Insights and Ingenuity

Fast Company examines Ashton Kutcher as a leading new-world media mogul, one who uses his brand to entertain and reach audiences using mixed mediums and channels.

Life’s too short to be a passenger, to let circumstance shape your surroundings. Businesses, like people, should take more control over their route and intentionally, purposefully direct their progress to a destination.

Weekly team meetings around the conference table are the contemporary man’s equivalent of the frontiersman’s circle around the evening campfire. There are personal stories to share to entertain, to inform, to debate. This collaboration establishes common shared interests and priorities, in essence creating a culture unique to that group. A vibe to call their own that sets the rhythm of all choices.

You really don’t have to have a green thumb to make things grow. Sometimes it just takes a little inspiration, a little faith, an injection of encouragement, and honest acceptance that if you’re not growing, you’re falling behind.

This analogy applies to lots of things, big and small, complex and simple. It can be a matter of creating the right outward-facing client image by a $30 subscription to Basecamp. And yeah, it can mean radical changes in culture by consistently reinforcing behavior patterns.

Before targeting a vertical, it only makes sense to research, listen, ask questions, and be in the room with a bunch of your prospects. Call this due diligence or a no-brainer; these are a few things I learned from some Iowa bank marketers.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going and innovating. The time for disbelief, wide eyes, and contracted muscles is over. Sure, business has to stay mindful of economic realities and there’s usually a group of number wizards and data crunchers who can help keep things on the level. But to survive and cede as little ground as possible, smart companies are facing the issues head on.

We all have different ViewFinders. Some look through the lens and see opportunity, engaging problem-solving, achievements to build. When talking about business, some groups really thrive on “The Next” and may work to get there rapid-fire or slowly but steadily. But other groups don’t enjoy new introductions and other ideas in the mix. It alters the predictable (?) balance of things. Can those reluctant be taught to accept the role change has in business dynamics? Or is it part of their innate makeup?

A list of 10 steps to help create and sustain successful business relationships. I think it’s valid for internal cross-functional teams, client-agency/partner teams, and client-customers. Anxious to get thoughts and opinions from others. How do you set your company up for success?