So Here’s Your Challenge

Are your networking activities strategic? .... or is "learn a networking strategy" one of your new goals...? 
The common theme with networks is that one must “exist” before you can use it — and therefore without one, you are at a distinct disadvantage. This woe-is-me attitude rests upon the assumption that a network is a “thing” that you have, as opposed to a process that you engage in.
The purpose of networking is to meet new people, and deepen the relationships with those that you already know. Networking is the journey, not the destination.‌In this week's podcast, I take the extreme example of someone with no network, and share a strategy for how to build a robust one.

Is your perspective the best perspective? How adept are you at shifting your position to improve your problem solving... and your writing?
One way to do so is to use a zoom lens. Zooming out gives you a top-down view; max zooming in gives you a bottom-up view of the problem.
Of course, with a maximum zoom, you lose the overview, but this isn’t the only problem. No matter how much (or how little) you zoom, your perspective is always the same. Looking at a problem from someone else’s perspective is the only way to see the situation… from their perspective. (Truly great problem solving requires both zooming and shifting.)
In this week's podcast, I apply the zoom lens metaphor to communication. Listen closely… (or zoom out…?)

Is the inertia of the past stifling innovation in your organization?
Many organizations face a problem: they have rules and regulations that have far outlived their useful lives. Innovation requires flexibility — yet rules and regulations breed inflexibility.
In fact, under cover of terms like “policy”, many organizations are stifling not just innovation, but also customer service, employee motivation, and ultimately profitability.
In this week's podcast, I invite you to look carefully, and identify the rules and regulations at your organization that directly impact your goals. Is there room for openness, innovation, and connection?

There is no question that professional certification in your area of specialization provides enduring value.  Becoming certified differentiates you from your competition, and signals to others that you uphold certain standards and practices.
But what if you haven’t?  Is it even worth it to start?

How often do you research a product online, and then purchase it at the store?  Or, check out the product at the store, and then use the internet to make the purchase? If so, you’re not alone.
These newer consumer behaviors are both the new reality for retailers — and a special challenge: Omni-channel.

Lester Thurow, one of last century’s great economists, coined the phrase (and wrote a book) called “Zero Sum Society”. In it, he described an economic system that had a finite limit, where one person’s gain would precisely be another person’s loss.
Unfortunately, many of us seem to use this mindset as we progress along our careers.

Price/Expertise/Trust: Do these dimensions — by themselves —generate sustainable competitive advantage? Not necessarily.
Most service-based organizations compete based on Price, Expertise and Trust. But developing competitive advantage requires taking each of these items to their logical conclusion.
✅ From Price to Value.
✅ From Expertise to Thought Leadership.
✅ From Trust to Trusted Advisor.
Unfortunately, many organizations (and people) pay lip service, at best. Or they claim to offer value, be thought leaders, and be trusted advisors, but in the minds of the market, they do not. In this week’s podcast, we ask: how might we do better?

To rebrand or not to rebrand? Not a question to be taken lightly, but it has been asked – or considered – by just about every CEO and every marketer at one point or another.
First, a quick definition of brand: it’s not the logo, or the name. The brand is the intrinsic quality of what you and the organization represent. It is how your organization interacts at each touchpoint. The question is whether your brand is truly aligned with the values you aspire to.
In this podcast, I share five reasons when rebranding makes sense... and four circumstances where a brand should be left as is.
 
Boost Your Leadership: If you hold a leadership role in your organization, meet Randall and ask your toughest business questions, without obligation. Find out more here:https://www.randallcraig.com/growth-coaching-for-ceos/ or book a time on his calendar directly at www.RandallCraig.net/30.
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(And also check out the Braintrust Professional Institute for your team: https://braintrust.randallcraig.com.)

Creativity can help you solve some of the most difficult problems, which is why it is why it is valued so highly by clients (and your employer). Yet why are some people seemingly so creative, and others aren’t?