Archive for 2006

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Empathy

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

by Dean Whittaker

Who needs empathy, and why should you care? In the Conceptual Age, where concepts (ideas) are the medium of exchange, the ability to forge relationships and better understand what motivates behavior will distinguish those who flourish and those who don’t, according to Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind .

Empathy is putting yourself in another person’s shoes. It is the ability to overcome our own self-centeredness and ponder what it would be like to be that other person. The object is to feel the other person’s feelings and understand his or her perspective, or as Pink says, to “see with the other person’s eyes and feel with their heart.”

As left-brain-directed, logical, sequential, programmable thinking gets out-sourced to the lowest cost location and continues to become a commodity in the world market, the right-brain-directed emotional ability to empathize becomes increasing prized: it is difficult to do from a distance using electronic means.

Understanding another person’s emotions has become increasingly important. As Pink points out, people’s emotions are seldom put into words and most often appear on their faces. He says that empathy depends on emotion, and to enter another’s heart you must begin by looking into his or her face. Paul Ekman, a leading expert in facial expression, wrote Emotions Revealed, in which he describes how to decode the expressions on someone’s face. He also wrote Telling Lies , which explains how to tell when someone is lying.

Here are some of the URL’s Pink recommends:

For testing our EQ (Empathy Quotient): www.tinyurl.com/dbsd8

On spotting a fake smile: www.tinyurl.com/2u7sh

On reading the eyes: www.tinyurl.com/ckrj3

An Emotional Intelligence Test (for pay): www.emotionalintelligencemhs.com/MSCEIT.htm

Innovation and design will be the primary way in which businesses differentiate themselves. The ability to empathize is one of the keys to success of the staff at IEDO, one of the most respected design firms in the country. To learn more about their use of empathy to innovate go to www.ideo.com .

Want to improve your ability to empathize? Here are a few suggestions from Pink’s book:

•  Take an acting class

•  Get a copy of the CD Mind Reading at www.jkp.com/mindreading

•  Make your own greeting cards

•  Volunteer somewhere in your community

So why else does empathy matter? It matters because it will give you the richness that enhanced relationship brings. It offers you a more meaningful life and a chance to make a difference in your life and in the lives of those around you.

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Internet Outbreak

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

by Rebecca Rooy

Due to the recent outbreak of media coverage on holiday online shopping, it is important to review what this Internet traffic increase truly means for the economic world. Upon initial consideration, Internet holiday shopping may seem insignificant, perhaps even frivolous. However, this temporary market is a powerful example of the influence the Internet is gaining in the economic and personal spheres. Suddenly, our familiar holiday consumer tradition of streets and malls overflowing with shoving shoppers on “Black Friday” is no longer the holiday shopping method of choice. Wireless has won. The Internet has, indeed, begun to take over, complete with the new hype for the “Cyber Monday” holiday shopping movement.

Business marketing over the Internet has undeniably exploded within the past few years. An increasing number of companies are turning to Internet marketing and advertisement, while fewer rely on the decreasing impact of newspaper and magazine ads. At Whittaker Associates, we’ve noticed that the majority of our researched companies maintain a website, giving us and our clients a detailed business perspective hailing directly from each company. By reviewing details in each website presentation, from design to employee bios, we can learn a great deal about a company.

These trends can lead one to believe that the Internet is the new “happening” place for business. Although it is easy to guffaw at the media coverage of this sudden and unexpected increase in Internet traffic, we must admit they have a point. The Internet is it, and judging from sites such as cybermonday.com, its influence is moving into business, personal, and even special occasion spheres. And that is nothing to guffaw about.

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From the Apple to the Clock

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

by Jami Miedema

Browsing through the headlines of any newspaper, it is easy to wonder if the heyday of the United States is entirely over. Although we have been a superpower for quite some time, the shift of power to other emerging nations, such as China and India , is approaching. Having already lost our lead in the manufacturing industry, we are starting to see our hold on the financial sector slip as well.

In 2002 the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was implemented. This new set of reforms established rigorous standards to which publicly traded companies must adhere. Perhaps some of the decline we have seen in the financial sector is due, in part, to these new regulations. Overall, there has been a shift of capital from the Big Apple to London . Wall Street has lost numerous IPOs over the past few years, while London has gained many international ones. One reason for this displacement may be because the underwriting fees for IPOs are significantly lower in London than they are on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Another factor could stem from the suggestion that investments abroad may be more lucrative than in the United States . To gain back what we have lost, the government may need to impose or reconsider some policies. But would this be enough to regain our position on top?

With all the cash flowing out of the US , one must question the future of the financial sector here. Can Wall Street make a comeback with the help of the government? Or is our time as a superpower finally up?

Gapper, J. (2006, Nov 27). “The Big Apple’s glory days have passed.” Financial Times , pp. 13.

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Adding Google Search to Your Website

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

by Stephanie Poll

Maybe you have seen it before. That little search box, probably located on the homepage of some website you were just looking at. It’s called a Google search box, and no, Google did not put it there. More than likely, the webmaster of that site added it to the website. Lots of webmasters today are adding Google search boxes to their sites. Why? Because it is easy, and it adds a great feature to the site. Not only can it provide for searching Google directly from the website, but it could also let users search within the site they are looking through at that precise moment.

Google’s main program for adding a search box is called Google Free, and it comes with several variations, including the basic web search, a web search with SafeSearch filtering, and a web search with site search added.

Google Free web search: the most basic of web searches available. It simply allows the site-viewer to search the web through your website.

Google Free SafeSearch: this feature is for users who would like to be able to filter their search results. SafeSearch will screen for any explicit content and delete it from the results.

Google Free web search with Site Search: the same as the first option with the addition of using Google’s search technology to search your own website.

Implementing this feature is as simple as copying and pasting some HTML code into the page on which you want your Google search box to appear. Check out this website: http://www.google.com/searchcode.html . Click on ‘Get the Free search code,’ and locate the code you need according to which search option you would like to use.

If you are interested in making your searches more customizable (for instance, including your company logo at the top of the search results page), this can be done by tweaking the HTML code just a bit. Simply check out this site for a step-by-step process of how to do so: http://www.google.com/services/free.html .

Whether you want the most basic of Google search options or something that can be more customizable to your own website, Google has the features to do so.

For more learning and tutorials about adding a search box to your website, check out these helpful sites:

http://www.7gen.com/node/1126

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_can_i_add_a_google_search_box_to_my_web_site.html

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MegaChanges

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

by Joel Burgess

It is not our feet that move us along-it is our minds. – Ancient Chinese proverb

As we approach Christmas and the harsh Michigan winter, I was thumbing through Charles Swindoll’s aptly named 1985 book, Come Before Winter .and Share my Hope. In his “period of preparation” section, an idea that really caught my attention was entitled MegaChanges.

MegaChanges uses an inverted-L curve to show just how accelerated the changes occurring today truly are. For instance, looking at 3 examples:

The growing number of people – It took until 1850 for the world’s population to reach 1 billion; by 1930 the number doubled, by 1960 it reached 3 billion, and today there are over 6 billion people, with the number continuing to rise.

The number of books published – There were only 35,000 books published by 1900, and today over 400,000 books are published annually . Again the number continues to rise.

The speed of human travel – In 1800, the top speed was 20 mph on horseback. With the train the speed increased to 100 mph. In the early 1950′s, passenger jets took us to 300 plus mph; by 1980 that number doubled, and today I’m not even sure what top speed is. I heard that a jet was successfully clocked at over mach 7. (Sidebar: 1961′s space flight clocked at 16,000 mph.)

John Naisbitt, author of Megatrends , suggest ten trends with the most significant impacts on life as we know it, the biggest of which is the transformation of our society from an industrial society to a information society. Think about the inverted-L curve for available information.

What an impact this collection and organization of data has on all fields of discipline, including economic development.

A vital question is, given the accelerated changes happening all around us, how do we initiate and create policies and programs that give us a framework to stay flexible and adapt to these changes?

The answer is remarkably simple: ground ourselves in timeless truths– truths that when followed equal success. Wisdom, vision, boldness, respect, teamwork, flexibility, dedication, and courage are ancient but valuable watchwords.

Achieving these qualities is easier said than done I realize, but nonetheless, they are honorable and required aspirations. These truths should not be up for grabs .

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Catching and Keeping Smart Companies

Monday, October 30th, 2006

by Dean Whittaker

Smart companies lead in their fields through innovation. They use technology and knowledge to stay competitive in a global economy. The benefit to attracting and keeping these companies is that they add more value per employee, and therefore pay a higher-than-average wage than other industries, creating more wealth in the community.

But economic development organizations have to be smart to catch and keep them.

First, you need to be aware that there is risk associated with focusing on these firms. They tend to be more volatile in their employment levels and easily impacted by newer technology. Success depends upon their continuous innovation – they must be quick and nimble to avoid falling behind in their fields. Their competitive advantage is often difficult to protect and their product or service often has a very short life cycle. Economic developers must recognize that these companies embrace innovation as a way of life.

You may think you need to live in Silicon Valley or Route 128 in Boston to attract and keep innovative companies. But the first place to look is your own backyard. Innovation occurs everywhere, and most companies grow where they are planted – often where the founder lives – if the climate and culture are right. Part of the issue is access to capital. Does your area provide a source of seed capital and venture funding, and does it support risk-taking.even after frequent failures? If innovative start-ups don’t have the support they need to grow, they die on the vine.

Smart companies also need a supply of smart people. Attracting and keeping talent is paramount to the future of any community, and keeping local talent is easier than recruiting outsiders. While you may argue that keeping young people in small communities is not likely to happen, time may be on your side. When those same graduates get married and begin to have families, the security, safety, and proximity to family are strong motivators to come back to their hometowns. Staying in touch over the years through community newsletters and recruiting beginning at ten-year class reunions can begin the process.

Quality of life and environment are also tickets to attracting innovators. Right-brained innovators enjoy cultural variety and proximity to nature. Innovative thoughts often appear when we are engaged in doing something else, especially when we are close to nature or in a “creative” space. What make a place creative? A quiet walk along the beach or river can allow our brains to slip into the “gap” where these ideas lurk. Seeing other innovators – artists, musicians, writers – at work can spark our own creative ideas.

What else do smart companies need to succeed and prosper? A strong infrastructure of communication, travel and available capital are important assets. But your real task is to create your own center of excellence based upon an inventory of what your area produces, what it offers, and the smarts required to help it succeed.

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Rethinking Your Marketing Strategy

Monday, October 30th, 2006

by Dennis Burnside

Before I joined Whittaker Associates, I spent over 25 years in the commercial real estate industry. During that time I was lucky enough to represent some of the most sophisticated and successful real estate investors and developers in the country. Many are household names in the industry, while some are a bit more obscure.

Whether the real estate company I represented was large or small, national or local, with 10 or 100 years in the business, the most successful of the industry had one fundamental and common approach: a well thought-out marketing strategy and a strong commitment to executing the plan over a period of time.

Since joining Whittaker Associates, I have met many economic development professionals and notice the same element in the most successful groups: like those ultra-astute real estate developers, successful communities and economic development organizations approach the business of retention and attraction with the same strategic and committed philosophy. They are careful to establish and maintain a creative, clear, and consistent message that creates easy-to-remember branding.

Here at Whittaker Associates we are in the process of updating and rethinking our approach to marketing ourselves. I thought it might be instructive to share our outline for change with our readers. An effective marketing strategy contains many of the same elements, whether you are in economic development, real estate, or business intelligence consulting.

We’re thinking hard about our

1. Vision - the fundamental message we want to articulate

2. Brand – how we want the audience to describe us

3. Situation Analysis – our current conditions, our market analysis, historical factors, our competitive analysis, and our microenvironment

4. Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities – both internal and external

5. Marketing Strategy – who is our target (to attract and retain), what are our tactics, what do we need in the way of market research

6. Action Items – what are our milestones, team structure, and team roles

7. Budget – what does a ROI analysis reveal

8. Communication – what is our reporting structure, how do we review performance

9. Contingency Planning – how do we plan for the unexpected

If any of these points seem worth addressing in your marketing strategy, feel free to adapt them. Taking the time to establish or reinvent your strategy is a strategic decision in itself, and is bound to strengthen your approach to whatever business you pursue. If Whittaker Associates can provide help in this area, contact us – we want you to have a marketing strategy that will focus your organization and help you succeed.

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Consolation in Change

Monday, October 30th, 2006

by Rebecca Rooy

Monday morning, coffee in hand, I instinctively reach for my student schedule planner. The familiar texture of paper, comforting straight lines, and dependable pencil markings vitally assist in dictating my day. Today, however, my planner is absent. Instead, I must grapple with the looming realization that I am now a graduate, and my penciled security is in transition to the reality of Blackberrys.

Transition is tough. Transition, however, can also be exciting, revolutionary, and, most importantly, beneficial. Here at Whittaker Associates, I am discovering I have joined a team of veterans in the field of change. While transition can be unpredictable, Whittaker Associates revels in the patterns of corporate change. Change is contingent to our expertise, our market. Thus, our company finds familiar order in the midst of transitory unfamiliarity. We work with companies experiencing growth and transformation in an environment of disintegrating student planners. Whittaker Associates is available to help erase the pencil smudges. In hindsight, I could not have picked a better place to work while going through my own transitory time.

Monday evening, tea in hand, I find myself in a state of relaxation, able to sufficiently reflect on my day. My student planner for the evening is blank, and I am feeling progressively content. The initial ease of transition has passed, leaving me to wonder, where does the student planner end and the Blackberry begin?

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300 Million: Good or Bad?

Monday, October 30th, 2006

by Jami Miedema

Recently, the U.S. population finally reached 300 million. While some might consider this a strain on our resources, others believe this growth is beneficial to our economy.

Many countries overseas are struggling to find population-control strategies that are advantageous in the short-term, but do not pose long-term threats. The truth is, this may be next to impossible. Countries with low birth rates or that use the one-child policy, such as China , may benefit for a short period of time, but they will face an aging population, and in turn, higher health-care and retirement costs. Even America is not immune to this issue, as senior citizens are expected to account for 21% of the population by the year 2050, compared to 12% currently (Etter, 2006).

Despite the grim outlook held by some, optimism about our growing population exists. Instead of looking at people as a stress to our country’s wealth, they are seen as an asset to our economy. More people bring about more ideas, greater productivity, and further economic growth. As long as we have the ability to innovate and make new advances, we will surely have the means to prosper with an ever-expanding population.

Etter, L (2006, October 21). “The United States : 300 Million and Growing.”" The Wall Street Journal p. A7.

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Closing the Performance Gap

Monday, October 30th, 2006

by Joel Burgess

Basketball took up a major part of a previous chapter of my life. I learned a lot from the game, especially about people, and my observations have served me well in the business world.

In particular I was intrigued by combinations of desire and skill in the players I met and how those combinations played out on the court. I like to categorize the players I met into four groups:

High Desire/High Skill : A great combination to have, but let’s face it-not many players get to be the best of the best.

Low Desire /High Skill : This is what I call the upside-down player. They underachieve no matter how great they are.

High Desire/Low Skill : I love these guys. These are the guys who are close to my heart because they truly understand the components of success and self improvement.

Low Desire/Low Skill : Many times these fellas have conditioned themselves to get kicked off the team in a hurry, usually in dramatic fashion.

After my collegiate career, I made an attempt to turn pro in an Australian League. I’ll spare the dirty details, but I never made it Down-Under.

I have no regrets about my motivation and the efforts I put forth throughout my 24-year career. Basketball had always been a love affair for me; however, my performance could never quite match my desire. I had what you might call a skills shortage-I was undersized, too slow, with an average vertical, marginal outside shooting, yada, yada.

So what’s the connection to business?

Whether you’re on a basketball court or in an office, performance matters! Make no bones about it, a positive attitude and motivation may get you a long way, but it alone rarely, if ever, will get you “where you want to be”–you also need a proportional level of skill to the task and the competition at hand.

In a world of driven individuals, what distinguishes you from the competition is performance (track record), skills (tangible assets), and continued potential (the ability to successfully master more skills).

So what’s my point?

If your organization is lucky enough to land the high-desire/high-skill individual, great–but be sure to look for the individual with an eagerness to learn, a willingness to play team ball, and the capacity to continually improve achievements.

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