Michael Roberto Blog

This summer, my wife and I have traveled quite a bit. We have had the privilege of some amazing customer service experiences. One thing, in particular, has stood out. Some customer service professionals got to know us, remembered our names and our preferences, and anticipated our needs and desires before we articulated them. Sometimes, they remembered our favorite drink order. In other cases, they asked us how we enjoyed our previous day's adventure. We loved it. Why?

What's the key ingredient to high performance when teams function in demanding, high-stress environments? Mary Waller and her co-authors have studied this question in the context of airplane cockpit crews.

Do constraints and limits enhance creativity and innovation? Yes, David Epstein argues that they can, bringing together several strands of research, coupled with some amazing stories, in his terrific book titled Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better. For example, Epstein tells the story of the terrific young pianist, Keith Jarrett, who was scheduled to play a concert in Cologne, Germany. Unfortunately, the organizers brought the wrong piano to the venue, and it was woefully out of tune.

Former Baxter International CEO and current Kellogg Professor Harry Kraemer has written a terrific column titled, "What Every New CEO Should Do In Their First 30 Days."  His lessons apply to people who take on new leadership roles at all levels. My favorite piece of advice focuses on finding the right sounding board. You need to keep a few truth-tellers close to you. These are the people who will give you the unvarnished perspective. They will help you stay grounded too. Kraemer writes,

Are you listening to me? This thought comes to mind for many of us during conversations. How can we tell that someone is listening? Conventional wisdom is that body language and non-verbal cues indicate attentiveness. Is the counterparty nodding in agreement, making good eye contact, and leaning forward into the conversation? If so, they must care about what I'm saying. If not, then they are clearly disengaged. New research suggests that this conventional wisdom may not be right though.

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images This year, the United States, Mexico, and Canada will host the World Cup to much fanfare. Soccer enthusiasts are excited about the competition. They look forward to some thrilling games and the prospect of their country coming out on top. Off the field, an economic issue bears examination: Does hosting the World Cup make financial sense? Holy Cross Professor Victor Matheson has taken a hard-nosed look at the pros and cons of serving as the host country.

I recently encountered an organization with two main business units: the large core business and a smaller adjacent unit. The enterprise as a whole was doing quite well, though it competed in a market that was becoming increasingly challenging. Senior executives and board members lamented that the core business, while quite healthy, lagged behind several industry-leading competitors. They pointed to  analysis by outside parties as evidence of the core business' secondary position in the industry.

https://esheninger.blogspot.com/ I didn't have time. I was too busy. My schedule became too hectic. We have all made these excuses when we didn't achieve our goals. Of course, these explanations included more than a bit of truth. Competing priorities and packed schedules do, in part, become an obstacle to achieving our goals. However, new research suggests that how we talk about time might really matter when it comes to getting back on track and meeting our original objectives.

Great luxury brands such as Brunello Cucinelli, Patek Philippe, Hermes, and Ferrari use deliberate scarcity and exclusivity to optimize brand equity, enhance willingness-to-pay, and distinguish themselves from the competition. Most people would not consider the National Football League (NFL) a luxury brand. Yet, the NFL traditionally benefited from scarcity and exclusivity.

When we were young students, we often remarked to our teachers: "This subject is useless to me. When am I ever going to use this knowledge in the real world?"  Teachers everywhere cringe at this comment. Today, many people are questioning the value of higher education as a whole. Schools are scrambling to demonstrate their graduates' return on investment. Institutions should be focused on helping students prepare for a successful career. Developing practical skills and capabilities is important.