Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .
IN OUR WORLD
Coming to you live from tropical Minneapolis where the temps are a balmy -3! I am looking forward to introducing my Repeatable Successful Acts platform to a new audience!
This week was a blur of creative work and meetings.
- I finished the design and production of 7 new programs that debut (believe it or not) all at one meeting next week in Las Vegas. I love the process from idea to production to presentation.
- I had a series of local client meetings around everything from existing strategies to brand new ideas. I love that organizations are now pushing new ideas to the forefront in efforts to create differentiation.
- Last Friday night I held a Creative Ventures roundtable dinner party for some of my close Dallas clients and friends to give me an honest assessment of what they think of my business plan and the direction Creative Ventures is headed in. It was a fantastic evening of open discussion filled with ideas. A lot to digest and I will need to take some REAL and HONEST time to find what does and doesn’t fit.
I’m not sure if I am actually a film critic, but I sent out the 320th movie list to people who have requested it. Love the idea of fun!
Next week is INSANE for me as I have 7 new programs debuting, including a cutting edge look at TRUE impactful trends moving success in 2010.
THE ANNUAL TOP 10 AND BOTTOM 5 MOVIES OF 2009 LIST IS READY TO ROLL. SEND ME A NOTE AND I WILL GET YOU A COPY
HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE
AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
I recently sat through a meeting where an organization was discussing a series of ideas that were being considered for application. I was there to add to the strategic impact of each.
As usual, I was amazed at the level of complexity involved. One idea involved a 17 page survey. 17 PAGES! Another involved three core ideas (loved it), expect each core idea involved as many as 20 steps to make it happen. I called that “the complexity disguise” where something on the surface looks simple but in reality is very complex.
The discipline that leads to simplicity is called; thoughtful reduction and it IS a discipline that requires a focused roughed determination.
To help my client continue their journey in learning the art of TRUE simplification I suggested we leave the warm confines of the conference room and go for a little walkabout of their corporate offices and campus. Impact begins at the beginning. Here are few ideas around the first step in a true impact strategy:
- The Client: Take a critical eye to the actual perspective of the client first. Do a walkabout and see things like a client sees things. What does your greeting area look like? I want you to see everything, because the client IS. Does your first point of contact send the message you want to EVERYONE that comes into contact with it? Attack an improvement plan from point of contact.
- The Team: What does your workspace say to those who produce your work? Your team is the only way you impact your customer. The walkabout shifts the perspective from the buying client to the internal client.
- DO SOMETHING NOW: Making a change to the point of contact makes an IMMEDIATE impact to everyone. Keep the action simple, something you can do right now. Make sure that action connects to the simple strategy of impact.
The walkabout yielded three immediate impact steps that were completed within 24 hours. These impact ideas were simple. They sent a powerful message and with the right accountability plan, they will gain a life of motion and impact!
Need a little help with the thoughtful reduction discipline? Give me a shout.
ENTERTAINMENT
MOVIES: I gave The Book of Eli about a 6 on the 10 point scale. This week I can’t wait to see The Edge of Darkness.
NetFlix Fans: Whiteout: A murder mystery in Antarctica. Way cool!
TV: The Aussie Open got my full attention though I made time for the new Fox series; The Human Target (which I love). My regular shows are in full swing and though I may often miss their original air date I catch them thanks to the DVR. These include House, The Mentalist, Burn Notice and a few others.
BOOKS: (Re) Organize For Resilience – Gulam: The key to being ready for change is to find ways to not only knock down the traditional silos, but to make their walls permeable.
MUSIC: Here is a blast from the past. The great Richie Havens!
WEB SITES: A FANTASTIC site that sends you chapters of a book via internet that allows you read at your own pace.
SOUTH OF NORMAL
Yep, it’s still not weird enough for me!
- Think those Burger King commercials are creepy? Just wait until they launch their first franchise in Miami the will serve beer. Their first alcohol restaurant will open in March.
- Most trusted celebrities – Top 3: James Earl Jones, Tom Hanks and Michael J. Fox.
- The animal rights groups have set their sites on good old Punxsutawney Phil or the weather predicting groundhog. They want him replaced by a robotic groundhog.
Leave a Reply