customer

Wile E Coyote, motivation, resource management, Toby Elwin, blog

Motivation management is resource management

In this age of cheaper-faster-better resource management is critical to organization survival. The resource that poses the biggest organization management challenge, more than finance, more than time: motivation. Organization health is the alignment between internal, employee, motivation as well as external, customer, motivation. Each day when the closing bell chimes, whether that bell chimes in your head or on the production floor, the organization, management, and leaders need better awareness that the employee who left for home, often comes back tomorrow with a completely different mindset. People are not linear, but emotional. Organization risk is expecting an equally motivated employee to return the next morning. Leaders, managers, and coworkers are all under intense pressure to manage their motivation to show up at work and deliver within themselves, yes, and within their organization. An added complexity to motivate comes when juggling …

5 reasons human resources hurt consumer brands

Every person connected to your organization is in sales and marketing. Each interaction anyone connected to your company, your government agency, your non-profit, or your university has with the anyone is an interaction with your brand. Every interaction with a vendor, supplier, or competitor is as important as an interaction with a potential customer. At each touch point, your organization sells your organization’s values; each and every time. But what does this have to do with human resources? Traditionally? Nothing. But today, everything. And to bring this into a more clear picture, think on this: every job applicant or potential employee your organization deals represents a potential customer or potential former customer. If you believe this, then your entire candidate tracking program should be treated as importantly as your sales people treat their sales pipeline or customer relationship management. A …

CSI, Gary Sinese, music industry crime, Toby Elwin, blog

CSI Music Industry — Part 1: The Crime Scene

First in a series of investigations [more like a cold case, see update below] around the music industry record business death and the music industry crime scene worthy of a CSI drama. Background: I went to Berklee College of Music as a conducting and arranging major. I switched my major to music business mid-way when I discovered how lawyers and accountants make the major decisions about the music I heard. I wanted to change that from a performer perspective. I worked three years in the record business and became convinced something was wrong with the record business model (1989-92). When I thought about a career in the record industry and my ability to advance being tied to a degree in law, not business, I became a bit more skeptical. I did not want that route. I projected what I might …

Viral marketing and Twitter gone right – the comment & the blog

On my last blog I received a comment I thought deserved a longer response than should be posted within the comment section. So, I decided to pick up the comment and carry it onto a new post. The blog comment david_becker: I disagree with this article as this is a “contest” and not a viral campaign. Before positioning himself as a expert I reccomend [sic] that the author should get some Marketing 101 lessons. My comment [now expanded]: David – thank you for the suggestion that Adecco sponsored a contest and not a viral campaign with their Labor Day offer. Earlier, as close as 5 years ago, marketing meant: tell a compelling story about a service or product. Meanwhile, public relations meant: get media to tell a story that includes your service, product, or company. I believe, contest or campaign, …

What can a 5-year-old teach you about leadership?

When an organization’s words do not match action, who is to blame? How many companies have you seen or worked with that have literature, speeches, employee handbooks, or marketing that just does not match the actions or culture inside the organization? Ever been around a company with printed materials that talk of putting people first, but do not provide flexible schedules or project opportunity for staff development? Ever been around a company committed to diversity as long as no one offers a contrarian view? Hand in Hand What does a child of 5, or even 2, do when a parent does not follow through? They ignore you. They break you down with tantrums or arguments and do as they see fit without fear of your follow through. People, at every age, are insightful, quick to see words not followed with …