Nearly every year since 1994 I've scribbled out a Christmas card that attempts to convey my situation and mindset at the time. Planning begins in the early fall, and I typically go through several complete iterations, along with hours of panic, hopelessness and renewed focus. Since 2006, Mary has served as partner and editor, and … Continue reading ART!: A Christmas Tradition
Month: August 2018
The Walking Man
Every morning for the first few months I lived in New York City, I mapped out my destinations for the day. That might involve lunch with a friend at the Boat House in Central Park, followed by some reflection in Strawberry Fields or a peek into the Delacorte Theater during a rehearsal. If drinks were … Continue reading The Walking Man
F**k Your Innovation
Your innovation is not fucking innovation. You adjusted, adapted, tweaked. You haven’t fucking innovated anything. Oh hey, Toyota, you upgraded your sad old fucking Prius to go an extra ten fucking miles. It’s still got four fucking tires and a steering wheel, so save the innovation bullshit. Wow, Taco Bell, you made your fucking taco … Continue reading F**k Your Innovation
Storytelling in Business: It Should be a Little Scary
My quest has been a challenging one: to inspire my colleagues and clients to become better storytellers. Over the past few years, I've coached and cajoled peers, clients and executive teams to respect the essence -- and the power -- of real storytelling. I want them to become better communicators by becoming better storytellers. I … Continue reading Storytelling in Business: It Should be a Little Scary
Ankle-Deep in Customer Service.
I enjoy customer service encounters. Especially the bad ones. I consider such situations sport, like predator and prey, with the prey not recognizing me as a natural predator until it’s too late. Which is a nice way of saying: I worked on the front lines of customer service at Walt Disney World. Nobody does the customer service, or customer experience (CX), better than Disney Parks, and … Continue reading Ankle-Deep in Customer Service.
The Noob Regrets
Dear colleagues. I apologize for the Reply All email that contained rather graphic information and photos of my recent “procedure” in the body of the mail. I had intended them only for Holly in HR. Thanks to those of you who sent condolences and to Jason for commiserating with his own surgical experiences in similarly … Continue reading The Noob Regrets
Obligatory Manifesto
So begins another blog. Several have withered and died. Another just disappeared; I have searched the corners of the internet without luck. So, here goes.