Message of the Day - Three Kinds of Shortbread Cookies

Good Morning,

 

This past weekend the Scottish Society of Louisville held an event at a local library and shared information about Scotland, its history, culture and famous Scotsman. As part of presentation we had shortbread cookies laying out for the guests who attended the event.

 

One plate was Walker’s Shortbread, the type you find at your local grocery store for about $3 a box. The second was shortbread cookies from the dollar store and the last was a plate of homemade shortbread (baked by an actual Scotswoman).

 

I watched as the guests hit the table of cookies and wondered which they would devour first. Within a minute, the Walkers were all gone, leaving a half a plate of the dollar store and homemade cookies. After five minutes the homemade cookies were gone and as we cleaned up, we left about a quarter plate of the dollar store cookies with the library.

 

What can we learn from this?

 

The folks went to the best looking, most professionally made product first, the Walker cookies (having the boxes they came from probably did not hurt either). The Walker cookies all looked so detailed and high quality. For the same reason, people started hitting up the dollar store cookies as they were all uniform in color and shape. With the homemade cookies, the shapes were close to the same, but had different shades of color depending on how much powdered sugar was on top. Basically it was an unknown product.

 

Even though the homemade cookies tasted the best by far than even the Walker cookies (they were baked that morning by a true master (yes I’m Jonesing for some more for me!), people went for the looks of the product over the quality. It was only after people started talking about the homemade cookies did they start to go like wildfire. As the unknown became a known quantity, the desire for it skyrocketed. At one point as I was packing up I notice half a plate of the homemade cookies and that’s when the talk started, and few moments later, it was empty.

 

Looks can be deceiving. It is kind of like going to that Mom and Pop restaurant in the middle of nowhere opposed to a McDonalds or a Crackerbarrel or other chain store. You don’t have the familiarity of a McDonald’s menu, but the food is almost always better.

 

Don’t let packaging and fancy delivery fool you. The best is not always what appears to be the best. It pays to ask questions and check around a bit.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

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Message of the Day - Economy of Communication

Good Morning,

Continuing in my current read, “What Would Lincoln Do?,” there is a section on quality communication. The author, David Acord, shares with us what communication was like in the 19^th Century, where letter writing was the primary method of communicating over long distances. Paper and ink were scarce in some places and you had to refill your pen in an inkwell often. In effect, there was a limited number of letters which could be written, and then you had to find a place to send the mail through, which could be miles away from you.

Acord then asks us if we could only write five letters or emails each day, what would we write?

Think about this. If we were limited to sending just five messages each day (this includes Tweets, Texts, emails, IMs, Faxes, Chats, letters, blogs, phone calls, etc.), what would we send, and who would we communicate to.

This would be a difficult task simply because most of us do not realize how many different times during a day that we send some form of long distance communication. I know I can send anywhere from 100 to 150 emails a day from work and home. IM’s are comparable, and phone calls over the cell, home and work phone number a dozen a day easily.

This means I would have to go from about 300 messages a day to 5.

With just 5 messages to send per day, I would have to think about a few things before I event send the first message. Note, that I would have to think about sending the message (something that has all but been lost in today’s world where long distance communication is a habit).

I would make a list of who I needed to communicate with, and then what I wanted to share with them. Since I would not have immediate interaction with these people, my messages would have to be thought out beyond simple ‘hi’s and hello’s’. I would most likely include a lot of information, but try not to be wordy as I would not want the communication to be too long.

In effect, these 5 communications would be planned out in advance with care, knowing who the audience was and what I wanted to say. The information in the communication would be more focused on the subject at hand and less likely to ramble.

The net result is better communication.

A funny thing about this exercise is that this is something that we can do right now, without being forced to cut down our communications. If we plan out what we want to say, to whom, and with what effect, we can have more productive and informinative emails, letters, etc.

I find that interesting.

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

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Message of the Day - Learning ways around obstacles

Good Morning,

 

My current read is “What Would Lincoln Do?: Lincoln’s Most Inspired Solutions to Challenging Problems and Difficult Situations” by David Acord (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1402217900/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=153108912&ref=pd_sl_83ws1vrsof_e). It is a book which lists real life situations and uses letters Abraham Lincoln wrote during this life to show how he handled these situations.

 

In a section on giving encouragement, Lincoln wrote a letter to a son of a family friend who was upset at being turned down for admission to Harvard University. Lincoln, President of the United States at this time, wrote the boy and told him that if he kept at it, he could accomplish anything. Lincoln then encouraged him to contact the Dean of Admissions and find out what he could do to make himself a better candidate for Harvard.

 

It sounds so simple, when we fail, if we ask another to help us understand what we did not do right, what we need more of, what we need less of, we may just find out what has limited our success. Yet, we often pass on these opportunities to learn and improve ourselves.

 

If after a job interview, we do not get the job, maybe reach out to the recruiter or company and ask if you can get some feedback on why you were not chosen as a candidate and what they suggest you do to make yourself a better candidate in the future.

 

This can work in almost any area of our lives. We just have to get past the initial fears of confronting others and having others tell us about our failings and weaknesses.

 

It we can suck it up and ask, we may find the right solution to move our lives forward in areas we seem to be stuck in now.

 

When you fail, ask or look around and find out why. Ask questions and be willing to take the feedback, even if it cuts to the bone.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß-Cick here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

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Message of the Day - Enduring Accomplishments

Good Morning,

 

This evening after dinner, I went to pick up the mail and found a package from the National Eagle Scout Association with my membership materials. As I opened the package and looked within, I saw the shiny membership card and bright certificate. Upon both of them I saw the year that I earned my Eagle right on top, 1985.

 

As I looked over the material with a tear in my eye, I remembered back nearly 30 years of the decisions that I made in my life as a teenager. Of my meteoric rise in rank in the Boy Scouts up to the second to last rank and the three or so years I languished until I got my butt in gear to finish the requirements for my Eagle.

 

I made many decisions about my life during those three years which did not amount to much in the big picture in my life. I honestly do not remember much of any of them. I watched TV, I played roleplaying games, I hung out with friends. Looking back at that time there are few activities I remember and fewer that I look back upon with the enduring feeling of accomplishment. I do remember, though, getting my Eagle and the words of advice I gained at my Eagle banquet. I was told ‘Once and Eagle, always an Eagle’.

 

The saying has stuck with me, but has gained new meaning over the last few hours. Sure, once I got my accomplishment, it would be one that I would have for life, but there is more to it than that.

 

What I accomplish NOW may have little to no impact to my future, or it may be something that in 25-30 years that I look back upon with proud teary-eyes. For example, finishing my Bachelors and MBA degrees versus finishing Balder’s Gate or Final Fantasy X on Playstation II.

 

So, how does this affect me you may ask?

 

If you are sitting in front of the computer at night and playing games or watching the same episode of Family Guy for the 50^th time, will these action be something you will look back fondly upon after 10 or more years?

 

If you are a few college credits away from getting a degree, do you see yourself lamenting 20 years from now about how you could have finished college back in the gold old days?

 

What we do now has a definite impact on our lives in the future. While we may not need to spend every waking moment focusing on these great accomplishments, we need to be thinking about them and doing them at a minimum.

 

Ask yourself, what can you do now, what can you finish now, that you will be proud to reflect on in 20 – 30 years?

 

Now, go do it!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

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Message of the Day - Do You know the RIGHT question?

Good Morning,

I remember the time I brought my Mom to Best Buy for her to purchase a new
laptop. We entered the store and I brought her to the laptop section and
there they stood some thirty or so different models to choose from. Mom
scanned each one and walked around the show room until she honed in on a
particular model which she felt would be good for her.

At that time a young, 19 something, associate came up to Mom and I. He may
have thought our question may be something like 'I like this laptop, what
can it do?' As such he said 'So you like this model, well it has." And he
launched into a laundry list of features which this model had. He did not
notice the vacant stare coming from Mom.

About fifteen seconds into the features list, I put up my hand and said "You
don't understand. She likes the keyboard".

The associate stopped dead in his tracks with this seemingly inane comment.
He thought real hard of what to say next, you could see it in his face, and
meanwhile my Mom looked on waiting as well as she did not want to upset the
young man. He may have thought that our question was what features the
laptop had, and that was not our question. He may then have thought our
question was what new enhancements this laptop had.

After a few moments of thinking, the associate started listed another list
of features the laptop had.

I raised my hand again to stop him and repeated what I said the first time.
"She likes the keyboard, nothing else matters".

Looking defeated or just confused, the associate started to look away when I
told him that Mom will buy this one. His momentary confusion ended as he
realized he had done his job, although he probably had no idea how he had.

Had he started off with the right question, "What do you like about his
model" Mom would have told him that the keyboard was just the right size for
her hands and the keys were big enough for her see and that was all she was
really looking for in a laptop. She used the computer for online scrabble,
email and youtube. Pretty much any model would accommodate those uses.

The associate, like many of us, assumed a different question. He assumed
that we wanted to hear about the laptop and all of its features, without
finding out if that was the case. He did not realize that I am a Help Desk
veteran because he did not ask the right question.

Asking the right question can cut to the chase on most situations and save
us all time and in the case of the Best Buy laptop, some awkward moments and
embarrassment.

So how do we know we are not asking the right question?

Usually it will be just after seeing the eyes of who we are speaking with
glaze over, or sudden long pauses in conversation.

When you realize that there is silence, that is a good time to ask a new
question to help us focus in better on what we really need to do and why.

After we bought the laptop, I had to explain to Mom what all of the features
the nice young man spoke about. She wanted to me remove the webcam, so no
one could look at her when she was using the laptop. I told her it was built
in and she almost had me return the computer. I then told her we can simply
not turn the camera on, and that would do the same thing. After that we were
golden!

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
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Message of the Day - Passing the Torch

Good Morning,

I have become a huge fan of new social networking sites, like Linked In and Facebook. These are the two that I use most often. On these sites I have been able to get connected with hundreds of people I have not seen in months, years and even decades.

This past week I was reconnected with a Scoutmaster who I had the pleasure of going to summer camp with several times when I was a teenager. When I added him as a friend I wondered if he would remember me. He did, and we shared some information of what has been going on in our lives over the last three decades. He is retired now, yet still helps with Scouting. I thanked him for taking the time to lead our troop at summer camp all those years ago.

His message holds so much meaning to me that I just had to share it with you:

"You asked more questions than all the others combined. You weren't satisfied with knowing how to use a compass. You wanted to know why it worked a certain way. You had a very inquisitive mind. Often you weren't happy when I didn't have the answer. I guess you were and maybe still are, a TECHNOCRAT. As a management person and someone who has become more involved with mentoring, it is your turn to have all the answers. When you are with the kids, challenge their inquisitive minds as you did with me...

Thank you for your kind words. I always tried to make summer camp a great learning experience not in just the merit badges and rank achievement but in life skills. I tried to teach responsibility and self-reliance and in the middle of all of it, it had to be fun for you as well as me....or it wouldn't have been worth it. Judging from your success, you got the message and are successful in what you do. Now it is your turn to do the same for the generation that follows you. I've done my job."

I have been handed the torch by my Scoutmaster, a person who took interest in helping me learn and grow. Now I look to fulfilling my duty to help the next generations to come.

Can you think back to people who helped you during your earlier years? People who helped you become who you are? People who cared enough to invest time and energy in you?

You are most likely better off because of these people, with the gifts of knowledge and time they gave you. Now's the time to take the torch and pay those kind deeds forward.

Find people you can help. Find organizations which help kids, if you are in Louisville, there is The Stewards Staff and others. Around the country there are groups like Team Focus and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. And like my experience there is the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America.

In the decades to come, there will be those who we invested time an energy into who will be looking back to us, and we can pass them the torch along to them.

It is a beautiful thing.

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

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http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

Message of the Day - Did Budget Cuts Kill Your Training Plans? Here is another solution

Good Morning,

 

If your company was/is impacted by the rough economy have been experiences for this last year (which I am reading has started to improve), then your training budgets have probably been one of the casualties of the recession.

 

How can a company provide training to its staff when there are little to no training dollars in the budget? Flying out to training sessions in other cities cost travel, hotel and training costs. Local training sessions are less expensive, but they do not always have the subject matter you need for your team. Doing nothing, well that will just stifle the grow of your team, and you need them to do more with less.

 

Is there another way to having training for our teams without the high costs associated with them?

 

Yes, there are several. The first is to join professional networking groups and share the cost of training by bringing in a professional speaker.

 

Another way is to simply read and share a book.

 

Books can cost anywhere from nothing (you already have the book) upwards of $100 or more. Most books are in the $12 - $35 range in most bookstores. Older books will generally be less. You can pick the topic of the training and find the right book or books to help give the core information for the training. I am not suggesting that you simply hand your staff a book and ask them to read it (We all know how that goes).

 

What I am suggesting is to get multiple copies of the same book, on a subject you want your team to learn, and ask each of them to read and then discuss the book at a weekly meeting. You will still need to set ground rules and training goals, but you can have a good series of training sessions using books as a source.

 

For example, if your company is going through a lot of change and your teams are suffering or worse, fighting the change, then give them the assignment to read "Who Moved My Cheese" by Spencer Johnson (http://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Amazing/dp/0399144463) and discuss it over the course of three weeks. Use the discussion points and questions in the current meetings as a focus for the following meeting. The interaction between the team, based on the book, and facilitated by you will have some amazing effects as team members share ideas and learn from each other.

 

Then follow up with "Our Iceberg is Melting" by John P. Kotter  and Holger Rathgeber (http://www.amazon.com/Our-Iceberg-Melting-Succeeding-Conditions/dp/031236198X).  Where your team members discuss the nature of change and how to not only understand it, but support it and even plan it. You can even make crafting a plan using the lessons learned in the book as part of your training.

 

Using a book as a foundation for the training you get the same core information you would get in many training sessions, and you also get the team interaction, which is actually much more important.

 

The best part is that the training would be at the cost of several books and some meeting time. You can also set up your training multiple times a year with minimal hits to your budget.

 

While full interactive training with a professional presenter is invaluable, having to tighten the budget does not preclude having training of some sore for your companies.

 

And if the company cannot go for this much, then you can at least continue to read and learn and grow daily.

 

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net  

http://learnandgrowdaily.com <-- Click here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336