Isn’t it funny how we’re told to color within the lines as kids but as adults, we’re told to think outside the box. Life’s instructions can change!
Ken Okel’s Friday Fun: Life’s Instructions Can Change
Claremont McKenna College Is The Whiner of the Week
For some, a little lying is a good way to boost your profile. Claremont McKenna College officials have admitted, that since 2005, the school has lied about its college entrance exam scores. That earns it The Whiner of the Week.
An institution of higher learning should not resort to tactics that you might expect from a slimy used car salesman.
Some may argue that it’s not that big of a deal to inflate SAT scores by a few points. But this was done to make the California school appear more attractive to incoming students. Having Claremont McKenna College listed in the top ten of U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of liberal arts colleges is also something that can woo donations from alumni.
For a school that tells students that they’ll learn how to think, challenge and question, this kind of academic fraud is unacceptable. A little lying is always wrong.
While the administrator behind the lying has resigned, I wonder how no one else at the school noticed that the numbers were fishy. These kinds of admission figures are like stats to fantasy football leagues. The numbers should have raised some eyebrows.
When a college athletic team cheats, it’s punished. I’m not aware of any kind of punishment for academic wrongdoings. Perhaps the school should be banned from publications that rank schools for a couple of years. Another solution would reduce tuition for students.
The school’s motto is “Civilization prospers with commerce.” Perhaps some mention of “truth” needs to be added.
Ep 33 – Do You Treat Your Staff Like Telemarketers
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When leaders are under pressure, they can tune out some valuable information. We take a look at this challenge and discuss some solutions in this week’s edition of the 2 Minute Takeaway Podcast.
This podcast changes the way leaders approach challenges and obstacles. A new 2 Minute Takeaway comes out every week. To subscribe through iTunes click here.
The Letter You’ll Never Send
Sit down and write a thank you letter to your organization from your best customer. This is not a letter to your customer. It’s designed to be from their perspective about what you do really well.
What would they write about you? What would they rave about? Would they thank you for doing something special or making their lives easier?
This is an opportunity to Clear the Path to better customer experiences.
Can’t think of what to write from the perspective of your best customer? Then you have some serious challenges.
If you can’t articulate what you do really, really well, then how do you expect your customers to do the same? Are you no different than your competition? That’s not a sexy place to be.
If it’s easy to write the letter, make sure the values and experiences highlighted are being promoted and encouraged throughout the organization. You may know what you do well but are you sharing the information with your customers?
Marketing teams can spend hours trying to boil down what makes them special. Try this exercise and save some time. You already know the answers. You just have to pull them out of yourself.
Ken Okel’s Friday Fun: Muzak Dreams
Musak has a place in our world but it’s music that plays it safe. Safe is boring. Stop dreaming about the ordinary. Lead your orchestra into a better tomorrow.
Proposed Internet Snoops: You Are the Whiner of the Week
Does the world need to know your Internet browsing history? One lawmaker in Hawaii thinks it’s a great idea and would like there to be a two year record of the sites you’ve visited.
If approved, House Bill 2288 would require Internet providers to create a file on you. But wait, it gets worse. Right now, there’s nothing in the bill that would prevent your information from being sold to a 3rd party.
Let’s hope this bill dies a fast death before other states or Congress might consider a similar system.
The proposal would be a blow against privacy and a victory for Big Brother. Where’s the crisis that requires this level of record keeping?
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. And we don’t need the government knowing that some of us spend too much time on Facebook.
Ep 32: Can You Afford to Wait
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It’s rare that success or failure is defined by one event. Usually the outcome is earned over time. We take a look at this challenge in this week’s edition of the 2 Minute Takeaway Podcast.
This podcast changes the way leaders approach challenges and obstacles. A new 2 Minute Takeaway comes out every week. To subscribe through iTunes click here.