March 10, 2010

Why I love The Economist

I've fallen way behind on my reading—when I'm writing a book I have trouble finding time to read books—but I always make time for The Economist.

Why? Because the publication (which immodestly calls itself the "authoritative weekly newspaper focusing on international politics and business news and opinion") gives you the world every week.

(My only complaint: The Economist strictly controls access to its site to subscribers only. So while I can tell you about some compelling content, I can't show it to you.)

That said, a recent issue featured these gems:

A special report on managing information. Did you know that in 2005, mankind created 150 exabytes (billion gigabytes) of data? This year, it will create 1,200 exabytes. "The data deluge is already starting to transform business, government, science and everyday life."

An article on how print-on-demand is changing book publishing. "About 6% of books in America are now printed on toner-based or inkjet machines. . . . Over the next five years, this figure will increas to 15%." The article predicts that print-on-demand will increasingly be a factor, in an industry where there are a few blockbusters and many titles that sell modestly.

A piece on how the recession has affected recruitment firms, and how they're preparing for the anticipated upturn in hiring. Firms like Manpower, Monster and Careerbuilder are increasingly becoming more sophisticated, to better match skilled candidates to available positions.

Finally, a report on a study that demonstrates that afternoon naps make people smarter by allowing the brain to process memories.

Which reminds me: It's siesta time.

Posted by Alison Davis at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2010

When no one ever says no

Last night I dreamt about Elvis Presley, the young, beautiful Elvis—before the pills, pork barbecue and polyester jumpsuits made him fat and sad. In the dream, I was arguing with Elvis, trying to convince him not to do something. But he wouldn’t listen. Young as he was, Elvis was already addicted to getting his own way. No one ever told him no.

It doesn’t take Dr. Freud to analyze why I had the dream. Yesterday, I had a painful encounter with a senior executive who felt his needs weren’t being met, so he was kicking and screaming and making people scramble.

This executive was no Elvis, yet he was just as spoiled. People who reported to him knew to answer every question with “Yes.” No one ever challenged him, pushed back or put him in the time-out chair until he calmed down.

The “never say no” dynamic has serious consequences. People stop sharing bad news with the executive because he doesn’t want to hear it. They don’t raise objections, even when they have legitimate concerns. They rush around trying to anticipate his desires instead of doing their jobs.

As a result, the executive gets what he wants. But he doesn’t get what he (or the organization) needs.

He may not end up like Elvis, but the outcome is sad just the same.

Posted by Alison Davis at 08:58 AM | Comments (0)

February 14, 2010

110 books in 2010. #4: Buying In

I am fascinated by books that explore what motivates people—because I seek insights that will help me communicate more effectively. That’s why I picked up
Buying In (The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are) by Rob Walker.

Although there are some interesting concepts in Buying In, ultimately I was disappointed. Mr. Walker takes a journalist’s approach to his topic: He reports on other people’s viewpoints instead of developing his own thesis and using evidence to support it. As a result, halfway through, I grew weary of all the reported stories, and yearned for Mr. Walker to take a definitive stand about why people buy. (Finally, at the end, he reached a not-so-groundbreaking conclusion: People buy things that reinforce their sense of self.)

Despite my disappointment, Buying In did offer several valuable insights, including:

A great definition of branding: “Branding is really a process of attaching an idea to a product. . . If a product is successfully tied to an idea, branding persuades people . . . to consume the idea by consuming the product. Even companies like Apple and Nike, while celebrated for the tangible attributes of their products, work hard to associate themselves with abstract notions of nonconformity or achievement. A potent brand becomes a form of identity in shorthand.”

Two basic conditions must be met for any connection to occur between a consumer and a product. “The first is salience. This simply means we have to know about something, be familiar with it, have it easily accessible in our mind . . . salience matters: You are in no position to desire an iPod if you have no idea what it is. The more you see something, the more familiar it becomes—not as a result of the thing changing, but as a result of your brain changing through repeated exposure.”

The second condition: relevance. “The number of things that are familiar to us obviously goes up each year, but only a small number are relevant. In some circumstances, it’s what’s relevant to us that becomes salient to us: If you’re in the market for a car, you notice care ads; if not, you probably don’t.”

There are better books on consumer behavior; you can skip Buying In.

Posted by Alison Davis at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)