Strategy Central

News from The Patio

Meanwhile, back on the patio, it's a nice 77 degrees,with a cool breeze barely tickling the Queen Palms. And the Red Banana is really looking good. Perfect weather for a little Jimmy Buffett! Wish you were here!

Community, Cause and Corporation

Ever tried to figure out why it's so hard to keep everyone focused on the mission, get along, and stay within the budget...all at the same time?  One of the most helpful talks I ever heard at Willow was one that Jim Dethmer did on the concept of Community, Cause and Corporation...his way of describing the tension that exists in almost every organization.  Did you ever hear it?  This metaphor is one that your team will find really helpful.

The recording is no longer available...but Jim graciously allowed me to post it here.  It's in two parts.  Check it out!

Click HERE to listen to part one of Community, Cause and Corporation. Click HERE to listen to part two of Community, Cause and Corporation.

Shoplifting Seagull

Ok...this is how you know we're in the end times...even the seagulls are becoming better criminals.

Did You Know 2.0

Ready for some interesting and challenging ideas?  Check this out:

Thanks to Melissa for the link!

Willow's Small Group Conference

Great to see a few good frinds. Bummer to miss some of you guys! We'll do it again soon...and hope to see you then!

Quotebook: Change

"The biggest barrier to progress in human history has not been ignorance, but the illusion of knowing."  Daniel Boorstin, Former Librarian of Congress

The Ultimate Customer Service Question

There is an ultimate customer service question.  Do you know what it is?  Here it is.

"How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?"

Hello!  Ever put that question into a formal survey?  It'd be dynamite...in more ways than one.  First of all, if you actually asked it you'd have to be able to handle the response.  Second, you'd probably have to ask it anonymously.  And third, you'd definitely need to be ready to act on what you learned.

Here's another great one:

"What are the three biggest problems with our organization?"

Ever asked that one?  Can you imagine what we could learn if we'd just go there?  We might actually get better at what we're all trying to do!

By the way, Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow might be the best book I've read since Mavericks at Work.  This thing is packed with really good ideas and insights.  If you're looking for a way to energize the conversation around your organization...especially in the area of corporate culture and impact...this is a great book.

Creating Customer Satisfaction

What is your organization's goal for customer satisfaction?  Are you working as hard as you can to meet their expectations?  Staying up late, pulling in focus groups and painstakingly surveying first time guests?  Turns out that in most cases that won't be enough to vault to the top of the heap.  In fact, according to Chip Conley, author of Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow, satisfaction (meeting a customer's basic expectations) is only the beginning.

Only the beginning?  Yep!  What comes next?  It's about understanding desires and then even meeting unrecognized needs.  Ever even think about anything beyond taking care of basic expectations?  Ever go the extra mile and work at discovering what their desires are?  Hmmmmm.  This is a different ball game.

Creating a Relevant Organization

How well does what your organization is designed to do...fit what you're trying to do?  Oh...you might already be pushing back.  You might be saying, "We didn't design anything" or "it was already like this when I came!"  But every organization has a design.  It just might not be a very good one.  Or a very relevant one.

Reporting in from the Internet Ministry Conference, Kent had this to say about the steps in creating a relevant organization.  You've got to understand the what, the who, and the how:

• What are you trying to do (what is your calling)?
• Who are you trying to reach?
• How can you best reach them?

Very basic.  Very essential.  If you're in an organization that is ineffective, chances are it's been a long time since anyone asked these questions.

Quotebook: Customer

"No longer is the customer merely the someone who buys your product or service; rather he or she is the someone whose problem your organization exists to solve."  Ranjay Gulati, David Kletter, Shrinking Core, Expanding Periphery: The Relational Architecture of High-Performing Organizations