Making Other Plans

One of my all-time favorite artists is John Lennon. His musical legacy is legendary; his views on politics and peace are well-documented. And he was aptly quoted once saying; "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." And it's so true. 

We are on the second lap of the calendar on this global pandemic. The end might be in sight but we actually have absolutely no idea when that will arrive. I have had my first of two vaccine shots and my second isn't until August. You may still be waiting for your first. Multiply that by seven billion humans and this thing is going to take a while. Please keep wearing your mask!

What is normal?

During the last year or so, I've noticed several trends. There are friends and colleagues who are out of work waiting for the company to call them back. Others are getting adjusted to a life of working from home and having to stay home around the clock. And others are making plans for what happens in their lives. I walked away from a situation that wasn't serving me, and near the end, some may have thought I wasn't serving it. And that is life. 

But the point for me was that I had to make other plans for my life. Whatever bucket you find yourself in right this minute, it isn't easy. My folks always encouraged me to try things as I grew up. If I had told them I wanted to be a clown in the circus, they would have told me to be the best clown that ever existed. But it's not up to others to break down those barriers to our plans. It's up to us. Others can help, but we have to write the book or build the wall or paint the canvas ourselves. 

We are not born with fear

Fear is something we learn over a lifetime of shortfalls and mistakes. We think it protects and guides us but all it does is stop us. I have an Olympic gold medal in fear. It's easier to blame circumstances or age or finances or a myriad other reasons as to why we don't follow our gut to reach our dream. 

If you have a seed of an idea, share it with someone you trust and ask for feedback. If the idea is taking shape, reach out and ask for help. If you have never truly asked for help - I can promise you two things. It will be scary at first and you will get better at it. 

 Life happens whether we make plans or not. 

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What's New With You?

It's a new year after a crap year that we hope is a great year. I don't know about you, but the end of the year usually brings me the most reflection. It's as good a time as any to review the past 12 months and make some plans and ideas for the next 12 months.

We have all spent WAY too much time watching our screens and seeing bad news, so it's not easy to make plans per se when we don't know what normal is anymore. Nonetheless, we have to remain diligent. Vaccines are coming and we have to keep our masks on and our social distancing in place.

What Day is It? 

 I have lost count how many times I've had to check my phone to discover what day of the week it is and time seems to be flying by. Days pass like a few hours and months feel like a few days. it's weird, isn't it? 

I'm among the tens of millions of humans on the planet whose career was affected by the Covid-19 virus. In my case, I may have pushed a bit to make it fully happen as it felt like the perfect time but perhaps most would have disagreed.

So as I embark on new adventures, I hope you will take even a few moments during this once in many lifetime chance to allow yourself to dream a bit. 

Perhaps this is the time to look at starting that business or making a shift in something that is stuck in your life. One thing is for sure, it is never easy to make a change. 

Stay safe and be kind to yourself.

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Busy or Busy Being Busy?

The world keeps getting faster and we keep adding gadgets and technology to make it easier which gives us more reasons to stay busier and less time for each other.

I once had a boss who traveled the country to meet with managers but was never really in the city he was located in at the time. During our meetings, his face was buried in his smartphone. He would squirm in his chair. His eyes would dart back and forth. He pretended to pay attention. He couldn't sit still for a minute.

Wait a minute...

Then I realized that he answered my emails when he was elsewhere pretending to be present in that meeting. If you live on your smart phone, it becomes increasingly difficult not to telegraph to others you are ignoring their emails when you fail to respond.

Years ago, a friend moved to a much larger city. I asked him if he noticed the pace had increased and he simply said people seemed busier but he was unsure they were getting more accomplished.

Some wise words from Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes; "We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are."
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It Can Wait 'Til January

I hope you had some time off over the Holidays for friends, family, and fun! For many, today seems to be the first day of work for 2013. Let’s review a few of the things we may have promised last month just so we’re on track.

Let's talk when we get back from the break
You will need to begin that journey you once referred to as ‘later’.

Table that for January
Why do we push things off to some fictitious time in the future?

I’ll give you an answer after the Holidays
Vague promises server no one.

Can we deal with this in the New Year?
This means some time within a period of 365 days.

Let’s get right on that in January
"Right on that" means today, not some vague unscheduled non-event.

The best ways to improve your company’s performance are through strong internal customer service and strong leadership at all levels. If you want your team to bring forward ideas and feel a part of the process, then tell them when you are going to act and when you are simply not ready to take on new ideas.

We mean well at the time but may not heed the cumulative damage we create through vague promises to each other and to our customers.

It’s January. Let’s get to work.

Kneale Mann

cartelagency

Reviewing Ideas for 2012

I've been looking back at the posts from the last year on knealemann.com and wanted to thank-you for taking time to drop by. There are countless trillion websites and you found mine then took a moment to look around. Thanks!

Keep Sharing Ideas

There are visitors here from over 280 countries and every continent on the planet and if we haven't connected through the social web or via email, let's do that.

As we wind down 2012, I thought we'd look at the top 10 posts here according people like you. We'll begin that tomorrow but first let's review the list published here on January 1st, 2012. Let's see how we did.

Travel more Forget the past Turn your phone off Some day is not on the calendar Don't wait for approval Talk about them Say sorry Excuses won’t help you Dream big. Do bigger Be gracious Thank your parents Make quick decisions Trust yourself Numbers are irrelevant Read more, skim less Stop comparing yourself to others Make eye contact Their opinion is just their opinion Smile more Take one digital day off a month Enjoy the ride Stop doing anything that weakens you Keep an open mind Busy is a victim word Plan ahead then be flexible Respect your own time Write something every day Move from what if to why not It's okay to be wrong Ask for help Hang with winners Don't rest on past accomplishments Reach higher Follow through Meet five new people each week Take time off It doesn't matter what they say There are no instant wins No excuses Help someone without their knowledge Go for it Ignore the news Don't waste your time on naysayers Sing often Let them be right Tell others about someone fabulous You’ll never been done Say thank-you Have dessert for dinner Trust your gut Do something ridiculous Sit quietly Be more tolerant Success is not a number Focus on your strengths Start now Laugh at yourself Take the victory Get some sleep Less talk, more do Do something scary Do nothing Go for a drive Cherish friendship Negative thoughts are a waste of time Be yourself The bucket list is meant to be lived Mistakes are allowed Your resume is not you Yes you deserve it Don't wait No one can want it more than you Lead with passion Take yourself out for dinner All we have is now

Kneale Mann

cbc | original: jan 2012

Nog for the Noggin

About three weeks ago, I was in a store and saw it. The smugness was evident. It made no excuses for its early arrival. Right there by the chocolate milk it proudly stood in defiance of the calendar. Egg nog - a strange concoction that isn't custard but isn't a milkshake. Its familiar yellow hue and viscous properties are quite unique.

Halloween and Thanksgiving hadn't arrived and here was egg nog, usually reserved for the "holiday" season. So it seemed appropriate to review the bold and brazen list of things I published here this past New Year's Day.

Travel more Forget the past Turn your phone off Some day is not on the calendar Don't wait for approval Talk about them Say sorry Dream big. Do bigger Be gracious Thank your parents Make quick decisions Trust yourself Numbers are irrelevant Read more, skim less

Stop comparing yourself to others Make eye contact Their opinion is just their opinion Smile more Take one digital day off a month Enjoy the ride Stop doing anything that weakens you Keep an open mind Busy is a victim word

Plan ahead then be flexible Respect your own time Write every day Move from what if to why not It's okay to be wrong Ask for help Hang with winners Don't rest on past accomplishments Reach higher

Follow through Meet five new people each week Take time off It doesn't matter what they say There are no instant wins No excuses Help someone without their knowledge Go for it Ignore the news Don't waste your time on naysayers Sing often Let them be right Tell others about someone fabulous

You’ll never been done Say thank-you Have dessert for dinner Trust your gut Do something ridiculous Sit quietly Be more tolerant Success is not a number Focus on your strengths Start now Laugh at yourself

Take the victory Get some sleep Less talk, more do Do something scary Do nothing Go for a drive Cherish friendship Negative thoughts are a waste of time Be yourself The bucket list is meant to be lived Mistakes are allowed Your resume is not you Yes you deserve it

Don't wait No one can want it more than you Lead with passion Take yourself out for dinner All we have is now

Enjoy the nog

Kneale Mann

thehairpin

2012 List | Revisited

We like lists. They’re easy to read and review. It’s content in small digestible chunks. But without action, they’re just nice lists. On January 1st, I did yet another one and I was looking at it this week. Much work to be done, especially the singing!

Travel more Forget the past Turn your phone off Someday is not on the calendar Don't wait for approval Talk about them Say sorry Excuses won’t help you
Dream big. Do bigger Be gracious Thank your parents Make quick decisions

Trust yourself Numbers are irrelevant Read more, skim less 

Stop comparing yourself to others Make eye contact Their opinion is just their opinion Smile more Take one digital day off a month Enjoy the ride 

Stop doing anything that weakens you Keep an open mind Busy is a victim word
Plan ahead then be flexible Respect your own time Write something every day 

Move from what if to why not Meet five new people each week 

It's okay to be wrong Ask for help Hang with winners 
Don't rest on past accomplishments Reach higher Follow through

Take time off It doesn't matter what they say There are no instant wins

No excuses Help someone without their knowledge Go for it Ignore the news
Don't waste your time on naysayers Sing often Let them be right 

Tell others about someone fabulous You’ll never been done Say thank-you

Have dessert for dinner Trust your gut Do something ridiculous 
Sit quietly Be more tolerant Success is not a number

Focus on your strengths Start now Laugh at yourself Take the victory
Get some sleep Less talk, more do Do something scary Do nothing Go for a drive

Cherish friendship Negative thoughts are a waste of time Be yourself
The bucket list is meant to be lived Mistakes are allowed Your resume is not you

Yes you deserve it Don't wait No one can want it more than you
Lead with passion Take yourself out for dinner All we have is now

I hope your 2012 is going well so far!
Email or DM anytime and we can discuss.

Kneale Mann

image: flickr

Ideas for 2012

Travel more Forget the past Turn your phone off Some day is not on the calendar Don't wait for approval Talk about them Say sorry Excuses won’t help you Dream big. Do bigger Be gracious Thank your parents Make quick decisions Trust yourself Numbers are irrelevant Read more, skim less Stop comparing yourself to others Make eye contact Their opinion is just their opinion Smile more Take one digital day off a month Enjoy the ride Stop doing anything that weakens you Keep an open mind Busy is a victim word Plan ahead then be flexible Respect your own time Write something every day Move from what if to why not It's okay to be wrong Ask for help Hang with winners Don't rest on past accomplishments Reach higher Follow through Meet five new people each week Take time off It doesn't matter what they say There are no instant wins No excuses Help someone without their knowledge Go for it Ignore the news Don't waste your time on naysayers Sing often Let them be right Tell others about someone fabulous You’ll never been done Say thank-you Have dessert for dinner Trust your gut Do something ridiculous Sit quietly Be more tolerant Success is not a number Focus on your strengths Start now Laugh at yourself Take the victory Get some sleep Less talk, more do Do something scary Do nothing Go for a drive Cherish friendship Negative thoughts are a waste of time Be yourself The bucket list is meant to be lived Mistakes are allowed Your resume is not you Yes you deserve it Don't wait No one can want it more than you Lead with passion Take yourself out for dinner  All we have is now

Let's Have an Inspiring Year!

Kneale Mann

image credit: cbc

Best Laid Business Plans

You Need a Plan

With few exceptions, no one ever becomes wildly successful without some sort of - albeit flexible - business plan. You need to set realistic actionable objectives or you will get lost in tactics. Crashing and burning are often the next step waiting for you.

I've always prescribed to the "strategy before tactics" mantra. You need to set 2-3 objectives for the next year and then build out necessary activities to ensure they are accomplished. Simon Sinek changed that when he reminds us that we need to know why we're doing any of it in the first place.

A Plan is Not Enough

Business plans don't have to be verbose literary masterpieces which no one will read, never mind execute. They should be clear and the content should point to what the company actually wants to carry out. But like mission statements, they are often created with the best of intentions in a controlled environment known as a boardroom.

Business objectives should include realistic market perspective, company financial realities and unbiased summation of stakeholder talent. Anyone can say "make more money this year" but can you really pull it off when you take into consideration your products or services, competitive situations and appropriate cash flow.

How can you ensure your business plan doesn't go sideways as soon as the reality of life hits it in the face?

Kneale Mann

image credit: youintegrate

Busy Being Busy

Confusing Activity with Progress

The world keeps getting faster and we keep adding gadgets and technology to make it easier which gives us more reasons to stay busier and less time for each other.

One second. Hang on.
I'll just be a minute.

I once worked with a dude who was always somewhere else.

During our meetings, his face was buried in his blackberry. He would squirm in his chair. His eyes would dart back and forth. He pretended to pay attention. He couldn't sit still for a minute. He was a busy guy, don't ya know.

Then I realized that he answered my emails when he was elsewhere pretending to be present in that meeting.

If you live on your smart phone, it becomes increasingly difficult not to telegraph to others you are ignoring their emails when you fail to respond.

Keep moving and hopefully you don't get any on you.

Years ago, a buddy moved to a much larger city. I asked him if he noticed the pace had increased and he simply said people seemed busier but he was unsure they were getting more accomplished.

Wise Words

Success comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.
Henry David Thoreau

If you want to conquer fear,
don't sit at home and think about it.
Go out and get busy.
Dale Carnegie

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
John Lennon

The essential question is not, how busy are you?
But rather what are you busy at and are you doing what fulfills you?
Oprah Winfrey

In the busy world no object has time to make a deep impression.
Henry Home

We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that
we don't take time to enjoy where we are.
Calvin & Hobbes

It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy.
The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.
Mary O'Connor

Beware the barrenness
of a busy life. Socrates

The malady of our age is that the young are busy teaching us that they have no time left to learn.
Eric Hoffer

Doing nothing is better than
being busy doing nothing.
Lao Tzu

Are you busy or are you busy being busy?

knealemann
Helping you integrate all you do with all you do.

Marketing | Metrics and Minutiae

Pre-Sets and Programming

In my former life, I programmed radio stations for a living. I loved my time in radio but one of my biggest grievances remains today: measurement.

Will this work?

I Want It Now!


• To measure ratings in radio, a tiny percentage of the population is asked their opinion to speak on behalf of the masses.

• The newspaper industry claims each paper (!) is read by several people.

• Television polls the same people and calls it consensus.

• Direct Mail response rates higher than 3% point to a resounding success.

• External advertising industries claim the billboard will be seen but you must remember the three second rule.

Yet companies remain sceptical that an online strategy can help them.

It's important to note that if you own a business and you are unsure the best solution for you - be careful of those who will drown you in metrics and doublespeak. That is especially important when delving in to the online world.

I am not bias toward particular media though I do lean to some more than others because of effectiveness. This won't be another article about relationships and two-way conversations. It must be based on strategy, not theory. All media has its place and I have clients who use them all. This is more about paying attention to what is important to you and your business. It's about managing your expectations.

You can’t ask everyone and there is no such thing as the perfect shot. Every industry has its metrics yet often business owners when introduced to digital solutions want documented results at the beginning.

It is valid to want to know the expected results of marketing dollars (after having a great offering and a well focused plan and message) but running a business like an ad campaign is dangerous sport.

Living By Numbers

I’m not anti-research or anti-metrics but if you want a guaranteed solution chiseled in granite every time you may be waiting a while. I don’t condone running your business with wild abandon but balance is good. Numbers can be a deterrent. Numbers can intoxicate you. Numbers can be deceiving.

In Other News...

The Vancouver Olympics start today. Years of planning, training and hoping culminate in a two week event that costs billions and is seen by billions. And the biggest story right now is whether the weather will cooperate.

Something no amount of planning could have affected. Go Canada!

Do you ever leap before you look?

@knealemann
strategy. marketing. social media.

photo credit: i.ehow

Beware of the Wall

Tactics before Strategy is Suicide.
Ready. Aim. Shoot.

The year has just begun . You feel refreshed and ready to hit things hard, get things done and make it happen. It's all good.

Enjoy it while it lasts, you will soon be facing a big challenge.

Years ago I worked for a dude who took the ready-shoot-aim approach which often caused a big mess to clean up.

The right order is ready-aim-shoot. Too often we fail to fire.


Over Planning The Plan.

Designing a road map is essential but we can run the risk of spending gobs of time talking about the plan and planning the strategy and setting up the start-up and approaching the due date. Then it stalls.

And then we hit the wall of indecision and we get stuck.

Hopes and Dreams.

It’s the first week of a fresh year, resolutions aren’t broken yet and the magical date on the calendar has given us renewed hope of new conquests.

This is exactly the time for us to get ready, then aim, then shoot.

Will we do it this time? Will we remember the confidence and hope we feel today in a few days or weeks or months when it may get difficult or we hit a snag or worse yet – a naysayer?

As the tools of social and digital media grow like a vine on the wall, it has become even more crucial for us to pay close attention to our business plans and customer targets. Growing our writers and managers is paramount right now.

Knowing how to reach clients and give them solutions has never been more important. The more things get complicated the more crucial is it to remember the basics.

Focus on the Painting, not the Brush.

The toys and tools can distract us from thinking that we have gotten ready, we are aiming and we have shot. It often turns out to be a lot of activity and very little progress.

The options available are vast. You can create an outdoor campaign with a direct mail companion that ties directly to your radio advertising that becomes a cross media opportunity with your Twitter stream.

Logos and artwork can be developed that will wow the most seasoned designer while a high priced actor can be hired to be the voice of your brand.

Job well done. Count your millions.


Activity: Meet Progress.

Pardon me while I butcher the Bard but if you take the ready-shoot-aim approach, it will amount to a giant hill of pretty pictures signifying nothing.

These are not unforeseen situations out of our control - you can brace for them only so much - these are situations we seem to somehow create on our own.

There are millions spent every day on start-up venture capitalized and bootstrapped ideas. Every single one is grown from the goal of creating noise and making profits.

Every one of them consists of a group of people who hope to end up with more at the bottom of the page than when they began.

Many won't make it.

That dreaded wall may not be a group of customers that failed to buy your product.

It may not be because of a failed launch.

It certainly won’t be because you took chances.

It will be because you lost your map on the way to your objective.


You have the chance to build a route that can take you around most walls rather than headlong in to them. Again.

What are you doing today to plan your course?

@knealemann
business. marketing. social media. communications.

image credits: uzar | madisonshortsales | hickletoncollectors

A New Decade | Enjoy The Buffet

I sensed a new tone wafting through the community over the last few weeks.

It was like freshly baked bread and homemade stew – the kind that you have a second helping when you have no more room.

Familiar. Inviting. Comforting.
Nourishing. Delicious. Reassuring.

We were overdue for a feast.

This required us to remove the junk food in our minds and focus. The issues we face are very real and very steep to climb but we can approach them from a much more strategic angle if we have our heads on straighter.

We were tired of hearing the bad news. The gloom was more doom than we could endure. Greed and selfishness are not welcome here.

Then the shift began to happen and perhaps it was due to a date on a calendar but the corner was near. Conversations turned from negative to hopeful to positive. There were more reminders we can decide to work and spend time with people we like while working on projects we want.

It’s A New Year. It's A New Decade. Now What?

It's just a number if we fail use this annual marker as the starting point. Baggage is a choice, so are rear view mirrors.

Nothing we do can change the past.

2010: The year to get stuff done, to stop making excuses, to ask for help, to collaborate for real and to focus on what we want.

Ready?

@knealemann
business. marketing. social media. communications.