The Small Blog

Fri, July 09, 2010 - 3:25:07

If We Could Fix This Block, Then We Could Fix the Next Block.

Over the past few months, you may have seen commercials on television for American Express’ new joint project with TakePart that supports charities doing good in their communities. One ad featuring the Harlem Children’s Zone catches our attention every time; we can’t get enough of the organization’s founder’s philosophy that you can take on even the most daunting challenge if you approach it one small step at a time. And in his case, that means block by block.

In essence, the program headed by Jeffrey Canada aims to transform the neighborhoods of Harlem one block at a time—starting with their smallest residents. By surrounding the children with a supportive network of adults, Canada believes they will reject the negative influences that tear communities apart and instead develop into members who will contribute to it in a positive way.

And one block at a time, he’s proving that theory right.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, July 02, 2010 - 9:25:07

What Does Your Email Signature Say About You?

You’ve probably heard of handwriting analysts who can glean information about an individual’s personality just by looking at their signature. But, what if we told you that an email signature could be even more revealing? According to a recent LifeHacker post, it’s not as unreasonable as it sounds. In fact, LifeHacker’s Kevin Purdy reports that what you write in your email signature could be damaging your professional relationships.

In business, it’s standard to have an email signature that lists your email and mailing addresses, phone number, and other pertinent information like your position and LinkedIn profile address. But, there’s something else that frequently appears in inboxes around the world and it just might be off-putting to some of your clients, employees, and associates: “Sent from my Blackberry. Please excuse typos.”

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Thu, July 01, 2010 - 9:21:07

Thinking Japanese

In our book, THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference, we discuss a powerful Japanese philosophy known as “kaizen,” which was used to great success by Japanese automakers in their quest for dominance in the international automotive industry. The kaizen approach, which loosely translates as “improvement,” views success not as a single destination, but as a continuum accomplished in a series of small steps. 

This eastern way of thinking is one that we have used to our own advantage at the Kaplan Thaler Group, where we have evolved from a one-account shop to a billion dollar agency in little over a decade.  Setting accomplishable mini-goals, shrinking our outlooks, and—perhaps most importantly—sweating the small stuff have been vital to our success. So, we were particularly intrigued when we came across an interview with Tadashi Yanai, on The Economist’s blog this week, in which the CEO of Uniqlo and Japan’s richest man discusses how SMALL has been a key factor in shaping his company into a major international competitor.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Thu, June 24, 2010 - 9:23:31

With SMALL, You Can Climb Mountains

Earlier this week, we caught a story on the Today Show that stopped us in our tracks. At age 65, following hip replacement surgery, one man made a decision that might sound crazy to the average person: he decided to climb Mt. Everest. While it might sound like a recipe for disaster, his decision turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime—and he conquered his massive goal by taking it on one small step at a time.

It all started a few years ago, when Don Healy set out on an effort to get fit and lose weight. In the process, he remembered a dream he had as a ten year old boy: to someday climb a mountain.  And so, even though he hadn’t exercised in years, Healy set out on a serious training regimen, growing stronger and more fit day by day, until he was able to climb one small peak. As time went by, he climbed more mountains, a bigger one each time, with the goal of someday climbing the world’s tallest somewhere in the back of his mind.  And even after the setback of a hip replacement surgery, he continued on with his training, slowly but steadily moving closer to his goal, until, finally he made it to the top of Mt. Everest.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Wed, June 23, 2010 - 9:37:22

Take Back Your Lunch and Increase Your Productivity

Have a bag of peanut M&Ms and a can of Diet Coke snagged from the vending machine become your daily scarf-down-at-your-desk lunch habit? While that “all stress diet” might be necessary from time to time when you’re trying to meet a looming deadline, making it a routine probably isn’t the best thing for you: both health-wise and career-wise.

In fact, even if you only have 15 minutes to spare, giving yourself a brief time away from your desk and outside of the office can be just the SMALL thing you need to reinvigorate yourself and kick-start your productivity. And that’s why, as Tony Schwartz writes on The Harvard Business Review’s blog, The Conversation, the Energy Project is launching a new initiative called, “Take Back Your Lunch.”

Posted by Linda and Robin
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