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Speed Dial: 60-Second Marketing Insight Newsletter
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Well, hi there- - welcome to the new year! Come in, come in, and let me show you
around my lab, where different things get tried, tested, and tinkered with while I’m working on. . . well,
life.
The place is always humming with personal and professional development ideas this time
of year- - like over in the fitness department, where it smells a little funky but we're
making real progress. And next door, in nutrition, where after 837 experiments on the
all-you-can-eat Doritos & pizza weight loss plan, I'm finally testing it less frequently. Moving on,
there’s the business development wing, the consumer research center, & a room overflowing
with miscellaneous
projects.
Busy place, the lab!
I’ve been working here long enough to be able to post some operating principles up in the
break room. As you start looking for personal and professional development ideas, check these
out:
1) Reframe Failure.
Perceived failure is the lab’s greatest enemy- - just a hint of it can send certain projects screeching to a
halt. I have a squadron of brain cells trying to neutralize failure. Hence, the lab analogy:
if I’m just experimenting, mistakes are no big deal.
2) Plan Flexibly. It's
tempting to wait until the holidays have passed or a stressful project is over to make changes,
but any “optimal” time for change is short-lived, since Real Life always bursts onto
the scene to make a mess. Roadblocks are the rule, not the exception. Successful plans for personal
and professional development ideas need to accommodate an imperfect reality.
3) Keep Moving. Overnight
victory in any given area would be fantastic, but I’ve decided that actually reaching the goal is what
matters, not how long it takes to get there.
4) Ban Perfection.
Perfectionism is insidious, crippling, and time-wasting. Aiming for "mere" excellence is a better
choice.
5) Work Smarter. Woodrow
Wilson said, “I use not only the brains I have, but all the brains I can borrow.” (A
little Frankenstein-y the context of a laboratory, but hey, let's roll with it).
6) Share Learnings. If what I discover in my lab might help someone, I’ve got to pass
it along. That’s part of why writing 'Speed Dial' & being a marketing consultant is so
rewarding. I want to share my personal and professional development ideas with you to help you along the
way.
So thanks for swinging by the lab today - - here's to a new
year filled with interesting experiments and eureka
outcomes!
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