Don't Forget "The Ask"

Today I was reminded of a common communication problem: Not making an ask or a call to action as part of written or verbal presentation.

I'm an alumni of Arizona State University. Today I received an email from the school's President and he outlined a rather frightening budget scenario. The state legislature is considering cutting funding by a third or $70,000,000. As you might guess this could have a major impact on the institution from staff cuts to tuition hikes.

The email was well written but it didn't give me any idea of what, if anything, I can do to help. Is he looking for me to give more? Does he want me to call state lawmakers to complain? The president got my attention and made his case but he didn't make an ask and tell me how I could help. As a result, I think a lot of people will read the email, think, "Gee that's too bad," and then move on with their day.

Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. But you can't expect people to assume to know what you need.

A Good Read...

I've enjoyed reading Malcolm Gladwell's new book, "Outliers." Gladwell previously wrote "The Tipping Point" and "Blink." In his latest effort, he looks at the ingredients that make certain people successful.

Gladwell feels that success stories are often incorrectly boiled down to a simple concept such as "the self-made man." Instead he suggests that success for people like, Bill Gates, comes down to having a talent, being able to nurture that talent, as well as other cultural factors that help along the way. And living at the right time in history, is key to making it to the top.

Gladwell's writing style is always very accessible, no matter the complexity of the material. The information is thought provoking as well as useful in casual conversations. I'll be curious to see what topic Gladwell addresses next.

Unusual Marketing Choice

I recently noticed that restaurant KFC has started up a promotional campaign linked to the final season of science fiction TV series, Battlestar Galactica. TV and movie tie-ins are nothing new but one aspect of the campaign struck me as a bit odd.

The promotion is called the, "Frak Pack Sweepstakes." Apparently ten lucky winners will get lots of Battlestar Galactica products as well as a year's worth of KFC. The strange thing is the promotion's use the word, "Frak." As fans of the show know, that word is used as a substitute for the word commonly known the "f-word." It's a way the producers have come up with that allows characters to curse without getting into trouble with network sensors.

As a fan of alliteration, I appreciate the marriage of the words, frak and pack. I just wonder if the promotions department at KFC has ever watched the program.

Huff, Puff & and Gamble

The next time you go to a casino you might lose more than your money. A recent survey of Indiana casinos by Purdue University found that the air inside contains 14 times more second hand smoke than the air outside. For more on the survey click here. There is a lot of concern about how this dirty air could impact your health.

Not long ago, I was in Las Vegas and simply walking through the casinos would often bring tears to my eyes (from the smoke, not from losing). So how can you enjoy gambling and avoid life as an ashtray? Many casinos are becoming aware of how cigarettes could impact their bottom line so they're taking steps to clear the air or designate non-smoking areas. For a good article on this click here.

Gambling can be a lot of fun (and I say this as a veteran of the 5 cent slots) and by doing some homework on where you'll be placing your bets, you can have a more enjoyable time. And if you're not happy with the air quality, mention it to casino staff as you're walking out the door. Seeing customers leave will likely produce more air quality improvements than a university study.

Objects May Be Smaller Than They Appear

The other night I reached for a can of tuna which I had bought in the past week. After I took it out of my pantry, I remembered that I still had some older cans of tuna, leftovers from last year's hurricane season. When I pulled those cans out to check the expiration date, I noticed that something seemed different.

After looking closely I realized that the old can contained six ounces of the fish while the new one only has five. If I hadn't of done a side by side comparison, I doubt I ever would have figured this out. I, like many, don't spend a lot of time thinking about tuna.

Product shrinkage is something that's coming to our supermarkets. Everything has been scaled down a little bit as manufacturers try to deal with the recession. They've got two choices: shrink the size or raise the price. As I'm sure the current price point has been researched a good bit, we get smaller stuff.

It is funny that it's common to see a label that says, 30% more, but you never see one that says, 16% less. I plan to be a more attentive shopper in the future.

Dead Presidents Need Not Attend...

There's been a lot of coverage of the recent meeting President Elect Barack Obama had with current president George W. Bush as well as former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. I'm amused that the media has labeled this as a meeting of all the "living Presidents." Think about this for a moment. Aren't the only Presidents who could attend the meeting the living ones? It's a rather weird phrase that everyone seemed to repeat but few seemed to think about.

Perhaps Abraham Lincoln was hoped to have attended as the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House is rumored to be haunted.

The Change of a Few Degrees

Recently I spent some time with family in Ohio. For me this was a bit of shock as I left near 80 degree highs for single digit temperatures. Another thing I noticed was how gray the frozen landscape was. Between cloudy skies and frozen earth, it looked as if the area had been bleached of color.

But after a few days, temperatures warmed up, hitting highs in the 40s. Almost magically, the landscape became more colorful. It was as if someone had taken out a box of crayons overnight and touched up the area. The grass was greener and even leaves seemed a little brighter.

Once again this was a reminder of the power of small changes. Very often it's hard to make a change in our lives because it seems that it will take too much time and too much energy. Instead focus on a little thing you can do today to put you a little closer to your goal. You might be surprised at what happens.