Archive for Mirror Marketing
Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative
Posted by: | Comments“Man, they said we better Accentuate the positive Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don’t mess with Mister In-Between No, do not mess with Mister In-Between Do you hear me, hmm? The music was written by Harold Arlen and the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and it was published in 1944.
You wonder why it has taken organizations this long to start considering this approach. My podcast guest, Sara Orem, co-author of Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change (Jossey-Bass Business & Management) expanded on this in the podcast:
Lions and tigers and bears. We lived in caves and there were wild animals and there were maybe not an ever present danger but there was an often present danger so we were wired to look for danger. The worrier in us will look for danger in the fact that we didn’t get a raise or we’ll look for danger in the fact that our significant other didn’t say good morning to us. We are negative beings and to some degree that’s also genetic.
Is that why problem solving is revered? And the feel good approach is not?
Sara L.Orem, Ph.D. has twenty years of management experience and fifteen years management consulting in and to major financial services companies in the U. S., Britain and Australia. Her current focus is on the development and use of positive methods including Appreciative Inquiry in coaching and group processes. Appreciative Coaching describes in detail the method Sara has developed for her coaching practice which serves women and men looking at self-started transitions.
P.S. My favorite rendition of the song mentioned above is a Bette Midler & Bing Crosby rendition. Don’t miss this! This is my feel good strategy part of the post!
Appreciative Inquiry (sometimes shortened to "AI") is primarily an organizational development method which seeks to engage all levels of an organization by taking an "asset-based approach." It starts with the belief that every organization, and every person in that organization, has positive aspects that can be built upon. It asks questions like “What’s working well?”, “What’s good about what you are currently doing?” David Cooperrider is generally credited with coining the term ‘Appreciative Inquiry’.
Related Information:
Getting Resistance to Appreciative Inquiry?
The Strength of an Architect is in their Collaborative Abilities
Lean Engagement Team Book Released
Appreciative Inquiry instead of Problem Solving
The importance of PDCA in Marketing
Posted by: | CommentsWhen I discuss PDCA as a knowledge building activity, many people struggle with that concept. They may even struggle more with the concept of using PDCA to close the knowledge gaps within a Customer Decision making process. This video with Joe Pine discussing, “The Importance of Design Tools for Mass Customization” makes a case for utilizing PDCA as the Design Tools. I may be putting words in Joe’s mouth but as you watch this video, what else would you use?
To me, this is the excitement of Lean. Lean Sales and Marketing when applied properly will give you this ideal that the customer is looking for. It’s that commitment to reaching that ideal. PDCA is that system aspect. The exercises you use to get there in your own way.
PDCA will take you step by step towards this ideal. The focus is very much on diagnosing the problem first before anything else. You won’t solve customers’ problems for them. You will work/collaborate with customers on how to solve the problems and expand on customization.
Review the blog post, Mass Customization is not Mass Customization
Related Information:
Scaling the Customer Decision Making Process
Lean needs Marketing, more than Marketing needs Lean!
Customer Experience more powerful than the Supply Chain?
Can the customer be front stage in your organization?
