Insights that can change Organizations

Here are some wonderful insights by truly wise people that can change the way organizations and businesses operate:

1- Advertising’s five golden rules (from the audience’s viewpoint)

• what’s
• in
• it
• for
• me

This is true not just in advertising but also in communications, where your communications need to be audience-centered – the audience should be able to work out QUICKLY what’s in it for them

2- The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten

This is a slogan from the famous Gucci fashion business house and is a great insight both for those who are selling (and facing objections on price) as well as those who are buying (and focusing too much on price)

3- Before you build a better mousetrap, it helps to know if there are many mice out there

A saying by Mortimer B. Zuckerman – an invaluable reminder for those of us who rush to put out new ideas and products without doing enough research on need and viability

4- Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning

It was Microsoft’s Bill Gates who said this – and he is someone who knows quite a lot about customers and their feedback! This is important advice because we often gravitate towards customers who praise us and disregard those who criticize us as unfortunate aberrations

5- There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all

Peter Drucker is the author of this famous insight – he had a knack of telling the truth about management and how it creates useless procedures, then tries to improve upon them. Next time you are thinking about organizational processes, or business process re-engineeering, just keep this insight in mind.

6- You should be spending more time with customers than you do studying your financials

What manager doesn’t like looking at the scoreboard all the time, especially when it’s ticking away. This is OK – knowing the score is a good thing – but don’t let this become your principal preoccupation. Spend more time out there with those clients and staff who actually contribute to the scoreboard