Most sportsmen display passion and disciplined concentration. If cyclists, runners, tennis players, golfers and swimmers feel focused, inspired and energized by their jobs, why can’t people get that in their normal day jobs too? Why is the sporting world any different to the business world? Is that feeling reserved for sports people only or can other professions such as nurses, lawyers, accountants and secretaries feel it too?
Archive for the 'General' Category
Now more than ever you need well trained, passionate staff, focused on delivering consistent, high quality service and products. Yet, just when you need them to be most passionate and focused, many companies are finding that their people are demotivated and distracted, especially their younger staff members. Getting the most out of them requires a changed mindset and improved management skills that every leader would do well to understand.
I love Amazon because it is so convenient and easy. I can order books in three clicks of my mouse and the package is dropped through my door two days later.
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes? Look at these ten pictures on the Guardian’s website.
I’ve been reading a lot of commentary recently about how differently companies need to be targeting Gen Y (people born in the UK after 1988), both as an employee and consumer. The Harvard Business Review has great commentary on the subject, and I’ve just come across a good example by the The Economist who is targeting college students in the US using pizza delivery boxes. Pizzerias around college campuses received Economist branded pizza boxes detailing world production stats on the students favourite pizza ingredients such as cheese!
It’s novel, entertaining, educational and clever…all the things that Gen Y expect from a marketing campaign.
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McKinsey is one of the most prestigious and respected management consulting companies. They help solve strategic issues that keep senior management awake at night. Their audience is generally the movers and shakers of corporate leadership who play a fundamental role in shaping the global economy.
Research reveals that they consult with 147 of the top 200 companies in the world (74%). Two-thirds of the Fortune 1000 has hired them as strategy consultants. 80 of the world’s top 120 financial firms use McKinsey.
Wikipedia says, ‘Knowing that a competitor has hired McKinsey has historically been a strong impetus for companies to seek McKinsey’s assistance themselves’.
I have been reading a book called ‘Re-energizing the corporation’. The authors make an interesting point - if you are using McKinsey’s services, and so are your competitors, what are the chances you will gain long term competitive advantage? Can companies acquire truly lasting innovation, direction and strategic inspiration, that will set them apart from others, if they are all hoping to get it from exactly the same source?
Tesco Personal Finance (TPF) was launched 11 years ago as a joint venture with RBS. They have been slowly but surely making in-roads into the financial sector, and this month Tesco plans to take full ownership of the business. This is interesting timing given the current financial crisis and even more interestingly, Tesco has big plans for TPF. Now with over 5.6 million customers TPF has it’s eye on the mortgage market. Bouyed by its half year profit results Tesco has the resources and the appetite to grow its banking operation, but perhaps it has even a greater asset in its arsenal, strong consumer goodwill and support.
While banks have focused their attention narrowly on bottom line profit and large city bonuses, Tesco has been focusing on connecting with its staff and customers and massive profits have followed. In 2007 Tesco embarked on a training course to help staff connect with people from different generations; and they are well known for championing the consumer. This is not just lip service but something that Tesco staff from junior to senior management live and breathe
So as the market forces and consumer anger forces banks to rethink their attitudes and behaviour, and the market forces reshape banking as we know it, keep a watchful eye on Tesco Personal Finance they could well be using this crisis as the catalyst and launching pad they need to redefine the future of banking into business that truly connects with customers values.
Do you know how Eskimo hunters in the Arctic killed dangerous wolves?
They didn’t. The wolf self destructed and eventually killed itself.
According to folklore, when they wanted to kill a wolf, the Eskimos took a knife with a very sharp blade and coated it with a seal’s blood. They let the blood freeze and then coated it over and over until the blade was completely covered in frozen blood, like a big popsicle. The Eskimos then left the coated knife upright in the snow and lay in wait.
A wolf’s sharp sense of smell drew him towards the knife. He would start licking the ‘popsicle’ in eager anticipation of some tender, juicy meat. To the wolf, blood represented food. He was seduced by the taste of the seal blood and wanted more and more. Eventually, his craving became so overwhelming that he failed to notice the sting of the blade as it cut his own tongue. He could not distinguish between his blood and the seal’s because his insatiable, carnivorous appetite sent him into a feverish cycle of licking and biting. The desire for meat fed the wolf’s excited frenzy. He was unaware of his own pain and growing weak state until it was too late.
This story of self-destruction is a good illustration of the current economic crisis.
Continue reading ‘Self-destruction and the economic downturn’
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An interview with Sharon Kersten
Sharon is a skilled and experienced business professional having worked as MD at Old Mutual’s retail banking arm Nedbank. She is also a guest lecturer at INSEAD. We interviewed Sharon to ask her what she believes companies need to be doing as recession looms on the horizon Continue reading ‘An interview with Sharon Kersten’
Marketers have long identified that Baby Boomers are attracted to products endorsed by celebrities. Louis Vuitton the French fashion design house has outdone itself with their current “where will life take you” marketing campaign. The list of celebrities is impressive with no less than Stefi Graf & Andre Agasi, Mikhail Gorbechev, Catherine Denevue and Rolling Stone’s guitarist Keith Richards all fronting the face of the campaign! “Countless Emotions…countless journeys” Louis Vuitton also tugs on the emotional heart strings of Boomers living life to the fullest and there is even a hint of nostalgia as all the celebrities are of yesteryear. Great campaign…if you are a boomer! Not sure how many Generation Xers this ad campaign will appeal to but I can’t imagine many and yet I’m sure that as Generation X approaches the heights of their careers (the oldest of the Gen Xers are nearly forty) they would form a large proportion of LV’s target audience.
Have a look at the campaigns micro site by following this link to the Louis Vuitton
site and then click on the LV core values film
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Continue reading ‘Baby Boomer marketing campaign on steroids’
It’s 40 years later! Prepare yourself for a year (or at least a few weeks) of breathless nostalgia as the Baby Boomers put on their misty eyes and remember back to one of their most defining years as young people (and just when you think it’s over, the 30 year reunion of the “summer of ‘69″ will be upon us next year).
For the record, I wasn’t there. My parents weren’t married yet (although that was becoming less and less of an issue for childbearing in 1968). But, in my studies of generational defining moments, 1968/9 is one of those periods of a few months in which it can be said, “everything changed”. (Probably the most defining such period in recent history was April 1989 to February 1990 - Tiananmen Square, the Berlin Wall comes down, Perestroika and Mandela’s release all within 8 months!).
But back to 1968. Before you look at my list of highlights below, why not take the “do you remember 1968″ online quiz.
Now, here are the highlights:
We have just been informed that Graeme has won The Academy for Chief Executives in the United Kingdom’s Speaker of the Year award for 2007. This award will be presented to Graeme in London on 26 November 2007.
This is another in a series of awards that Graeme has won recently as a top keynote presenter. Congratulations, Graeme!!
Regular readers of this blog may have noticed the stand still in postings over the last month. This is largely (but not entirely) due to my not having Internet access at my home office. This is entirely due to South Africa’s telecomms provider, Telkom, not being able to supply me with a telephone in my new home for NINE weeks now. They have promised to have it in by this Friday! I will refrain from ranting, suffice to say that there is a website dedicated to people like me - its called Helkom.
My reflection, though, is on how much I rely on having instant access to the Net. My last few weeks have felt that low level functioning. This led me to wonder why hotels still insist on charging for Net access. They do not charge you extra for electricity (although some guests must surely use more than others). They do not charge for water usage (although some guests use more than others). So, why charge for Net access? At worst, they can put a cap on usage. At best, just build it into the price, like they do with other utilities.
For now, the coffee shops in my suburb are smiling - especially those that provide Internet access (free or otherwise).
My sister is a primary school teacher, teaching computer skills in northern suburbs Johannesburg. She told me about an interaction between two kids in her class this last week:
Boy: “Ma’am, what is an encyclopedia?”
Teacher: “Its a book where you can look up facts.”
Girl next to him: “It’s like the Internet, man!!”
You gotta love those Millennial kids.
The Economist recently reflected on the growing use of cellphones in China, and how this is impacting a generation of young people to think about - and get a taste for - democracy. Here is an extract of the article. The original can be found here (subscription required).
Mobilised by mobile
Jun 21st 2007 | BEIJING AND XIAMEN
From The Economist print edition
Organised by text messages and internet chats, China’s middle classes are daring to protest, and giving the government a fright
INFORMATION technology in China is once again making political waves. In the tropical seaport of Xiamen citizens still talk excitedly about how an anonymous text message on their mobile phones last month prompted them to join one of the biggest middle-class protests of recent years. And in Beijing politicians are scrambling to calm an uproar fuelled by an online petition against slave labour in brick kilns.
Chinese officials have had reason to worry before about the rallying power of the internet and mobile phones. Two years ago they helped activists organise protests against Japan in several Chinese cities. But the government, at least initially, sympathised with those protests. By contrast the demonstrations in Xiamen were directed at officialdom, and the slave-labour scandal embarrasses the government. It involves allegations that officials ignored kiln-owners’ use of abducted boys to perform dangerous work. This has triggered a heated online debate about the political flaws that allowed such horrors to happen.
I’m currently sitting on the tarmac of Durban’s Airport, on a 1Time flight having already taken off, circled and landed back where we started. Technical problem with a transponder they tell us? Whatever.
Nothing to do, so I thought I’d ask some questions that airlines don’t like to answer:
- Why are problems with planes and airports always out of ‘our control’, someone else’s fault, or caused by God? And who is ‘our’?
- Why don’t airlines take responsibility, through their employees, or employees for their airlines? I’d like the Captain or Head Stewardtron to one day just acknowledge that the airline has morons working for them, or that corners were cut, or maximising profits can lead to transponders not being changed as often as they should be?
- Why don’t airlines teach their people how important communication is, and then how important communication is to their clients? I’m fairly certain if both those items were done well, airline employees would be able to join the dots? Or not?
- Why do airlines think we’re interested in how ‘on-time’ their planes are? We don’t care about that statistic. We’d like them to publish how late their planes are when they’re late? If an airline is late 100% of the time but by only 5 minutes each time, that wouldn’t bother me at all. And if you’re late only 25% of the time but 45 minutes each time, that would matter big time.
Continue reading ‘Transponders, airlines and the people who use them’
One of South Africa’s leading speaker’s agencies, SpeakersInc, recently held their first annual speaker’s awards. We’re pleased to announce that Dr Graeme Codrington, of TomorrowToday, won the award for Best Speaker of the Year 2007.
This was a peer nominated and voted award, based on on-line voting by people from the industry, organised by one speaker’s agent. But it is nevertheless nice to get recognition from your peers and the industry.
Other award winners were Vernon Creswell (best newcomer) and Stef du Plessis (lifetime achievement award).
Every year at about this time, Warren Buffett, the world’s most legendary (and richest) investor, makes his annual letter to shareholders public. As always, the 2007 letter is a good read (its labelled “2006″ because its a report about last year). Now that he knows how many people read the letter (and without any competition it is the most read page of Annual Financial Statements anywhere in the world), his letters have taken on a slightly more self-aware tone (read the full archives from 1977 here).
As always, this year, his thoughts range quite widely. A few parts caught my attention:
How rich are you? How do you stack up with the other 6 billion inhabitants of the planet?
Now, you can find out exactly, and you will be amazed. If you can read this blog entry, then you’re rich. Seriously, you are.
Check it out at: http://www.globalrichlist.com/
I’ll admit it. I am a cynical, hard to please Generation Xer who is to tough to impress. In one of our presentations (Organising the Future), we compare my type of people to cats - impulsive, follow their own rules, uncontainable (verses older style employees, who are more like dogs - man’s best friend, reliable, dependable, easy to please). And when last did you see an impressed cat?
Well, today, I am impressed. Well, on verge of being impressed anyway. I don’t know how the guys at cricinfo.com get paid (advertising, I guess), but they deserve medals. Their text commentary is fantastic, and when TV decides not to show a game (be it international or a local first class game), then cricinfo becomes my saviour. New Zealand’s run chase (and clean sweep victory) today was great to “watch” online.
But, then, a little note was passed onto the screen to check out a new feature about to be launched: 3-d replays. Man alive, it looks great. Check it out here. The 3-d animation engine will pick up the full text commentary, and will re-enact the entire bowling and batting sequence in 3-d animation, with simulated camera angles. OK, so its not online TV yet - that will be coming soon, I presume. But its a great leap forward for the ancient game. Today’s game was available here - not sure if it will be archived soon.
If only the administrators could get into the 21st century along with all the supporting technology. No wait, I’d settle for them making a step into the 20th century… that would still be an improvement.
I received this by e-mail the other day, and have no idea who the author of the story is. Thanks to Warren though for sending it to me.
“An unemployed man is desperate to support his family of a wife and three children. He applies for a janitor’s job at a large firm and easily passes an aptitude test. The human resources manager tells him, “You will be hired at minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Let me have your e-mail address so that we can get you in the loop. Our system will automatically e-mail you all the forms and advise you when to start and where to report on your first day.”
Taken back, the man protests that he is poor and has neither a computer nor an e-mail address. To this the manager replies, “You must understand that to a company like ours that means that you virtually do not exist. Without an e-mail address you can hardly expect to be employed by a high-tech firm. Good day.”
Stunned, the man leaves. Not knowing where to turn and having $10 in his wallet, he walks past a farmers’ market and sees a stand selling 25 lb. crates of beautiful red tomatoes. He buys a crate, carries it to a busy corner and displays the tomatoes. In less than 2 hours he sells all the tomatoes and makes 100% profit. Repeating the 100% profit several times more that day, he ends up with almost $100 and arrives home that night with several bags of groceries for his family.
If you’ll excuse a parochial sporting entry, I have to ask what has happened to the gods of sport this weekend. Were they sleeping? New Zealand beat Australia at cricket - twice!! And one of those was by 10 wickets (OK, they have rested four top players ahead of the World Cup, and have had five retirements this past season - so its not the strongest Aussie side to ever leave their shores, but still… they lost, and did so badly). Then, in Super 14 Rugby Union, the Western Force beat the Bulls, and the Lions beat the 6-time champions, The Crusaders! What a mad weekend.
But, the real reason for this entry is that with Aussie’s cricket loss, South Africa are now the number 1 ranked One Day International team in the world - the first time any team except Australia has held the top spot since the rankings were launched in 2002.
The lessons available are ones I have spoken about before (check the archives for cricket entries). Simply put: Good is the enemy of great. Its tough to be number 1 forever, because when you are number 1 you become the target of every one else’s attentions. No-one is trying to work out England’s secrets and copy them right now, are they? (not in any sport!). So, the longer you stay at the top, the more likely it becomes that the field will soon catch you up. That should be impetus to take the next evolution (or revolution). I shudder to think what motivation this will give the Aussies. I suppose we’ll find out when SA plays Aus at the World Cup at the end of the Pool Phase!
The second lesson relates to teams of talent. You cannot expect to lose nearly half of your top team to retirement and maintain your status. Companies that bleed talent will suffer. That’s why creating a culture for retaining talent is critical to sustainable competitive advantage. Not much you can do, though, when your team retires. Or, is there?
Whatever… it makes for a great platform for an excellent Cricket World Cup next month!
I am a big Josh Groban fan - have been ever since he made that remarkable debut on the Ally McBeal show. “You Lift Me Up” (which he sang on the show) still gives me goosebumps and brings tears to the eyes. So, it was with delight that I opened a Christmas present this year to discover his latest album, “Awake” inside the wrappings (buy a copy for yourself at Kalahari.net or Amazon.com).
This blog is not the place for an album review, but suffice to say that it’s his standard mix of songs. After listening to it a few times, I actually think it might be a touch weaker than the other two albums - not his fault, but maybe just the songs being a little less powerful than I would have hoped.
Track 12 was a surprise, though - “Weeping”. This song is actually one of the legends of South African music history, a personal favourite of mine, and a deeply meaningful protest song from my home country’s dark apartheid past. The first time I listened to Josh singing it, I felt betrayed - I don’t think he does justice to it. I’ve softened that view with further listening. But more of that in a moment. It’s a real pity he didn’t put the background to the song in the album sleeve.
Here are the words of this great song:
WEEPING
by Bright Blue
Recorded by Bright Blue (1987), by Vusi Mahlasela (1994), Soweto String Quartet (1999), Soweto Gospel Choir (2005), Josh Groban (2006) - these are the most well known version (a full list available at the official song website: weeping.info)
I knew a man who lived in fear
It was huge, it was angry, it was drawing near
Behind his house, a secret place
Was the shadow of the demon he could never face
He built a wall of steel and flame
And men with guns, to keep it tame
Then standing back, he made it plain
That the nightmare would never ever rise again
But the fear and the fire and the guns remain
It doesn’t matter now
It’s over anyhow
He tells the world that it’s sleeping
But as the night came round
I heard its lonely sound
It wasn’t roaring, it was weeping
And then one day the neighbors came
They were curious to know about the smoke and flame
They stood around outside the wall
But of course there was nothing to be heard at all
“My friends,” he said, “We’ve reached our goal
The threat is under firm control
As long as peace and order reign
I’ll be damned if I can see a reason to explain
Why the fear and the fire and the guns remain”
It doesn’t matter now
It’s over anyhow
He tells the world that it’s sleeping
But as the night came round
I heard its lonely sound
It wasn’t roaring, it was weeping
Copyright: Heymann/ Fox/ Cohen/ Cohen.
First Recorded and released by Bright Blue in 1987
Listen to an extract by Soweto Gospel Choir or an extract by Soweto String Quartet - maybe not as slick as Josh’s, but certainly more plaintive, which is how I believe the original was intended. I cannot find an online version of the original by Bright Blue. In a few days’ time, I’ll rip and post an extract here (but you won’t regret buying their best of album at Kalahari.net anyway). This is not just a song. It’s not a lullaby, its a protest song.
Continue reading ‘Weeping, by Josh Groban (errr, actually Bright Blue)’
South African Airways (SAA) launched its new low-cost airline, Mango, this week. Today (2 Nov) there were rumours that the site had crashed, and then I came across this amusing article from the Mail & Gaurdian.
Mango has registered a list of derogatory variations on its internet domain name, Flymango.com, in an attempt to ward off websites that could be launched by its competitors.
Domain names such as Mangosucks.co.za, Vrotmango.co.za and Rotten-mango.co.za have been registered by the company.
It even registered Neverflymango.co.za, clearly having learnt from South African Airways’ (SAA) ordeal with an annoyed American passenger, Vernon E Six, who started the now-discontinued Neverflysaa.com in 2002 to air his views on SAA’s alleged poor service.
For why I used the image I did, check this link
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AloysiasMaimane - Is Talent Holding the Workforce Hostage?
RaymonddeVilliers - Defining Talent – objective assessment in the War for Talent
GraemeCodrington - Winning the Talent Wars (part 2)
AidenCholes - The airport bestseller - the role and emergence of corporate autobiographies
JohnMaxwell - A is for Apple, BEE is for Business (part 2)
Train-the-Trainer programme (or How Not to Get Shot)
Sales Skills for Generations
Talent Management
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I’ve just read an article on Moneyweb titled ‘MySpace, ByeSpace?’ (http://www.moneyweb.co.za/shares/international_news/329842.htm).
It refers to loyal users of social-networking sites renouncing the sites and deleting their pages - ‘not in spite of their popularity, but because of it’. They are being subjected to spam and advertising, usually masquerading as new ‘friends’.
It’s the age-old case of a great idea built to make people’s lives easier. Then the corporates see how successful it becomes and buy it, adding it to their list of acquisitions. They then believe that this purchase entitles them to bombard their newly-acquired ‘target market’ with endless marketing and branding information. They have to make that acquisition profitable, otherwise why pay good money for it?
All they are doing is buying up ‘new media’ and applying old media mindsets. With no respect to the recipient. And this used to work before as there were very limited channels through which to voice your dissatisfaction. But now each individual has a voice. And they are voicing their dissatisfaction by leaving. One by one. And soon those single numbers will add up to double digits and then triple digits and…..
Marketers need to understand that you can’t buy loyalty. You can’t force it. You can’t wheedle, blackmail or beg. It needs to be earned. And this only happens when you offer something of value that people want. Or aspire to. Or feel connected to. And where they are respected as individuals.
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