Loyalty

When an organization seeks loyalty and gets it, the work just begins.

It's not about handing out the points, the perks or providing the ability to track "status".  It's a contract - a subtle one where the organization has said - "we value you, and we'll recognize that".  That in itself is a huge step.  And it's the heart of the matter.

The loyalty offer doesn't have to be made by the way; we could all live in a Walmart world where the provision of lowest prices carried the day. When the organization elects not to do that, and instead seeks our continued patronage in return for recognition, it's very compelling for many people.  However it carries an implicit promise that is so often over-looked, and that is that when we perceive that the recognition of the value you or I provide isn't forthcoming, we tend to head for the hills quickly.

Recognition isn't 'points' by the way, these are the reward for past behaviour and the lure for future patronage..just one more coffee, flight or trip to the grocer for the free whatever-it-is-we-seek.

Recognition is that acknowledgement that we're all participating in a contract whereby you get my business in return for the understanding that it's appreciated.  When that stops - the points and other mechanisms aren't enough to maintain that loyalty on their own, as just about everybody else has similar reward schemes these days.

Sadly too many organizations have lost the plot on loyalty.  They think they're trading prizes for loyalty, when in fact that wasn't really the basis the customer had for entering into the arrangement.  It is why their customers leave though.

Dear North Korea..

It's fun to watch you posture.

It does make many people nervous, but I don't think they really "get" you.  I think you huff and puff and the whole point in threatening and preening is to score some points at home.  After all, the thought of who might be on your side in an unprovoked attack narrows the field down to...well no other countries actually.  It's really too bad for you that you didn't discover some egregious military faux pas, like a sub stranded in your territorial waters, or South Korean soldiers sliding under the fence for some authentic BBQ beef.

If we look somewhat coldly at the facts, there's been no provocation, no recent event that you can point to, and little attention paid recently to you.  So what's changed ?  Why suck in your gut and inhale out your national chest right now..

Well I suppose there is the issue of succession, which probably doesn't sit right with some of your generals who may have had aspirations.  And Mr. Kim Jong-un (can I call you Kim ?) I imagine you do want to look good in front of the people...after all if it's seen clearly that you're a pimply faced, fat little man who has little talent, and isn't aggressive enough to be his father's son..well, I bet the prisons there aren't too sweet.

So if all this is to make yourself look imperial at home and unafraid of the big bad west, how much is enough ?  What exactly are you waiting for to concede that you've seen victory in this little war of posture.  That's the million won question isn't it.  Who in the west will make some public concession to you so that you can save face and stand down.

Therein lies the problem Kim.  You see without that initial cause to rally around, the one that the rest of us can highlight as the reason you were thrown a bone to shut-up, there's really little empathy for what you're doing.  It may just be too much this time.   When it's agreed it is too much - the payback won't come in the form of a carrier group steaming up the Sea of Japan flying the stars and stripes in the wind..no..the payback will be a messenger from Beijing and it'll be more painful for you personally.

It is fun to watch you posture Kim, but it's not entertaining for very long.

Signed,
Everyone

Where are the Advertisers ?

I don't own a PVR. Instead, I use my TV system provider's box to time shift some things I like to watch. This system works for me, and I can access content both via the traditional set-top box and TV or via my tablet with the TV Channel's apps. There's probably more ways than that as well, but between these two I manage.

What strikes me as I watched a few favourite shows in the last few days (as I have some down time), was that there's no ads. Yes there are commercials, but they are for the content that channel already has - they weren't able to; or weren't thinking they could sell ad space on these shows in this media to their clients.

Now, I grew up many years ago on a diet of TV, so commercials are just the "price we pay" for this content, and I understand that. The absence of them (and the repeated prompts to watch one or two other shows) makes me wonder...Is the world of on-demand digital content just to hard to measure by the traditional Neilson yardstick, or are there really no interested parties..?

In a fragmented world, did something actually get missed...

360º to the Customer

Sometimes we can't see where we're going because we're looking in the wrong direction.  Numerous times this past week, by numerous people (coincidence?) I was reminded, and I also reminded others that we really can't go wrong if we keep the customer in front of where we are trying to go.

So if you're lost - turn around, find the customer, and go in that direction. It's never wrong.

The Value of Interaction

Recently, I was faced with a small- a very small - group of people to work with.  Smaller than usual.  In some senses, it should have been easier, as there were fewer people to know, and I could go deeper with each.  But what you lose in a group that is few in numbers is the collaborative effect.  The interactions of people with each other is tremendously important.  We often underestimate that, and the result is that we talk at one other without ever having a discussion.

If half the act of working with others is listening, and it's hard to hear what isn't being said.  Think about that when trying to expand your own understanding of something new, or exploring an existing topic to try to uncover previously hidden gems of insight.  We need others not simply as sounding boards for our ideas, but also to reinterpret them through their own lens of experience and add perspectives we may not have acknowledged.  Interaction, collaboration - call it whatever you like... we learn through each other as much as from each other.

What's the Real Goal ?

I think there are times when we lose sight of our real goals.  Instead, we get convinced that executing our plan to achieve the goals is actually what it's about, and forget the plan itself isn't actually the goal.

I live and work in a world where we bring new ideas and ways of working (and being successful) to people.  If we're effective, people adopt these new methods and perform better.  But there are times when in our eagerness to demonstrate how well thought-out our ideas are, we lose sight that it's about people understanding and adopting what we speak about, rather than the need to transmit all the information we have.

I think it's better to get 100% traction on a smaller set of ideas, than to drown when confronted with all of them.  Of course, optimally we get both results - understanding and full content.  But, if we have to choose - choose wisely.

You - The Artist

We are all artists.  Seth's taught me that, and I've come to believe it.  We each perform our art every day doing whatever it is we do, from garbage collection to leading organizations to taking care of our kids.  Our art varies (as it should) and those really great artists stand out from the crowd as exceptional, in their own respective fields of expertise.

I had a week as an artist where I left no stone unturned, I performed to my own max, and it felt great.  I didn't short change my audience, and as a result I'm proud of the work I did.

When your experience combines with your talents, and you throw yourself into what you hope is a bravura performance - you'll never regret it.

I strongly encourage you - embrace that in your own life, and give it all you've got.  Be the artist you're capable of being.