Bringing Lift to Working Professionals
My youngest daughter wanted some soup this past weekend.
The past few times I’ve made her soup, she’s eaten half the bowl. The rest — those slimy left-over noodles and veggies — are dumped into the trash.
So, I only gave her half a bowl of soup this time. [Read more…] about A Bowl of Soup Offers This Aha About Your Personal Brand Story
“I’m not sure anyone has a calling.” — Seth Godin
Years ago, in reading the late Thomas Stanley‘s best-seller, The Millionaire Mind, I was surprised to learn that when most millionaire’s found the thing — job, business, etc. — that made them a millionaire, it wasn’t love at first site. In fact, many didn’t have a “passion” for it.
Ever wondered why Steve Jobs was so hard on those who worked for him? Listen to him tell this story from his childhood:
Each time you pick up your phone, tablet or laptop to search the internet for something, you’re wanting to do one of four things:
If folks are coming to your website to KNOW something, then teach them.
Myopia describes nearsightedness.
It also communicates a lack of imagination, foresight or intellectual insight.
Myopia is alive and well in today’s organizations, from enterprises to entrepreneurial startups to nonprofits.
I see it on home pages. In marketing messages and sales pitches. And I hear it when I talk with executives.
You can boil organizational myopia down to two words: us now.
Us: Myopic organizations and people focus on themselves, rather than the people they claim they exist to serve. They talk about themselves. A lot.
Now: They are mainly interested in what they want now and how you factor into that.
And when it comes to storytelling, you probably guessed it. They are constantly looking for ways to tell their story better, rather than tell a better story (i.e. one that connects them with their customers).
Take a look at your organization’s website. Does it talk about your company and its product or services? Or does it build a narrative with which your clients or supporters can identify?
Take a look at any brochures, flyers or marketing collateral you use. Is it all about your company and its offerings?
Strike up conversations with the CEO, key executives and a few associates in your organization. As they talk about the business, is their focus inside or outside the organization?
Going forward, keep the focus on 1) those you serve and 2) the long-run. Do that consistently and it will take care of all of “us” “now” and in the future.
Image by mollybob on Flickr.