(2572,2,'2012-08-19 21:23:20','2012-08-19 21:23:20','This morning - October 1, 2009, a reminder popped up on my calendar.  Today was the day my brother Rick retired officially from General Motors after 30 years.  He started in the Newark, Delaware plant at the age of 18, the day after his birthday.  Over the past three decades, he saw many changes, slow downs, strikes, and lay offs; but, he also saw innovations in manufacturing and new automotive technologies evolve. \n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/richard-j-koerber.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/richard-j-koerber_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Richard-J.-Koerber\" width=\"165\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a>He started at GM in a time when working as a GM employee was a safe bet for the future and retires in a time when many have to wonder what comes next.  But, through it all, he was a hard working and dedicated employee, who delivered value, and through his working years at GM, bought a home, raised a family, and now in his \'retirement\' years plans to focus his energies on building another business - his own. \n\nI\'m proud of him.  He\'s a great example of what it means to grow up in a <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/06/a-family-affair---a-personal-gm-perspective.html\">GM Family.</a>  And I know that his own business will prosper because he brings to it a dedication to customer service and quality  that will make his customers keep coming back and even more important - tell their friends about him.\n\nAlso today, I saw an article pop up from AdAge with another footnote to the GM Story.  This one too was another goodbye - <a href=\"http://adage.com/article?article_id=139370\">After Talks to Sell Fall Through, GM Says Goodbye to Saturn</a>.  The story chronicles Saturn\'s story through it\'s ads.  It\'s dedication to innovation and service, the commitment it had to its customers and in many ways the feeling of engagement it\'s employees, dealers and customers had in turn with Saturn.     Now with the Penske deal falling through, soon Saturn will be no more.\n\nSaturn was once the shining star of General Motors, yet through years of corporate in-fighting and internal politics between the GM car divisions and the resulting challenges created for Sayurn, the fledgling brand could not grow to fulfill its promise.  Now Saturn is becoming \'GM\'s orphaned child\' - with no opportunity for a new homecoming on the horizon. \n\nSaturn employees and dealers put together a valiant fight to save something they believed in - a quality product, a new way of doing business, and commitment to giving the customer what they want through partnerships as shown in this - one of the last Saturn commercials.  Unfortunately, it looks like this time, they could not win the battle.\n<div id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:88b6c988-d005-4453-b4b2-2c7c13dcdb5b\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">\n<div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkikIApaP1s]</div>\n</div>\n<a href=\"http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Saturn_Sky/photos-exterior/\"><img src=\"http://static.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/images/Auto/chrome/301194/301194_280x140.jpg\" alt=\"2009 Saturn Sky\" width=\"208\" height=\"104\" align=\"left\" /></a>In kind of an odd twist -\n\nthe last car my brother ever built at the GM Newark Delaware plant,\n\nwas a Saturn SKY. \n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:2f4f5cc0-5570-4b2d-b8c7-8bac067c9260\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/GM\">GM</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Saturn\">Saturn</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Penske\">Penske</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Change\">Change</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Transition\">Transition</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/GM%20Family\">GM Family</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Economy\">Economy</a></div>','Times They are a Changing - A day of GM Goodbyes','','inherit','open','open','','490-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:23:20','2012-08-19 21:23:20','',490,'http://www.corepurpose.com/490-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2573,2,'2012-08-19 21:45:37','2012-08-19 21:45:37','<a href=\"http://www.whatsoniphone.com/screen_dumps/Magic_Wand.jpg\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://www.whatsoniphone.com/screen_dumps/Magic_Wand.jpg\" alt=\"Poof!  Where did everybody go?\" width=\"207\" height=\"310\" align=\"right\" /></a>Have you ever had a dream where you were surrounded by people and then in an instant you were all alone? As if a wizard waved a magic wand and all of your friends disappeared? \n\nHopefully in the waking world, there are no powerful wizards to wave a magic wand and make your true friends evaporate, but in today\'s wonderful world of technology, it can seem like everything is fine and then... Poof - your Twitter account is gone, or you have lost your email and phone contact list, or worse you have lost EVERYTHING on your computer! \n\nSuddenly you are looking around saying \"Hey - Where did everybody go?!\"\n\nIt would be great if this too only happened in fairy tales; but, I have heard too many real life stories from friends who have it happen to them.\n\nPerhaps the information was on a work computer and they lost their job.  Or, their Twitter account got taken away for a reason only Twitter knows - and good luck getting someone to tell you why any time soon.  And even if they do the damage is already done.  Oh no,  those little green meanies attacked - a computer virus infects your computer and your phone all at the same time and a lifetime worth of contacts disappear in a puff of smoke.  Now this is the stuff that any business person\'s nightmares are made of.\n\nIt can happen to anybody and happen it does - frequently.  Every one of these scenarios happened to friends of mine in the last few weeks.  So it helps to add a little redundancy to your life.  Here are a few tips...\n<h4>For Twitter</h4>\n1.  If you are on Twitter and your Twitter ID is linked to your job, start a personal Twitter account that is not work related and ask you real friends on Twitter to follow you there too.  That way, if you change jobs, you have not lost all your friends across the twitterverse,  You know, the ones you spent all that time developing relationships with.\n\n2.  Use a free service like <a href=\"http://tweetake.com/\">TweetTake</a> to down load a CSV file in Excel once each month.  I do this regularly after my monthly clean up process.  Another free service, <a href=\"http://tweetbackup.com/\">Tweet Back</a> will soon have this process automated so you can do  it every day.  That way if you do have a problem you have list to try and restore your friends list from.\n<h4>For your personal and business contacts</h4>\n1.  Connect with friends on multiple platforms like Facebook, Plaxo and LinkedIn.  That way if your personal computer systems fail or your job goes away, you have not lost all your key contacts. An added plus to these systems is that as your friends move around - you get the updated information too.\n\n2.  GMAIL is a great free back up plan, even if you do not use it as your main email address or client.  Simply export your address book from MS Outlook or other program to a CSV file and upload it to GMAIL.  Now you have a free back up on the Google network of servers.\n<h4>Like it or not - your life is linked to your computer</h4>\n1.  Have multiple computer back ups!  Back up your computer regularly and have more than one back up file so that if one gets corrupted the other one works.  (This is also critically important if you also keep key personal or financial information on your home or laptop computer not to mention all your pictures and other priceless digital keepsakes.)\n\n2.  Remote Back Ups are like Fire and Casualty Insurance - just common sense.  For your home or for your office and especially if your home IS your office, having everything in one location can be a problem.  Fires, floods and break ins can and do happen.  A remote back up system can be a life saver.  There are a number of systems out there, one that is very reasonably priced (&lt;$5/month) is <a href=\"http://mozy.com/home\">Mozy by Decho</a>, for larger systems, like an office, I have had also had great results with <a href=\"http://datapreserve.com/\">Data Preserve</a>.  There are lots of services out there, but which ever one you ultimately choose, having a remote backup is not something to WISH you had the day AFTER you have a problem.\n\n<strong>Yes, your digital life can change like that - Poof!  It never hurts to be prepared with a little magic of your own.</strong>\n\n<strong>Thanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...</strong>\n\n<strong>Joan Koerber-Walker</strong>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:ce71fb09-d9ee-4c09-aac0-c20535d20ff9\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter\">Twitter</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/GMAIL\">GMAIL</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/computer%20back%20ups\">computer back ups</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/remote%20computer%20back%20ups\">remote computer back ups</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter%20back%20ups\">Twitter back ups</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\">business tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/home%20business%20tips\">home business tips</a></div>','What would you do if your friends all disappeared?','','inherit','open','open','','1483-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:45:37','2012-08-19 21:45:37','',1483,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1483-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2574,2,'2012-08-19 21:46:01','2012-08-19 21:46:01','When you are talking about economic impact, small business is a BIG deal.  For two years I had the opportunity to serve as the CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association and and on the Board of Trustees of the National Small Business Association.  During that time.  I sat and talked with many small business owners, toured their offices and factories, listened to their stories,  and then traveled to the Arizona Capitol and to Washington D.C. to share those stories with Senators and Representatives. \n\nRetreats at the <a href=\"http://www.lowe.org\">Edward Lowe Foundation</a> in Cassopolis, Michigan and visits to the <a href=\"http://www.kauffman.org/\">Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation</a> in Kansas City where times to exchange ideas with economic developers from around the country on how to make a difference in our local communities as well as at the national level.\n\nWhat I learned, I shared in the pages of BizAZ Magazine, on our blog, and with ANY audience that would listen.  To paraphrase Bob Dylan, the times, they were a changing.  Here are some clips from one of those talks from October of 2007...\n<div id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:fb85e10f-b0e6-496e-a501-c6c4986b4e03\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;float:none;margin:0;padding:0;\">\n<div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-LrYUrF71g]</div>\nJoan Koerber-Walker on Small Busness and Economic Recovery\n\n</div>\n<h4>Let\'s look at the facts from the most recent</h4>\n<h4>SBA Office of Advocacy Report</h4>\n<blockquote>In the United States, small firms with less that 500 employees:\n<ul>\n	<li>Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.</li>\n	<li>Employ just over half of all private sector employees.</li>\n	<li>Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll.</li>\n	<li>Have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years. </li>\n	<li>Create more than half of the nonfarm private gross domestic\nproduct (GDP). </li>\n	<li>Hire 40 percent of high tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, and computer programmers). </li>\n	<li>Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises. </li>\n	<li>Made up 97.3 percent of all identified exporters and produced  30.2 percent of the known export value in FY 2007.</li>\n	<li>Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms; these patents are twice as likely as large firm patents to be among the one percent most cited.</li>\n</ul>\nSource: <a href=\"http://www.sba.gov/advo/aug-sep09.pdf\">SBA office of Advocacy</a>,  U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census and International Trade Admin.; <a href=\"http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs299tot.pdf\">Advocacy-funded research by Kathryn Kobe, 2007</a>  and <a href=\"http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs225tot.pdf\">CHI Research, 2003</a> ; U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.</blockquote>\n<h4>Where will recovery REALLY come from?</h4>\nToday, economists and business experts are saying that \"the recession is over and we are beginning our gradual climb out.\"  Assuming that Wall Street and the financial markets don\'t implode again, they are probably right.  But if we want to speed up the recovery process, we need  to shift our thinking and economic support more to what can we do DIRECTLY to give small businesses the resources that they need to grow.  That is where the real net job growth will come from.  Until  we get our unemployment problem solved, we don\'t get our consumer confidence problem resolved.  If no one is buying - there is no recovery.   It\'s that simple.\n\nWe need jobs to get the economy growing again and that means we need to supply the resources SMALL Businesses need to create jobs.  Current programs to provide training and loans for \'bankable\' businesses are being provided at a variety of levels.  But the sad truth is that many high growth potential small businesses are not not bankable by today\'s standards.  The economic conditions of the last year have hit their balance sheets too hard. \n\nThe graph below shows where job growth actually came from in the period from 2005 to 2007.  Stage One firms are those with less than 10 employees.  Stage Two is 10- 99 employees, Stage Three is 100 - 499, and Stage Four is BIG Business 500+ employees.  What you are looking at is a national snapshot, but you can look at your state, country or MSA also at <a href=\"http://www.youreconomy.org/\">YourEconomy.org.</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image411.png\"><img style=\"border-bottom:0;border-left:0;border-top:0;border-right:0;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb411.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"image\" width=\"422\" height=\"244\" /></a>\n<h4>It\'s time for something new</h4>\nIf we want to jump start the economy and get on the road to real recovery, maybe its time for a new type of economic stimulus.  Instead of investing in programs to train small business on how to grow - lets create new programs to allow them the access to capital they need to actually do it.  The old ways are not working very well - and in the words of the last election - IT\'S TIME FOR CHANGE. \n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned...\n\nJoan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b06650e0-ecea-4194-b3f1-9d8e280b2cbe\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Economy\">Economy</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Recovery\">Recovery</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Economic%20Stimulus\">Economic Stimulus</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Small%20Business%20Lending\">Small Business Lending</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurs\">Entrepreneurs</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Access%20to%20capital\">Access to capital</a></div>','Small Business...BIG Impact','','inherit','open','open','','482-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:46:01','2012-08-19 21:46:01','',482,'http://www.corepurpose.com/482-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2575,2,'2012-08-19 21:46:32','2012-08-19 21:46:32','<a href=\"http://www.kidiamondback.com/public/latest/gallery/index.cfm?gallery_directory=renderings\"><img style=\"margin:0 5px 5px;\" src=\"http://www.kidiamondback.com/_upload/photo_gallery/renderings/render_Horizon_1.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Diamondback Roller Coaster, Kings Island, Mason Ohio\" width=\"294\" height=\"221\" align=\"right\" /></a>Have you ever wondered about our fascination with roller coasters ? People from all over the world have been flocking to ride these engineering  marvels since as far back as the 17th century, although the earliest \'thrill\' ride did not have rollers or wheels at all but rather flew on tracks of ice. \n\nRoller coasters, as we know them today, have come a long way from the \'ice mountains\' in the time of the Russian Czars, but some things still hold true.  They fascinate us, they can make us nauseous, and often have us screaming as we fly up to the peak and rush headlong down into the valley.  Step right up to the roller coaster.  It is guaranteed to provide a rush of adrenaline and a wild ride. (<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_coaster\">History of the Roller Coaster - Wikipedia</a>)\n\nAs I sat working on business plans and reviewing financing packages today, I suddenly struck me how much in common the roller coaster and the entrepreneurial journey really do have in common.\n\nThink about it, entrepreneurs fascinate us, we watch successful ones like they are rock stars, and look away with a gulp at the poor guy who is losing his lunch - or his business - as he staggers away.  Any entrepreneur will tell you,  THAT can happen to anybody.\n\nLike roller coasters, most entrepreneurial ventures labor rung by rung up that first great grade to reach that first big win, opportunity, or investor.   And  then reality hits, and there is so much WORK to do, and you are sliding down, before you begin the next great climb.  It\'s a wonder more of us are not throwing up our arms and screaming!  If you stay the entrepreneurial circuit long enough, you are sure to hit its highs and lows. Even the legendary entrepreneurial success stories like Microsoft and Cisco have had their fair share of peaks and valleys along the way.\n\nLike roller coasters, that struggled financially and almost disappeared completely during the Great Depression, entrepreneurs have faced times when economic conditions where almost too much to take.  But then a spark of innovation, or a new idea gets them fired up all over again.\n\nThat\'s the thing about veteran entrepreneurs, just like veteran roller coaster riders, as soon as the ride is over, they often get right back in line to take the journey again. \n\nI wonder if a study has ever been done on what percent of entrepreneurs LIKE to ride roller coasters.   Or, if serial entrepreneurs are especially addicted?  It might make for interesting reading.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned...\n\nJoan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:aaf0c510-3c1f-4144-94e4-b08bcfa7831e\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Roller%20Coaster\">Roller Coaster</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurs\">Entrepreneurs</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurship\">Entrepreneurship</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Success\">Success</a></div>','Riding the Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster','','inherit','open','open','','1482-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:46:32','2012-08-19 21:46:32','',1482,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1482-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2576,2,'2012-08-19 21:23:48','2012-08-19 21:23:48','Is your Twitter account starting to look like the house of that little old man down the road who never weeds his yard and never throws anything out?<img style=\"margin:5px 5px 5px 10px;\" src=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V3vS73stl5s/SaGuo41HrxI/AAAAAAAAAU8/qw3S8kOYISA/s400/oscar+the+grouch.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"257\" align=\"right\" />\n\nIs it full of clutter, empty boxes, things that are broken, or that you never use.\n\nDo you still have people on your Christmas Card List that  sent you a card in 1995 and you have not heard from since?\n\nPerhaps when you read this, you may think I have  taken a page from Oscar the Grouch, but there are times when you need to bite the bullet and Clean Your House.\n\nFor me, the whole point of Twitter is to build a community of people to exchange ideas with, keep in touch with, and engage in conversation.  If you follow <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/my-profiles-on-twitter.html\">one or more of my profiles on Twitter</a> or follow my blogs you know that I believe that solid relationships - business or otherwise start with conversations.\n\nIf you are using Twitter for business, another important factor comes into play.  Understanding who you are talking to and trying to determine if they are even listening.\n\nIt\'s like the newspaper.  They may have a million subscribers - but how many actually read it cover to cover every day.  For all you know your ad or letter to the editor is the happy pad for a new puppy, the bottom of the bird cage, or in a soggy pile at the bottom of the driveway.  If you do not take the time to understand who is actually reading the papers, your time and the money you money spent in putting your message there ends up where the paper eventually does - in the trash.\n\n<strong>So a few months after starting to use Twitter, it was time to clean house.</strong> I set up a system for a clean up day once per month.  Here is what I do.\n\n1.  Run my Twitter account through <a href=\"http://twitchuck.com/\">TwitChuck</a>.  This free service will scan your follower base for known spammers and Chuck Them Out.  You can even WHACK them with a block if you are feeling particularly grouchy. (Pay attention when you do this - TwitChuck uses an algorithm and it is not perfect.  Look at the Avatars to see if you recognize real friends that may have gotten scooped up with the trash.)\n\n2.  Run my Twitter account through <a href=\"http://dossy.org/twitter/karma/\">Twitter Karma</a> (another free service) and look at it with 2 different sorts:\n\nFirst I sort by Only Following to see the people who are not interested in what I have to say.  These are people who I may have followed after a keyword search or who followed me and unfollowed later.  For what ever reason - my message is following on deaf ears.\n\nThen I <em>CHECK ALL</em> using a convenient button, and then un check sources I want to follow anyway like news services or information sources that often do not follow back. Then another magic button - to unfollow - and they are gone.\n\nI then wait a few minutes for the program to do its work and then do a sort again, this time looking at the last time tweeted.  Sorting this way I can see the people who are not there anymore.  Same process - check the boxes of anyone who has not been there for over 30 days and unfollow them.\n\nAfter all - the lights may be on - but nobody\'s home to visit with.\n\nThis is also a good time to do a quick scan of Avatars for folks with no clothes on, the same pic on multiple accounts - a BOT characteristic, or other disreputable folks you may not want to be associated with,\n\n<strong>A FEW CAVEATS:</strong> 1) Twitter Karma works best with FireFox.  2)I have been told not to use this after you get to 8,000 friends as it can hang up. 3) When looking at last time Tweeted - pay attention to tweets that come up as a NEVER tweeted. Some of these are spammers - but others are people who protect your tweets.  Be careful not to WHACK your Great Aunt Sally.   She may cut you out of The Will.\n\n<strong>Your first time can be painful</strong>\n\nThe first time you do a major cleaning, it can be a bit painful.  You just might find that you have quite a bit of clutter to throw away.  When you do, be prepared.   YOUR FOLLOWER COUNT WILL GO DOWN.  Many accounts will automatically unfollow you when you unfollow them.  So if this is important to you, please don\'t call me screaming.\n\nIt also takes a little time at first; but after the first time, it goes much faster.  It only takes me about an hour total  to clean up all five of my accounts.\n\nPlus - with a little daily dusting - BLOCKING spammers that send me DMs or @ replies, the process gets that much faster each month.\n\n<strong>So what\'s the ROI on cleaning house?</strong>\n\nRemember my goal is sharing quality conversations with people.  Here are the benefits I have found...\n<ol>\n	<li>My twitter spam - that daily annoyance - has gone way down in my stream.</li>\n	<li>When I talk to my publisher or marketing team, I can share with them our count of \"ACTIVE Followers\".  They may not be listening all the time, but at least we know they are picking up the paper and MIGHT actually read   the message.</li>\n	<li>My brand is less likely to be tarnished by porn or other garbage when others look at who I am following or who follows me - and PEOPLE do!</li>\n</ol>\nSo if your goal is to engage in conversations that have value on Twitter - and to spend your time (which is money - don\'t ever forget it) sharing your message with people who might actually listen and respond back, then it might be time to Clean Your House.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned...\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;color:#545454;\">Joan Koerber-Walker</span></blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:321819b8-526f-489e-bc86-c24c4dfc1a72\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter\">Twitter</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Followers\">Followers</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Quality%20systems.%20Marketing\">Quality systems. Marketing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Messaging\">Messaging</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Social%20Media\">Social Media</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurs\">Entrepreneurs</a></div>','One Twitter User\'s Guide to House Cleaning','','inherit','open','open','','1481-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:23:48','2012-08-19 21:23:48','',1481,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1481-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2577,2,'2012-08-19 21:24:05','2012-08-19 21:24:05','The greatest message in the world will have no impact <strong>if no one is listening</strong>.  This is not exactly a new concept.  But if you forget it, you can get into BIG trouble.\n\nYou may have heard the famous riddle:<a href=\"http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/preview.aspx?AssetID=MPj0438604&amp;Query=tree&amp;Scope=22&amp;CTT=1&amp;Origin=EC790000121033&amp;QueryID=Bf7G22XYk0&amp;AssetCol=MPj0438604,MPj0438605,MPj0438607,MPj0438612,MPj0438624,MPj0438658,MPj0438676,MPj0438698,MPj0437210,MPj0437212,MPj0437225,MPj0437227\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04386041.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0438604[1]\" width=\"218\" height=\"324\" align=\"right\" /></a>\n\n\"<strong>If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?</strong>\"\n\nWhile often attributed to Irish Philosopher <a href=\"http://www.iep.utm.edu/berkeley/\">George Berkeley</a>, this is more likely a paraphrase of Berkeley\'s writings from his musings in <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Treatise_Concerning_the_Principles_of_Human_Knowledge\">A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge</a></em>, that delved into knowledge and perception.\n\nFrom Berkeley\'s perspective,\n<blockquote>\"To be is to be perceived\" .</blockquote>\nIn the language of the great philosophers if his day, the maxim was \"<em>Esse est percipi</em>\".\n\nIn the language of today\'s business we might say ...\n<blockquote>If you are not perceived to exist, you do not exist.</blockquote>\n<h4>But what does this have to do with business and messaging?</h4>\nActually quite a bit.  Berkeley may have been writing in a time before any of our businesses where even a glimmer, but when you apply his words to the goal of growing a business, they are profound.\n<h4>\"If you have a great MESSAGE and no one is around to hear it - does your message matter?</h4>\nThe answer is Probably Not.  Too often I have seen companies fail.  It was not because they did not have a great product or service - they did.  They failed for the simple reason that the right audience NEVER GOT THE MESSAGE.  Since the message never reached the customer. employee, partner, or investor, the perception of value was not created - and the company did not get what they needed - more sales, more productive employees, better partnerships, or investment dollars.  Eventually, the companies failed to achieve their goals or in some cases disappeared completely.\n<h4>In business, perception IS reality</h4>\nEqually important is how your target audience perceives your message or business.  You may have the best service or widget in the  world, but if aren\'t aware of it and perceive the value to THEM, you are just whistling into the wind.\n<h4>So if Audience and Perception are that important ...</h4>\nHere are some tips for finding an audience and helping to shape perception.\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Know who your audience is.</strong> Unless you have universal product - EVERYONE is not your market.  Define them first!</li>\n	<li><strong>Understand where they hang out.</strong> This is the first rule of both messaging and networking.  If you are singing like a bird in an empty forest.  You will have very little impact.  No one will hear you. Use media - both social and traditional wisely.  Unless you have unlimited funds, look at the demographics of the audience BEFORE you invest your time and money there.</li>\n	<li><strong>Share a message that provides value to the listener.</strong> Do your homework on what your target audience is hoping to learn, to solve, to fix.  Build your message around how your product or service will do just that.</li>\n	<li><strong>Never forget - the perceptions AND words of others will always be more powerful than your own.</strong> You can spend millions and have your reputation destroyed when unhappy customers, employees, or partners raise their voice, just as your fame can be assured when enthusiastic customers, employees, or partners spread the word.</li>\n</ol>\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:247a0ed2-6cde-402c-af99-c50f5f6c4815\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/marketing\">marketing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/messaging\">messaging</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/perception%20and%20reality\">perception and reality</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\">business</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\">business tips</a></div>','The greatest message will have no impact...','','inherit','open','open','','1480-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:24:05','2012-08-19 21:24:05','',1480,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1480-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2578,2,'2012-08-19 21:24:14','2012-08-19 21:24:14','There are few things as powerful in this world as when people come together as a community to make something happen.<a href=\"http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/preview.aspx?AssetID=MPj0438369&amp;Query=communities&amp;Scope=20&amp;CTT=1&amp;Origin=EC790000121033&amp;QueryID=m57GZDKHY0&amp;AssetCol=MPj0437254,MPj0437323,MPj0437332,MPj0437364,MPj0437386,MPj0438451,MPj0438452,MPj0438453,MPj0438475,MPj0438331,MPj0438369,MPj0439304\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04383691.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"People\'s mandala - 12 hands\" width=\"244\" height=\"164\" align=\"right\" /></a>\n\nIn it\'s simplest form, a community is defined as a unified body of individuals.  In it\'s most powerful, it is a force that can accomplish  almost any goal.\n\nIn the world of business, our professional communities are where we go to exchange ideas, to study, to learn, and  to bond together to address major issues.\n\nOur customer communities can give us insight into how our products work,or how they should.  If we take the time to listen, user communities can light the way along the path to innovation.\n\nWithout community there can be no innovation.  It is our community that accepts our invention, validates it, accepts it and adopts it.  Then and only then is innovation truly real.\n\nBut the power of community is not limited to business - it is around us in every corner of our lives.  Community can be family. For many it is the congregation of those who share beliefs and faith in something greater than themselves.\n\nAnd today, in our evolving technology world, we are seeing new communities emerge across social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, connecting people - many who have never met or may never meet in real life -but yet hold common interests, form bonds, and support each other in a myriad of ways.\n\nSometimes community relationships last a life time, and in others they form and disband quickly after the need or project has has passed.  But while the community exists, it can be a powerful force and a source of inspiration.\n\nFor me, great examples of the power of what communities can do are all around.  Here are just a few:\n<h5>The Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation</h5>\n<a href=\"http://www.otef.org\">OTEF</a> started when Francine Hardaway set out on a mission to help at risk populations find self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship.  She reached out to her community of friends and to the greater community of entrepreneurs for help.  Projects like this need funding - so in the true spirit of entrepreneurs - they created a product and took it to the marketplace.  In this case that product was the <a href=\"http://azentrepreneurship.com\">Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference</a>s.  Each year entrepreneurs gather to hear ideas from others on what it takes to build a community, to launch businesses, and to realize goals.  ALL of the speakers donate  their time and talents, and ALL of the conference proceeds go to support OTEF\'s mission.  Now going into it\'s fourth year, entrepreneurial leaders like <a href=\"http://michaelegerber.com/thedreamingroom/index.php\">Michael Gerber</a>, <a href=\"http://www.patsullivan.com/\">Pat Sullivan</a>, <a href=\"http://garyvaynerchuk.com/\">Gary Vaynerchuck</a>, <a href=\"http://scobleizer.com/about/\">Robert Scoble</a>, and <a href=\"http://ma.tt/about/\">Matt Mullenwig</a> have shared the stage with over 100 local CEOS, all sharing ideas while supporting OTEF in making a difference.\n<h5>#BeOriginal</h5>\nSome late night musings, evolved into a blog post on how to be original.  With an  idea that it would be fun to share original ideas with friends in a place where we could all find them,  I blogged it as <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/06/why-beoriginal.html\">Why #BeOriginal</a> to let my friends know.  Over time a community formed across the broader Twitter community made up of people who love to share their own ideas with others.  Just look at <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/highlights-from-beoriginal.html\">all the insights</a> that have been shared to date and with more and more coming every day.  Another friend helped set up a <a href=\"http://twubs.com/beoriginal\">TWUB</a> so we could make the sharing even easier.\n<h5>Communities lend a hand</h5>\nNot long ago, a friend  experienced one of the deepest of tragedies - the loss of his son at a time when on top of the emotional burden, the financial one was more that he could handle.   Members of his community came together - not just to offer friendship -  but to offer dollars to help with the funeral expenses.  The call went out across Twitter and Facebook, <a href=\"http://www.stevengroves.com/2009/05/28/remembering-steven-groves-ii/\">and the community responded</a>.\n\nBut it is not just in times of sorrow.  Communities can gather to celebrate wonderful events, the birth of a child, an anniversary, or a wedding.\n<h5>It was a converging of communities that inspired this blog post.</h5>\nI read a story, written by a young Mom, that I had come to know through our exchanges on <a href=\"http://www.bloggersbase.com\">BloggersBase</a>.  Her name is Kathryn and she writes as Kaytii or RMS Snowdrop.  On   9/11 she shared a story - <a href=\"http://rmssnowdrop.blogspot.com/2009/09/open-your-hearts-to-stranger.html\">Open Your Hearts to a Stranger.</a> In it she told the story of a young couple who were planning to get married.    They had two other special people in their lives - their best man and maid of honor.  The couple wanted to share their joy and special day with these two important people.\n\nThen came the news that the best man would be deploying to Afghanistan.  To have him at the wedding, they would have to move up the date by almost a year!  Financially, they were not ready.  Good friends decided to help.  Through online communities, people have come together to offer little things, small donations of money, a topper for the wedding cake, help with flowers, and simple things to help make the young couple\'s dream come true.  The wonder of it is that many of these people have never met each other, and maybe never will.\n\nBut together they are a community - people bonding together at a place in time - to make a  difference.\n\nI think I like that definition of community best of all.\n\nThanks for stopping by. Stay tuned...\n<blockquote><em>Joan Koerber-Walker</em></blockquote>\nAuthor\'s Note:  After reading\'s <a href=\"http://rmssnowdrop.blogspot.com/2009/09/open-your-hearts-to-stranger.html\">Kaytii\'s story about Shauna and Derrick</a>, I sent her a tweet with my phone number and suggested we talk.  We got together on the phone and shared ideas on how we could help make a dream come true.  One of the ideas was to share her message with my community - adding it to hers.  And that is what I just did.\n\nOh, and I also DID make a contribution to the wedding fund.  If you would like to share in a little piece of the community that is trying to grant a very simple wish - <a href=\"https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=8004832\">here is the link</a>.\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:f3c554c3-90ae-428b-90ad-5b78fa5396b3\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\">leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/innovation\">innovation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/communities\">communities</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/building%20communities\">building communities</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/social%20media\">social media</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/OTEF\">OTEF</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/twitter\">twitter</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/facebook\">facebook</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/#BeOrigiinal\">#BeOrigiinal</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/quotes\">quotes</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/inspiration\">inspiration</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/weddings\">weddings</a></div>','The Power of Building a Community','','inherit','open','open','','1479-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:24:14','2012-08-19 21:24:14','',1479,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1479-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2579,2,'2012-08-19 21:24:27','2012-08-19 21:24:27','Sometimes the best innovation can be as simple as doing the right thing.\n\nThe University of Michigan Medical System is finding this to be the case in its proactive strategy in how it handles medical mistakes.  This innovative policy - owning up and simply doing the right thing - is showing significant benefits, both in how possible malpractice suits are handled AND improving its balance sheet in the form of substantially reduced Malpractice Reserves. This video, courtesy of CBS News, tells the story.\n<div id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:69ec34df-e2a9-4a80-9272-74d2aa43c9bb\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">\n<div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUxGLHmFQtI]</div>\n</div>\nAnd the savings do not stop at U of M.  Other hospital systems  in Michigan are experiencing similar results as detailed here in <strong><a href=\"http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20090510/SUB01/305109979#\">Hospitals find confession good for the bottom line</a>.</strong>\n\n<strong>It seems that confession is good for more than just the soul after all.</strong>\n<h4>Why is this so important?</h4>\nIn his article, <a href=\"http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/nov08/managing7.asp\">The Cost of Defensive Medicine</a> (AAOS Now, November 2008), Stuart L. Weinstein, MD shared the following analysis on the burden this places on the system:\n<blockquote><strong>The impact on cost</strong>\nDefensive medicine is defined as providing medical services that are not expected to benefit the patient but that are undertaken to minimize the risk of a subsequent lawsuit. Diagnostic defensive medicine practices have a much greater impact on costs than do therapeutic defensive practices. The quality of the literature on the true costs of defensive medicine and its impact on healthcare costs is poor; few good studies exist, and cost estimates vary widely.</blockquote>\n<blockquote>The study quoted most often is by Daniel P. Kessler and Mark B. McClellan. To really understand actual costs, Kessler and McClellan analyzed the effects of malpractice liability reforms using data on Medicare beneficiaries who were treated for serious heart disease. They found that liability reforms could reduce defensive medicine practices, leading to a 5 percent to 9 percent reduction in medical expenditures without any effect on mortality or medical complications.\n\nIf the Kessler and McClellan estimates were applied to total U.S. healthcare spending in 2005, the defensive medicine costs would total between $100 billion and $178 billion per year. Add to this the cost of defending malpractice cases, paying compensation, and covering additional administrative costs (a total of $29.4 billion). Thus, the average American family pays an additional $1,700 to $2,000 per year in healthcare costs simply to cover the costs of defensive medicine.</blockquote>\nPresident Obama, in <a href=\"http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-a-Joint-Session-of-Congress-on-Health-Care/\">his remarks</a> to a joint session of Congress  on September 9, 2009 highlighted Tort Reform and the costs of defensive medicine in the list of actions that need to be taken to get healthcare costs under control.  And he is right.  We must address this if we want to have a prayer of getting these costs under control.\n\nBut equally important, proactive and responsible policies, like those demonstrated in the video can also make a huge difference.   In many cases, they can keep the whole thing out of the courts in the first place.  Saving everyone - doctors, hospital and patients from the pain and suffering  of a long and expensive litigation process.\n\n<strong>Imagine the savings if this was applied nationwide and if EVERYONE simply did the right thing.</strong>\n\n<strong>Thanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned...</strong>\n\n<strong>Joan Koerber-Walker</strong>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:8ea9aafc-83f3-4d81-8b6d-423873567286\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare\">Healthcare</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation\">Innovation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/ethics\">ethics</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\">business</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare%20reform\">healthcare reform</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/malpractice\">malpractice</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/malpractice%20insurance\">malpractice insurance</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/malpratice%20reserves\">malpratice reserves</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/defensive%20medicine\">defensive medicine</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CBSonline\">CBSonline</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/University%20of%20Michigan%20Medical%20Center\">University of Michigan Medical Center</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/corporate%20responsibility\">corporate responsibility</a></div>','Innovation: Transparency and Apology Proves Effective','','inherit','open','open','','1478-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:24:27','2012-08-19 21:24:27','',1478,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1478-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2580,2,'2012-08-19 21:24:44','2012-08-19 21:24:44','<a href=\"http://www.citrusheights.net/images/j0387733.jpg\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://www.citrusheights.net/images/j0387733.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"299\" height=\"214\" align=\"right\" /></a>Leadership is a popular topic.  The role of a leader is one that many aspire to.  Books and articles tell us that we need to be helping our children, our employees, and others around us to become leaders.\n\nBut what is a leader and why do we follow them?  For following is a key element of a leader\'s definition.\n<blockquote>You are not a leader,\n\nif no one is following you.</blockquote>\nIf only there was a key we could press to make a great leader and cause others to choose to follow.  Unfortuantely, there is no one answer or simple magic key to press.  Most would agree that the road to leadership is a journey.  You are not born a leader, you BECOME one.\n<h4>Belong... to a community</h4>\nLeaders do not stand alone on top of the mountain looking down upon their followers.  They are part of their communities.  We follow them because, by listening to what they say and watching what they do, they take us to a better place.  They lead the way for us and we follow their footsteps.\n<h4>Engender ... Trust</h4>\nWhen words and actions are authentic, congruent, and consistent, we feel secure in their leadership and in our following.  We know what we can expect from them and as followers we trust them to lead us in the right direction.  When our leaders get lost or confused, which often happens, leaders are human after all, some followers will drop away, while others will rally around to help a trusted leader get back on track.\n<h4>Cause ... things to happen</h4>\nLeaders act as catalysts, as agents that provoke or speed significant change or action within their communities, their businesses, or whatever their sphere of influence may be.  They do not act alone, but bring things about in concert with others.  They inspire others to think, to act, to do, to change.\n<h4>Open....  up to new opportunities</h4>\nLeaders are innovators.  They find new ways of doing things that make life better for their followers and for those around them.  Leaders understand that the most traveled path may not always be the best one.  They take the time to explore the options - old and new - to find the best way to travel towards their chosen destination.\n<h4>Mentor... develop, and support</h4>\nLeadership may be immune to the passage of time, but leaders are not.  Leaders come and leaders go.  That is why true leaders develop future leaders.  They know that being the sole leader in any group is a lonely job - but when you lead in the company of leaders, the journey get\'s shorter, and the road you travel less difficult. And most important of all, that when your time as a leader is through, there are others ready and able to continue the journey.\n<h4>Excel...  at putting the needs of others before their own</h4>\nLeaders excel in putting the needs of the whole before their own.  It seems at times this gets forgotten.  And these are the times when we see leaders get into trouble.  We\'ve seen it in politicians, in the kings of industry, with sports heroes, and in the Mom at the PTA.  When the person in front stops caring for the people behind them - sooner or later - those people will be gone.  And without followers, you are a leader no more.\n<h4>True leaders rarely have to shout.  Some of the most powerful words are spoken softly.</h4>\nThey issues orders - when they have to - and sometimes they do.  But more often than not, direction is provided through stories and shared experiences.  They lead the way through instruction, by demonstration, and sometimes by the simple act of taking another by the hand.\n<h4>The words of leaders may be written...</h4>\nso we can share them with others long after the leader is gone.  Take a look at the list of the best selling books of all time.  According to Wikipedia, the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books\">list of best-selling books</a> includes in it\'s top rankings the books on spiritual leaders: The <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible\"><em>Bible</em></a>, <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur\'an\">Qur\'an</a></em> (The Koran), <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Mormon\">Book of Mormon</a></em>, and  <a title=\"The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Truth_That_Leads_to_Eternal_Life\"><em>The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life</em></a>.  They are joined by the writings of a political leader - agree with him or not - Chairman Mao knew how to leverage the printing press with his <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Book\">Little Red Book</a></em>, a manual for raising young leaders, <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouting_for_Boys\">Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship</a></em>, and fictional journeys of life and leadership including <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tale_of_Two_Cities\">A Tale of Two Cities</a></em>,  <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings\">The Lord of the Rings</a></em>, and <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit\">The Hobbit</a>. </em>Shakespeare of course wrote stories of leaders and leadership too.  But since his were plays, not books originally, they did not make this particular list.  But it is not just the beauty of his words that made him immortal, it was the stories of leaders, of emperors, princes, and kings - be they mortal or fairy - that have stood the test of time.\n<h4>The world is looking for leaders</h4>\nFrom the beginning of human time until its end, there will always be a place in this world for leaders.  We need them in our homes, in our businesses, and in our communities.  We need them to get things started, to help us along the way, to instruct, to inspire, and at times to console.\n\nYes, the world is looking for leaders.\n\nAre you ready to make the effort - every day - to BECOME one?\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:550a40bb-1342-4fa5-86f4-0e15e3b30fa9\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leaders\">Leaders</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leasdership%20Lessons\">Leasdership Lessons</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership%20Speaker\">Leadership Speaker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business\">Business</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Leadership\">Business Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Community%20leadership\">Community leadership</a></div>','Leaders to Follow','Some tips on becoming a leader that others want to follow.','inherit','open','open','','1477-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:24:44','2012-08-19 21:24:44','',1477,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1477-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2581,2,'2012-08-19 21:24:55','2012-08-19 21:24:55','<p>One of the most important things any business can do is listen to feedback from its customers and partners and put it to good use. </p> <p>One of the worst is to assume that poor service or unfair dealings will go unnoticed.</p> <p><a href=\"http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/preview.aspx?AssetID=MPj0433180&amp;Query=angry&amp;Scope=22&amp;CTT=1&amp;Origin=EC790000121033&amp;QueryID=Hi5GPegSz0&amp;AssetCol=MPj0442299,MPj0442223,MPj0442232,MPj0438653,MPj0433180,MPj0422335,MPj0422733,MPj0400332,MPj0285144,MPj0262265,MPj0341936,MPj0341389\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px 5px 5px 10px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0433180[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04331801.jpg\" width=\"296\" height=\"199\"></a>Over the last week, I have seen a number of communications, sent by others, where social media platforms from email, e-newsletters, blogs, and Twitter have been used to point out serious breakdowns in service relationships.</p> <p>It used to be that if a customer or business partner was unhappy, you might get an earful.&nbsp; Or at the worst - you loose the relationship and they tell ALL their friends about it.&nbsp; But in today\'s new age of communications - it goes well beyond that.&nbsp; </p> <p>Service failures can become public knowledge VERY quickly as evidenced by two posts that I saw within 30 minutes of each other one evening on twitter.</p> <p>&nbsp;<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image40.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"image\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb40.png\" width=\"53\" height=\"53\"></a> </p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/zanesafrit\">ZaneSafrit</a> Wow. We will NEVER use @<a href=\"http://twitter.com/directv\">directv</a> again! Here\'s why: <a href=\"http://adjix.com/fx5t\">http://adjix.com/fx5t</a></p> <p>2576 followers on Twitter</p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/account/profile_image/hardaway?hreflang=en\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/340712315/madmen_icon_bigger.jpg\" width=\"52\" height=\"52\"></a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/hardaway\">hardaway</a> 3 TVs and none work. Cox in Phx much worse than @<a href=\"http://twitter.com/comcastcares\">comcastcares</a>&nbsp; ;-) at my neighbor to watch Obama:-)</p> <p>5387 followers on Twitter</p> <h4>In other cases, entire sites or profiles are dedicated to voicing customer displeasure:</h4> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/STATEFARM_SUCKS\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" alt=\"Angela Russell\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/338335372/Angela2_normal.jpg\" width=\"47\" height=\"47\"></a><strong><a href=\"http://twitter.com/STATEFARM_SUCKS\">STATEFARM_SUCKS</a></strong> Angela Russell ~ <a href=\"http://statefarmsucks.homestead.com/\">Please read</a> how the opportunistic predator State Farm took advantage of a widow &amp; 2 little girls.</p> <p>9440 followers on Twitter</p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/account/profile_image/cnsucks?hreflang=en\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/65052957/cnsguy_bigger.jpg\" width=\"46\" height=\"46\"></a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/cnsucks\">cnsucks</a> In addition to a twitter profile providing micro company reviews, <a href=\"http://www.companynamesucks.com/\">Company Name Sucks</a> has developed a website to capture them easily. They have over 1,000 company listings.</p> <p>4123 followers on Twitter</p> <p>(Note - the comments shown here are for illustration purposes and come from publicly available Twitter streams, websites or blogs.&nbsp; CorePurpose has not researched the associated claims or contacted the companies listed to offer an opportunity for a rebuttal.) </p> <h4>I\'m not taking sides in any of these disputes - that\'s not the point.</h4> <p>The point is that in today\'s social media world, dissatisfied customers have a forum to air their displeasure quickly and to a larger audience than ever before.</p> <p>But it\'s not just social media platforms. People are using a wide variety of electronic mediums to make their opinions known.&nbsp; And in some cases it is getting totally out of control...</p> <p>One example, I watched evolve this week was a dispute between a local businessman - who is fairly well known in our community, and his former business partners/service providers. </p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04386551.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0438655[1]\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04386551_thumb.jpg\" width=\"164\" height=\"244\"></a>The businessman posted a piece on his blog/email newsletter on Sunday with some pretty scathing remarks about the breakdown of his relationship with several of&nbsp; his former collaborators. (The post did not name names, but anyone who had watched his business evolve could figure out who they were.)</p> <p>Then on Tuesday, I received an email from one of the businessman\'s service providers containing the other side of the story.&nbsp; </p> <p>The message was making a case defending the service provider\'s actions and reputation.&nbsp; It included allegations of unfair dealings, a bounced check, unpaid bills, and worse on the part of the businessman. </p> <p>In this case the service provider was an electronic marketing company.&nbsp; I am assuming that his message went out to the businessman\'s entire contact database for the following reasons: 1) I did not know the sender but I did know the businessman and was in his database,&nbsp; and 2) many others in our community, who I assume were in the same database, received the same email.&nbsp; I know this because FIVE more of my friend forwarded the email to me within minutes of my receiving it directly.&nbsp; AND now there is a new blog up - cautioning people not to do business with the businessman&nbsp; and actively soliciting other stories of how the businessman is not a good person to partner with. </p> <p>It\'s a sad situation all the way around.&nbsp; No one will win this particular fight.&nbsp; They both are going to come out with black eyes.</p> <h4>What can we learn from this?</h4> <p>Unless your company is perfect, and I have yet to find one yet that is, sooner or later someone will be unhappy with your service.&nbsp; Here are a few tips to keep in mind.</p> <p>1.&nbsp; <strong>The best defense is a good offense.</strong>&nbsp; Continually review and update your service delivery processes to avoid service failures in the first place.</p> <p>2.&nbsp; <strong>When a service failure occurs - FIX IT.</strong>&nbsp; Respond promptly, courteously, and try a little empathy for the customer\'s position.&nbsp; In these cases, if you show flexibility and a willingness to solve a problem - you can turn things around.&nbsp; Lack of flexibility - as in the ZaneSafrit/ @directTV example - just makes matters worse.</p> <p>3. <strong>Know who is talking about you!</strong>&nbsp; Today\'s new media offers lots of tools so you can scan the landscape and hear what is being said.&nbsp; At minimum have a Google keyword search set up that flags you when your company name pops up automatically.&nbsp; You&nbsp; can also use tools like <a href=\"http://www.socialoomph.com/\">SocialOomph</a> to do the same thing on Twitter.&nbsp; - Hopefully you can then catch a mention like the one in the Hardaway/Cox example if you are paying attention.</p> <p>4. <strong>And as to putting up your dukes to start swinging in cyberspace</strong> - Please don\'t! Most of us do not want to be subjected to that.&nbsp; All though in the the long run, the lawyers may benefit when the fight escalates to the next level - and they very often do!</p> <h4>Yes, there are two sides to every story.</h4> <p>Unfortunately the negative ones tend to travel a lot faster than the positive ones.&nbsp; So take a tip from me and learn how to respond to feedback in this new media age.&nbsp; </p> <p>You\'ll be glad you did.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...</p> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;float:none;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:17f25a17-0527-4028-a36a-d5c61d74bfdd\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">LiveJournal Tags: <a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=joan%20koerber-walker\" rel=\"tag\">joan koerber-walker</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=corepurpose\" rel=\"tag\">corepurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=customer%20feedback\" rel=\"tag\">customer feedback</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=customer%20service\" rel=\"tag\">customer service</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=social%20media\" rel=\"tag\">social media</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=new%20media\" rel=\"tag\">new media</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=reputation\" rel=\"tag\">reputation</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=branding\" rel=\"tag\">branding</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=innovation\" rel=\"tag\">innovation</a></div> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:487ddb2e-55e5-44be-b003-d2a738edeaad\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/joan%20koerber-walker\" rel=\"tag\">joan koerber-walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/corepurpose\" rel=\"tag\">corepurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/customer%20feedback\" rel=\"tag\">customer feedback</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/customer%20service\" rel=\"tag\">customer service</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/social%20media\" rel=\"tag\">social media</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/new%20media\" rel=\"tag\">new media</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/reputation\" rel=\"tag\">reputation</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/branding\" rel=\"tag\">branding</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/innovation\" rel=\"tag\">innovation</a></div>','Responding to Feedback in a New Age of Communications','','inherit','open','open','','1476-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:24:55','2012-08-19 21:24:55','',1476,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1476-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2582,2,'2012-08-19 21:25:07','2012-08-19 21:25:07','<p><a href=\"http://www.wearebsm.com/managed_objects/crystal_ball2_bmwPreview.jpg\"><img align=\"right\" src=\"http://www.wearebsm.com/managed_objects/crystal_ball2_bmwPreview.jpg\" width=\"298\" height=\"196\"></a>When you are sixteen years old, you know everything.&nbsp; At least I thought I did.&nbsp; </p> <p>It was the summer before my freshman year of college at the University of Delaware.&nbsp; My Dad took the day off of work to take me to the main campus in Newark for freshman orientation.</p> <p>We met with counselors, took a tour of the campus, signed up for meal plans and went to the parent/new student barbecue.&nbsp; Over hot dogs and corn on the cob - my Dad asked me a question -</p> <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#545454\" face=\"Verdana\">Soon you will be in college.&nbsp; What will you study and what will you do with it?</font></p></blockquote> <p>With the unbounded certainty of youth, I declared.</p> <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#545454\" face=\"Verdana\">I want to be an Economist.</font></p></blockquote> <p>I had done my home work, researched careers, done summer internships to rule out what I did not want to be and to uncover what I did.&nbsp; I was going to study the science of business, of nations, of the the funds that flow through them, and the people who drive them...&nbsp; I was going to learn to predict the future.</p> <p>It was not until my senior year of college that I was introduced to a then comparatively new field of economic application - <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Econometrics\">econometrics</a>.&nbsp; The link will take you to a broader definition, courtesy of Wikipedia, but in short, econometrics combines the theory of economics with quantification and statistics to actually measure and predict economic outcomes.&nbsp; Using punch cards and a <a href=\"http://www.computermuseumgroningen.nl/manuals/burroughs.html\">Burroughs 7700</a>&nbsp; (a computer you now find only in museums) we learned to model past and present outcomes of the national and world economy.&nbsp; We learned about variables and assumptions and the impact they would have when combined together.&nbsp; And then came the rub.&nbsp; The greatest variables all of - perceptions of outcomes and the changes in people\'s behavior that would result from them.</p> <p>That\'s when it&nbsp; hit me.&nbsp; Once economists tell people what will happen - using their computerized crystal balls - people react to that information and change their behaviors.&nbsp; And, in that case, your model and your predictions would often be WRONG.</p> <blockquote> <p>Maybe I didn\'t want to be an economist after all - I hate to be wrong!</p></blockquote> <p>And so on graduation, I went into the world of business.&nbsp; Starting in banking, moving on to the emerging field of electronics and technology, and later into entrepreneurship.</p> <p>Almost 20 years after freshman orientation, I went back to school again.&nbsp; This time at Arizona State University in their executive MBA program.&nbsp; I did not go back to get my MBA for the degree - but for the learning.&nbsp; After almost 20 years in business - things had changed - the rules were different, and my crystal ball was in jeopardy of getting cloudy.&nbsp; And I began to see that it was not just my crystal ball that was flawed.&nbsp; We were at the peak of the Dot.Com Bubble - soon for many of us in the technology industry, the bubble would burst and our crystal balls would clear to show some serious cracks.</p> <p>In class, we learned about the many bubbles throughout history from Dr. Stephen Happel and the Blue Chip Forecasts from <a href=\"http://wpcarey.asu.edu/bluechip/\">Dr. Lee McPheters</a>.&nbsp; We went to Washington D.C. to see how it worked from the inside, and later to Europe and China to see the changes in our world first hand.&nbsp; But equally important, I learned what was happening in a wide range of businesses from my fellow students , leaders in healthcare, investments, and industry.&nbsp; </p> <p>It was a reminder of what I had learned long ago.&nbsp; That economics is not a subject but a study... of business, of nations, of the funds that flow through them, and the people who drive them.&nbsp; And so I began to study economics again on my own.</p> <p>As business people, perhaps we all should pay more attention to economics.&nbsp; </p> <p>You see, it\'s not what we study or even the answers that makes a difference.</p> <p>But what we do with the knowledge, once we find it, that most surely will.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned.</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a043ea66-c385-4b0a-b3d8-e38c340af6ec\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/economy\" rel=\"tag\">economy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/economists\" rel=\"tag\">economists</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/education\" rel=\"tag\">education</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/econometrics\" rel=\"tag\">econometrics</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/predictions\" rel=\"tag\">predictions</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/going%20back%20to%20school\" rel=\"tag\">going back to school</a></div>','When I grow up, I want to be... an Economist','','inherit','open','open','','1475-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:25:07','2012-08-19 21:25:07','',1475,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1475-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2583,2,'2012-08-19 21:25:26','2012-08-19 21:25:26','As a leader, one of the most damaging things that you can do in times of crisis is to do NOTHING.  As I have been listening to and reading about the ongoing national healthcare debate, one question keeps running through my mind.\n<blockquote>When are we going to stop talking about it ...\n\nand start doing something about it?</blockquote>\nAt one point in my career, from December of 2006 to December of 2008, I had the honor of serving as the CEO of ASBA, the Arizona Small Business Association, and on the Board of Trustees at NSBA, the National Small Business Association.\n\nAs the owner of a small business myself, I had seen the challenges faced by small business owners when it came to the accessibility and affordability of healthcare insurance.  At  the time, it was a personal issue I dealt with and not a major focus of my attention.\n\nThen came my role at ASBA  and a day when solving the healthcare problem, at least for small businesses in the State of Arizona, became MY problem.  This video is a clip from a talk I gave on the topic of Healthcare when ASBA  launched its solution for Arizona Small Businesses in 2008.  It started like this...\n<div id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:0d931389-3d15-46c8-b5aa-75a1957223b8\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"width:374px;display:inline;float:none;margin:0;padding:0;\">\n<div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKOfXlB_3Wo]</div>\n</div>\nPutting the health back into healthcare in the United States is not a simple problem.  In fact it\'s complexity is staggering.  Here are just a few of it\'s components - I know I will miss many more.  Don\'t pillory me for it.  Instead I encourage you to add to the list in the comments section of this post. (For more information, click the links to articles in each description.)\n<h4>Structural issues</h4>\nRight or wrong, our current system is is supported as an <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/07/making-cents-of-your-health-insurance-dollar.html\">insurance based system</a>.  Healthcare is paid for by Medicare/Medicaid (public insurance) or private insurance in most cases.  For those without adequate coverage, the costs can be financially crippling and their unpaid bills get paid by everyone else in the form of higher premiums as explained in <a href=\"http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1445\">this article</a> from Arizona State University\'s <a href=\"http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu\">Knowledge@WPCarey</a>.\n<h4>Ethical Issues</h4>\nWhat should we do?  Who should we help?  What should we pay for?  What should we not?  The answers to these questions reach into much deeper ethical, moral, and legal discussions on highly volatile issues including aging, illegal immigration, abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, and the quality and accessibility of care.  An that\'s just the tip of the iceberg! The study of BioEthics now even has it\'s own <a href=\"http://www.bioethics.gov/\">Presidential Commission</a>.\n<h4>Financial Issues</h4>\nIf you think this is all about health, think again.  The healthcare crisis in the US is a major economic issue as illustrated in this <a href=\"http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/02/health-care-costs-opinions-columnists-reform.html\">article from Forbes</a> on July 3, 2009.  In this <a href=\"http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/102xx/doc10297/06-25-LTBO.pdf\">report from the Congressional Budget Office</a> total spending on health care in the economy has doubled over the last 30 years to a current level of about 16% of GDP. CBO estimates that this percentage will double again over the next 25 years to 31% of GDP.  Today, it is estimated that as much as 60% of personal bankruptcies in the US are tied to healthcare related issues.  But if we do not get the costs,  and the resultant Federal deficits under control the fall out could be the greatest financial mess the world has ever seen.\n\nSolving the problem will need to address how to find new cost efficiencies in healthcare delivery, behavioral changes among the US population to reduce health risk factors, new protocols for treatment and cost management, and many many more issues.\n\nWe will also need to redesign our reimbursement systems.  Today, the set payment schedules for Medicare and Medicaid are below the actual costs the doctors and hospitals incur.  The short fall is then passed along to the costs charged to private insured and private payers  - a practice called <a href=\"http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/2/2/20.pdf\">cost shifting</a>.  But as we have seen, even this has not been enough to keep many medical centers and hospitals financially healthy - see this <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/06/AR2008070602334.html?hpid=topnews\">July 7, 2008 article</a> from the Washington Post for a good explanation of the problem and since this was written the problem has only gotten worse.\n<h4>Technology Issues</h4>\nIn recent years, we have looked to technology to solve other problems - it will work for healthcare too, right?  Unfortunately not.  While US healthcare, for those that can afford it, is some of the best in the world, each advancement has a price and contributes to the rising healthcare costs.\n\nE-medical records, a popular topic earlier this year when major funding was allocated as part of the stimulus package by Congress will pay off over time, but not in the immediate future as it carries a high price for implementation.  <a href=\"http://www.himss.org/content/files/EMRCost-BenefitReality.pdf\">This presentation</a> by Michael H. Zaroukian, MD, PhD, FACP of Michigan State University helps break it down.\n\nBreak throughs in Pharma and Biotech will help us improve quality of life, aid in early detection, and treatment of chronic diseases.  (A major portion of today\'s healthcare spend.) But, today\'s legislation has little to do with funding support for these technologies at they level that will be required to really speed up the process.\n<h4>State Sovereignty Issues</h4>\nMany of the factors that are driving up the costs of the healthcare system are legislated on a state by state basis.  Congress will have a problem making any real change here without overriding or <a href=\"http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20060606095331-23055.pdf\">preempting</a> many state laws.  These include the costs of <a href=\"http://advance.uconn.edu/2009/090223/09022302.htm\">defensive medicine</a> and <a href=\"http://www.mpmlc.com/\">malpractice insurance costs</a> that will continue to escalate until we reform our tort systems at the state level. In addition, <a href=\"http://www.cahi.org/cahi_contents/resources/pdf/HealthInsuranceMandates2008.pdf\">mandates</a> on a state by state level require that certain care or services be provided and covered.  Each and every one of these items has a cost.  Thus the cost of providing healthcare can fluctuate significantly from state to state.\n<h4>Personal Responsibility Issues</h4>\nIf you have noticed, so far, the focus has been heavily on what \'they\' have to do to fix the problem.  But there is another major issue that can not be overlooked - and that is our own personal behaviors.  It has been said that the US has a sick care system, not a health care system.  But the shift from sick care to a health focus is not in the government\'s hands, it\'s in ours.  It has been estimated that regular check ups can play a major role in early detection of chronic disease and that early detection leads to major cost savings - not to mention longer lives.  Yet at the same time, a large majority of those of us who have a wellness plan as part of our health insurance don\'t even use it. Health in the US population did not get a great score on it\'s report card in 2008 as you can read in this <a href=\"http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860289_1860561_1860562,00.html\">article from Time</a>.\n<h4>Uncertainty Issues.</h4>\nAnd running through it all is  the issue of uncertainty.  None of us know what is going to happen at this point.  Businesses are putting off health insurance decisions and states are in a quandary as to what they should be doing - if they could even pay for it.\n\nHospitals, doctors, and insurance companies alike are delaying the launch of new programs that could help make a difference because they have yet to learn the new rules of the game.  Basically, progress has stopped!\n<h4>The Ugly Truth</h4>\nNo one piece of Federal legislation will have the magic prescription to solve this problem.  And for all the shouting, the final bill that will be voted on by the House and the Senate does not even exist yet.  Then and if they can get it through Congress this session, it will be an ongoing process for years to structure all the regulations, set up systems, start a never ending process of revisions, and have any lasting effect.\n\nNo matter what we do or how the system changes, some will benefit more than others. Some people will pay more, and some will pay less.  New systems will emerge, and others will fail.\n\nBut we will never have any improvements if we do not take the first step.  And If we fail to make improvements, our healthcare structure will ultimately fail.  We already  know that the foundation is seriously damaged.\n\nTo wrap things up, there is an old fable about a man who claimed he could eat an elephant.  When other\'s scoffed that it was impossible to do so, he simply shared his strategy...\n<blockquote>You do it one bite at a time.</blockquote>\nWell today, putting the health back into healthcare is our elephant - and it is well past time we took that first bite.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:807e7832-a085-48ff-897a-9462b0f7ba07\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/ASBA\">ASBA</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare\">healthcare</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare%20reform\">Healthcare reform</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare%20crisis\">healthcare crisis</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/small%20business\">small business</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Arizona\">Arizona</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrpreneurs\">entrpreneurs</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\">leadership</a></div>','Curing Healthcare - you have to start somewhere','','inherit','open','open','','1474-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:25:26','2012-08-19 21:25:26','',1474,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1474-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2584,2,'2012-08-19 21:26:10','2012-08-19 21:26:10','<img src=\"http://jonathanpaulmusic.com/blog_media/2009/2009-06-15-disapproval-837748_28386314.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"289\" height=\"233\" align=\"right\" />Listening to the radio news this week, I heard again that President Obama\'s approval rating is continuing to drop. Whether it is his handling of economic issues, healthcare, congress, or a post Labor Day address to school children, we are a nation divided.  Some people love him, some people don\'t, and many are stuck somewhere in between.\n\nNow, the purpose of this note is not to open a discussion on whether President Obama is worthy of approval or not.  We\'re going in a different direction.  We\'re exploring what to expect as a leader in the business world.\n\nI have been through my share of leadership training throughout my career, and there is one thing they rarely if ever tell you.\n<blockquote>When you are a leader driving change or making tough decisions - there may be people who will REALLY not like you.</blockquote>\nIt does not matter how great you are as a speaker, how authentic you are as a person, how charismatic a leader you are, or even how solid your strategy is.\n\nEventually you will bring about a change that threatens someone\'s sense of balance, personal well being, or sense of security through your decisions, and they will make their displeasure known - LOUD AND CLEAR.\n\nSometimes you can predict and plan for it, and sometimes you can\'t.  Blow ups can occur over major issues and decisions or the seemingly trivial.\n\nBut be prepared - sooner or later is bound to happen!\n\nThis illustration from <a href=\"http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/jobapproval-obama.php\">Pollster.com</a> really helps put things in perspective.  The President\'s approval rating hit its peak after the election but before he was actually making <span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">any</span> true presidential decisions.    Once his decisions.\n<h4>This challenge is not unique to Presidential Leadership.</h4>\nAll Summer, legislative leaders across the country have struggled with tough decisions on budgets that won\'t balance, whether to raise taxes or not, and where and how much to cut in programs that directly effect no win issues like education, social services, and hampering economic recovery by a heavy tax burden - remember - no economic recovery - no job recovery!\n\nDifficult decisions and cuts lead to public outcries from all sides, as exemplified in this <a href=\"http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/23/news/economy/state_budget_gaps/index.htm\">July 25th article and video from CNN.Money.com.</a>\n\nAnd, as soon as they think they have the problem solved, new gaps open or new conflicts arise, including Gubernatorial Vetoes.\n\nToday\'s environment is definitely not a pleasant one for political leaders at any level.\n<h4>Shifting to Business</h4>\nAs business leaders, we deal with our own sets of issues and decisions every day.\n\nSome are large and some are small, but at any level of authority we often have to make tough decisions that will not be viewed positively by everyone.\n\nHere are some lessons I have learned along my leadership journey:\n<blockquote>The higher up you are on the leadership ladder, the broader the reach and scope of your decisions and the more people you affect positively and negatively.\n\nThe closer an unfavorable action get\'s to an individual\'s personal life, the more vocal the dislike can become.\n\nListen to your detractors - sometimes they are voicing something you need to hear that your friends and supporters are not telling you.\n\nDeal with detractors respectfully, even if they do not return the courtesy.\n\nYou can\'t take it personally - even if their attacks turn personal.\n\nLogic rarely trumps emotion when change hits close to home for people.  Especially when that emotion is concern or fear.</blockquote>\nWhile you may try to work with your detractors, you have to eventually to move on.  To paraphrase President Harry Truman, as a leader, the buck will stop with you and you will need to do what you think is best.  And then, you live with it.\n\nLuckily, most leaders will have more supporters than not.  But eventually, somewhere along the way - you will find those few that will not come around.  And when you do, just remember, you are not alone.\n\nMost of us have been there at one time or another.  It comes with the territory.\n\nThanks for stopping by.   Stay Tuned.\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:8019a385-fbf3-46ef-94c8-37b968ca1f1a\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Political%20leadership\">Political leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20leadership\">Business leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/detractors\">detractors</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/approval\">approval</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/dealling%20with%20disapproval\">dealling with disapproval</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/President%20Obama\">President Obama</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/approval%20rating\">approval rating</a></div>','Leaders, Don\'t Expect Everyone to LIKE You','','inherit','open','open','','1473-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:26:10','2012-08-19 21:26:10','',1473,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1473-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0);
INSERT INTO `wp_posts` VALUES (2585,2,'2012-08-19 21:26:41','2012-08-19 21:26:41','Earlier this summer, I was asked by my friend, Dr. Julie Smith David of the Arizona State University Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology <a href=\"http://wpcarey.asu.edu/seid/cabit/index.cfm\">(CABIT)</a> to present on Twitter Applications for Business.  I will be speaking there on Tuesday September 8th.  If you read this in time and would like to attend, the contact information is provided below. Best of all it\'s free.\n\n<a href=\"mailto:julie.smith.david@asu.edu\"><img title=\"0809 Showcase Invitation Restart Fall_web\" src=\"http://wpcarey.asu.edu/seid/cabit/images/0809-Showcase-Invitation-Restart-Fall_web_1.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"0809 Showcase Invitation Restart Fall_web\" width=\"401\" height=\"162\" /></a>\n\nI was incredibly honored to be asked, but I had to wonder... why would they want ME?\n\nI am not a social media expert let alone a twitter expert.  I\'m simply a business executive and corporate strategist trying to figure out where all this stuff fits.\n\nI have yet to find all the answers, but one thing has become very clear.\n<h4><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://www.newsungroup.com.tw/images/proimg/001.10%20PIECE%20PREMIUM%20COMFORT%20GRIP%20SCREWDRIVER%20SET.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"269\" height=\"269\" align=\"right\" />Social media is simply a tool.</h4>\nThink about your social media tool kit like a set of screw drivers.  You have different types of screw drivers for different needs.  Sometimes you use them alone or sometimes you use them together.  We use screw drivers as tools to help us...\n<ul>\n	<li>Build things</li>\n	<li>Take things apart</li>\n	<li>Make adjustments</li>\n	<li>Fix what\'s broken</li>\n</ul>\nThe same screwdriver can be used to fix a broken electrical socket or to build a nuclear power plant.  It all depends on the the goal you set, the plan you develop, and how you go about executing.\n\nThe same can be said about social media.  Websites, Video like YouTube and Vimeo, Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are simply tools we use to create conversations, build communities, listen to our customers, and deliver our message.  These tools can help us as business people to do the very same things that the handy screwdriver can do - Build, Disassemble, Adjust, and Fix what\'s broken.\n\nJust remember - the tool is NOT the strategy.  It\'s simply something you can use to achieve the goals you set.  Your message however IS a key component in any strategy.  It\'s how you share what you are trying to accomplish.  That\'s where social media fits for business - as a community building messaging tool.\n\nYou simply need to choose the right combination of tools to drive your message home.\n\nSince Tuesday\'s talk will be focused on Twitter - here are some tips for using Twitter as a tool for what it is best at:  Community Building, Customer/Audience Interaction, and Message Delivery.\n\nIn any good strategy you start with a goal, develop specific tactics, choose your tools and people resources, establish metrics or milestones, and execute while adjusting as needed.\n\nTwitter, like the screw driver, works best when combined with other tools for more complex projects.  Here is a listing of tools and tips you can use with Twitter to make it more effective.\n<h4>Community Building:</h4>\n<a href=\"http://www.twellow.com/\">Twellow</a> is a great tool for finding people with shared interests.  You can search by key words like Information Technology, CEO, Entrepreneur, Leadership...you get the picture.  You can also search by locations (City, State, etc) if you are trying to build community in a specific region.  You can find people you want to follow and if you are offering good content in return, many will follow you back.\n\nConversely, for the people you might want to avoid - <a href=\"http://www.twitchuck.com\">TwitChuck</a> is a good resource.  In a matter of minutes, it can scan your friends and followers to identify known spammers and other inappropriate tweeters like porn sites and bots.  (You can also check your own reputation to ensure that you are considered a \'Good\" person to follow.\n\nAs you are getting started, and even after you are well established, Twitter imposes follow limits. These are important to know and understand.  You can read them <a href=\"http://help.twitter.com/forums/10713/entries/14959\">here</a>.\n\n<strong>Be Friendly!</strong> When someone follows you, I believe it is common courtesy to give them a follow back.  If they then abuse the courtesy with spam or inappropriate content - you can unfollow them or even block them so they can not come back later.  To save time you can automate this process using <a href=\"http://www.socialoomph.com/\">SocialOomph</a> (formerly known as TweetLater.)  This service will automatically follow people that follow you - a BIG time saver.  The service also has a feature for auto replies when people follow you.  This I highly recommend NOT doing.  It is a common practice of spammers and by veteran twitter users is considered very uncool!\n\nAnd whatever you do - DO NOT SPAM your followers.  The point is to offer helpful information, share ideas, and create value to your followers.  If all you do is talk about your products, your blog, your ideas and never interact with others - people will stop reading your posts very quickly! Even worse, people can block you - ruining your online reputation.\n\nAlso, unless you are intentionally forming a closed group - DO NOT protect your tweets.  This is counter to the whole principle of building a community.  Plus for many third party tools, they will not be able  to see them and people will not find or follow you!\n<h4>Customer/Audience Interaction</h4>\nOK - you may be thinking - I am looking at this as a BUSINESS tool.  What do you mean it\'s not all about me and my product or service!\n\nThink about twitter as a giant focus group.  As you build a community you have an opportunity to listen to what current or potential customers are tweeting/talking about.  People who follow you have shown some level of interest -  their opinions count!\n\nYou can even use <a href=\"http://search.twitter.com/\">Twitter Search</a> to find people who are talking about your company or your product - or your competitors.  Talk about a great market research tool!  Then you can choose to follow them and join the conversation.\n\nInteracting with customers means listening, starting a conversation, and engaging them.  To do this - think about what you want your Twitter brand to be before you start.  It may be that you need multiple profiles for different customer groups, products, or for you corporate message as opposed to that of your CEO for instance.  That was appropriate for me over time and in the end I developed FIVE different Twitter profiles based on the type of information I choose to share.  <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/my-profiles-on-twitter.html\">This post</a> helps explain it.\n\nThe first rule of interaction is always - You get what you give.  Follow people, share interesting content, and offer value, and that\'s what you will get in return.\n<h4>Message Delivery</h4>\nNow we get to the important part - message delivery.  The point of Twitter for business is that you want to START a conversation that can be continued.  Sometimes you can do that exclusively in the twitterverse, but more often that not, you want to be more expansive - that\'s where your website, blog, Facebook page, LinkedIn Group, or other social media tools come into play.  You can use Twitter to invite people to view your other content platforms.  Does it work - Absolutely.  Here is an example.\n\nI have two blog sites for my company.  One on <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/\">TypePad</a> and one on <a href=\"http://www.joankoerber-walker.com\">WordPress</a>.  They have exactly the same content and have been around for the same amount of time.  The TypePad Blog gets promoted on Twitter.  The WordPress blog using simple SEO.  Now the real test.  Does Twitter make a difference?  YES!  The TypePad blog has 100 times more RSS subscribers and 500 times more visitors after only 9 months! Oh and my website - <a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\">CorePurpose.com</a> gets more traffic today that it ever did with managed SEO alone.\n<h4>How much time does all this take?  I can\'t be on  Twitter ALL day!</h4>\nThis sounds like a lot of work and  a lot of time.  But after you get things set up efficiently, it does not have to be.  Personally - my \'Twitter Time - is less than 2 hours total each day - and that includes all of the reading of the articles and other tidbits I share that I would be accessing anyway.\n\n<strong>Here are some of the tools that help me be more efficient.</strong>\n\nTwitter itself is not the most user friendly interface for day to day management of large communities.  If you are managing multiple profiles - <a href=\"http://www.seesmic.com/\">Seesmic</a> is my tool of choice.  For single profile users, <a href=\"http://www.tweetdeck.com\">TweetDeck</a> is also a popular alternative.\n\nGoing to be away from the computer and want to schedule tweets for a different date or time?  Both SocialOomph and my favorite <a href=\"http://www.hootsuite.com/\">HootSuite</a> can allow you to put your tweets on autopilot cleanly and professionally.\n\nIt\'s up to you to determine how much time you give to Twitter.  Just remember you get back what you put into it.\n\nLastly - if it turns out that Twitter is a key tool for executing your strategy, there are lots of professional out there that can be hired as in house community managers or outside consultants.  These people can help you fast track your Twitter experience and in the long run save you time and hopefully get you towards your goal  faster - plus they can help you stay on top of the latest developments.\n\nThis may be one of the longest posts I have written to date- but now you have what you need to get started.  If you want to learn more about my personal journey in trying to figure out how  all this stuff  fits, visit the category section of this blog.  You will find a section on social media and more musings  there.\n<h4>So does this work for business?  You decide.</h4>\nFor me, my community - between my five Twitter profiles is over 22,000 after 9 months.  My followers are focused on the areas I want to focus on.  My website and blog traffic is up and so is my business.  And, I have made new partnering contacts I could only have dreamed of before.  So for me - It\'s been worth the ride.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a8f26ed8-defd-4a17-9e4c-d1dfb4d335d5\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter%20for%20Business\">Twitter for Business</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Using%20Social%20Media\">Using Social Media</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/ASU%20CABIT\">ASU CABIT</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurship\">Entrepreneurship</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/marketing\">marketing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/market%20research\">market research</a></div>\n<a href=\"mailto:julie.smith.david@asu.edu\"></a>','Is Twitter part of your business strategy? Should it be?','','inherit','open','open','','1472-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:26:41','2012-08-19 21:26:41','',1472,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1472-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2586,2,'2012-08-19 21:27:01','2012-08-19 21:27:01','Innovation - <em>doing something in a new way to make life better for the people who matter</em> - is a wonderful thing - unless you happen to be the one who missed the train when it pulled out from the station.\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/koerber.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/koerber_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"KOERBER\" width=\"289\" height=\"218\" align=\"right\" /></a>That\'s what happened to a once great family business, <a href=\"http://buckeyebeer20000.tripod.com/breweriesoftoledoohio/id9.html\">Koerber\'s Beer.</a>\n\nHey - you may be thinking - that name sounds familiar.  Yes, Koerber\'s was once our family business run by my grandfather William G. (Bill) Koerber and his brothers.\n\nKoerber\'s Beer and the other brands, including Friar\'s Ale and later a new innovation, Malt Liquor <img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://i.ebayimg.com/16/!BY2qJ7g!2k~$(KGrHgoH-DQEjlLl),B+BKjwhno2bw~~_35.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"161\" height=\"200\" align=\"right\" />led the brand portfolio.\n\nGrandpa\'s brother, Clarence \"Click\" Koerber, invented malt liquor and began production at the Grand Valley Brewing Company in Ionia, Michigan some time around 1937. Great  Uncle Click named his magic brew <em>Clix Malt Liquor</em>.\n\nThe family business managed to survive through two World Wars, Prohibition, and the Great Depression.  Instead, it was an innovation in the brew master\'s art that led to it\'s demise.\n\nThat change was the <a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image15.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb15.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"image\" width=\"194\" height=\"188\" align=\"right\" /></a>practice of increasing the preservative content in beer and ale.  By adding additional preservatives, competing breweries were able to ship their beers for greater distances, store the product for longer periods of time, and increase shelf life for distributors and retailers taking advantage of major economies of scale.\n\nThere was only one problem, it affected the taste of the beer.  Koerber\'s brand was associated with Age, Strength, and Purity.  Grandpa, as brew master was sure that no one would buy let alone want to drink the lesser product.   And Grandpa was wrong!\n\nBy 1949, the last bottle of Koerber\'s beer was crated and shipped from the plant in  Toledo, Ohio.  The factory was closed.  What today we would call a series of micro breweries, Koerber\'s, and it\'s sister company Grand Valley Brewing could not compete with the mega brewers who had emerged.\n\nBy the time I came along, in 1960, the only Koerber\'s beer that was still in production came from the mini brewery that was hidden behind the secret wall in the Dutch Room off the boat well in <a href=\"http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=128\">Grandpa\'s home at Grayhaven on the Detroit River</a>. But that\'s a story for another day.\n\nSo when you hear the whistle blow and see the innovation train pull into the  station, be sure to have your ticket ready so you can board.  You don\'t want to be left behind!\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:89598286-39ba-42f2-b4b6-c3ab0702bcdb\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation\">Innovation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/beer\">beer</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/brewing\">brewing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/history%20of%20brewing\">history of brewing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Koerber\'s%20Beer\">Koerber\'s Beer</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Friar\'s%20Ale\">Friar\'s Ale</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Clix%20Malt%20Liquor\">Clix Malt Liquor</a></div></blockquote>','Missing the Innovation Train','','inherit','open','open','','1471-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:27:01','2012-08-19 21:27:01','',1471,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1471-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2587,2,'2012-08-19 21:27:27','2012-08-19 21:27:27','Often one of the most important lessons we learn as business owners, innovators, and leaders is how and when to ask for help.\n\nIn 2001, I was VP of Global Supplier Contracts at Avnet, Inc. a Fortune 500 global distributor of electronic components and computers.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.biojobblog.com/uploads/image/help%20wanted(1).jpg\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://www.biojobblog.com/uploads/image/help%20wanted(1).jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"281\" height=\"217\" align=\"right\" /></a>I had an idea for a new kind of business and took the idea to Avnet Chairman and CEO, Roy Vallee. We discussed the potential benefits to the company and what I wanted to do to make it happen. He told me to \"...take the idea and run with it. Take it as far as you can and come back to me if you need help.\" There are 3 components to this advice:\n\n1) develop new ideas;\n\n2) plan and take action;\n\n3) ask for help.\n\nAt the time, for me, #3 was the MOST important. Up to that point, I had done everything for the project on my own. To make it viable, I had to find the people and resources that I lacked and get them to be part of the solution. A year later, Avnet decided that the time was not right to proceed with the project. But I was not ready to give it up.\n\nSo, I  took Roy\'s advice and asked for help.\n\nFirst I asked Avnet\'s permission to take some of the ideas I had developed and create my own business. They said yes.\n\nThen I looked for and found the best people and resources to partner with to build that business. They said yes too.\n\nThe result, CorePurpose, Inc. has been supporting other businesses in their journey along the growth path since July of 2002. Our whole business is built around having the right resources and knowing how to get help when you need it.\"\n<h4>Applying the Lesson</h4>\nFor many of us, asking for help is not an easy thing to do.  Many still believe that asking for help makes you appear weak or out of control.  Contrary to this belief, asking for help at the right time and for the right reasons is NOT a sign of weakness, but rather can be a sign of confidence, strength and savvy resource management.\n\nFew organizations or projects succeed without some form of assistance today - be it leadership, financial, supply chain, staffing, technology resources, or a myriad of other needs.  Interestingly, the strategic process we go through in developing our program or project can also be a great process to follow when determining how to go about finding the right help at the right time.\n<h5>Develop new ideas</h5>\nLook at each step of your current strategic plan or program map.  Identify the areas where the process or program can be strengthened through outside support or other partnerships.  Look at each step of your process not only in light of how a strategic partner can benefit you but also how, by working together, the partner will benefit too.\n<h5>Plan and Take Action</h5>\nEvaluate the things that you are doing that might be done as well as you are currently doing them or can be done even better by others.\n\nStart by identifying outside resources for non core activities and then evaluate how you can better utilize your existing resources by redeploying them into core areas of strength or differentiation within your organization.  Strategic partnerships like these are a resource investment for you and the partner.  Be realistic in calculating the ROI for both parties.\n\nPut together presentations you can make to potential strategic partners with a focus on how each of you will benefit from the partnership.  Then build your target partner list and start scheduling the presentations.\n<h5>Asking for help.</h5>\nFollowing this process, asking for help moves from sending out an \'S.O.S.\' or distress call to proactively building relationships where both parties benefit.  Now, you are  not just asking someone to help you with a business challenge, you are offering to help them overcome one of theirs.\n<h5>So, don\'t be afraid to ask for help.</h5>\nLook at your business on a regular basis to determine how by asking for help, you can make your business stronger, more cost efficient, or more financially sound.  You\'ll never know, until you ask!\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7c980961-e9a5-4052-bc04-c095948e78f1\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Asking%20for%20help\">Asking for help</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Growth\">Growth</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation\">Innovation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/outsourcing\">outsourcing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurship\">entrepreneurship</a></div>','Asking for Help...','','inherit','open','open','','1470-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:27:27','2012-08-19 21:27:27','',1470,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1470-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2588,2,'2012-08-19 21:27:41','2012-08-19 21:27:41','In today\'s economy, wouldn\'t it be wonderful if there was a magic recipe for growth?  Just pull out your business cook book, follow the instructions, pop it in the oven and enjoy success.  Unfortunately it\'s not quite that easy.  If it was, we would all master the recipe early and reap the benefits.\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04025241.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04025241_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0402524[1]\" width=\"244\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a>But in reality it is not that simple.  Business success requires a unique mix of ingredients and process that fluctuates with changes in our internal and external business environment.\n\nI remember, when I was a kid, my Grandmother telling me, \"If you want to eat, you need to learn to cook.\"  Well, in the world of business - the same can be said.\n<h4>Each recipe starts with a goal in mind.</h4>\nYou have a physical or mental picture of what your desired result will be whether it is scrambled eggs, a mushroom quiche, or chocolate chip cookies.\n<h4>The second section is the list of ingredients</h4>\nIf I am making my favorite, warm, gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies - there are some basic foundational ingredients   - butter, sugar, flour, eggs.\n\nI need a leavening agent like  <a href=\"http://www.joyofbaking.com/bakingsoda.html\">baking soda or baking powder</a> to make my batter rise.\n\nFlavoring - like vanilla or almond extract\n\nAnd differentiators like chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, or raisins to make my cookies stand out.\n\nI also need to focus on the quality of my ingredients to ensure a great result.  Lot\'s of people may have the same recipe - but the quality of the ingredients I use can make my cookies better than the rest.\n<h4>Apply Energy</h4>\nAnd then I need to apply just the right amount of energy to make it all blend together. Plus a different kind of energy to bake it into a finished product.\n<h4>Results</h4>\nOnly when the cookies are out of the oven, cooled, and in my mouth will I know if I have obtained the desired results. If it\'s not perfect - I can always try again.\n<h4>Applying it to business.</h4>\nWhen it comes to our businesses the processes are not that different.  We need...\n<blockquote>A goal - that clear picture of what we are trying to achieve.\n\nThe right base ingredients - a product, a  service, a market to serve and people to do the work.\n\nA leavening agent - No baking soda here - this the the values that you and your people employ as you follow the plan.\n\nFlavoring - your marketing and communications strategy\n\nDifferentiators - the unique aspects or innovations that you bring to the equation and to your customers.\n\nTo Add Energy - in the right proportions at the right time - and that\'s where leadership comes in.   Not enough energy and your result is half baked.  Too much and your result is burned to a crisp.</blockquote>\nDon\'t forget to focus on the quality of your ingredients to ensure a great result.  Lot\'s of people may have the same recipe - but the quality of the ingredients you use can make YOUR BUSINESS better than the rest.\n<h4>There is a recipe after all.</h4>\nYou just have to keep experimenting until you find yours.\n\nSo, what are you going to mix up and pop in the oven?\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b0c7adf4-e6e0-42ad-a3f7-531f5614a8d8\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation\">Innovation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Growth\">Growth</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneruship\">Entrepreneruship</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Recipe%20for%20success.\">Recipe for success.</a></div>','Recipe for Growth - A Pound of Leadership and a Dash of Innovation','','inherit','open','open','','1469-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:27:41','2012-08-19 21:27:41','',1469,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1469-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2589,2,'2012-08-19 21:28:01','2012-08-19 21:28:01','If you passed me on the street, would you know my name? Would you call me by it? If you needed what I had to offer, would my company name be one that came to mind?\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/clip_image0024.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/clip_image0024_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"clip_image002[4]\" hspace=\"12\" width=\"175\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a>There are few things more powerful than a name. It links to our actions, our reputation and to the history of who we are. In days of old, continuation of the family name was a key goal of lord and serf alike. It was all they had to guarantee they would be remembered after they were gone. Today, both individuals and companies focus on a name as a brand, hoping to link what they stand for and what they do to the name they carry.\n<h4><strong>Our name connects us to others.</strong></h4>\nMany companies have recognized the power of the sharing of names between employees and customers. Last week I had lunch at the Macaroni Grill. Our server came over to the table and introduced himself, saying “Hello, my name is David” as he pulled out a crayon and scrawled his name right on the table. He went on to welcome us, ask what we would like and assure us that he wanted us to have a good time today and to call for him by NAME if we needed anything at all. Other businesses, including Sam’s Club and Safeway have taken the practice one step further. Each employee has a name tag which allows us to call them by name. They use technology and our name on membership cards to thank us by name for coming to their store. The Safeway at Chandler and 40<sup>th</sup> Street has been where I do my weekly shopping since we moved to the Valley of the Sun in 1992. Through familiarity and the regular exchange of names, we have come to know each other.\n\nAl is always available with a smile to help me find a special ingredient or item. Linda has been ringing up my orders for years.  If I see her behind one of the registers, that is the direction my cart veers - even if the line is shorter on row over.  Steven is often there to help me take my overloaded basked to the car and fills me in on the things he has been doing or how his family is getting along.\n\nWithin a short drive from my home, there are six supermarkets within a very small radius, including another Safeway. They all have coupons, bargains and specials. But I always go back to the same one. Not because it is closest or cheapest, but because we are on a first name basis and I know that I can get what I need there. It is not just store policy, or a marketing gimmick. It’s a connection.\n<h4><strong>What’s in a name?</strong></h4>\nWhen I launched my own business in 2002, I had to answer a lot of questions. The most important being…what was our reason for being in business? This broke down further to… what would we offer, who we would serve and how we best serve them.?\n\nMy personal passion was innovation, doing something in a new way to make life better for the people who matter. Helping other organizations create innovative ways to achieve their business goals became the central focus of our company – our core purpose.\n\nWhen I started to research possible names, it all came back to who and what we were. We had a strong, motivating drive to our core purpose. We helped others discover and capitalize on their core purpose in innovative ways. We became <a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\">CorePurpose, Inc.</a>\n\nToday, companies come to us to help them refocus, to grow, to make the most of what they have, or find the things they need to realize their own core purpose. We get calls from around the country and around the world asking about what we do and how we do it.\n<blockquote>Our name and our reputation brings customers to our door.  The work we do brings them back.  ~ Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<h4><strong>What about your business? What does your name say about you? What do people think of when they hear it? </strong></h4>\nIf you do not know, there is a simple test.   <strong>Ask the question!</strong> Most people will be happy to tell you what they think and are pleased to be asked. You might be surprised what you hear. What your customers tell you is what they perceive your purpose and value to be.\n\nWhat they think of when they hear your name matters the most. Their perception of your business and the value it brings when linked to your name becomes your brand. If you like what you hear, maximize the message in the marketplace. If you are not hearing what you want – you may have some work to do.\n\nJust as a business brand links your name to what the markets perceives you to be, you have a personal brand that links your name to how those around you see you. What you do and how you do it becomes tied to your name. Your personal brand may change depending where you are. In my case, when I am around the school or at the hockey rink, I am well known as Chris Walker or Nick Walker’s Mom. My brand is directly linked to theirs. My claim to fame is directly linked to what they do and who they know. In the business and philanthropic community, my brand is more closely linked to the personal values I exhibit in my work with customers, organizations I volunteer with, or associations I belong to. In the case of my personal brand, what they see is what I get. What I do becomes what my personal brand is perceived to be.\n\nAsk yourself – what is my personal brand? Ask your friends. You might be surprised by what you hear.  If you like the answers you get, build on it. If you don’t like the answers, get to work.\n\nSo, do you know my name? Will I know yours? Whether you look at this question personally or in terms of your business, the answer may be one of the most important ones you ever hear.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n\nJoan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:f60b14f7-193d-4989-9e4b-f961e9ec1b2c\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Names\">Names</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/branding\">branding</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/marketing\">marketing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/reputation\">reputation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\">business tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurship\">entrepreneurship</a></div>','Do you know my name?','','inherit','open','open','','1468-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:28:01','2012-08-19 21:28:01','',1468,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1468-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2590,2,'2009-08-23 23:03:29','2009-08-23 23:03:29','One of the biggest mistakes we can make as innovators and business leaders is to assume that we automatically know what our customers want, need, <span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">and</span> are willing to buy.\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/readysetgrow2.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/readysetgrow2_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"readysetgrow2\" width=\"220\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a>I<strong> learned that lesson the hard way in 2004 when I came up  with a \'brilliant\' idea. </strong>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\">CorePurpose, Inc</a>., the company I founded in 2002, would run a 12 month lecture series with thought leaders from across the country.\n\nWe were smack dab in the middle of a down turn.  People were looking for answers and strategies to help turn things around.  And of course - <strong>I knew</strong> who had the answers.  I would bring them to town, one each month, and help all the small businesses by giving them access to ideas and talent as a group that they could not afford individually. I was really excited!\n\nThe folks at the Phoenix Business Journal also thought it was a great idea and featured the program with a <a href=\"http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2004/01/05/story7.html\">full page story</a> to kick things off in January 2, 2004.  Doug Brodman and my friends  at <a href=\"http://www.avimail.com/\">AVI Communications</a> created an incredible 12 month interactive marketing campaign highlighting each month\'s speaker in addition to the ads (like the one above)that would run each month in the Business Journal .  We had a sure fire hit!\n\nWell, maybe not.  While we had gotten great feedback in designing the program as to the topics of interest, the areas of need, and the program\'s price, we failed to ask one key question:\n<blockquote>Would they, as business owners, make the investment <strong>of their time</strong> to attend twelve half day sessions throughout the year?</blockquote>\nIt turns out that for many in our target market, the answer was no!  Instead of standing room only crowds, the room was half full each month.  Still, we held to our commitment to provide all twelve sessions.  Those that attended loved the program.  CorePurpose got lots of critical acclaim from the economic development community and even won awards.\n\nThrough out the year, we kept asking potential customers - many of whom we had talked to during the design process - what we needed to do differently.  In almost every case we got the same answer.\n<blockquote>They could not afford the time away from the office when times were so tough.  The perceived benefit did not exceed the perceived cost... of their time!</blockquote>\nIn the end, the program lost over $60,000 dollars because I assumed I knew the answer to one very important question and did not ask it.\n\nBack then, that was a BIG hit to take.\n\n<strong>So what is the moral to this story?</strong>\n\nWhen you are designing products or services, be sure that you look outside your organization and ask ALL the important questions.\n\nGet with professionals to help you design accurate assessments of market needs AND your target customer\'s willingness to adopt what you are creating <strong>before</strong> you commit to investing your time and money to create a product or service that customers may say they want - but may not be willing or able to buy.\n\nAnd for me - as a personal reminder - this ad has a place of honor on my office wall.  It stands as a reminder to be sure to look outside of the company, to talk to customers and prospects, and to ask <strong><span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">all</span></strong> the right questions - FIRST.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n\nJoan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:631b6b2d-3908-4d62-ab36-178a2e4c7cc3\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Ready%20Set%20Grow\">Ready Set Grow</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Market%20Research\">Market Research</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Listening%20to%20customers\">Listening to customers</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Asking%20the%20right%20questions\">Asking the right questions</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\">business tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurship\">entrepreneurship</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/small%20business\">small business</a></div>','Looking Outside','','inherit','open','open','','1467-revision','','','2009-08-23 23:03:29','2009-08-23 23:03:29','',1467,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1467-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(2591,2,'2012-08-19 21:46:52','2012-08-19 21:46:52','<p>Is it the effort or the result that matters most?&nbsp; As adults and business owners, we tend to focus more on results while as parents we tend to place the emphasis on the effort as it relates to the activities of our children.</p> <p>Yesterday,&nbsp; my friend Michele Mathews <a href=\"http://twitter.com/tymlee\">(@Tymlee</a>) sent out this funny video from YouTube. (You might want to mute your computer or turn the sound down, it is a little shrill.) </p> <p></p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:1a8f5fe0-5f22-4dcc-bf6b-977cf6330a29\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\"><div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4agJTzVsiBE]</div></div> <p></p> <p>It can be argued that the baby is definitely making an effort - but from an adult\'s perspective - we might say the baby failed because the hula hoop is not spinning. </p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp; But wait - maybe we\'re not applying the right metric.</p> <p>Fitness experts recommend hula hoops for children and adults to improve balance (check one - the baby does not fall), for exercise (check two - that\'s some cardio work out on baby\'s part), and for enjoyment (check three for the baby - did you see that smile!)&nbsp; So even though the hoop\'s not spinning, three major goals were achieved.</p> <p>With my children, I have never required straight A\'s or that they be the star player on the team.&nbsp; Instead, all I asked is that they always did their best.&nbsp; When they did,&nbsp; they got lavish praise, just like in the video with the baby. Often the results were mixed, but it was the learning process and the effort that the measurements and praise were based on.&nbsp; In the long run, I could not be more proud of what my boys have achieved so far in their lives.</p> <p>In the workplace as a leader, I have always focused on results.&nbsp; I\'ve even based my own business, <a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\">CorePurpose</a>, on results orientation.&nbsp; It\'s what investors and owners are expected to do.&nbsp; But now, I am wondering if some of the things that we accomplish and learn along the journey may not&nbsp; be as important if not more important than the arbitrary and often short term metrics we set as adults and business people to measure success.&nbsp; </p> <p>Hmm, maybe, just maybe, it\'s time I start thinking more like a parent - all the time.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6acdc2b5-f2c4-485c-9e93-9ebe0fb1aec9\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/parenting\" rel=\"tag\">parenting</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/results\" rel=\"tag\">results</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/measuring%20effort\" rel=\"tag\">measuring effort</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/metrics\" rel=\"tag\">metrics</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/success.\" rel=\"tag\">success.</a></div></blockquote>','What\'s more important, effort or results?','','inherit','open','open','','1466-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:46:52','2012-08-19 21:46:52','',1466,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1466-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2592,2,'2012-08-19 21:47:04','2012-08-19 21:47:04','I remember my grandmother quoting the poem “For the Want of a Nail...” to me as a child. Her message to me - all things great and small can have tremendous impact on the success or failure of what we are trying to achieve\"\n<blockquote>For want of a nail,\n\n<img src=\"http://www.farrierproducts.com/images/VTrack5C_001.jpg\" alt=\"V-Trak Nails 5 City\" width=\"196\" height=\"188\" align=\"right\" />the shoe was lost.\n\nFor want of the shoe,\n\nthe horse was lost.\n\nFor want of the horse,\n\nthe rider was lost.\n\nFor want of the rider,\n\nthe battle was lost.\n\nFor want of the battle,\n\nthe kingdom was lost.\n\n<strong>And all for the want of a horseshoe nail!\"</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\nAnonymous</blockquote>\nGrandma looked at life as a series of chapters, each full of choices, opportunities, goals and challenges. When one chapter ended, another commenced. You might not have control of all the twists and turns of the plot, but you could make a huge impact on how the story turned out.\n\nSo, why write an article about business - and that\'s what this is – with old proverbs and messages learned at Grandma’s knee? Because we often make business and business decisions much more complicated than they need to be!\n\nMany of the lessons we learned early on in our lives – when things were simple – can have a significant impact on business success. Simple lessons like –\n<ul>\n	<li>Look both ways...</li>\n	<li>Listen to your teacher</li>\n	<li>Look out for your brother</li>\n	<li>Don’t cry over spilt milk</li>\n	<li>You’ never know until you try</li>\n	<li>If you fall down – get up</li>\n	<li>You\'ll never finish if you don\'t get started.</li>\n</ul>\nOur lives and our businesses are made of a continuous series of little things – some that may seem important at the time but have little impact in the grand scheme and others that seem insignificant but can have a long and lasting affect. The trouble is that we lack perfect intuition or the crystal ball to determine what the important things are right now.\n\nThere may be some pretty big questions that you are be facing in your life or business in today\'s economy.  It pays to keep in mind that the simplest answers are often the right ones and, as in the case of the nail, one small thing can make a big difference. \n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7bd1ef38-eef8-42ae-b39d-ff229ff03b90\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Strategy\">Strategy</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Overcoming%20Challenges\">Overcoming Challenges</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\">leadership</a></div></blockquote>','How big of an impact can one thing make?','','inherit','open','open','','1465-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:47:04','2012-08-19 21:47:04','',1465,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1465-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2593,2,'2012-08-19 21:47:11','2012-08-19 21:47:11','<p>For those of you that have been following my <a href=\"http://littlelifestories.wordpress.com/category/driving-cross-country/\">Little Life Stories blog</a> over the past week, you know that I have had quite a bit of windshield time as my son and I drove the 2500 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to Brookfield, Connecticut.&nbsp; Over 40 hours in the car equated to that much time off-line.&nbsp; You should try it some time.&nbsp; Disengaging and taking the time to think without the constant demands of meetings, phone, or computer.</p> <p><a href=\"http://www.btco.net/ghosts/signals/direcsigns/directionalsigns.html\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"One Way\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/one-way.jpg\" width=\"286\" height=\"216\"></a>Now traveling down highways is the ultimate One Way Street.&nbsp; If someone decides to travel in the wrong direction - it\'s a recipe for disaster.&nbsp; </p> <p>But for most other areas of our life and business - traveling down the one way street is a very short sighted solution.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p>A very wise friend of mine taught me long ago that by extending yourself, engaging, and helping others there is a karmic affect.&nbsp; What you give comes back to you.&nbsp; This video tells the story...&nbsp; </p> <p></p> <div style=\"width:426px;display:inline;float:none;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:7a320163-9a8f-427d-9677-1062cbddd9ba\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\"><div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BVhWIetBH0]</div></div> <p></p> <p>A recent <a href=\"http://www.gloriafeldt.com/leadership/2009/8/18/is-social-media-your-best-leadership-toolkit.html\">blog post and developing exchange</a> with <a href=\"http://www.gloriafeldt.com/about/\">Gloria Feldt</a> on her blog \"Speaking Up\" under the category of Courageous Leadership really helped me bring my thoughts into focus in terms of social media interactions and my social media tool kit as a leader.</p> <p><strong>How does social media fit in my leadership tool kit?</strong>  <p>I loved that Gloria started off by recognizing that social media is a tool for leaders and not a strategy. Social Media - interactive websites, blogs, Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, and more are each separate tools that can be used separately and on concert to 1) deliver information and 2) interact with your audience, employees, customers, and community in general.&nbsp;&nbsp; These actions are the components of our strategy.&nbsp; The tools simply enable us to act more effectively.  <p><strong>The days of one-way communication are coming to a close.</strong>  <p>With the development of new social media platforms, we have entered into a new era of two-way communication that will allow us, as leaders, to develop stronger relationships, enhance communications, share ideas, and collaborate.  <p>I am just learning to use these new tools to facilitate these interactions. The more I learn, the better a communicator and ultimately a leader I can become.  <p><strong>Here is a short story to illustrate what effectively using social media tools can do.</strong>  <p>Gloria and I met at an ASU Women in Philanthropy event in 2002. Since then we exchanged holiday cards, read an occasional newsletter or email, and were loosely connected. As we both began to use the newer social media tools, we began to more actively interact, follow each others projects, and introduce each other to friends with shared goals.&nbsp; Ultimately these conversations can lead to collaborations in the future. Basically, our communication has become a two-way street.  <p><strong>Are you still stuck on the one way street?</strong></p> <p>Not everyone is taking advantage of this opportunity.&nbsp; Often I continue to&nbsp; come across others in the social media and business worlds who are still stuck on that \"one-way street\" mode of communicating.&nbsp; They continue to PUSH information out while failing to take advantage of the opportunity to PULL information in by engaging with their social media communities.&nbsp; Until they do, they will run the risk of missing out on great new ideas, critical information, or opportunities to collaborate, and make a difference in their businesses, their personal interactions, and their communities - where ever they may be.</p> <p>It\'s kind of sad - I hate to see anyone miss opportunities - but in the end, that is their choice.&nbsp; Their decision just creates more available opportunities for those of us choosing to travel down \"two way streets\".</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned.</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:0cbbd8c1-0b92-4d82-a27a-7e57689ae616\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Technorati%20Tags:%20Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Technorati Tags: Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Social%20Media\" rel=\"tag\">Social Media</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter\" rel=\"tag\">Twitter</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Facebook\" rel=\"tag\">Facebook</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Blogs\" rel=\"tag\">Blogs</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/one%20way%20communication\" rel=\"tag\">one way communication</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/two%20way%20communication\" rel=\"tag\">two way communication</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/strategy\" rel=\"tag\">strategy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a></div>','The End of the One Way Street','','inherit','open','open','','1464-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:47:11','2012-08-19 21:47:11','',1464,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1464-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2594,2,'2012-08-19 21:47:17','2012-08-19 21:47:17','<p>Looking inside our organization and accurately assessing where and what we are isn’t always easy.</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04388011.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0438801[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04388011_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"138\"></a> Because we live where we are every day, we often do not see the little things all around us. </p> <p>Many changes, for good or bad, are gradual. If we are living them every day, we may not notice the change. It\'s like a pearl growing in an oyster or the grass growing in your yard. You do not notice how much the grass grows each day, but go away on vacation for two weeks and you immediately notice the difference on your return.</p> <p>OK, so we need to take stock inside our organization, but what are we looking for?  <p>The first key area to examine is <u>who you say you are</u>. A good place to start is with your core purpose and value statements.  <p><u><strong>What’s your core purpose?</strong></u>  <p>Your core purpose is what you are and what you work to be. Unlike mission statements that should be time bound, your core purpose is a continual quest and directing force. It is the first component in who you are as a company.  <p>The second component is the set of values that you adopt as an organization to realize that core purpose. Your values point your people towards HOW they will realize the organization’s core purpose. How they will deal with each other and how they will deal with customers and partners. These values drive your organizational behaviors – what you do day in and day out.  <h5><strong>Let’s look at an example</strong>.</h5> <p>My own company, CorePurpose, Inc., (<a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com/\">www.corepurpose.com</a>) is a distributor of value added services and outsourced solutions. We work with companies ranging from start ups to the <i>Fortune 500<sup>®</sup></i> to establish where they are, where the want to be and how to get there. We then build solutions from our portfolio of specialty service providers in the area of human resources, sales &amp; marketing, operations, finance and information technology.  <p><u></u> <p>At CorePurpose®, our core purpose is <strong><i>To Provide Services and Solutions that Build Businesses</i>.</strong> Everything we do in the company is focused on building businesses – our own – our partners – our customers.  <p>From that core purpose, we then determined our corporate values: People, Acceleration, Promises Excellence, and Results. If you look at the first letter of these words you will note that put together they form PAPER. This was done with specific intent since values are noting but words on paper without sustaining behaviors demonstrated every day.  <p>Looking at our corporate values, we can break them down into specific behaviors:  <p><u><strong>People</strong></u> – are the most important - no business exists without people – they are our employees, our partners, and our customers.  <ul> <li>We treat people with respect.  <li>We seek out diversity and partner with people who compliment our skill sets.  <li>We create services and solutions that are designed to make people successful in what THEY want to achieve</li></ul> <p><strong><u>Acceleration</u> </strong>– our customers and partners look to us to help get them where they want to be faster.  <ul> <li>We set aggressive but achievable milestones.  <li>We offer resources that allow things to happen faster.  <li>We do not wait and wonder. We are decisive and help our customers be decisive also.</li></ul> <p><strong><u>Promises</u> </strong>– to succeed we must be trusted. That means we must keep our promises.  <ul> <li>Be clear in the promises you make – gain shared understanding.  <li>Don’t EVER make promises you can not keep. Don’t over commit.  <li>Ask for help when you need it.</li></ul> <p><u><strong>Excellence</strong></u> – people choose to work with us because of the quality of what we deliver.  <ul> <li>As experts we stay at the top of our field.  <li>We know our facts and do not guess.  <li>If we don’t know – we say so - we find out – and communicate back.</li></ul> <p><u><strong>Results</strong></u> – it’s what we are looking for and what our clients and partners expect.  <ul> <li>We measure what matters.  <li>We do the job right the first time.  <li>When we achieve our result, we set the bar higher and start again.  <li>We deliver.</li></ul> <p><strong>If you worked at CorePurpose<sup>®</sup>, would you know what was expected of you? </strong> <p><strong>If you were the customer or partner, would you know what to expect? </strong> <p>Hopefully so. But as we all know, seeing is believing.  <p>Our employees, partners, investors,&nbsp; and customers watch what we do, and make their own assessment of the strength of our commitment to our core purpose and corporate values.  <p><strong>What we say is fine... but what we do is what really counts.&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong>&nbsp; <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...  <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#545454\" face=\"Verdana\">Joan Koerber-Walker</font></p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b23c9f19-4f3b-4307-997d-9a7010ad8d49\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Core%20Purpose\" rel=\"tag\">Core Purpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20strategy\" rel=\"tag\">business strategy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/core%20values\" rel=\"tag\">core values</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurs\" rel=\"tag\">entrepreneurs</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a></div> <p>&nbsp; <p>CorePurpose<sup>®</sup> is a registered service mark of CorePurpose, Inc.</p>','Looking Inward - What is your CorePurpose','','inherit','open','open','','1463-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:47:17','2012-08-19 21:47:17','',1463,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1463-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2595,2,'2012-08-19 21:47:25','2012-08-19 21:47:25','<p>One of the earliest lessons we learn as we make our way into the world is to “look both ways before we cross the street.” We heard it as children and have said it to our own. From a business perspective,– looking both ways translates more broadly to knowing that before you head out in a new direction, you must pay attention to the world around you.</p> <p><b><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04027801.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0402780[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04027801_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"183\"></a>Understanding Environment</b>  <p><b></b> <p>“Looking both ways” reminds us of the importance of taking a look at our environment. As we prepare to cross our first street, we are leaving the comfort of what we know with a goal of moving to a new location - the other side of the street.  <p>As business people and businesses – to be successful and achieve our goal safely – we need to know:  <blockquote> <p><b>Where we are...</b>  <p><b>Where our customers are...</b>  <p><b>Where our competition is...</b>  <p><b>Where our competition is going...</b>  <p><b>Where WE are going...</b>  <p><b>What resources we need to get there...</b>  <p><b>&amp;</b>  <p><b>Where do we get them?</b></p></blockquote> <p><b></b> <p>Why say we need to know <u>where we are</u>? It’s obvious, right?  <p>Not always. Often we are so busy trying to achieve the next objective or goal that we forget to step back and assess where we are today. If we do not take the time to really look at where we are today, we may miss those important “little things” that can have a major impact on to where we want to go.  <p>As we look at where we are, there are some important questions to ask. Some are based on what the organization looks like inside while others are external, how others see you. Both are critically important.</p> <p>So take the time to look both ways, it can make all the difference in your journey.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b1075f68-3083-47c1-a9e8-c23fc1160240\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/strategy\" rel=\"tag\">strategy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurship\" rel=\"tag\">entrepreneurship</a></div>','Looking Both Ways','','inherit','open','open','','334-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:47:25','2012-08-19 21:47:25','',334,'http://www.corepurpose.com/334-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2596,2,'2012-08-19 21:47:31','2012-08-19 21:47:31','One of the great secrets to getting better results in your business is the difference between knowing something and doing something.\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j03987451.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j03987451_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0398745[1]\" width=\"175\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a>Very often when you read a business book, blog or article, you may say to yourself, “I know that already.” And, you probably do.\n\nThe question is not if you know it – but rather, are you doing it? Are you using the knowledge?\n\nAs we build our strategy for better business results we must USE all we know and apply it to where our business is and where we want to take it to.\n\nNext time you read about a business strategy or process improvement and recognize it as conventional wisdom, take the next step and try to list the ways that you and your company are actually demonstrating it.  You might be surprised what you find.\n\nAsk Yourself...\n<blockquote>Are we doing this?\n\nAre we consistent?\n\nHow can we do this better?</blockquote>\nThe key here is the “WE”. Very often we assume that since we know what to do, others in our organization also know – and it is not always true. The key is to share what you know with your team and to act on it – together.\n\n  Thanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned.\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b6c01fc7-d427-47a3-b537-0f6878526b3b\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Strategy\">Business Strategy</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Conventional%20Wisdom\">Conventional Wisdom</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a></div></blockquote>','The Difference Between Knowing and Doing','','inherit','open','open','','1462-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:47:31','2012-08-19 21:47:31','',1462,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1462-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2597,2,'2012-08-19 21:47:39','2012-08-19 21:47:39','<p><b>The Impact of Services Mapping </b><b>on Employee and Customer Enthusiasm</b>  <p>In today’s challenging business environment, creating and maintaining <i>customer enthusiasm</i> can make the difference between business success and business extinction.  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04027761.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0402776[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04027761_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"198\"></a>Customers have more choices than ever before and expect higher and higher service levels relative to  <p>· product and service information&nbsp; <p>· choice between service offerings  <p>· tailored or custom services  <p>· quality of delivery  <p>· the quality of the buying experience  <p>Across industries, companies are discovering that of these 5 customer demands, the greatest is that of the buying experience.  <p>While a customer will forgive a service failure that is corrected promptly by a company’s enthusiastic employee ambassador, customers will migrate quickly from companies whose employees feel disenfranchised, even if the service is performed as promised.  <p><strong>But what is an employee ambassador, and where do you find one?</strong>  <p>The answer is simple, employee ambassadors are all around you. They are each member of your organization who touches a customer – directly or indirectly. To create enthusiastic employee ambassadors, organizations must provide a support system to foster enthusiasm that includes:  <p>· A consistent culture that reaffirms that each employee is key to the company’s success  <p>· A commitment to process, structure and continuous improvement that allows the employee to make promises to customers and gives the employee faith that their promises will be kept.  <p>As companies aggressively pursue the development and growth of services offerings and services revenue, it has become increasingly important, in fact, imperative for these firms to provide a consistent level of process, support and flexibility to support employees in their quest of keeping promises to customers resulting in the growth of high levels of customer and employee enthusiasm and the resultant customer loyalty and profitability.  <p>All of us want our employees and customers to be enthusiastic about the products and services we provide. <u>Employees can not be enthusiastic if they feel that they can not deliver what is promised, and customers will loose enthusiasm and go elsewhere if promises are not kept</u>. The question is how do we create that enthusiasm and keep it? One tool, created at Arizona State University, is the process of <b><u>Services Mapping</u></b>.  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/customer-enthusiasm-scc.jpg\"><img style=\"border-bottom:0;border-left:0;border-top:0;border-right:0;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Customer Enthusiasm SCC\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/customer-enthusiasm-scc_thumb.jpg\" width=\"416\" height=\"313\"></a>  <p>Cross functional teams across the spectrum of a product or service delivery create a “map” of the product and service delivery systems. The map is broken down into five levels:  <blockquote> <p><strong>Customer View &amp; Evidence:</strong>&nbsp; What does the customer see in the way of marketing materials, articles, and information about the product or service that brings them to your door?  <p><strong>Customer Contact:</strong> What does the customer experience when they first make contact with your Organization?  <p><strong>On Stage Employee:</strong> What are the tools, attitudes, and systems in place to support a positive employee/customer interaction and the employees confidence in making promises to customers?  <p><strong>Back Stage Employees:</strong>&nbsp; What are the tools, attitudes, and systems in place to support a positive interaction between the front line employee and those they must rely on behind the scenes.  <p><strong>Resources:</strong>&nbsp; What are the physical, financial, and technology resources on stage and back stage employees need to keep promises to each other and ultimately to customers. </p></blockquote> <p><strong>The Services Mapping process:</strong>  <p>· Provides an Overview so employees know “What to Do” when things go right and when they don’t.  <p>· Identifies weak links in the chain, so promises are kept more often!  <p>· Defines the Lines of Customer Interaction between customers and employees so the employee recognizes where they can have the most impact to the customer experience and the company’s goals.  <p>· Defines Lines of Internal Interaction defined between departments  <p>· Provides a basis for identifying and assessing cost, revenue, and capital invested  <p>· Creates a baseline for use in customer satisfaction and quality improvement efforts  <p>When service delivery processes work, promises are kept, employee enthusiasm increases and it spreads to customers. The result is greater profits as customers stay, and more importantly, through their enthusiasm, bring more customers via the strongest marketing tool in the arsenal, customer referrals!</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7a9df9df-26f9-4a79-bcba-4ffe164e6708\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Customer%20Service\" rel=\"tag\">Customer Service</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Customer%20Enthusiasm\" rel=\"tag\">Customer Enthusiasm</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Employee%20Enyhusiasm\" rel=\"tag\">Employee Enyhusiasm</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Services%20Mapping\" rel=\"tag\">Services Mapping</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Growth\" rel=\"tag\">Growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Process%20improvement\" rel=\"tag\">Process improvement</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Services%20Design\" rel=\"tag\">Services Design</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/BPI\" rel=\"tag\">BPI</a></div>','Want more business - Get a Map!','','inherit','open','open','','1461-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:47:39','2012-08-19 21:47:39','',1461,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1461-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2598,2,'2012-08-19 21:47:47','2012-08-19 21:47:47','<p>What was your New Year\'s resolution?&nbsp; Mine was to talk to at least two different people every day about what\'s happening in our economy and to explore opportunities.&nbsp; <p><img border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://www.bloggersbase.com/images/uploaded/original/a97cbe18973b0a26d838a1c73827860777bfbec5.jpeg\" height=\"232\">It had gotten to the point where I was afraid to turn on the radio, TV, or open the paper.&nbsp; The news was just too depressing.&nbsp; So I resolved to reach out into my community and observe things first hand.  <p>Since January 1st,&nbsp; I have met with and spoken to a lot of people in Arizona, across the US, and even abroad.&nbsp; And what I am hearing is encouraging.&nbsp; Yes, times are tough, but people are moving forward, innovations are happening, businesses are making changes to speed their recoveries, and investors are looking to invest in solid business plans.&nbsp; As I meet with friends and business colleagues, they in turn have introduced me to their friends...and I have returned the favor.  <p>Here are just a few of the wonderful things I have uncovered in my search for opportunities...  <ul> <li>One of my friends was working with a company with a great new product and service concept.&nbsp; They were getting ready to reach out to investors and showed me their developing plan.&nbsp; I even got to make some suggestions.&nbsp; Hopefully, they will help this company raise their next round of funding.&nbsp; They have a great concept.&nbsp; <li>I spent time with two executives in Detroit.&nbsp; One from GM and one from Ford.&nbsp; Some of the stories they shared were sad, but there were glimmers of hope as they talked about new developments and what those companies were doing to turn things around.  <li>A biotech researcher in San Diego was bubbling over with excitement when she shared news about a new development in the lab that could improve an long-standing medical process and ultimately save thousands of lives when it is brought to market.&nbsp; I told anther friend about it and he introduced me to the person I needed to meet to move the process along.  <li>A manufacturer in Arizona has created a new system to help restaurants be more competitive, improve processes, and save energy.&nbsp; Their business is growing by leaps and bounds.  <li>An architectural&nbsp; glass distributor in Michigan has taken their business global and not only grown substantially but has won high honors and awards along the way.  <li>Over the last weeks I have met with people looking to buy businesses and re-capitalize them, not just saving jobs, but with future growth... creating them.&nbsp; Oh, and they are finding the money for it too!  <li>Meetings have brought me in contact with incredibly talented CEO\'s and executives who are looking for their next big project.&nbsp; They were not sitting at home or hitting the links.&nbsp; They were out there just like me, sharing their expertise, serving on boards of directors, mentoring others, and helping to get things moving forward again.</li></ul> <p>With all of these encouraging stories bolstering my courage, I was brave enough to open the newspaper again. And what did I find?&nbsp; Well yes, there was news of layoffs and filings for Chapter 11 BUT there were also NINE full pages dedicated to positive stories just like mine.&nbsp; Stories of business owners and individuals sharing how they too are staying ahead of the downturn.&nbsp; </p> <p><br>I\'ve made it though seven months of keeping my New Year\'s resolution.&nbsp; I think I\'ll stick with it.&nbsp; Wouldn\'t you? </p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay&nbsp; Tuned.</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <p>Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Phoenix%20Business%20Journal\">Phoenix Business Journal</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/economy\">economy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Phoenix\">Phoenix</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Arizona\">Arizona</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/biotech\">biotech</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/capital\">capital</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/funding\">funding</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/positive%20media\">positive media</a>,<a href=\"http://redirectingat.com/?id=118X181&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ftechnorati.com%2Ftags%2Fnetworking\">networking</a></p>','Turning Things Around in 2009','','inherit','open','open','','1460-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:47:47','2012-08-19 21:47:47','',1460,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1460-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2599,2,'2012-08-19 21:47:54','2012-08-19 21:47:54','<p>Just as plants need water to grow - growing companies need cash.&nbsp;&nbsp; Why do you think they call it liquidity.  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04341311.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0434131[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04341311_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"163\"></a>So many times small business owners have trouble raising the cash they need to grow - not because it is not available but because they did not follow some basic steps to make their company bankable.  <p>We know that as individuals, we need to develop a credit history, pay our bills on time, and start small with our personal credit and build it up as we go.&nbsp; Why do we expect our business to be any different.  <p>Here are some tips you might want to consider if you want to improve your bankability:  <p>1.&nbsp; <strong>Your tax advisor may be saving you money on taxes and destroying you future ability to get a loan.</strong>&nbsp; Banks look at historical documents like your P&amp;L, Balance Sheet and TAX RETURNS as part of the data they use to decide if you are credit worthy.&nbsp; They need to have confidence that you will be able to repay what you borrowed.&nbsp; Year after year of tax returns showing little to no profits is NOT a way to inspire confidence in your banker.  <p>2. <strong>Get a personal business banker.&nbsp; It’s free!</strong>&nbsp; Of all my professional services providers - accountants, auditors, lawyers, etc.&nbsp; Only my personal banker spends the time to counsel me without handing me a bill for his services at the end.&nbsp; Plus - the more they know about my business, the more likely they are to introduce me to other businesses that might help my business grow or go to bat for me when I need it.&nbsp; When we grow - they grow as more money goes into my accounts and their bank.&nbsp; Its a win-win situation.  <p>3.&nbsp; <strong>Start small and work your way up.</strong>&nbsp; Open a line of credit for a reasonable amount to begin.&nbsp; Use it - pay it off.&nbsp; Use it - Pay it off.&nbsp; Show the bank that you know who to manage your credit relationship wisely and they will often reward you with higher lines of credit.  <p>4.&nbsp; <strong>Understand the different types of credit and diversify your portfolio.</strong>&nbsp; Many banks have great resources on line to help you calculate&nbsp; the type of credit that is right for you.&nbsp; A good example is Comerica Bank - one of the top small business lenders in the country.&nbsp;&nbsp; Go to <a href=\"http://www.comericabank.com/\">www.ComericaBank.com</a>&nbsp; and click the Small Business or Corporate tabs based on your company size.&nbsp; It is full of great information PLUS calculators to help you determine the right type of credit for what you might need.  <p>5. <strong>Monitor your progress.</strong>&nbsp; Talk to your personal business banker.&nbsp; Know what your Dunn and Bradstreet profile says about you.&nbsp; Create a credit portfolio and manage it like you do your stocks and other investments.&nbsp; <p>So you might want to work on your business credit - you never know when you might need it!  <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...  <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7360055c-b207-4bb3-adb4-6d422800fdba\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Small%20Business%20Lending\" rel=\"tag\">Small Business Lending</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurs\" rel=\"tag\">Entrepreneurs</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Start%20Ups\" rel=\"tag\">Start Ups</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Banking\" rel=\"tag\">Banking</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/loans\" rel=\"tag\">loans</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/credit\" rel=\"tag\">credit</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/capital\" rel=\"tag\">capital</a></div></blockquote>','Want to Grow your Small Business? Be Bankable.','','inherit','open','open','','1459-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:47:54','2012-08-19 21:47:54','',1459,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1459-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2600,2,'2013-05-11 21:49:38','2013-05-11 21:49:38','<a href=\"http://www.citrusheights.net/images/j0387733.jpg\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://www.citrusheights.net/images/j0387733.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"299\" height=\"214\" align=\"right\" /></a>Leadership is a popular topic.  The role of a leader is one that many aspire to.  Books and articles tell us that we need to be helping our children, our employees, and others around us to become leaders.\n\nBut what is a leader and why do we follow them?  For following is a key element of a leader\'s definition.\n<blockquote>You are not a leader,\n\nif no one is following you.</blockquote>\nIf only there was a key we could press to make a great leader and cause others to choose to follow.  Unfortuantely, there is no one answer or simple magic key to press.  Most would agree that the road to leadership is a journey.  You are not born a leader, you BECOME one.\n<h4>Belong... to a community</h4>\nLeaders do not stand alone on top of the mountain looking down upon their followers.  They are part of their communities.  We follow them because, by listening to what they say and watching what they do, they take us to a better place.  They lead the way for us and we follow their footsteps.\n<h4>Engender ... Trust</h4>\nWhen words and actions are authentic, congruent, and consistent, we feel secure in their leadership and in our following.  We know what we can expect from them and as followers we trust them to lead us in the right direction.  When our leaders get lost or confused, which often happens, leaders are human after all, some followers will drop away, while others will rally around to help a trusted leader get back on track.\n<h4>Cause ... things to happen</h4>\nLeaders act as catalysts, as agents that provoke or speed significant change or action within their communities, their businesses, or whatever their sphere of influence may be.  They do not act alone, but bring things about in concert with others.  They inspire others to think, to act, to do, to change.\n<h4>Open....  up to new opportunities</h4>\nLeaders are innovators.  They find new ways of doing things that make life better for their followers and for those around them.  Leaders understand that the most traveled path may not always be the best one.  They take the time to explore the options - old and new - to find the best way to travel towards their chosen destination.\n<h4>Mentor... develop, and support</h4>\nLeadership may be immune to the passage of time, but leaders are not.  Leaders come and leaders go.  That is why true leaders develop future leaders.  They know that being the sole leader in any group is a lonely job - but when you lead in the company of leaders, the journey get\'s shorter, and the road you travel less difficult. And most important of all, that when your time as a leader is through, there are others ready and able to continue the journey.\n<h4>Excel...  at putting the needs of others before their own</h4>\nLeaders excel in putting the needs of the whole before their own.  It seems at times this gets forgotten.  And these are the times when we see leaders get into trouble.  We\'ve seen it in politicians, in the kings of industry, with sports heroes, and in the Mom at the PTA.  When the person in front stops caring for the people behind them - sooner or later - those people will be gone.  And without followers, you are a leader no more.\n<h4>True leaders rarely have to shout.  Some of the most powerful words are spoken softly.</h4>\nThey issues orders - when they have to - and sometimes they do.  But more often than not, direction is provided through stories and shared experiences.  They lead the way through instruction, by demonstration, and sometimes by the simple act of taking another by the hand.\n<h4>The words of leaders may be written...</h4>\nso we can share them with others long after the leader is gone.  Take a look at the list of the best selling books of all time.  According to Wikipedia, the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books\">list of best-selling books</a> includes in it\'s top rankings the books on spiritual leaders: The <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible\"><em>Bible</em></a>, <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur\'an\">Qur\'an</a></em> (The Koran), <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Mormon\">Book of Mormon</a></em>, and  <a title=\"The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Truth_That_Leads_to_Eternal_Life\"><em>The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life</em></a>.  They are joined by the writings of a political leader - agree with him or not - Chairman Mao knew how to leverage the printing press with his <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Book\">Little Red Book</a></em>, a manual for raising young leaders, <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouting_for_Boys\">Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship</a></em>, and fictional journeys of life and leadership including <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tale_of_Two_Cities\">A Tale of Two Cities</a></em>,  <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings\">The Lord of the Rings</a></em>, and <em><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit\">The Hobbit</a>. </em>Shakespeare of course wrote stories of leaders and leadership too.  But since his were plays, not books originally, they did not make this particular list.  But it is not just the beauty of his words that made him immortal, it was the stories of leaders, of emperors, princes, and kings - be they mortal or fairy - that have stood the test of time.\n<h4>The world is looking for leaders</h4>\nFrom the beginning of human time until its end, there will always be a place in this world for leaders.  We need them in our homes, in our businesses, and in our communities.  We need them to get things started, to help us along the way, to instruct, to inspire, and at times to console.\n\nYes, the world is looking for leaders.\n\nAre you ready to make the effort - every day - to BECOME one?\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:550a40bb-1342-4fa5-86f4-0e15e3b30fa9\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leaders\">Leaders</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leasdership%20Lessons\">Leasdership Lessons</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership%20Speaker\">Leadership Speaker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business\">Business</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Leadership\">Business Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Community%20leadership\">Community leadership</a></div>','Leaders to Follow','Some tips on becoming a leader that others want to follow.','inherit','open','open','','1477-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:49:38','2013-05-11 21:49:38','',1477,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1477-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2601,2,'2013-05-11 21:49:42','2013-05-11 21:49:42','<p>One of the most important things any business can do is listen to feedback from its customers and partners and put it to good use. </p> <p>One of the worst is to assume that poor service or unfair dealings will go unnoticed.</p> <p><a href=\"http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/preview.aspx?AssetID=MPj0433180&amp;Query=angry&amp;Scope=22&amp;CTT=1&amp;Origin=EC790000121033&amp;QueryID=Hi5GPegSz0&amp;AssetCol=MPj0442299,MPj0442223,MPj0442232,MPj0438653,MPj0433180,MPj0422335,MPj0422733,MPj0400332,MPj0285144,MPj0262265,MPj0341936,MPj0341389\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px 5px 5px 10px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0433180[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04331801.jpg\" width=\"296\" height=\"199\"></a>Over the last week, I have seen a number of communications, sent by others, where social media platforms from email, e-newsletters, blogs, and Twitter have been used to point out serious breakdowns in service relationships.</p> <p>It used to be that if a customer or business partner was unhappy, you might get an earful.&nbsp; Or at the worst - you loose the relationship and they tell ALL their friends about it.&nbsp; But in today\'s new age of communications - it goes well beyond that.&nbsp; </p> <p>Service failures can become public knowledge VERY quickly as evidenced by two posts that I saw within 30 minutes of each other one evening on twitter.</p> <p>&nbsp;<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image40.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"image\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb40.png\" width=\"53\" height=\"53\"></a> </p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/zanesafrit\">ZaneSafrit</a> Wow. We will NEVER use @<a href=\"http://twitter.com/directv\">directv</a> again! Here\'s why: <a href=\"http://adjix.com/fx5t\">http://adjix.com/fx5t</a></p> <p>2576 followers on Twitter</p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/account/profile_image/hardaway?hreflang=en\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/340712315/madmen_icon_bigger.jpg\" width=\"52\" height=\"52\"></a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/hardaway\">hardaway</a> 3 TVs and none work. Cox in Phx much worse than @<a href=\"http://twitter.com/comcastcares\">comcastcares</a>&nbsp; ;-) at my neighbor to watch Obama:-)</p> <p>5387 followers on Twitter</p> <h4>In other cases, entire sites or profiles are dedicated to voicing customer displeasure:</h4> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/STATEFARM_SUCKS\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" alt=\"Angela Russell\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/338335372/Angela2_normal.jpg\" width=\"47\" height=\"47\"></a><strong><a href=\"http://twitter.com/STATEFARM_SUCKS\">STATEFARM_SUCKS</a></strong> Angela Russell ~ <a href=\"http://statefarmsucks.homestead.com/\">Please read</a> how the opportunistic predator State Farm took advantage of a widow &amp; 2 little girls.</p> <p>9440 followers on Twitter</p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/account/profile_image/cnsucks?hreflang=en\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/65052957/cnsguy_bigger.jpg\" width=\"46\" height=\"46\"></a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/cnsucks\">cnsucks</a> In addition to a twitter profile providing micro company reviews, <a href=\"http://www.companynamesucks.com/\">Company Name Sucks</a> has developed a website to capture them easily. They have over 1,000 company listings.</p> <p>4123 followers on Twitter</p> <p>(Note - the comments shown here are for illustration purposes and come from publicly available Twitter streams, websites or blogs.&nbsp; CorePurpose has not researched the associated claims or contacted the companies listed to offer an opportunity for a rebuttal.) </p> <h4>I\'m not taking sides in any of these disputes - that\'s not the point.</h4> <p>The point is that in today\'s social media world, dissatisfied customers have a forum to air their displeasure quickly and to a larger audience than ever before.</p> <p>But it\'s not just social media platforms. People are using a wide variety of electronic mediums to make their opinions known.&nbsp; And in some cases it is getting totally out of control...</p> <p>One example, I watched evolve this week was a dispute between a local businessman - who is fairly well known in our community, and his former business partners/service providers. </p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04386551.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0438655[1]\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04386551_thumb.jpg\" width=\"164\" height=\"244\"></a>The businessman posted a piece on his blog/email newsletter on Sunday with some pretty scathing remarks about the breakdown of his relationship with several of&nbsp; his former collaborators. (The post did not name names, but anyone who had watched his business evolve could figure out who they were.)</p> <p>Then on Tuesday, I received an email from one of the businessman\'s service providers containing the other side of the story.&nbsp; </p> <p>The message was making a case defending the service provider\'s actions and reputation.&nbsp; It included allegations of unfair dealings, a bounced check, unpaid bills, and worse on the part of the businessman. </p> <p>In this case the service provider was an electronic marketing company.&nbsp; I am assuming that his message went out to the businessman\'s entire contact database for the following reasons: 1) I did not know the sender but I did know the businessman and was in his database,&nbsp; and 2) many others in our community, who I assume were in the same database, received the same email.&nbsp; I know this because FIVE more of my friend forwarded the email to me within minutes of my receiving it directly.&nbsp; AND now there is a new blog up - cautioning people not to do business with the businessman&nbsp; and actively soliciting other stories of how the businessman is not a good person to partner with. </p> <p>It\'s a sad situation all the way around.&nbsp; No one will win this particular fight.&nbsp; They both are going to come out with black eyes.</p> <h4>What can we learn from this?</h4> <p>Unless your company is perfect, and I have yet to find one yet that is, sooner or later someone will be unhappy with your service.&nbsp; Here are a few tips to keep in mind.</p> <p>1.&nbsp; <strong>The best defense is a good offense.</strong>&nbsp; Continually review and update your service delivery processes to avoid service failures in the first place.</p> <p>2.&nbsp; <strong>When a service failure occurs - FIX IT.</strong>&nbsp; Respond promptly, courteously, and try a little empathy for the customer\'s position.&nbsp; In these cases, if you show flexibility and a willingness to solve a problem - you can turn things around.&nbsp; Lack of flexibility - as in the ZaneSafrit/ @directTV example - just makes matters worse.</p> <p>3. <strong>Know who is talking about you!</strong>&nbsp; Today\'s new media offers lots of tools so you can scan the landscape and hear what is being said.&nbsp; At minimum have a Google keyword search set up that flags you when your company name pops up automatically.&nbsp; You&nbsp; can also use tools like <a href=\"http://www.socialoomph.com/\">SocialOomph</a> to do the same thing on Twitter.&nbsp; - Hopefully you can then catch a mention like the one in the Hardaway/Cox example if you are paying attention.</p> <p>4. <strong>And as to putting up your dukes to start swinging in cyberspace</strong> - Please don\'t! Most of us do not want to be subjected to that.&nbsp; All though in the the long run, the lawyers may benefit when the fight escalates to the next level - and they very often do!</p> <h4>Yes, there are two sides to every story.</h4> <p>Unfortunately the negative ones tend to travel a lot faster than the positive ones.&nbsp; So take a tip from me and learn how to respond to feedback in this new media age.&nbsp; </p> <p>You\'ll be glad you did.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...</p> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;float:none;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:17f25a17-0527-4028-a36a-d5c61d74bfdd\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">LiveJournal Tags: <a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=joan%20koerber-walker\" rel=\"tag\">joan koerber-walker</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=corepurpose\" rel=\"tag\">corepurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=customer%20feedback\" rel=\"tag\">customer feedback</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=customer%20service\" rel=\"tag\">customer service</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=social%20media\" rel=\"tag\">social media</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=new%20media\" rel=\"tag\">new media</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=reputation\" rel=\"tag\">reputation</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=branding\" rel=\"tag\">branding</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=innovation\" rel=\"tag\">innovation</a></div> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:487ddb2e-55e5-44be-b003-d2a738edeaad\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/joan%20koerber-walker\" rel=\"tag\">joan koerber-walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/corepurpose\" rel=\"tag\">corepurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/customer%20feedback\" rel=\"tag\">customer feedback</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/customer%20service\" rel=\"tag\">customer service</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/social%20media\" rel=\"tag\">social media</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/new%20media\" rel=\"tag\">new media</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/reputation\" rel=\"tag\">reputation</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/branding\" rel=\"tag\">branding</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/innovation\" rel=\"tag\">innovation</a></div>','Responding to Feedback in a New Age of Communications','','inherit','open','open','','1476-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:49:42','2013-05-11 21:49:42','',1476,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1476-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2602,2,'2013-05-11 21:49:45','2013-05-11 21:49:45','<p><a href=\"http://www.wearebsm.com/managed_objects/crystal_ball2_bmwPreview.jpg\"><img align=\"right\" src=\"http://www.wearebsm.com/managed_objects/crystal_ball2_bmwPreview.jpg\" width=\"298\" height=\"196\"></a>When you are sixteen years old, you know everything.&nbsp; At least I thought I did.&nbsp; </p> <p>It was the summer before my freshman year of college at the University of Delaware.&nbsp; My Dad took the day off of work to take me to the main campus in Newark for freshman orientation.</p> <p>We met with counselors, took a tour of the campus, signed up for meal plans and went to the parent/new student barbecue.&nbsp; Over hot dogs and corn on the cob - my Dad asked me a question -</p> <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#545454\" face=\"Verdana\">Soon you will be in college.&nbsp; What will you study and what will you do with it?</font></p></blockquote> <p>With the unbounded certainty of youth, I declared.</p> <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#545454\" face=\"Verdana\">I want to be an Economist.</font></p></blockquote> <p>I had done my home work, researched careers, done summer internships to rule out what I did not want to be and to uncover what I did.&nbsp; I was going to study the science of business, of nations, of the the funds that flow through them, and the people who drive them...&nbsp; I was going to learn to predict the future.</p> <p>It was not until my senior year of college that I was introduced to a then comparatively new field of economic application - <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Econometrics\">econometrics</a>.&nbsp; The link will take you to a broader definition, courtesy of Wikipedia, but in short, econometrics combines the theory of economics with quantification and statistics to actually measure and predict economic outcomes.&nbsp; Using punch cards and a <a href=\"http://www.computermuseumgroningen.nl/manuals/burroughs.html\">Burroughs 7700</a>&nbsp; (a computer you now find only in museums) we learned to model past and present outcomes of the national and world economy.&nbsp; We learned about variables and assumptions and the impact they would have when combined together.&nbsp; And then came the rub.&nbsp; The greatest variables all of - perceptions of outcomes and the changes in people\'s behavior that would result from them.</p> <p>That\'s when it&nbsp; hit me.&nbsp; Once economists tell people what will happen - using their computerized crystal balls - people react to that information and change their behaviors.&nbsp; And, in that case, your model and your predictions would often be WRONG.</p> <blockquote> <p>Maybe I didn\'t want to be an economist after all - I hate to be wrong!</p></blockquote> <p>And so on graduation, I went into the world of business.&nbsp; Starting in banking, moving on to the emerging field of electronics and technology, and later into entrepreneurship.</p> <p>Almost 20 years after freshman orientation, I went back to school again.&nbsp; This time at Arizona State University in their executive MBA program.&nbsp; I did not go back to get my MBA for the degree - but for the learning.&nbsp; After almost 20 years in business - things had changed - the rules were different, and my crystal ball was in jeopardy of getting cloudy.&nbsp; And I began to see that it was not just my crystal ball that was flawed.&nbsp; We were at the peak of the Dot.Com Bubble - soon for many of us in the technology industry, the bubble would burst and our crystal balls would clear to show some serious cracks.</p> <p>In class, we learned about the many bubbles throughout history from Dr. Stephen Happel and the Blue Chip Forecasts from <a href=\"http://wpcarey.asu.edu/bluechip/\">Dr. Lee McPheters</a>.&nbsp; We went to Washington D.C. to see how it worked from the inside, and later to Europe and China to see the changes in our world first hand.&nbsp; But equally important, I learned what was happening in a wide range of businesses from my fellow students , leaders in healthcare, investments, and industry.&nbsp; </p> <p>It was a reminder of what I had learned long ago.&nbsp; That economics is not a subject but a study... of business, of nations, of the funds that flow through them, and the people who drive them.&nbsp; And so I began to study economics again on my own.</p> <p>As business people, perhaps we all should pay more attention to economics.&nbsp; </p> <p>You see, it\'s not what we study or even the answers that makes a difference.</p> <p>But what we do with the knowledge, once we find it, that most surely will.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned.</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a043ea66-c385-4b0a-b3d8-e38c340af6ec\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/economy\" rel=\"tag\">economy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/economists\" rel=\"tag\">economists</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/education\" rel=\"tag\">education</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/econometrics\" rel=\"tag\">econometrics</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/predictions\" rel=\"tag\">predictions</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/going%20back%20to%20school\" rel=\"tag\">going back to school</a></div>','When I grow up, I want to be... an Economist','','inherit','open','open','','1475-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:49:45','2013-05-11 21:49:45','',1475,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1475-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2603,2,'2013-05-11 21:49:48','2013-05-11 21:49:48','As a leader, one of the most damaging things that you can do in times of crisis is to do NOTHING.  As I have been listening to and reading about the ongoing national healthcare debate, one question keeps running through my mind.\n<blockquote>When are we going to stop talking about it ...\n\nand start doing something about it?</blockquote>\nAt one point in my career, from December of 2006 to December of 2008, I had the honor of serving as the CEO of ASBA, the Arizona Small Business Association, and on the Board of Trustees at NSBA, the National Small Business Association.\n\nAs the owner of a small business myself, I had seen the challenges faced by small business owners when it came to the accessibility and affordability of healthcare insurance.  At  the time, it was a personal issue I dealt with and not a major focus of my attention.\n\nThen came my role at ASBA  and a day when solving the healthcare problem, at least for small businesses in the State of Arizona, became MY problem.  This video is a clip from a talk I gave on the topic of Healthcare when ASBA  launched its solution for Arizona Small Businesses in 2008.  It started like this...\n<div id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:0d931389-3d15-46c8-b5aa-75a1957223b8\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"width:374px;display:inline;float:none;margin:0;padding:0;\">\n<div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKOfXlB_3Wo]</div>\n</div>\nPutting the health back into healthcare in the United States is not a simple problem.  In fact it\'s complexity is staggering.  Here are just a few of it\'s components - I know I will miss many more.  Don\'t pillory me for it.  Instead I encourage you to add to the list in the comments section of this post. (For more information, click the links to articles in each description.)\n<h4>Structural issues</h4>\nRight or wrong, our current system is is supported as an <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/07/making-cents-of-your-health-insurance-dollar.html\">insurance based system</a>.  Healthcare is paid for by Medicare/Medicaid (public insurance) or private insurance in most cases.  For those without adequate coverage, the costs can be financially crippling and their unpaid bills get paid by everyone else in the form of higher premiums as explained in <a href=\"http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1445\">this article</a> from Arizona State University\'s <a href=\"http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu\">Knowledge@WPCarey</a>.\n<h4>Ethical Issues</h4>\nWhat should we do?  Who should we help?  What should we pay for?  What should we not?  The answers to these questions reach into much deeper ethical, moral, and legal discussions on highly volatile issues including aging, illegal immigration, abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, and the quality and accessibility of care.  An that\'s just the tip of the iceberg! The study of BioEthics now even has it\'s own <a href=\"http://www.bioethics.gov/\">Presidential Commission</a>.\n<h4>Financial Issues</h4>\nIf you think this is all about health, think again.  The healthcare crisis in the US is a major economic issue as illustrated in this <a href=\"http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/02/health-care-costs-opinions-columnists-reform.html\">article from Forbes</a> on July 3, 2009.  In this <a href=\"http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/102xx/doc10297/06-25-LTBO.pdf\">report from the Congressional Budget Office</a> total spending on health care in the economy has doubled over the last 30 years to a current level of about 16% of GDP. CBO estimates that this percentage will double again over the next 25 years to 31% of GDP.  Today, it is estimated that as much as 60% of personal bankruptcies in the US are tied to healthcare related issues.  But if we do not get the costs,  and the resultant Federal deficits under control the fall out could be the greatest financial mess the world has ever seen.\n\nSolving the problem will need to address how to find new cost efficiencies in healthcare delivery, behavioral changes among the US population to reduce health risk factors, new protocols for treatment and cost management, and many many more issues.\n\nWe will also need to redesign our reimbursement systems.  Today, the set payment schedules for Medicare and Medicaid are below the actual costs the doctors and hospitals incur.  The short fall is then passed along to the costs charged to private insured and private payers  - a practice called <a href=\"http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/2/2/20.pdf\">cost shifting</a>.  But as we have seen, even this has not been enough to keep many medical centers and hospitals financially healthy - see this <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/06/AR2008070602334.html?hpid=topnews\">July 7, 2008 article</a> from the Washington Post for a good explanation of the problem and since this was written the problem has only gotten worse.\n<h4>Technology Issues</h4>\nIn recent years, we have looked to technology to solve other problems - it will work for healthcare too, right?  Unfortunately not.  While US healthcare, for those that can afford it, is some of the best in the world, each advancement has a price and contributes to the rising healthcare costs.\n\nE-medical records, a popular topic earlier this year when major funding was allocated as part of the stimulus package by Congress will pay off over time, but not in the immediate future as it carries a high price for implementation.  <a href=\"http://www.himss.org/content/files/EMRCost-BenefitReality.pdf\">This presentation</a> by Michael H. Zaroukian, MD, PhD, FACP of Michigan State University helps break it down.\n\nBreak throughs in Pharma and Biotech will help us improve quality of life, aid in early detection, and treatment of chronic diseases.  (A major portion of today\'s healthcare spend.) But, today\'s legislation has little to do with funding support for these technologies at they level that will be required to really speed up the process.\n<h4>State Sovereignty Issues</h4>\nMany of the factors that are driving up the costs of the healthcare system are legislated on a state by state basis.  Congress will have a problem making any real change here without overriding or <a href=\"http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20060606095331-23055.pdf\">preempting</a> many state laws.  These include the costs of <a href=\"http://advance.uconn.edu/2009/090223/09022302.htm\">defensive medicine</a> and <a href=\"http://www.mpmlc.com/\">malpractice insurance costs</a> that will continue to escalate until we reform our tort systems at the state level. In addition, <a href=\"http://www.cahi.org/cahi_contents/resources/pdf/HealthInsuranceMandates2008.pdf\">mandates</a> on a state by state level require that certain care or services be provided and covered.  Each and every one of these items has a cost.  Thus the cost of providing healthcare can fluctuate significantly from state to state.\n<h4>Personal Responsibility Issues</h4>\nIf you have noticed, so far, the focus has been heavily on what \'they\' have to do to fix the problem.  But there is another major issue that can not be overlooked - and that is our own personal behaviors.  It has been said that the US has a sick care system, not a health care system.  But the shift from sick care to a health focus is not in the government\'s hands, it\'s in ours.  It has been estimated that regular check ups can play a major role in early detection of chronic disease and that early detection leads to major cost savings - not to mention longer lives.  Yet at the same time, a large majority of those of us who have a wellness plan as part of our health insurance don\'t even use it. Health in the US population did not get a great score on it\'s report card in 2008 as you can read in this <a href=\"http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860289_1860561_1860562,00.html\">article from Time</a>.\n<h4>Uncertainty Issues.</h4>\nAnd running through it all is  the issue of uncertainty.  None of us know what is going to happen at this point.  Businesses are putting off health insurance decisions and states are in a quandary as to what they should be doing - if they could even pay for it.\n\nHospitals, doctors, and insurance companies alike are delaying the launch of new programs that could help make a difference because they have yet to learn the new rules of the game.  Basically, progress has stopped!\n<h4>The Ugly Truth</h4>\nNo one piece of Federal legislation will have the magic prescription to solve this problem.  And for all the shouting, the final bill that will be voted on by the House and the Senate does not even exist yet.  Then and if they can get it through Congress this session, it will be an ongoing process for years to structure all the regulations, set up systems, start a never ending process of revisions, and have any lasting effect.\n\nNo matter what we do or how the system changes, some will benefit more than others. Some people will pay more, and some will pay less.  New systems will emerge, and others will fail.\n\nBut we will never have any improvements if we do not take the first step.  And If we fail to make improvements, our healthcare structure will ultimately fail.  We already  know that the foundation is seriously damaged.\n\nTo wrap things up, there is an old fable about a man who claimed he could eat an elephant.  When other\'s scoffed that it was impossible to do so, he simply shared his strategy...\n<blockquote>You do it one bite at a time.</blockquote>\nWell today, putting the health back into healthcare is our elephant - and it is well past time we took that first bite.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:807e7832-a085-48ff-897a-9462b0f7ba07\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/ASBA\">ASBA</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare\">healthcare</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare%20reform\">Healthcare reform</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare%20crisis\">healthcare crisis</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/small%20business\">small business</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Arizona\">Arizona</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrpreneurs\">entrpreneurs</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\">leadership</a></div>','Curing Healthcare - you have to start somewhere','','inherit','open','open','','1474-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:49:48','2013-05-11 21:49:48','',1474,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1474-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2604,2,'2013-05-11 21:49:51','2013-05-11 21:49:51','<img src=\"http://jonathanpaulmusic.com/blog_media/2009/2009-06-15-disapproval-837748_28386314.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"289\" height=\"233\" align=\"right\" />Listening to the radio news this week, I heard again that President Obama\'s approval rating is continuing to drop. Whether it is his handling of economic issues, healthcare, congress, or a post Labor Day address to school children, we are a nation divided.  Some people love him, some people don\'t, and many are stuck somewhere in between.\n\nNow, the purpose of this note is not to open a discussion on whether President Obama is worthy of approval or not.  We\'re going in a different direction.  We\'re exploring what to expect as a leader in the business world.\n\nI have been through my share of leadership training throughout my career, and there is one thing they rarely if ever tell you.\n<blockquote>When you are a leader driving change or making tough decisions - there may be people who will REALLY not like you.</blockquote>\nIt does not matter how great you are as a speaker, how authentic you are as a person, how charismatic a leader you are, or even how solid your strategy is.\n\nEventually you will bring about a change that threatens someone\'s sense of balance, personal well being, or sense of security through your decisions, and they will make their displeasure known - LOUD AND CLEAR.\n\nSometimes you can predict and plan for it, and sometimes you can\'t.  Blow ups can occur over major issues and decisions or the seemingly trivial.\n\nBut be prepared - sooner or later is bound to happen!\n\nThis illustration from <a href=\"http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/jobapproval-obama.php\">Pollster.com</a> really helps put things in perspective.  The President\'s approval rating hit its peak after the election but before he was actually making <span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">any</span> true presidential decisions.    Once his decisions.\n<h4>This challenge is not unique to Presidential Leadership.</h4>\nAll Summer, legislative leaders across the country have struggled with tough decisions on budgets that won\'t balance, whether to raise taxes or not, and where and how much to cut in programs that directly effect no win issues like education, social services, and hampering economic recovery by a heavy tax burden - remember - no economic recovery - no job recovery!\n\nDifficult decisions and cuts lead to public outcries from all sides, as exemplified in this <a href=\"http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/23/news/economy/state_budget_gaps/index.htm\">July 25th article and video from CNN.Money.com.</a>\n\nAnd, as soon as they think they have the problem solved, new gaps open or new conflicts arise, including Gubernatorial Vetoes.\n\nToday\'s environment is definitely not a pleasant one for political leaders at any level.\n<h4>Shifting to Business</h4>\nAs business leaders, we deal with our own sets of issues and decisions every day.\n\nSome are large and some are small, but at any level of authority we often have to make tough decisions that will not be viewed positively by everyone.\n\nHere are some lessons I have learned along my leadership journey:\n<blockquote>The higher up you are on the leadership ladder, the broader the reach and scope of your decisions and the more people you affect positively and negatively.\n\nThe closer an unfavorable action get\'s to an individual\'s personal life, the more vocal the dislike can become.\n\nListen to your detractors - sometimes they are voicing something you need to hear that your friends and supporters are not telling you.\n\nDeal with detractors respectfully, even if they do not return the courtesy.\n\nYou can\'t take it personally - even if their attacks turn personal.\n\nLogic rarely trumps emotion when change hits close to home for people.  Especially when that emotion is concern or fear.</blockquote>\nWhile you may try to work with your detractors, you have to eventually to move on.  To paraphrase President Harry Truman, as a leader, the buck will stop with you and you will need to do what you think is best.  And then, you live with it.\n\nLuckily, most leaders will have more supporters than not.  But eventually, somewhere along the way - you will find those few that will not come around.  And when you do, just remember, you are not alone.\n\nMost of us have been there at one time or another.  It comes with the territory.\n\nThanks for stopping by.   Stay Tuned.\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:8019a385-fbf3-46ef-94c8-37b968ca1f1a\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Political%20leadership\">Political leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20leadership\">Business leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/detractors\">detractors</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/approval\">approval</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/dealling%20with%20disapproval\">dealling with disapproval</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/President%20Obama\">President Obama</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/approval%20rating\">approval rating</a></div>','Leaders, Don\'t Expect Everyone to LIKE You','','inherit','open','open','','1473-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:49:51','2013-05-11 21:49:51','',1473,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1473-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2605,2,'2013-05-11 21:49:54','2013-05-11 21:49:54','Earlier this summer, I was asked by my friend, Dr. Julie Smith David of the Arizona State University Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology <a href=\"http://wpcarey.asu.edu/seid/cabit/index.cfm\">(CABIT)</a> to present on Twitter Applications for Business.  I will be speaking there on Tuesday September 8th.  If you read this in time and would like to attend, the contact information is provided below. Best of all it\'s free.\n\n<a href=\"mailto:julie.smith.david@asu.edu\"><img title=\"0809 Showcase Invitation Restart Fall_web\" src=\"http://wpcarey.asu.edu/seid/cabit/images/0809-Showcase-Invitation-Restart-Fall_web_1.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"0809 Showcase Invitation Restart Fall_web\" width=\"401\" height=\"162\" /></a>\n\nI was incredibly honored to be asked, but I had to wonder... why would they want ME?\n\nI am not a social media expert let alone a twitter expert.  I\'m simply a business executive and corporate strategist trying to figure out where all this stuff fits.\n\nI have yet to find all the answers, but one thing has become very clear.\n<h4><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://www.newsungroup.com.tw/images/proimg/001.10%20PIECE%20PREMIUM%20COMFORT%20GRIP%20SCREWDRIVER%20SET.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"269\" height=\"269\" align=\"right\" />Social media is simply a tool.</h4>\nThink about your social media tool kit like a set of screw drivers.  You have different types of screw drivers for different needs.  Sometimes you use them alone or sometimes you use them together.  We use screw drivers as tools to help us...\n<ul>\n	<li>Build things</li>\n	<li>Take things apart</li>\n	<li>Make adjustments</li>\n	<li>Fix what\'s broken</li>\n</ul>\nThe same screwdriver can be used to fix a broken electrical socket or to build a nuclear power plant.  It all depends on the the goal you set, the plan you develop, and how you go about executing.\n\nThe same can be said about social media.  Websites, Video like YouTube and Vimeo, Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are simply tools we use to create conversations, build communities, listen to our customers, and deliver our message.  These tools can help us as business people to do the very same things that the handy screwdriver can do - Build, Disassemble, Adjust, and Fix what\'s broken.\n\nJust remember - the tool is NOT the strategy.  It\'s simply something you can use to achieve the goals you set.  Your message however IS a key component in any strategy.  It\'s how you share what you are trying to accomplish.  That\'s where social media fits for business - as a community building messaging tool.\n\nYou simply need to choose the right combination of tools to drive your message home.\n\nSince Tuesday\'s talk will be focused on Twitter - here are some tips for using Twitter as a tool for what it is best at:  Community Building, Customer/Audience Interaction, and Message Delivery.\n\nIn any good strategy you start with a goal, develop specific tactics, choose your tools and people resources, establish metrics or milestones, and execute while adjusting as needed.\n\nTwitter, like the screw driver, works best when combined with other tools for more complex projects.  Here is a listing of tools and tips you can use with Twitter to make it more effective.\n<h4>Community Building:</h4>\n<a href=\"http://www.twellow.com/\">Twellow</a> is a great tool for finding people with shared interests.  You can search by key words like Information Technology, CEO, Entrepreneur, Leadership...you get the picture.  You can also search by locations (City, State, etc) if you are trying to build community in a specific region.  You can find people you want to follow and if you are offering good content in return, many will follow you back.\n\nConversely, for the people you might want to avoid - <a href=\"http://www.twitchuck.com\">TwitChuck</a> is a good resource.  In a matter of minutes, it can scan your friends and followers to identify known spammers and other inappropriate tweeters like porn sites and bots.  (You can also check your own reputation to ensure that you are considered a \'Good\" person to follow.\n\nAs you are getting started, and even after you are well established, Twitter imposes follow limits. These are important to know and understand.  You can read them <a href=\"http://help.twitter.com/forums/10713/entries/14959\">here</a>.\n\n<strong>Be Friendly!</strong> When someone follows you, I believe it is common courtesy to give them a follow back.  If they then abuse the courtesy with spam or inappropriate content - you can unfollow them or even block them so they can not come back later.  To save time you can automate this process using <a href=\"http://www.socialoomph.com/\">SocialOomph</a> (formerly known as TweetLater.)  This service will automatically follow people that follow you - a BIG time saver.  The service also has a feature for auto replies when people follow you.  This I highly recommend NOT doing.  It is a common practice of spammers and by veteran twitter users is considered very uncool!\n\nAnd whatever you do - DO NOT SPAM your followers.  The point is to offer helpful information, share ideas, and create value to your followers.  If all you do is talk about your products, your blog, your ideas and never interact with others - people will stop reading your posts very quickly! Even worse, people can block you - ruining your online reputation.\n\nAlso, unless you are intentionally forming a closed group - DO NOT protect your tweets.  This is counter to the whole principle of building a community.  Plus for many third party tools, they will not be able  to see them and people will not find or follow you!\n<h4>Customer/Audience Interaction</h4>\nOK - you may be thinking - I am looking at this as a BUSINESS tool.  What do you mean it\'s not all about me and my product or service!\n\nThink about twitter as a giant focus group.  As you build a community you have an opportunity to listen to what current or potential customers are tweeting/talking about.  People who follow you have shown some level of interest -  their opinions count!\n\nYou can even use <a href=\"http://search.twitter.com/\">Twitter Search</a> to find people who are talking about your company or your product - or your competitors.  Talk about a great market research tool!  Then you can choose to follow them and join the conversation.\n\nInteracting with customers means listening, starting a conversation, and engaging them.  To do this - think about what you want your Twitter brand to be before you start.  It may be that you need multiple profiles for different customer groups, products, or for you corporate message as opposed to that of your CEO for instance.  That was appropriate for me over time and in the end I developed FIVE different Twitter profiles based on the type of information I choose to share.  <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/my-profiles-on-twitter.html\">This post</a> helps explain it.\n\nThe first rule of interaction is always - You get what you give.  Follow people, share interesting content, and offer value, and that\'s what you will get in return.\n<h4>Message Delivery</h4>\nNow we get to the important part - message delivery.  The point of Twitter for business is that you want to START a conversation that can be continued.  Sometimes you can do that exclusively in the twitterverse, but more often that not, you want to be more expansive - that\'s where your website, blog, Facebook page, LinkedIn Group, or other social media tools come into play.  You can use Twitter to invite people to view your other content platforms.  Does it work - Absolutely.  Here is an example.\n\nI have two blog sites for my company.  One on <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/\">TypePad</a> and one on <a href=\"http://www.joankoerber-walker.com\">WordPress</a>.  They have exactly the same content and have been around for the same amount of time.  The TypePad Blog gets promoted on Twitter.  The WordPress blog using simple SEO.  Now the real test.  Does Twitter make a difference?  YES!  The TypePad blog has 100 times more RSS subscribers and 500 times more visitors after only 9 months! Oh and my website - <a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\">CorePurpose.com</a> gets more traffic today that it ever did with managed SEO alone.\n<h4>How much time does all this take?  I can\'t be on  Twitter ALL day!</h4>\nThis sounds like a lot of work and  a lot of time.  But after you get things set up efficiently, it does not have to be.  Personally - my \'Twitter Time - is less than 2 hours total each day - and that includes all of the reading of the articles and other tidbits I share that I would be accessing anyway.\n\n<strong>Here are some of the tools that help me be more efficient.</strong>\n\nTwitter itself is not the most user friendly interface for day to day management of large communities.  If you are managing multiple profiles - <a href=\"http://www.seesmic.com/\">Seesmic</a> is my tool of choice.  For single profile users, <a href=\"http://www.tweetdeck.com\">TweetDeck</a> is also a popular alternative.\n\nGoing to be away from the computer and want to schedule tweets for a different date or time?  Both SocialOomph and my favorite <a href=\"http://www.hootsuite.com/\">HootSuite</a> can allow you to put your tweets on autopilot cleanly and professionally.\n\nIt\'s up to you to determine how much time you give to Twitter.  Just remember you get back what you put into it.\n\nLastly - if it turns out that Twitter is a key tool for executing your strategy, there are lots of professional out there that can be hired as in house community managers or outside consultants.  These people can help you fast track your Twitter experience and in the long run save you time and hopefully get you towards your goal  faster - plus they can help you stay on top of the latest developments.\n\nThis may be one of the longest posts I have written to date- but now you have what you need to get started.  If you want to learn more about my personal journey in trying to figure out how  all this stuff  fits, visit the category section of this blog.  You will find a section on social media and more musings  there.\n<h4>So does this work for business?  You decide.</h4>\nFor me, my community - between my five Twitter profiles is over 22,000 after 9 months.  My followers are focused on the areas I want to focus on.  My website and blog traffic is up and so is my business.  And, I have made new partnering contacts I could only have dreamed of before.  So for me - It\'s been worth the ride.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a8f26ed8-defd-4a17-9e4c-d1dfb4d335d5\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter%20for%20Business\">Twitter for Business</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Using%20Social%20Media\">Using Social Media</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/ASU%20CABIT\">ASU CABIT</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurship\">Entrepreneurship</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/marketing\">marketing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/market%20research\">market research</a></div>\n<a href=\"mailto:julie.smith.david@asu.edu\"></a>','Is Twitter part of your business strategy? Should it be?','','inherit','open','open','','1472-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:49:54','2013-05-11 21:49:54','',1472,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1472-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2606,2,'2013-05-11 21:49:57','2013-05-11 21:49:57','Innovation - <em>doing something in a new way to make life better for the people who matter</em> - is a wonderful thing - unless you happen to be the one who missed the train when it pulled out from the station.\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/koerber.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/koerber_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"KOERBER\" width=\"289\" height=\"218\" align=\"right\" /></a>That\'s what happened to a once great family business, <a href=\"http://buckeyebeer20000.tripod.com/breweriesoftoledoohio/id9.html\">Koerber\'s Beer.</a>\n\nHey - you may be thinking - that name sounds familiar.  Yes, Koerber\'s was once our family business run by my grandfather William G. (Bill) Koerber and his brothers.\n\nKoerber\'s Beer and the other brands, including Friar\'s Ale and later a new innovation, Malt Liquor <img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://i.ebayimg.com/16/!BY2qJ7g!2k~$(KGrHgoH-DQEjlLl),B+BKjwhno2bw~~_35.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"161\" height=\"200\" align=\"right\" />led the brand portfolio.\n\nGrandpa\'s brother, Clarence \"Click\" Koerber, invented malt liquor and began production at the Grand Valley Brewing Company in Ionia, Michigan some time around 1937. Great  Uncle Click named his magic brew <em>Clix Malt Liquor</em>.\n\nThe family business managed to survive through two World Wars, Prohibition, and the Great Depression.  Instead, it was an innovation in the brew master\'s art that led to it\'s demise.\n\nThat change was the <a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image15.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb15.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"image\" width=\"194\" height=\"188\" align=\"right\" /></a>practice of increasing the preservative content in beer and ale.  By adding additional preservatives, competing breweries were able to ship their beers for greater distances, store the product for longer periods of time, and increase shelf life for distributors and retailers taking advantage of major economies of scale.\n\nThere was only one problem, it affected the taste of the beer.  Koerber\'s brand was associated with Age, Strength, and Purity.  Grandpa, as brew master was sure that no one would buy let alone want to drink the lesser product.   And Grandpa was wrong!\n\nBy 1949, the last bottle of Koerber\'s beer was crated and shipped from the plant in  Toledo, Ohio.  The factory was closed.  What today we would call a series of micro breweries, Koerber\'s, and it\'s sister company Grand Valley Brewing could not compete with the mega brewers who had emerged.\n\nBy the time I came along, in 1960, the only Koerber\'s beer that was still in production came from the mini brewery that was hidden behind the secret wall in the Dutch Room off the boat well in <a href=\"http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=128\">Grandpa\'s home at Grayhaven on the Detroit River</a>. But that\'s a story for another day.\n\nSo when you hear the whistle blow and see the innovation train pull into the  station, be sure to have your ticket ready so you can board.  You don\'t want to be left behind!\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:89598286-39ba-42f2-b4b6-c3ab0702bcdb\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation\">Innovation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/beer\">beer</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/brewing\">brewing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/history%20of%20brewing\">history of brewing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Koerber\'s%20Beer\">Koerber\'s Beer</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Friar\'s%20Ale\">Friar\'s Ale</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Clix%20Malt%20Liquor\">Clix Malt Liquor</a></div></blockquote>','Missing the Innovation Train','','inherit','open','open','','1471-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:49:57','2013-05-11 21:49:57','',1471,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1471-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2607,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:00','2013-05-11 21:50:00','Often one of the most important lessons we learn as business owners, innovators, and leaders is how and when to ask for help.\n\nIn 2001, I was VP of Global Supplier Contracts at Avnet, Inc. a Fortune 500 global distributor of electronic components and computers.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.biojobblog.com/uploads/image/help%20wanted(1).jpg\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://www.biojobblog.com/uploads/image/help%20wanted(1).jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"281\" height=\"217\" align=\"right\" /></a>I had an idea for a new kind of business and took the idea to Avnet Chairman and CEO, Roy Vallee. We discussed the potential benefits to the company and what I wanted to do to make it happen. He told me to \"...take the idea and run with it. Take it as far as you can and come back to me if you need help.\" There are 3 components to this advice:\n\n1) develop new ideas;\n\n2) plan and take action;\n\n3) ask for help.\n\nAt the time, for me, #3 was the MOST important. Up to that point, I had done everything for the project on my own. To make it viable, I had to find the people and resources that I lacked and get them to be part of the solution. A year later, Avnet decided that the time was not right to proceed with the project. But I was not ready to give it up.\n\nSo, I  took Roy\'s advice and asked for help.\n\nFirst I asked Avnet\'s permission to take some of the ideas I had developed and create my own business. They said yes.\n\nThen I looked for and found the best people and resources to partner with to build that business. They said yes too.\n\nThe result, CorePurpose, Inc. has been supporting other businesses in their journey along the growth path since July of 2002. Our whole business is built around having the right resources and knowing how to get help when you need it.\"\n<h4>Applying the Lesson</h4>\nFor many of us, asking for help is not an easy thing to do.  Many still believe that asking for help makes you appear weak or out of control.  Contrary to this belief, asking for help at the right time and for the right reasons is NOT a sign of weakness, but rather can be a sign of confidence, strength and savvy resource management.\n\nFew organizations or projects succeed without some form of assistance today - be it leadership, financial, supply chain, staffing, technology resources, or a myriad of other needs.  Interestingly, the strategic process we go through in developing our program or project can also be a great process to follow when determining how to go about finding the right help at the right time.\n<h5>Develop new ideas</h5>\nLook at each step of your current strategic plan or program map.  Identify the areas where the process or program can be strengthened through outside support or other partnerships.  Look at each step of your process not only in light of how a strategic partner can benefit you but also how, by working together, the partner will benefit too.\n<h5>Plan and Take Action</h5>\nEvaluate the things that you are doing that might be done as well as you are currently doing them or can be done even better by others.\n\nStart by identifying outside resources for non core activities and then evaluate how you can better utilize your existing resources by redeploying them into core areas of strength or differentiation within your organization.  Strategic partnerships like these are a resource investment for you and the partner.  Be realistic in calculating the ROI for both parties.\n\nPut together presentations you can make to potential strategic partners with a focus on how each of you will benefit from the partnership.  Then build your target partner list and start scheduling the presentations.\n<h5>Asking for help.</h5>\nFollowing this process, asking for help moves from sending out an \'S.O.S.\' or distress call to proactively building relationships where both parties benefit.  Now, you are  not just asking someone to help you with a business challenge, you are offering to help them overcome one of theirs.\n<h5>So, don\'t be afraid to ask for help.</h5>\nLook at your business on a regular basis to determine how by asking for help, you can make your business stronger, more cost efficient, or more financially sound.  You\'ll never know, until you ask!\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7c980961-e9a5-4052-bc04-c095948e78f1\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Asking%20for%20help\">Asking for help</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Growth\">Growth</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation\">Innovation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/outsourcing\">outsourcing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurship\">entrepreneurship</a></div>','Asking for Help...','','inherit','open','open','','1470-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:00','2013-05-11 21:50:00','',1470,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1470-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2608,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:04','2013-05-11 21:50:04','In today\'s economy, wouldn\'t it be wonderful if there was a magic recipe for growth?  Just pull out your business cook book, follow the instructions, pop it in the oven and enjoy success.  Unfortunately it\'s not quite that easy.  If it was, we would all master the recipe early and reap the benefits.\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04025241.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04025241_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0402524[1]\" width=\"244\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a>But in reality it is not that simple.  Business success requires a unique mix of ingredients and process that fluctuates with changes in our internal and external business environment.\n\nI remember, when I was a kid, my Grandmother telling me, \"If you want to eat, you need to learn to cook.\"  Well, in the world of business - the same can be said.\n<h4>Each recipe starts with a goal in mind.</h4>\nYou have a physical or mental picture of what your desired result will be whether it is scrambled eggs, a mushroom quiche, or chocolate chip cookies.\n<h4>The second section is the list of ingredients</h4>\nIf I am making my favorite, warm, gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies - there are some basic foundational ingredients   - butter, sugar, flour, eggs.\n\nI need a leavening agent like  <a href=\"http://www.joyofbaking.com/bakingsoda.html\">baking soda or baking powder</a> to make my batter rise.\n\nFlavoring - like vanilla or almond extract\n\nAnd differentiators like chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, or raisins to make my cookies stand out.\n\nI also need to focus on the quality of my ingredients to ensure a great result.  Lot\'s of people may have the same recipe - but the quality of the ingredients I use can make my cookies better than the rest.\n<h4>Apply Energy</h4>\nAnd then I need to apply just the right amount of energy to make it all blend together. Plus a different kind of energy to bake it into a finished product.\n<h4>Results</h4>\nOnly when the cookies are out of the oven, cooled, and in my mouth will I know if I have obtained the desired results. If it\'s not perfect - I can always try again.\n<h4>Applying it to business.</h4>\nWhen it comes to our businesses the processes are not that different.  We need...\n<blockquote>A goal - that clear picture of what we are trying to achieve.\n\nThe right base ingredients - a product, a  service, a market to serve and people to do the work.\n\nA leavening agent - No baking soda here - this the the values that you and your people employ as you follow the plan.\n\nFlavoring - your marketing and communications strategy\n\nDifferentiators - the unique aspects or innovations that you bring to the equation and to your customers.\n\nTo Add Energy - in the right proportions at the right time - and that\'s where leadership comes in.   Not enough energy and your result is half baked.  Too much and your result is burned to a crisp.</blockquote>\nDon\'t forget to focus on the quality of your ingredients to ensure a great result.  Lot\'s of people may have the same recipe - but the quality of the ingredients you use can make YOUR BUSINESS better than the rest.\n<h4>There is a recipe after all.</h4>\nYou just have to keep experimenting until you find yours.\n\nSo, what are you going to mix up and pop in the oven?\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b0c7adf4-e6e0-42ad-a3f7-531f5614a8d8\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation\">Innovation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Growth\">Growth</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneruship\">Entrepreneruship</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Recipe%20for%20success.\">Recipe for success.</a></div>','Recipe for Growth - A Pound of Leadership and a Dash of Innovation','','inherit','open','open','','1469-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:04','2013-05-11 21:50:04','',1469,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1469-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2609,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:07','2013-05-11 21:50:07','If you passed me on the street, would you know my name? Would you call me by it? If you needed what I had to offer, would my company name be one that came to mind?\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/clip_image0024.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/clip_image0024_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"clip_image002[4]\" hspace=\"12\" width=\"175\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a>There are few things more powerful than a name. It links to our actions, our reputation and to the history of who we are. In days of old, continuation of the family name was a key goal of lord and serf alike. It was all they had to guarantee they would be remembered after they were gone. Today, both individuals and companies focus on a name as a brand, hoping to link what they stand for and what they do to the name they carry.\n<h4><strong>Our name connects us to others.</strong></h4>\nMany companies have recognized the power of the sharing of names between employees and customers. Last week I had lunch at the Macaroni Grill. Our server came over to the table and introduced himself, saying “Hello, my name is David” as he pulled out a crayon and scrawled his name right on the table. He went on to welcome us, ask what we would like and assure us that he wanted us to have a good time today and to call for him by NAME if we needed anything at all. Other businesses, including Sam’s Club and Safeway have taken the practice one step further. Each employee has a name tag which allows us to call them by name. They use technology and our name on membership cards to thank us by name for coming to their store. The Safeway at Chandler and 40<sup>th</sup> Street has been where I do my weekly shopping since we moved to the Valley of the Sun in 1992. Through familiarity and the regular exchange of names, we have come to know each other.\n\nAl is always available with a smile to help me find a special ingredient or item. Linda has been ringing up my orders for years.  If I see her behind one of the registers, that is the direction my cart veers - even if the line is shorter on row over.  Steven is often there to help me take my overloaded basked to the car and fills me in on the things he has been doing or how his family is getting along.\n\nWithin a short drive from my home, there are six supermarkets within a very small radius, including another Safeway. They all have coupons, bargains and specials. But I always go back to the same one. Not because it is closest or cheapest, but because we are on a first name basis and I know that I can get what I need there. It is not just store policy, or a marketing gimmick. It’s a connection.\n<h4><strong>What’s in a name?</strong></h4>\nWhen I launched my own business in 2002, I had to answer a lot of questions. The most important being…what was our reason for being in business? This broke down further to… what would we offer, who we would serve and how we best serve them.?\n\nMy personal passion was innovation, doing something in a new way to make life better for the people who matter. Helping other organizations create innovative ways to achieve their business goals became the central focus of our company – our core purpose.\n\nWhen I started to research possible names, it all came back to who and what we were. We had a strong, motivating drive to our core purpose. We helped others discover and capitalize on their core purpose in innovative ways. We became <a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\">CorePurpose, Inc.</a>\n\nToday, companies come to us to help them refocus, to grow, to make the most of what they have, or find the things they need to realize their own core purpose. We get calls from around the country and around the world asking about what we do and how we do it.\n<blockquote>Our name and our reputation brings customers to our door.  The work we do brings them back.  ~ Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<h4><strong>What about your business? What does your name say about you? What do people think of when they hear it? </strong></h4>\nIf you do not know, there is a simple test.   <strong>Ask the question!</strong> Most people will be happy to tell you what they think and are pleased to be asked. You might be surprised what you hear. What your customers tell you is what they perceive your purpose and value to be.\n\nWhat they think of when they hear your name matters the most. Their perception of your business and the value it brings when linked to your name becomes your brand. If you like what you hear, maximize the message in the marketplace. If you are not hearing what you want – you may have some work to do.\n\nJust as a business brand links your name to what the markets perceives you to be, you have a personal brand that links your name to how those around you see you. What you do and how you do it becomes tied to your name. Your personal brand may change depending where you are. In my case, when I am around the school or at the hockey rink, I am well known as Chris Walker or Nick Walker’s Mom. My brand is directly linked to theirs. My claim to fame is directly linked to what they do and who they know. In the business and philanthropic community, my brand is more closely linked to the personal values I exhibit in my work with customers, organizations I volunteer with, or associations I belong to. In the case of my personal brand, what they see is what I get. What I do becomes what my personal brand is perceived to be.\n\nAsk yourself – what is my personal brand? Ask your friends. You might be surprised by what you hear.  If you like the answers you get, build on it. If you don’t like the answers, get to work.\n\nSo, do you know my name? Will I know yours? Whether you look at this question personally or in terms of your business, the answer may be one of the most important ones you ever hear.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n\nJoan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:f60b14f7-193d-4989-9e4b-f961e9ec1b2c\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Names\">Names</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/branding\">branding</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/marketing\">marketing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/reputation\">reputation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\">business tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurship\">entrepreneurship</a></div>','Do you know my name?','','inherit','open','open','','1468-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:07','2013-05-11 21:50:07','',1468,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1468-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2610,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:10','2013-05-11 21:50:10','One of the biggest mistakes we can make as innovators and business leaders is to assume that we automatically know what our customers want, need, <span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">and</span> are willing to buy.\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/readysetgrow2.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/readysetgrow2_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"readysetgrow2\" width=\"220\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a>I<strong> learned that lesson the hard way in 2004 when I came up  with a \'brilliant\' idea. </strong>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\">CorePurpose, Inc</a>., the company I founded in 2002, would run a 12 month lecture series with thought leaders from across the country.\n\nWe were smack dab in the middle of a down turn.  People were looking for answers and strategies to help turn things around.  And of course - <strong>I knew</strong> who had the answers.  I would bring them to town, one each month, and help all the small businesses by giving them access to ideas and talent as a group that they could not afford individually. I was really excited!\n\nThe folks at the Phoenix Business Journal also thought it was a great idea and featured the program with a <a href=\"http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2004/01/05/story7.html\">full page story</a> to kick things off in January 2, 2004.  Doug Brodman and my friends  at <a href=\"http://www.avimail.com/\">AVI Communications</a> created an incredible 12 month interactive marketing campaign highlighting each month\'s speaker in addition to the ads (like the one above)that would run each month in the Business Journal .  We had a sure fire hit!\n\nWell, maybe not.  While we had gotten great feedback in designing the program as to the topics of interest, the areas of need, and the program\'s price, we failed to ask one key question:\n<blockquote>Would they, as business owners, make the investment <strong>of their time</strong> to attend twelve half day sessions throughout the year?</blockquote>\nIt turns out that for many in our target market, the answer was no!  Instead of standing room only crowds, the room was half full each month.  Still, we held to our commitment to provide all twelve sessions.  Those that attended loved the program.  CorePurpose got lots of critical acclaim from the economic development community and even won awards.\n\nThrough out the year, we kept asking potential customers - many of whom we had talked to during the design process - what we needed to do differently.  In almost every case we got the same answer.\n<blockquote>They could not afford the time away from the office when times were so tough.  The perceived benefit did not exceed the perceived cost... of their time!</blockquote>\nIn the end, the program lost over $60,000 dollars because I assumed I knew the answer to one very important question and did not ask it.\n\nBack then, that was a BIG hit to take.\n\n<strong>So what is the moral to this story?</strong>\n\nWhen you are designing products or services, be sure that you look outside your organization and ask ALL the important questions.\n\nGet with professionals to help you design accurate assessments of market needs AND your target customer\'s willingness to adopt what you are creating <strong>before</strong> you commit to investing your time and money to create a product or service that customers may say they want - but may not be willing or able to buy.\n\nAnd for me - as a personal reminder - this ad has a place of honor on my office wall.  It stands as a reminder to be sure to look outside of the company, to talk to customers and prospects, and to ask <strong><span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">all</span></strong> the right questions - FIRST.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n\nJoan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:631b6b2d-3908-4d62-ab36-178a2e4c7cc3\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Ready%20Set%20Grow\">Ready Set Grow</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Market%20Research\">Market Research</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Listening%20to%20customers\">Listening to customers</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Asking%20the%20right%20questions\">Asking the right questions</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\">business tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurship\">entrepreneurship</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/small%20business\">small business</a></div>','Looking Outside','','inherit','open','open','','1467-revision-2','','','2013-05-11 21:50:10','2013-05-11 21:50:10','',1467,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1467-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2611,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:13','2013-05-11 21:50:13','<p>Is it the effort or the result that matters most?&nbsp; As adults and business owners, we tend to focus more on results while as parents we tend to place the emphasis on the effort as it relates to the activities of our children.</p> <p>Yesterday,&nbsp; my friend Michele Mathews <a href=\"http://twitter.com/tymlee\">(@Tymlee</a>) sent out this funny video from YouTube. (You might want to mute your computer or turn the sound down, it is a little shrill.) </p> <p></p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:1a8f5fe0-5f22-4dcc-bf6b-977cf6330a29\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\"><div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4agJTzVsiBE]</div></div> <p></p> <p>It can be argued that the baby is definitely making an effort - but from an adult\'s perspective - we might say the baby failed because the hula hoop is not spinning. </p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp; But wait - maybe we\'re not applying the right metric.</p> <p>Fitness experts recommend hula hoops for children and adults to improve balance (check one - the baby does not fall), for exercise (check two - that\'s some cardio work out on baby\'s part), and for enjoyment (check three for the baby - did you see that smile!)&nbsp; So even though the hoop\'s not spinning, three major goals were achieved.</p> <p>With my children, I have never required straight A\'s or that they be the star player on the team.&nbsp; Instead, all I asked is that they always did their best.&nbsp; When they did,&nbsp; they got lavish praise, just like in the video with the baby. Often the results were mixed, but it was the learning process and the effort that the measurements and praise were based on.&nbsp; In the long run, I could not be more proud of what my boys have achieved so far in their lives.</p> <p>In the workplace as a leader, I have always focused on results.&nbsp; I\'ve even based my own business, <a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\">CorePurpose</a>, on results orientation.&nbsp; It\'s what investors and owners are expected to do.&nbsp; But now, I am wondering if some of the things that we accomplish and learn along the journey may not&nbsp; be as important if not more important than the arbitrary and often short term metrics we set as adults and business people to measure success.&nbsp; </p> <p>Hmm, maybe, just maybe, it\'s time I start thinking more like a parent - all the time.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6acdc2b5-f2c4-485c-9e93-9ebe0fb1aec9\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/parenting\" rel=\"tag\">parenting</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/results\" rel=\"tag\">results</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/measuring%20effort\" rel=\"tag\">measuring effort</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/metrics\" rel=\"tag\">metrics</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/success.\" rel=\"tag\">success.</a></div></blockquote>','What\'s more important, effort or results?','','inherit','open','open','','1466-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:13','2013-05-11 21:50:13','',1466,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1466-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2612,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:15','2013-05-11 21:50:15','I remember my grandmother quoting the poem “For the Want of a Nail...” to me as a child. Her message to me - all things great and small can have tremendous impact on the success or failure of what we are trying to achieve\"\n<blockquote>For want of a nail,\n\n<img src=\"http://www.farrierproducts.com/images/VTrack5C_001.jpg\" alt=\"V-Trak Nails 5 City\" width=\"196\" height=\"188\" align=\"right\" />the shoe was lost.\n\nFor want of the shoe,\n\nthe horse was lost.\n\nFor want of the horse,\n\nthe rider was lost.\n\nFor want of the rider,\n\nthe battle was lost.\n\nFor want of the battle,\n\nthe kingdom was lost.\n\n<strong>And all for the want of a horseshoe nail!\"</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\nAnonymous</blockquote>\nGrandma looked at life as a series of chapters, each full of choices, opportunities, goals and challenges. When one chapter ended, another commenced. You might not have control of all the twists and turns of the plot, but you could make a huge impact on how the story turned out.\n\nSo, why write an article about business - and that\'s what this is – with old proverbs and messages learned at Grandma’s knee? Because we often make business and business decisions much more complicated than they need to be!\n\nMany of the lessons we learned early on in our lives – when things were simple – can have a significant impact on business success. Simple lessons like –\n<ul>\n	<li>Look both ways...</li>\n	<li>Listen to your teacher</li>\n	<li>Look out for your brother</li>\n	<li>Don’t cry over spilt milk</li>\n	<li>You’ never know until you try</li>\n	<li>If you fall down – get up</li>\n	<li>You\'ll never finish if you don\'t get started.</li>\n</ul>\nOur lives and our businesses are made of a continuous series of little things – some that may seem important at the time but have little impact in the grand scheme and others that seem insignificant but can have a long and lasting affect. The trouble is that we lack perfect intuition or the crystal ball to determine what the important things are right now.\n\nThere may be some pretty big questions that you are be facing in your life or business in today\'s economy.  It pays to keep in mind that the simplest answers are often the right ones and, as in the case of the nail, one small thing can make a big difference. \n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7bd1ef38-eef8-42ae-b39d-ff229ff03b90\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Strategy\">Strategy</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Overcoming%20Challenges\">Overcoming Challenges</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\">leadership</a></div></blockquote>','How big of an impact can one thing make?','','inherit','open','open','','1465-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:15','2013-05-11 21:50:15','',1465,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1465-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2613,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:18','2013-05-11 21:50:18','<p>For those of you that have been following my <a href=\"http://littlelifestories.wordpress.com/category/driving-cross-country/\">Little Life Stories blog</a> over the past week, you know that I have had quite a bit of windshield time as my son and I drove the 2500 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to Brookfield, Connecticut.&nbsp; Over 40 hours in the car equated to that much time off-line.&nbsp; You should try it some time.&nbsp; Disengaging and taking the time to think without the constant demands of meetings, phone, or computer.</p> <p><a href=\"http://www.btco.net/ghosts/signals/direcsigns/directionalsigns.html\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"One Way\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/one-way.jpg\" width=\"286\" height=\"216\"></a>Now traveling down highways is the ultimate One Way Street.&nbsp; If someone decides to travel in the wrong direction - it\'s a recipe for disaster.&nbsp; </p> <p>But for most other areas of our life and business - traveling down the one way street is a very short sighted solution.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p>A very wise friend of mine taught me long ago that by extending yourself, engaging, and helping others there is a karmic affect.&nbsp; What you give comes back to you.&nbsp; This video tells the story...&nbsp; </p> <p></p> <div style=\"width:426px;display:inline;float:none;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:7a320163-9a8f-427d-9677-1062cbddd9ba\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\"><div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BVhWIetBH0]</div></div> <p></p> <p>A recent <a href=\"http://www.gloriafeldt.com/leadership/2009/8/18/is-social-media-your-best-leadership-toolkit.html\">blog post and developing exchange</a> with <a href=\"http://www.gloriafeldt.com/about/\">Gloria Feldt</a> on her blog \"Speaking Up\" under the category of Courageous Leadership really helped me bring my thoughts into focus in terms of social media interactions and my social media tool kit as a leader.</p> <p><strong>How does social media fit in my leadership tool kit?</strong>  <p>I loved that Gloria started off by recognizing that social media is a tool for leaders and not a strategy. Social Media - interactive websites, blogs, Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, and more are each separate tools that can be used separately and on concert to 1) deliver information and 2) interact with your audience, employees, customers, and community in general.&nbsp;&nbsp; These actions are the components of our strategy.&nbsp; The tools simply enable us to act more effectively.  <p><strong>The days of one-way communication are coming to a close.</strong>  <p>With the development of new social media platforms, we have entered into a new era of two-way communication that will allow us, as leaders, to develop stronger relationships, enhance communications, share ideas, and collaborate.  <p>I am just learning to use these new tools to facilitate these interactions. The more I learn, the better a communicator and ultimately a leader I can become.  <p><strong>Here is a short story to illustrate what effectively using social media tools can do.</strong>  <p>Gloria and I met at an ASU Women in Philanthropy event in 2002. Since then we exchanged holiday cards, read an occasional newsletter or email, and were loosely connected. As we both began to use the newer social media tools, we began to more actively interact, follow each others projects, and introduce each other to friends with shared goals.&nbsp; Ultimately these conversations can lead to collaborations in the future. Basically, our communication has become a two-way street.  <p><strong>Are you still stuck on the one way street?</strong></p> <p>Not everyone is taking advantage of this opportunity.&nbsp; Often I continue to&nbsp; come across others in the social media and business worlds who are still stuck on that \"one-way street\" mode of communicating.&nbsp; They continue to PUSH information out while failing to take advantage of the opportunity to PULL information in by engaging with their social media communities.&nbsp; Until they do, they will run the risk of missing out on great new ideas, critical information, or opportunities to collaborate, and make a difference in their businesses, their personal interactions, and their communities - where ever they may be.</p> <p>It\'s kind of sad - I hate to see anyone miss opportunities - but in the end, that is their choice.&nbsp; Their decision just creates more available opportunities for those of us choosing to travel down \"two way streets\".</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned.</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:0cbbd8c1-0b92-4d82-a27a-7e57689ae616\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Technorati%20Tags:%20Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Technorati Tags: Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Social%20Media\" rel=\"tag\">Social Media</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter\" rel=\"tag\">Twitter</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Facebook\" rel=\"tag\">Facebook</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Blogs\" rel=\"tag\">Blogs</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/one%20way%20communication\" rel=\"tag\">one way communication</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/two%20way%20communication\" rel=\"tag\">two way communication</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/strategy\" rel=\"tag\">strategy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a></div>','The End of the One Way Street','','inherit','open','open','','1464-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:18','2013-05-11 21:50:18','',1464,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1464-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2614,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:21','2013-05-11 21:50:21','<p>Looking inside our organization and accurately assessing where and what we are isn’t always easy.</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04388011.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0438801[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04388011_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"138\"></a> Because we live where we are every day, we often do not see the little things all around us. </p> <p>Many changes, for good or bad, are gradual. If we are living them every day, we may not notice the change. It\'s like a pearl growing in an oyster or the grass growing in your yard. You do not notice how much the grass grows each day, but go away on vacation for two weeks and you immediately notice the difference on your return.</p> <p>OK, so we need to take stock inside our organization, but what are we looking for?  <p>The first key area to examine is <u>who you say you are</u>. A good place to start is with your core purpose and value statements.  <p><u><strong>What’s your core purpose?</strong></u>  <p>Your core purpose is what you are and what you work to be. Unlike mission statements that should be time bound, your core purpose is a continual quest and directing force. It is the first component in who you are as a company.  <p>The second component is the set of values that you adopt as an organization to realize that core purpose. Your values point your people towards HOW they will realize the organization’s core purpose. How they will deal with each other and how they will deal with customers and partners. These values drive your organizational behaviors – what you do day in and day out.  <h5><strong>Let’s look at an example</strong>.</h5> <p>My own company, CorePurpose, Inc., (<a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com/\">www.corepurpose.com</a>) is a distributor of value added services and outsourced solutions. We work with companies ranging from start ups to the <i>Fortune 500<sup>®</sup></i> to establish where they are, where the want to be and how to get there. We then build solutions from our portfolio of specialty service providers in the area of human resources, sales &amp; marketing, operations, finance and information technology.  <p><u></u> <p>At CorePurpose®, our core purpose is <strong><i>To Provide Services and Solutions that Build Businesses</i>.</strong> Everything we do in the company is focused on building businesses – our own – our partners – our customers.  <p>From that core purpose, we then determined our corporate values: People, Acceleration, Promises Excellence, and Results. If you look at the first letter of these words you will note that put together they form PAPER. This was done with specific intent since values are noting but words on paper without sustaining behaviors demonstrated every day.  <p>Looking at our corporate values, we can break them down into specific behaviors:  <p><u><strong>People</strong></u> – are the most important - no business exists without people – they are our employees, our partners, and our customers.  <ul> <li>We treat people with respect.  <li>We seek out diversity and partner with people who compliment our skill sets.  <li>We create services and solutions that are designed to make people successful in what THEY want to achieve</li></ul> <p><strong><u>Acceleration</u> </strong>– our customers and partners look to us to help get them where they want to be faster.  <ul> <li>We set aggressive but achievable milestones.  <li>We offer resources that allow things to happen faster.  <li>We do not wait and wonder. We are decisive and help our customers be decisive also.</li></ul> <p><strong><u>Promises</u> </strong>– to succeed we must be trusted. That means we must keep our promises.  <ul> <li>Be clear in the promises you make – gain shared understanding.  <li>Don’t EVER make promises you can not keep. Don’t over commit.  <li>Ask for help when you need it.</li></ul> <p><u><strong>Excellence</strong></u> – people choose to work with us because of the quality of what we deliver.  <ul> <li>As experts we stay at the top of our field.  <li>We know our facts and do not guess.  <li>If we don’t know – we say so - we find out – and communicate back.</li></ul> <p><u><strong>Results</strong></u> – it’s what we are looking for and what our clients and partners expect.  <ul> <li>We measure what matters.  <li>We do the job right the first time.  <li>When we achieve our result, we set the bar higher and start again.  <li>We deliver.</li></ul> <p><strong>If you worked at CorePurpose<sup>®</sup>, would you know what was expected of you? </strong> <p><strong>If you were the customer or partner, would you know what to expect? </strong> <p>Hopefully so. But as we all know, seeing is believing.  <p>Our employees, partners, investors,&nbsp; and customers watch what we do, and make their own assessment of the strength of our commitment to our core purpose and corporate values.  <p><strong>What we say is fine... but what we do is what really counts.&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong>&nbsp; <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...  <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#545454\" face=\"Verdana\">Joan Koerber-Walker</font></p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b23c9f19-4f3b-4307-997d-9a7010ad8d49\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Core%20Purpose\" rel=\"tag\">Core Purpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20strategy\" rel=\"tag\">business strategy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/core%20values\" rel=\"tag\">core values</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurs\" rel=\"tag\">entrepreneurs</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a></div> <p>&nbsp; <p>CorePurpose<sup>®</sup> is a registered service mark of CorePurpose, Inc.</p>','Looking Inward - What is your CorePurpose','','inherit','open','open','','1463-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:21','2013-05-11 21:50:21','',1463,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1463-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2615,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:24','2013-05-11 21:50:24','<p>One of the earliest lessons we learn as we make our way into the world is to “look both ways before we cross the street.” We heard it as children and have said it to our own. From a business perspective,– looking both ways translates more broadly to knowing that before you head out in a new direction, you must pay attention to the world around you.</p> <p><b><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04027801.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0402780[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04027801_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"183\"></a>Understanding Environment</b>  <p><b></b> <p>“Looking both ways” reminds us of the importance of taking a look at our environment. As we prepare to cross our first street, we are leaving the comfort of what we know with a goal of moving to a new location - the other side of the street.  <p>As business people and businesses – to be successful and achieve our goal safely – we need to know:  <blockquote> <p><b>Where we are...</b>  <p><b>Where our customers are...</b>  <p><b>Where our competition is...</b>  <p><b>Where our competition is going...</b>  <p><b>Where WE are going...</b>  <p><b>What resources we need to get there...</b>  <p><b>&amp;</b>  <p><b>Where do we get them?</b></p></blockquote> <p><b></b> <p>Why say we need to know <u>where we are</u>? It’s obvious, right?  <p>Not always. Often we are so busy trying to achieve the next objective or goal that we forget to step back and assess where we are today. If we do not take the time to really look at where we are today, we may miss those important “little things” that can have a major impact on to where we want to go.  <p>As we look at where we are, there are some important questions to ask. Some are based on what the organization looks like inside while others are external, how others see you. Both are critically important.</p> <p>So take the time to look both ways, it can make all the difference in your journey.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b1075f68-3083-47c1-a9e8-c23fc1160240\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/strategy\" rel=\"tag\">strategy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurship\" rel=\"tag\">entrepreneurship</a></div>','Looking Both Ways','','inherit','open','open','','334-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:24','2013-05-11 21:50:24','',334,'http://www.corepurpose.com/334-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2616,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:27','2013-05-11 21:50:27','One of the great secrets to getting better results in your business is the difference between knowing something and doing something.\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j03987451.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j03987451_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0398745[1]\" width=\"175\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a>Very often when you read a business book, blog or article, you may say to yourself, “I know that already.” And, you probably do.\n\nThe question is not if you know it – but rather, are you doing it? Are you using the knowledge?\n\nAs we build our strategy for better business results we must USE all we know and apply it to where our business is and where we want to take it to.\n\nNext time you read about a business strategy or process improvement and recognize it as conventional wisdom, take the next step and try to list the ways that you and your company are actually demonstrating it.  You might be surprised what you find.\n\nAsk Yourself...\n<blockquote>Are we doing this?\n\nAre we consistent?\n\nHow can we do this better?</blockquote>\nThe key here is the “WE”. Very often we assume that since we know what to do, others in our organization also know – and it is not always true. The key is to share what you know with your team and to act on it – together.\n\n  Thanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned.\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b6c01fc7-d427-47a3-b537-0f6878526b3b\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Strategy\">Business Strategy</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Conventional%20Wisdom\">Conventional Wisdom</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\">Leadership</a></div></blockquote>','The Difference Between Knowing and Doing','','inherit','open','open','','1462-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:27','2013-05-11 21:50:27','',1462,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1462-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2617,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:30','2013-05-11 21:50:30','<p><b>The Impact of Services Mapping </b><b>on Employee and Customer Enthusiasm</b>  <p>In today’s challenging business environment, creating and maintaining <i>customer enthusiasm</i> can make the difference between business success and business extinction.  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04027761.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0402776[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04027761_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"198\"></a>Customers have more choices than ever before and expect higher and higher service levels relative to  <p>· product and service information&nbsp; <p>· choice between service offerings  <p>· tailored or custom services  <p>· quality of delivery  <p>· the quality of the buying experience  <p>Across industries, companies are discovering that of these 5 customer demands, the greatest is that of the buying experience.  <p>While a customer will forgive a service failure that is corrected promptly by a company’s enthusiastic employee ambassador, customers will migrate quickly from companies whose employees feel disenfranchised, even if the service is performed as promised.  <p><strong>But what is an employee ambassador, and where do you find one?</strong>  <p>The answer is simple, employee ambassadors are all around you. They are each member of your organization who touches a customer – directly or indirectly. To create enthusiastic employee ambassadors, organizations must provide a support system to foster enthusiasm that includes:  <p>· A consistent culture that reaffirms that each employee is key to the company’s success  <p>· A commitment to process, structure and continuous improvement that allows the employee to make promises to customers and gives the employee faith that their promises will be kept.  <p>As companies aggressively pursue the development and growth of services offerings and services revenue, it has become increasingly important, in fact, imperative for these firms to provide a consistent level of process, support and flexibility to support employees in their quest of keeping promises to customers resulting in the growth of high levels of customer and employee enthusiasm and the resultant customer loyalty and profitability.  <p>All of us want our employees and customers to be enthusiastic about the products and services we provide. <u>Employees can not be enthusiastic if they feel that they can not deliver what is promised, and customers will loose enthusiasm and go elsewhere if promises are not kept</u>. The question is how do we create that enthusiasm and keep it? One tool, created at Arizona State University, is the process of <b><u>Services Mapping</u></b>.  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/customer-enthusiasm-scc.jpg\"><img style=\"border-bottom:0;border-left:0;border-top:0;border-right:0;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Customer Enthusiasm SCC\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/customer-enthusiasm-scc_thumb.jpg\" width=\"416\" height=\"313\"></a>  <p>Cross functional teams across the spectrum of a product or service delivery create a “map” of the product and service delivery systems. The map is broken down into five levels:  <blockquote> <p><strong>Customer View &amp; Evidence:</strong>&nbsp; What does the customer see in the way of marketing materials, articles, and information about the product or service that brings them to your door?  <p><strong>Customer Contact:</strong> What does the customer experience when they first make contact with your Organization?  <p><strong>On Stage Employee:</strong> What are the tools, attitudes, and systems in place to support a positive employee/customer interaction and the employees confidence in making promises to customers?  <p><strong>Back Stage Employees:</strong>&nbsp; What are the tools, attitudes, and systems in place to support a positive interaction between the front line employee and those they must rely on behind the scenes.  <p><strong>Resources:</strong>&nbsp; What are the physical, financial, and technology resources on stage and back stage employees need to keep promises to each other and ultimately to customers. </p></blockquote> <p><strong>The Services Mapping process:</strong>  <p>· Provides an Overview so employees know “What to Do” when things go right and when they don’t.  <p>· Identifies weak links in the chain, so promises are kept more often!  <p>· Defines the Lines of Customer Interaction between customers and employees so the employee recognizes where they can have the most impact to the customer experience and the company’s goals.  <p>· Defines Lines of Internal Interaction defined between departments  <p>· Provides a basis for identifying and assessing cost, revenue, and capital invested  <p>· Creates a baseline for use in customer satisfaction and quality improvement efforts  <p>When service delivery processes work, promises are kept, employee enthusiasm increases and it spreads to customers. The result is greater profits as customers stay, and more importantly, through their enthusiasm, bring more customers via the strongest marketing tool in the arsenal, customer referrals!</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7a9df9df-26f9-4a79-bcba-4ffe164e6708\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Customer%20Service\" rel=\"tag\">Customer Service</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Customer%20Enthusiasm\" rel=\"tag\">Customer Enthusiasm</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Employee%20Enyhusiasm\" rel=\"tag\">Employee Enyhusiasm</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Services%20Mapping\" rel=\"tag\">Services Mapping</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Growth\" rel=\"tag\">Growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Process%20improvement\" rel=\"tag\">Process improvement</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Services%20Design\" rel=\"tag\">Services Design</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/BPI\" rel=\"tag\">BPI</a></div>','Want more business - Get a Map!','','inherit','open','open','','1461-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:30','2013-05-11 21:50:30','',1461,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1461-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2618,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:33','2013-05-11 21:50:33','<p>What was your New Year\'s resolution?&nbsp; Mine was to talk to at least two different people every day about what\'s happening in our economy and to explore opportunities.&nbsp; <p><img border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://www.bloggersbase.com/images/uploaded/original/a97cbe18973b0a26d838a1c73827860777bfbec5.jpeg\" height=\"232\">It had gotten to the point where I was afraid to turn on the radio, TV, or open the paper.&nbsp; The news was just too depressing.&nbsp; So I resolved to reach out into my community and observe things first hand.  <p>Since January 1st,&nbsp; I have met with and spoken to a lot of people in Arizona, across the US, and even abroad.&nbsp; And what I am hearing is encouraging.&nbsp; Yes, times are tough, but people are moving forward, innovations are happening, businesses are making changes to speed their recoveries, and investors are looking to invest in solid business plans.&nbsp; As I meet with friends and business colleagues, they in turn have introduced me to their friends...and I have returned the favor.  <p>Here are just a few of the wonderful things I have uncovered in my search for opportunities...  <ul> <li>One of my friends was working with a company with a great new product and service concept.&nbsp; They were getting ready to reach out to investors and showed me their developing plan.&nbsp; I even got to make some suggestions.&nbsp; Hopefully, they will help this company raise their next round of funding.&nbsp; They have a great concept.&nbsp; <li>I spent time with two executives in Detroit.&nbsp; One from GM and one from Ford.&nbsp; Some of the stories they shared were sad, but there were glimmers of hope as they talked about new developments and what those companies were doing to turn things around.  <li>A biotech researcher in San Diego was bubbling over with excitement when she shared news about a new development in the lab that could improve an long-standing medical process and ultimately save thousands of lives when it is brought to market.&nbsp; I told anther friend about it and he introduced me to the person I needed to meet to move the process along.  <li>A manufacturer in Arizona has created a new system to help restaurants be more competitive, improve processes, and save energy.&nbsp; Their business is growing by leaps and bounds.  <li>An architectural&nbsp; glass distributor in Michigan has taken their business global and not only grown substantially but has won high honors and awards along the way.  <li>Over the last weeks I have met with people looking to buy businesses and re-capitalize them, not just saving jobs, but with future growth... creating them.&nbsp; Oh, and they are finding the money for it too!  <li>Meetings have brought me in contact with incredibly talented CEO\'s and executives who are looking for their next big project.&nbsp; They were not sitting at home or hitting the links.&nbsp; They were out there just like me, sharing their expertise, serving on boards of directors, mentoring others, and helping to get things moving forward again.</li></ul> <p>With all of these encouraging stories bolstering my courage, I was brave enough to open the newspaper again. And what did I find?&nbsp; Well yes, there was news of layoffs and filings for Chapter 11 BUT there were also NINE full pages dedicated to positive stories just like mine.&nbsp; Stories of business owners and individuals sharing how they too are staying ahead of the downturn.&nbsp; </p> <p><br>I\'ve made it though seven months of keeping my New Year\'s resolution.&nbsp; I think I\'ll stick with it.&nbsp; Wouldn\'t you? </p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay&nbsp; Tuned.</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <p>Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Phoenix%20Business%20Journal\">Phoenix Business Journal</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/economy\">economy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Phoenix\">Phoenix</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Arizona\">Arizona</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/biotech\">biotech</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/capital\">capital</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/funding\">funding</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/positive%20media\">positive media</a>,<a href=\"http://redirectingat.com/?id=118X181&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ftechnorati.com%2Ftags%2Fnetworking\">networking</a></p>','Turning Things Around in 2009','','inherit','open','open','','1460-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:33','2013-05-11 21:50:33','',1460,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1460-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2619,2,'2013-05-11 21:50:36','2013-05-11 21:50:36','<p>Just as plants need water to grow - growing companies need cash.&nbsp;&nbsp; Why do you think they call it liquidity.  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04341311.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0434131[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04341311_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"163\"></a>So many times small business owners have trouble raising the cash they need to grow - not because it is not available but because they did not follow some basic steps to make their company bankable.  <p>We know that as individuals, we need to develop a credit history, pay our bills on time, and start small with our personal credit and build it up as we go.&nbsp; Why do we expect our business to be any different.  <p>Here are some tips you might want to consider if you want to improve your bankability:  <p>1.&nbsp; <strong>Your tax advisor may be saving you money on taxes and destroying you future ability to get a loan.</strong>&nbsp; Banks look at historical documents like your P&amp;L, Balance Sheet and TAX RETURNS as part of the data they use to decide if you are credit worthy.&nbsp; They need to have confidence that you will be able to repay what you borrowed.&nbsp; Year after year of tax returns showing little to no profits is NOT a way to inspire confidence in your banker.  <p>2. <strong>Get a personal business banker.&nbsp; It’s free!</strong>&nbsp; Of all my professional services providers - accountants, auditors, lawyers, etc.&nbsp; Only my personal banker spends the time to counsel me without handing me a bill for his services at the end.&nbsp; Plus - the more they know about my business, the more likely they are to introduce me to other businesses that might help my business grow or go to bat for me when I need it.&nbsp; When we grow - they grow as more money goes into my accounts and their bank.&nbsp; Its a win-win situation.  <p>3.&nbsp; <strong>Start small and work your way up.</strong>&nbsp; Open a line of credit for a reasonable amount to begin.&nbsp; Use it - pay it off.&nbsp; Use it - Pay it off.&nbsp; Show the bank that you know who to manage your credit relationship wisely and they will often reward you with higher lines of credit.  <p>4.&nbsp; <strong>Understand the different types of credit and diversify your portfolio.</strong>&nbsp; Many banks have great resources on line to help you calculate&nbsp; the type of credit that is right for you.&nbsp; A good example is Comerica Bank - one of the top small business lenders in the country.&nbsp;&nbsp; Go to <a href=\"http://www.comericabank.com/\">www.ComericaBank.com</a>&nbsp; and click the Small Business or Corporate tabs based on your company size.&nbsp; It is full of great information PLUS calculators to help you determine the right type of credit for what you might need.  <p>5. <strong>Monitor your progress.</strong>&nbsp; Talk to your personal business banker.&nbsp; Know what your Dunn and Bradstreet profile says about you.&nbsp; Create a credit portfolio and manage it like you do your stocks and other investments.&nbsp; <p>So you might want to work on your business credit - you never know when you might need it!  <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...  <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7360055c-b207-4bb3-adb4-6d422800fdba\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Small%20Business%20Lending\" rel=\"tag\">Small Business Lending</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurs\" rel=\"tag\">Entrepreneurs</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Start%20Ups\" rel=\"tag\">Start Ups</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Banking\" rel=\"tag\">Banking</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/loans\" rel=\"tag\">loans</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/credit\" rel=\"tag\">credit</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/capital\" rel=\"tag\">capital</a></div></blockquote>','Want to Grow your Small Business? Be Bankable.','','inherit','open','open','','1459-revision-3','','','2013-05-11 21:50:36','2013-05-11 21:50:36','',1459,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1459-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2620,2,'2012-08-19 21:47:59','2012-08-19 21:47:59','<p>Recently, I had an opportunity to share ideas with a group of legislators, educators, and business leaders on the role of the entrepreneur – now and in the future. Any time you get a group together, getting agreement can be a real challenge. But on one area we had unanimous agreement - Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial activity in both the private and public sectors will be a significant driver out of our current situation and for long term economic growth in the years to come.  <p>&nbsp;<b>More and more Americans are starting or running their own businesses –</b>  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04393281.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0439328[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04393281_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"244\"></a>There are a number of factors driving a change in how many of us view work today. In the last five years, during both the up cycle and our current down cycle, many workers left traditional jobs in corporations and explored new alternatives. </p> <p>In some cases, what they found was more rewarding than their former jobs and they will not be going back to the corporate world again. They have opened consulting practices, restaurants, retail establishments and on-line businesses to name a few.&nbsp; </p> <p>Others will return to more tradition employment as the current job cycle corrects itself.</p> <p>Additionally, population demographics are changing. In 2010, over one half of the world population will be over 50 years old and the average life expectance in the U.S. will be approaching 100! People will be healthier, more active, and less likely to retire, but will want the flexibility of non traditional jobs. A new entrepreneurial or self employed life style is very attractive to many of the people embarking on their ‘second 50 years’. In many cases, ”Boomers” have or have access to the resources and key factors for starting or growing a business - education, talent, experience, and the drive to create something new and different. .  <p><b>Are you a </b><b>“-preneur”?</b>  <p><b></b> <p>An entrepreneur is someone who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for turning an idea into a business venture while an intrapreneur is a person who does the same thing within a large corporation. In both cases, you take direct responsibility for turning an idea into a profitable organization or finished product through assertive risk-taking and innovation. The prefix before the “-preneur” simply shows where you are in the organization when you are driving change and growth. When at the helm of my own company – I am an entrepreneur. When working with clients – they have the ultimate responsibility and my job is to help them as the entrepreneur or intrapreneur. I like to think that as a “-preneur” you can make things happen – no matter what the structure of the organization you are in.  <p><b>Is being entrepreneurial enough?</b>  <p><b></b> <p>Not if you want your business prosper over time! The purpose and values of an organization are the next KEY to growth.  <p>Defining the core purpose of an organization is actually the process of centering in on what you really care about – what you are really good at – and in the area where these activities come together - what you can do that creates a degree of value that people will pay you for. This is your core purpose or the primary reason that you are in business. If all of your strategy, goals and activities are focused only on what satisfies each of these three criteria, there is a much higher probability for success. Conversely, activities that do not fall in these areas are opportunities for outsourcing or partnerships.  <p>The basic premise is to do what you do best and for the rest – partner with whoever is best at it. This defines WHAT you do as a company. The next key factor is HOW you will accomplish it. This is where values come into play. An organization’s values define how they do things. We always talk about how a company does something but the reality is that it’s the people inside that make things happen.  <p>People’s values determine how they do things. How they act. How hard they work. How creative they will be. If you can match the values of your organization to the values of the people who are in it (or come into it), you’ve got a winner. When people share the same values, they don’t have to be motivated. They already are motivated. They find new ways of doing things. They focus on the customers. They make things happen because they believe in what they are doing.  <p><b>Are you ready to grow…</b>  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04393181.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0439318[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04393181_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"244\"></a>Be sure that growth fits in with your core purpose and values. Very often we see an opportunity to grow and we jump into it before we take the time to fully evaluate what it means to our business in the long term. Growth for growth’s sake can be very dangerous. Companies that grow too fast can lose their focus, confuse their employees or adversely affect the quality their customers have come to expect. In the most extreme cases they can even run out of cash and without cash everything stops. Here are a couple of questions every company should ask themselves as they move towards growth:  <ol> <li>Does the new product, location or service fit into what we have defined as our core purpose?  <li>Do we have the operational and financial resources to support the levels of quality and service our customers have come to expect from us?  <li>What should we be measuring each step of the way through the growth process to ensure we are continuing to move in the right direction?  <li>Who are the partners we work with who can help us with this growth and how can they help us? What are they best at? </li></ol> <p><b>The best advice…</b>  <p>Find something you can get really excited about. Starting any new business - or growing an existing one - is hard work and few pay off right away. You need to really care about what you are doing. It keeps you energized and enthusiastic when things get tough.  <p>Once your business is established, use your passion, your purpose, and your values as a guide. Find employees and partners that share your passions and values. Together you can’t help but grow!</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:06fa207a-8483-4488-b45a-df8eb1978a66\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneur\" rel=\"tag\">Entrepreneur</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Intrpreneur\" rel=\"tag\">Intrpreneur</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/economy\" rel=\"tag\">economy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/purpose\" rel=\"tag\">purpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/values\" rel=\"tag\">values</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/partnerships\" rel=\"tag\">partnerships</a></div>','A Time for Growth – the era of the entrepreneur','','inherit','open','open','','1458-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:47:59','2012-08-19 21:47:59','',1458,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1458-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2621,2,'2012-08-19 21:48:08','2012-08-19 21:48:08','<p>It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating high school graduations, ramping up for fun in the sun, and celebrating not having to make an early morning run to the bank or Safeway at the crack of dawn for the weekly lunch money! But before too long, it will be time to head back to school.  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/back-to-school.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"back to school\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/back-to-school_thumb.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"232\"></a>Whether you are sending your first grader off to his first big adventure, sending out a senior with dreams of diplomas dancing in her head, or making the journey yourself, the first day of school is a big deal. Heading back to school brings changes - new experiences and friends, new challenges and successes. How you achieve success is up to you – a little planning can make all the difference. Are you ready?  <p>So as you prepare for the 2009/2010 school year, here are 7 tips to help you through whether you are a parent coaching a first grader, a seasoned veteran of the homework wars, or a returning life long learner:  <p><b>1. </b><b>Set a goal</b>  <p><b></b> <p>Ask yourself or your student – “What do you want to get out of school this year?” This gives you a ruler you can use to measure your success. A friend of mine likes to say that “<i>What gets measured gets done</i>.” Good grades of course are a common goal, but that is not all you might shoot for. Get creative with your goals – something like – “learn something new every day” – keep it in a journal so you can look back at it at the end of the year. Another goal might be to get involved in a club, a sport, or a study group so that you add a little spice to your regular learning diet. .  <p><b>2. </b><b>Create a system</b>  <p><b></b> <p>The next step in making the most of your back to school adventure is to create a system to help you achieve your goals. It would be nice if all we had to do was dream it and it was so, but usually it takes a little more than that. Even Itzhak Perlman, one of the greatest violinists of our time still has to practice – carefully – everyday. Being great takes more than just luck or talent, it takes planning and hard work. <b>Ask yourself…</b>  <p><b>3. </b><b>“Who do I want to be at the end of this journey and who can help me get there?</b>”  <p>Will you be a scholar – embracing knowledge for the love of it - or perhaps, you wish to be a teacher or tutor, sharing your knowledge with other students.- or maybe your goal is just to get through – gaining enough knowledge to meet the requirements for moving on to the next level while you focus your energies in other areas. It could be all of the above, or none of the above, the choice is up to you. The trick is – make it part of your goal and your plan to choose.  <p><b>4. </b><b>“What tools can I use to achieve my goals?”</b>  <p>There are many tools you can use to help you achieve your learning goals. Some are simple – a notebook, a pencil, a compass, or perhaps an eraser. (Nobody’s perfect.) Perhaps your phone can be a tool. Use a smart phone like the Motorola Q<sup>®</sup> or a Blackberry<sup> </sup>or PDA to manage your schedule of assignments or even use your camera phone to capture a blackboard full of notes. Phones today have everything from the cameras to calendars, and calculators to the Internet.  <p>Fill a backpack with the tools you need, from snacks to keep up your energy, to reference books, or a planner if you choose a lower tech solution to keep things organized. But beware the <i>bottomless back pack</i>. It’s the nemesis of every helpful parent and erstwhile student. Bottomless backpacks eat notes and assignments. Backpacks are useful for carrying things, but if it all goes in – to never again see the light of day – they can be more hindrance than help! Use your tools wisely along your journey.  <p><b></b> <p><b>5. </b><b>“Where will I go to focus?”</b>  <p><b></b> <p>Get the lay of the land. Find your learning place. When I went back to get my MBA after 20 years, I knew that my study skills and lifestyle had changed. Now I had so many distractions – work, family, dumb things I needed to do. I needed a place where I could focus without any distractions. I tried setting up a place at home, but that did not work and even if I went into the office early – the day to day distractions followed me there. Finally I found a Burger King<sup>®</sup> around the corner from my office. They opened at 5 AM and were more than happy to let me study at a corner table. I had my breakfast and did my school work until 7AM before packing up and heading to work. The staff all thought it was funny and even became part of the plan – bringing me refills as I worked through my text books and even flowers when I finally graduated! Where will your learning place be? Find a quiet corner in your home, at the library, or anyplace where you can set yourself up, stay quiet and focus on what you need to do to learn. If you are a parent working with a young student – help them set aside their special place. Let them know that it is their little corner of the world. You are just around the corner if they need you, but it is their place!  <p><b></b> <p><b>6. </b><b>“How will I focus in on achieving my goals?”</b>  <p><b></b> <p>How we get in focus works differently for everyone<b>. </b>Some of us may use music to tune out the rest of the world’s distractions, others may need perfect quiet. If you are a fan of <i><u>The Secret</u></i><b> </b>set up a Vision Board to help keep the positive thoughts around your learning goals in focus. A vision board is a simple tool. It can be a framed collage of the positive things you want to achieve – a picture of a report card will high marks, a diploma, or the college you want to go... Perhaps on your vision board you also have a picture of what you will do after school is through – a dream job or a get away location. If your learning place is outside of your home, use the front of your notebook or binder to make a portable Vision Board you can carry with you. Look at your Vision Board every day – see yourself achieving your goals, then buckle down and do what you need to do to get there.  <p><b>7. </b><b>“Whose job is my success?”</b>  <p><b></b> <p>The answer is you. Each student must accept responsibility for achieving their goals. It is not the teacher’s job or a parent’s role force study or get necessary assignments in on time. YOU must make the commitment to your learning and to your goals. If you are coaching your children through the learning process, help them understand why what they are doing is important for them – not for you. “Do it because I said so” is not a learning motivator. Help them understand how what they are learning will help them get what THEY want. The job of a parent as learning coach then gets 100 times easier! Never nag a child about homework – it turns learning into a chore and defeats the purpose. You get frustrated, they get frustrated and you head into the homework death spiral. Instead – create a No Nag Contract with your student (or yourself). Come to an agreement where if “A”, “B” and “C” get done correctly and on time – then NO Nagging! This gives your student a chance to control their destiny and makes your home life a whole lot more pleasant!  <p><b>Celebrate Success</b>  <p><b></b> <p>Last but not least – as you are learning and achieving you goals – take time out to celebrate your little successes along the way. What is the point if you are not having some fun as part of the process? Reward yourself or your student with a movie, a walk in the mountains, or even a hot fudge sundae (my personal favorite!) Interim goals and the small successes that you celebrate generate the energy you need to succeed in making your long term learning goals a reality. So take a minute – chill out – look at your vision board – or just imagine what it will be like next May – when summer vacation rolls around again.  <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...  <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#545454\" face=\"Verdana\">Joan Koerber-Walker</font></p> <p></p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:0d23365b-23e6-40fb-bd43-20fddb8a97f7\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Goal%20Setting\" rel=\"tag\">Goal Setting</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Achievement\" rel=\"tag\">Achievement</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Back%20to%20school\" rel=\"tag\">Back to school</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Success\" rel=\"tag\">Success</a></div></blockquote>','Heading Back to School','','inherit','open','open','','1457-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:48:08','2012-08-19 21:48:08','',1457,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1457-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2622,2,'2012-08-19 21:48:39','2012-08-19 21:48:39','<p>As President Obama continues to lobby the American people and Congress on Healthcare Reform, talk of change and what it means to average Americans travels from the board rooms of global corporations to the kitchen tables of homes across the country.</p> <p>In quite a number of discussions, this quote sums up the feelings of many people I have talked to.&nbsp; \"Spare me the details - I just want to know what Healthcare Reform will mean to me.\"&nbsp; If this is how you feel, than this short video from CNN Money might help answer the question.&nbsp; <a href=\"http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/07/22/n_brkdn_0722_health_reform.cnnmoney\" target=\"_blank\">CNN Money video</a></p> <p>One of the major components of the President\'s plan is to require almost everyone to have some form of health insurance - tackling the current social and economic&nbsp; burden of a population of approximately 47 million Americans who are uninsured.&nbsp; This will add approximately 47 million Americans into the existing insurance pools of either government provided insurance, employer provided insurance or private insurance.&nbsp; You can find the current breakdown by coverage class in my <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/07/healthcare-a-perfect-problem-with-no-perfect-solution.html\" target=\"_blank\">related post earlier this week</a>.</p> <p>That being they case, I thought it might be helpful to look at where our insurance dollars go.&nbsp; To do&nbsp; that, I referenced the bi- annual report on that information from the same industry report that was referenced by the Senate.&nbsp; In January of 2008, Price Waterhouse Coopers published research on health insurance costs as commissioned by <a href=\"http://www.ahip.org\">America\'s Health Insurance Plans.</a>&nbsp; This link takes you to the full report. <a href=\"http://www.ahip.org/content/default.aspx?docid=25123\">The Factors Fueling Rising Healthcare Costs 2008</a></p> <p><img src=\"http://www.ahip.org/images/uploaded/About/HealthCareDollar2008.jpg\" width=\"464\" height=\"348\"></p> <p>The graphic above shows the break out of the pool of dollars that make up the&nbsp; employer and private health insurance spend. Looking at the graphic, 13cents of each dollar goes to corporate profits, administration and sales and marketing support.&nbsp; The other 87 cents goes towards the basics of helping us stay healthy, diagnosing illness or other medical conditions, and treatment.</p> <p>So if we are going to lower healthcare cost, realistically, the focus will fall predominately in the area shaded in aqua - that 87%.&nbsp; It is in these areas where we have the greatest opportunity to use American innovation to improve the healthcare process.&nbsp; Information technology enhancements in the area of medical records management can help us reduce duplicate tests and better manage patient care.&nbsp; New biotech diagnostics currently in development will allow us to detect and diagnose diseases earlier - thus greatly reducing the total cost of treatment by addressing small problems before they become big ones.&nbsp;&nbsp; But technology and process improvement alone will never be the answer.&nbsp; </p> <p>We, the people, will also need to make some changes in our behaviors if we are ever to really get things under control.&nbsp; Here are a few things each of us can do to put the health back into healthcare:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Get a check up.</strong>&nbsp; 85% of Americans, who have health insurance, do not get an annual check up.&nbsp; Yet studies by Medicare and Medicaid have shown that if we detect and diagnose chronic disease early we can avoid as much as 90% of the costs of treatment. And, chronic disease represents almost 70 percent of the medical services spend.&nbsp; <li><strong>Take a walk.</strong>&nbsp; It is estimated that approximately 31% of Americans are either clinically overweight or obese.&nbsp; This condition has been directly correlated to a wide range of chronic conditions including Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke, Hypertension, <a href=\"http://www.obesity.org/information/cancer_obesity.asp\">some types of Cancer</a>, Sleep Apnea, Osteoarthritis, and Gallbladder Disease.  <li>Ask questions and talk to your doctor.&nbsp; Whether in your annual exam or during treatment, take an active part in the healthcare discussion.&nbsp; Ask your doctor what you can do to be proactive about managing your health and your healthcare spend.&nbsp; Very often a few extra minutes can leave you with good information, ideas, and in the case of treatment sometimes more cost effective alternatives.  <li>Understand what your healthcare plan has to offer.&nbsp; If you have a bad health habit you want to break, many plans offer free services to help you.&nbsp; Pull out that booklet they send you once a year and look.&nbsp; You might be surprised at the resources you are paying for that you have never used.</li></ol> <p>President Obama may or may not get everything he wants out of Congress this year in the way of health care reform.&nbsp; And even if he does, the some of the changes will take years.&nbsp; But we can each start our own healthcare recovery plan today - if we choose to.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by. Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:ae502c70-b384-40aa-bc5e-aef25f5b66c2\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare\" rel=\"tag\">Healthcare</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare%20reform\" rel=\"tag\">healthcare reform</a></div></blockquote>','Making Cents of Your Health Insurance Dollar','','inherit','open','open','','1456-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:48:39','2012-08-19 21:48:39','',1456,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1456-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2623,2,'2012-08-02 00:56:35','2012-08-02 00:56:35','<img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0; height: 0;\" src=\"http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI*ODMxMjY4NzgwNyZwdD*xMjQ4MzEyNzEyMjIxJnA9NDQ3MzMyJmQ9Jm49d29yZHByZXNzJmc9MSZvPWU5ZmZlZDkwZmQ4NTRiM2Y5MDMzNDAxNThlMDkxNTgyJm9mPTA=.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" border=\"0\" /><a title=\"Business Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory\" href=\"http://www.blogcatalog.com/directory/business\"><img src=\"http://www.blogcatalog.com/images/buttons/blogcatalog5.gif\" alt=\"\" /></a>','BlogCatalog','','inherit','open','open','','1455-revision-2','','','2012-08-02 00:56:35','2012-08-02 00:56:35','',1455,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1455-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2624,2,'2012-08-19 21:49:02','2012-08-19 21:49:02','In the United States, we have two \"perfect problems\": our Healthcare system and our Taxation system. What makes these problems perfect is their absolute complexity and an almost universal agreement that a problem exists.\n\nThe focus of this article is on healthcare.  I\'ll leave taxation for another day - even though eventually our country will not be able to truly address one without the other.\n\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKOfXlB_3Wo]\n\nUp until December of 2006, I did not think a lot about healthcare.  It was something I had, something I paid for, and with the exception of annual check ups for my family, something that I rarely had to use.  I knew it was a problem, but it was not necessarily mine. That changed December 21, 2006 when I became the CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association, and had to answer to and speak on behalf of our 3,000 business members and through them over 200,000 employees. \n\nThe more I researched, surveyed, and listened; the bigger the problem became.  And I was just looking at one state, and within that, only one subset of the population, small business owners and their employees.  Yet both in our state and on a nationwide basis estimates from both the Federal government and independent agencies estimated that of the 45 million people plus who lacked health insurance, approximately 60% of them either owned or worked in a small business.   The constantly rising cost of health care was a burden these businesses were struggling to battle.  Others were starting to give up hope that anything could be done.\n\nLOOKING AT THE NUMBERS:  HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE IN THE UNITED STATES\n\nSource: <a href=\"http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p60-235.pdf\">Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007</a>, p.69\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/hc-numbers-cht.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/hc-numbers-cht_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"hc-numbers-cht\" width=\"281\" height=\"263\" align=\"right\" /></a>The chart at right shows the estimated U.S. population (as of 2007) and the breakdown of the insured/uninsured and where the insurance comes from.\n\nBut as we all know, there have been some pretty significant economic factors since 2007 that probably shift these numbers upward in the areas of both government provided program and the uninsured due to the <a href=\"http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=usunemployment&amp;met=unemployment_rate&amp;tdim=true&amp;q=unemployment+rate\">significant change in the unemployment rate</a> (4.7% in June of 2007 vs. 9.7% in June 2009) and the continuing economic pressures on businesses of every size.\n\nWith a problem this large, it\'s hard to have any impact.  Especially when it\'s also highly complex and politically charged.  At the state level we had various mandates, imposed and proposed, that were continually driving the costs up.  A state provided program for small business had serious limitations and flaws not to to mention a serious deficit that threatened its sustainability.  The whole thing was a mess. \n\nI had learned a long time ago that it is almost impossible to tackle a really big complex problem - but that if you break it into little ones and tackle them one at a time, you can make headway.  So that is what we did.\n\nFirst we framed the problem with a set of goals.  Our conditions for success were the following:\n<ol>\n	<li>It had to be available to any business of any size (even groups of 1) without limitation.</li>\n	<li>It had to cover the entire state AND provide coverage for employees out of state.</li>\n	<li>It had to provide the same level of quality care and service that was available to employees in a Fortune 500 company.</li>\n	<li>Coverage had to be guaranteed issue with no pre-existing conditions limitations as long as there had been prior qualified coverage and pricing and eligibility would NOT be determined by health status of the employees.</li>\n	<li>It had to be reasonably affordable and competitive.</li>\n</ol>\nThe next step was to look at what resources we had to work with and to identify potential partners.  We reached out to corporate partners, legislators, the Governor\'s office, and national organizations to see what was available, what we could work with or what we could change.  Through a combination of negotiations, partnerships, and collaborations, we were able to design a plan that met all five of our defined goals and launched it 10 months after we started the process.  To see the full details of the program, visit the <a href=\"http://www.asba.com/benefits/health_insurance.aspx\">ASBA website</a>. \n\nNow, this program did not solve the national problem, but it did provide a solution/option for the community we served across the state of Arizona. <strong>AND, it did so without a single taxpayer dollar.</strong>  Best of all,  from 2007 to 2009 the gross increase in premium was a total of THREE percent while at the same time the program benefits were enhanced - not reduced.\n\nSo my question is this.  Perhaps, while they battle in Washington tackle the perfect problem of Healthcare Reform - and fight over every sacred cow.  Maybe, just maybe, individuals like you and me, in our little corners of the country can build viable solutions by breaking the problem down to smaller more manageable chunks and tackling them one at a time.  That way WE can solve the problem and THEY can keep on talking.\n\nThanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker\n\nP.S. While I no longer serve as the CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association, my time there taught me something very important.  There is very little that can not be accomplished by American small business with a little hard work. collaboration, and ingenuity.  If we focus on the challenge, frame it properly and get down to work the results can be pretty incredible. \n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7a483b66-255d-4f4a-b765-7f348b25f8f5\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare\">Healthcare</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Small%20Business\">Small Business</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Uninsured\">Uninsured</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\">Business Tips</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Community%20based%20healthcare%20solutions\">Community based healthcare solutions</a></div></blockquote>','Healthcare: A Perfect Problem with No Perfect Solution','','inherit','open','open','','1454-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:49:02','2012-08-19 21:49:02','',1454,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1454-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2625,2,'2009-07-18 22:03:42','2009-07-18 22:03:42','<p>Friday I got a tweet very early in the morning, just as I was heading out to a 7 AM meeting across town.&nbsp; It said simply \"What Do you do?\" I sent of a quick note explaining with a link to <a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\">my website</a> and my number so the person could call me later if they wished.&nbsp; Grabbing my purse, I headed out to the car.&nbsp; As I was driving to my meeting with <a href=\"http://www.sheagroup.org/\">The Shea Group</a> that question stayed on my mind.</p> <p><a href=\"http://www.tejasthumpcycles.com/Parts/LeversGripsctrls/handle_bar_grips.htm\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Silver_Bullet_Grips\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/silver_bullet_grips.jpg\" width=\"236\" height=\"244\"></a>The Shea Group is a collection of executives and business owners who understand that learning and career development is a lifelong process.&nbsp; Each time the group meets, a speaker shares their experience as part of the session.&nbsp; This time it was <a href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmilligan\">Jack W. Milligan</a> of <a href=\"http://www.leathersmilligan.com/\">Leathers Milligan &amp; Associates</a> a long time veteran in the area of human resources and executive career management.&nbsp; Jack told us a story that really resonated with me.&nbsp; It went like this...</p> <blockquote> <p>\"This is a secret that only human resource professionals know.&nbsp; Hidden deep in every company, there is a special closet where they keep the silver bullets.&nbsp; On the day that you start, they will engrave your name on one.&nbsp; On the day that you leave you will get it back.&nbsp; They may shoot you with it, or they may hand it to you as they once did an engraved gold watch.&nbsp; But, that bullet is there and it has your name on it.&nbsp; It is up to you to be prepared.\"&nbsp; Jack W. Milligan</p></blockquote> <p>Jack went on to share tips and techniques that every executive should be employing to manage their career both during employment and during the transition process that is sure to come at one time or another.&nbsp; </p> <p>So today I decided to give some real thought to answering the question - What Do you do?&nbsp; Not just based on what someone might find on my resume or <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/about.html\">bio</a> - which shows what I have done, but in&nbsp; terms of what I actively do and engage in and what I hope to bring to the next growing company I have the opportunity to lead.</p> <p>My \"What I do list\"</p> <ul> <li>Engage employees and partners in our organization\'s vision and with them develop a plan that delivers tangible results.  <li>Lead throughout the execution process by example.&nbsp; Never ask another to do something that I personally am not willing to do.  <li>Communicate openly and often on what is working, what needs work, and what is yet to be done. Use every appropriate platform - from public speaking,&nbsp; to writing, to informal chats to deliver the message.  <li>Listen to what our customers and our market has to say, learn from them, and put those lessons to work.  <li>Take forgotten or underutilized resources and redeploy them for added results  <li>Reach out to our community to offer assistance, share ideas, and keep our organization connected, engaged, and respected.  <li>Develop and mentor the people around me so that when my silver bullet comes, they can continue on the journey to find even greater success. </li></ul> <p>What\'s on YOUR \"What I do list\".&nbsp; It\'s a great exercise - try it and see.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:4489664c-44d9-4cff-88fb-2a835e85b6e4\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Executives\" rel=\"tag\">Executives</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\" rel=\"tag\">Leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/career%20management\" rel=\"tag\">career management</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/career%20planning\" rel=\"tag\">career planning</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/speaker\" rel=\"tag\">speaker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a></div></blockquote>','What DO you do?','','inherit','open','open','','1453-revision','','','2009-07-18 22:03:42','2009-07-18 22:03:42','',1453,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1453-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(2626,2,'2009-07-16 18:11:58','2009-07-16 18:11:58','<p>During the downturn that shook the foundations of the technology industry after the dot.com implosion, I wrote and article about the Perfect Storm that hit the industry.&nbsp; In that article I suggested that there are Seven Deadly Sins that can challenge the stability of the supply chain and our overall economy.&nbsp; This was written in July 2002.  <p>Reading it now, seven years later, it is amazing how we have seen the storm hit once again - this time in the construction and finance industries.&nbsp; Hopefully someday we will learn our lessons.  <h5><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/bigwave2.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"bigwave2\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/bigwave2_thumb.jpg\" width=\"264\" height=\"199\"></a>The Perfect Storm:</h5> <h5>What happened to the Supply Chain in 2000/2001</h5> <h5>and could it happen again?</h5> <p>July 3,&nbsp; 2002. </p> <p>In November of 2000, Roy Vallee, Chairman of the Board of Avnet, Inc., the worlds largest electronics distributor, announced, at the Avnet, Inc. Annual Shareholders Meeting, that Avnet was seeing indicators that the Technology Boom of 2000 may not be sustainable. </p> <p>This unleashed a storm of protest from analysts, investors and supply chain participants. While today we all know that those indications were all too true, with hindsight, we, as an industry, only wish he had been wrong. As the technology sector slowly begins the climb out of the most dramatic downturn in its history, the question asked repeatedly is... “How did this happen? &amp; “Will it happen again?”</p> <p>Many hypotheses have been put forward in the last year as to what happened and why it was so extreme. Some attribute the cause to:</p> <ul> <li>The external environment – globalization, industry consolidation, Y2K, or the dot.com implosion and resulting telecom plunge;  <li>Industry cyclicality – sharper and more dramatic cycles as the size of the industry and key sectors within it grow disproportionately;  <li>Technology – our sophisticated IT systems let us down. The forecasts were all wrong;  <li>An increasingly complex supply chain;  <li>Wall Street – pressure for growth driving unrealistic forecasts; or<br>All of the above – a Perfect Storm! </li></ul> <p>Pick any of the above and you can find people to agree with you as to what was responsible. </p> <p>Interestingly, each of these factors is a “thing” we can point to. We do not have to take personal responsibility because it was an external economic effect, an industry group or corporation at fault, not us.</p> <p>Organizations and IT systems do not make the decisions that drive the supply chain, people do. Each one of us represents a link in the supply chain and it is the choices we make every day that drive the outcome. Until each of us within the industry chooses to accept this responsibility, we are doomed to face similar extreme business cycles in the future.</p> <p>So, if human beings are the key factors that control the supply chain, what are the human conditions that drive our supply chain behaviors?</p> <h5><u>The Seven Deadly Supply Chain Sins</u></h5> <p><strong>The Path of Least Resistance:</strong> In our increasingly busy roles, seeking the path of least resistance comes naturally. Whether as engineers, we design with parts we have always used it the past (designing in parts at the end of their product life cycle or missing out on possible benefits procurement or manufacturing may gain with a more commonly available part) or as procurement and materials professionals we do not make the effort to establish part numbering standards so we truly know what we have and what we need. At one time or another, in good times and bad, we have all fallen into the trap of viewing the old ways as “good enough” rather than making the extra effort to optimize our systems and our processes.</p> <p><strong>Self Preservation</strong>: From birth, self-preservation is the most basic human instinct. Each of has a natural inclination to protect ourselves, our jobs, and our companies. In times of allocation or constraint, a buyer may double order or increase forecast requirements to ensure his company gets what it needs to keep the production lines going. In isolation this may be a small thing, but across an industry, this can create a groundswell of demand that may be unrealized as capacity is increased and product frees up. Within our organizations we use this nature of self-interest by creating incentive programs to drive certain behaviors. Unfortunately, these often conflict from department to department. Thus, our materials team must keep inventory low to earn their incentive and the sales team needs product on hand so they can get the sales level they need to make their sales goals. These conflicting interests lead to distrust and ultimately to breakdowns in communication or even distorted information as each individual protects his or her own interests. If our lines of communication break down within our own companies, how can we provide accurate information to our partners across the supply chain?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Risk Avoidance:</strong> If as human beings we have a natural inclination to protect our selves, the next logical progression is to shy away from risk or find ways to shift the risk from ourselves to another. In the supply chain this manifests itself in many ways. In our contracts and legal forms we add penalty clauses and loop holes to shift the risk of doing business from us to another. Whether it’s the quality of imperfect forecasts, the liability for service or product failures, or artificial or often unnecessary restrictions on date codes, we often spend much more time and effort constructing rules and systems to shift risk to another than we do investing together to improve processes and systems to identify and mitigate the real risks we face.&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Fallibility:</strong> “Nothing and no one is perfect. There is always a margin for mistakes. But naturally the other guy will let us down more often then we will err. We must protect our selves from his failures.” This is the thinking that leads us to greater supply chain inefficiencies – bonded inventories, excessive buffers, padded forecasts, and ultimately inventory gluts. It is often easier to assume our supply chain partner will let us down than it is to pick the RIGHT partner and work closely with that them to develop strategy and process so both of us will be successful.&nbsp; </p> <p>D<strong>istrust:</strong> If everyone else is driven by self-interest, risk averse and fallible, no wonder we find it so hard to develop the levels of trust we need to share good information and partner effectively. When we do not trust our suppliers to deliver, we compensate in the supply chain. When we do not trust the product groups to have enough inventories, we pad the sales forecast. When we do not trust the MRP system we tinker with it. When numbers don’t give us the answers we need, we “adjust” them until they do. With everyone doing what comes naturally, it’s a wonder we get any good information across the supply chain at all.&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Greed:</strong> Whether you believe that “Greed is Good” or greed is bad, the interesting thing we often forget is that greed is not just about money. Greed is getting your “unfair share” of money, market position, market power, attention, and information. Interestingly if you take the word greed out of the description, it reads like the objectives of many of our companies.&nbsp; </p> <blockquote> <p>Increase Revenue &amp; Profits <br>Increase Brand Position<br>Increase Market Share<br>Increase Market Intelligence</p></blockquote> <p>It is when greed gets out of control that we get into trouble. At the peak for the last technology wave, that is what happened. As investors we got caught up in escalating stock prices based on company projections that had little basis in financial reality or business basics. This influx of capital created a flurry of investment in telecom systems, IT infrastructure, and other products creating a groundswell of demand. As demand increased and supply became constrained, as buyers, we compensated within our supply chain to ensure we got our “unfair share” of what we needed. As sellers, we raced to capture orders and market share to get our “unfair share” of this inflated demand. And as an industry, we reeled in shock as the whole thing imploded. And then we started looking for someone to blame.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Denial:</strong> When we refuse to acknowledge the truth, we are in denial. Another way to look at denial, one we got caught up in this last time around, is getting caught up in a wave of unrealistic optimism that approaches euphoria. Things were so great in our industry and we were so proud of our strategies, our growth, and our success, that we failed to look closely at the business basics our companies were founded on. Not only do we need to be aware of our own tendencies to get caught up in unrealistic optimism, but we must also be aware of the affect of those around us. When our biggest customer doubles his forecast, we double ours, plus a little extra just to be safe. So does his next supply chain partner and the next one. Soon the forecast has grown beyond anything sustainable, even assuming that the first projection of double growth was correct. At an industry or market level it is even more complicated. Here, when the analysts predict the market will grow by X%, each market participant projects that they will capture their unfair share. If you go back and add each company’s projection up, the aggregate often exceeds the level of projected growth. These are some of the storm clouds on the horizon that signal rough weather ahead.</p> <h5><u>Are We Doomed?</u></h5> <p>So with all of our faults, is it hopeless? Are we doomed to ever increasing and sharper cycles? NO! Each of us, at each level of our organizations has the power to drive change in the performance of the supply chain.</p> <p><strong>Looking at the bigger picture:</strong> Whether we call it a supply chain or a supply network, the reality is that the choices, decisions, and actions of each of us, individually, link to others within our companies and across the supply chain. If we are to truly develop the level of quality information needed to drive to success, we need to recognize the linkages to internal customers, partners, and external customers and ensure that we are sharing the highest quality information available at all times if we are to be successful in reaching optimal levels of performance. </p> <p>Each of us must Dare to Innovate - Design for Supply Chain Information – Providing the design engineers with not only easy access to technical information, but also information on the product life cycle of the components, their availability over time, and parts that are most commonly used within their company and within their industry to reduce the potential for stock outs in time of constraint and liability inventory in times of excess.&nbsp; <strong></strong></p> <p><strong>Materials Management and Procurement</strong> – Investing in resources, tools and partnerships to create solutions for standardization of part numbers and sharing that information between departments (like engineering) and other manufacturing sites around the world.<br>Manufacturing – exploring systems, tools and processes that add visibility into inventory activity at the point- of use and relaying it back through the supply chain to support lean manufacturing for lower manufacturing costs and greater inventory trend data to support improved forecasting within the materials management function.<br>Operations – establishing systems and processes to link global operations and create inventory and supply chain visibility. (This is especially challenging for international companies running on disparate computer systems.)&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Channels To Market</strong> – Ensuring that we have the right channels mix to match our products and services to the needs of our customers. Then, ensuring that the right information and support systems to support those channels are put in place to get maximum return on the Sales and Marketing efforts across the direct, representative, distribution, and self -service channels.&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Be generous with your supply chain partners:</strong> The opposite of self-preservation and self-interest is generosity. This willing ness to give and share freely is the key to our success as partners in the complex supply chain. Generosity manifests itself in the willingness to share complete and accurate information to partners, not just that portion that supports what you need right now. It also extends to the willingness to pay for the value a supply chain partner provides, and the openness to share what portions of the partners’ value proposition truly adds value. In today’s tight financial times, neither buyers nor sellers can afford services that do not add measurable value to the supply chain process.&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Understand Risks and create process improvements to mitigate them</strong> – Accept responsibility: No business relationship is without risk, especially as you move across a complex supply chain. The key is to mapping the process to identify the potential for problems and establishing service recovery systems to address them. In recent years the trend has been not to manage risk, but to try to shift it across the supply chain from the OEM to the CM to the distributor or Manufacturer of the component. For the supply chain to work effectively and for the participants to openly share information, each supply chain partner must accept responsibility for that part of the supply chain information and risk that belongs to them. Otherwise, innovation and trust between partners becomes impossible.&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Dare to Trust/Share REAL information:</strong> The key to being able to trust your supply chain partners is to pick the RIGHT partner, then give them complete and accurate information, set reasonable allocations of risk based on accountability for the supply chain information each generates, and then let them do their job. Choose the right partner based on their ability to get the job done, their track record within the supply chain and the innovations they can bring to your processes that add value and help you realize your goals.&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Greed is not all bad, but blind greed is dangerous:</strong> Wanting to get your “unfair share” is what business is all about. However, when we blindly pursue market-share, revenue, or other business metrics beyond what the marketplace can support, we all ultimately suffer. New innovations and businesses are developing to help us look at excess inventories across the supply chain. Identifying these excesses and redirecting them inside our businesses, channels, industry groups or the marketplace allows us to circumvent the build-ups of inventory that ultimately lead to gluts and market declines. As an industry we must enter into new types of relationships with our supply chain partners to add greater transparency to not only the product we need for the future, but also the residual inventory that is left sitting across the supply chain. By increasing this visibility, we get a better picture of what is needed, what is left over. We then have the opportunity to shift the resources back through the chain and put those assets to work for us rather than pushing them off to a partner as a liability.&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Temper Optimism with Realism:</strong> At the height of the boom, optimism was at its highest point. The cyclicality of the technology industry was “a thing of the past” and business was continually headed up and to the right. As the market drastically corrected, reality set in and we all scurried for cover, drastically cutting back on our product requirements, canceling orders and pushing as much liability away from our selves and back towards our supply chain partners. In the darkest days of the downturn, we lost our optimism and trust in each other, cut our costs wherever we could and battened down the hatches to ride out the storm. Looking around us, we hoped that we would make it through and knew that some others may not. </p> <p>Today the storm clouds are beginning to dissipate and many analysts predict that we are starting a slow recovery from the Perfect Storm that started in 2000/2001. As we move towards recovery, there are lessons we have learned that point us towards smoother sailing in the future if we choose to heed them and learn from the painful times we have been through. We must hold on to the optimism that better times are ahead, and invest accordingly, but we must also temper that optimism with a never ending awareness of the market forces swirling around us and not be afraid to raise the storm flags when optimism conflicts with market reality.&nbsp; </p> <h5><em>So, to answer the questions we started with: How did this happen? </em></h5> <h5><em>Because we let it.</em></h5> <p>Will it happen again? By the nature of technology, there will always be a measure of cyclicality in our industry, but the shape of those cycles is up to all of us based on our supply chain behaviors. Eventually, there will be other storms in the high tech industry. It is our choice if we sail right into them, as we did this time, or if we plot a new course, one marked by the sharing of accurate and complete supply chain information between partners, a willingness to be held accountable for our supply chain information and decisions, and a willingness to take the time to find the RIGHT partners and then give them what they need to support us across the supply chain. </p> <p><em>How will you chart your course?</em></p> <p>(This article was originally published in the CorePurpose Executive Brief,&nbsp; July 2002)</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay&nbsp; Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a4f95af3-6677-4166-9c67-e496e992fc96\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/economy\" rel=\"tag\">economy</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/supply%20chain\" rel=\"tag\">supply chain</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/perfect%20storm\" rel=\"tag\">perfect storm</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/history%20repeating\" rel=\"tag\">history repeating</a></div></blockquote>','Looking back at a Perfect Storm','','inherit','open','open','','1452-revision','','','2009-07-16 18:11:58','2009-07-16 18:11:58','',1452,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1452-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(2627,2,'2012-08-19 21:49:27','2012-08-19 21:49:27','<p>I feel a rant coming on - bear with me please.&nbsp; I don\'t do it often.&nbsp; Indulge me and perhaps by then end I can even find something positive to add.&nbsp; <p>To start off - I really, really, really dislike the word \'entrepreneur\'.  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/entrepreneur.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"entrepreneur\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/entrepreneur_thumb.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"214\"></a>\"Why?\" you might ask.&nbsp; \"Aren\'t you one? \"</p> <p>The answer is probably yes by some peoples\' definition and then by others\' it would be no.&nbsp; </p> <p>There are few words in our business lexicon that are more misused, argued over, or modified than the word entrepreneur.</p> <p>With all the talk about entrepreneurship these days, you would think our generation invented it.&nbsp; We did not.</p> <p>The word entrepreneur was first coined in the eighteenth century by <a href=\"http://homepage.newschool.edu/het//profiles/cantillon.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Richard Cantillon</a> and later expanded upon by <a href=\"http://homepage.newschool.edu/het//profiles/schump.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Joseph Schumpeter</a> in his writing the <i>Theory of Economic Development</i>&nbsp; in 1911 .&nbsp; It first appeared in Webster\'s dictionary in 1852 and it\'s definition is actually very simple according to today\'s Merriam-Webster\'s online dictionary - </p> <p><a href=\"http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur\" target=\"_blank\"><em>en·tre·pre·neur</em></a><em>&nbsp; (noun) </em></p> <p><em>Date: 1852&nbsp; Etymology: French, from Old French, from entreprendre to undertake </em></p> <p><em><strong>:</strong> one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise</em></p> <p><em>In today\'s business literature, we now find a plethora of _____preneurs.</em></p> <ul> <ul> <li><em><strong>Intrapreneurs</strong> - entrepreneurial people inside an&nbsp; enterprise</em>  <li><em><strong>Co-preneurs</strong> - husband and wife entrepreneurial teams</em>  <li><em><strong>Solo-preneurs</strong> - the me- myself- and I crowd</em>  <li><em><strong>Mommy-preneurs</strong> - does being a Mommy make your business different?</em>  <li><em><strong>Home-based-preneurs</strong> - does it matter where your office is?</em>  <li><em><strong>Serial-preneurs</strong> - these folks just can\'t seem to get enough...</em>  <li><em><em><strong>Green-preneurs</strong> - these are the save the planet, eco-friendly folks</em></em>  <li><em><strong>Social Venture-prenuers</strong> - the make a difference folks</em>  <li><em><strong>Micro-prenuers</strong> - smaller scale ventures</em>  <li><strong>Macro-preneurs</strong> - get out of my way I\'m gonna be big!</li></ul></ul> <p>et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!</p> <p>And then we have my personal favorite - the <strong>snob-preneur</strong> - those entrepreneurs who look at other classes of -preneurs and confidently state that the other group really is not an entrepreneur at all.&nbsp; They do not count.&nbsp; They are just a life-style business, or a non-profit, or a franchise, or a .....</p> <p>You can find snob-preneurs everywhere.&nbsp; I\'ve had this debate with some of the top authors of best selling books on entrepreneurship (and no, I am not naming names) as well as with entrepreneurial advocates across every level of the continuum.&nbsp; It is like entrepreneurship is some exclusive club and only certain people have the right to belong.</p> <p>But going back to our simple definition, an entrepreneur is a person: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.</p> <p>It should not matter whether... </p> <blockquote> <p>you own the company or work in it.&nbsp; </p> <p>you go it alone, partner with family, or grow your team to be a cast of thousands. </p> <p>your office is in a corporate complex, your garage, your basement or your car. </p> <p>your enterprise is structured to create wealth for shareholders, for yourself, to create greater value to society as a whole,&nbsp; or any combination thereof.</p></blockquote> <p>Instead, let\'s celebrate the \"one\" in the definition.&nbsp; The person who see an opportunity, has the courage to pursue it despite the risks, and who through their passion and persistence creates something great - by their definition - not ours.</p> <p>Perhaps, it\'s time for a new word to encompass that.&nbsp; Preferably one that is easier to spell.&nbsp; <p>Got any ideas?  <p>&nbsp; Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned...  <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1fe4e1bd-24b5-441a-9b76-59a0fc9b92db\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneur\" rel=\"tag\">entrepreneur</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/entrepreneurship\" rel=\"tag\">entrepreneurship</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/economics\" rel=\"tag\">economics</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/definitions\" rel=\"tag\">definitions</a></div></p>','Just call me a \'Preneur','','inherit','open','open','','1451-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:49:27','2012-08-19 21:49:27','',1451,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1451-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2628,2,'2009-07-11 16:51:14','2009-07-11 16:51:14','<p>Are you a LEADER? Do you even want to be? One of the hottest topics of conversation in business and education today is leadership. We talk about it in the boardroom; we look for it in our elected officials, and integrate it into the classroom from the elementary school to the university. Back when I was in school, we focused on learning how to manage. Today we focus on learning how to lead. But, we may have shifted the focus too much. Contrary to so many things we read today, management and leadership are not mutually exclusive skill sets.  <p><b><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/innovation-4.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"innovation 4\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/innovation-4_thumb.jpg\" width=\"299\" height=\"201\"></a></b>The reality is that we need both managers AND leaders depending on the circumstance. Probably the easiest way to know <i>what style is needed when</i> is to look at what you are doing. When we are involved in making sure an event comes off smoothly, a plan is executed cleanly, or we are keeping track of important things at home or at work, we need to manage. When we are motivating people, changing directions, or exploring new areas, projects or things with our family, friends, or work teams, we have the opportunity to lead. Note that we have an opportunity – not necessarily an obligation – to take the lead. In many cases, too many leaders can be worse than too few. If multiple leaders are pulling the team in different directions – you don’t have leadership – you have confusion. But if you build your team with a solid mix of managers and leaders – with both respecting the contribution the other brings, you have a better chance of getting to where you are trying to go.  <p><b>To manage or to lead? That is the question.</b>  <p>Much has been written on the difference between management and leadership. Two of my favorite writers on the subject are Warren Bennis and Ken Blanchard. Both have created great models that explain the difference between managing and leading and both draw the distinction between managing processes and leading people. The following table is a combination of their ideas and mine. It gives you a nice short list of the styles and behaviors we use when we manage or lead.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <table border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" width=\"400\"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\"><b>Managers</b></td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\"><b>Leaders</b></td></tr> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Are Systems Focused</td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Are People Focused</td></tr> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Direct Activities</td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Encourage People to get on board</td></tr> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Control Assets</td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Create or find resources</td></tr> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Risk averse</td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Risk tolerant</td></tr> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Administrative by nature</td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Innovative by nature</td></tr> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Focus on How and When</td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Focus on What and Why</td></tr> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Emphasis on doing things right</td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Emphasis on doing the right thing</td></tr> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Goal/Plan Oriented</td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Visionary</td></tr> <tr> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Monitor near term results</td> <td valign=\"top\" width=\"200\">Look to the far horizon</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b></b> <p>As you look at the differences between the two, it is very clear – great leaders are important for our future direction – but it is the team and the managers that actually get the work done and make sure things happen. It’s like Oreo® cookies and milk – both are good individually, but together they are even better.  <p><b>Preparing mangers and leaders…</b>  <p>So often we hear of people who are born leaders. Implying that leadership is instinctive or programmed into your DNA. You either have it or you don’t. But if you look at the games we played as children, they actually laid a foundation for our future management and leadership skills. In our early years the best follower was usually the winner. Think about games like <i>Simon Says, Mother May I</i>, and of course, <i>Follow the Leader</i>. Paying attention to details, following directions, and doing things just like your ‘leader’ was the key to success. If you were the best at observation and imitation, you won the game and moved to the front of the group.  <p>As we grew older, new activities began to focus more on our talents and skills whether it was in the class room, scouting, clubs, sports, or music. Normally we chose the person we would follow based on their skill or experience. The games or activities had rules or guidelines, but within boundaries, we were encouraged to be creative in order to achieve our goals or win as a group. We also quickly learned who was best at a particular activity and more often than not, they became the leader for the day. Our parents, teachers, coaches, or troop leaders became our role models. How they managed or led were the examples we used to develop our own individual style. When we saw things we admired, we emulated them. In other cases, we may have rejected what they did and how they did it. Creating our own style based on the way we wish we had been treated. If you follow this logic, managers and leaders are not born. They are formed by the examples and the experiences we give to them. When I think of it this way – it makes me think twice – suddenly it’s just about what I need to accomplish, but it’s also about the way I will do it. If someone is always watching, how I choose to manage or lead will impact not only today’s activities but can have a lasting impact on the future managers or leaders who are watching what we do.  <p>I<b>f no one is following you – how can you be a leader?</b>  <p>As every good drum major knows – they may be marching out in front – but <i>the band</i> makes the music. Good leaders and managers know that it is their team that makes the difference on whether or not they will reach their objective. Leadership implies that there must be followers. Management implies something to manage. Good managers and leaders must also not be afraid to step back and follow when another’s skills, talents or experience would provide a better solution. And as role models, we can demonstrate the value of being a follower as well as the person out in front. Our job is to recognize <i>what skills to use and when</i> so that the team is successful, the job gets done, and the vision becomes reality. After all – that’s what management and leadership are all about.  <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned...  <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:63c9634f-8ec9-4dd4-902d-536014e57b3c\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Managment\" rel=\"tag\">Managment</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\" rel=\"tag\">Leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/personal%20development\" rel=\"tag\">personal development</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/career%20development\" rel=\"tag\">career development</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/team%20development\" rel=\"tag\">team development</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/employee%20development\" rel=\"tag\">employee development</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Strategic%20Planning\" rel=\"tag\">Strategic Planning</a></div></blockquote>','Are Leadership and Management Mutually Exclusive?','','inherit','open','open','','1450-revision','','','2009-07-11 16:51:14','2009-07-11 16:51:14','',1450,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1450-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(2629,2,'2012-08-19 21:49:35','2012-08-19 21:49:35','<p>Who doesn\'t want more opportunity? Here\'s a simple idea for more and better opportunities - create a personal strategic plan for your business, career or job search and start with a Personal SWOT analysis.&nbsp; <p><a href=\"http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/preview.aspx?AssetID=MPj0433152&amp;Query=ladder&amp;Scope=20&amp;CTT=1&amp;Origin=EC790000121033&amp;QueryID=TQkFGTsi00&amp;AssetCol=MCj0441290,MPj0438843,MPj0438395,MPj0438451,MPj0438566,MPj0433152,MPj0411717,MPj0426527,MCj0412600,MCj0425918,MPj0422425,MPj0426548\" target=\"_blank\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Image converted using ifftoany\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04331521.jpg\" width=\"244\" height=\"244\"></a>What\'s SWOT? The letters stand for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.  <p>Businesses have used this tool for years.&nbsp; Why not put it to work for you at a personal level to manage YOUR own growth?  <p>Take out a piece of paper and draw lines so you have 4 equal quadrants. Label the top two: Strengths and Opportunities. Then mark the bottom two Weaknesses and Threats.  <p>Start with your strengths - list as many as you can think of. Then move down the page and list all the things you wish you were better at.  <p>Now look at what you have written as Strengths and in the Opportunity column list one potential opportunity that can come to you from each strength.  <p>Now look at your Weaknesses. What could keep you from realizing these opportunities. Write it down and think about what you might do to keep your weaknesses from becoming threats to the opportunities you have listed. Write them down and take action.  <p>Whether you are running a business, managing your career, or looking for a job, this simple strategy works.&nbsp; Just give it a try. (Oh and don\'t forget to look at your resume and make sure that all of your strengths show up in what your resume says about you!)  <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...  <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:8d9d9db4-c076-40f5-b6a1-fae19760c89d\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/success\" rel=\"tag\">success</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/opportunity\" rel=\"tag\">opportunity</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/careers\" rel=\"tag\">careers</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/job%20search\" rel=\"tag\">job search</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/SWOT\" rel=\"tag\">SWOT</a></div></blockquote>','Want More Opportunity? Be Strategic.','','inherit','open','open','','287-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:49:35','2012-08-19 21:49:35','',287,'http://www.corepurpose.com/287-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2630,2,'2012-08-19 21:49:55','2012-08-19 21:49:55','<blockquote> <p>“If the company with the best partners wins, how do you create great partnerships that last?”</p></blockquote> <p><a href=\"http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/preview.aspx?AssetID=MPj0439356&amp;Query=teamwork&amp;Scope=22&amp;CTT=1&amp;Origin=EC790000121033&amp;QueryID=NRjFW7iz00&amp;AssetCol=MPj0439356,MPj0439359,MPj0433005,MPj0433027,MPj0432764,MPj0434156,MPj0437267,MPj0437323,MPj0437234,MPj0437251,MPj0438411,MPj0438451\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0439356[1]\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04393561.jpg\" width=\"175\" height=\"175\"></a> <br>Having a great product or service is not enough. In today’s world of competing technologies and services – the company with the best partners wins. But how do you create great partnerships that last? Partnerships that take your product or service and build it into solutions that make customers want to buy and investors want to invest?</p> <h4>Our partners are all around us.</h4> <p>They are the people and organizations that help us get from where we are – to where we want to be. Partners include our employees, our customers, our investors and the outside suppliers of goods and services we work with to make things happen.&nbsp; Having spent two decades in the electronic distribution industry, I saw a lot of great products come and go. Some were wildly successful while others faded away. The companies that succeeded long-term understood that making their product accessible took partnerships with a broader network like distribution. At the same time, distributors with staying power understood that to build a lasting partnership, they had to add value to what the manufacturer had to offer. Pure transactional relationships don’t work in this world. The levels of investment and time horizons for payback are too long. For both parties to receive the maximum benefit – they have to commit for the long haul.</p> <h4>Are our perceptions of partnerships changing?</h4> <p>As I look around, I am amazed at how transactional we have become in our partnering relationships. A great example is the change in how we look at our employees. In my father’s generation – the partnership between employer and employee was often a lifetime commitment. Through good times and bad, you worked towards a common goal. You grew together. You helped each other. You were partners. You did not talk about it. You just did it. That’s the way it was. Today, we talk about employee satisfaction. We talk about growth and empowerment. We talk about strategy, teams, and commitment to a common goal. But when things get tough, do we stick together or part company. I don’t need to answer the question. The answer is all around us. </p> <p>And the scariest part of this partnering shift is what it is teaching our next generation. </p> <blockquote> <p>\"There is no partnership. There is no commitment. Look out for yourself.\"</p></blockquote> <p>If this is what we are teaching our future workforce through our example – we’ d all better watch out!</p> <h4>Successful partnerships are a lot like successful marriages.</h4> <p>My father worked for General Motors for over 40 years. He and my Mom will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on August 1st. It started me thinking. There is a connection here.&nbsp; </p> <p>Whether we’ re looking for a date or scanning the field for a business partner, we look around for the most attractive person we can find. The one that sparks our interest – answers a need – has what we want. In the beginning, it’s not hearts and flowers – just the basic laws of attraction. There is no commitment at this phase, just a lot of checking each other out. It’s superficial like an advertisement, a website, or a resume. We see what they want us to see. And, if we like what we see, we reach out to learn more.</p> <p>The next step is the courting phase. Here we check each other out to determine the right fit. Courting is like dating. We’re getting to know each other as individuals. What we really want and what we really do. In the beginning everyone is on their best behavior. But as you start to spend time together away from the day to day<br>distractions, you start to get more comfortable and relax. That’s when you start to see the real person you are looking to partner with. In business we call this due diligence. We test the water comparing long term goals and how we like to do things. We match our values. We explore how we can help each other. We listen to what the other person says and we pay attention to what they aren’t saying. Just like when you’re dating, each side wants to look their best for the other person. Sometimes you need to look a little deeper to see the real partner underneath. When you like what you see - when your values match - then you are ready to commit.</p> <p>Next you get engaged. It’s more than just setting a date. You are setting expectations, making promises, setting goals. As you get ready to take the plunge, you are mapping out the future of the partnership. What you will do. How you will do it. You learn to handle details and who does what best. You start to come together as a team. By the time you get to making it legal, the deal is done. The contract – whether a marriage license, a contract or a purchase order is simply confirmation of what you will set out to do together. Over the life of your relationship, you learn to work with each other, to compromise, and to adjust so that each person is getting what they need. </p> <p> Like a marriage, lasting business partnerships are personal. They take thought, effort and personal attention to make them work. But most of all they require and open mind and a willingness to negotiate.</p> <h4>We negotiate with people, not companies.</h4> <p>Partnerships that last are built through a continuing series of negotiations. The relationships in the partnership are not based on the life of a contract – they last generations. This key is so simple we often miss it. Each new objective starts with a negotiation. As the partnership grows, we learn more about each other. We take that knowledge and use it to set new plans and higher goals based on each other’s strengths.&nbsp; </p> <p>Companies don’t negotiate – people do. Traditional styles of win-lose or win-win negotiations focus on the tally sheet between the contracting parties. Keeping score of ‘who got what’ does not make for a lasting marriage and it doesn’t work in lasting business partnerships either. To keep things working, we must develop a new form of relationship based negotiations. Each party looks at a longer horizon, acknowledging that there will always be conflict and compromise but always placing the health of the overall relationship as the highest priority. When we do this, we anticipate our partner’s needs and care enough to help them fill them. Each time we do so, the bond grows stronger, the partnership better, and we benefit. Not just today, but long into the future.</p> <h5>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned...</h5> <blockquote> <h5>Joan Koerber-Walker</h5> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:f1fd0c93-8a1a-4ba6-8c4c-aac94879965f\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/corepurpose\" rel=\"tag\">corepurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/negotiations\" rel=\"tag\">negotiations</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/partnerships\" rel=\"tag\">partnerships</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Working\" rel=\"tag\">Working</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20books\" rel=\"tag\">business books</a></div></blockquote>','Partnering – You Can’t Succeed Alone','','inherit','open','open','','1449-revision-3','','','2012-08-19 21:49:55','2012-08-19 21:49:55','',1449,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1449-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2631,2,'2009-07-03 05:02:12','2009-07-03 05:02:12','<p>One of the questions I get frequently is \"How can I get chosen to serve on a Board of Directors?\"&nbsp; There seems to be a caché attached to these positions, and since I have served, and continue to serve on multiple Boards of Directors and Boards of Advisors, sooner or later the question comes up.</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/at-parenting-az-benefit.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"At Parenting AZ Benefit\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/at-parenting-az-benefit_thumb.jpg\" width=\"164\" height=\"244\"></a>There are many types of boards.&nbsp; They range from those in the non-profit world, to community associations, industry associations, government agencies, private companies, and public companies.&nbsp; And in each case the role is a little different.&nbsp; But, the one commonality across the continuum is that the role of the board member is about service.</p> <p>Boards look for individuals who believe in the organization\'s mission and can help move it towards it\'s goals through a combination of Time, Treasury, and Talent.</p> <p>So, where do you fit?&nbsp; It might be helpful to look at each of these different types of organizations and the associated board roles so that you can see what type of service is expected of a quality board member and then you can look at your own skill set and see if board service might be for you.</p> <h4>Advisors</h4> <p>Advisory Boards exist in both the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds.&nbsp; In this case, board members are chosen specifically for their expertise.&nbsp; Here TALENT and experience is the main determining factor.&nbsp; Advisory Boards come in all shapes and sizes for advisory of government agencies, to start ups, to scientific organizations.&nbsp; </p> <p>The major difference between Advisory Board positions and the other board roles discussed here ties to the concept of <strong>Fiduciary Responsibility</strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the case of advisors, your role is to observe, council, influence, and to provide knowledge, contacts, or input.&nbsp; Conversely, in the role of Director or Trustee, you have the additional legal obligations to oversee and hold in trust and support not only the mission of the organization but to also protect it\'s real and intangible assets, including oversight with legal compliance.&nbsp; This is known as fiduciary responsibility.</p> <h4>Directors and Trustees</h4> <p><strong>Non-Profits: Charitable Organizations, Community Organizations and Agencies</strong> look for board members that meet the specific needs of the organization in addition to fiduciary responsibilities.&nbsp; Financial compensation (paying for board service) is fairly uncommon, and often prohibited by the organization\'s by-laws.&nbsp; But don\'t be surprised to find that board members are expected to contribute generously of both time and or talent as well as cold, hard cash to support the organization through either sponsorship, donations, or rolling up your sleeves and doing real work to move the mission forward.&nbsp; In these organizations, the public and the employees are the primary stakeholders board members are expected to safeguard and support.</p> <p><strong>Membership Based Associations can be either </strong>for profit and not for profit.&nbsp; But in both cases, the board has a new constituency to look out for - the members.&nbsp; Often board members are elected by the membership and from the membership of the association.&nbsp; As an association board member, expect to be asked&nbsp; to be very visible and engaged in the activities within your membership community.&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Start Up Companies, Privately Held Firms, and Public Companies.</strong>&nbsp; As we move onto the for profit arena, all of the fiduciary obligations apply - but you have a new set of stakeholders you must satisfy - the investors.&nbsp; At this level, board members get paid.&nbsp; Compensation comes in the form of cash, equity or a combination of the two.&nbsp; Just remember, people expect more from you when they are paying you.&nbsp; Be prepared to deliver.&nbsp; The larger the organization, the more compensation is normally involved, but with that also comes more responsibility, more meetings, more committee work, and more people you ultimately have to keep happy.&nbsp; Once you get to the highest levels, shareholders look to the board to safeguard their interests AND be responsible for ultimate company performance.&nbsp; At one time, being on the board of companies like General Motors, Lehman Brothers, or a major bank were envied positions.&nbsp; Would you want to be one of those directors today? </p> <h4>Still interested?&nbsp; </h4> <p>As you can see, board service can be a lot or hard work and responsibility.&nbsp; The key to being invited or elected to a board is to reshape your thinking.&nbsp; Board service is not just standing up and graciously accepting applause from the crowd at a fundraiser or being seen as a leader at public events or in the media.&nbsp; It\'s about making a contribution of your time, treasury and talent.&nbsp; </p> <p>Take a look at the various organizations in your community.&nbsp; What do you have to contribute?&nbsp; How can you help them? </p> <p>Get involved, start volunteering, share ideas, show them what you can do.&nbsp; </p> <p>When you make a difference - you won\'t have to ask to be involved at a higher leadership level.</p> <p>They will ask you!</p> <h4>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...</h4> <blockquote> <p><strong>Joan Koerber-Walker</strong></p></blockquote>&nbsp; <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:ec3c3d7a-213d-4c00-a76e-e78e226c52fd\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\" rel=\"tag\">Leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Growth\" rel=\"tag\">Growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Board%20of%20Directors\" rel=\"tag\">Board of Directors</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Advisory%20Boards\" rel=\"tag\">Advisory Boards</a></div>','Welcome to the Board.','','inherit','open','open','','1448-revision','','','2009-07-03 05:02:12','2009-07-03 05:02:12','',1448,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1448-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(2632,2,'2009-06-27 22:41:51','2009-06-27 22:41:51','<p>This weekend, it has been hard to go anywhere without hearing talk about the life and death of Michael Jackson. While driving in the car listening to KTAR yesterday I heard two radio personalities, who had met, him recapping his life.&nbsp; They told a story that all of us can take heed of - whether you are a Michael Jackson fan or not. </p> <p><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Michaeljacksonthrilleralbum.jpg\"><img alt=\"Thriller cover\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/51/Michaeljacksonthrilleralbum.jpg/200px-Michaeljacksonthrilleralbum.jpg\" width=\"200\" height=\"199\"></a></p> <p>The story went like this...</p> <p>During the production of <em>Thriller</em>, Jackson\'s sixth album and the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_albums_worldwide\">best-selling album</a> of all time,&nbsp; Jackson had just finished recording the ninth and final song.&nbsp; The record\'s producer, <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Jones\">Quincy Jones</a>, reportedly asked Michael this question.</p> <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#333333\">Of all the songs, which&nbsp; are your least favorite three?</font></p></blockquote> <p>Jackson told him three songs and Quincy Jones replied - </p> <blockquote> <p>\"Let\'s re-do them. \" </p></blockquote> <p>and they did.&nbsp; That album made recording history.&nbsp; In today\'s age of iTunes and downloads, it is unlikely it will ever lose its place as the top selling album of all time.</p> <p>What an incredibly valuable lesson.&nbsp; How often have we embarked on a project and judged it finished without taking one last objective look at what we have created.&nbsp; Do we make the time to move forward towards creative perfection?</p> <p>I think, the next time I have an important project finished, I will remember this story and follow Quincy Jones\' advice.&nbsp; </p> <p>How about you?</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#333333\">Joan Koerber-Walker</font></p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:520759f4-39d0-40d7-bd69-8fd64d4b6101\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Michael%20Jackson\" rel=\"tag\">Michael Jackson</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Quincy%20Jones\" rel=\"tag\">Quincy Jones</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Thriller\" rel=\"tag\">Thriller</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Creative%20Excellence\" rel=\"tag\">Creative Excellence</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a></div> <p>&nbsp; <p><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Michaeljacksonthrilleralbum.jpg\"></a></p>','Creative Excellence','','inherit','open','open','','1447-revision','','','2009-06-27 22:41:51','2009-06-27 22:41:51','',1447,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1447-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(2633,2,'2012-08-19 21:50:10','2012-08-19 21:50:10','<p>Right, wrong, and somewhere in between.&nbsp; How do we know sometimes what is right?&nbsp; Over the last few days, all of us have been barraged with words and images of what is happening on the other side of the world.&nbsp; Some of the images have been heart breaking. Others have been uplifting.&nbsp; Many have been disturbing. Some have simply been sad.&nbsp; </p> <p><img style=\"margin:5px;\" title=\"Anne Frank\'s House in Amsterdam\" alt=\" believe in the goodness of people\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://www.undercovertourist.com/netherlands/amsterdam/attractions/img/l/anne-frank-s-house.jpg\">I\'m not gong to fill this page with the images and words that have been moving across the airwaves, the blogs, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.&nbsp;&nbsp; You know where you can find them if you choose to search.&nbsp; </p> <p>Even before June 12th, I had been reading about the Iranian elections.&nbsp; When violence erupted, I got the first news, like many others through my Twitter stream. The news was frightening.&nbsp; That first night I stayed up&nbsp; until the wee hours of the morning re-tweeting information on basic first aid, what embassies were open for the wounded, and other information.&nbsp;&nbsp; As the days went on, the stories grew more disturbing and the tweets more frequent.&nbsp; I definitely was not alone in my efforts.&nbsp; Many others were doing the same.&nbsp; </p> <p>At first I rotated through my <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/my-profiles-on-twitter.html\">multiple Twitter</a> accounts, but soon the number of tweets were still too much.&nbsp; On Monday, I set up a new account <a href=\"http://twitter.com/jkwphx\">(@JKWphx)</a> dedicated to only sending #IranElection, #gr88 or later #Neda oriented messages.&nbsp; </p> <p>At times the information was so sad or disturbing that I needed a break or a pick me up.&nbsp; Some of my friends, who knew what I was was doing, would tweet me with happy thoughts, inspiring quotes, or silly sayings.&nbsp; At other times, I would turn and pull out a book for a short reading break.&nbsp; </p> <p>On Monday, I pulled out a dog eared copy of <em>The Diary of a Young Girl</em> by Anne Frank and began to read the words of someone who lived and died decades ago.&nbsp; She was living in hiding during times of fear and oppression and telling her story through a her notebook journals.<img alt=\"Anne Frank\'s Journals\" src=\"http://www.annefrank.org/upload/Dagboek/P8_compositie_dagboeken.jpg\" width=\"480\"></p> <p>Here are some of her words:</p> <blockquote> <p>\"<i>It\'s really a wonder that I haven\'t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can\'t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.</i>\" Saturday, 15 July, 1944, pg. 237</p></blockquote> <p>As I write this Thursday evening in Arizona, the sun has already risen on the people in Iran.&nbsp; I have no idea if any of the people I was trying to help ever saw the words I sent to them.&nbsp; <p>I know the Iranian government agents did -- THEY sent some lovely notes. I wonder if it would frustrate them to know the satisfaction I got each time I went in and BLOCKED them?  <p>But either way, I did what I could to help because I thought it was right.&nbsp; At the end of&nbsp; the day, that\'s all any of us can do.  <p>Thanks for stopping by, and if you get a chance today, say a little prayer for the people in Iran.  <p>Stay Tuned...  <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker  <p>Photo and other information from <a href=\"http://www.annefrank.org\">www.annefrank.org</a> and the Anne Frank Museum, Amsterdam.  <p>Quote, from <em>The Diary of a Young Girl</em> by Anne Frank</p> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:88cc7418-b7e8-4dc1-85d8-6b92ac6abf20\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/IranElection\" rel=\"tag\">IranElection</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Iran2009\" rel=\"tag\">Iran2009</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/The%20Diary%20of%20a%20Young%20Girl\" rel=\"tag\">The Diary of a Young Girl</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Anne%20Frank\" rel=\"tag\">Anne Frank</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter\" rel=\"tag\">Twitter</a></div></blockquote>','What\'s Right?','','inherit','open','open','','1446-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:50:10','2012-08-19 21:50:10','',1446,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1446-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2634,2,'2012-08-19 21:55:04','2012-08-19 21:55:04','<p></p>I\'ve heard it said that leaders are born and I\'ve heard it said that leadership is learned. It\'s probably a little of both.&nbsp; <p>But whether it comes from your genetic make up or your environment, I owe whatever leadership qualities I have to my Dad.</p> <p> <div style=\"width:326px;display:inline;float:none;margin:0;padding:5px 5px 5px 10px;\" id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ca118521-c601-4f35-b2d6-c8ed3ece07c9\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\"><div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtCjq1ZuLsI&amp;color1=0xb1b1b1&amp;color2=0xcfcfcf&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;fs=1]</div></div></p> <p>Great leaders lead by example and here are a few things he\'s showed me.</p> <h3>Great leaders...</h3> <h3>Listen and Learn</h3> <p>Leadership starts with conversations.&nbsp; If you listen to the other person, and really hear what they are telling you - you can learn something about them and about yourself.&nbsp; The more you know about each other - the more you can accomplish together. I\'ve listened as he talks with people many times.&nbsp; And he really talks WITH them.&nbsp; Never at them. He listens to what they have to say and shares his ideas.</p> <h3>Embrace Challenges Calmly</h3> <p>Challenge your thinking and challenge yourself.&nbsp; Be open to new ideas while staying true to your principles.&nbsp; No life is always easy.&nbsp; And I\'m sure raising five kids who were six years apart in age was not always a piece of cake.&nbsp; (I can not imagine a house with FIVE teenagers.&nbsp; I have all I can handle with two.) But what ever challenges he faced, my Dad kept his cool and did what had to be done. And he still does to this day.</p> <h3>Live their principles</h3> <p>Talking about something is easy.&nbsp; Doing something about it can be an entirely different story.&nbsp; True leaders don\'t just talk about something.&nbsp; They get involved and take action.&nbsp; My Dad does not stay on the sidelines.&nbsp; Even though he is retired, he\'s busier than ever.&nbsp; Whether it is creating a neighborhood park, getting a road repaired, volunteering at church, or helping a neighbor, he walks his talk.</p> <h3>Sing Out</h3> <p>Dad\'s not afraid to raise his voice and say what needs to be said,&nbsp; He shares with his children and grandchildren the stories of the past and talks with them about the events of our day.&nbsp; By his example he has taught us to be aware, be informed, and express our opinions... even when we don\'t agree with him.&nbsp; :-)</p> <h3>Don\'t have to be famous to be effective.</h3> <p>My Dad didn\'t have to be the President of the United States, the Chairman of the Board (OK, GM might have done better of he was) or a celebrity to make a lasting impact as a leader. He just needed to be who he is, do what he believes is right, and set a great example for his children.</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/000_00431.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"000_0043\" align=\"left\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/000_0043_thumb1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"122\"></a> </p> <h3>But most of all, truly great leaders are loved. </h3> <h3>And he is. </h3> <p>Happy Father\'s Day Daddy!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>And as my Daddy always says...</p> <h4>\"<strong>Make it</strong> a Great Day.\"</h4> <p>Thanks for stopping by...Stay Tuned.</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6965f449-18a1-4f73-82b7-0da155f4d056\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Richard%20A.%20Koerber\" rel=\"tag\">Richard A. Koerber</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leaders\" rel=\"tag\">Leaders</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\" rel=\"tag\">Leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Father\'s%20Day\" rel=\"tag\">Father\'s Day</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Fathers%20and%20Daughters\" rel=\"tag\">Fathers and Daughters</a></div>','Learned Leadership','','inherit','open','open','','1445-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:55:04','2012-08-19 21:55:04','',1445,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1445-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2635,2,'2012-08-19 21:28:28','2012-08-19 21:28:28','<p>June is a favorite month for happenings like big weddings, local golf tournaments, and vacation car trips. What do all of these things have in common? They’re fun, of course, but equally important, making them the best they can be calls for the four P’s - Planning, Partnering, Patience, and Persistence.  <h4>Planning<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image14.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:0 5px 5px;\" border=\"0\" alt=\"It\'s @Shannon_KB and her husband Sean\" align=\"right\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb14.png\" width=\"197\" height=\"244\"></a> </h4> <p>Getting ready for a big event takes planning. Who will be there? What will we need? Where will we go? When will we do it? The ubiquitous who, what, where and when are the essence of any plan. It allows us to map out a journey, plan an event, or set a new goal for our business. When we start to plan, we are setting goals for achievement and budgets that establish our limits. Each is important if we are to make the project succeed in the long run. Our goals allow us to stretch, taking a vision or dream and concretely establishing steps that will make it come true.  <p>In planning a big summer wedding, the process begins long before the big day. We set the date, reserve a place for the reception and start to spread the word to family and friends. They’ll want to join you. We decide who will be in the wedding party; choose gowns and tuxes, order flowers and interview photographers. Hundreds of details, large and small have to be considered from what the menu will be to how many guests we will invite. Our budget, as the event boundary, will come into play as we make these decisions. The number of guests and type of reception we have is a function of the costs of the options we choose multiplied by the number of guests. According to the research done by The Wedding Report (<a href=\"http://www.costofwedding.com/\">www.costofwedding.com</a>), on average, couples getting married in my neighborhood will spend $54,940.00 for their wedding. And, this does not even include cost for a honeymoon, engagement ring! (You can put in your Zip Code to see what people around you are spending.) Add these in, plus the cost of a bridal consultant or wedding planner, if you want professional help, and the cost could reach $72,845.00! When you are looking at this size of an investment, planning within the boundaries of a budget becomes very important.  <p>But it is not just weddings. Even simpler events like a family car trip or a hike through your local state park needs to be planned out. How long will you be gone? What do you need to take along – what resources will you need to make this special time with family or friends most enjoyable and free from problems. Plan it out. Like anyone who’s ever taken a long car trip with a child can attest, sooner or later, the question arises. “Are we there yet?” If you have not planned out where you are going and how you will get there, you will never have the answer.  <h4>Partnering</h4> <p>Ever heard of a BHAG? Pronounced bee-hag, it is shorthand for Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Tackling a big goal can seem daunting especially if you are trying to do it all on your own. Partnering is the key to pulling off a really big success. A great example of this is the holiday celebration that has become a hallmark of our community, the Festival of Lights. What started as a promotional device to draw potential customers into the Foothills, has become a holiday tradition that draws people from all over the valley. But when development was ended and the developers were through, there was a big problem. How would it continue? Who put up and take down all the lights? Who would pay for it? This tradition might have been lost if not for a group of community residents and businesses that came together in partnership to keep the Festival of Lights burning bright. Today, the <a href=\"http://www.festivaloflightsaz.org\">Festival of Lights</a> is a year round community partnership including the Kick-Off Party, the Mile of a Million Lights Display on Chandler Blvd., the Hay Rides on December Saturdays, the Golf Tournament and Wine-Tasting Event in June - are all the efforts of community member volunteers dedicated in keeping the tradition alive. Neighbors and businesses throughout the Ahwatukee Foothills area to come together in the spirit of fun and partnership as they support a common goal. These partnerships continue through the year and create great business and community connections.  <h4>Patience</h4> <p>Patience is a virtue. But then, I never claimed to virtuous. Yep, that was me, the annoying child in the back seat who was asking “are we there yet” every five miles or so. And, if you asked my family and friends, they would tell you some things never change! When we are working towards a big goal, it is often hard to be patient. We can see the end result in our mind. We are excited about it. We want to get there. NOW! But, the old saying is also true that good things happen to those who wait. When we have a project, event or goal we are working towards, things take time. We need that time to follow through on all the little steps, to pass the mile markers that will get us to where we are ultimately going to be. So reach down and find the patience. Don’t give up or get discouraged about how long it is taking. Before you know it the big day will arrive.  <h4>Persistence</h4> <p>At last we reach the end of our list. Last, but not least, is the power of persistence. My grandmother often told me the dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. (Yes, I have seen this quote attributed to everyone from May Smith to Vince Lombardi - but I\'m quoting my Grandma here.)&nbsp; <p>Persistence is the quality in us that keeps us going toward our end goal. When we take on that big hairy audacious goal, there are times along the way when things don’t go as we planned. Maybe we get a flat tire on that car trip or the hotel we’ve chosen for that special get away is sold out. If we’re planning a wedding, we might get discouraged when friends and family are not being as cooperative as we would like. As we laid out our plans, there might have been so many things we had to do along the way that it just doesn’t seem worth it. At other times, as we are moving along our path, obstacles get in our way and make it seem too hard to keep going.  <p>One of my favorite quotes is from Winston Churchill. He said “success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” As we plan our big summer activity, we need to keep moving forward, over and around the little failures or bumps in the road.  <p>Flexibility is the key to success. Making small adjustments can help us to reach the end goal if we just stick with it. When things get a bit hairy, keep in mind what about your plan or goal got you excited in the first place. Reach down and find the enthusiasm that got you started on this path in the beginning and use it to fuel your power of persistence to follow it through to the end.  <h4>We’re here!</h4> <p>Finally, we’ve arrived. Following our four P’s – planning, partnering, patience and persistence, we reach the end of our journey. Now comes the best part – to enjoy arriving at our destination. When I got married, many years ago, we had a big wedding - lots of guests, lots of details, thousands of last minute things to keep track of. We planned and budgeted. We partnered with great people. It took us over a year to pull it off and we over came little obstacles with persistence and enthusiasm. But, by the end, I was so wrapped up in making sure that everything was perfect that I was making myself crazy.  <p>I almost lost sight of what was really important – the celebration of the new life we were starting together. Lucky for me, my husband Chris is a much smarter person that I am. He didn’t lecture me or tell me what I was missing. Through his actions, he reminded me - pulling me onto the dance floor, visiting with friends, and of course, smearing wedding cake ALL over my face. And, being the calm, collected, rational person I am, I retaliated in spades! It’s hard to take things too seriously when you have just had a food fight in front of hundreds of people! So while you focus on the end goal, don’t forget to enjoy the journey. Use the four P’s to help you along the way, enjoy the ride, and CELEBRATE when you have arrived.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#333333\">-Joan Koerber-Walker</font></p></blockquote> <div style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:5294e589-7154-453b-b02f-542b846f37d1\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Success\" rel=\"tag\">Success</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Planning\" rel=\"tag\">Planning</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Partnering\" rel=\"tag\">Partnering</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Patience\" rel=\"tag\">Patience</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Persistence\" rel=\"tag\">Persistence</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Weddings\" rel=\"tag\">Weddings</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Vacations\" rel=\"tag\">Vacations</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\" rel=\"tag\">Business Tips</a></div>','Are we there yet… Focus on the Four P\'s.','','inherit','open','open','','1444-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:28:28','2012-08-19 21:28:28','',1444,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1444-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2636,2,'2012-08-19 21:37:32','2012-08-19 21:37:32','Over the weekend, a Twitter friend challenged me to be more original in my tweets.  Another excellent article talked about the importance of authenticity across social media and had me thinking about my own authentic voice. The result was my Sunday night blog post, <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/06/to-quote-or-not-to-quote---that-is-the-question.html\">To Quote or Not to Quote- That is the question.</a> \n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/ad-cutout1.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/ad-cutout_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Image Copyright CorePurpose, Inc. 2003.  All Rights Reserved.\" width=\"283\" height=\"240\" align=\"right\" /></a>\n\nLittle did I imagine that my social media musings would garner so much attention. It turns out that for some, the quoting of philosophers, motivational speakers, Presidents and other luminaries is a hot topic across the twitterverse.  That post has become the most widely read and re-tweeted post I have ever written thanks to my friends who passed it on to their friends, and so on and so on.  It even got picked up on WordPress Quote  of the Day and other sites that people go to to find quotable quotes.    Who knew?\n\nTo be clear. <strong> </strong>\n<h4>I love a good quote. I use quotes in my speaking, in my writing, and in my day to day conversation. </h4>\nMeaningful quotes are part of my personal style of communication.   But as I used social media more and more, it was much easier to quote others than it was to develop and share my own original thoughts.   Even more, I was beginning to question whether what I was putting down in 140c was my own idea or someone else\'s and would have to Google a quote first to see if it was original or need attribution.  (And, rumor has it, I am not alone.)\n\nSo - I challenged myself to really try to mix it up a bit and share original ideas throughout the day in between sharing interesting articles, blog posts, and other Twitter tidbits.  And like most challenges, I found that it was not that easy. \n<h4>\"There are no original ideas. There are only original people.\"</h4>\n<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Grizzuti_Harrison\">Barbara Grizzuti Harrison</a>  (14 September 1934 - 24 April 2002) (<a href=\"http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/barbara_grizzuti_harrison.html\">other quotes</a>)\n\nSo on Monday night, I decided to try something new.  I would tag my original quotes with #BeOriginal and invite some friends to do it too. I have some very smart and witty friends that I follow on Twitter and who follow me back across <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/my-profiles-on-twitter.html\">my various Twitter profiles</a>.  I reached out to see who was on line and sent a few messages that went like this: \n\n<a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWinnovation\"></a><a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWinnovation\">JKWinnovation</a>: Quote break - Followers - Do you have a personal quote to share at <a href=\"http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23BeOriginal\"><strong>#BeOriginal</strong></a>. I need to practice.\n\n<a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWinnovation\"></a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWinnovation\">JKWinnovation</a>: @______- Want to come out and play at <a href=\"http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23BeOriginal\"><strong>#BeOriginal</strong></a>\n\n<a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWleadership\">JKWleadership</a>: @______ I\'m learning to <a href=\"http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23BeOriginal\"><strong>#BeOriginal</strong></a> - Gotta quote to share?\n\n  As I  invited friends to join in, a few notes came back privately asking questions.  Why should I do this?  How can I do this?  You are asking me????  I  even had a few deeper Twitter conversations\n\nThen slowly but surely, a few joined in and we got some great original, quotable ideas.  Soon others were re-tweeting those too.  When they did, I sent them a note inviting them to share their original ideas.  This experiment is very new and there is not much there yet, but hopefully the concept of \"What are you thinking? will become as popular as \"What are you doing ?\" \n\nYou can do a Twitter Search using <a href=\"http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23BeOriginal\">#BeOriginal</a> to see how this experiment is evolving.\n<h4>So, why #BeOriginal? </h4>\nPerhaps, a better question to ask is \"Why not?\"  Let\'s try tagging our original ideas be they serious, humorous, or simply every day thoughts.  Claim them with your name - just as you would a well known quote and don\'t forget to add the #BeOriginal so it will end up on the running search list.    If we do, soon we can look at that list and see a world of new, original ideas - make connections - and maybe even put some of these great ideas into action.\n\nAre  you ready for the challenge?  Send out an original idea of your own including your name and #BeOriginal.  It will be interesting to see what develops over time.\n\nThanks for stopping by...Stay tuned.\n<blockquote>- Joan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1dcc6df2-14dc-421f-9c5b-c86ad1c0bfe8\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter\">Twitter</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Quotes\">Quotes</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/#BeOriginal\">#BeOriginal</a></div></blockquote>\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/ad-cutout1.jpg\"></a>','Why #BeOriginal?','','inherit','open','open','','1443-revision-3','','','2012-08-19 21:37:32','2012-08-19 21:37:32','',1443,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1443-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2637,2,'2012-08-19 21:37:41','2012-08-19 21:37:41','<p></p> <p>First and foremost - I am not a social media expert.&nbsp; Not even close! I\'m just a business person trying to learn how to communicate across an evolving medium.&nbsp;&nbsp; Lucky for me, I am surrounded by people who know a lot more about it than I do.&nbsp; I won\'t call them experts.&nbsp; They\'d shoot me if I did.&nbsp; You see, social media is changing too fast .&nbsp; No one is really an expert.&nbsp; Some just know more than others and have been at it longer.</p> <p>I got some good pointers from Twitter friends this weekend.&nbsp; </p> <p>The first was from Tyler Hurst.&nbsp; </p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/a-bit-of-books.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" height=\"437\" alt=\"A Bit of Books from my personal collection\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/a-bit-of-books_thumb.jpg\" width=\"273\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a></p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image2.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"47\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb2.png\" width=\"47\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a><a href=\"http://twitter.com/tdhurst\" target=\"_blank\">tdhurst</a> @joankw NO RECYCLED QUOTES. YOU ARE BETTER THAN THAT </p> <p>I obviously over did it Saturday night.</p> <p>The second was from an article posted by Brian Solis about authenticity and authority in social media.&nbsp; <a href=\"http://www.briansolis.com/2009/06/a-soliloquy-the-universal-language-of-social-media/\">A Soliloquy: The Language of Social Media</a> by Brian Solis <a href=\"http://twitter.com/briansolis\" target=\"_blank\">(@BrianSolis</a>)</p> <p>I loved Brian\'s article and sent it out as a RT.&nbsp; The feedback I\'ve been getting back all day is that&nbsp; authenticity should be the goal every time.</p> <p>Now, I tweet quite a bit, and across multiple profiles as you can see on this <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/my-profiles-on-twitter.html\">page</a>.&nbsp; My personal profile description is \'an eclectic mix of ideas\' while the other four are focused on innovation, leadership, growth, and business success.</p> <p>So perhaps I should take another look&nbsp; at those quotes I tweeted... </p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image3.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"50\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb3.png\" width=\"50\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/joankw\" target=\"_blank\">joankw</a> “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It\'s not.” ~&nbsp; Dr. Seuss </p> <p>Hmmm.&nbsp; Perhaps I need to think a bit more about what I am doing?</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image4.png\"><a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWgrowth\"><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image5.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"52\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb4.png\" width=\"52\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a></a></p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWgrowth\">JKWgrowth</a></a> “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” ~ Dr. <b>Seuss</b> </p> <p>So taking a page from Dr. Seuss - I looked around my twitterverse to see what I could see.&nbsp; Since the twitterverse is huge, I took a note from the Beatles and got a little help from my friends... by looking at what they do.</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image6.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"55\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb5.png\" width=\"55\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a> </p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/markismusing\">@MarkIsMusing</a> is one of the tweeters I have followed from day one.&nbsp; Yes, he tweets everyday stuff, but when he starts musing he\'ll treat the 26,000+ people who follow him to a string of quotes he is \'musing\' about.&nbsp; He also has a great newsletter and a blog I now subscribe to. Plus he splits his time between Calgary and Maui AND remodels his own bathroom.&nbsp; What\'s not to like?</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image7.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"53\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb6.png\" width=\"53\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a> </p> <p>&nbsp;<a href=\"http://twitter.com/StartupPro\">@StartupPro</a> is a friend and favorite.&nbsp; No quotes from Marty Zwilling.&nbsp; An entrepreneur and investor, he\'s a blogger who posts every day!&nbsp; Not only does his blog have a great following but he has almost twice Mark\'s Twitter following with nary a quotation in sight.&nbsp; Great content, predictability (count on a new blog post EVERY morning), and sharing business insights is his secret to success. </p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/wbaustin\"><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image8.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"54\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb7.png\" width=\"54\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a>@WBAustin</a> is a running news stream of ideas and articles.&nbsp; It works for him and his close to 100,000 followers.&nbsp; Bill\'s wife <a href=\"http://twitter.com/katheesue\">@KatheeSue</a> handles the local beat with <a href=\"http://twitter.com/evliving\">@EVLIving</a> while chatting with friends as KatheeSue.</p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/hardaway\" target=\"_blank\"><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image9.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"56\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb8.png\" width=\"56\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a>@Hardaway</a> (Francine Hardaway) Co-founder, Stealthmode Partners, helping entrepreneurs succeed.&nbsp; I won\'t be showing her \'recycled quotes\' she rarely if ever does that. Her tweets are as authentic as they get as she reports on her life, ideas, and activities throughout the day.&nbsp; As my friend and mentor, she always tries to keep me out of trouble.&nbsp; Sometimes I even listen.&nbsp; </p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image10.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"56\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb9.png\" width=\"56\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a> @Amilya (Amilya Antonetti) an award winning entrepreneur,Green Pioneer Bestselling Author, Media Personality, Advocate and Mom is a conversationalist on Twitter.&nbsp; She loves to twitter chat with <a href=\"http://twitter.com/tomvmorris\" target=\"_blank\">@TomVMorris</a> who is one of the best.&nbsp; I\'ve never had the pleasure of tweeting with Dr. Morris on Twitter, but I love to read his occasional quotes from the great philosophers as well as his own insightful quips.&nbsp; Who knows, maybe some day.&nbsp; ;o)&nbsp; </p> <p>The funny thing is, Twitter asks \"What are YOU doing?\"&nbsp; When I was pulling those quotes - I WAS reading&nbsp; <em>Oh, the Places You\'ll Go</em> by Dr. Seuss.&nbsp; It\'s the tall skinny volume in my bookshelf between <em>Norton\'s Anthology of Poetry</em> and <em>The Holy Bible</em>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I love books and read a lot more than I tweet.&nbsp; The picture above is of the bookshelf my playroom that stands next to the pool cues.&nbsp; My library/office is filled with business books, and in my bedroom closet, hundreds of novels.&nbsp; (I may have more novels than Amilya has shoes!) </p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWleadership\"><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image11.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"50\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb10.png\" width=\"50\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a>JKWleadership</a> My Favorite Leadership Books - Oh, The Places You\'ll Go by Dr. Seuss~ Read it to your kids... Read it for yourself. </p> <p>I had pulled that book out after a long day of struggling through business plans, financial models, and other stuff that the Twitterati would probably find a bit boring - not to mention, the stuff is all under NDA and I can\'t talk about it anyway.&nbsp; And why, you might ask, did I make such a switch in reading material just then.&nbsp; Simple. I saw the quote on Twitter from Robert Baines that read:</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image12.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"50\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb11.png\" width=\"50\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a> \"<a href=\"http://twitter.com/screamingeagle1\">screamingeagle1</a> \"I like <b>nonsense</b>, it wakes up the brain cells.\" ~ Dr. <b>Seuss.&nbsp; </b></p> <p><b>I</b>t reminded me of just what I needed to clear my brain. </p> <p><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"67\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb12.png\" width=\"54\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"> “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!” ~ Dr. Seuss </p> <p>So, as my friend Amilya says, \"it\'s time to \'noodle.\"&nbsp; </p> <p>Here\'s my lesson learned this weekend.&nbsp; If authenticity is important,&nbsp; then you just have to be who you are.&nbsp; I am just what my personal profile says... an eclectic mix.&nbsp; Not to say that I can\'t learn to be better.&nbsp; I\'ll follow Tyler\'s advice and perhaps use some more of my own quotes more frequently rather than quoting someone else.&nbsp; Francine and Marty have encouraged me to write/blog more.&nbsp; (Francine even told me that my writing has improved.&nbsp; But that\'s for you to decide.)&nbsp; I\'ll keep reading and sharing the articles, news stories, and bits that I think have value because that is what I authentically do.&nbsp; Share things of value with others is what I do everyday. I\'ll chat more, broadcast less,&nbsp; AND - I\'ll try to mix it up a bit more so as not to be annoying.&nbsp; Oh, and I am suspending my auto link for @joankw from Seesmic to Facebook.&nbsp; According to my husband, my in-laws have hidden me because I send out too much stuff!</p> <p>So, is this the right strategy?&nbsp; Well, we\'ll see. There was a great quote this weekend by Victoria Holt - my favorite author during my teen years.&nbsp; (No laughing - love, adventure, suspense AND a happy ending.&nbsp; What\'s not to like.&nbsp; I still own every single one of her books in paperback.) </p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image13.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"63\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb13.png\" width=\"54\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a>\"Never regret. If it\'s good, it\'s wonderful. If it\'s bad, it\'s experience.\" Victoria Holt (1906-1993) British writer (via <a href=\"http://twitter.com/successsecret\" target=\"_blank\">@successsecret</a>) AKA: Mike Hanes <a href=\"http://twitter.com/mikehanes\" target=\"_blank\">(@MikeHanes)</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by - and reading to the end.&nbsp; Stay tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <p></p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a675ebe5-107e-48bb-b4ef-091dedac2568\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/social%20media\" rel=\"tag\">social media</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/communications\" rel=\"tag\">communications</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/lessons%20learned\" rel=\"tag\">lessons learned</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">business tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/#quotes\" rel=\"tag\">#quotes</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/authenticity\" rel=\"tag\">authenticity</a></div> <p></p></blockquote> <p>Credits:&nbsp; Photo - Joan Koerber-Walker - If you don\'t believe me, you can come check in my play room.&nbsp; Tweets - as of this writing at 5:48 PM (pacific) on June 14,2009 - everything shown here was visible via the public feeds on Twitter.</p>','To quote or not to quote - That is the question.','','inherit','open','open','','1442-revision-3','','','2012-08-19 21:37:41','2012-08-19 21:37:41','',1442,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1442-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2638,2,'2012-08-19 21:50:15','2012-08-19 21:50:15','<p>We are moving into the the peak days of the Summer.&nbsp; While there\'s lots of talk of \'green shoots\' appearing on the economic horizon, as business people we know that often things slow down in the Summer heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <p>So what better time to focus in on some tips and tricks to keep your business growing even during the lazy days of Summer.&nbsp; <p><a href=\"http://www.clker.com/clipart-25743.html\"><img title=\"Grass Clip Art\" height=\"83\" alt=\"Grass Clipart\" src=\"http://www.clker.com/cliparts/9/d/c/a/1234405664842624179rg1024_grass.svg.med.png\" width=\"634\"></a>  <p><b>Growth Strategy #1 - Call a customer today</b>  <p>Call a customer you have not talked to for a while and ask how things are going.&nbsp; Find out what can you and your company do to support them in achieving their goals. It is a great way to get MORE business. </p> <p>They already know you and trust you. Having done business with you before, they may need what you have again.&nbsp; Even if they don’t have a requirement today, they’ll remember that you checked in and offered to help them. </p> <p><b>Growth Strategy #2 - Look at your Company from Your Customer\'s Perspective.</b></p> <p>So often we talk about all the great things our company can do rather that focus on what our customer wants or needs. Empathy is a great tool for building business. </p> <p>Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What are your challenges?&nbsp; What would help you achieve your goals? What do you need? Then - put your marketing hat on and communicate with current and potential customers. Demonstrate that you understand what THEY need and show them how your products and services can help THEM satisfy their needs and meet their goals. </p> <p><b>Growth Strategy #3 - Share information or opportunity</b></p> <p>A great way to exceed your goals is to do something to help your customer exceed theirs.&nbsp; Send them a great article you have read. Nominate them for an award.&nbsp; Share a business tip that has worked for you.&nbsp; Refer a customer to them.&nbsp; When you do, they just might return the favor and you both win! </p> <p><b>Growth Strategy #4 - Get up from your desk. Get out of your office!</b><b></b> </p> <p>To stimulate your business, make time to get up, get out, and move around.&nbsp; If you are managing a team - go over to where they are working. Join in conversations - ask for their ideas. They are closest to the work and the customers and have information you need.&nbsp; If you are the person responsible for creating sales - go out to one of the many networking opportunities that abound in your community. Talk to others - ask them what they are doing to stimulate their business - share good ideas that are working for you. </p> <p>Yes, I know - gas is expensive and time is money - but choosing to stay back closed in at the office can be the decision that makes you miss out on great opportunities.<br>So get up from your desk - get out of the office - and go find one. </p> <p><b>Growth Strategy #5 - Work Smarter</b><b></b>  <p>We’ve all heard the saying \"Work smarter not harder\".&nbsp;&nbsp; In tough times as well as good ones, how you do things is as important as what you do.&nbsp; To give yourself and your company and extra advantage, ask yourself these questions:  <blockquote> <p>Am I making the most of the resources I have already invested in?  <p>Is there a different way to do what I am doing that is more efficient or could get better results?&nbsp;&nbsp; <p>Is Ease of Doing Business a mantra in my company.&nbsp; Do our processes make it easier for our customers to work with us and for our team to get the job done?</p></blockquote> <p>Being proactive and focusing on growth can keep your business from falling into the Summer slump.&nbsp; These are some of the things that I\'m doing in our business.&nbsp; Try them.&nbsp; You can put these ideas to work in yours too.&nbsp; So come on, let\'s get growing.&nbsp; <p>Thanks for stopping by - Stay Tuned...  <blockquote> <p>- Joan Koerber-Walker&nbsp; </p></blockquote> <p><a href=\"http://www.clker.com/clipart-25743.html\"><img title=\"Grass Clip Art\" height=\"83\" alt=\"Grass Clipart\" src=\"http://www.clker.com/cliparts/9/d/c/a/1234405664842624179rg1024_grass.svg.med.png\" width=\"634\"></a> </p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:4d75eadf-e494-4afa-9d02-b99e117fb395\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePupose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePupose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Growth\" rel=\"tag\">Business Growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Summer%20Slowdown\" rel=\"tag\">Summer Slowdown</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\" rel=\"tag\">Business Tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Strategy\" rel=\"tag\">Business Strategy</a></div> <p>&nbsp; <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/clip_image003.gif\"></a></p>','Five Strategies to Grow Your Business','','inherit','open','open','','1441-revision-3','','','2012-08-19 21:50:15','2012-08-19 21:50:15','',1441,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1441-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2639,2,'2012-08-19 21:30:39','2012-08-19 21:30:39','<p>I have long believed that working together with others has an amazing effect on growth.&nbsp; My experiences this week have reaffirmed it.&nbsp; </p> <p><a href=\"http://tinyurl.com/lc6b88\" target=\"_blank\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" height=\"244\" alt=\"j0433027[1]\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04330271.jpg\" width=\"244\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a>The <a href=\"http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaboration\" target=\"_blank\">Merriam-Webster</a> dictionary defines \"collaborate\" like this:</p> <ol> <li><strong>:</strong> to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor  <li><strong>:</strong> to cooperate with or willingly assist an enemy of one\'s country and especially an occupying force&nbsp; <em>(OK this one probably does not apply to our discussion here.)</em>  <li><strong>:</strong> to cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which one is not immediately connected</li></ol> <p>To me the definition is simpler.</p> <blockquote> <p>Collaboration is people helping people to reach new heights.</p></blockquote> <p>Six months ago, I started actively using Twitter, and as my understanding of the power of this collaborative tool grew, I used it more.&nbsp; Today I have <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/my-profiles-on-twitter.html\" target=\"_blank\">five different profiles</a> in Twitter, each one for a specific collaborative purpose.</p> <p>Through Twitter I developed online friendships with Marty Zwilling <a href=\"http://twitter.com/startuppro\" target=\"_blank\">(@StartUpPro)</a> and Zane Safrit <a href=\"http://twitter.com/zanesafrit\" target=\"_blank\">(@ZaneSafrit)</a>.&nbsp; This gave me an opportunity to collaborate with them in sharing ideas on entrepreneurship and growth, two of my personal passions.&nbsp;&nbsp; Each offered the opportunity to work with them in different ways and as it turned out they both wanted to do so on Wednesday June 10th.</p> <p>Marty offered the opportunity to work with him on his popular <a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"145\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb.png\" width=\"121\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a>blog - <a href=\"http://blog.startupprofessionals.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Startup Professionals Musings</a> as a guest author.&nbsp; The goal was to add a little of the woman\'s perspective on entrepreneurship and to have a little fun.&nbsp; Together we published <a href=\"http://blog.startupprofessionals.com/2009/06/running-race-in-high-heels.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Women Entrepreneurs - Running the Race in High Heels\"</a>.&nbsp; Since all entrepreneurs are different and all women are definitely not the same, I added a little extra collaborative energy and asked two friends (<a href=\"http://www.stealthmode.com\" target=\"_blank\">Francine Hardaway</a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/hardaway\" target=\"_blank\">(@hardaway)</a> and <a href=\"http://www.amilya.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Amilya Antonetti</a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/amilya\" target=\"_blank\">(@Amilya</a>) if I could use them as as examples in the post. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Zane has a popular show on Blog Talk <a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image1.png\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"132\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/image_thumb1.png\" width=\"126\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a>Radio.&nbsp; As we got to know each other, we thought it would be fun to do a broadcast together.&nbsp; We put our heads together to see what the audience might enjoy and scheduled the show for Wednesday June 10th.&nbsp; This link will take you to the 1 hour <a href=\"http://ow.ly/dqCD\" target=\"_blank\">replay of the show</a>.&nbsp; We had a blast exploring ideas about entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, and strategies for building solutions.&nbsp; And we\'re planning to do it again in the future.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>So does collaboration bring results?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The more I collaborate, the more people I can connect with, converse with, and hopefully engage with so that together we can reach new heights.&nbsp; It seems to be working all around.&nbsp; Each of my Twitter profiles has different audiences and different messages - but they are all growing and making their way up <a href=\"http://twitterholic.com/top100/followers/bylocation/Phoenix%2C+AZ/\" target=\"_blank\">the lists</a>.&nbsp; (At least in my little corner of the world.) </p> <p>There are so many opportunities to collaborate happening all around us.&nbsp; I am lucky enough to get to touch a wide variety of them.</p> <blockquote> <p>Working with an incredible network of talented executives at <a href=\"http://www.corepurpose.com\" target=\"_blank\">CorePurpose</a>. </p> <p>Working with <a href=\"http://www.ribomed.com\" target=\"_blank\">RiboMed Biotechnologies</a> to help <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/02/honoring-a-great-president.html\" target=\"_blank\">Dr. Hanna</a> and the team develop the resources they will you to launch new diagnostic technologies and products for early cancer detection. </p> <p>Working with inspiring entrepreneurs like Francine Hardaway and the team at <a href=\"http://www.otef.org\" target=\"_blank\">OTEF</a> to produce the <a href=\"http://www.azentrepreneurship.com\" target=\"_blank\">4th Annual Arizona Entrepreneurship</a> Conference on November 12, 2009 in Phoenix. (We need sponsors -if your market is entrepreneurs - give me a shout!&nbsp; All of the proceeds help at risk populations develop their own business ideas.) </p> <p>Engaging in new discussions every day with companies that are launching innovative new products and services.&nbsp; (Those are still secrets but they are really cool deals and you will hear more about them soon. ) </p> <p>Watching my friends <a href=\"http://twitter.com/lonsafko\" target=\"_blank\">@LonSafko,</a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/stevengroves\" target=\"_blank\">@StevenGroves</a>, and <a href=\"http://twitter.com/AmandaVega\" target=\"_blank\">@AmandaVega</a> work together as <a href=\"http://www.thesocialmediabible.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Social Media Bible</a> is gaining popularity nationwide. </p> <p>And learning the ins and outs from my friends at <a href=\"http://www.metro-studios.com\" target=\"_blank\">Metro Studios</a> on&nbsp; how to navigate, promote and collaborate in the new online marketing world.&nbsp; It\'s always productive when I collaborate with Clay <a href=\"http://twitter.com/csmetro\" target=\"_blank\">(@CSMetro</a>), Lisa <a href=\"http://twitter.com/lisajmetro\" target=\"_blank\">(@LisaJMetro</a>) and all the <a href=\"http://twitter.com/MetroStudios/\" target=\"_blank\">@MetroStudios</a> folks.&nbsp; (They\'ve been my partner for years!) </p></blockquote> <p>I\'m looking for that next great opportunity to help a company grow.&nbsp; I know it\'s out there.&nbsp; That is why I keep collaboration as a key strategy on the top of my to-do list every day.&nbsp; Put COLLABORATION on the top of YOUR to-do list and watch the magic happen.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by...Stay tuned.</p> <blockquote> <p>-Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:3e1ead42-18ae-45d0-ba2d-794bf5513f34\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Collaboration\" rel=\"tag\">Collaboration</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips\" rel=\"tag\">Business Tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/innovation\" rel=\"tag\">innovation</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/leadership\" rel=\"tag\">leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/growth\" rel=\"tag\">growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/twitter\" rel=\"tag\">twitter</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/social%20media\" rel=\"tag\">social media</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Francine%20Hardaway\" rel=\"tag\">Francine Hardaway</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Amilya%20Antonetti\" rel=\"tag\">Amilya Antonetti</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Zane%20Safrit\" rel=\"tag\">Zane Safrit</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Marty%20Zwilling\" rel=\"tag\">Marty Zwilling</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/RiboMed\" rel=\"tag\">RiboMed</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/OTEF\" rel=\"tag\">OTEF</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/AZ%20Entrepreneruship%20Conference\" rel=\"tag\">AZ Entrepreneruship Conference</a></div></blockquote>','Collaboration Drives Growth','','inherit','open','open','','1440-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:30:39','2012-08-19 21:30:39','',1440,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1440-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2640,2,'2012-08-19 21:31:09','2012-08-19 21:31:09','<p>I married Chris Walker on June 8, 1985.&nbsp; Now for some that may seem like a long time ago, but to me it feels like yesterday.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/wedding.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"244\" alt=\"wedding\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/wedding_thumb.jpg\" width=\"193\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a>There were some that probably wondered about us.&nbsp; We\'re very different people in some ways. But where it really counts, we\'re a lot alike.&nbsp; We share the same values, the same love for family, and most of all, over the years we\'ve learned to work together to build something we both believe in, a great family of our own.</p> <p>We both came from families of five kids and were blessed with great parents.&nbsp; If you think 24 years is impressive, both my parent\'s and Chris\' will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this year in August! </p> <p><img title=\"In St Thomas circa 1988\" style=\"margin:5px;\" height=\"105\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1938/47/117/1156052723/s1156052723_30211451_1930.jpg\" width=\"135\" align=\"left\"></p> <p>I was talking to some friends over the weekend about marriages.&nbsp; </p> <p>No everyone has been as lucky as I have in picking partners.&nbsp; And that is what it has to be, a partnership.&nbsp; Just as in in business, picking the right partner makes all the difference.&nbsp; No partnership or marriage is always neat and easy.&nbsp; <a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/family-grad.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"160\" alt=\"Family Grad\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/family-grad_thumb.jpg\" width=\"138\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a>Sometimes things get messy.&nbsp; But every time changes came, whether it\'s packing up at a moment\'s notice so that I could take on a challenging new opportunity on the other side of the country far from family and friends, doing it again a few years later for another one, carrying the extra load at home with the kids while I worked and went to grad school, putting up with the ridiculous hours I tend to work when I get caught up in a project, or&nbsp; supporting my decision to leave the corporate world and take the leap into starting my own business, his answer was always the same.&nbsp; \"If that\'s what you want to do - go for it.\"</p> <p>Together, we\'ve raised two great kids and built built a life where we can pursue very different interests while celebrating each other\'s successes.&nbsp; Most importantly of all -&nbsp; at the end of the day, we have someone we love to share it all with.</p> <p>I\'ve heard it said that hindsight is 20/20.&nbsp; Well looking back, I have to say, for me, picking Chris Walker to be my partner was a great decision.&nbsp; Wouldn\'t you?</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by... Stay Tuned</p> <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#333333\">- Joan Koerber-Walker</font></p></blockquote> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:78cc539b-99d1-43fb-b2e7-afdaea1c76e1\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Chris%20Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Chris Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Marriage\" rel=\"tag\">Marriage</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Picking%20Partners\" rel=\"tag\">Picking Partners</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Having%20it%20all\" rel=\"tag\">Having it all</a></div>','Twenty-four years ago today','','inherit','open','open','','1439-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:31:09','2012-08-19 21:31:09','',1439,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1439-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2641,2,'2012-08-19 21:50:23','2012-08-19 21:50:23','<p>We live in times of change.&nbsp; In good times and in bad, change is the one true constant.&nbsp; But in any era and any economy, there are some&nbsp; human characteristics that, when we hold true to them, form a solid foundation that we can build on.&nbsp; </p> <p>Business challenges fill the Twitter streams, the papers and the airwaves today along with the fears these changes bring to the people living through them.&nbsp; </p> <p>As I read about and experience the changes of our times, I draw on the lessons my grandparents taught me in times long past.</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/grandma-gleason-003.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"171\" alt=\"John Carmichael, c.1965\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/grandma-gleason-003_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a>The first lesson was learned from my Grandpa Carmichael when I was probably about five years old.&nbsp; We were looking at a picture book and I asked him what a word&nbsp; meant.&nbsp; He took me by the hand, walked me down to his home office, and pulled a Webster\'s dictionary from the shelf.&nbsp; Opening the book, he said \"let\'s look it up and then we can talk about it.\"&nbsp; And so we did.&nbsp; The word that day was dromedary.&nbsp; A bit easier to define than complex issues like ethics, integrity, and leadership.&nbsp; But the lesson still holds.</p> <p>&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethics\" target=\"_blank\">Ethics: definitions</a> from Merriam-Webster Online</p> <ol> <li>the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation  <li>a set of moral principles <strong>:</strong> a theory or system of moral values&nbsp; <li>the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group  <li>a guiding philosophy  <li>a consciousness of moral importance  <li>a set of moral issues or aspects (as rightness) </li></ol> <p><a href=\"http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity\" target=\"_blank\">Integrity: definitions</a> From Merriam-Webster Online</p> <ol> <li>firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values  <li>an unimpaired condition  <li>the quality or state of being complete or undivided </li></ol> <p><a href=\"http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leadership\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership: definitions</a>&nbsp; from Merriam-Webster Online</p> <ol> <li>the office or position of a <a href=\"http://www.merriam-webster.com/leader\">leader</a>  <li>capacity to lead  <li>the act or an instance of leading</li></ol> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/william-g-koerber.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"244\" alt=\"William G. Koerber and Ida Mae Koerber Massnick\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/william-g-koerber_thumb.jpg\" width=\"174\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a>Later that evening, we visited my other grandparents at their home on Port Drive in Detroit.&nbsp;&nbsp; Sitting in Grandpa Koerber\'s lap,&nbsp; I held out my favoite picture book.&nbsp; Pointing to the picture, I asked.&nbsp; \"Grandpa - what\'s this?\" \"A camel\" he told me.&nbsp; \"No Grandpa, it\'s a dromedary - see only one hump.\"&nbsp; \"Why you are right, Miss Smarty Pants, it is a dromedary after all.\" </p> <p>Grandma told me, a few years later when we went back for his funeral, that Grandpa told that story to all his friends.&nbsp; He would laugh and brag about how amazed he was to be learning lessons about dromedaries from a five year old girl.&nbsp; But what stuck with me from that long ago night was what both Grandma and Grandpa had explained to me.&nbsp; \"It\'s not just what you know that is important.&nbsp; It\'s what you do&nbsp; with it.\"</p> <p>So as we look at the definitions above, we know what the words mean.&nbsp; The question is not what we know - but what we do with it.</p> <p>As I look at the definitions above and think about my own experiences and what\'s changing in the world around me, I still draw on the skills my grandparents taught me.&nbsp; </p> <p>Studying the the words, as defined by Merriam-Webster, a definite and interrelated pattern emerges that allows me to synthesize my own understanding and beliefs.</p> <p>Ethics becomes simply knowing what is right.&nbsp; Integrity is the act of then doing what is right - even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thus, leadership is taking the personal responsibility to step out in front while basing your decisions on your own ethics and integrity as you move forward.&nbsp; </p> <p>My grandparents must have also known this.&nbsp; For during their lives, each was a living example.&nbsp; They taught these values to their children and their grandchildren. Just as I am trying to pass them on to mine.&nbsp;&nbsp; I guess some things don\'t change that much after all.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>- Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:78f171f8-18ef-4b2a-b0ac-df2fb46b2c0b\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Ethics\" rel=\"tag\">Ethics</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Integrity\" rel=\"tag\">Integrity</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\" rel=\"tag\">Leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Change\" rel=\"tag\">Change</a></div></blockquote>','Ethics, Integrity, Leadership, and Change','','inherit','open','open','','1438-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:50:23','2012-08-19 21:50:23','',1438,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1438-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2642,2,'2012-08-19 21:31:22','2012-08-19 21:31:22','Today was a momentous day - the official announcement of GM\'s historic bankruptcy.  It\'s been covered by every imaginable news medium from print, to air, to online.  Articles and bit.ly links propagated across twitter.  A quick search on Google brought back a staggering reply\"  \"Results <strong>1</strong> - <strong>10</strong> of about <strong>3,370,000</strong> for <strong>\"<a href=\"http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.answers.com/gm&amp;r=67&amp;ei=6JwkSpzIO4rYMMP1gIoF&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=dict&amp;ct=D&amp;cd=1&amp;usg=AFQjCNFsuMhSVkbaOG6ct7Xhw_DFltfKyQ\">gm</a>+<a href=\"http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.answers.com/bankruptcy&amp;r=67&amp;ei=6JwkSpzIO4rYMMP1gIoF&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=dict&amp;ct=D&amp;cd=2&amp;usg=AFQjCNEA6enM5QT6hnpKAP2eqG-c62Dx0w\">bankruptcy</a>\"</strong>.   You see, for me, GM was more than just a car company.  It has been an integral part of family conversations all of my life. \n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/koerber-family-2007.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/koerber-family-2007_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"A GM Family - The Koerber\'s in 2007\" width=\"244\" height=\"163\" align=\"right\" /></a>When I was a child, GM meant Gonna Move.  My Dad worked for Buick Motor Division, and in those days you moved - a lot.  During the first 6 years of my life we lived in 6 different places.  One of the first songs I learned was a jingle. \"<em>Wouldn\'t you really rather have a Buick</em>?\"\n\nI remember going with my Dad to dealership grand openings or to visit dealers during Christmas vacation. (I wonder today if some of those dealers are on the <a href=\"http://fe23.story.media.ac4.yahoo.com/news/story/maple/us/ap/20090601/ap_on_bi_ge/us_automakers\" target=\"_blank\">list of over 2,600</a> that will get a call in the next few days telling them that their family business is no more. )\n\nI remember my Dad quoting <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Erwin_Wilson\" target=\"_blank\">\"Engine Charlie\" Wilson</a> with the now famous quote\n<blockquote>\"...because for years I thought what was good for the country was good for General Motors and vice versa.\".\"</blockquote>\nMy Dad\'s job at GM allowed him to support our family.  He worked hard and was proud of what he did and the company he worked at for over 40 years.  He invested what he earned in a home, what his family needed, and in helping his children through college.\n\nOut of the five kids, three of us worked at GM  at one time or another.  I was the short timer - spending a summer at the plant in Wilmington painting <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Chevette\" target=\"_blank\">Chevettes</a> while studying economics at the University of Delaware.   (That\'s me in white at the far right of the family picture.)  My brother Rick and sister Susan (standing between me and my Mom) have spent  their entire careers at GM.  Rick as a member of the UAW in the Wilmington plant while Susan followed Dad into the management side.  Rick was planning to celebrate his 30th anniversary with the company this year.  I wonder what will happen now that it has been announced that his<a href=\"http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2009-06-01-gm-plants-graphic_N.htm?csp=34\" target=\"_blank\"> plant will close in July</a>.  Susan is out in Michigan this week.  She and other GM mangers will be speaking to the many dealers across the country and helping them understand how these changes affect them.   And Dad?  Well, as a retired management employee, <a href=\"http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/11/10/general-motors-retirees-struggle-with-loss-of-health-coverage/\" target=\"_blank\">he lost his health insurance benefits</a> earlier this year and now wonders what will happen with <a href=\"http://www.detnews.com/article/20090531/AUTO01/905310336/1148/AUTO01/GM+won+t+terminate+pension+plans\" target=\"_blank\">his pension</a>.\n\nAs I was listening to President Obama announce the bankruptcy of GM to the world live, <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/business/01downfall.html?fta=y\" target=\"_blank\">I was reading an article in the New York Times</a> that said \"\n<div id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:269963bd-2b08-4974-a3b0-e27ea3ed53d4\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;float:right;width:280px;margin:0;padding:5px;\">\n<div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEiSokP1rAk]</div>\n</div>\n<blockquote>\"And now it (GM) is filing for bankruptcy, something that would have been unfathomable even a few years ago, much less decades ago, when it was a dominant force in the American economy.\"</blockquote>\nMaybe, maybe not.  For me, GM was not a career, just a summer job.  Even in college, my focus was innovation and growth.  As an economics major in 1981, my senior thesis paper was titled - <em>Industry in Crisis - the affects of government intervention on the U.S. Auto Industry.</em>  I chose not to follow Daddy into GM, but rather to pursue a career in the then fledgling technology industry.  (It\'s a bit ironic.  GM leaves the Dow with this bankruptcy filing to be replaced by Cisco on June 8th.  DeVry a school know for technology, will take its place on the S&amp;P.)\n\nAlmost two decades later, while in graduate school, I recall listening to my finance professors warn of two impending crises.  One, the Dot.com Bubble, was to implode a short time later.  The second - GM\'s bankruptcy due to <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/16/business/gm-acts-to-secure-pensions-using-stock.html\" target=\"_blank\">the constant escalation of its employee and pension obligation</a> was temporarily <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/09/AR2007040901262.html\" target=\"_blank\">averted by selling bonds and shifting investments in EDS and later Hughes into the under-funded pension trust.</a>\n\n \n\nSo no, maybe we should not have been taken by surprise. GM\'s foundation has had serious cracks for a while.  When the global credit markets collapsed, the challenges it faced were akin to a building with a cracked foundation that is rattled\n\nby an earthquake. It\'s structure could not withstand the financial shake up.  <a href=\"http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2009/snapshots/175.html\" target=\"_blank\">The company that in 2008 was number 4 on the Fortune 500 fell to number 6 by 2009,</a> and on June 1, 2009, the \'unthinkable\' became reality,\n\nNow, <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/05/31/business/20090531_GM_TIMELINE.html\" target=\"_blank\">after 100 years</a>, GM must start anew. \n\nThe world is watching, and I expect that there will be some really interesting family discussions when all of us come together for my parent\'s 50th wedding anniversary on August 1st.  As we gather round the piano in my family\'s Rochester, Michigan home to sing the old tunes, I am not expecting to hear the sweet refrains of <em>\"Wouldn\'t you really rather have a Buick\"</em> but then you never know.\n\n<em>Thanks for stopping by - Stay Tuned...</em>\n<blockquote><em>- Joan Koerber-Walker</em></blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:22f7bf9c-2cba-4fc2-8e7d-d3ef9286d4df\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/GM%20Bankruptsy\">GM Bankruptsy</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/GM%20family\">GM family</a></div>','A Family Affair - a personal GM perspective','','inherit','open','open','','1437-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:31:22','2012-08-19 21:31:22','',1437,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1437-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2643,2,'2012-08-19 21:31:39','2012-08-19 21:31:39','<p>Friday night I was feeling kind of down.&nbsp; It had been a week of highs and lows.&nbsp; The highs were a mix of positive discussions with friends about new business starts, watching a community come together to support one of their own, and work on an exciting business proposal.&nbsp; The lows&nbsp; included some personal challenges that were soon grossly over-shadowed by two separate tragedies that touched the lives of my friends.</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/jkw-looking-up.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"184\" alt=\"Joan Koerber-Walker, Phoenix, AZ\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/jkw-looking-up_thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a>As I sat at my laptop, sending #FollowFriday thank you notes on Twitter and posting articles and other tidbits to friends, I pulled a quote from my quote file (a mix of things that I have collected over the years)and shot it out on <a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWgrowth\" target=\"_blank\">@JKWGrowth</a>.&nbsp; The post read...</p> <p>\"<em>The real tragedy of the poor is the poverty of their aspirations</em>. \" ~ Adam Smith </p> <p>It was meaningful to me.&nbsp; I had seen examples repeatedly in over 30 years of volunteer work.&nbsp; True poverty often breeds despair and with it the death of peoples\' aspirations.&nbsp; </p> <p>Can you imagine living in circumstances where you lost the desire or the belief that you could achieve something high or great?&nbsp; Is that not a tragedy? </p> <p>When logging in Saturday morning, I gained a different perspective from two readers who saw it quite differently.&nbsp; There was yet another reader who, having read their tweets in response to mine, \'respectfully\' asked if I could prove that Adam Smith had said that with a citation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p>So, I stopped what I was doing, went upstairs to my office, pulled out my copies of Adam Smith\'s books and other historical economics texts and started looking.&nbsp; Two hours later I had no citation to quote.&nbsp; Just numerous websites and references to the quote but no citation of where it had originated from.&nbsp; Maybe he said it.&nbsp; Maybe he did not.&nbsp; (Unfortunately, much of what Smith once said and wrote is lost.&nbsp; He lived well before the age of recordings and instructed that many of his private notes and writings be destroyed shortly before his death.)&nbsp; Time for a <a href=\"http://www.twitlonger.com/show/6c35f7083600c0cb3fcae16408d2332a\" target=\"_blank\">retraction</a> and, in one case, <a href=\"http://www.twitlonger.com/show/52e08b5816945990ef990d8429f885df\" target=\"_blank\">an apology</a>.</p> <p>You may be wondering, why bother with an apology.&nbsp; Well, one of the people upset by this quote took what I wrote very personally.&nbsp; Here is some of what she wrote to me in a string of tweets on Twitter after reading this quote. \"Having been homeless, in foster care for poverty, lost hearing due 2 untreated infection...\"&nbsp; \"Then earning my PhD w/ expertise in poverty... In other words, actually getting it, I know how to spot a derogatory quote.\" (These notes still appeared in her public twitter stream at the time of this writing. ) </p> <p>Her short story (via tweets) was inspirational. Not only did she rise above her own challenges to pursue her PhD, but she did so in a field where she can make a difference for others in a similar circumstance.&nbsp; Case in point, her story is a testament to both her strength and her aspirations. </p> <p>I&nbsp; responded to her tweet as a direct message with an apology. It failed. She was not following me; perhaps because of the tweet or perhaps she never was.&nbsp; So I tried again later, and then when that too failed, sent it as an @Reply.&nbsp; Maybe she\'ll read it - and maybe she won\'t.</p> <p>So, what have I learned:</p> <ol> <li>Read what you tweet carefully and think before you send.&nbsp; What makes sense in 140c to you, may be read very differently by others.  <li>Check credible sources - the quote or fact you have heard for years may not be entirely accurate or supportable.  <li>As a courtesy - if you engage in a conversation with someone on Twitter, be sure you are following them so that they can respond to you privately if appropriate.</li></ol> <p>But most of all, I was reminded, that no matter what your circumstance, holding on to your aspirations, continuously looking up to a higher goal, and having the strength to make that goal a reality is what success is all about.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by...Stay tuned. </p> <blockquote> <p>- Joan Koerber-Walker<br></p></blockquote> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:436d83ee-a5ae-4130-8bfa-3a20a8964159\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Adam%20Smith\" rel=\"tag\">Adam Smith</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter\" rel=\"tag\">Twitter</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Aspirations\" rel=\"tag\">Aspirations</a></div>','Strength and Aspirations','','inherit','open','open','','1436-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:31:39','2012-08-19 21:31:39','',1436,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1436-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2644,2,'2012-08-19 21:32:00','2012-08-19 21:32:00','<p>I try to get a blog post off every Wednesday, and today will be a busy one.</p> <p>The day started early, reading up an what is happening in the world and the business arena in general.&nbsp; It used to be that I had a pile of newspapers to plow through.&nbsp; Today, tools like <a href=\"http://my.alltop.com/joankw\" target=\"_blank\">AllTop</a>, Woodstock Wire, and&nbsp; RSS subscriptions to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, bring the information to my laptop.&nbsp; It\'s a big time saver, but&nbsp; you still <a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/koerber-walker-021.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"244\" alt=\"Koerber-Walker-021\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/koerber-walker-021_thumb.jpg\" width=\"195\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a>have to read the articles.</p> <p>With a big day ahead of me, I check the fridge for some breakfast.&nbsp; Hmm.&nbsp; What to choose?&nbsp; There\'s milk and cereal, or chocolate pudding.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Let\'s see. Both are about the same calories but chocolate pudding is a lot more fun.&nbsp; Guess that breakfast turned out to be?</p> <p>Breakfast with the laptop by the pool and a quick check in on Facebook and Twitter to see what folks are thinking about and tweeting.&nbsp; Some good stuff from Twitter friends <a href=\"http://twitter.com/amilya\" target=\"_blank\">@Amilya</a>, <a href=\"http://twitter.com/csmetro\" target=\"_blank\">@CSmetro</a>, <a href=\"http://twitter.com/hardaway\" target=\"_blank\">@Hardaway</a>, and <a href=\"http://twitter.com/GuyKawasaki\" target=\"_blank\">@GuyKawasaki</a>, gets tweeted out along with a few articles I found of interest from my morning reading on line.&nbsp; I use <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/04/why-going-multi-profile-on-twitter-makes-sense.html\" target=\"_blank\">multiple Twitter profiles</a> so that the right information goes out to the right friends and I don\'t clog up everyone\'s stream. </p> <p>A comment on Facebook pops up in my <a href=\"http://desktop.seesmic.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Seesmic DeskTop</a> telling me that my friend Gloria <a href=\"http://twitter.com/heartfeldt\" target=\"_blank\">(@heartfeldt)</a> thinks my breakfast choice was \'sensible\'.&nbsp; :-) A little validation never hurts.</p> <p>Social Media is all well and good, but the most important part of it is what you do with the connections you make on it.&nbsp; Today, I have five items on the agenda, all that are connected though my social media or online networks.&nbsp; </p> <ul> <li>Lunch with a friend and possible future business partner I got to know&nbsp; through Linked In.  <li>Some work on the laptop - probably at Wildflower at 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright to put the finishing touches on a business plan for one of my dearest Twitter friends.  <li>Check in with <a href=\"http://www.ribomed.com\" target=\"_blank\">RiboMed\'</a>s CEO on the latest developments with the companies we are talking to about international distribution.&nbsp; And yes, they found us online too.  <li>4PM at Starbucks Keirland with <a href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldbell\" target=\"_blank\">Ron Bell</a> - and yes - we confirmed the meeting yesterday via Twitter.  <li>6PM dinner on the patio at Sol Y Sombra with <a href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/pub/brian-callahan/0/118/803\" target=\"_blank\">Brian Callahan</a> and a group of entrepreneurs and investors I have not seen in a while.&nbsp; Oh and how did I meet Brian - who lives in California?&nbsp; He found <a href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/in/joankoerberwalker\" target=\"_blank\">me on Linked In</a>.</li></ul> <p>So for those of you who are wondering if Social Media is a game or just a major time-sink when it comes to business.&nbsp; Here\'s your answer.&nbsp; </p> <p>Whoops, got to run!&nbsp; Thanks for stopping by and please... Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>- Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:59e6ae1d-343e-4739-a70c-0aa75bc48bbc\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/joan%20koerber-walker\" rel=\"tag\">joan koerber-walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/corepurpose\" rel=\"tag\">corepurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/social%20media\" rel=\"tag\">social media</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/business\" rel=\"tag\">business</a></div>','Off and Running...','','inherit','open','open','','203-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:32:00','2012-08-19 21:32:00','',203,'http://www.corepurpose.com/203-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2645,2,'2012-08-19 21:36:32','2012-08-19 21:36:32','<p>When I was a little girl, one of my favorite games was <em>What Shall I Be? The Exciting Game of Career Girls. (Selchow and Righter, 1966).&nbsp; </em>My Mom gave it to me for my eighth birthday.&nbsp; Frequently, I would negotiate with my friends to trade off Barbie time for game time when we got together in my parent\'s basement.&nbsp; </p> <p><a href=\"http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/90100\" target=\"_blank\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" height=\"100\" src=\"http://images.boardgamegeek.com/images/pic31442_t.jpg\" width=\"188\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"></a>Careers for women - how cutting edge was that?&nbsp; Our choices:&nbsp; Airline Hostess, Ballerina, Nurse, Model, Actress, and Teacher.&nbsp; For a review of this edition and the 1976 edition (much more enlightened but still a ways to go) see <a href=\"http://www.collectorsquest.com/blog/2007/11/11/a-review-of-what-shall-i-be-the-exciting-game-of-career-girls/\" target=\"_blank\">Deanna Dahlsad\'s&nbsp; Blog.</a></p> <p><a href=\"http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/90100\" target=\"_blank\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" height=\"239\" src=\"http://images.boardgamegeek.com/images/pic90100_md.jpg\" width=\"297\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a></p> <p>My friend Jeanne Craft was very focused and almost always chose the nurse.&nbsp; She wanted to help people.&nbsp; Maybe the game was a bit prophetic.&nbsp; Today, <a href=\"http://www.healthgrades.com/directory_search/physician/profiles/dr-md-reports/Dr-Jeanne-Craft-MD-5A78C17E.cfm\" target=\"_blank\">Dr. Jeanne Craft</a> is a five star rated physician practicing Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.&nbsp; Her courageous quick thinking in diagnosing and saving&nbsp; a baby with infant botulism brought her to international attention when she was profiled on Roma Downey\'s \"It\'s a Miracle.\"&nbsp; </p> <p>As for me, I never could decide on just one career. I would pick a different one every time.&nbsp;&nbsp; The choices were not exactly what I was shooting for but some of the roles had things that I liked about them.&nbsp; The funny thing is that over my own career I did end up exploring a few of these roles.&nbsp; Modeling turned out to be a great way to earn extra money when I was in college.&nbsp; Community Theatre helped me forge a closer relationship with my future mother-in-law early in my career. (A great actress I was not and will never be.)&nbsp; As the Mom of two active boys,&nbsp; I\'ve nursed my share of bumps and bruises. In 2008, teaching graduate courses on Leadership at Innovation at Grand Canyon University was both challenging and enlightening.&nbsp; And, my love for travel by air was satisfied when my role as a corporate executive had me flying around the world 13 times in a 3 year period.&nbsp; Never did master the ballerina thing.&nbsp; That was way too much hard work.&nbsp; </p> <p>While my feminist friends probably shudder at the very thought of this game, I remember those days fondly.&nbsp; It was a simpler time and a simpler place.</p> <p>If I was redesigning this game today, my game would have choices like CEO, Entrepreneur, Investor, Author, Mom, and Speaker.&nbsp; You see, that\'s what I grew up to be.&nbsp; I\'m enjoying being a \'career girl\'. It is exciting.&nbsp; I wonder what\'s next.&nbsp; Time to roll the dice.</p> <p>Thanks for checking in... Stay Tuned -</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:67e18f9a-32a3-4b1e-998e-dccdb4b3c159\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Speaker\" rel=\"tag\">Speaker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/What%20Shall%20I%20Be\" rel=\"tag\">What Shall I Be</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/The%20Exciting%20Game%20of%20Career%20Girls\" rel=\"tag\">The Exciting Game of Career Girls</a></div>','What shall I be?','','inherit','open','open','','200-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:36:32','2012-08-19 21:36:32','',200,'http://www.corepurpose.com/200-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2646,2,'2012-08-19 21:32:28','2012-08-19 21:32:28','<p>I\'ve blogged once or twice on Social Media before, and I always preface my post with \"I am NOT a social media expert.\"&nbsp;&nbsp; Today, I proved it.</p> <p>The day started with an email from a friend on Facebook that read \"Hello - check out Best.at.\"&nbsp; Thinking something great had happened for this friend, I followed the link and logged into Facebook.&nbsp; Nothing happened - or so I thought.&nbsp;&nbsp; The next thing I knew, I was seeing messages go out to MY Facebook Friends with a similar message.&nbsp; Oh No - a worm!</p> <p>Now,&nbsp; realizing how dumb I was to fall for this scam,&nbsp; I had to try to fix it. </p> <h3>Step 1.&nbsp; Warn others! </h3> <p>Using Facebook and Twitter I immediately let my friends know there was a problem so it did not happen to them too.</p> <p><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726725235&amp;ref=mf\"><img alt=\"Joan Koerber-Walker\" src=\"http://profile.ak.facebook.com/v226/80/106/q726725235_4102.jpg\" align=\"left\"></a><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726725235&amp;ref=mf\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a> If you get a Facebook message from me or anyone else that reads _____.at, Don\'t Open it. It is not from me. It\'s a worm. I got one and it sent a message to my friends on Facebook!  <h3>Step 2.&nbsp; Clean up&nbsp; your mess!</h3> <p>Figure out how to fix your mistake.&nbsp; Do some home work, call on experts, fix the problem so it does not keep happening.</p> <h3>Step 3.&nbsp; Help others fix the problem!</h3> <p>Since I started this mess on Facebook, I used Facebook to send out the fix:</p> <p><a></a><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726725235&amp;ref=mf\"><img alt=\"Joan Koerber-Walker\" src=\"http://profile.ak.facebook.com/v226/80/106/q726725235_4102.jpg\" align=\"left\"></a>  <p><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726725235&amp;ref=mf\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>&nbsp; If you visit a website - \"______.at\" and it starts sending messages to your friend list on Facebook here is what you should do:  <blockquote> <p>1. Immediately change your FB password.  <p>2. Run a virus scan on your computer - just in case.  <p>3. Post a message like this one on FB, Twitter etc,. telling folks not to open a website at \"____.at\" and if you do how to fix it.  <p>4. Apologize, like I am doing now, for being dumb enough to do it.</p></blockquote> <p><font color=\"#555555\">While catching my mistake, cleaning up my mess, and helping others with the problem, I have heard from lots of my Facebook friends thanking me for letting them know before they got hacked .&nbsp; Others said \"thanks for sharing the fix.\"&nbsp; Many shared similar experiences or stories of mistakes they had made and how things turned out when they were proactive about fixing them.</font>  <h3>So I learned a few lessons today - </h3> <blockquote> <p><font color=\"#555555\">1.&nbsp; NEVER open a website ending in .AT or sign into Facebook or other sites unless I am SURE I know what they are.</font>  <p><font color=\"#555555\">2.&nbsp; Everyone makes mistakes.&nbsp; What matters is what you do next.</font></p></blockquote> <p><font color=\"#555555\">Thanks for checking in.&nbsp;&nbsp; Stay tuned...</font>  <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:f1eeaa64-ac49-4bba-a87b-27b8b8b8334a\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/joan%20koerber-walker\" rel=\"tag\">joan koerber-walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/corepurpose\" rel=\"tag\">corepurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Facebook\" rel=\"tag\">Facebook</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">Twitter tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/making%20mistakes\" rel=\"tag\">making mistakes</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/fixing%20mistakes\" rel=\"tag\">fixing mistakes</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/.at%20worm\" rel=\"tag\">.at worm</a></div>','When You Screw Up... Admit It and Fix It.','','inherit','open','open','','1435-revision-3','','','2012-08-19 21:32:28','2012-08-19 21:32:28','',1435,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1435-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2647,2,'2012-08-19 21:32:40','2012-08-19 21:32:40','Innovation has lots of definitions, but my favorite way to describe it is simple. <strong><em>Innovation is doing something in a new way to make life better for the people who matter.</em></strong>\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/bd19092_1.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/bd19092_1_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"BD19092_[1]\" width=\"165\" height=\"244\" align=\"right\" /></a> Who matters is not the same for everyone and that’s the best part. It just spreads good stuff around that much further as we point our energies towards what we care about and others do the same some place else. Our new ideas and energy get spread around and just like fertilizer in the garden wonderful things start to spring up.\n\nInnovative ideas are sometimes revolutionary, but more often that not, innovation is just a little thing - one new thing we can add or do to make a difference for ourselves or others.\n\nA great example was sent to me this week by my friend Debra Johnson, CEO of <a href=\"http://www.ecoedgeco.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Eco-Edge</a>.  The company works with businesses to take their diesel fleet and industrial operations to new levels of profitability, performance and sustainability with <a href=\"http://www.ecoedgeco.com/services.htm\">Award-Winning </a>Technologies for:\n\n<img src=\"http://www.ecoedgeco.com/images/index.3.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"absMiddle\" /> Improved Fuel Economy\n\n<img src=\"http://www.ecoedgeco.com/images/index.3.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"absMiddle\" /> Reduced Maintenance Costs\n\n<img src=\"http://www.ecoedgeco.com/images/index.3.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"absMiddle\" /> More Efficient &amp; Effective Operations\n\n<img src=\"http://www.ecoedgeco.com/images/index.3.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" align=\"absMiddle\" /> Reduced Environmental Footprint\n\nI first met Debra when she was starting her business in 2002 at the Arizona Venture Capital Conference.  We were both checking things out for the first time and got to chatting.  We\'ve stayed in touch ever since and it has been so great to see her company move forward.  She\'s progressed from an entrepreneur with an idea to national recognition as a finalist for last year\'s <a href=\"http://www.stevieawards.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Stevie Award</a>.  Here is what she shared with me... and gave me permission to share with you.\n<blockquote><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04007321.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/j04007321_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"j0400732[1]\" width=\"244\" height=\"164\" align=\"right\" /></a>Do you know what many people believe may be the greatest invention of all time?\n\nThe lowly toothbrush!\n\nOne day long ago when someone said this toothbrush will improve your life - very few people responded with: \"I must have that!\"  Today, we can\'t live without our toothbrush, and we know it can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. The cell phone, the Internet and the CFL bulb all went through this process.  Many inventions did not, not because they weren\'t good, but for whatever reason, they never gained broad acceptance.\n\nAre you wondering why this is relevant from a company that helps fleets and industrial operations<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/debra-2.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-712\" style=\"margin:10px;\" title=\"Debra Johnson\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/debra-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"265\" height=\"330\" /></a>improve profits and reduce environmental impact?   Eco-Edge understands that <em><strong><span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">not every company should be using every new product on the market.</span></strong></em> But companies willing to take those first bold steps with someone they trust recognize that once they have validated solutions, they reap early benefits and set the table for others to confidently join in.  Our process relies on customer advocacy to match the right innovative products to your goals and challenges, as well as to your requirements for assurance.  <strong>We do the due diligence on innovative eco-efficient products to ensure that, at the end of the day, you are 100% satisfied with your decision. </strong>\n\nAnd, our job is to constantly look for innovative, best-in-class fleet and industrial products that will save you money and reduce your environmental impact - guaranteed.  To that end, new solutions we\'ve added in the last few months can, at the very least, reduce your operating costs and cut accidents, all while making the world just a bit healthier.  We just celebrated our 7th year helping businesses like yours do just that.</blockquote>\nDebra makes some great points here - and sets an example we can all benefit from.  <strong>You see,  inventions do not become innovations until we use them to make a positive difference in our lives or our businesses. </strong>She addresses each question an adopter will be asking or thinking...\n\n1.   How will this product or service benefit me?\n\n2.  Is it to risky to change from what I do today?\n\n3.  Can I get support to help me make this change?\n\nAnd best of all, she promises to keep the innovations coming.\n\nIf you were telling your story - could you answer these questions as well as Debra did?\n\nSpring is a great time to make a list and start to think about what YOU can do to make life better and how you can interest others in joining you on the journey.\n\nA little innovation goes a long way.  Harness a little of that spring time energy and do something new.\n\nThanks for tuning in and please stay tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:5bae3fcb-5c11-416c-9189-5d3bd5daa3ba\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation\">Innovation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Inventions\">Inventions</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/creativity\">creativity</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/marketing\">marketing</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Debra%20Johnson\">Debra Johnson</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Eco-Edge\">Eco-Edge</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/green%20entrepreneur\">green entrepreneur</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/stevie%20awards\">stevie awards</a></div></blockquote>','Spring into innovation.','','inherit','open','open','','1434-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:32:40','2012-08-19 21:32:40','',1434,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1434-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2648,2,'2012-08-19 21:35:25','2012-08-19 21:35:25','<p>Someone asked me the other day, what it meant to be a successful professional speaker and how do I become one.  <p>Hmm, what to say.&nbsp; I never not set out to be a “successful speaker”. My goal was to run a successful company. For me, speaking was a way to move my company’s mission forward towards our goal. Taking the platform was a way to bring our message out to a larger audience.  <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/jkw-big-stage1.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"201\" alt=\"jkw big stage\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/jkw-big-stage_thumb.jpg\" width=\"299\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a>The first part of the process (and the first step we still take today with any new program) is to ask – <strong>“What do I have to share – and who cares to hear it?”</strong> We all have lots of things to say, but if there is not an audience looking for that message – no one will stop to listen – let alone pay you for it.  <p>The next step is to <strong>craft the message so others will remember it</strong> and want to share it with their friends and colleagues. In a word, be “remarkable.” Nothing is as powerful as someone who has heard you speak, read your article or blog, or seen you on TV or video and wants to share what they learned from you with others.  <p>Step three is to <strong>walk your talk</strong>. Don’t just spout witty lines from the stage. Actions always speak louder than words. Do something to demonstrate your message.  <p>· If you speak on how to grow businesses, be sure you are growing yours!  <p>· If your message is to help others in the community – be an active volunteer.  <p>· If you speak on Leadership – be a leader.  <p>· If innovation is your gig – do something innovative.  <p>Get the message? So, you may be asking…”That’s great, but does it work?” The answer is simple. Yes.  <p>I’ve used this simple three step process and achieved what I set out to do. My business has grown and spawned other businesses. Today we have divisions in consulting and publishing. I even got to take two years off – while others ran the business for me – so I could take a two year sabbatical to pursue my personal passion for helping other businesses achieve their goals as CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association. With friends we have founded new ventures in social entrepreneurship, been asked to help lead new and exciting companies – and I’m getting ready to buy and grow another one. And through it all I have kept speaking. Whether the audience is a small group of 15 or a ballroom filled to capacity, following these three steps keeps people talking about what we say and do. It’s remarkable.</p> <p>Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e8e12777-3c26-4573-8939-9efcaece03c7\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Professional%20Speaker\" rel=\"tag\">Professional Speaker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/International%20Speaker\" rel=\"tag\">International Speaker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/crafting%20a%20message\" rel=\"tag\">crafting a message</a></div></blockquote>','Want to Share Your Message? Be Remarkable','','inherit','open','open','','1433-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:35:25','2012-08-19 21:35:25','',1433,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1433-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2649,2,'2012-08-19 21:35:39','2012-08-19 21:35:39','<p> <p>It has been said that the difference between family and friends, is that you&nbsp; get to pick your friends.&nbsp; Well, when it comes to Mothers, I really lucked out.&nbsp; My Mom is the type of friend anyone would be lucky to pick.&nbsp; Here\'s why...</p> <p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:f4c84767-8cd0-4b66-becd-b06ccef30199\" style=\"display:inline;float:none;width:289px;margin:0;padding:5px;\"><div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTtSFSOkTSM]</div></div></p> <p>Great friends are there when you need them.&nbsp; They tell you the truth - even when you don\'t want to hear it. And, if you are really lucky, they are people you can learn from by listening to them and watching what they do.&nbsp; </p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/mom-and-dad-tight.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" height=\"134\" alt=\"mom and dad tight\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/mom-and-dad-tight-thumb.jpg\" width=\"244\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a>My Mom is a pretty incredible lady.&nbsp; She makes good choices in her life - and it shows!&nbsp; She and my Dad are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary this year.&nbsp; My Dad he still thinks she its the best thing that ever happened to him.&nbsp; They\'ve raised five kids together and then after the kids were gone, took care of my Grandmother at home so that she could live out her final years in a loving environment with the best quality of life possible.&nbsp;&nbsp; She is a valuable member of the team where she works and is a committed and active contributor in her church and her community.&nbsp; She has lots of great friends - some of whom go all the way back to high school! </p> <p>I\'ve learned lots of important things from my Mom over the years, some that she\'s told me and more that she\'s demonstrated by just being who she is.&nbsp; Here are a few things, that by her words and actions, my Momma told me...</p> <blockquote> <p>If you believe in your self and are committed to do what it takes, you can do anything. </p> <p>Be the best person you can be.&nbsp; You have a responsibility to use the gifts God gave you. </p> <p>Get an education - and never stop learning. </p> <p>Check your work.&nbsp; (She\'s been know to even find typos in my blog posts.) </p> <p>People have different skills and talents - learn to uncover them and treasure them. </p> <p>You were not raised in a barn - don\'t act like it. </p> <p>If you want to get something done, find the busiest person you know. </p> <p>Stand by your convictions - If you don\'t, who will? </p> <p>If it\'s important to get the job done - sleep\'s optional.&nbsp; </p> <p>Say I love you - often!&nbsp; </p> <p>You can have it all!&nbsp; </p> <p>At the end of the day, nothing is more important than family.</p></blockquote> <p>See, I really did luck&nbsp; out in the Mommy Lottery.&nbsp; So this Mother\'s Day, I just want to say - Thanks Mom!&nbsp; I love you.</p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:bd76c951-51a3-4072-b7ea-1322921a1d44\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Besty%20Koerber\" rel=\"tag\">Besty Koerber</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Mother\'s%20Day\" rel=\"tag\">Mother\'s Day</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Life%20Lessons\" rel=\"tag\">Life Lessons</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Real%20World%20Inspiration\" rel=\"tag\">Real World Inspiration</a></div>','My Momma Told Me...','','inherit','open','open','','1432-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:35:39','2012-08-19 21:35:39','',1432,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1432-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2650,2,'2012-08-19 21:35:52','2012-08-19 21:35:52','It\'s May Day today (May1, 2009).  In different cultures and different places, May Day has different meanings, but interestingly in one way or the other they link to a common theme.  In each face of May Day we see people coming together.\n\nWhen I write these weekly wrap up blogs, I often add a song or video so you can listen along.  This one - <em>Stand By Me</em> by <a href=\"http://www.playingforchange.com/journey/introduction\" target=\"_blank\">Playing for Change</a> is a favorite of mine - I hope you enjoy it as you read on.\n<div id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:537d1a67-2bd8-4c4b-b795-6e9f3dae02c2\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;float:none;width:283px;margin:0;padding:5px;\">\n<div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM]</div>\n</div>\n<h4>So, back to May Day and its meanings...</h4>\nFor some, May Day is the celebration of Spring, with communities coming together to celebrate Spring in all its glory.  It is a time to look toward the future - to celebrate growth and new life.\n\nIn come countries, May Day is Labor Day or Labour Day while here in the United States, we celebrate it at the end of the month.  Around the world, May Day gatherings have not always been just joyous gathering and picnics.  May Day has long been a day of often marked worker protests, rallies for change, and calls for equality.  May Day became a significant rallying call for the Socialist Parties in many countries and in many cities around the U.S. this year there are gatherings about immigrant rights and issues.\n\nMay Day is also the internationally known distress call.  Not tied to May 1st, it\'s origins come from the French phrase  <em>m\'aidez</em> which translated means \'help me\'.  Only used in times of serious distress or danger, May Day calls are monitored 24/7 (on VHF channel 16, or HF 2182.0 KHz) so that help can be sent when needed.\n\nWell on this May Day, some might say that we live in a time of distress calls.  War, unemployment, homelessness, business failures, and frauds mark the news daily.  Disease is on the rise from cancers, to autism, to the newest outbreak of swine flu around the globe.  But the good news is people and organizations continue to come together to do something about it.  Here are a few examples:\n<ul>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.otef.org\" target=\"_blank\">OTEF</a> - The Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation - launched  <a href=\"http://azentrepreneurship.com/blueprint-for-survival/\" target=\"_blank\">Blueprint for Survival</a> to help displaced workers through entrepreneurship skills.</li>\n	<li>The government continues to launch new programs daily to help on the <a href=\"http://www.recovery.gov\" target=\"_blank\">Recovery</a>. (Agree or disagree with the strategy and tactics as you may.)</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.newglobalcitizens.org\" target=\"_blank\">New Global Citizens</a> is teaching young people how to \"be the change they see in the world\" (Ghandi) while <a href=\"http://www.playingforchange.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Playing for Change</a> is is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music.</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.autismcenter.org/\" target=\"_blank\">SARRC</a> reaches out to offer support and solutions to a growing population of families touched by autism.</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.aacr.org/\" target=\"_blank\">AACR</a> recently held it\'s 100th Annual Meeting of Cancer Researchers where people from all over the world shared ideas and innovations.</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.ribomed.com\" target=\"_blank\">RiboMed</a> is imagining (and working towards) a future when getting a noninvasive, multi-disease diagnostic test at your annual medical exam is as routine as having your temperature or blood pressure taken. Imagine tests that can detect early biomarkers of cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, autism or heart disease long before symptoms present. Imagine that when disease is detected, doctors can prescribe a treatment plan designed specifically for you.</li>\n</ul>\nIn spite of all the  challenges we face, for me this May Day means Hope.  You see, when people come together to build solutions, magic happens. \n\nPlease leave a comment and share ways you have found or seen where people are coming together and making a difference.  Leave your mark this May Day! \n\nStay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:5b759c5f-3a5f-4dcd-a4d6-b79a8b208208\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Playing%20for%20Change\">Playing for Change</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/May%20Day\">May Day</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/OTEF\">OTEF</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Blueprint%20for%20Survival\">Blueprint for Survival</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/New%20Global%20Citizens\">New Global Citizens</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/SARRC\">SARRC</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/AACR\">AACR</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Ribomed\">Ribomed</a></div>','Standing Together this May Day','It\'s May Day today (May1, 2009).  In different cultures and different places, May Day has different meanings, but interestingly in one way or the other they link to a common theme.  In each face of May Day we see people coming together.\n\n','inherit','open','open','','1431-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:35:52','2012-08-19 21:35:52','',1431,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1431-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2651,2,'2012-08-19 21:36:07','2012-08-19 21:36:07','<p>Two weeks ago I started to experiment with multiple profiles on Twitter.&nbsp; Some of my friends have tweeted with questions about why I am doing this, how it works, and is it worth it.&nbsp; So instead of having multiple conversations, I thought I would put what I am learning right here and give you peak into how the experiment is going.&nbsp; </p> <p><a href=\"http://twitter.com/joankw\" target=\"_blank\"><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://twitstamp.com/joankw/packaged.png\" align=\"right\"></a>I\'m not a social media expert, just a business person learning to use it effectively with some really great coaches like @LonSafko, @Hardaway, @StevenGroves, and @jenn_ex.</p> <p>I now have five twitter profiles. <strong><a href=\"http://twitter.com/joankw\" target=\"_blank\">@joankw</a></strong> for an eclectic mix of things that I share with my friends on Facebook as well as with my twitter followers at the same time.&nbsp; <a href=\"http://twitter.com/CorePurpose\" target=\"_blank\">@CorePurpose</a> is all business articles and tips. This links back to my profile on LinkedIn. Then I have three very specific profiles to have deeper conversations on the subjects I like the most <a href=\"http://twitter.com/@JKWinnovation\">@JKWinnovation</a>,&nbsp; <a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWgrowth\">@JKWgrowth</a>,&nbsp; <a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWleadership\">@JKWleadership</a>. </p> <h4>Reasons to do it</h4> <ol> <li><strong><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://twitstamp.com/corepurpose/packaged.png\" align=\"right\">If you Tweet consistently</strong> - and I do - linking to other platforms like Facebook, Plaxo, and Linked in can cause you to monopolize your friends feeds.&nbsp; It\'s like crying wolf - when you have something important to say - no one\'s there to listen.  <li><strong>Your profile is a brand component</strong>.&nbsp; Multiple profiles allow you to keep your brand focused and consistent within each profile.&nbsp; People follow the profiles that have the messages they want.  <li><strong>It\'s easier to have real conversations</strong>.&nbsp; On the focused profiles, I follow publications and people who tweet on the subject - when we connect we <img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://twitstamp.com/JKWinnovation/packaged.png\" align=\"right\">have something to actually talk/tweet about.</li></ol> <h4>Early mistakes</h4> <ol> <li>&nbsp;<strong>Don\'t be a FEED HOG</strong>.&nbsp; Unless it\'s meaningful across profiles,don\'t multi-tweet.&nbsp; It\'s annoying if your followers don\'t have a tool like Seesmic that aggregates repeat messages.  <li><strong>CHECK your spelling</strong>.&nbsp; (My biggest failing.) People discount your message if it\'s&nbsp; full of typos.  <li><strong>Find the right mix of tools.</strong>&nbsp; It\'s a bit of trial and error but the right tools for you are out there and more are coming daily. (More on tools below.)  <li><strong><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://twitstamp.com/JKWgrowth/packaged.png\" align=\"right\">Let people know you are out there</strong> and what you have to say.&nbsp; Thanks&nbsp; to the folks at <a href=\"http://twitstamp.com\">TwitStamp</a> for these fun and interactive profile stamps.</li></ol> <h4>Ways to make work it without going crazy</h4> <ol> <li>There are some <strong>great tools</strong> for those of us with multiple profiles.&nbsp; None are perfect, but my toolset includes Seesmic - great visual interface - and Hootsuite which allows me to \'tweet later\' and manage the follow.&nbsp; It these two platforms would just merge into one, I would be in Twitter Heaven.  <li><strong>Tweet Later</strong> - a great way to spread your messages <a href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWleadership\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><img style=\"margin:5px;\" src=\"http://twitstamp.com/JKWleadership/packaged.png\" align=\"right\"></strong></a>across the day with out being tied to your computer.&nbsp; Early each morning I schedule a few messages for each profile to tweet later using Hootsuite.&nbsp; Then I log in later via Seesmic to read the feed, reply to conversations, or share more \'in the moment\' thoughts.  <li><strong>Set aside a specific time</strong> to do this then turn it off.&nbsp; It\'s easy to get sucked into all the goings on and not get other important things done.  <li><strong>Less can be More</strong> - I share and follow based on good content.&nbsp; So when someone follows me - I follow them.&nbsp; If it turns out to be spam or just noise - I un-follow later.&nbsp; That way I can find interesting new people and still get through all the messages in a reasonable amount of time. </li></ol> <h4>How\'s it going?</h4> <p><strong>So far, so good.</strong>&nbsp; I have met some great new people, found interesting articles and blogs, gotten asked to be on a couple of radio shows to share ideas on topics I care about, and, wonder of wonders, found a customer or two in the process.&nbsp; Who knows, I may also find what I really want - the opportunity to lead and grow another really cool company.&nbsp; Not a bad start.</p> <p>Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:68b3ea08-6d86-4178-b59e-a0f41fcaae21\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/@joankw\" rel=\"tag\">@joankw</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/@corepurpose\" rel=\"tag\">@corepurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/@JKWinnovation\" rel=\"tag\">@JKWinnovation</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/@JKWgrowth\" rel=\"tag\">@JKWgrowth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/@JKWleadership\" rel=\"tag\">@JKWleadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/@LonSafko\" rel=\"tag\">@LonSafko</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/@Hardaway\" rel=\"tag\">@Hardaway</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/@StevenGroves\" rel=\"tag\">@StevenGroves</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/@Jenn_ex\" rel=\"tag\">@Jenn_ex</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Twitter\" rel=\"tag\">Twitter</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/multiple%20twitter%20profiles\" rel=\"tag\">multiple twitter profiles</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/seesmic\" rel=\"tag\">seesmic</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/hootsuite\" rel=\"tag\">hootsuite</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/#innovation\" rel=\"tag\">#innovation</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/#leadership\" rel=\"tag\">#leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/#growth\" rel=\"tag\">#growth</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/twitter%20tips\" rel=\"tag\">twitter tips</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/twitstamp\" rel=\"tag\">twitstamp</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/facebook\" rel=\"tag\">facebook</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/plaxo\" rel=\"tag\">plaxo</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/linkedin\" rel=\"tag\">linkedin</a></div></blockquote>','Why going multi-profile on Twitter makes sense','','inherit','open','open','','1430-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:36:07','2012-08-19 21:36:07','',1430,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1430-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2652,2,'2012-08-19 21:50:36','2012-08-19 21:50:36','<p>A TV commercial came out when I was in elementary school that I remember to this day. We lived in a different time.&nbsp; The 1960\'s had ended and we were at the start of a new decade.&nbsp; It was 1971.&nbsp; People were protesting the war (in Vietnam this time).&nbsp; Richard Nixon was President, Chairman Mao had declared the Cultural Revolution was ended (1969) and the door to China was slowly opening to the West. New technologies in semiconductor science and computing were evolving and a new environmental movement via Greenpeace was born.</p> <p></p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ad7f86f1-9290-4c4b-9d15-ddb8a7a4ae82\" style=\"display:inline;float:none;width:290px;margin:0;padding:5px;\"><div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mOEU87SBTU]</div></div> <p></p> <p>A commercial came out in the fall of 1971 that captured the people\'s mood and helped embed a brand - Coca-Cola - in the hearts and minds of a generation. (See video from YouTube above.)&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href=\"http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colaadv.html\" target=\"_blank\">The story</a> of the how the now famous \"Hilltop\" ad came to be is a good one and a legend in the ad industry.&nbsp; Two top 20 Hits came out after the commercial, one by The Hillside Singers and the other later by the New Seekers.&nbsp; You can hear and see <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jr9hPbYmBo\" target=\"_blank\">their version here</a>.</p> <p><a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/great-wall-coke.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;margin:5px;\" height=\"244\" alt=\"At the Great Wall copyright Joan Koerber-Walker 2001\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/great-wall-coke-thumb.jpg\" width=\"165\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\"></a>Fast forward 30 years - and my husband Chris and I were in China seeing the sights.&nbsp; It was just weeks after 9-11 and the world was still reeling in shock.&nbsp; It was not a time of global love and trust.&nbsp; <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/03/climbing-mountains-one-step-at-a-time.html\" target=\"_blank\">One sunny morning, we made a visit to the Great Wall of China</a>.&nbsp; As we made our way up the wall, I watched a man helping a little girl climb step by step.&nbsp; We stopped, as they did, along the way to take a break.&nbsp; I took a Coke out of my backpack and caught the Dad\'s eye and pointed at his little girl.&nbsp; After he nodded yes, I turned to offer it to her.&nbsp; She did not speak English, but her eyes lit up as she giggled and sang out \"Coca-Cola!\"&nbsp; Perhaps they did teach the world to sing after all.</p> <h3>How will you build your brand?</h3> <p>Most of us can not afford the $250K Coca-Cola spent just to create the famous ad in 1971. (<a href=\"http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm\" target=\"_blank\">That\'s $1.3M+ in 2009 dollars and without airtime!)</a>&nbsp; But, that\'s OK.&nbsp; You see, they learned the most important secret of business growth and branding.&nbsp; </p> <p>It\'s not what you say about your company that matters.&nbsp; What matters is what others say about you.&nbsp; Especially in times like these - times of challenge and change -actions speak louder than words.&nbsp; </p> <p>It does not matter how big or small your company is.&nbsp; Your decisions can make or break your brand.&nbsp;&nbsp; The next time you have a business decision to make - ask yourself, \"How will others see this - and what will THEY remember?\"&nbsp; </p> <p>People have long memories, and you never know who might be writing about YOU thirty days or thirty years from now.</p> <p>Stay Tuned...</p> <blockquote> <p>-Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:57042d9a-33b0-4c23-a89d-4f3801249a7e\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\" rel=\"tag\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\" rel=\"tag\">CorePurpose</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Branding\" rel=\"tag\">Branding</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation\" rel=\"tag\">Innovation</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Decision%20Making\" rel=\"tag\">Decision Making</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership\" rel=\"tag\">Leadership</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Coca-Cola\" rel=\"tag\">Coca-Cola</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/China\" rel=\"tag\">China</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/great%20wall\" rel=\"tag\">great wall</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/advertising\" rel=\"tag\">advertising</a>,<a href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/I%e2%80%99d%20Like%20to%20teach%20the%20world%20to%20sing\" rel=\"tag\">I’d Like to teach the world to sing</a></div></blockquote>','It\'s the real thing...How will you deliver your message?','','inherit','open','open','','1429-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:50:36','2012-08-19 21:50:36','',1429,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1429-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2653,2,'2012-08-19 21:50:44','2012-08-19 21:50:44','<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2grandma.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2grandma-thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"2Grandma\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" align=\"right\" /></a>\n\nFrom the time I was a little girl, one of my favorite questions has always been \"what\'s next?\"  I want a new challenge, a new opportunity, a new friend.  I\'m always looking around the corner for the What\'s Next.   I\'ve never been satisfied with the status quo, with sitting quietly, or staying where I\'m put.  This probably drove my parents a bit crazy at times.  My Mom would lament that I was the busiest child of her five - the one who was into everything.  (Those of you who know me well are probably thinking - some things never change.) Lord knows what they had to bribe me with to get me to sit still long enough to get my picture taken with <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/01/the-gift-of-100-christmases.html\" target=\"_blank\">Grandma Marie</a>.  (Yes, she\'s the one in the hat.  I\'m the one whose feet don\'t touch the floor.)\n\nWhen <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/joan-is-moving-on-from-asba-read-the-release.html\" target=\"_blank\">I left ASBA last December</a>, many of my friends called and emailed, asking \"What\'s Next?\"  They\'d seen the press release or the news articles stating my intention to \"focus on new opportunities in 2009 including \"a more active role at <a href=\"http://www.ribomed.com\" target=\"_blank\">RiboMed Biotechnologies</a>, Inc. where she has served on the board of directors since 2007.\"  (BTW - when we talk about W<strong>hat\'s Next</strong> - there is not a better example with all the break through that are happening there as they are developing new tests and tools for early cancer detection!)\n\n<a href=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/cmark.jpg\"><img style=\"border-width:0;\" src=\"http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/cmark-thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"cmark\" width=\"192\" height=\"176\" align=\"right\" /></a>\n\nSo, I have spent the last few months doing just that - focusing on <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/03/opportunities-are-out-there-are-you-ready.html\" target=\"_blank\">new opportunities</a> and I am glad to report they are all around us.  The trick is to recognize them when they occur and to make the most of them. \n\nTo do this, I am trying to practice what we preach at CorePurpose, Inc.   So many times, I have stood in front of an audience and gone through the focusing drill.  Helping them to find their CorePurpose® by linking what they are passionate about - to what they are great at - identifying the linkages people will actually pay them for - and then tying it all back to the values they will employ as they pursue their goals.  Now it was my turn to do just that.\n\n<strong>Step One</strong> required some introspection, some observation, and some questioning of those around me.  Great coaches like <a href=\"http://www.lilliancoury.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Lillian Coury</a> are helping me answer the question while talented friends like <a href=\"http://revenuehuntersintl.com/content/00/01/60/05/53/userimages/MDALLMEIER%20REVENUEHUNTING%20BIO.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Mark Dallmeier</a> have shared insights and instruments to help me recognize the right growth opportunities to match my skills, talents, and aspirations.\n\n<strong>Step Two</strong> was answering the questions:\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>What am I passionate about?</strong>    Helping companies and people Grow and making a difference in my professional and private life. </li>\n	<li><strong>What am I really good at?</strong>  Motivating people.  Building high potential, innovative solutions with existing resources.  Finding new resources when needed.  Connecting with people, developing them, and building teams. </li>\n	<li><strong>What will people pay me for?</strong>  (Sometimes I hate this one, but if you can not monetize it in some way it\'s a hobby, not a business.)   Speaking, Consulting, Leadership inside their company or organization.</li>\n	<li><strong>What are my values</strong>:  <strong>P</strong>eople matter, <strong>A</strong>cceleration - nothing happens when you are standing still, <strong>P</strong>romises - keep them, Excellence - If you are not the best - find out who is and get them on board, Results - you can\'t succeed without them.</li>\n</ol>\nSo tying them all together.  <strong>What\'s next?</strong> \n\nFor me, the perfect <strong>What\'s Next</strong> is to acquire or join a company that\'s poised to grow.  A leadership position where my skills and talents will take the team where they want to go - or better yet beyond it.  I\'m still looking.  But in between, I\'m having a blast exploring all the exciting opportunities that are around us.  Speaking to audiences, growing my company, helping others realize their goals, and sharing ideas about how we can innovate, seize opportunities, and turn things around. \n\nIf you are still reading at this point - I have a challenge for you.  Go through the same exercise yourself.  Answer the four questions then tie them together to determine \"What\'s next?\" for you.  And if you would - post a comment and let me know.\n\nThat\'s all for now,\n\nStay Tuned...\n<blockquote>Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:f25a1620-433f-4a8e-a7af-3dc37fc6c602\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Corepurpose\">Corepurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/RiboMed\">RiboMed</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Early%20Cancer%20Detection\">Early Cancer Detection</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Opportunities\">Opportunities</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Goals\">Goals</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Lillian%20Coury\">Lillian Coury</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Mark%20Dallmeier\">Mark Dallmeier</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Revenue%20Hunters%20International\">Revenue Hunters International</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Professional%20Speaker\">Professional Speaker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/International%20Speaker\">International Speaker</a></div>\nCorePurpose® is a registered trademark of CorePurpose, Inc.','What\'s next? Where will you go from here?','Have you ever wondered What\'s Next?  Work through the exercise and find where your greatest opportunities lie.','inherit','open','open','','148-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:50:44','2012-08-19 21:50:44','',148,'http://www.corepurpose.com/148-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2654,2,'2012-07-26 05:24:36','2012-07-26 05:24:36','The Social Media Bible is here! Finally, an entirely comprehensive, all-in-one guide for any business looking to engage in any social media related initiatives.  Virtually every business can use social media to increase sales and profits.  Learning how to transform your business into a social media-enabled enterprise where customers, employees, and prospects connect, collaborate and champion your products, your services and your way of doing business will take your company to the next level.  \"It was such an honor to be asked to collaborate with Lon Safko and David K. Brake on this project. They did not just rest on their laurels as Social Media Experts. They reached out across the community to get all the latest input from Social Media users at every level of expertise,\" shared Joan Koerber-Walker, chairman of CorePurpose.  \"These guys really get it! Social Media is a collaborative platform - so they collaborated with the whole community.\"  The Social Media Bible shares the best ideas and practicles from leading social media expertsand corporate gurus, as well as New York Times bestselling authors nationwide.  The result is a content-rich, must have resource that will help businesses increase revenues, improve profitability, and ensure relevance and competitiveness.\"  The Social Media Bible outlines just what social media is. But more importantly, it show the reader how to harness its power to achieve a measurable competitive advantage in rapidly changing markets.  \"If you are a corporate enterprise, small business, or nonprofit and want to grow your business, you have to stay connected to your stakeholders,\" shared Koerber-Walker. \"The Social Media Bible will show you how to capture the collective wisdom and viral value of your stakeholders and stay ahead of your competition.\"\r\n\r\nTo learn more and to order your copy, visit (www.TheSocialMediaBible.com)\r\n\r\nFor article reprints, Please visit our contact page and include the name of the article desired.',' The Social Media Bible is a Fabulous New Tool','','inherit','open','open','','673-revision-3','','','2012-07-26 05:24:36','2012-07-26 05:24:36','',673,'http://www.corepurpose.com/673-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(2655,2,'2012-07-26 05:23:51','2012-07-26 05:23:51','\"Entrepreneurship is never easy, but when you have faced major challenges in your life, it can seem impossible.\" stated Joan Koerber-Walker, chairman and founder of CorePurpose, Inc. \"That\'s why, for the 4th year in a row, we are proud to support the Opportunity for Entrepreneurship Foundation(OTEF) in their valuable service to our community.\"  Founded in 2006, OTEF provides entrepreneurial training and support to at-risk populations allowing them to build the skills and confidence needed to start businesses. (http://www.otef.org)  OTEF\'s major fundraiser is the the Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference, an annual event that brings together nationally known experts, including Michael Gerber, Robert Scoble, Matt Mullenweg, and Pat Sullivan, and local CEOS to share insights with entreprenuers and business leaders from across Arizona. All proceeds from the conference then are applied to funding OTEF programs throughout the year.\r\n\r\nFor more information on this year\'s conference - being held November 12, 2009 in Tempe, Arizona, visit (http://www.AZEntrepreneurship.com).\r\n\r\nFor article reprints, Please visit our contact page and include the name of the article desired.',' CorePurpose and the Fourth Annual Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference','','inherit','open','open','','670-revision-4','','','2012-07-26 05:23:51','2012-07-26 05:23:51','',670,'http://www.corepurpose.com/670-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(2656,2,'2012-08-19 21:50:53','2012-08-19 21:50:53','Have you fallen lately?  Been knocked off your feet?  Are you facing a challenge through no fault of your own?  Is it tempting to feel sorry for yourself, to think that times are too hard, to just give up? \n\nMy old friend and mentor Don Sweet sent me this video last week.  It really struck a chord and got me thinking.\n<div id=\"scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:752fca74-da91-4ed1-ace6-206f880cd714\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;float:none;width:298px;margin:0;padding:5px;\">\n<div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqantZJ6WwM]</div>\n</div>\nAfter you\'ve watched this video - its hard to be negative or give up.  Few face challenges on a daily basis that are anything like this.  If <a href=\"http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Nick Vujicic</a> can get back up and finish strong - how can we ever stop trying with the challenges we face.\n\nWe\'ve seen this week that dreams can come true.  Just look at how the world has embraced Susan Boyle, a woman who lives in a little Scottish village, definitely does not look like the typical \'superstar\' and unlike Madonna - Susan\'s never even been kissed.  But she pursued her dream of being a singer.  Her dream took her to Britain\'s Got Talent...that took her to <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY\" target=\"_blank\">You Tube</a> where close to 20 MILLION people have watched her WOW the judges and touch our hearts with her incredible voice, and now she takes the next steps and gets ready to take her place on a larger stage.  See the newest videos on <a href=\"http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/30261383#30261383\" target=\"_blank\">Today</a> for more. \n\nAs a make my way around the community, I meet with lots of Arizonans.  People who are looking for new jobs, who are struggling to meet payroll, or are facing other challenges in their lives or in their businesses.    But what gives me hope is the resilience and determination I hear when we sit down and talk.  Whether it\'s over the phone for in a local coffee shop, I hear stories of people working together to make a difference, sharing ideas, asking questions, and finding answers and solutions to challenges.  Here are just a few examples:\n<ul>\n	<li>Allan Starr started a new discussion forum on Linked In called Marketing Partners Memos.  An established business leader and marketing expert, Allan asked his friends questions about things like SEO and reaching customers - you\'ll find of tips and advice from a number of folks in the Valley -  great ideas.</li>\n	<li>I am NOT a Social Media expert.  But I have friends that are.  They have helped me understand how to effectively use social Media as a tool for starting conversations.  When I put out a post on it this week, it spread like wild fire.  If you missed it and need some tips - see the ones I got from the experts and examples you can use as models at <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/04/a-busy-persons-toolkit-for-social-media.html\" target=\"_blank\">A Busy Person\'s Tool Kit for Social Media</a>.</li>\n	<li>For fun, I shared a quote from Albert Einstein on Facebook - \"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. \"   This quote sparked such a great discussion about the power or asking questions and the importance of collaboration and partnering that I moved it to the blog so that people can keep the conversation going in an open forum.  You can join the conversation too at <a href=\"http://koerberwalker.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/question-of-the-dayhow-can-i-help-you/\">Question of the Day - How can I  help you?</a></li>\n	<li>Tax Day - A crowd gathered at the Capitol to share their feelings on the state of the economy, government and taxation.  I chose to skip that particular gathering.  :-)  But if you want a flavor for the issues and answers around the question at the state level see the posts  <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/04/opportunity-springs-up.html\">Opportunity Springs Up</a> and <a href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/03/doing-the-right-things-in-az.html\">Doing the Right Things in Arizona.</a></li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Jeremiah Trnka\'s new Arizona Edition of <a href=\"http://www.theperformancemagazine.com/\">The Performance Magazine</a> launches next week.  Wednesday night he introduced me to some of his friends at CEO Space and we got a sneak peak.  Keep an eye out for this new publication full of great business ideas from leaders from around the country and Valley experts too.</li>\n	<li>Francine Hardaway of Stealthmode Partners sent me a note with and introduction to Jo Ellen McNamara, Executive Director of the West Mesa Community Development Corporation.  We met for breakfast at Chompie\'s yesterday to share ideas.  What a great addition to our Economic Development community.  Jo Ellen is very experienced and is doing exciting things in the East Valley.  We could have exchanged ideas all morning!  I look forward to working with her in the future.</li>\n</ul>\nSo, the next time life knock you down, pick yourself up.  Think of the inspiration of a Nick Vujicic or a Susan Boyle.  Find a dream - and some friends and colleagues to partner with - and go for it!\n\nStay Tuned...\n<blockquote>- Joan Koerber-Walker</blockquote>\n<div id=\"scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7694d6c5-23af-4ffa-a4d0-eb563cfb013b\" class=\"wlWriterSmartContent\" style=\"display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;\">Technorati Tags: <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose\">CorePurpose</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Inspiration\">Inspiration</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Nick%20Vujicic\">Nick Vujicic</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Susan%20Boyle\">Susan Boyle</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Social%20Media\">Social Media</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/The%20Performance%20Magazine\">The Performance Magazine</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Tax%20Day\">Tax Day</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Getting%20back%20up\">Getting back up</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Jo%20Ellen%20McNamara\">Jo Ellen McNamara</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Francine%20Hardaway\">Francine Hardaway</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Jeremiah%20Trnka\">Jeremiah Trnka</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/West%20Mesa%20Community%20Development%20Corporation\">West Mesa Community Development Corporation</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/collaboration\">collaboration</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Allan%20Starr\">Allan Starr</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Economy\">Economy</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Hope\">Hope</a>,<a rel=\"tag\" href=\"http://technorati.com/tags/Recovery%202009\">Recovery 2009</a></div>','Overcoming Challenges...Getting back Up','Have you fallen lately?  Been knocked off your feet?  Are you facing a challenge through no fault of your own?  Is it tempting to feel sorry for yourself, to think that times are too hard, to just give up?  This weeks wrap up post shares inspiration from around the world plus example of people right here at home who are helping themselves and others make Recovery 2009 a reality.\n\n','inherit','open','open','','1427-revision-2','','','2012-08-19 21:50:53','2012-08-19 21:50:53','',1427,'http://www.corepurpose.com/1427-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),