How can you super charge your organization before the new year arrives?

Unplug. Yes, that's right.  Move away from your computer.

Yesterday’s news is a harbinger for strategic growth disaster.

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The September 21 issue of The Wall Street Journal revealed that AOL Inc. and Avon Products “embraced a hot management trend: eliminating the second in command.”  Says Crist/Kolder Associates president Tom Kolder, “the CEO wants to be closer to the action.” …

Are you just returning from summer holidays and feeling refreshed? That's how I felt when Magnus and I spent a week visiting my hometown haunts in Northwest CT.  (photo below)

Now is the time to bring that same feeling to your business activity.  Here are 11 questions that are guaranteed to boost your team’s level of focus for the final quarter of 2009.

Lisa relaxing at the Barkhamsted Reservoir.

If you're like many of my clients, your dynamic business has outgrown its original brand.  What are you doing about it?

The old identity – what you were known for in the past – is no longer accurate. That leads your marketing to become ineffective, as it no longer accurately communicates your value.  That's why I'm inviting you to look closer at an upcoming event to help you refresh your brand.

The road to recovery is officially open!  Is your growth plan tuned up and ready for a smoother ride next year?

This one-hour teleseminar will help you better understand the new road rules of planning, and enable you to redesign your growth plan before 2010 arrives.

This complimentary MP3 audio replay will provide you with:

* ten trends you must recognize to leverage the economic recovery
* ten ways to re-energize your 2010 growth plans
* three things you must do to turn social media madness into magic
* the one thing you must do to get an executive level decision maker’s attention

Hats off to Jim Tenuto, Christine Hewitt, and Anne Shouse for winning an autographed copy of my book….

For many B2B executives and business owners, the economy has created a lot of confusion, chaos, and paralysis.

The economic indicators don’t reveal the answers like they used to.  Clients are less loyal than ever. Previous business models for generating income have become obsolete.

As a result, the dreams of taking your business to new heights never materialize because not enough people know about who you are and what you can offer.  And you’re frustrated because you’re just not getting the traction you expected….

Whenever I visit the local Whole Foods market in Bend, I get a craving for junk food.
When I walk into the store, I am immediately surrounded by 500 square feet of sugary snacks, pastries, and candy.  Wine and sugar are my two vices, so this is not good.

Instead of viewing the company as a whole foods emporium, I want to call them  "Hell Foods."  Given their recent financial performance and new competitors (Trader Joe's, Costco, and Target), is it possible that their strategic growth and positioning has run amok?

I believe they have. That's why I was relieved to see John Mackey's quote in Friday's Wall Street Journal:.  We can all learn some strategy and leadership lessons from his announcements:

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

— excerpt from "Changes," David Bowie, 1972

If your market is ch-changing, you may be secretly losing your "Top 40" status among your clients.  Perhaps you are suffering through one or more of these issues:

1. Lack of clarity about your target market and ideal client.
2. Prospective clients think your current brand is stale or confusing (witnessed by long sales cycles and growing pressure to drop your prices)
3. Employees cannot see how your vision and values link to your marketing messages. This often shows up as the "we serve everybody" marketing message.

When my clients are faced with these challenges, it’s essential to gain the client's (or prospect's) the cost of no change.  Here is how — and why — you need to master the "cost of no change" discussion with your prospective client.

None of us can control the economy, fickle clients, or political tides.  What we CAN control is how we react to today's social and economic trends.  Here are ten that will have an immediate impact on your growth strategies the coming decade.

I was just featured in Management Consulting News July issue…thought you would enjoy hearing what I had to share.

http://tinyurl.com/ksbkec

You can read three strategies for thriving through any economic situation.

These really work!