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Tesco has created an interesting and innovative way of using technology to solve a problem and help customers. Check it out:

Here is a great Halloween themed spot from Ikea (Singapore) that pays homage to a famous scene from the horror film, The Shining. The similarities between the scene from the film and the zig zag path that is in every Ikea (along with the kid’s imagination) makes this spot work especially well. Happy Halloween!

In Greg McKeown’s recent book, he explores that idea that often when we become successful, we start to pursue more and more things, watering down our time and energy (what Jim Collin’s calls “The undisciplined pursuit of more”). The antidote to this is the “disciplined pursuit of less, but better.”

The path to doing this is: #1. Discovering the things we want to pursue, #2. Eliminating the rest, and #3. Building a platform for effortless execution. This means saying no to a lot of good ideas or projects so that you can narrow your focus and really excel in a few areas.

I think it’s a great message and certainly one that I’ve tried to incorporate into my everyday work life. I have so many ideas and things I want to pursue but very few of them actually get done. Recently, I’ve delegated a few of my responsibilities away to other members on my team, collaborated on other projects (rather then trying to work on them by myself), and eliminated other unimportant projects altogether. I’ve seen a big difference in what I’ve been able to accomplish and the impact I am making in the organization because I’m able to focus my efforts better and actually get things done.

Check out this video of Greg explaining the concepts in his book:

In addition to my marketing duties, I am also a member of my company’s “Fun Committee.” We recently came up with a company wide challenge to be more healthy. Instead of focusing on the output (results like losing pounds), we decided to focus on the input and came up with a scorecard that rewarded effort. Employees earned points by exercising, going to sleep at a decent hour, avoiding junk food, drinking enough water and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. We had weekly check-ins through a shared Google Doc spreadsheet and rewarded those that scored well or simply just participated. The big rewards came after 5 weeks, where we awarded 3 Fit bit bracelets and other cash prizes. Over 75% of the company participated and it was a great success in helping push everyone towards achieving their health and fitness goals.

B.J. Novak, best known from his role on the Office, recently came out with an interesting children’s book. The concept is that, although there are no pictures, the person reading it has to say whatever is on the page, no matter how wacky it is. Besides having an interesting twist on a kid’s book, they did a great job in this video of demonstrating the reactions you can expect when you read it to a kid. I’m sold.

Chipotle recently did something very interesting with their packaging: they reached out to famous authors and designers to write stories and create illustrations to go on their cups and bags. The idea is that as you are sitting their eating your burrito, they are giving you something thought provoking to read and enjoy. I think it’s a brilliant move that really puts an intellectual, Starbucks-like twist on the Mexican food experience.

Check out all the author’s works and packaging at cultivatingthought.com.

In “Seeing the Big Picture,” Kevin Cope makes the case for growing your business acumen. If you’re like me, you work within a specialized area (marketing, in my case). Although your knowledge can run deep in that area, your knowledge of other areas can occasionally be lacking. In meetings, conversations can go over your head and you aren’t able to contribute anything meaningful to the discussion. This book takes complex business concepts and breaks them down to understandable, every day language.

The core of the book discusses the five drivers of business: Cash, Profit, Assets, Growth, and People. Each of these are important elements that should be seen as a whole and compliment each other. For example, no business can survive for long without profit. But if you solely focus on profit at the expense of working with great people (perhaps quickly hiring the cheapest, least qualified employees you can find), the business may be profitable in the very short term but overall will soon suffer in the long run.

In many ways, the book serves as a “pocket” MBA – a reference to help you solidify concepts and understand how they work together. It’s a great read for both the experienced business person who needs a refresher and the novice still building a foundation of knowledge.

Learn more about the book and Kevin Cope’s programs at seeingthebigpicture.com

Bad Customer Service:

• Pretends to be personal.
• Pretends to be human.
• Pretends to care.

Check out United Airlines’ response to a customer complaint:

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Good Customer Service:

• Actually personal.
• Run by humans.
• Actually cares.

One Capital One customer said they couldn’t pay their bill because they spilled orange juice on their keyboard and the “2” key didn’t work. Rather than disregard the excuse (which sounds something like “my dog ate my homework”), the customer service rep did this:

Statement from Capital One:
“We encourage our agents to follow up on customer conversations in unexpected, personalized and creative ways. They look for and act on opportunities to practice random acts of kindness for our customers.”

Bad example from Cheezburger. Good example from Mashable.

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There’s a documentary streaming on Netflix called “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” It’s about an 85-year-old Japanese man who is considered the best sushi chef in the world. He runs a humble restaurant at a subway station in Tokyo but has such a reputation for perfection that his place is completely booked several months out (despite costing $300 a plate). He spends several hours each day going to the market to pick the best ingredients, preparing and continually perfecting his craft. He literally dreams about sushi and jumps out of bed with ideas.

I think he’s an interesting example of someone who has tremendous passion and always strives to be just a little bit better. It’s these qualities that makes his business successful and can carry you far with many things in life.

As I was watching it, I wrote down a few quotes:

• “Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the key to success and is the key to being regarded honorably.”
• “These days people wants lots of free time and lots of money. They aren’t thinking of building their skills…. I don’t care about money. All I want to do is make great sushi.”
• “I continue to climb trying to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is….Always strive to elevate your craft.”

Check out the trailer than go watch it on Netflix: