Grolistic

The Biggest Myth About Social Media

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Marketing folks are fascinated by social media, but does investing heavily in social media really work? Does it help companies keep customers and find new ones? According to a Gallup research study of more than 17,000 social media users discovered: “Social media initiatives drive customer loyalty and acquisition.” This is the biggest myth about social media. The Gallup study indicates that “brand-sponsored social media initiatives have very little impact on customer decision making. Nor do …

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Learning: Building Technical Chops

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In working with clients we are always emphasizing learning and the building of knowledge; many forms of course from the detailed technical to the integrated experiential. It is completely surprising in this current environment that many folks (working and not working) do not work at learning and often are adamant about why (too many work hours, too many responsibilities, too tired, etc, etc, etc. . .) In Forbes this past summer (Jason Nazar | Forbes – Fri, …

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Ignorance Is No Excuse

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Bill can’t understand why his people are discouraged and frustrated. After a couple of slow years, the company is busy again so there’s plenty of work. No fairness or compensation issues have been raised. He is keeping everyone aware of their progress and communicating his expectation that goals must be achieved to accelerate their progress. So why do many in the company seem so negative? Peter Drucker and other gurus have been credited with saying: …

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Liminality

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It’s from the Latin “limen”: a threshold, a door, a passage and in our time refers to psychological or metaphysical state of being; to discuss psychological states; rituals of passage. Increasingly the word usage can be found in psychological & theological literature recognizing a sense of the holy, the sacred, and the transcendent; often the threshold between consciousness & unconsciousness (“subliminal”). Some examples from life: The feeling of always being in between and never “there” …

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The Fall

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PROJECT ONE:   “The Fall” Robert Alter/Michelangelo/GenesisMini-course on GenesisConducted by Vic Pergola We Need You:6 volunteers (first-come, first-serve)      Strong commitment to complete series When:Five Thursdays in Oct/NovOct 10th, 17th, 24th: Nov 7th, 14th 6:30-8:30 pm >Content:  We will use the book by Robert Alter: “Genesis: Translation & Commentary” Session One:  A review of the Creation Account (Alter’s Introduction) Session Two:  Chapter One: Genesis (Alter Book + Biblical account) Session Three:  Chapter Two: Genesis (Alter Book + Biblical …

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Competitive Advantages Don’t Last Forever

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Business needs evolve over time. The distinctive offering that drives your growth today has been productive because it enabled your company to solve your customers’ problems and produce value for them better than anyone else. But tomorrow those same customers will have different challenges. Will you be ready to meet them? Today’s competitive advantage will not produce the same value for your customers tomorrow.  Like you, your customers must remain competitive so their needs and challenges will change.  Remaining …

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What Is Your Distinctive Competence?

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In their book, Tuned In (Stull, Myers & Scott), the authors use the term “distinctive competence” to define the unique value produced by an organization for their customers. This is not your core competence but rather an outward looking principle that is more profound than what your company does well and more vital for your sustainable growth. Customers choose to work with companies that solve their problems better than anyone else. You earn this preference by gaining a comprehensive understanding …

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Purpose Is Power

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We all recently relived the horrific events that seared the date of September 11th into our memories. It was a tragic day, but it provoked in us a realization of common purpose that many had forgotten. Do you recall the pride and energy that our shared purpose aroused in us? There are days when you feel like your business is under attack. Meeting rapid fire challenges drains the energy in your organization and can cause …

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Treating Everyone The Same Is Not Fair!

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One much revered principle of people management is that you should treat everyone the same if you want all to feel that they’re being treated fairly. But this approach is unproductive. Equal pay for equal work is a vital management parameter. Employees are constantly watching to see if someone is getting a better deal than they are. Sustaining fairness in compensation is mandatory to building trust and motivation. But once compensation issues are resolved, what …

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“They’re Not All The Same”

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Judy’s company produces a high quality water container serving the recreational market. When I arrived, Judy and her Sales Manager, Bill, were brainstorming about new product concepts for their served market. To achieve their growth goals, they needed to launch a new product that would capitalize on their success and be distinctive enough to appeal to their market. One of their employees had recently told Bill about his friend who was using their key product …

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