“Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.”

Socrates

This Week’s Holiday Cheer

The Most Difficult Sentence

Effective customer service is not just about getting it right but knowing what do to when you failed to deliver. This is especially important for front line customer service employees who may fear losing their jobs when customers are unhappy. Marketing Guru Seth Godin suggests a simple statement every customer service person in your company (isn’t that everyone?) should know and be authorized to use when dealing with your clients and customers. Find out a little more about the most difficult sentence. It may seem self-evident  to you, but does the person on the front line feel safe saying it?

 TV – Version 3.0

Phones went from calls that required operator assistance to the ones in our pockets…computers went from “big iron” to the devices in front of us, that, thanks to Moore’s law, double in power every 18 months. TV went from rabbit ears to cable to what technology watcher Robert X. Cringely (former PBS Technology commentator) calls TV 3.0. For a  concise, non-technical recap of what has, and is about to happen to TV…and a great object lesson for every executive in how all industries change and business models evolve…check out Cringely’s executive summary of why TV 3.0 is already here.

The Open Office Trap?

Nearly 70% of all offices feature an “open floor” plan without private offices. Earlier this year a New Yorker magazine article asserted that the open office may be a contributor to a sense of shared mission, but recent studies show that there may be a real cost in terms of health (both organizational and personal) and performance. Before you add one more cubicle, be sure you avoid  “The Open Office Trap.”

A recent Harvard Business Review cover story has a different view. Find out how to design Workspaces that Move People. Read both before deciding.

Econ Recon:

A Game of Chicken: The Dow is knocking on the door of 18,000 but the focus of the economic world is oil prices. Vistage Staff economist and ITR Economics Principal Alan Beaulieu analyses the dynamics of the oil market and compares the unwillingness of major producers to cut production first as a “game of chicken.” Check out how his analysis of  What today’s lower energy prices mean for the US Economy

Not Fragile: Economist Brian Wesbury has a similar take on the energy situation and rebuts recent comments in the economic press that our economy is increasing susceptible to foreign influence, especially oil. Find out why he thinks these negative fantasies are misguided and that our economy is not nearly as fragile as many think.