As this slideshow from Dan Roam reveals, the healthcare reform debate is really a debate over insurance reform: who pays for healthcare. His slideshow dramatizes who the players are in this debate, what are their motivations, and how this impacts the American consumer (and tax payer). This is the best resource I’ve seen to help [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Back to Basics'
The Secret of Healthcare Reform — Visualized
October 8th, 2009 · 2 Comments · Back to Basics, Creativity
Tags: visual thinking
Blessings for Dana
October 2nd, 2009 · 1 Comment · Back to Basics
This post is for my brother Dana, who has begun fighting cancer
Why Don’t They Listen to Their Customers?
September 24th, 2009 · No Comments · Back to Basics, Tools & Technology
The idea of phone companies listening to their customers is perhaps an oxymoron, but I haven’t given up hope. Browsing Verizon’s list of supported cell phones, I was struck by their obvious lack of needs-based segmentation. Like most carriers, they seem
A Perfect Twitter Moment — Not!
September 17th, 2009 · No Comments · Back to Basics
Despite having an iPhone app for tweeting, my perfect Twitter moment eluded me. On the day I was dying to answer TweetDeck’s “what are you doing” question, I wasn’t carrying an iPhone. Several Sundays ago my husband and I were kayaking in the golden light of a late afternoon on Cape Cod waters. Suddenly our [...]
Wal-Mart Will Accelerate Green Retailing
July 16th, 2009 · No Comments · Back to Basics, Marketing
Today’s Wall Street Journal announced a massive “green” initiative by Wal-Mart that will eventually enable consumers to make informed choices about the environmental impact of the products and brands they’re thinking about buying. Because of Wal-Mart’s enormous clout with both suppliers and consumers, the implications of Wal-Mart’s announcement could be game changing.
The Smell of Lavender
July 3rd, 2009 · No Comments · Back to Basics
Walking around Mercer Island yesterday, we enjoyed the sights and smells of lavender blooming everywhere. It’s early summer here, with long and sunny days; colors don’t start fading until sunset begins around 9:30 PM. Just perfect for dinner and a glass on wine on the deck overlooking the hills that ring Lake Washington. The smell [...]
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It Takes a Community
June 24th, 2009 · 2 Comments · Back to Basics, Creativity
Lately my friends and I have been talking about how people succeed, wondering why some are more successful than others despite comparable intellectual advantages or innate talents. Most of us have read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, and we’ve been comparing his case studies to our personal experience and pondering the implications. Our Own Stories, And Belated [...]
Tags: mentors
Celebrating Earth Day
April 22nd, 2009 · No Comments · Back to Basics, Yoga
For 10 years we have been lucky enough to be stewards of a small but beloved property that includes a tidal marsh on Cape Cod, adjacent to 100 acres of conservation land (a mix of second growth forest and tidal wetlands rich in birdlife). It’s a place of the heart. Looking closely, you can see [...]
The Purpose of a Business
March 20th, 2009 · 4 Comments · Back to Basics
I’ve been musing on the question of Purpose while reading the Wall Street Journal and online business press, trying to understand how so many bright people can have caused so much lasting damage. Why Do Companies Exist? There are those who think that businesses exist for solely utilitarian reasons: to satisfy customers, generate profits, create [...]
Tags: corporate purpose·strategy
Customer Experience – No Technology Required
February 9th, 2009 · 1 Comment · Back to Basics
Delivering a great customer experience does not necessarily require any specialized technology – especially for a small business. Sometimes it’s just a question of getting the basics right, and reinforcing core values with your staff. Take high-end restaurants, for example. Clearly these are businesses that need to deliver great dining experiences, on a repeatable basis. [...]
