Zane Safrit Business Life Blog

October 30, 2009

Don’t touch their dials!

Knowledge workers cannot be controlled; they must be motivated. Such employees must see a purpose more meaningful than personal profit. When the game is only about money, disparities in society get worse as the favored grab the largest share. - Peter Drucker

Such a pithy statement, with meaning far beyond motivating employees.

But, let’s start with how do we create a purpose more meaningful than personal profit. Where do we start? How do we do it? What’s the cost? What’s the ROI?

David Zinger may be a good starting point. I found this quote on his blog. David’s the founder of the Employee Engagement online community. He's create a purpose more meaningful than profit for over 1600 people on this site. Their purpose is how to engage employees, how to help each other find ways to create meaning more purposeful than profit, engage employees, create powerful brands capable of being sustained by the meaning they bring to their employees and customers, as well as from their employees and customers.

He’ll be a guest on my radio show, Friday November 6 at 9:30 AM, Central. Come and listen. A complete strategy for creating engaged employees is beyond the scope of the show. But, perspective and a few tips and pointers will be shared. These should help will point you on your way.

Here are the listening options:

LIVE:

1) Listen in streaming on-demand at this link.

2) Call in during the show at 646-915-9212. This also allows you to raise your hand using the touchpad on your phone to ask a question.

>LATER:

1) Listen in streaming on-demand at this link.

In the meantime, get to know David, at these resources:

* Twitter

* His blog

* Employee Engagement community

Posted by Zane on October 30, 2009 at 03:35 PM in Leadership, Listening, Managing | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: employee engagement, employee motivation

October 20, 2009

5 Reasons Women Rule the Global Economy

Women make up 51.5 % of the FT workforce right now.

Women comprise 66% of the consumer global spending.

Women control $12 Trillion of an $18 Trillion of the global consumer spending .

Twice as many businesses are being started by women, now, as men.

1.7% of women-owned startups turn to funding from venture capital.

Deborah Shane, founder of Train with Shane and The Metropolis Radio Show, discussed these points and more, recently on my radio show. You can listen in streaming on-demand at this link.

You can read the highlights of our conversation here.

My point here is not to incite a gender war here. My point is...look at this data. Then ask yourself:

How does it effect your business?

How do your marketing messages connect with this group that controls 66% of the spending decisions, globally.

And if you think a marketing message is a marketing message, by any other name it still smells the same, check out the critique by Michele Miller of WonderBranding and her community, of a recent direct mail piece from an unwitting contractor. ( I must have a female mind, because I thought the same thing...)

Posted by Zane on October 20, 2009 at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: entreprenuers women, women entrepreneurs, women in business

October 12, 2009

3 Things Our Bosses Want From Us

We all have bosses. We all have to serve somebody. (Even Bob Dylan...) Partners, financiers, vendors, stakeholders, customers, employees, and yes, pets, children and our spouses all serve as our bosses. If you feel the need to posture around this statement, or giggle sarcastically, it's ok. But your first step is to admit this. And then proceed here: We all succeed to the extent we serve our bosses.

The trick is what do they, our bosses, want?

Chris Brogan answered that question in his August newsletter with What Our Bosses Need Most:

A boss needs actionable solutions. Bringing problems to the boss is a mess. Bring the identification of a problem to the boss, but also bring your ideas and your intentions for solving the issue.

It is hard to describe the delight I received as a boss when this happened. And it's hard to describe the delight in my bosses eyes when I did the same for them. This simple step offers a thrill of delight, satisfaction and it ends with greater confidence in trust in you, or me if I was the one delivering this experience.

A boss needs brevity. - Bullets and numbers and simple sentences are your friend. This gives the boss a chance to get a bird's eye view fast.

A boss needs you to have two perspectives. - The sooner you can learn how to see the game from both your spot in the trenches and from a potential leadership point of view, the sooner you can deliver even more value to the operation.

Chris ended with the call-to-action to work on these three for a month. Chris is a kind and gentle man. Let's cut to the chase. Work on these for the rest of our lives! We all succeed to the extent we serve someone and to the extent we serve their needs. These three simple steps...will make a huge difference.

Note: I'm going to work especially hard on the brevity thing.

And if you're not ready to take these three steps or even admit you have a boss in your life, cool. Do yourself one favor: subscribe to Chris Brogan's newsletter. After awhile, you'll understand.

Or follow Chris Brogan on Twitter.

Posted by Zane on October 12, 2009 at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 26, 2009

Need some blogging inspiration? Look to yourself

Looking for inspiration for a blog post? Look no further than yourself.

You may be your best blogging inspiration. You and your blog posts to-date.

That’s right. You. Yourself.

Curve back into your blog. Look at your earlier writing. Revisit your earlier ideas.
Find the theme you were developing.
Find the content, the lists of tips, the lists of resources in your posts.
Add what you’ve learned to date.
Use your sharpened writing skills.
Stir it all up.

Presto, a more complete idea or a more a complete articulation or a reversal. Reversals are ok. That shows we have learned. And, we show others it is ok to learn, too.

Here’s two benefits:

Impress your audience. Show them your growth. Engage with them and share this growth in this conversation on your blog.
Impress yourself. Show yourself how far you have grown. Prove to yourself and those around you another value of your blog.

Posted by Zane on September 26, 2009 at 11:52 AM in Marketing, Planning, Priorities, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: blog writing, bloggers, blogging, blogging tips

September 14, 2009

Is the Job-Glass Half-Empty or Half-Full

Manic-depressive lite. That’s my psychology today. I scanned my reads for small business news this morning. And it was a roller-coaster of headlines and data:

25% of us have considered starting our own business. That’s either a sign of hope, desperation or frustration.

Hope for the future and our ability to create a desirable one;
Frustration at the futility of working where we have no future

Searches for unemployment benefits down, real estate deals up. As a contemporaneous predictor, predicting the present through search queries has been a pretty good predictor of initial (jobless) claims, said Hal Varian, Google’s chief economist. He’s got a point. Google Knows All. And that’s because we tell Google all.

White House says 1 million jobs were saved. I’m nervous about quoting anything from an AP link. I’m nervous about even saying why...You’ll have to read the details.

Economists say we’re recovering, but job outlook is bleak. Private economists polled for the Blue Chip Economic Indicators September survey say the unemployment rate will reach at least 10 percent in early 2010 and "recede from that level only grudgingly over the second half of the year". Ok. You’re some of the same economists who didn’t see this recession coming....So, which part of this will prove to be inaccurate.

White House says progress is made, but not enough, to slow job losses. Ok. I'm glad you're not satisfied with saving 1 million jobs as the unemployment rate is still rising.

Monster US Job Index Soars in August They reported the biggest jump since 2005. Ok. That’s good news, right? Yes and no. The jump was big...on a percentage basis. But that’s like saying moving from 1 to 2 is a jump of 100%. The jump with Monster's Job Index was from 114 to 121. A year ago, this index was at 151.

Small Business Now Top Source of Layoffs. Last month, for the first time this decade, small businesses laid off more workers than either mid-size or large employers, according to ADP’s national unemployment report released Wednesday.

That’s definitely a sign of neither job creation nor economic recovery. Job recovery in a recession starts with small business and those jobs and their incomes and purchases create the recovery. But, then we’re in turbulent time. Who knew bringing competition to an oligopolistic industry would label you a socialist?

Conclusion?

Any good news is just that: good news. A few months ago, there was none. These few hints, few that they are, show me the trend line may not be moving high and to the right. But it’s not moving down and to the right either. For today, that’s good news.

Posted by Zane on September 14, 2009 at 04:24 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: economic recovery, job creation, job loss, jobs, recession, small business, unemployment rates

September 10, 2009

4 Favorite Ways to Destroy Your Tribe

Ed Welch, of Tribe Building blog, is the author of 101 Ways to Destroy Your Tribe. It's a PDF, free to download, from his site. And you should, too.

We spoke earlier this year about his book, what it meant to him, why he was so passionate about this list and why his book became so popular. You can listen to our conversation in streaming on-demand at this link.

During our conversation I asked him for his 4 favorite ways to kill your tribe of customers.

1. When you have a great product that is selling well, look for a way to make it cheaper, your customers won’t be able to tell the difference.

  2. Make sure your employees care more about procedures than rules and customers.  

3. Change the rules in the middle of the game, you customers will love it.

  4. Customers should be like soldiers they should eat what they are fed.

Do you recognize any of them?

Are they practiced on your tribe by your vendors and suppliers?

Do you recognize them as part of your company's strategy? It's ok, if you do. Well, it's not ok. But you're not alone.

But, there's your opportunity. It's a simple opportunity. Just stop. Stop doing the things that kill your tribe. Just say no. And that simple act makes you stand out from, I'm guessing, half if not most of your competitors.

Sometimes life is simple. Sometimes, we're reminded how simple it is by very smart and dedicated people like Ed Welch.

Thanks, Ed. Go OSU!

Posted by Zane on September 10, 2009 at 08:32 AM in Customers, Leadership, Listening, Marketing, Priorities, Service | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: brand promises, brand-building, customer evangelism, customer evangelists, customer loyalty

February 25, 2009

Todd Sattersten, CEO of 800CEORead, talks with me on BlogTalk Radio

Todd Sattersten, CEO of 800CEORead, shared 90 minutes with me about...his book, 100 BEST Business Books of ALL Time: What They Say, Why They Matter and How They Can Help You and authors and the publishing world.

Here's some of his thoughts on why you should be an author, the 7 Sales required with each book and 3 tips for authors. In reverse order:

3 Tips for Authors:

* Better be ready to deliver.
* Make sure you're far enough along to make it successful. Make sure your platform is big enough. [Platform = your megaphone. How will your message reach enough people to inspire 10,000 people at a minimum to buy your book.]
* It's a multisell process.

7 Sales Required for the Purchase of One Book. (Or the 7 people who have to buy your book before your readers can pay.)

* Your Agent, a Publisher's Agent...who sells your idea to the
* Editor at the Publisher... who sells it to their...
* Editorial Board where the Editor presents their ideas. They in turn sell it to...
* Marketing People who are told ...here's a great idea. They in turn sell it to...
* Sales People. Marketing People sell it to the Sales People who...sell it to
* Distributors, store chains.

KEY: Build Word-of-Mouth into this process.

Why Be an Author

It's the most unparalleled means to build expertise. The process itself hones your ideas, forces you think about them hard, in preparation for writing the proposal, the book itself, the webinars, the presentations, the panels, the speaking engagements.

People love authors.

You can listen here:

Posted by Zane on February 25, 2009 at 03:31 PM in Books, Leadership, Vision | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

February 13, 2009

Get Out of Your Own (White) House

Interesting column this week in the NY Times: Get Out of the (White) House

It reminds me of the challenge of so many leaders to not create, become locked-in, their own bubble. Isolated. Distant. Out of touch. Customers and employees becoming distant memories, one-dimensional creatures identified in business plans or in the case of these three leaders...policy reports.

Get out of your office. Go talk to people. Call them on the phone. Use your blackberry. Write em a note. Stop by their desk. But them a cup of coffee, listen to them.

It's tough. It's time-consuming.

What? You have something more important to do?

Posted by Zane on February 13, 2009 at 09:40 AM in Leadership | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

January 26, 2009

9 Stories Main Stream Media Can Report to End this Recession.

Dog bites man isn’t news.
We’re in a recession isn’t news either.

What is newsworthy are the stories of all the companies who are not laying off their employees or see growth ahead in 2009. Most, if not all, of these companies are small businesses and startups. That makes sense. Historically, recessions end when jobs are created. Jobs created generate spending. Spending drives an economy.

Who creates those jobs in a recession? Small business and startups.

What we need now are the stories of these small businesses who are not issuing pink slips. What we need are stories, profiles and case studies, of businesses and their leaders who are thriving...right now.

Mainstream media is desperate for readers, for an audience. These stories would be interesting. These stories would bring readers. And you would be doing a service for your community, if not our country, by sharing tips and tools, resources and profiles, of companies who remain successful right now.

Here’s 9 stories, that mainstream media can report that will A. bring readers, avid and loyal, to your publication (that will help save your business); B. help save businesses in your community; C. their success will bring more jobs to your community; D. Collectively, if enough stories like these are shared... speed the recovery of our economy.

1. Profile companies in your community that are growing.
2. Share tips and resources that help small businesses grow.
3. Provide a forum for business leaders to share their expertise in guest columns.
4. Host a live, in-person, community forum for business leaders, owners, members...to meet and share ideas and concerns.
5. Advocate for more funding for small businesses.
3. Write editorials pointing out how small business creates the jobs to drive an economy out of a recession.
6. Interview political leaders. Ask them why they're not providing more support, removing more barriers to small businesses and startups.
7. Allow guest columns from leaders in innovation. Innovation creates new products and markets that require new companies with new jobs.
8. Push for more transparency and accountability in any bailouts. Demand to see the jobs those funds will create.
9. Host job fairs. Maybe at this point, it's unemployment fairs, but get people together and talk and share ideas. (You're looking for reasons to bring people to your paper...)

Mainstream media: You're looking for readers. Your readers, and those in your community, are looking for jobs and the companies that are creating them. We're all looking for solutions. I think there's a match, here.

Posted by Zane on January 26, 2009 at 03:00 PM in Current Affairs, Customers, Leadership, Managing, Vision | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 12, 2008

BlogTalk Radio Interview: David Zinger

Each Wednesday at 9:30 AM Central, I talk about WOM or word-of-mouth on my radio show at Blog Talk Radio.

This week, May 14, I have a special guest: David Zinger. David's the founder of the Employee Engagement online community. He's also a recognized expert in creating employee engagement, an excellent public speaker and blogs regularly at www.davidzinger.com.

Ok. So...you're wondering why I'm excited to have an expert, a passionate leader, in employee engagement as a guest on my show that's focused on WOM or word-of-mouth.

Isn't WOM about advertising, customers at best?

To many in the advertising industry, WOM or word-of-mouth, is their exclusive domain. But once you look past that perspective's veneer you realize WOM, word-of-mouth, customer evangelism and customer loyalty starts not with your ad agency but with your employees. It's their engagement with delivering your brand's promise, their engagement in honoring their personal brand promises with each other, that inspires your customers to become your loyal and fervent evangelists.

And I spoke last week about the connection between customer evangelists and employee engagement last on my radio show.

So, let's talk with David Zinger, an expert on employee engagement, the foundation of WOM, word-of-mouth, from your customers.

You can listen in streaming mode at this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/zane-safrit. You can call in and participate by calling 646-915-9212 and entering 19978# at the prompt.

Again, the show's every Wednesday at 9:30 AM, Central time. Be sure to check back and see our list of guests each week from the WOM and small business community.

Posted by Zane on May 12, 2008 at 02:28 PM in Priorities | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: branding, customer evangelism, employee engagement, employee loyalty, engaged employees, motivation, small business, wom

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