If you want a speedier response to e-mails you send, here are some tips from Thomas Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt, on his blog, MichaelHyatt.com:

• Only put their name in the "To" field: Put that individual's name in the To field -- and only that person's name. If there is more than one name, he or she might assume somebody else will answer.
• Write a relevant subject line: Your subject line is like the headline of a newspaper, enticing the person to read it. "The more specific you can make it, the better. For example, if you are sending me a meeting agenda, don't just put 'Agenda' in the subject line. I get lots of agendas. Instead, put something like 'Agenda for June 10th Executive Team Meeting,'" he writes.
• Put your question at the top: Highlight the most important thing in the very first paragraph. Don't assume that the recipient will read beyond that. And keep your message short.
• Offer multiple choices: Make it easy for the recipient by narrowing the range of options down to two or three and asking them to pick one.
• Provide a deadline: Make your expectations clear, with an honest -- not bogus -- deadline for the response, which will discourage procrastination.
• Use a "negative option": When all else fails, tell the person what you are going to do unless you hear back from them by a certain time.

Marketing guru Seth Godin normally focuses on businesses, but on Seth's Blog he recently took aim at non-profits.

He started with the term non-profits, and the negative stance it implies. "Did you start or join this non-profit because of the non part? I doubt it. It's because you want to make change. The way the world is just isn't right or good enough for you," he noted.

But the problem he feels is that too many non-profits abhor change. He points to Twitter, where none of the top 100 users (in terms of their followers) are non-profits, even though this is a free tool that can connect with followers.

"Where are the big charities, the urgent charities, the famous charities that face such timely needs and are in a hurry to make change? Very few of them have bothered to show up in a big way," he writes. "The Internet represents a change. It's easy to buy more stamps and do more direct mail, scary to use a new technique."

Consulting with two very-famous non-profits on permission marketing -- using the Internet to reach out -- he found attitudes reflected the view that every barrier was insurmountable and every element of the status quo set in stone. He argues it was a sign that non-profits are non first and change second.

"The work these groups do is too important (and the people who work for them are too talented) to waste this opportunity because you are paralysed in fear," he concludes.

A little-known but important trend to watch is bio-mimicry, according to consultant Andrew Winston.

Bio-mimicry involves looking to nature to solve problems. A recent example was the Speedo swimsuit that Michael Phelps and other Olympians won medals with in Beijing. It's called the "shark suit," and was designed to mimic how sharks slide through the water.

"I believe that biomimicry is one of a small handful of very important ideas that will change the way business is done," he writes on Harvard Business School Blogs.

He notes that the key is to get a biological perspective into the company. Interface, the flooring company, trains its staff on biological principles and even sends some back to school to get a degree. Out in the woods studying nature, its designers realized that no two things were alike. So they developed a product line of carpet tiles where no two are the same and can be placed on the floor in any orientation, greatly reducing installation time and expense.

Bundling items while ostensibly giving one away for free -- like razors and blades -- has always been considered a sure-fire hit. But a study by three academics (Michael Kamins, Valerie Folkes, and Alexander Fedorikhin) reported on ScienceDaily found the strategy leads consumers to devalue the individual items.

Describing a bundled item as free decreases the amount consumers are willing to pay for each product when sold individually. Of particular concern, consumers figure the companies can't sell the product without this marketing gimmick.

• If you want to feel more motivated, stop doing things that don't motivate you. (Source: George Torok's Motivational Speaker blog)
• Consultant Jeff Mowatt was impressed when a client wrapped up an employee appreciation event by thanking everyone as a group and then saying he wanted them to have a little something for the weekend. Then as each left, he shook their hands and handed them a $100 bill. What stood out was not so much the amount but the image of the company president -- in an era of electronic transfers -- physically handing each employee cash. The $100 handshake was tangible, personal, and memorable. (Source: Influence With Ease newsletter)
• Peter Drucker once asked a group of executives how many had "dead wood" in their companies. Almost everyone raised their hand. Then he asked if these people were dead wood when hired, or had become dead wood after working there. (Source: Executive Excellence)
• If you work on multiple computers and wished there was a way to synchronize your bookmarks, technology columnist Walter Mossberg recommends Foxmarks, which can do the trick even if the browsers and operating systems you use on those computers are different, including carrying out the task between Windows or Mac. (Source: Wall Street Journal)
• Marketing consultant Dave Young stresses the importance of having one idea -- and only one idea -- per ad. Don't stuff everything into an ad; it only makes your message confusing. (Source: www.wonderbranding.com)

6. Q&A with 8020Info:

    The Interrupted Manager -- And What To Do         Top

Question: As a manager I never seem to find time during the workday to get my own work done, what with e-mails, meetings and interruptions. What can I do?