Really Useful Blog

A few months ago I attended the Paley Center for Media’s InsideMedia series, “Inside the Writers Room: Party Down” about the original series in its second season on Starz.  I have to admit, I had never seen one episode of “Party Down” and had barely seen any promotion for it; I think my curiosity was more about the Starz network and brand than anything else.  HBO, I know (“It’s not TV, it’s HBO”); Showtime, I know (my new irreverent favs – “Weeds”, “Nurse Jackie”, etc.).  Starz has been around for quite some time, but in terms of original programming I had no idea what their brand was.  What I found that evening was that the network execs themselves (who I chatted with after the session) were also trying to figure out what the Starz brand was or was trying to become. READ MORE

Part 2 of our look at Strategic Planning Made Simple will focus on the next three elements: Situation Analysis, Key Result Areas, and Disengagement Strategies. If you haven’t already, please see Part 1: the four process elements of strategic planning and defining your organizational aim.

Situation Analysis

This analysis includes knowing your customer needs, assessing your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses compared to your company’s strengths and weaknesses, identifying your unique selling proposition, and understanding opportunities and challenges. READ MORE

It’s easy to decide what you’re going to do. The hard thing is deciding what you’re not going to do
—Michael Dell

Individuals and teams often want to start with key result areas and strategies.  I explain to them: if you are clear about your goals, there aren’t so many strategies to achieve them. That said, don’t put the how before the what.  It saves a lot of time and supports better choices and alignment.

Part I

Every company, organization, and sole proprietorship can benefit from a carefully-thought-out strategic planning process and specific work plans.  Too often, strategic planning is a partially-executed exercise that sits on a shelf.

My process is an excellent framework for decision-making and an indispensible leadership tool for achieving buy in and alignment.  The process elements include… READ MORE

In RUI’s branding course, I talk about social media and its impact on the future of communications and customer relations. You can view the course description here. Social media presents an exciting opportunity for brands to create lifetime customer relationships that — if properly managed — would be hard for competitors to disrupt.

The promise of social media can sometimes disguise the fact that there are situations where social media isn’t appropriate, though. In the last few weeks, I’ve been struck by two professions which need to approach their use of social media very carefully: lawyers and doctors. READ MORE