So Here’s Your Challenge

Have you ever been gulled into reading an article, blog post, or viewing a video because of the headline?  Not the descriptive type of headline (such as Clickbait Headlines Lose Trust), but the kind that reels you in, like a helpless fish on a line.

DOS, Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS are all names of computer operating systems. They control the computer chips, memory, and give the device its unique personality. While we are certainly not computers, we too are controlled by a system: a Brain Operating System.

Have you ever wondered why companies choose to rebrand? A few years ago,Microsoft, after more than a decade, has changed it’s logo to one that evokes the new “Metro” look-and-feel of its latest Windows operating system. But why? And what should the criteria — and costs — of this type of decision?

Have you ever been in a situation where your personal reputation has been called into question online?  Or your organization’s brand is under attack from a special interest group, and it is emerging somewhat battered? Not good. Of course, the best way to build a great reputation is to do everything “right” in the first place. But no organization (or person) is perfect, and sometimes reputational attacks occur for no other reason than someone sees you as an easy target. So how might you rescue your reputation?

In just about every organization, the focus is on action. The connotations of words such as goals, objectives, action plans, and status updates are all positive, and are viewed as necessary for organizational, professional, and personal success.  

Yet is the path to achievement exclusively achieved through action? Or is action necessary, but not necessarily sufficient? And if so, what precisely is necessary?

A recently promoted executive confided in me that the pressure of time was increasingly difficult to manage: especially the conflicts between work and home responsibilities. This is a very common issue — not just to the recently promoted, but to most people who are serious about their professional success — and their family. One approach to solving the conundrum is to master your schedule — and not let it master you.

Most people spend years getting good at what they do. They become superb analysts, salespeople, engineers, or managers. They are rewarded for their efforts.

But is the reward worth the effort? What separates the most successful from those that merely just become “good”?

Beyond ads, media mentions, and the web, is there another mechanism to build your organization’s brand? One that might cost significantly less, yet yield powerful positioning advantages?

Brand Transfer is the “borrowing” of another organization’s brand to better convey — or even amplify — your own.

What is the one rubbish statement that single-handedly limits our creative potential? “Some people are incredibly creative, and others are not. I am more analytical than creative.”  Rubbish!

There has always been a fringe element in society; and now, Social Media has provided an unwitting channel to help advance their agendas. Can anything be done about it?