Don’t Fail Like Edison Did

/in /by

Tales of successful innovation are told – as good stories ought to be – in linear fashion, with the focus on a single triumphant hero. For example: Edison realized the potential for creating light with electricity, tested a wide variety of light-bulb filaments, and finally came up with one that worked well.

The implication is that innovation proceeds in a neat, orderly progression, from our hero recognizing the need, to testing solutions, and finally, rolling out the best one and smiling all the way to the bank.

Not so fast! The reality of innovation is very different from the historical depiction of it. Innovation is messy and wasteful, and it rarely moves in a straight line from problem to solution. The history of the light-bulb illustrates the gap between how we like to recall innovation, and how it really happens.

While Edison and his lab played an important role by contributing a design that made it into commercial use for a time, the fact is that Edison did not invent either the modern incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. Edison’s light bulb design, a thin piece of carbon in a vacuum, is not in use today. Our bulbs are either based on the tungsten filament patented by Willis R. Whitney in 1903, or the mercury vapor light patented by Peter Cooper Hewitt in 1901. Edison is not the father of modern light-bulbs, he is more like a first cousin twice removed.

Hi there! This article is available for free. Login or register as a StrategyDriven Personal Business Advisor Self-Guided Client by:

Subscribing to the Self Guided Program - It's Free!


 

About the Author

Alex Hiam (www.alexhiam.com) is the author of more than 20 popular books on business, including Business Innovation For Dummies, Marketing For Dummies, and Marketing Kit for Dummies. A lecturer at the business school at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, he has consulted with many Fortune 500 firms and large U.S. government agencies.

StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 37 – An Interview with Ann Marie Sabath, author of Business Etiquette

/in , /by

StrategyDriven Podcasts focus on the tools and techniques executives and managers can use to improve their organization’s alignment and accountability to ultimately achieve superior results. These podcasts elaborate on the best practice and warning flag articles on the StrategyDriven website.

Special Edition 37 – An Interview with Ann Marie Sabath, author of Business Etiquette, explores the often unwritten and unspoken rules of behavior for the business world that when applied differentiate business professionals from businesspeople; setting them apart and helping them climb the corporate ladder. During our discussion, Ann Marie Sabath, author of Business Etiquette: 101 Ways to Conduct Business with Charm and Savvy and President of At Ease, shares with us her insights and illustrative examples regarding:

  • the default rules of etiquette for unfamiliar situations and those for which there are no rules
  • impact of increasing workplace diversity on business etiquette protocols and the importance of the Platinum Rule
  • resolving conflicts between etiquette and efficiency
  • rules of email and Blackberry® etiquette
  • handling situations in which you will be late (e.g., a meeting or task)
  • dealing with unfamiliar acronyms and technical terms during conversations in business and social settings

Additional Information

In addition to the invaluable insights Ann Marie shares in Business Etiquette and this special edition podcast are the resources accessible from her websites, www.AnnMarieSabath.com and www.CorporateEtiquette.com.   Ann Marie’s book, Business Etiquette, can be purchased by clicking here.

About the Author

Ann Marie Sabath, author of Business Etiquette, is President of At Ease, a nationally recognized protocol and etiquette firm. She has trained more than 90,000 individuals at companies such as Fidelity Investments, Monster.com, Deloitte & Touche, and Marriott International. The first and second editions of Business Etiquette have been recognized by the Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times, and Entrepreneur magazine. To read Ann Marie’s complete biography, click here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:48 — 42.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Performance Appraisals – Can They Really Be ‘Stress-Free’?

/in , /by

Performance appraisals are one of the most important responsibilities of a supervisor… and one of the most dreaded!

Why?

Perhaps the better question is – What can we do to remove the ‘dread factor?’

One way is to identify the five most important tips and make sure all your managers get a copy.

Tip #1 – Take time to prepare

Start by familiarizing yourself with the form and the ratings. Think about the goals each employee has been working on, the employee’s strengths and areas for development. Pull out all the examples and observations you’ve collected throughout the review period and add them to the appraisal form to support your ratings.

Plan your discussion in detail – not just compliments, but also areas for improvement.

Then, schedule the meeting and plan enough time for a thorough discussion. Select a time when you and the employee are not under pressure.

Hi there! This article is available for free. Login or register as a StrategyDriven Personal Business Advisor Self-Guided Client by:

Subscribing to the Self Guided Program - It's Free!


 

About the Author

Sharon Armstrong, author of The Essential Performance Review Handbook and The Essential HR Handbook, is the Founder of Sharon Armstrong and Associates. Sharon has served as director of human resources at a law firm and several other organizations in Washington, DC. Since launching her own consulting business in 1998, she has provided training and completed HR projects dealing with performance management design and implementation for a wide variety of clients. To read Sharon’s complete biography, click here.

Six Steps to Achieving Work-Life Balance

/in /by

Work life balance is the key issue of these times. Because we can work and be connected around the clock should we? My son is a swimmer and swimmers, as well as other successful athletes, work under certain success criteria. Here they are: 1) they set goals and reward themselves when they reach them; 2) they can turn on and off their focus; 3) they build up their work efforts to a peak, knowing that a rest or taper period is coming; 4) they know that by training with fast sprints they are ready to work harder at a much more efficient pace; 5) they know that a positive attitude makes all the difference; and 6) they plan their time well and plan themselves first. Let’s break these down as they relate to taking a vacation.

1) Setting Goals and Rewarding Yourself. I know that when I reward myself for hitting my numbers, I am more motivated to reach my objectives and I can usually build into my goal a financial target that pays for the reward (trip). I have a sense of accomplishment and that energy is felt by everyone around me. Reward yourself with a trip by setting the right goals and feel the power.

Hi there! This article is available for free. Login or register as a StrategyDriven Personal Business Advisor Self-Guided Client by:

Subscribing to the Self Guided Program - It's Free!


 

About the Author

Michael MacNair owns MacNair Travel Management, a privately owned American Express Representative Office, which has helped organizations develop a clear Travel Management System that delivers unparalleled value and exceeds expectations. MacNair Travel is a Travel Leadership Consulting Firm because of its proactive consulting toward the development of a cutting-edge travel plan, dedication to unbiased rate searches that save money and time, and dedicated service teams that build confidence. Michael MacNair, author of Smooth Landings, conducts Travel Management seminars for many organizations, such as the National Business Travel Association, and is a frequent media spokesperson. For more information, visit: www.macnairtravel.com or call 703-836-1100.

Are you a Business Person or Business Professional?

/in /by

You have expended a lot of time and money to earn your degree. You are representing a well-respected firm who is interested in developing your talents. You are putting in long hours and earning a great salary in return.

To be successful in business today, however, you must have more than a JD and a reputable organization behind your name. Climbing that slippery ladder of success means being thoughtful and engaging with those around you. In fact, the attention you pay to detail is the main ingredient that differentiates you from evolving from a business person to a business professional.

Where are you in your evolution from business person to business professional? Picture yourself in the following 17 situations to find out:

Hi there! This article is available for free. Login or register as a StrategyDriven Personal Business Advisor Self-Guided Client by:

Subscribing to the Self Guided Program - It's Free!


 

About the Author

Ann Marie Sabath is the founder of At Ease Inc., the 23-year old business protocol and development Cincinnati training firm. Her Strategies for Gaining That Competitive Edge in Today’s Workplace and other business development programs is a regular part of many organization’s Business Development programs. Sabath also is the author of eight books on domestic and international etiquette. Her newest release, Business Etiquette: 101 Ways to Conduct Business with Charm and Savvy [Third Edition] was published by Career Press (www.CareerPress.com), and hit bookstores in March 2010.

Do you have an etiquette question? E-mail it to Sabath at [email protected] or call her at 212-956-1807.