Single Size

Trying to speak with one voice has another down side: A One-Size-Fits-All message doesn't really fit anyone. The small group it does fit finds that its been so watered down as to be immaterial, so they ignore it.

Your carefully crafted generalist message has done nothing. Congrats!

Peter

Lines

When deciding how much to pay somebody, there is a fine line between fair and cheap.

Cheap is the right choice if the relationship is to be short term.

Fair gives you a much better shot at building a long-term relationship.

Peter

Vehicles

The explosion in ways to communicate electronically is both good and bad news.

The good news is that you now have dozens of ways to communicate with your consumers. The bad news is that those dozens of channels have to be filled. The days of printing a brochure, mailing it out, and waiting for the phone to ring are gone.

To further complicate things, each channel's message needs to have a different feel even if the overall message doesn't change. Your eNewsletter will be a different read than your Twitter stream.

Each customer will receive your message in the ways they prefer, too. The user on your email list may never go to your Twitter feed. Plenty of customers will still want to read a physical brochure before calling in.

You no longer have one audience, but dozens. Stop speaking with one voice.

Peter

Collaboration

Group dynamics are always fascinating in the first person. When everyone is interested in all viewpoints around the table, the task at hand can wander into some original and unconventional territory.

Its also helpful when the only comments given push the conversation along, and aren't just efforts to feel like part of the gang.

Moments like this require a careful dance by all involved. You want to find the creative solution without meandering into a sidebar that isn't relevant. Staying within arm's reach of the task is the challenge.

In many ways our work lives are vast stretches of ordinary with moments of collaborative alchemy sprinkled within. Those moments are something other than work.

Peter

The Scarcest Commodity

Clever elevates the ordinary. Exhibit A:

The top half is a good joke- but what's written on the tear off fingers is clever, and really makes the piece priceless.

Clever is exponential creativity.

Peter

Group Dynamics

I work in an industry that frequently uses ad hoc groups to get jobs done. Bring in a dozen freelancers, assign tasks, go.

I've noticed that group dynamics play a heavy role in the success of a project. The right mix of skills and personalities can elevate everyone's talent. The whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.

But one bad attitude can ruin the mix. The job becomes drudgery because nobody wants to be there, and things get rushed so everyone can escape. The final product bears the scars.

Facilities and technology can have the same effect. The right tools in the right space have the same uplifting effect that positive attitudes have.

When I'm hiring freelancers, personality plays as big a role as skills. I have a low tolerance for the Genius Prima Donna, as the attitude is seldom worth it. Few things are more soul-sucking than working with a jerk.

Focusing on the team improves the chances of success more than focusing on the task.

Peter

Blind Spots

We all have blind spots. The daily minutia hides bigger issues, and it can be incredibly hard to see the big picture.

An outside pair of eyes that you can trust to give it to you straight is under rated.

Everyone thinks their baby is beautiful, but statistically they can't all be.

An outside view is not optional.

Peter