Mon Elefante

1. Never lose your capacity for enthusiasm.
2. Never lose your capacity for indignation.
3. Never judge people. Don’t type them too quickly. But in a pinch, never first assume that a man is bad; first assume that he is good and that, at worst, he is in the gray area between bad and good.
4. Never be impressed by wealth alone or thrown by poverty.
5. If you can’t be generous when it’s hard to be, you won’t be when it’s easy.
6. The greatest builder of confidence is the ability to do something—almost anything—well.
7. When confidence comes, then strive for humility; you aren’t as good as all that.
8. The way to become truly useful is to seek the best that other brains have to offer. Use them to supplement your own, and be prepared to give credit to them when they have helped.
9. The greatest tragedies in the world and personal events stem from misunderstandings. So communicate!

Anticipate: ask “what’s possible?;” practice peripheral vision

Think Critically: question everything; reframe problems; challenge current beliefs/processes

Interpret: don’t assume (you know what assuming will cause); synthesize info before forming a viewpoint; be rational; build and test your hypothesis

Decide: avoid “analysis paralysis by:using process to your benefit, not worrying about perfection and taking and owning a stand

Align: foster open dialogue & build trust; take time to really understand others’ agendas; don’t bury tough issues instead bring them to the surface and hash them out

Learn: continually grow and improve and don’t ever think that you’re too good to get better

Thanks for the reminder, Inc.

It all starts with the consumer. Know your consumers’ life cycle to best plug in which medium works best at which point of the life cycle. That’s what I say to the role of social media. Yes, social media can, and if used strategically will, have an enormous impact on the success of your marketing programs. But first you need to know where in your consumers’ life cycle social media as a medium should go. In most cases, social media programs will be only one part of the total brand conversation and experience. You’ll most likely need a multi-channel communications plan to achieve your multiple communications objectives. As Nate Elliott said it, “(social media is) merely one tool in your marketing tool kit.” Realize that. Think consumer first and then find the right place for this engaging and dynamic medium.