I spent a good portion of last weekend doing some research on vision and mission statements. The difference had never been very clear to me, but somehow I had always thought of them as crucial exercises for companies and individuals who want to be successful. What I learned is that the “mission” is rooted in the present, or the day to day, while the … [Read more...] about How to Write a Mission Statement
Business
How to Become the Go-to-Person in Business
After defining your positioning and brand strategy, developing the skills to become the go-to guy (or gal) in your chosen niche should be your next priority. You can achieve go-to guy status by getting familiar with topics and disciplines outside your field of expertise that are somehow related to what you do. A Sports Analogy Like a sports star who always gets … [Read more...] about How to Become the Go-to-Person in Business
Public Speaking Skills: What We Can Learn from Oprah
I don’t watch TV, but I do have the strong habit of watching web videos of great presentations. I can easily become glued to sites like TED the same way TV junkies get hooked to Lost or Dancing With the Stars. Probably one of the greatest presentations I’ve seen lately is Oprah’s commencement address at Duke University, which took place back in … [Read more...] about Public Speaking Skills: What We Can Learn from Oprah
Paying Attention To Small Habits
During my daily 45-minute commute to and from work, I normally use the down time to listen to business-related CD books. I am currently listening to Warren Buffet Speaks, an entertaining collection of notes and quotes from the world’s greatest investor, and the following passage (paraphrasing) really struck a chord: Every other year, Buffett and some old friends go to … [Read more...] about Paying Attention To Small Habits
How to Handle Customer E-mail
I don’t like to spend money on cars, but with $4 per gallon of gas and my 12 year old Jeep acting up I decided to just move on and buy a smaller, more efficient vehicle. A friend at work had recently bought a Scion xD, a cool little car loaded with features, a decent engine and great fuel economy. I liked it and decided that it would be my next car. I started my new car … [Read more...] about How to Handle Customer E-mail