(Time to read this Blog is about 3 minutes)

Before we get to the main topic, here are a few things to get you thinking or smiling:

1. My Biz Quote of the week:
   “Don’t make your business your ‘neat fort’.  A neat fort is where we go to hide from reality.  Business is where we go to engage in reality.  If you’re going to work to hide from reality, to feel safe, comfortable and in control, you and the business are in big trouble.  I see it all the time.”                                                                         
   …Donald Cooper.

2. Quick Biz Tip:
   Always explain ‘why’…to your Team!
    
   When introducing change, or asking people to do something a different way, always explain ‘why’ so they know that there’s an important business or safety reason for the change.
    
   When you explain ‘why’, two positive things happen:
   2. You get a much higher level of buy-in and engagement.
   3. A few of your brightest people might say something like, “If that’s the outcome we’re looking for, I have a few ideas on how we might do it even better!”
       
      So, to improve both compliance and creativity, always explain ‘why’.

3. No so ‘Fun Fact’:  Mutual Funds that invest in specific stocks under-perform the stock market 90% of the time over a 5-year period and 97% of the time over a 20-year period.  This is why ETF Funds (Exchange Traded Funds) are so popular.
      
4. Your 1^st job is ‘clarity’.  As a business owner, leader or manager, your 1^st job is clarity about 10 specific things.  Many great ideas can come from the bottom up in an organization, but clarity can only come from the top down.  To download my insightful ‘Clarity Biz Tool’ and calculate a ‘Clarity Score’ for your business or Department, no charge, Click Here.
      
5. The Cranky Corner: Some things make me ‘cranky’.  It could be my age, but I doubt it.  My wife and her sister have both had substantial term deposit accounts with online bank, Tangerine, for many years. Tangerine used to be great, but were bought out by Scotiabank and now it’s a different story.
    
   Last week, my wife was informed that her new interest rate is down to 1.5%, while her sister was informed that her new rate on exactly the same type of account, with about the same amount of money in it is 3%.  When my wife called Tangerine to enquire, she was told, “We have different marketing for different customers.”  When she asked to speak with a Supervisor, she was told, “My Supervisor doesn’t take calls.  If you don’t like the rate we’re offering, move your money somewhere else.”
    
   Two points here:  First, if you’re doing any stupid stuff like this, stop it immediately!  Second thing, if you know anyone who works for Scotiabank, or Tangerine President and CEO, Terri-Lee Weeks, please give them my email address.  donald@donaldcooper.com  I’d love to chat with them.
    
6. Shameless plug. If your business or industry Association is having a Management Conference in the next year, my bottom-line insights on increasing sales and profitability by creating a Culture of clarity, commitment, urgency and accountability will be transformational. Each attendee will receive free access to my complete set of ‘Business Assessment & Management Implementation Tools’ that have transformed hundreds of businesses around the world.   I’m easy to find at donald@donaldcooper.com
    
   Now, to this week’s important topic:

Your business probably needs 3 kinds of technology ‘heroes’:

There are 3 quite different types of technology that every business must embrace. The first we will call ‘operational technology’ that will help you achieve world-class operating efficiency in every part of your business.  With every industry and market being so intensely price-competitive, world-class operating efficiency is your only hope of profitability. Do you have an ‘operational technology’ hero?       

The second kind of technology we’ll call ‘marketing technology’ that will help you understand, serve and communicate with customers as a group…and customers as individuals.  This will include the technology of delivering extraordinary customer experiences, the technology of creating databases, data mining, websites, proactive E-Newsletters, blogs, social media, apps and lots more stuff that I don’t understand yet.  Do you have a ‘marketing technology’ hero?

The third kind of technology is the ‘new kid in town’.  You probably need an AI technology hero so as not to get left behind in this next revolutionary leap in how so many things are done in every area of your business.

Unless you’re a large business, you’ll not likely be able to afford 3 technology heroes full time.  But the good news is that you will be able to find ‘part time’ heroes for rent for the hours you need them. Ask your industry or business friends.  Check with your industry Association. Who has a track record?  Who might be doing this kind of work for a big company who would help you out, on their own time?   So, what will you do to find an operational, marketing and AI technology ‘hero’ for your business?

That’s it for this week…

Live brilliantly and be kind to each other!       

Donald Cooper 

Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability.  He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.