RFP: Really Feeble Planning
RFPs (requests for proposals) are used by government agencies and some non-profits and for-profits. They are almost always pretty useless. They seek "deliverables" and not results, are created and evaluated by low level people, and demand that billing be by
You Want to Interview Me from Jail?
Don't jump at every offer of an interview, webinar, etc. Ask what the show's demographics are and how many people are reached. A lot of people are merely trying to build their own audience by doing interviews, and it can
Procurement
These people are paid—many times in addition to their salaries—to lower vender fees irrespective of the value the vender provides, and they consider consultants to be merely venders. The solution for you is never to deal with them. Your relationship is
Why You and Not Another Channel?
I surf through TV morning news when I'm on the road, as I am now in Miami, and every single broadcast looks the same. Two (always diverse) anchors, a woman reporting on the traffic, usually a woman doing the weather,
What Kind of Attitude Would You Like with Your Coffee?
One employee in a coffee shop in the morning is friendly, prompt, and wishes you a nice day after thanking you for your business. An employee in another shop across the street ignores you for a few minutes, then is surly,
What’s Your Name?
Every employee who met me more than once at the Naples Ritz-Carlton remembered my name and used it. At the Castle Hill Inn in Newport (RI) employees use photos to greet people by name at the start of a conference. Aside from
Watch the Antlers
A report in yesterday’s New York Times explained that reindeer can make it through tough winters because “they hibernate on their feet.” In other words (I think), their metabolisms slow up to the point that they can live on stored fat
Elon Musk: Hold On To Your Wallets
Spaceships to Mars, tunnels under Los Angeles, supersonic subways from New York to DC, miniature submarines to save children stuck in a cave: Anything to divert attention. But he'll happily keep spending other people's money. The real question is when he
Seriously?
I'm as pro-capitalism and American Dream as you can get. I believe in ensuring equal starts and level playing fields as a societal obligation. But I also believe that you reward talent, not merely participation. And you expect talent to
The Law of Adverse Consequences
In many hotels, the "paperwork" of checking in is lengthy, despite the computer. It takes longer than it used to when there was only pen and paper. That's because too many organizations have become slaves to their technology rather than