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Why broadening your view of the world matters more than ever

This morning, when we were at our neighborhood sports club, we happened to notice that many of the monitors on the exercise equipment were tuned to different news channels. Some were on Fox; some were on CNN; some were on MSNBC, and some were on CNBC. Located no more than two feet apart, the rows of monitors displayed very different headlines that told different stories about the world from different points of view.

Now if you’re like us, you’ve grown accustomed to relying on particular media for news. What’s worth considering, however, is whether habitually relying only upon a narrow sample of channels could be limiting all of our views of the world. How could gaining an understanding of the same situation in new ways actually contribute to game-changing success? Our sports club offered clues…. Read More

The best way to distinguish between helpful and harmful assumptions

We were recently asked, “When is it most helpful for leaders to make assumptions?” Here’s our answer.

We believe there are definitely times when assumptions can be very helpful. The key is to recognize when you’re making assumptions and to distinguish between those that can benefit you and those that can harm you.

It’s true that you can’t afford to take the time to question everything. In fact, research shows that our tendency to make assumptions is hard-wired into our brains and helps us function in the world. Consider the following scenarios: Read More

One More Way To Become The Employer Of Choice

In a tight labor market, every advantage counts. One of those advantages is a CEO’s credibility and trustworthiness. However, comparing the Edelman Trust Barometer surveys of 2017 and 2018 makes it clear that trust is a moving target. Continuously nurturing trust of top leadership is one of the best ways to attract and retain top talent.

In good news, the results of the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer show that CEO credibility has risen from 37% in 2017 to 44% in 2018 – a 7% increase. Why? Read More

Looking for ways to become more productive and less busy?

A holiday break can be the perfect time to catch up on reading.  A book we highly recommend is Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and NY Times investigative reporter.

In a world that’s changing more rapidly than ever, all of us need to be even more mindful about the choices we make in every aspect of our life. Through rich story-telling and cutting edge science, Duhigg shows how the way we think about the world is critical to becoming more productive and less busy.

Listen to to the conversation we had with Charles Duhigg on Growth Igniters® Radio: How to Be More Productive And Less Busy [Episode 108]. Be sure to scroll down the episode page for links to the book and other related episodes.

The Key to Finding New Opportunities in the Face of Ambiguity

We were on our way to a meeting when an unusual sign caught our eyes (see photo). If you were the driver of a bus, would you turn left or drive straight ahead? Or would you respond in some other way?

This is a great message for every leader about the need to think flexibly when the signs aren’t clear.

The fact is, no matter where you are located and whether or not you believe the economy is going well, the signs are… ambiguous. We all need to deal with uncertainty from changing global agreements, tariffs, trade wars, and more.

At the same time, we need to take into account how these issues may differently impact our markets, customers, employees, strategic partners, vendors, and other stakeholders. Under these circumstances, what does it take to make smarter decisions and be ready to take detours into uncharted territory? Read More

Why is Passion More Important Than Ever for Businesses?

I (Pam) was recently invited to return as a guest to the nationally syndicated radio program “The Small Business Advocate Show with Jim Blasingame.”  Jim and I had a spirited conversation about why passion in business is more important than ever for creating both short-term and long-term success.

Listen to the three parts of the conversation by clicking on the “Listen Now” button in the boxes below. Each segment is between 5 to 10 minutes long.
Read More

Attend a TEDx event: an idea worth spreading

As subscribers of TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) we’ve seen many videos filled with ideas worth spreading. But after attending TEDxAsburyPark 2018, we came away with another idea worth spreading: being there in person and engaging with the other attendees can bring a whole new level of excitement and value.

Appropriately enough, “Passion,” was this year’s theme.  There were speakers of all ages representing business leaders, community leaders, celebrities, students, dancers, musicians, poets, and artists. Throughout the day we were moved from laughter and tears to inspiration Read More

How Building A Strong Network Can Boost Opportunities For Innovation

We were meeting with a visionary CEO of a successful global company last week and asked him what he considered to be most important for leading his team into the future.

“It’s enabling people across functions and throughout the company to innovate together,” he said.

He continued, “The more that people learn about each other as individuals and well as co-workers, and the more regularly and frequently they communicate, the better the ideas and the decisions.”

What was remarkable about this comment was how well it reflected one of the concepts we recently discussed Read More

An Update on Global Data Protection and Our Privacy Policy

Protecting the integrity of personal data is a big deal. Almost weekly, we hear and read about news that raises serious issues of how companies use personal information they collect in ways that are not transparent to customers and others. These issues can have a serious adverse impact on businesses and the individuals who interact with them.

Not least among the issues of concern to anyone who collects personal data is the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that goes into effect on May 25, 2018, and carries serious penalties for noncompliance. For those of you who want to brush up on this regulation and its implications, here is an overview that provides a good place to start.

In the interest of making sure that our community is clear about what we do with personal data we collect, here is the short answer: we collect contact information so that we can provide weekly alerts of our podcast and blog posts, occasional notices of special events and offerings, and provide products and services to our clients. We never share personal information, individually or in the aggregate to any individual or entity outside of Business Advancement inc.

You can get more information on our practices and your rights by viewing our Privacy Statement.

Image Copyright: artoleshko / 123RF Stock Photo

A Surprising Truth About Influencing Behavior

This photo comes from one of our international trips. It’s clear that visitors to the park where the sign is posted aren’t allowed to do a lot of things. In fact, we’ve seen “NO” signs of many kinds all around the world.

Now think about this — how often do we talk about what we don’t want instead of what we do want?

For example, we took a small survey the other day in a waiting room here in the U.S., and counted at least four NO signs: “No eating,” “No drinking,” “No smoking,” and “No mobile devices.” While these types of signs may get some people to comply (although at least one person was still using a phone), they have scant effect on fostering positive relationships. Ironically, one other sign in the waiting room was “Exceed customer expectations.”

What might happen if we reversed “NO” signs and asked for the behaviors we actually need? Research in cognitive science offers a surprising insight into influencing behavior. Read More