questions, answers, thoughts, theories, observations, speculations, and assorted bits of information.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood Habit 5, Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood, is a continuation of Habit 4, Think Win/Win. It is the idea that to truly think win/win, one must start with listening. Thus the idea that one should seek first to understand, then to be …read more
Habit 4: Think Win/Win Think Win/Win is the first of 3 outwardly focused habit Covey presents in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. These are known as habits of interdependence. These habits are designed to build lasting and meaningful relationships with other people — relationships that are mutually beneficial, based on principles, …read more
I spend far too little time telling people about businesses that I love — too often opting to only complain about those that disappoint me. So let me begin to remedy this by telling you about a business that I love — Dorothy Lane Market. This small grocery retailer specializes in premium food items and exceptional …read more
One of my favorite people to follow on the web is PR Guru, Peter Shankman. Whether he is jumping out of airplanes, constructing an in-home social media battle station, or jetting from city to city, Peter is always up to something interesting. He is a pioneer in the use of social media and the founder …read more
Customer service is marketing. In fact it is one of the most important elements of marketing. You may not initially think of it that way. Many equate marketing to advertising. I would bet that if you asked most people about Cincinnati Bell’s marketing, they would say “who is Cincinnati Bell?” Those who actually know of …read more
Joseph von Fraunhofer lived a short, difficult life, but that did not stop him from becoming one of the world’s most talented makers of optical glass and an expert on the dispersion of light. According to Wikipedia, he was orphaned at age 11. Fraunhofer then went to work as an apprentice for a glass maker. …read more
In January of 2006, I discovered Pandora.com. Almost immediately, I began telling people about the site. A few days later, I even posted a thank you note on my blog to Tim Westergren, the founder of Pandora. Yesterday, I had the very distinct honor of introducing Tim at the Cincinnati Social Media Breakfast. My …read more
Blood sustains human life. Oxygenated, healthy, red blood. Without it we die. Yet, oddly enough many people pass out at the site of it. They are terrified of the very thing that sustains them. Even the thought of it makes some queasy. But, afraid of it or not, blood is vital. Customers are like blood. I …read more
You would think that if you did something like discover the rings of Saturn, discover Saturn’s largest moon — Titan — and then go on to invent and patent the first pendulum clock, that you would be a household name. Now assume you not only did all those things, AND also collaborated with Robert Hooke, …read more
Chaos Theory states that little things can mean a lot. For example, the wind created from a butterfly flapping its wings in the jungle could result in a tornado forming in Southwestern Ohio. Chaos Theory is why the weather can only be predicted for a few days out. There are so many variables that come into …read more
