My Blog

I like to start the year by choosing 3 Words that will help keep me focused on larger goals, both personal and professional.  I pack a lot into these 3 Words, and I expect a lot from them throughout the year.

Compose every email, text message, and blog post with a reader in mind. When you write to someone (even an imaginary someone), you are more likely to write for understanding, and not just to write something that’s on your mind. Ask yourself: Is my reader going to grasp what I’m trying to say? Did I tell them why I’m writing, and what I hope they’ll do?

I stopped fearing dumb questions years ago. I asked, “what do those initials mean?”, and the speaker, a subject matter expert, didn’t know. She had an idea what it meant in context, but she exhibited no confidence. My goal was not to embarrass her but to tell an accurate story; I needed to know what it meant.

Journalists have been doing this for at least 100 years (including an email address is a modern bonus). The addition of a byline is one of my favorite things about journalism, and it can improve all work, not just newspaper stories and blog posts.

It was clear from the start that Mayo was trying to communicate a message of transformation, and they spent time and money on dramatic staging and digital splash. But the 30-second spot was like a headline with no story. Good communication needs more than a headline. … So did Mayo deliver?

I was afraid, for years, to go out in the dark by myself. I still think twice about it. Many people would say that my heightened awareness is a good thing. Hear it from me: regular fear is not a good thing.

Do we say that food is king? Food is important, vital even. But it’s not king. Your health is king, and food is fuel for that.

This is my fourth year of selecting My 3 Words, and I continue to benefit from the process. I will admit that I was a bit tardy with my 2022 selection, but I got it done and gained from it. Here are My 3 Words for 2023.

If you want to tell stories about products, they must feature people first. If you try to make your product the hero, that’s not a story, it’s an ad.

Do not tell your audience to wait for it. You need to make them wait. No, hold on, strike that. Create content interesting enough that they’re not waiting at all.

Nobody goes to Starbucks hoping to relive the adventure of sailors on an Atlantic whaling ship.

People do read. The “do” is unnecessary in that sentence, but I put it there to do some work. I’m writing in response to a post I saw this week saying, “People don’t read.”

Imagine you’re in a race to develop a new product; the entire world is watching this race and waiting for the leaders to cross the line. Would you produce a video series about your participation in that race?

Stories can create moments of change. And all you need is a moment – to increase curiosity, to share insight, to make a human connection. But each story needs to be created and delivered for a reason. That’s the important part, the reason. What is the real reason someone wants to read, watch or listen to your stories?

This is officially my second year of choosing 3 Words as a guide. Kinda my third, but I can’t count 2019 because I had a bunch of words scribbled on a note pad near my desk, with three circled. Part of the point of choosing 3 Words – at least for me – is publishing and sharing them. Especially Now.

As a business leader, if you communicate simply to prove you’re right, your conversations will be brief and your network small.

I read a troubling post on LinkedIn recently. The writer implored – okay, he “told” – his followers to “dumb down” their copy writing because the average American reads at an 8th-grade reading level. On the same day, I read a newspaper article that included the phrase “paroxysms of pique.”

Donald Trump took my advice. Yes, President Donald Trump. After a two-week period of not holding press briefings on the coronavirus, Trump decided at the end of July to restart the public briefings. He must have heard me say “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.”

Your logo, like your face, needs to be recognized. You can’t expect people to find you compellingly beautiful or handsome. But you should hope your face - like your logo - delivers an appealing message of trust and professionalism.

I always grab a catalog; I’m that guy. Too often, however, these print pieces disappoint me. Why? Because many of them are not made for me. Many of today’s print catalogs are made for salespeople, not for customers. That’s a problem.

I picked up two catalogs recently that help me show what I mean. Each of these is about 80 pages, and each one features color product photos. The similarities end there.