Engineers have long viewed design as a core activity. In Rotman Magazine, Jeanne Liedtka of the University of Virginia and Robert Friedel of the University of Maryland suggest that managers seek inspiration by applying the lessons of breakthrough engineering's possibility thinking:

• Challenge Assumptions: To produce something original, an engineer raises questions about the way things are done and entertains doubts about what is assumed to be necessary, natural or customary. Take an industry "truth" and turn it on its head. Ask, "What could happen if anything was possible?" and look for new opportunities that appear.



• Make Connections: Novelty can result from going outside of a single field or discipline and bringing together diverse concepts, tools, capabilities, and ways of thinking. Look outside the boundaries of your usual world. Ask, "What if we were operating in an industry quite different from ours -- what would we be doing instead?"



• Visualize: Engineers start developing something new by thinking of how it might look -- picturing it in the mind's eye. "Put the numbers aside and get some images down on paper. Try using a napkin. What emerges?" ask Liedtka and Friedel.



• Collaborate: Find a partner and co-create, looking for what you can do together that neither can accomplish alone.



• Harmonize: In every area of human effort, creativity is ultimately associated with the quest for beauty. Push yourself beyond the workable and try to get to intriguing. Ask what you can get excited about.



• Reformulate: New possibilities can emerge from new formulations of problems rather than new solutions. Try on a different definition of the problem. Step away from your product and ask, "What is the problem my customers are really anxious to solve?"

Job descriptions are loaded with details of what a candidate needs to be successful in the position. But personal success guru Robin Sharma says one important factor is always left out: Being nice. It's treated as an accessory, an add-on.

"Being nice is, in many ways, the very lifeblood of a world-class business. Being nice to teammates (so they love coming to work every day) attracts and retains superb talent. Being nice to your suppliers (so they go to the wall for you) is excellent for operations. And being nice to your customers (so they keep coming back) is the best way to grow your community of loyal and passionate followers," he writes in The Greatness Guide, Book 2.

So don't treat nice as an afterthought. Add "being noticeably nice" to all job descriptions.

If you find your e-mails get slow responses, the reason may be the way you write them. That's the tough assessment of Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson, who suggests on his From Where I Sit Blog the following adjustments:

• Put the person's name in the To field, rather than the cc field. Many people now filter out e-mails in which they are only a cc, feeling those emails don't need to be read immediately. Indeed, keep in mind that the more people you send an e-mail to, the less likely it is that any single person will respond. So limit the number of people you send to, and keep them in the To part of the message.



• Limit your message to one subject. If you clutter it up with several subjects, that makes it easier to procrastinate, and some managers are applying David Allen's two-minute rule to e-mail, setting aside those that require more time than that.



• Tell them what you need in the first sentence. Don't make recipients wade through a long e-mail to get to your request.



• Keep the message short, again abiding by the two-minute rule. Some people are now suggesting e-mails be kept to five sentences or less. If it requires more, choose another method of communication, such as a phone call, meeting, or formal report.



• Tell them if your e-mail is urgent or time sensitive, since people need help in prioritizing.

One reason the sales process gets stalled is that we forget to develop a plan. On RainToday.com, contributing editor John Doerr says that you need to prepare for each conversation by asking yourself:

• What is my goal for this prospect?
• What is my goal for this conversation?
• What are my strengths going in?
• What are my vulnerabilities?

After asking those questions, you can decide what to expect and what is the best next step. "Improv may be fine for comedy, but nothing will derail the sales express further," he concludes.

• Employees begin to disengage and think about leaving an organization when one or more of four fundamental needs aren't being met: Trust, hope, a sense of worth, and feelings of competence.
  (Source: Management)



• Consultant Jeff Mowatt says a common problem when beginning a sales conversation is to start talking about what a buyer "might like." You'll get better results when you explore options with the buyer and "see if there's a fit." That second phrase is easier for the buyer to agree to because it implies that you'll be systematic in helping them to reach an appropriate decision.
  (Source: Influence With Ease newsletter)



• The first hour of the day is the most important for setting the mood of your day, so create a ritual or reminder at home -- be it a goofy photo you post on the fridge or reading your favourite cartoon strip -- that puts you in a positive frame of mind.
  (Source: The Hump Day Humorgram)



• In mountain climbing, switchbacks are zigzag paths to the summit. Similarly, consultant Kevin Eikenberry says, in attacking your goals, remember that taking a winding path can be beneficial. At the start, when you are unsure, just get started, and build momentum and confidence, adjusting the path later.
  (Source: Unleash Your Potential newsletter)



• Marketing expert Seth Godin warns against using big type on your business cards for the address and contact info: "The number one way we can tell if a business card is cheesy is with a glance at the type size."
  (Source: Seth's Blog)

By their nature, volunteers are motivated. So probably the place to start is by figuring out what you or others in your organization might be doing to dampen their enthusiasm. Are you operating in ways that turn off motivated people? What can you change?

Next, figure out how to stoke their enthusiasm again. Fall back on Abraham Maslow's famed hierarchy of needs, and see if you can appeal to the higher needs volunteers have for belonging, esteem, and self-actualization or fulfillment. Brainstorm how you can expand in those areas with volunteers in general and, in particular, key volunteers who seem to be flagging.

Can you provide more recognition for their achievements, from awards to friendly thank-you notes? Are you doing enough to remind them of the importance of your mission, restoring the sense of meaning that probably drew them to you initially?

Adapt a tip consultant Dan Richards suggests for financial advisors: Once a week, say, at a set time have your assistant come into your office with three to five thank-you cards. You then must immediately write notes to some volunteers, showing your appreciation for their effort -- and remembering to be specific in why you are praising them. The trick is that the assistant shouldn't leave until all the notes are written, so you can't put it off.

Recently a number of our clients have been asking about how best to approach the development of a new visual identity and/or logo. Our first recommendation is that, before sitting down with a designer, you should clearly define your strategic objectives.

Successfully developing a visual identity involves more than technical execution of a design task -- being "creative" and producing an attractive "little piece of art" that is expected to work wonders. Without your direction, a designer is left in a sea of possibilities and must second-guess what you really want and what will really work. (The test of the design, for example, should not be whether you or the designer personally like the colour red or not: Rather, is it the best design choice to help achieve your goals?)

In the branding literature, Paul Rand says that a good logo provides the "pleasure of recognition and the promise of meaning." We believe it should be developed in the full context of your own remarkable purpose, personality, positioning and promise to your clients. When you clearly define the goal, a designer can then apply considerable creative expertise to help you achieve it.

8020Info offers counsel to help you determine objectives for a visual identity that will support your brand and grow in value over time. We would be pleased to discuss your requirements and welcome enquiries at (613) 542-8020, or by email at watercooler@8020info.com.