Performance Zen

Author: spierzchala

  • Just in time for the Weekend Job Listings

    Halley Suitt provides us with two articles on Dysfunctional companies.
    3 signs of a dysfunctional company
    Negotiate a peace agreement with your boss
    Some day I will relate the tale of woe and misery that surrounded the bully manager that I had to suffer with for over a year, until he was released in disgrace from my former employer. He was perhaps the finest example of humans who should not lead.

  • Important Products you have never heard of

    How many of you out there have bought something from the Goya label lately?
    We do almost weekly. We are addicted to their Fruit juices (apricot, guava) and they make great products to fulfill our need for Mexican food.
    Why haven’t most people I know heard of them? Well, for one, their products appear in the “international” or “ethnic” aisle of the supermarket. Why? They are as good if not better than the stuff that most people buy from the regular sections.
    A tip: try a new brand every week. Walk down that aisle of the supermarket that you never go into. You may be surprised.
    There are other markets that we can all learn from.

  • Flu Season Hits Home

    The SpareSon last week.

    The ZenWife Tuesday-Wednesday of this week.

    The HeirSon today.

    And now…I have it…posting might be light for a while.

  • Destroying Adwords…One Click at a Time

    Apparently someone has come up with a way to bring Google to its knees.
    Also here and http://business2.blogs.com/business2blog/2005/02/how_to_bring_go.html.
    A cunning plan…

    More on the potential to smash AdWords here.

  • Only a year behind…

    Glad to see the competition is about a year behind where we are.
    The Four-Phases of IT/Business Alignment by Mary Nugent, BMC

  • “Where everybody knows your name…”

    Be careful what you say and who you say it about. Thomas Mahon, the hottest new blogger, was “dressed down” by one of his former “colleagues”.

    Thomas then dispatches the cad with some of the sharpest words I have heard for many a year.

    Bravo Thomas…too bad I dress like mountain climber after a hard week; I might mortgage the house for a fine suit by this master of the blades.

    Thomas mentions in his post that Savile Row is quite small. It is. For those who have not had the pleasure of being there, it is a tiny street, a stone’s throw from Green Park, Near Berkeley Square. I know this because I accidentally stumbled over Savile Row during a jet-lag induced walk at 2AM a few years ago.

    I was stunned when I realized where I was. Someday I hope to take the ZenWife there. She has formal training as a pattern-maker and designer, but has been sidelined due to Visa issues, two kids, and chronic carpal tunnel in both arms. She would probably be astounded to watch a true master at work, and it would be like me getting 10 minutes with Tim Berners-Lee or (rest in peace) Richard Stevens.

  • Contextual Seach from Yahoo

    I like this. And the Firefox integration is sooo easy!
    Read more here and here.

  • New Education, More Learning

    In an e-mail I had with Scott Jones last night, I talked about how I was getting an business and marketing education through some of the best minds in the world…those in the blogosphere.
    Then Kathy Sierra weighs in with some comments on upgrading your users/customers.
    That is how I am using the blogosphere. I have gained more insight, mentoring and information on sales and marketing in the last 3 months of reading and writing a blog than I likely could have through an intensive MBA program. I have been easily able to transfer this new knowledge into my day to day working life, and see what I do, what my employer does, in a whole new way.
    I have been upgraded.
    Now, imagine if you do the same with your customers. Expose them to people who are passionate about your products, people who use your products and services in innovative and exciting ways. They will see you in a whole new light.

  • Two Ships Passing in the Night

    Just before bed, I had to add this.
    Obviously, this person has not seen this.
    Would love to see his updated review!

  • Great Links for Travellers

    Looks like I may be doing a lot more travelling in the near future. Got handed a really cool research project that involves customer interviews, strategic positioning, and market research. All of the elemnts of my bag of tricks I want to exercise.
    In that vein, here are some cool tips for frequent travellers.