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Lack of communication is the root cause of most relationship problems.  When we don’t talk to each other, we don’t just give up our understanding, we give up our connection. And without a strategy for expressing our mutual needs wants, feelings and frustrations, couples who get lazy with each other won’t be couples for very long.  And because communication is our basic human need, our basic human instinct is…

Man’s search for meaning isn’t just a book. It’s the number one cause of unhappiness in the world.  Making meaning is what allows us to feel alive. It’s a form of living our deepest principles and highest values. And if we aren’t intentional about where, how, why and with whom we make meaning in the world, life is going to be an empty journey.  After all, money doesn’t buy…

We’re faced with an unemployment paradox. Being jobless is a barrier to finding a job. It’s the hiring paradox in which the status of being out of work creates fear in the worker that they will be seen as lazy and unmotivated by potential employers. It’s a vicious circle of rejection that leads to dissapointment and feelings of unworthiness. The longer you’re out of work, the harder it is…

Negativity is highly underrated. Instead of insulating your business against it, consider these ways to leverage it. Own the hate, mitigate the sting. What if, instead of getting defensive when customers leave negative online reviews, you printed those nasty comments on employee shirts, carry out menus and other marketing materials? Turn feedback into inspiration. What if, instead of ignoring negative mentions of your product, you offered refunds as a…

Anything worth doing is worth making memorable. Considering how absurd and transient life really is, there’s no good reason not to add personality and surprise and bounce to the interactions that make up our days. That’s what gives our moments weight. That’s how we make each other feel alive. Think of it as an exercise in creative mindfulness. A mental recipe. An awareness plan for perceiving, experiencing and thinking…

Business is best when it’s about the service above what you really sell. But you can’t just claim, “We’re all about service.” You have to be more specific. Highly personable tech support, tightly connected user groups, fanatical logistics, unforgettable live events, capturing and using customer feedback, lighthearted social media engagement, amazing return policies, human beings answering the phones, classy employee interactions, elegant mobile technology, complete customization, accurate recommendation algorithms,…

Insight doesn’t come from expertise, it comes from doing detective work. Approaching the problem in a holistic, intelligent, comprehensive and systematic way so that the solution presents itself. Here’s a snapshot of the strategic process I’ve been using for more than a decade: Macro investigation. Issues including historical patterns, economic, social and cultural forces, the regulatory environment, any industry, distribution and technological concerns, and whatever other big picture trends…

A few months ago, the woman behind the counter at a grocery store asked me if I was wearing a nametag for any particular reason, or just to be ironic. “Actually, I always wear it,” I smiled. “Makes people friendlier.” She shrugged and handed me my receipt. And on the walk home, I thought to myself, “Ironic? Why would wearing a nametag be ironic? And if so, does that…

Any idiot can take notes. But if you want your voice to reverberate through people’s bones, if you want to make an impression that matters, you have to be more than a listener. Be a translator, a courageous interpreter of the world’s vagaries, adding facets, angles, new dimensions and refractions of light. Be a craftsman, using the source code as inspiration to create your own form of art that…

Word of mouth drives most of our country’s economy. Not because traditional marketing sucks, but because human beings, a species whose prime feature is its social nature, rarely do what they do by their own volition. The agent of decision making is interaction, not interruption. If we’re going to buy something, it’s because somebody we know already bought it. The catch is, few silver bullet solutions exist for getting…