Surrounded By Geniuses

More Remarkable Gadgets

Greetings.  Thursday's post generated a lot of interest, with subscribers sharing their thoughts on things that were left out of the list of "gadgets that changed the world."  Here are some of my favorites from all of your emails:

• velcro;
• the bungee cord;
• the frisbee;
• the thermometer; 
• the thermos;
• the lunch box;
• the Swiss Army knife;
• the amazing Popeil "Pocket Fisherman";
• the corkscrew;
• the invisible fence;
• earphones;
• Post-It notes;
• insect-repellant clothing;
• the compressed gas duster;
• the folding chair;
• the smoke detector;
• EZ pass;
• the scale;
• electric hand dryers;
• the portable camping towel;
• inflatable furniture;
• the portable cooler (six-pack size);
• the at-home quesadilla maker;
• the nose-hair trimmer;

And last but not least, the "Super Bass-o-matic '76"--made 'famous' by Dan Aykroyd in the following skit from an old episode of Saturday Night Live...

 

We win in business and life by finding and filling a real customer need. And, when all else fails, putting things together that don't belong.

Cheers and have a great and inventive start to the week ahead!

The Power of Gadgets

Greetings.  The new issue of Popular Mechanics, presents a fascinating look at "101 Gadgets That Changed the World."  Defining gadgets as "something you could hold in your hands, mechanic or electronic, and a mass-produced personal item," this article presents a history of remarkable innovations that will make you smile, bring back fond memories of your own childhood, cause you to marvel at the pace of technological change, and even spark your imagination about what might come next.

Selected by a distinguished panel of experts, they run the gamut from the mobile smartphone (#1) to duct tape (#101) and include such game-changing ideas as:

• the portable air conditioner invented in 1939 by Willis Haviland Carrier (#6);
• the chain-driven safety bicycle invented around 1885 (#12);
• the vacuum cleaner (#18);
• the electric guitar invented in 1951 by Leo Fender (#28);
• the Sony Walkman invented in 1979 (#45);
• the fire extinguisher invented in 1723 (#46);
• the lunchbox invented in 1950 (#63);
• the blender invented in 1949 (#83);

As well as the safety razor, drip coffemaker, stapler, leaf blower, teflon pan, flash drive, zipper, and my personal favorite the amazing ginsu knife--that marvel of modern science and infomercials--that checks in at #87.

Which begs the question:  "How could we ever live without these things?"  And, in fact, we can't or couldn't...because almost all of us have owned the vast majority of these products at one time or another.  Which makes this article a delightful romp through the story of our lives.  So rush to your nearest newstand to grab a copy and use it as the start of a powerful conversation with your colleagues about the next great gadget.  The one your company or organization will create to reinvent your business and the value you deliver to customers!

 

We win in business and in life when we appreciate the power of great gadgets.  Especially the ones that make life simpler, more productive, and more compelling.

Cheers!

Timing is Everything

Greetings.  I recently heard the following quote--attributed to a Cherokee Chief: 

"The success of a rain dance depends a lot on timing."

And it started me thinking about the importance of timing in everything we do in business.  The importance of being first to market with an important new product, service, or solution.  The importance of responding quickly to a customer's request for information and insight.  The importance of creating and/or leveraging a new technology before our competitors.  The importance of being first to submit a solid proposal to a customer with a compelling need.  The importance of knowing when the timing is right to connect with a prospect.  The importance of communicating at the right times when a crucial message needs to be delivered and understood.    

In fact, timing is essential to the success of just about anything worth doing.  But all too often we forget to take the time to think about the best timing--allowing a compelling need to get something done, or a perceived lack of time, to disrupt our best intentions.  So this week, as you wrestle with all the things that matter most, take the time to figure out their most perfect timing.  A timing likely to achieve the very best results possible.  Because there is a best time for everything. Even those things for which "there is never a good time."

We win in business and in life when we try to figure out the best time to dance.  And when we realize that some dances are done for the simple joy of dancing while others are meant to change the weather.

Cheers! 

What's On Your Walls?

Greetings.  Almost every company or organization talks about the importance of customers.  Of becoming more "customer-centric."  Of listening to the "voice of the customer."  Of "partnering with customers" to deliver greater value.  Of "walking a mile (or at least 1.5 kilometers) in the customer's shoes" to understand their world and what really matters.  Of bringing the customer "into the tent" to collaborate on new ideas and innovative ways of working together.  And some are actually taking this change seriously.  But many rarely back up their words with actions, and the walls of their offices, factories, distribution and call centers, and other workplaces quickly give them away.  Because companies focused on customers typically cover their walls with pictures of the folks they have the privilege to serve.  Pictures that provide a constant and powerful reminder of why they are in business and what it means to make a difference in the lives of customers.

It's not a hard and fast rule.  But it is a quick indicator of our commitment to customers.  And a simple way to keep reminding our own employees--i.e., the ones who serve our customers and should also merit our strongest commitment--that we are, in fact, a customer-centric organization.  Yet more often than not, my wanderings through the hallways of companies leads past interesting art, photos of new facilities, pictures of remarkable processes, charts showing progress, and motivational posters.  But very little that has to do with real live customers.

Wouldn't it be a lot more motivational to surround ourselves with pictures of our customers?  Instead of being surrounded by posters of a mountain, the sea, perfect waves of grain and sand, or a total stranger proclaiming "achieve," "collaborate," "innovate," "focus," "sharpen the ax" and the like.  Because if we can't get fired up by seeing our actual customers, why should we even come to work each day?  

The clever folks at Capital One are always asking: "What's in your wallet?"  Maybe it's time to starting asking: "What's on your walls?"

We win in business and in life when we never lose sight of our reason for being.  It's something that is quite easy to picture.

Cheers!

Doing More With Less

Greetings.  DOING MORE WITH LESS.  It's the latest mantra as businesses and organizations in almost every industry try to figure out how to deliver greater value at less cost, with fewer people, fewer resources, fewer harmful ingredients, and in significantly less time than it took before.  Government agencies are asking their contractors to sharpen their pencils while also hoping to spur greater innovation. Companies and consumers are asking suppliers to offer better deals.  Leading and upstart automakers are investing in cars that use less energy.  And top restaurant chains are eliminating calories and fat in an effort to reduce expenses while also enhancing the health of customers.

Against this backdrop, I had the opportunity to attend an interesting seminar on vehicle electrification at the Swedish Embassy last week.  The session, sponsored by Volvo and the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce, looked at the promise and challenges associated with dramatically increasing the percentage of electric vehicles on the road.  In an age of shrinking gas supplies and growing numbers of new drivers in China and other developing countries this seemed like an important idea.  And, as part of its efforts, Volvo is also trying to test the potential for people to live a more "carbon-dioxide-lean lifestyle"--by reducing our energy consumption and our emissions from seven tons per person per year to one ton per person per year.  

Yes, that's right.  The global average for carbon dioxide emissions is seven tons per person per year.  So Volvo Cars and a set of partners have combined forces to design a car, a house, and a lifestyle that will enable our ability to live comfortably while cutting our energy consumption and global climate footprint by a whopping 86 percent.  And they've enlisted the Lindell family as the "test pilots" for the "One Tonne Life" experiment.  You can even follow father Nils, mother Alicja, and their teenage children Hannah (16) and Jonathan (13) as they try to live within this new energy budget.

Talk about doing (or living) more with less!  But the experiment is also insightful for companies as we try to figure out how to be different and more valuable to our customers in a time of low growth and expensive resources.  And it might just be a great way for you and the geniuses you work with to begin thinking about how to create a new and less resource-full business model.  And it doesn't have to be all gloom and doom.  When asked about their experience to date, the Lindell's were quick to say that "it almost becomes fun" to reinvent their lifestyle.  Sounds like a powerful challenge to all of us.

 

We win in business and in life when we commit to doing more with less.  It's a powerful way to unleash our collective innovation.

Cheers!

Giving Everyone a Promotion

Greetings.  June is a month for moving forward.  A month of "graduations" from high school and college, "promotions" from middle school on to high school, and "moving up" ceremonies to mark the transition from elementary school to middle school.  It's also a time for the final concerts of the school year, music recitals that bear witness to another year of our artistic progress, and the end of the season for many sports teams.  A time to acknowledge and appreciate growth and progress, and to honor our arrival at another important stage on the journey that is life.  All made possible by our own hard work and the encouragement and support of our family and friends.  And culminating with their applause, smiles, tears of joy, and warm embraces.

June is also the beginning of a new stage.  A time to dream of future promise and potential.  And while these dreams are on hold temporarily by summer and the chance to recharge our batteries, in a few short months we'll be back at it--taking on new challenges, learning new skills, and continuing to find our way.  Ready to head toward our next "promotion." 

In companies and organizations the road to promotion isn't quite so common, shared, or perfect.  Sure some people get promoted, but they are typically the ones on the fast track, the ones who have paid their dues, or the ones who have "sucked up" (to use a French term) to the powers that be.  After all, promotion is not for everyone.

But why shouldn't it be?

Why shouldn't we promote everyone regularly?  To new roles and responsibilities. To new chances to find their unique groove.  To new opportunities to be energized and more fully engaged.  To new situations with new people that might just unlock their hidden passion and genius.  All accompanied by the applause, smiles, tears of joy, and warm embraces of family and friends.

We generally believe that promotion is a reward for a job well done.  But what if we viewed it as an investment in a job to be done well?  Maybe the granting of a prize before it is due, or the simple demonstration of our belief in what is possible, is the real key to unlocking the genius, innovation, and growth in everyone.

We win in business and in life when we see the upside in everyone. And when we see promotion as the natural order of things--not as a sacred prize held out to only a few.

Cheers!  

Keeping Customers Thirsty

Greetings.  It's almost summer and that can only mean one thing...BEER.  Cold beer.  Cool.  Refreshing.  And the perfect accompaniment to your favorite cookout. And with all of today's choices, drinking beer has never been more interesting and rewarding.  But how do a world of customers decide which beer to buy?  And, how do a world of beer makers figure out how to get their products to stand out from the crowd.  Well, if you read this blog regularly you know that there are a lot of ways to be different.  From the very nature of your product, its unique attributes, the results it delivers, the knowledge inherent in using the product or doing business with the company, the status it confides, the value it offers, its history, the options it comes in, the extra perks of ownership, how it is marketed--including who else uses it, and so on.  

And beer is no different.  There are domestics, imports, dark beers, light (or is that "lite") beers, full-bodied beers, hand-crafted brews, wheat beers, bitter beers, fruity beers, beers made in ancient styles, organic beers, winter beers, summer beers and so on.  There are beers designed for partying, others for savoring, beers that won't fill you up, and beers that will enhance your self-esteem.  Beers in bottles, beers in cans, and beers in metal bottles that can control their own temperature.  There are even beers that you can write your name on--just in case you've had so many beers that you can't remember which one is yours.  Though they won't work if you can't remember your name.  And there's even a beer that has gained growing popularity because of the remarkable fellow who promotes it...and his over-the-top lifestyle and persona that (presumably) makes us want to be just like him.  After all, "he is the most interesting man in the world."  The suave gentleman who is at the heart of the Dos Equis brand and its commercials.  The one person who "once had an awkward experience just to see what it felt like."  It's an edgy marketing campaign based on research suggesting that beer drinkers often see themselves as dull and lacking confidence.  And it has increased sales by more than 20 percent even as customers have a growing number of choices. 

Which begs the question:  "How will you keep your customers thirsty this summer?"  What new ideas, insight and innovation will you provide that make you more valuable and help your business to stand out from the crowd?  And will you inspire them to think about your products, services or solutions in new ways?   To smile at the mention of your name.  To gain confidence at the thought of being associated with you.  To join in a conversation that is upbeat and engaging.  To be less dull and more confident.  And commit to buying your offerings whenever they have the need or desire.

So take a look at any of the Dos Equis' ads from a new perspective.  Because while they might be amusing, they might also shed some light on how to be different in ways that really matter.  And how to connect with customers in a way that is refreshing.  So that your customers will say:

"I don't alway drink beer, but when I do I prefer Dos Equis."

  

We win in business and in life when we try to push the limits of what it means to be remarkable.  And when we figure out the best way to have fun with those we have the privilege to serve.

Cheers and "stay thirsty my friends!"