(The latest in a series of columns on local government from the Republican newspaper.) In many years as an elected official, I frequently talked to groups of students. I usually explained my role by asking if their parents ever complained about the idiots who were raising their taxes. Then I’d introduce myself as one of … Read more
This is the first in what will be a long series of posts reprising my weekly columns about local government for the Republican newspaper, which has been published in Danville, Indiana since 1847 — seven years before the political party of the same name existed. Enjoy and learn! Why would anyone write a column about … Read more
Most of us have an inherent distaste for conflict. And somewhere along the way, society has reached a conclusion that disagreement is a bad thing. When it comes to business advice and decisions, that conclusion can be deadly. I see two factors that have contributed to the current state of disagreement. One is the national … Read more
It’s been years, but I clearly remember the call from my father’s cardiologist’s office. The annoyed voice on the other end pointed out that Dad had missed that day’s appointment. I gently explained that he couldn’t make the appointment because he had died … from heart problems … nearly three months earlier. The same day, … Read more
I’ve seen organizations make a lot of mistakes in marketing communications, but one looms over all of them as the most common with the greatest impact. It’s the mistaken belief that the best way to motivate people to a course of action is to make them think. The most successful marketers and salespeople know better. … Read more
You’ve spent years building your company’s reputation and invested huge sums of money trying to stand out in the marketplace. All too often, that falls apart when one of the folks near the bottom of your org chart opens their mouth. Each contact a customer has with one of your employees shapes their opinion of … Read more
Someday, your company may find itself as the target of a social media storm. It could be something like an accidental spill of a chemical that caused a fish kill, discovery of insects and rodents in your baked goods, or a spokesperson being arrested on a morals charge. As a company leader, you may not … Read more
A greeting-card envelope appeared in the afternoon’s mail. No return address, no stamp, just a colorful envelope. Curious, I slit it open and discovered an internet provider’s latest pitch, ingeniously disguised as a greeting card. Was I flattered? Touched? Tickled? Delighted? Impressed by the cleverness? Overwhelmed with good feelings about this witty vendor? No, I … Read more
You’ve just developed a blog or a social post and one sentence is particularly important. You want to make sure nobody misses it. So you should put it in ALL CAPS, RIGHT? Wrong. You probably don’t need to boldface it, either. In fact, if its importance is obvious, you probably don’t have to highlight it … Read more
Companies invest huge sums of money to promote their products and services. But all too often, they overlook the most obvious meanings and messages that would connect with their audiences. They end up wasting their investment and losing the opportunity to make a sale. Consider the remarkably instructive example in a national magazine’s back-cover ad … Read more