Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .
IN OUR WORLD
2011 started off with two great trips.
First I was off to Atlanta to meet with one of my favorite clients. Fantastic interactions on a wide range of projects. Actually had a chance to have dinner at a marvelous restaurant on the Chattahoochee River (hi Kelly – thanks for the great company).
Then it was off to chilly but beautiful Minneapolis for the debut of the revised program on the idea of embracing change – The Chaos Conspiracy. I had the honor of being part of a team that engaged a top sales force in the idea that the natural condition of great organizations is that they are always in a “state of becoming.” Then had the opportunity to help design a new way to increase the value to both the host and the attendees of putting on a series of “road show” type programs designed to help separate and differentiate a company from the competition.
I am in the process of finishing a complete remodel of my home office and as with ANY remodel, guess what, it’s behind schedule.
While gone, I continued to gain momentum and have asked to be part of three new projects for clients that just became engaged with Creative Ventures in 2010.
Next week I am off to Austin and San Antonio. A little work in my home state.
By the way – The 2010 Top 10 and Bottom 5 annual movie review list is ready. The only way to get it is to “ask for it.” Let me know you have an interest and I will get it to you.
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THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
The idea of rewarding behavior and accomplishment is as old as time itself. There are cave paintings showing a communal scene where what appears to be the best hunter is given a bone from his kill. I believe there is incredible power in this simple but powerful cultural practice.
Every December at Google’s Mountain View CA headquarters, a simple and what might appear silly awards ceremony takes place. Employees are awarded a giant science lab beaker filled with multi-colored jelly beans. Each award signifies innovations developed at their Idea Lab, innovations worth millions of dollars. It is an honor to get the jelly bean beaker.
What does you reward system look like. Is it a bonus only system predicated on one aspect of a person’s job? Do you reward to reinforce behavior? Do you reward for only large accomplishments or do you seek out ways to make your people feel good about what they do?
Though the economy is recovering, it’s still not creating jobs at a real measurable rate; holding on to talent is always a priority. Study after study shows two reasons people stay at a company and surprisingly money is not one of them. People stay for:
- The opportunity to grow.
- The effort made to make them feel what they do is of value.
I am working with a client on a reward based strategy that will begin to impact their culture in the second quarter of this year. Here are a few things we are doing:
1. Define the purpose of the program and tie it directly into the existing culture with the constant idea of connecting the recipients to seeing the value in what they do for the company.
2. Do not limit rewards to an annual event. The distance found in a year limits the potential for consistent impact.
3. Empower more people to reward for more activity. We will be adding some simple immediate rewards from movie passes to Starbucks cards that key leaders will be able to give out when then see something that creates immediate bang!
4. Involve the client. Nothing beats creating a sense of value more than when a client gives you a big “atta boy”.
The key is a reward system has to fit.
Think about what you do to make your team feel they are the most important thing in your professional life!
ENTERTAINMENT
MOVIES: Season of the Witch: Laura is a big Nick Cage fan (yeah I know, weird huh?).
NetFlix Fans: Winter’s Bone: A ton of people who have responded to my movie list have busted me for not having this movie on the list. I will watch it on pay for view this weekend.
TV: It may not surprise you that I am a comic book / superhero geek from my early childhood. I get totally jazzed when any new hero gets to make his or her way to any entertainment format. This Sunday a new show on NBC, The Cape, debuts. I’m will be there.
BOOKS: 212 – The Extra Degree – Parker/Anderson: Little inspirational books normally don’t do much for me. I find them tedious and somewhat shallow. I know EVERYONE loved Who Moved My Cheese, but I didn’t. This little book struck me as different. Probably an hour read, the idea was fantastic. Check it out.
MUSIC: I have the opportunity to build a visual experience for a client and I am using this song by Natalie Merchant as the audio cornerstone. This is a great live version of the song. There is something about Natalie Merchant, even back from the 10,000 Maniacs days that has always moved me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaST5RNXSlU
WEB SITES: Want to share your power point with people. Here are some great web sites that will make that happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaST5RNXSlU
SOUTH OF NORMAL
Is there any bigger pain in the ass than keeping track of all you computer based passwords?
Having a secure password process is now more important than ever. In a recent study of 32 million passwords most common was 123456 followed by the equally creative 12345. That’s the equivalent of leaving the vault open in the cyber world. Unfortunately our memories are often full of stuff that does not include really creative passwords.
Here are some suggestions:
- Swap numbers or symbols for letters or words. Instead of using “a” use @.
- Use a favorite song title and then add a number at the end to change it from web site to web site.
- Longer is better. Think of mnemonic tags that helped you remember stuff as a kid.
- Check out www.roboform.com where one diamond hard password can unlock all your other passwords.
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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