Thinking Inside the Box

Look around, and you see others enjoying great vacations, fancy cars, and the fruits of their professional success. Especially when you don’t have these things, it is easy to lose your confidence, which makes these (and other goals) even less attainable.  

Looking to grow your organization?  If so, a key question is this:  Where are all of the “new” zip codes?  The ones that live in different sectors and geographies?  The ones who come from different cultural backgrounds and different generations? The first-time bums in seats? One thing is for sure: these completely new prospects are not in one place: your social network.  

Are you an information thief? Have you ever plagiarized, pilfered, or “borrowed” someone else’s knowledge or reputation? And has someone ever done this to you? Thanks to Google, we have the entire internet in front of us; it is too easy to use others’ information without their knowledge or permission — even if it is free. Depending on how (and what) you share, you’re either seen as in-the-know… or a thief.  

After a seminar I recently delivered, I was approached by two undergraduate business students and asked if I could give them some advice.

How many useless meetings have you attended? And how many have you been in charge of? Whether the meeting is a team status review, sales pitch, in-person or via Zoom, following a structured approach can make an appreciable difference.

At one time, a marketer needed only consider a few communications channels: Print, TV, Packaging, and the speaking points within a salesperson’s sales pitch. Today, all bets are off: Traditional channels still exist, but have been eclipsed by the website, marketing automation emails, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and 100s of other Social Media sites. These newer channels have one other key difference: target audiences are influenced by third-party blogs, likes, shares, and comments — not just by the organizational message.  

What can the world of manufacturing teach us about Social Media, Marketing, and Stakeholder Engagement? On the face of it, not much, but look more closely, and there are two concepts that are surprisingly relevant: Continuous Improvement, and Just-in-Time.  

Doesn’t it feel good when someone recognizes the great work that you do each day? And conversely, doesn’t it feel awful when your faults are publicly exposed? Too often, we jump on the “fault” bandwagon, and don’t give credit to others for the great things that they do.

It is tough saying “No” when someone asks for your help or your commitment. We don’t want to let down our colleagues, friends, or family. We don’t want them to think we lack the capability. And we want to develop the reputation as someone who always steps up to the plate.

Consider these Podcasts: there hundreds of them, and they certainly don’t “sell” anything. Each provides a small nugget of information, and tie it to an immediate action. These non-salesy Podcasts, like the vast majority of blogs, are designed to credentialize expertise and build trust, slowly over time.