Survey Says...Uh-Oh!

A recent survey from the University of Toronto found that 50% of the (American) respondents routinely take work home with them.  And those people say their "homework" sometimes or frequently interferes with their personal lives.

 

In today's age of smart phones, laptops, and other techno-stuff, it may be impossible to get away from work after "quitting time."  But it's important to make sure your life stays in balance.  Here are some tips to distance yourself from your job.

1. At home, have an area where you do work from your job.  Don't make this your bed or the dining room table.  Try to have it be a place separate from the rest of your home life.  The idea is that once your done with the work, you can shift back into "home mode."
2. If you must do work, try to set a time limit.  Give yourself an incentive/treat if you meet your goal.  At the end of the day, we're often tired and not as focused.  This can lead to a marathon work session where you don't accomplish much.  Think short bursts of activity instead.
3. When you're done with work, stop thinking about it.  This is a challenge for me but I've come to realize that worrying about things associated with your job is like giving your employer free real estate in your brain.
   

Reputations and Perceptions

It's great that more and more businesses are offering free wireless Internet.  You almost expect to the see the service in coffeehouses.  I have to admit that I laughed when I saw a sign for free Wi-Fi at a Denny's restaurant.

While I haven't been in a Denny's for a long time, my memories of the chain include slow service.  While I realize that it's probably illogical to think this, somehow I feel that using the Internet at a Denny's would involve a slow connection.  I can't imagine any kind of speed being associated with the restaurant.

At the same time, I would imagine that McDonald's would have a fast connection.  Is this because McDonald's serves food quickly?

Somehow I don't think that a potentially more crowded McDonald's would have more people online, resulting in a slower connection.

This is a good example of the irrationality of our perceptions as they can apply to a brand.  If I could consider myself a test group, I might suggest to Denny's that its advertisements suggest, "lightening fast connections," in order to overcome my belief that I would be frustrated both waiting for my food and for websites to upload.

Dance Company Makes Marketing Misstep

Recently I received a mailing from a nearby arts group.  I'm always interested in what groups are doing as well as how they market themselves.  The brochure was very fancy with a glossy layout.  Clearly some money was spent on the project.  Enclosed with the brochure was also a signed (with a real signature and not a scanned one) letter inviting me to a special reception that would be held in my area.  

So why was I turned off?  The dance company made a big marketing mistake.  Inside the brochure was a another letter, one that I wasn't supposed to have seen.

It's from the General Manager of the company and is meant to be viewed only by staff.  Basically it says that there are only 9,000 copies and most of them are being used for VIPs.  Staff shouldn't take more than one unless they have his permission.  

Obviously the note was mistakenly not removed from my copy of the brochure before it was sent out.  This got me to thinking about a few points:

• This fancy publication is old as the staff letter is from mid-October and I'm receiving it in late December.  Gee, that makes me feel special as a potential supporter.
• Staff and dancers are not looked at as having good judgement about how to promote their organization.  
• Details matter in mailings, especially when they are tied to solicitation.  One extra moment of checking could have removed the 2nd letter.   There's obviously a gap between the people who are making decisions about mailings and the people who are putting them together.