Alan See
8 Steps for Business Survival Cross-Training
This is part three of three from my eBook “Managers as Lifelong Learners” and continues my earlier thoughts on “How to build talent in your organization.” Talent Mobility When I was much younger, I worked as a roughneck in the West Texas oil fields. The…
How to Build a Learning Organization
This post is part two of three from my eBook “Managers as Lifelong Learners” and continues my earlier thoughts on “How to build talent in your organization.” Skill Development “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them…
How to Build Talent in Your Organization
Your employees need to be prepared and motivated for the next challenge. Organizations need the human capital infrastructure in place to give their workforce the right skills to work on the right projects in the right roles. They do this through a focus on...
6 questions to help you create your “follow” strategy
“What’s our following strategy? What are you talking about? We’re the thought-leaders in our industry, and our executives are well known. We don’t follow; we provide leadership so that our audience can listen to us.” That doesn’t exactly sound like a customer-focused or engagement-ready organization...
4 Observations to Share with Your Executives Who Don’t Use Social Media
Most people will agree that practical experience is a good thing. In fact, if you’ve been around the block a time or two, the old adage “experience is the best teacher” is probably anchored in your mindset. When I reflect on my lessons learned...
NFL Fans Love Their Teams. Do NFL Teams Love Them Back?
Well, not if you use the Follow-to-Follower ratio on Twitter as the measure. In fact, here is how NFL teams compare: As you can see, the average NFL team follows back just 0.46% of their followers. Sure, some of those accounts are bound to be...
Wearable technology? It’s cool, it’s fun, and it will make some people feel uncomfortable.
Pictures and video have recently been top of mind for me as it relates to wearable technology. So yes, I’ve invested in and played around with the GoPro camera, and a device known as the Narrative Clip in order to gain personal experience. Let...
My Lessons from RadioShack
In the 1970s my father owned a RadioShack franchise. So, while I was in high school I spent quite a bit of time on the floor selling electronic gadgets. Thanks to the Citizens Band radio craze (remember the movie Smokey and the Bandit?) we...
Decoding the Consumer
On the children’s live-action adventure show Captain Midnight, members of the Secret Squadron used special decoder rings to decipher messages that no one else could understand. The secret decoding power provided a competitive advantage that allowed the Secret Squadron to win. Wouldn’t it be great...
8 Steps for Building Customer Bonds
Over thirty years ago I pledged my loyalty to the Navy blue and gold. Then my son came along and decided to join the Army. Yes, the Army-Navy game is spirited at our house, but I couldn’t be more proud of his service. Loyalty...
Perception is Reality
Beloit College recently released their Mindset List for the class of 2018. This year’s list contains 55 items that provide a look at the cultural touchstones that have shaped the lives of this fall’s entering class. Most of this year’s freshmen were born in...
3 Key Factors to Creating Your Customer Experience Strategy
Did you know that early phone books included detailed directions on how to use the telephone? For example, a New York City telephone directory from 1885 gave the following instructions: We can laugh about that passage now; but think about it, in 1885 the telephone...
Is Your Marketing Content in Plain Writing?
“Give it to me in plain English.” My children are grown now, but when they were teenagers I can still remember starting conversations with that phrase. As a parent, I wanted a straight explanation. Come to think of it, as a public citizen and...
Are You Using the Dreaded Cold Call or Creating a Conversation?
Did you know that the cold call is not unique to sales? It happens in the class room as well. When a teacher asks a question of a student who hasn’t raised their hand you can feel the temperature drop, because you’ve got a...
4 Ways to Power Your Business with the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” Feature on...
“Made you look!” When my kids were little I could play them with that phrase. When they were teenagers, “I’m watching you,” was my serious message for don’t break curfew. And now today, in our world of social media networking, I find myself wondering, “is...
The Customer is in Control
I have an electric stove with a turbo boil feature. The manufacturer calls this feature “America’s fastest speed-to-boil” element. In fact, it does heat liquids in a snap. Have you ever been tempted to set your marketing communications strategy on turbo boil? You know,...
How to Improve Your Twitter Curb Appeal in Five Key Areas
Think about what first attracted you to your home. Your initial impression as you pulled up and viewed the unique landscape and exterior architecture. Realtors call it “curb appeal.” First impressions are important, as we all remember this warning: “You never get a second...
Create Your Own Formula for Success
I grew up in Grinnell, Iowa, a small town in the rural Midwest. It’s not exactly the place you would expect to find the most prolific scoring basketball team in the nation. Grinnell College’s run-and-gun offense is considered unorthodox, even chaotic, but...
4 Reasons to Know Who’s Looking at You
"Haha, made you look!" When my kids were little they would taunt me with that phrase. It was intended as a playful insult because they tricked me into looking at something that didn't exist. With my marketing team, that phrase is code speak for...
3 Tips for Building a Social Media Lifelong Learning Environment
Has rational ignorance impacted your organization's social media activity yet? Rational ignorance is the decision not to become more informed about something because the perceived cost of the additional intelligence — in terms of both effort and expense — is more than the expected...