The Power of Small

Fri, February 10, 2012 - 12:11:09

Words Can Hurt You

We’re another week into the hotly contested battle for the Republican presidential nomination and once again, we’re seeing how the POWER OF SMALL is playing an important role in shaping the race. As you may recall a few weeks ago, one little, involuntary facial expression landed frontrunner Mitt Romney in hot water. And now, it appears, a few poorly chosen words are causing him even more controversy.

In a live CNN interview Wednesday, Romney remarked, “I’m not concerned about the very poor.”  Although the comment was part of a larger statement in which Romney was attempting to demonstrate his focus on helping the Middle Class, it was quickly taken out of context, making Romney an easy target, and more importantly detracting from his message.

It’s just another example of the power even our littlest words possess. In Romney’s case, his attempt to appear more “in touch” with the average American became completely counterproductive with just a few words.  A small aside can have the power to overshadow your main message, and derail your attempts to connect with others. Although there’s an old adage to the contrary, the truth is words can hurt you, personally and professionally. And that’s why it’s essential to consider what you say carefully. So, before you make an off-the-cuff remark, give yourself a minute, listen to what others around you are saying, and consider your audience. Because, as we’ve seen, a few little words can have very big consequences.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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The Power of Nice

Wed, February 08, 2012 - 12:06:39

Network TV Gets NICE

Could the days of “Jersey Shore” and “Real Housewives” style reality TV finally be behind us? If you ask blogger and trend-watcher Rick Liebling, the answer might be “Yes.”

Over the past decade, viewers have flocked to drama-filled, argument-laden reality shows, but their popularity may be on the decline. In a recent post, Liebling cites the prominent success of new, NICE TV programming, such as FOX’s “The New Girl,” as evidence in his assertion that NICE is the next big thing in the entertainment industry and beyond.

And that’s not just a belief we can get behind; it’s a trend we’ve also noticed. Just go channel surfing. As you’ll soon see, many of today’s biggest TV hits are flexing their NICE muscles. For example, on NBC’s “The Sing Off” judges deliver helpful advice instead of snarky one-liners, and ABC’s “Modern Family,” has achieved great success with a quirky but kind brand of humor.

Yes, from the boardroom table to your living room’s TV, NICE guys are making a comeback and achieving big things. And you don’t have to be an on-screen celebrity to make the POWER OF NICE work for you. When you put NICE first in everything you do, it soon becomes automatic, helping you make positive impressions wherever you go. And that means, no matter what your role is you’ll always be ready for your close-up.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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The Power of Small

Fri, January 27, 2012 - 6:00:00

Small Can Stall A Campaign

In this year’s hotly contested race for the Republican presidential nomination, little details are already proving to make a big difference. In fact, something as seemingly insignificant as a candidate’s facial tic can speak volumes to potential voters and, in the worst cases, even stall a campaign.

Recently, when Newt Gingrich asked opponent and Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney to disclose his tax return, Romney replied with a hint of a smile: “maybe.” And as we’ve seen over the course of the past week, that one little word had quite the fallout.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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The Power of Small

Wed, January 25, 2012 - 12:30:18

Meet Smarter

In a recent piece for the Harvard Business Review Blog, Paul Hammerness and Margaret Moore, authors of Organize Your Life, Organize Your Mind, discuss why focusing on one task (a practice we call “minitasking”) rather than multi-tasking, is the most effective way to get things done. As two passionate practitioners of mini-tasking, we’re in full agreement with their philosophy—and, as you know, it’s easy to make minitasking a part of your everyday routine.

But, in a modern workplace filled with distractions—from binging BlackBerries to dinging Twitter alerts and the occasional phone call or two—getting your fellow coworkers together to really focus on one issue can be a challenge. In fact, it’s one of the biggest problems we see in meetings today.

So, what do you do?

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The Power of Nice

Thu, January 19, 2012 - 12:28:26

In the C-Suite of the Future, “C” Stands for Collaboration

In a recent Forbes piece, Doreen Lorenzo explains why the “C” in C-suite may be in for a necessary change. The complex challenges facing today’s leadership calls for a new approach—and, as we also believe, that approach is a collaborative one.

Our company, the Kaplan Thaler Group, was founded on this model. Instead of operating from the top down, we’ve always encouraged ideas from everyone within our ranks, whether we were a seven person company or one made up of several hundred. And it’s been a vital part of our success as one of the nation’s fastest growing advertising agencies.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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