Kent Blumberg

New Zealand customer service gone awry

Here's a shocker of a customer service tale from New Zealand (usually a land of very polite folks, in my experience).

http://rmjacobsen.squarespace.com/notebook/2006/11/30/for-want-of-a-nail-or-why-you-should-take-care-with-e-mail.html

Climate Change and your business

Climate change will affect you and your business - no matter what type of business you lead.  How will your business cope of dramatic climate change continues to occur?  What will you need to do to prosper under new regulations?  How can you reduce the carbon emissions of your business?  How can you help on a broader scale?

Alligators

No, this isn't some clever new leadership model I found.  This post is about my after-work hobby - photography.  And it's a bit of a brag (no, not a drag - a brag).

I am an avid photographer.  On our frequent visits to Alligator Bayou, a local non-profit that is working to restore alligators to local habitats, I often snap away in delight.  One of my photos has ended up on the home page for Alligator Bayou. (It's the one on the left.)

If you are ever in New Orleans, Baton Rouge or the environs, don't miss Alligator Bayou.  It is a great afternoon of fun and education.  And if you want to see more of my pictures, go here for alligators, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Maine and our dogs;  and here for undersea, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Thailand and other stuff.

Books and Blogs worth reading

Over at her blog, "Ask-Dr-Kirk," Dr. Delaney Kirk has asked,

"I’ve decided to use business books instead of a textbook in an Organizational Behavior class in the spring. Topics in the class include leadership, motivation, communication, organization change, teams, power & politics, etc.  So my question was: what books would they recommend for my students to read?"

Here is my list of useful business books (and blogs).

Gratitude

"Effective leaders will look for the positive and show gratitude and appreciation for it. People often look to others for direction and support and if it is not forthcoming it can kill the spirit and impede growth."

Leading Blog has a great story today about gratitude and criticism.

Complicated Decisions - Scott Adams' Method

It would be nice if we could accurately predict the future before we had to make decisions.  Unfortunately, we usually can't.  We are forced to make decisions with imperfect knowledge and uncertain outcomes.  Scott Adams, of Dilbert fame, has a useful approach to decisions like this.

Be the Change

Ann Michael reminds us today that, as Mahatma Ghandi wrote,

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

And she adds, "If you're not obsessed with the change you say you want to see, why would anyone else be?"

Cellulosic Ethanol

Liz Strauss interviewed me this week as part of her B.A.D. (Blogger A Day) series.  Liz runs one of the most interesting conversations in the blogosphere and I had a great time talking with her.  We spent a bit of time on cellulosic ethanol and I thought I would explain what that is.

Blogs to be thankful for - a baker's dozen

In this season of Thanksgiving I have been reflecting on those who have impacted my life over the past year.  These thirteen bloggers have taught me much this year, and continue to be sources of information, inspiration and introspection.  Thanks to all of you for helping enrich my life this year.

The Six Thinking Hats

As leaders, we often watch as our group problem solving and deciding sessions drift off-track.  The Six Thinking Hats method, as developed by Edward de Bono (Six Thinking Hats, Back Bay Books, 1999, 192 pages), can help.