Here's a metaphor (or is it a simile?) for working together:



Here's the deal - the metronomes stay out of phase until they can freely transmit energy between each other - that's what the pop cans do. A little energy is passed in one direction, which slows or speeds up the others, until they are in perfect harmony.

Does that happen in your organization? Do people freely communicate with each other? Or are they stuck in their own silos - each out of sync with the other?

How can you change this? Email me and find out.

The great people at 37 signals pointed this one out.

http://www.memo-ny.com/

It is perfect. A design firm without the flash and noise... simple contact info, what they do, and examples. One page. At the end, they say Thank You, and invite you to contact them.

Wow.

Here's a great idea from Zappos, courtesy of Bill Taylor posting on Harvard's Business site.

Pay your employees to quit.

Here's an excerpt from his post:

After a week or so in this immersive experience, though, it’s time for what Zappos calls “The Offer.” The fast-growing company, which works hard to recruit people to join, says to its newest employees: “If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you’ve worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus.” Zappos actually bribes its new employees to quit!

Why? Because if you’re willing to take the company up on the offer, you obviously don’t have the sense of commitment they are looking for. It’s hard to describe the level of energy in the Zappos culture—which means, by definition, it’s not for everybody. Zappos wants to learn if there’s a bad fit between what makes the organization tick and what makes individual employees tick—and it’s willing to pay to learn sooner rather than later. (About ten percent of new call-center employees take the money and run.)

I think back to the hundreds of people I employed over the years. There were a handful of bad picks - people who just weren't right for the company. For a few thousand dollars I could have saved myself hundreds of thousands worth of headaches. I probably would have save a few good employees who quit because they had to work with the misfits.

What do you think?

P.S.> Check out www.butterflyoflife.com. I'm consulting on starting a new ecommerce site. If you go in the next few days you'll see the "before" - next week we launch the "after." If you are curious, the site features fine Butterfly styled jewelry to raise awareness and money for cancer research.

Labels: consulting, HR

I just learned that our Sales Manager at the station we used to own just went to work at KNXR in Rochester, MN.

This brought to mind several recent nuggets of information. First, was Seth Godin's fantastic article on Passion vs. Pop.

He talks about making a choice - are you going for the larger "Pop" audience, think Olive Garden - or are you going for the "Passion" curve, think Ciola's neighborhood Italian restaurant. And, more importantly, do you have the guts to stick to one or the other?

When I first read Seth's article - I thought of radio, and my mistakes. (It's sure more fun to remember our successes, but we learn more from our mistakes.) When I owned KEEZ, I often wasn't content at being the best "pop"station possible, so would program music and features that I thought to be more hip and cool. Because I wasn't willing to commit, we were doomed to drift into the valley between the two curves - neither "true" enough to appeal to those passionate about music, but not "pop" enough for those interested in the latest popular music.

Mark Ramsey is a broadcast strategist that really gets this concept.

KNXR in Rochester Minnesota is the best example of a "passion" radio station. Tom Jones (No, not that Tom Jones) has owned and operated the station for years. He program's beautiful music - what an unsophisticated guy like me would call 'Elevator Music."

He does it right, and is absolutely true to his audience. He is a world class engineer - and his station is the best sounding in the world. He digitally samples all of his own music without compression - he still employees engineers to assist voice talent. Every aspect of the process is about the brand promise he has with his audience.

The listeners are fanatical fans. They send in money to support a commercial station. KNXR plays ads - but in a true way - few, if any produced ads. No jingles accepted, nothing to insult their audience. He turns down the inane, shouting crappy ads that pollute the commercial dial.

Now I learn that Greg Soderberg is joining KNXR. Greg is simply the best radio salesperson I have ever met or heard tell of. He worked for our family for 20 years - and constantly amazed us with his performance.

Greg simply worked hard, listened to his customers, and cared deeply about their success. Every day, every year, he showed up early and worked later. His clients loved him.

He was not a push over, however. He is passionate about his product, and would not hesitate to demand the attention and respect of his clients.

Matched with fantastic owner operator like Tom Jones, the two should do very, very well.

I just spent the day with Mike Kerrison and his team at Endurance America. We were in Minneapolis providing corporate education and leading change within a very large medical insurance group. This was the third event, with over 100 employees and middle mangers attending a two day training session.

Mike's team is fantastic - he has put together a group of energetic, exciting people. Together they lead the group through trust building exercises and dynamic thought provoking lessons. On day two the real learning starts. Once the group can trust each other, a town hall style discussion ensues, with the employees themselves creating the agenda for change.

It's the employees who begin to create the company that if it existed today, would put their company out of business.

Mike wrote a great book - avalable here at Amazon - "Landing on Your Feet: A Story of Business Mistakes." Mike has had an incredible career - from Rookie of the Year at IBM, the successful launch of one of INC. Magazines fastest growing small companies, and the incredible growth and eventual sale of three start-ups. I highly recommend it.

I met Mike through one of his partners - The Lantern Group - another great group of team building and compensation specialists.

If you are interested in leading change within an orginization, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Another great post today by Seth Godin.

If you only follow one other blog, make sure it is his. He's the sharpest guy in the Northern Hemisphere writing and talking about marketing.*

Read the post, but the gist is about choosing between being "Pop" and being about "Passion." Though true about most everything, it is especially true about commercial radio.

I keep trying to figure out how to save radio. I know the "Pop" curve isn't working too well, and feeble attempts at moving to "Passion" get stuck in the middle.

Read the post, you'll understand what I mean.

Mike

*The best marketer in the Southern Hemisphere is Mark Ritson - a great professor at Melbourne Business School

My friend Tom Ropella was remembered today at services in Menominee Wisconsin. Tom was bigger than life - an important part of who I am today.

I was 17 on my first day of college at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. My wingmates seemed nice enough - it's just that they were "Flock of Seagulls" and I was "Elvis Costello."

I wandered around the dorm that first day, and passed an open door, with the Rolling Stones played just a bit too loud. "Come on in, have a beer." said a large, blond haired smiling faced man in an overstuffed chair. A poster of Van Morrison hung on the wall. I had found a good friend.

A little later Pat Campbell walked in, and introduced himself as Tom's Roommate - and another lifelong friend entered my life.

Tom was the sun that we all orbited around. I lived with his brother Mark for three years, and Pat for another.

Tom did not suffer fools gladly - fiercely smart and well read, he could put anyone down with a well placed witty jab if they got too full of themselves. He could also cheer you up with a wink. And, he could get a bartenders attention with a simple lift of the eyebrows.

Hunter S. Thomson asked Tom where were heading once after a lecture in Wisconsin. Tom named a bar, and sure enough, Hunter showed up an hour later. We spent all night talking with Hunter, and ended up - 7 college students - arguing about fried chicken with the famous Gonzo Journalist. (Recollections of the evening vary widely - this is what I remember.)

Tom grew up to be a beloved 3rd grade teacher in Menominee. The visitation lasted 7 hours - with people waiting in line over an hour just to pay their respects.

Tom never said goodbye, he always just disappeared from parties. He didn't say goodbye this time, either.