FoD #184: open for business?
We really can convince ourselves of just about anything if we want.
I've got good news this week friends: 2020 is just about half over.
It is official: as Marvin Gaye originally wrote and Martha Reeve and the Vandellas once sung (and Mick Jagger & David Bowie famously covered), "Summer's here and the time is right for dancin' in the streets."
And so many people want us all to be dancin' in the streets right now. Retailers, bars, restaurants, local businesses, higher education institutions, kids and politicians all want the world to hear the call that everything is "open for business."
But are they really? Despite us all really wanting and them needing it to be true, are we really ready to be "open for business" across all aspects of our daily lives?
I'm reminded of this famous quote from Maya Angelou:
When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time
It's funny: in addition to the ability to turn the page and look to the future and transport themselves to a happy place, we have seen that humans are pretty good at rationalizing and convincing themselves that things are a certain way when they want them to be.
So before you go about convincing yourselves to start dancin' in the proverbial streets, I'd like to you pause for a second. When just about any service, retail store, company, institution, business, governmental agency, etc, you patronized before this all happened tells you they are "open for business," ask yourself this:
In these unprecedented times, are they ready to be "open for business"? Were they good at what they did when times weren't unprecedented? Or did you complain about their execution then?
Listen to what Maya Angelou said. If you liked them before and they provided value to you, that likely won't change.
But if they executed poorly and provided low value before the pandemic, you can sure as hell expect that it will happen again (and very likely, worse) now -- no matter how badly they want you to believe that it will be "business as usual." This includes restaurants, bars, your local stores, universities, employers, companies, etc.
I know you want things to get back to normal, but think about it and be skeptical Friends.
And look at your own businesses and think about how your customers felt about you before all of this went down. Be the kind of "open for business" company that gets them dancin' in the streets without a lot of convincing.
Along those lines, as the snazzy new badge on my LinkedIn profile now says, I continue to be "#opentowork" -- please reach out and let me know if there is anything I can be doing to help you or your companies as you get back to business as usual.
Enjoy the weekend.
XOXO
Dave
Think on This...
How Facebook, Twitter and other data troves are revolutionizing social science
Over the past decade, researchers have used such techniques to pick apart topics that social scientists have chased for more than a century: from the psychological underpinnings of human morality, to the influence of misinformation, to the factors that make some artists more successful than others.
This is a longer read, but one I found fascinating. In depth look at how social scientists are turning to data created on social media to better understand society — and then change it.
For Your Day Job...
The Father of EQ Reveals 12 Ways to Increase Your Emotional Intelligence
Research shows developing greater emotional intelligence can lead to higher performance and pay as well as better professional and personal relationships.
Emotional Intelligence is an underrated component of what makes executives good at what they do. Good quick look at the ways you can improve in this area yourself and become a more well rounded leader.
REPORT: Reuters Institute Digital News 2020
I posted about this on LinkedIn this week. Very comprehensive look at both news distribution and how people across each demographic consume all written content, including email newsletters. If you are an executive, marketer, or someone who likes to know how news/content is being effectively delivered, this is worth it. Data and analytics rich. Click HERE if you want to bypass the full report and go to the "cliff notes" website.
Unexpected Advantages of Onboarding in the Midst of a Crisis
An executive shares his experience getting hired and onboarded during the lockdown. It's quick and worth reading as food for thought as you look to ramp up hiring at your firm.
How to Value Data {when you want to license it}
Firms with extensive data assets are looking to license their content to others -- great post here by FoD Robert Passerella. Remember, every business is a data business.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
Is It Possible to Shower Too Much?
They take the squeegee thing and wash their whole body with some sort of men’s body wash. They’re showering twice a day because they’re working out. As soon as I get them to stop doing that and just wash their bits, they’re totally fine.”
Betting On Great White Sharks Now Being Offered, But No Attack Odds
I think you are going to need a bigger bookie.....
Japanese Printing Company Turns Waste Into Edible Notepads Paired With Coffee-Flavored Pens
Of course this is the sort of thing we need....
And The Last Word....
Higher Ed: Enough Already — www.profgalloway.com
In the next six weeks, after receiving deposits/tuition, more universities will begin announcing they are moving to all online courses for Fall. The scenario planning via Zoom among administrators rivals D-Day. But likely all scenarios will lead to one realization: the protocols mandated by the surge in US infections will diminish the in-class experience to the point where the delta between in-person and Zoom will be less than the delta between the risks of each approach.
We are seeing the last few months of the traditional higher education business model and college experience, Friends. This fall will be the breaking point. As I have written before, Professor Galloway does not miss on too many of these.
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