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Week of November 16, 2009

Home / Blog / Week of November 16, 2009

November 19, 2009 By Stephen Harvill Leave a Comment

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

Back from cold and rainy Chicago where I debuted a custom designed educational program that integrated sales professionals and support staff.  The program supported a large leadership initiative launched in September.  The idea of creating what I call “Real and True” teams by involving everyone in a strategic platform is fantastic and shows the strength of good leadership!

I have a few days without travel before leaving for Austin and I will be spending it on a couple of projects:

  • The Electronic Playbook:  Image a desktop computer icon that with a simple click would give you access to all the support you needed to do your job.  That’s the idea of the Electronic Playbook.  I am working with a client (really smart) and have the draft all but complete.
  • Repeatable Successful Acts – The Learning Platform:  The momentum continues to build on this as a sales process or being integrated into existing sales programs.  I am now designing it to have a modular component that should be a more simple fit of clients.

Next week is Thanksgiving (my favorite Holiday of the year) and a great time for everyone to stop a moment and simply say thank you.

From myself and all the Creative Ventures team, thanks for your support, engagement, ideas and for taking the time to read my stuff!

HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE

AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Design has become the big player in the world of business and I love having the opportunity to work with the ideas that used to be limited to the people creating teapots to iPods.  Now the ideas are being simplified and applicable in almost every corner of the corporate community.  Here are a few ways to “think like a designer”:

  • Embrace Constraints:  When given total freedom work looses focus.  Constraints such as resources or schedules are friends of the design mind.
  • Practice Restraint:  This is the Law of Thoughtful Reduction.  You need to make hard choices to excel.
  • Check Your Ego @ The Door:  I know it’s hard to believe (it is for me!) but the process isn’t really about you.
  • Become A Master Storyteller:  Design is all about the story.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a process or a blender.  Know the STORY!
  • Clarify Intent:  Don’t mix up intent with event.  Events happen, intent is planned.
  • Sharpen Your Curiosity:  Why is your best friend.

Those are a few simple ways to think about design as an element of planning.  Try it!

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:    The Blind Side:  I know, I know, Steve, this is a mushy, feel good movie!  So what, nothing wrong with that, every once and a while.

NetFlix Fans:  Love Actually: One of the best Christmas movies of all time is now in Blu-Ray!  GET IT!

TV: I am getting caught up on Numb3rs.  I love any TV show where a scientist is the hero.  Give it a try on Friday nights.  Monk is down to its last three episodes.  I will be sad to see it go and look forward to poor Mr. Monk finally catching his wife’s murderer.

BOOKS:  The Worst Case Scenario Guide for Business – By Borgenicht and Joyner:    Just like all those other worst case scenario books, but with a business twist.  I have not read it, but spent a lot of time looking through it at Borders in Westchester NY.  Not on the Kindle yet!

MUSIC: I’m really getting to like Matt Kearney.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2CsG_DHeq4

WEB SITES: Get your design fix.

www.smashingmagazine.com

SOUTH OF NORMAL

USA Today did a recent expose on college football coaches salaries.  Damn, those dudes make buckets of money.  I know they bring in buckets of money, but damn!

  • 25 head college football coaches make $2 million or more per year.
  • USC’s Pete Carroll heads the list at $4.4 million per year.
  • The average pay for a top 120 college’s football coach is up 46% in the last 3 years.
  • Spending on new stadiums or stadium improvement is through the roof (no pun intended).
  • Professors average about $115,000 and college presidents come in at about $456,000.

Sports is big business.  Get used to it!

Drop me a note with your comments at steve@creativeventures.com

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.

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