Constant Cogitation

10 Ways to Extend your Brand with Industrial Customers

Greg — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:25:24 +0000

Disney has mastered the art of extending the brand experience for its customers. Here are 10 ways you can replicate the magic in your more industrial [...]

Cogitation across the Nation

Greg — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:39:27 +0000

Links to recent guest posts on marketing in small businesses and startups, trade show planning, using Outlook for task management, and planning your work/life [...]

Tweaking GTD for Better Weekly Task Prioritization

Greg — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:34:30 +0000

One challenge in the Getting Things Done (GTD) system is managing the huge list of tasks that do not have a specific due date. This tweak to the process helps you prioritize tasks in a weekly review to give them greater visibility, without forcing artificial due [...]

Building a Better Business Sense

Greg — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:12:26 +0000

Demonstrating good business sense or orientation is a key leadership skill. While it may be a natural talent, there are steps you can take to further develop this capability. Here are four investments you can make in your career to help you build a better business [...]

7 Steps to Prepare an Engineer for a Sales Call

Greg — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:10:37 +0000

While many engineers have a natural capability to work with customers, some need help in this process. Here's seven steps to help an engineer contribute to a successful sales [...]

Developing Good Sleep Habits in Autistic Children

Greg — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:08:10 +0000

Developing good sleep habits in autistic children can help with their development, and involves the same practices used for developing good sleep behaviors in typically developing children. Here are some tips on how to do [...]

Developing a Tolerance for Ambiguity

Greg — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:32:28 +0000

Displaying a tolerance for ambiguity is a critical skill for leaders today. These tips help you develop this capability and apply it in the face of the high degree of market and job uncertainty you likely face in this, the Great [...]

A Marathon Training Schedule for Advanced Runners

Greg — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:41:59 +0000

Several of my running friends have asked me what system I use for marathon training. I always respond with praise for Hal Higdon’s marathon training system, which has something to offer for runners of all levels. Having started with Novice for my first marathon (and essentially meeting my goal of a near-3:30 time), I have progressed through his Intermediate I and Intermediate II stages (and was able to qualify for Boston using just the Intermediate I program with some speed enhancements) and am now going to make a stab at Advanced I.

Hal Higdon provides an outstanding range of marathon training [...]

Market Segmentation for Electric Vehicles

Greg — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:42:05 +0000

Understanding the segmentation of the automotive market by customer behavior and vehicle usage patterns is going to be critical in designing electric vehicles with the appropriate price and performance (in terms of battery range) for success. Nick Hodson and John Newman of McKinsey recently published an article with a first-pass segmentation that points out some opportunities for differentiation by automotive [...]

A Manifesto for Runners

Greg — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:12:30 +0000

One way to maintain your intensity in pursuit of your passion is to make visible your principals and commitments around that passion. That is why I have published "A Running Manifesto". Perhaps someday this will evolve into a small book. For now, I'll be content to post it as motivation, and to receive your challenges, inputs, and feedback as to its value and the principals stated. [...]