Economy
Robert Bloom on Winning Customer Preference
Engaging consumers in an age of declining loyalty
August 26, 2011 / Podcast # 11-34
It’s 3:00 a.m. Do you know what your customer wants? According to Robert Bloom, author of The New Experts: Win Today’s Newly Empowered Customers at Their Four Decisive Moments, your customer is one second of Smartphone research and a twitter review away from being on to the next brand. Robert explains why anticipating the “3:00 a.m. nightmare” and nailing several make or break, now or never moments throughout the customer experience is the key to making your brand their preference.
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John Baldoni on Leadership Through the Tough Times
How leaders step up even when the economy is down.
October 1, 2010 / Podcast # 10-40
To John Baldoni, leadership doesn’t change just because of a bad economy. When leadership is about people, whether it be training the next generation of leaders or just stopping to chat with other employees, that stays the same even during a recession. It is a leader’s job to inspire confidence in their people so that they will remain resilient during the hard times and remain in the company when things get better. Read more…
Jon Katzenbach & Zia Khan on the Right Balance of Formal and Informal Organizations
How to make the formal and informal networks within an organization work together harmoniously.
August 20, 2010 / Podcast # 10-34
Jon Katzenback and Zia Khan don’t want you to have fun at work. More specifically, they don’t want you to try to have fun; often that leads to trying too hard, strained attempts at socializing, and not a lot of work getting done. The work day flies by even faster when ideas are flying in meetings, instead of icebreakers. Jon and Zia say, leave the socializing and fun to the informal networks in an organization, and they will come to it naturally. Read more…
Jody Heymann on Keeping Every Employee Motivated and Profitable
How even the "bottom of the ladder" employees are worth an investment.
July 16, 2010 / Podcast # 10-29
Jody Heymann wants companies to invest in workers at the bottom of the ladder. These employees, the ones running the factory assembly lines or the retail cash registers, are the ones closest to the products and the customers and the employees who really know what is going on with the company. Smart managers know that if there is a problem that needs to be solved, they go to these employees first. In her book Profit at the Bottom of the Ladder, Jody shows that the most successful companies are the ones who have invested in training and benefits for all of their employees, keeping them happy, productive, and turning a profit. Read more…
Chris Conde on Taking Steps to Prosper through the Downturn
How taking bold action during times of crisis can be beneficial.
June 11, 2010 / Podcast # 10-24
When Chris Conde saw the first signs of the recession he didn’t waste any time. By paying attention to the warning signs and taking decisive action early, he put his company, Sunguard, in a position to compete while others were just trying to survive. By focusing on upcoming economic indicators (instead of looking back) and through the use of innovative inter-office technologies, he was able to avoid deep cuts to his workforce and Sunguard is now back to full capacity. Read more…
