topic in general and also classifies brands based on both volume (measured by the number of new mentions per week, on average) and percentage of positive mentions. Brands that are discussed are then categorized into one of four quadrants: pacesetters (having higher-than-average volume and higher-than-average positive sentiment); contenders (lower-than-average volume but higher positive sentiment); emerging (higher-than-average volume but lower positive sentiment); or challenged (lower-than-average volume and low positive sentiment). Those brands that receive less than 1% of the total number of automotive online social media mentions are designated as dormant in online discussions of sustainability.

General Motors, Honda and Toyota emerge as pacesetters and score in the top quadrant for both volume and the percentage of positive mentions. Toyota leads General Motors in the total volume of posts, accounting for 14% of all posts regarding automotive brands and sustainability. General Motors is a close second in post volume, representing 11% of all posts. However, General Motors received a higher percentage of positive mentions between January and June 2008 -- 49%, compared with 46% for Toyota. In contrast, Honda's rate of positive mentions is 53%, but the brand receives a lower volume of mentions than the other two brands in the pacesetter quadrant -- 7%, which is half as much as Toyota.

Nissan outscores all other automotive brands in the percentage of positive discussion with 56%, but receives a lower overall volume than the brands in the pacesetter group, just 2%, which places the brand in the contender quadrant. Ford also accounts for considerable volume of discussion (8%) but has fewer positive mentions than many other brands, with less than half of all comments being positive in nature (43%).

The report findings also include:

-- Overall, the majority of conversations surrounding automotive brands and environmental sustainability were either positive or neutral in sentiment-very few were negative.

-- More than 320,000 spontaneous conversations about environmental sustainability, global warming, conscious consumerism and related topics were found among English-language posts in the public blogosphere between March and August 2008.

-- The overall volume of online discussion regarding sustainability issues has increased considerably during the past 18 months. Discussion volumes increased by 160% during 2007, and another 250% during the first six months of 2008.

Read About Jane Fraser

1.I love it when my wife replies to me, "Oh.”

Read About Joshua A. Stevens

What's the biggest mistake businesses make in their advertising?
They don't live up to their promises. The customer comes in with expectations set by the ads, and leaves disappointed. Not only did the advertiser waste his money, he's actually damaged his image in the minds of people who are now much less likely to become customers.  No amount of advertising will overcome a bad customer experience.

What's the biggest contribution to bad customer experiences?
Bad customer service. The question most companies fail to address is, “How do you assure a consistent level of service?” So-called excellent customer service is dependent upon the mood and attitude of whoever is on the sales floor on a given day. The challenge is in replicating the highest level of service every day. How can you make that repeatable and teachable?
The sad part is that most companies believe they are doing the things they're promising. They really do believe that they have “the best service in town.” If they could only see through the customer's eyes, they’d realize it simply isn’t true.

What's the solution?
Manage the buying environment – the world inside your doors. Create an experience so compelling that the customer doesn't even notice the service. Start by creating distractions to keep the customer entertained and engaged. Most customers don’t mind waiting when they perceive the wait as part of the experience. Keep in mind that anyone below the age of thirty grew up in a multimedia world. Can you use flat screen monitors to display an entertainment loop? Do you have old photographs of the early days of your company or your community? Control the sensory conditions of your environment. What can you do to involve all of the customers' senses? Does your store smell fresh – or funny? What’s the sound of your business? Loud and chaotic, or tranquil and soothing. Either is okay, as long as it’s intended to fit the temperament of your customers. The right selection of music can set a particular mood. A random selection can set your customer’s teeth on edge.

Big companies have an advantage, don't they?
No. Most big companies are slow and unwieldy. It’s difficult for them to change quickly in response to sudden shifts in the business landscape. And when they do decide to make a change, typically all of the locations have to go along, for the sake of conformity. On a local level, this makes them vulnerable to a more nimble small business owner who can humanize and personalize the buying experience to suit the customers in the area.

How much of this is in your new book?
All of it and then some. But, I decided to do something new and different from my other books. Rather than putting together a bunch of essay type chapters, I wrote a business fable, similar to “The One Minute Manager” and “Fish!” It’s a story about a failing family-owned business struggling to survive in the shadow of a big-box retailer. By the end of the book, the reader has learned methods for managing the customer experience that are adaptable to any business.

What will people take away from How To Fight The Big Boys And Win?
Specifically, three things: First of all, they’ll gain a clear understanding of the “Personal Experience Factor” –the PEF - and how it applies in their businesses. Secondly, they’ll be shown three ways to trigger positive word-of-mouth. Third, I’ll share multiple low-cost examples of ways to improve the PEF that they can apply to their own businesses when they return home.
 

Read About Ray Seggern

Erich Joachimsthaler is the author of Hidden in Plain Sight.

He visited the Rafael Landivar University in Guatemala last week.

I must say, I was impressed that he didn’t use an interpreter and his Spanish was good enough for everyone to understand; his energy was amazing too. He visited the University after spending a couple of Days in Atitlan.

He proposed three steps in his book, in order to re-structure your business model, based on strategies by BMW, Apple, Frito-Lay and Starbucks.


1.    Look for opportunities outside the business ecosystem. This requires and intense observation where you can measure how your customers and using your product.
2.    Create scenes where you see your customers taking different scenarios with your product.
3.    Adapted them into the business model.


One of the short examples he used during his presentation was related to Apple and Starbucks. How Steve Jobs design the iPod, after intuitive observing the purchase flux of music in young consumers. (Buy an mp3 player, Load the music you wan to her, dispose it, and repeat). And how Howard Schultz founded his company based on customer experience, while he observed how people bought coffe in another country during his vacation.

The book also gives examples on how to implement his easy three step to all businesses, and how to achieve a balance between company orientated strategies and market orientated decisions.

Dr. Joachimsthaler is the founder of Vivaldi Partners, his book has been translated into many languages.

Read About Luis Lopez