So what are the most important factors for overcoming the odds?  Here are three of the lessons we can take from observing the 2008 campaign:

• Focus on unshakable passion and commitment to a vision: To me, this is the foundation for overcoming the odds of any endeavor because it helps us to push past the inevitable obstacles. For example, some of the most popular reasons either candidate could have used to never enter the race included “too old,” “no money,” “not enough experience,” “minority,” etc.  But these obstacles represented only half of the truth.  Both candidates drew upon their passion and commitment to find the rest of the truth: all of the good reasons why they could win.  Obviously, passion and commitment to a vision won’t guarantee a desired result.  However, maintaining that focus makes it more likely that we’ll be doing everything that can be done under the circumstances.
• Acknowledge the odds - no matter how long- then develop a strategy to win: At the earliest stages of the primaries, when the odds of winning were the longest, Obama acknowledged the reality that Hillary Clinton had more organization and funding behind her.  She also connected strongly with a large percentage of Democratic women.  But rather than let these realities get in his way, Obama and his staff acknowledged the situation and developed a counter strategy: a grassroots campaign that especially appealed to voters Clinton had a more difficult time connecting with - young people, minorities, and the middle class.  Applying this lesson to any other situation that has long odds, the question we can ask ourselves is, “If one approach appears to be closed, what other options are open to us to get us where we want to go?”  Often, there are more choices available than we originally thought possible.
• Galvanize your supporters: It’s undeniable that Obama not only knew the characteristics of his strongest supporters, he also knew how to reach them and galvanize them into taking action on his behalf.  The key was to understand their needs and tap into their hearts before tapping into their minds.  He also found a way to communicate directly with his supporters, bypassing the media and using a variety of channels they actually tuned into.  For instance, no other campaign has used the Internet as effectively to reach out to young voters.  Applying this lesson, we can ask “Who are our strongest supporters, and how can we improve our communicadtion with them so that they are galvanized into taking positive action on our behalf?”

I’m sure that over time there will be other lessons we can take from the Democratic and Republican campaigns of 2008.  Stay tuned.

• Habit:  Just as certain substances can be addictive, I think we become addicted to words like “maximize” and “proactive,” and jargon such as “user experience” because this language constantly bombards us in our companies.  It’s simply easier to go with the flow.
• Us vs. Them: Buzzwords and jargon are equivalent to the secret codes of special societies, which is why they alienate people who don’t understand them.  For example, try being part of the inner circle of savvy marketers without referring to made up words like “blog” or “B2C” (which showed up on one of my Buzzword Bingo cards). It can’t be done.
• Conserving air: When used as buzzwords, the terms “sexy,” “enterprise,” and “reinvent” represent longer ideas.  For instance, if we had to speak plainly about “rightsizing,” it would take fifteen words using the BNET dictionary definition: “Corporate restructuring, or rationalization, with the goal of reducing costs and improving efficiency and effectiveness.”  Can you imagine how much longer it would take to get through meetings without these words?

Let’s face facts: no matter how much we all agree that we should speak plainly, buzzwords and jargon aren’t going to go away.  So my recommendation is to use these words wisely:

• Limit their use.
• Make sure everyone who needs to understand what the words mean has the correct definition
• Use them in context to make a point the way no other words can do.

Finally, be on the lookout for new buzzwords, because they change constantly.  I invite you to share your favorite discoveries along with definitions.  Maybe we can start a new Buzzword Bingo card!

• Respond to economic upheaval without sacrificing long term objectives
• Find hidden opportunities for growth and profitability
• Increase your credibility with stakeholders in the middle of chaos
• Foster a culture committed to creating lasting value

For more information, or to reserve a date contact us.

I can certainly believe that Starbucks was trying to appeal to a certain type of customer who enjoys thinking about different sides of issues and engaging in debate.  However, I also believe that all messages a company sends out reflect their opinion on some level.  After all,  there are thousands - if not millions - of controversial quotes out in the world.  Why did Starbucks’ management choose to use this one?

When a company is going through tough times, it’s essential to communicate in a way that is credible (e.g., words and actions match what others can easily perceive).  In the case of Starbucks, the promise of convenience, the ability to try unusual blends of coffee, and knowledgeable staff who  engage in conversations with customers have been as much a part of their communication as the writing on their coffee cups and ambiance of their stores. 

Unfortunately, the promise now has a “half right” characteristic to it. Starbucks has seriously cut back on the number of shops it operates, making the existing stores more crowded.  I’ve noticed that the knowledgeable, service oriented baristas are increasingly being replaced by more traditional clerks who don’t have information or time to care about me as a regular customer.  Bolder blends are no longer available at the times I want them - at least not without my asking and hoping that the barista on duty will accomodate me.  Why do I keep going back?  Complacency.  But that could easily change if a viable competitor arrives in town.

Does Starbucks’ management realize that some customers could be taking unintended messages from the writing on their cups?  I’m sure they don’t.  And I am not bashing Starbucks.  The company is facing legitimately tough challenges as the economy goes through hard times. Still, they would do well to heed the writing on their cups and adjust the message so that it better reflects what they want to communicate under current circumstances.

Think about the writing on your own cup.  What unintended messages might your mug communicate about you, about your company, and about life in general? Remember: disclaimers alone are not enough to negate what others may already notice.

For example, one woman who lost two sons in the attacks described how she and her family and friends now use 9/11 as a day to get together and celebrate the lives of these men, rather than mourn their loss. This shift in focus has given the family a strong measure of comfort that helps them live into life, rather than folding as victims.

It’s easy to get caught up in major problems and believe we have no control.  However, the reality is we always have a choice regarding how we deal with what’s in front of us - even during tragedies.  Many times, the best thing we can do under extremely tough circumstances is shift our perspectives:

• Who is still with us?
• What resources do we still have?
• What can we still do to move toward what we need and want?

These questions, and others like them, can go a long way in opening our minds to new ideas and behaviors that can lead us to a better place.

Resilience isn’t just about recovery. It’s also about making the best of the tough times.  Just as the family above had to come to terms with who and what they still have in order to get to the most out of life, we can all benefit from their example in shifting perspective when faced with any type of adversity. 

If ever a company had reasons to be concerned about survival, it would been Home Depot.  When Frank Blake became CEO a year and a half ago, the company needed major renovation.  Not only was it losing market share to Lowe’s, but employee morale was suffering.  Then the U.S. housing boom ground to a halt. 

What did Mr. Blake do?  Rather than taking a cut and slash approach to hard times, he chose to invest in the company. Over the past two years, the company has spent more than $3 billion on developing new systems, store improvements, and changing the company’s direction so that it’s more appealing to the do it yourself homeowner.

While the stock is still on a bit of a roller coaster ride, I can tell you that my husband (who has high standards about the service he expects from hardware stores) is once again willing to shop there.  If enough people have the same reaction, then Home Depot is definately on its way to recovery. 

The next time you think you’re stuck in hard times, take a long term performance approach to the future rather than cutting back in retreat.  Like Frank Blake, you may find that hard times can lead to better times ahead.

For more tips on how to boost your company’s performance, read the Harper Report Volume 5.5. 

While phishing is strictly an Internet issue, one of the things I’ve noticed is how people who normally are very protective of their confidential information will easily release it in response to a request over email or phone that seems “official.”  Maybe your college alumni association needs to update their records, or perhaps the phone company or a magazine has a great deal. It’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security - especially if the email or call comes at an inconvenient time.

Sadly, no matter how credible such a request seems to be, I check its validity by using my own  sources to contact the company or association before releasing any information.  Am I being super cautious?  Yes.  Am I being paranoid?  Unfortunately, no.  Over the years I’ve personally identified at least three attempts at phishing that came my way, along with several suspicious phone calls from “phone companies” wanting to offer me a better deal on my service.

We can’t control whether phishing and other forms of identity theft will continue to occur, but we all have accountability for doing what we can to avoid becoming the latest victims.  Please forward this posting to those you care about.

The three photos below come from US and international competitions:

To see more sandcastle art, visit the following sites:  U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition; and Harrisand Tournament of Sand Sculpture Champions. 

The lesson?  Competition doesn’t stop when the prize is awarded.  “Winners” can’t afford to become complacent, and “losers” often have more opportunities to get ahead than may first appear.      

In my experience, there’s a subtle but powerful difference between “hoping for something to happen” and “wishing for something to happen.”  Hoping is passive and leads to waiting, while wishing is emotional and leads to action.

If you’ve ever been disappointed when you’ve wished for something to happen, the reason may be that you overlooked a foundational step in the process. You need to be clear about what you want, and willing to find out why you want it.  As you go through this excercise, you’ll discover one of two things: either the underlying reason ignites your passion to make your dream happen, OR the underlying reason isn’t as important as you originally thought it was, and something else is even more important.

While we can’t always make every specific wish come true exactly as we initially envisioned it, we can use the most important elements of our wishes to vastly improve our businesses and our lives.    

For more on this topic read The Harper Report Volume 5.4.