Customers First

So do you think they're taking the idea of trying to please the customer (individual viewer) too far? Enjoy the long weekend!

Five Creativity Tools For You

As we head into a long weekend, I thought I'd try to inspire your creativity with five simple online tools. Take some time to give them a try and share some of your favorites with CSI readers. Creativity and client service are two sides of the same coin; it’s about seeking solutions beyond the obvious, showing you care beyond the expected, and finding simplicity in the complex.

Crayola - By visiting Crayola.com you can tap into the creative fearlessness of your inner child and create greeting cards and crafts that are similar to what we made as kids when instead of buying cards or gifts at the store, we'd make our own.

Jackson Pollock-A-Scetch - If you really want to have some freewheeling fun, this tool is for you. Just start dragging your mouse along the white screen and with every mouse click you can change color. It offers hours of enjoyment.

Wordle - Use wordle.net to make a picture out of as many words as you like. It's one of my favorite ways to create a visual depiction of the qualities we see in others.

BeFunky - Barbara Nixon told me about BeFunky Cartoonizer. It's easy to use and will take any photograph and turn it into a B&W or color scetch. You probably already run across them all the time and wonder how they were created.

Dumpr - According to the site, "Dumpr is where you create marvelous photos to share with your friends." I used it to make the "painting" of myself you see hanging in the museum above.

Like most things in life, you can hone your creative skills by taking time to create things. Practice doesn't always make perfect, but practice almost always makes you better. Don't forget to share some of your favorite online creative tools as well!

The Pixar Principles

Yesterday, I posed the question that Ed Catmull discusses in the Harvard Business Review article titled: How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity. The question is essentially whether it's tougher to find good people or good ideas. Catmull understands that good people is where good ideas come from and that fostering the type of environment which nurtures and inspires creativity is what separates Pixar from so many other organizations.

As is so often the case, the genius of Pixar's operating principles lay in their simplicity:

1. Everyone must have the freedom to communicate with everyone.
2. It must be safe for everyone to offer ideas.
3. We must stay close to innovations happening in the academic community.

My friends at PROpenMic will be delighted with number 3, but all the principles are applicable to all types of organizations. The lessons from Pixar are not only found in the three principles outlined here and explained further in the article, but also in the fundamental value of looking outside one's particular profession or industry sector for lessons that can make us better.

Client Service, Creativity & Pixar

Clients expect creativity from their agencies. It should be among the reasons your agency is part of the team. So if you're looking to model others when it comes to fostering a creative environment, who do you model? Other PR firms? Or companies outside the PR profession?

I'm not trying to make this Harvard Business Review Week at CSI/Season 2 (although that wouldn't be such a bad idea), but I do want to share one of my favorite articles from the September 2008 issue, How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity.

Consider this anecdote from Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios president, Ed Catmull:

"A few years ago, I had lunch with the head of a major motion picture studio, who declared that his central problem was not finding good people—it was finding good ideas. Since then, when giving talks, I’ve asked audiences whether they agree with him. Almost always there’s a 50/50 split, which has astounded me because I couldn’t disagree more with the studio executive. His belief is rooted in a misguided view of creativity that exaggerates the importance of the initial idea in creating an original product. And it reflects a profound misunderstanding of how to manage the large risks inherent in producing breakthroughs."

So what's tougher? Finding good people or good ideas? I encourage you to read the article. Tomorrow, I'll look at some of Catmull's practices and principles for managing creative talent and fostering a relentlessly creative work environment. I look forward to the conversation!

Client Service Excellence and Leading for Loyalty

Just before leaving for a recent trip, I received the September 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review. As usual, I read it cover to cover and enjoyed the insights, ideas, and wisdom contained within. But before I talk about September, I'd like to recall an HBR OnPoint piece written by Frederick F. Reichheld in 2001 that I think sets a great tone for the week: Lead for Loyalty.

If you aspire to becoming a world class client service organization, leading for loyalty is a great place to start. Here are Reichheld's six loyalty principles:

• Preach what you practice. It's not enough to have the right values. You must clarify them and hammer them home to customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders through your words and deeds.
• Play to win-win. If you are to build loyalty, not only must your competitors lose. Your partners must win.
• Be picky. At high loyalty companies, membership is a privilege. Clarify the difference between loyalty and tenure.
• Keep it simple. In a complex world, people need small teams to simplify responsibility and accountability. They also need simple rules to guide their decision making.
• Reward the right results. Save your best deals for your most loyal customers, and save your best opportunities for your most loyal employees and partners.
• Listen hard, talk straight. Visit call centers, internet chat rooms, and anywhere else customers offer feedback. Make it safe for employees to offer candid criticism. Use the Loyalty Acid Test survey. Explain what you've learned and communicate the actions that will be taken.
  

You can see where if this article were written in 2008, Reichheld would have likely included social media among the ways we need to listen hard and talk straight. I look forward to this week's conversation!

Good Call

Well, it's time again for Client Service Excellence Video Fun Friday. Where did the week go? Let's just hope the customer washed his hands! Have a great weekend!

A Bolt of Excellence

Usain Bolt may have had competitors, but not much competition as he set a new world record in the 200m event in Beijing yesterday. Look at the race and consider its relevance to you and your business. Ask yourself if you could create the kind of distance from your competitors that Usain Bolt did.

In Jim Collins' book Good to Great, he refers to the Hedgehog Concept. Collins suggests you ask yourself three questions:

• What are you deeply passionate about?
• What can you be the best in the world at?
• What drives your economic engine?

Collins essentially says good can be the enemy of great. "To go from good to great requires transcending the curse of competence." Agencies don't deliver great client service because they are already pretty good at it. If you want to separate yourself from the pack, consider taking your commitment to client service excellence to an all new level.

Take a look at what excellence looks like. By the way, if you don't speak the language, don't worry. There's no mistaking what's going on!