Clarity for the Sake of Rhetoric
What does the phrase “let me be clear” suggest when it becomes a knee-jerk gesture instead of a rhetorical flourish?
Something Happens to Writers
Many business writers become bitter and crabby. They cross the line from audience advocacy into indignant ignorance. They grouse, kvetch, and scold. But there’s a way out.
How Many Marbles?
Last year, I asked myself how much longer I think I want to work before “retiring.” I did the math and decided it would be 800 weeks. It’s a lot of time, but not much time at all.
Striking a Balance
I try to make rational decisions around 90% of the time. There’s always room for a bit of emotion and impulse. So I give myself a bit of leeway when they pop up. But I try to make kind decisions 100% of the time. There’s never room for cruelty or brutality.
Fostering a Culture of Compassionate Intelligence
Cruel and stupid are everywhere. That’s a big part of why I created my business—to create a safe little island of kind and smart for myself, my team, and my clients. And I don’t (only) mean the usual cast of bullies and bigots. What’s more insidious are the cruel and stupid forces that creep into […]
From Order-Takers to Strategic Partners
Marketers in complex industries like institutional finance have many inner demons to wrestle. Here’s what I mean. The conventional expectation is that marketers need to straddle the line between the client and the industry. They aspire to bring relevant trends, client insights, and industry knowledge to the table. But the reality is more nuanced than […]
Why Your ‘Why’ Matters
Founders, innovators, product managers: When you’re building something new, it’s easy to start ignoring the why. It’s even more likely that you forget to be vocal about why. Then you finally have something ready for investors or the market—but you feel like you’re starting at zero again. Your idea of what is new and better […]
Crafting Thought Leadership that Engages Real Lives
Good thought leadership creates powerful engagement because it acknowledges people’s lived experience with trends and challenges. It makes sense within their life-world. For example, imagine you are developing an innovative tool or approach for a complex investment instrument. You need to understand the whole ecosystem of stakeholders, not just the features and benefits of your […]
A Call for Compassion in Marketing
Marketing drifts so quickly into cruel and dehumanizing language. Pain points. Targets. Just try to explain how words like that reflect compassion or a belief in human dignity. For example, no, B2B buyers are not usually in pain. It’s a bit odd to fetishize or hope for pain. Even worse, your offering is not a […]
The Power of Interaction Without Expectation
A more accurate title for Charles Duhigg’s Supercommunicators would be “How to Use Friends and Get Things From People.” Some of the insights are interesting enough, until you realize they are a guide to straight-up sociopathic behavior. Even if you make it up with the lipstick of “connection,” using vulnerability to obtain an outcome is […]