Service is helping people; that’s it—nothing fancy or academic, just helping people accomplish things. For me, it’s exciting when I trip over a company that gets it when it comes to service. They are ones that are clear that they are in the business of helping people. They are clear that they are about making … Continue reading This Is Service

In the world of design (e.g., service design, product design), one key step that is constantly preached as critical is research. This is where the designer learns about needs. What’s right? What’s wrong? What works and what doesn’t? Where are the bottlenecks? What will make life better? To do it, they watch people use the … Continue reading The customer safari. An underrated superpower.

I have said it often: asking questions is the best way to get an interaction off on the right foot. It is the quickest way to build relationships. Why? Because nothing says “you matter” better than asking questions.   When you ask someone about their history or for their thoughts, opinions, or know-how, you send a … Continue reading Asking questions. The relationship builder.

Best. What is best? Often it’s the thing at the top of a list built around the opinions of experts or based on a survey of hundreds of people. Best can often be what gets airplay, even though that doesn’t make it best in any truly meaningful way. These kinds of best are dubious and … Continue reading The Best Versus the Favorite

We’re going about things so wrong.  We’ve built all this technology, and most people are using it to replace human labor. But human labor with all of its mistakes, sweat, and inefficiency is what makes the labor worth the end. That’s what makes the finished product inspiring.  Why aren’t we using technology to make life … Continue reading In Defense of Human Error

What would it take for business leaders to make employee layoffs a last resort? There’s no debate about the fact that humans are the reason for business …and… it takes humans to create the relationships to transact the business. That includes, at minimum, marketing, sales, delivery, and support. Sure, you may have AI doing some … Continue reading If you’re balancing your books with people’s lives: Hear this: YOU SUCK!

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast." -Peter Drucker Not long ago, a friend’s child got seriously ill, causing much worry and hardship for their family. Fortunately, my friend worked for a company that rallied around her. They gave her comfort and space. They encouraged her and understood the difficulty. Culture. It’s the way groups of people … Continue reading Culture. It’s about more than breakfast.

My friend Debashis Sarkar has written a book called Evolve: 49 Counterintuitive Principles for Business. The main point of the book is to illuminate the irony in so many tenets, laws, and theories that impact not only work but life. For example: Too many cooks don't spoil the broth. Making difficult tasks a priority can … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: Evolve: 49 Counterintuitive Principles for Business by Debashis Sarkar

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” -George Washington This week marks the 250th year of the USA's birth. An impressive milestone to be sure when you consider the many obstacles, including wars, natural disasters, and all of our differences and … Continue reading Celebrate the voices.

We all want happiness, but by chasing it, we short-circuit Mother Nature. As humans, we are wired to increase our happiness not by trying to make ourselves happy but by helping others to be happy.  Experts say that performing acts of kindness boosts our mood and ultimately makes us more optimistic and positive. It works … Continue reading The Pursuit of Happiness Is, Ironically, Not About You