Be a contribution

Things change when you care enough to grab whatever ya love, and give everything.

Giving an "A"

Benjamin Zander, conductor of Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and music professor, always gives all his students "A's". However, to earn this grade of A, they have to write letters at the start of class, (dated at the end of the semester) that looks back and reflects how they have grown and evolved as artists and people - and how they will have rightfully earned the "A" by the end of class. Most of us would recognize at core that the main purpose of grades is to compare one student against another. Michelangelo believed that inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess material to reveal the work of art within. If we were to apply this visionary concept to education, it would be pointless to compare one child to another. Instead, all the energy would be focused on chipping-away the stone and getting-rid of whatever is in the way of each child's developing skills, mastery and most importantly, self-expression. NOW, imagine YOU approaching everyone you encounter with this "giving an A" practice. A fresh, new ATTITUDE as a way to approach people. Give them an A. Give yourself an A as well. It will allow you to stop comparing, measuring, and can then transport you to express yourself freely - and always support others to be all they dream of being. The A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into. Start hoping that everyone you meet - is a beautiful statue. When you give an A, something beautiful and transformational happens to YOU. You can find yourself NOT speaking to people from a place of measurement, but from a place of respect. Respect for the beautiful work of art within everyone!

JUST DO IT

A tagline is a slogan, clarifier, mantra, company statement of purpose or guiding principle. What is your TAGLINE? Do you have one? Do you want one? Need one? Taglines influence our buying behavior by evoking an emotional response. What are some fabulous taglines? JUST DO IT. THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE. THE MILK CHOCOLATE MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH, NOT IN YOUR HAND. WE BRING GOOD THINGS TO LIFE. GOT MILK? THE WEATHER AUTHORITY. Taglines should grow out of an intensive strategic and creative process - but needs to stir the imagination and be consistent with your brand vision. Taglines have shorter life spans than logos and are can change over time - susceptible to marketplace and lifestyle changes for sure. Your tagline should convey SOMETHING. Perhaps trustworthiness and WOW is a fun place to start. The business of marketing is managing perception. Taglines can be a powerful component of that perception. So, what's YOUR tagline? Start the thinking with strategic imagination, stir in some passion, community - and your tagline will come to life!

Conviction

Is there any more powerful force in the Universe than CONVICTION? Very powerful indeed, and at times critical for sure, but here's a dangerous component of having too isolated & too powerful of conviction: The inability to compromise. The inabilty to listen. No willingness to share perspective or responsibility. Shared perspective takes quite a bit of work and grace and reason and intelligence. If a person in a position of authority has NO poetic spirit to share perspective with colleagues, then hell yes, Houston, we have a problem. Ya see, when a leader slings conviction around, knocking-down lesser or younger folks and spirited, respectful colleagues - what's left? Not necessarily the right answer - but THE ONLY answer. ONE answer. Ultimately, yes, decisions have to be made and invested in and supported, but the trickle-down effect of someone stamping out other's opinions can lead to devestating results: Low morale, weaker answers and yes, a cycle of repeat offenses. A better option? Compromise. Dialogue. Partnership. The gentle art of BUILDING COMMUNITY. Constant tweaking and decision making, but always moving forward. NOT complete reversals, simple tweaking and investing and monitoring and sharing. With conviction? Absolutely. We are all trained and educated to provide the RIGHT ANSWER. There is ALWAYS one answer; in math, in spelling, in social studies tests. But in life, in time, parenting, coaching, culture & business, the fact is there will always be more than one right answer. Choose wisely and work vigorously, however I encourage all of you to SHARE your conviction with others - but please don't simply impose it.

LEGO Brand

One of the most inspirational, FUN and successful brands of all time is LEGO: Lego Toys. A children's toy company. However, LEGO is so much more than simply a toy company. It's PLAY at work. Is there anything, any 'thing' more important than our children's imagination at work? Lego's brand framework celebrates OUR FUTURE. It celebrates the JOY of building, creativity, curiosity and FUN. Wow. Now THAT is a great place to play and work. The LEGO brand framework is the backbone and foundation of the company. And you know what TOYS and systems and playful work we are talking about here - for generations. I know firsthand as a parent (of 3), the role LEGO has played in our family - and hope one day my daughter is at Purdue University (as she dreams today as a young middle schooler) majoring in sustainable engineering building processes. She has built LEGO systems and structures since she could pull herself up to the lego pieces on a table and get busy creating a new world. The LEGO brand building framework enables her imagination and creativity to soar. The JOY of building. The mutual value created between customer and company. Inventing the future of play and inspiring and developing the builders of tomorrow. Imagination. Creativity. Fun. Learning. Caring. Quality. Connected. Systems thinking. Wow. LEGO is alive and well and one of the most inspirational brands and companies on the planet today. They have embraced the digital playfield and social media generation as well as any firm and they have always stayed TRUE to their brand building foundation. Marketing Directors - does your brand or service have a foundation? Do you have a brand framework with a mission, promise and spirit that builds on this foundation? If YES, then this should be the driving force behind all your marketing and media plans. If NO, I strongly encourage you to sit down and put into WORDS, what your business or service means to you, your customers, and all your potential stakeholders. Who does your product or service serve? Why? What is your mission & spirit? Who do you care deeply for? With LEGO - they have made it very explicit and poetic and inspirational. LEGO is busy providing the systems for our children to explore and become the builders of tomorrow. They are in the business of PLAY: Curious energy that reinvents the world - one imagination and LEGO system at a time. Now THAT is cool brand building work!!

Coaching...and Marketing 101

This winter I have been coaching a high school JV boys basketball team in Northern Kentucky, for the very first time. I've always played hoops and coached my children and other AAU teams, but this is my first experience with locker rooms and bus rides and consistantly meeting the same young personalities and players each and every afternoon. Net, my first true TEACHING opportunity. It's been a wonderful experience, and we're headed down the home stretch, but I've gained some insights and now forming even more convictions and true parallels between coaching and marketing a product or service. For one, social media is a focal point of this young generation. And as such, needs to be a focal point of our marketing plans. The boys are always connected or connecting to someone or something. This generation is beautiful, connected and kind - in that they all seem to celebrate similarities and common threads between their peers, while in generations past, we would point out differences. Community is a big part of the world, as is content. Marketing managers - are you listening? Community, content and a call to action. Sound familiar? Ok, now back to coaching and marketing insights. These players need to have the "WHAT" laid-out for them. WHAT is the play, the scheme, the positions on the floor, so net, the structure or blueprint. What is it? As a coach, (or Marketing Director) you have to lay this out - in a simple, compelling and clear way. THEN, and only then, will the players have the comfort level to get to work, being athletic, and performing the HOW. Yes the HOW. The players want and need to take care of the HOW. They relish being athletes and having the freedom to move about gracefully and orchestrating HOW they run the floor, play, shoot and jump and get to the rim. That is what they live for. However, the coach must lay-out the WHAT. Lay out what the play is, the structure, where they are supposed to run on this small court. Once the players are comfortable with the WHAT, they will flourish and show you HOW! Same is true with marketing and social media. We marketers must have convictions as to WHAT we are laying-out and investing in. What is the plan. What is the WHAT? Then, we must allow the consumers - at the heart of any marketing plan - the consumers, to react and engage in the HOW. They will show us HOW!!

Remarkable Inspiration

When was the last time you were truly inspired? At work? At home? When? Why? What was it? Or who was it? When was the last time anything truly REMARKABLE happened in this country? In Washington? At your local school board? Why the sudden void of remarkable ideas? What has happened? All this cash and wealth and resources and now this HUGE lack of remarkability. Why? Why now? American Idol? Steven Tyler? Really? Perhaps we are all entrenched in defending what is rightfully ours? Too busy to create tomorrow? Really? Defense. Personal defense. What are we trying to defend? What are YOU preserving? Our U.S. household resources are maxed-out. Our debt ceilings have stretched beyond the eternal gates of heaven. And now we want to sustain this living? OK. Then what are our grandchildren supposed to preserve? What quality of life will they defend? Nope. Time for a better approach. Time for some good old fashion inspiration. A daily dose of the remarkable until surprise and delight erupts. Each and every one of us must pursue what is in our hearts with passion. Go out and find a remarkable way to satisfy a human need. As individuals, we must simply stop trying to protect & preserve what is ours, and launch a compelling IDEA that creates value for everyone! This idea and program will probably have to live at some form of the extreme AND be easy to spread. NOW go out and create something remarkable...