Blog
- Are you Pinterest-ed?
Posted by Heidi Wurpel
In the past few weeks a number of Crescendo's Maine - based, not-for-profit clients have asked me about Pinterest. For those of you unfamiliar with Pinterest, it is a social media website that allows you to bookmark or "pin" images from anywhere online onto your personal Pinterest page's "boards" and view all other Pinterest user's boards to garner fresh ideas. People use boards differently but some examples of what boards are used to do are:
- Easily collect or aggregate websites you might want to visit again or be reminded of - My "Places to Go/Things to Do" board is checked on weekends for ideas of what to do. It is mostly comprised of Portland restaurants to try, mountains to hike or snowshoe, and fun upcoming charity events.
- Compare items against each other - Friends who are getting married have boards where they post all of the shoes that they might buy or the bouquets they like so that they can later weigh all of their options in one place before making a final decision.
- Start pulling together items to see how they might work in a collective - Interior designers and fashion designers have been doing this for years, but basically having all of the items you might put in a room or fashion show together allows you to see if all of the items "work" well visually together.
- Get inspired - Need to think of a new ad design? Collect images on an inspirations board that you can refer back to and ...
- A Herniated Disc, by Any Other Name…
Posted by Beth Austin
A while back, my brother-in-law was experiencing low back pain and my sister told me that the doctor had diagnosed it as a "herniated disc." The conversation eventually evolved into a discussion about the difference between a "herniated" disc and a "ruptured" disc. My position was that ruptured was worse; my sister's that they were the same thing. Since inquiring minds want to know these things, I decided to look it up, and a fairly quick internet search yielded explanations from an assortment of people professing to be physicians. The summary of the findings is as follows:
a. there is no medical difference between a herniated and ruptured disc
b. the difference is a matter of degree in the herniation
c. a "herniated disc" also describes a "bulging disc" (therefore making a ruptured disc a type of herniated disc)
d. there is no scientific definition of "bulging," "herniated," "ruptured," or "prolapsed" discs
And, my favorite,
e. The term "herniated disc" is so misused that a patient is better served to just obtain the actual measurements of the protrusion
As the saying goes, "Ask five doctors and get six different answers." This seems to be a case in point.
But the bigger underlying issue here is communication. For patients that want to be constructively involved in their care, at a minimum, they need to know the diagnosis, understand the treatment options, be aware of the pros and cons of the various therapeutic options, and have access to quality/performance metrics for the ...
- America the Problem Solver
Posted by Jim Kupel
Reading Unbroken, the amazing survival story of Louis Zamperini, and watching the Clint Eastwood super bowl ad provide a sharp contrast to the recent Florida primary contest. The former remind us that Americans are problem solvers with a strong spirit of shared sacrifice.
Laura Hillenbrand's historical novel about U. S. POWs who survived being adrift in the Pacific for more than 45 days without food or water and then had to survive prisoner of war camps through the remainder of World War II is an incredible tale of American determination and problem solving. The book introduces dozens of American innovations during the War years that enabled us to succeed.
One of these demonstrations of ingenuity and determination occurred right across the harbor from our office. During World War II the shipyards in South Portland, Maine produced over 200 liberty ships. During roughly the same time period from 1942 to 1946 Boeing, Bell Aircraft, and the Glenn L. Martin Company built over 4000 of the B-29 "Super-fortress" aircraft that helped end the war.
Hillenbrand conveys the American spirit through the eyes of prisoners of war in Tokyo. "... the POWs looked up. There, so high that they appeared to be gleaming slits in the sky, were acres and acres of B-29s, 111 of them, flying toward an aircraft factory on the rim of the city. Caught in what would later be called the jet stream the planes were flying along at speeds approaching 445 miles per hour, almost 100 miles per hour faster ...
- How to Incorporate Palliative Care into Community Health Needs Assessments
Posted by Scott Good
Palliative care issues are rarely identified by community leaders when developing their Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). I, personally, or Crescendo colleagues have conducted a boatload of community assessments over the past 20 years. Honestly, working with hospital administrators, community groups, healthcare leaders, and (yes, I admit it) reams of data is probably one of the more enjoyable parts of my job. For example, community leaders are, de facto, highly engaged with issues in their neighborhoods or towns, and gathering a dozen of them for a focus group (as I am doing in a few hours) creates an energetic dynamic. However, quality of life services for seriously ill patients (palliative care) is rarely addressed in a direct way.
Let's look at a few of the numbers ... An estimated 150 million Americans (or a family members) have either been diagnosed with a serious or life threatening illness - a number expected to increase dramatically as baby boomers age. Currently, nearly six million people in the US could potentially benefit from receiving palliative care. Over the next 25 years, that number is expected to exceed 10 million. Over 1.5 million people are diagnosed with cancer and over 500,000 die annually.[1] In addition, nearly another one million people die from heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, lower respiratory diseases, and Alzheimers disease.[2] Compounding the landscape is America's aging population: the median age is 37.2 years (up from 32.9 in 1990), and over 40 million Americans are 65 or older.[3 ...
- Ted Talks and RSA Animates - What do you do?
Posted by Heidi Wurpel
TedX's "Ted Talks" and RSA Comment's "RSA Animate" are two incredibly popular websites from America and the United Kingdom that do essentially the same thing, in two different ways, with similar results. Both websites share a brief (less than 20 minute) presentation or lecture from an expert via online video. TED Talks makes use of a slightly more traditional speaker-at-a-conference setting for their videos - ensuring that their speakers are incredibly dynamic and interesting performers; while, RSA Animates turn the speaker's lecture into a voiceover and a hand draws pictures of what the speaker is saying on a white board. The effect of both of these websites is that the viewer is absolutely enthralled - deeply engaging in whatever this leading thinker has to say. The viewer then goes on to tell people about points made in the video, which (here's the "kicker") drives more traffic to these two organizations' websites, thanks to word of mouth advertising and viral marketing through sharing of the videos online.
So, TED talks, RSA animates; what do you do?
I can't tell you how many times people have said, "no one is interested in the specifics of what I'm working on" or "our work is esoteric and therefore we can't get the word out." I'd posit that if you have ever said these things, TED and RSA have proved you wrong.
It is true that when working with clients on website copy, I always have to remind them not to ...
- Hoop Dreams
Posted by Beth Austin
Last week I heard Steve Abbott, the University of Maine's athletic director, speak at a local chamber event. Throughout his talk, he provided a number of examples of the broad-reaching effects of participating in athletics. In addition to the advantages for the college, he also suggested other benefits with "real-world" applicability for participants. Notably, he cited a recent study that found that 81% of women who are successful in business (defined as having an annual salary of $75K per year or higher) defined themselves as "athletic." We've all been subjected - to the point of tedium - with various sports-themed business analogies over the years, but, nevertheless, Abbott's example struck me as interesting. What is the connection between successful women and athletics? Sure, there may be a certain amount of response bias going on here, but the result suggests a broader connection between sports and business.
My initial impulse on what that connection might be focused on the more contrived (although accurate) concepts of strategy, teamwork, and practice. I think I even threw tenacity in there for good measure. But I could argue that these skills could be honed by being on the debate team or drama club or some other non-athletic focused activity. What's different about sports?
My son began his basketball season a few weeks ago and he's at the age where it's starting to be a Big Deal. I especially enjoy watching him work on drills. His focus and determination are something to behold, and ...
- How to Conduct a Great Interview
Posted by Heidi Wurpel
As consultants we often have "executive interviews" as part of our methodology. Interviews can help you extract valuable qualitative data and give you a better sense of the importance of or passion behind an idea. However, there are also pitfalls to avoid with interviews. For example, many interviewees try and give you the answers that they think you want or will be wary of airing "dirty laundry." To avoid pitfalls and collect the most objective data as possible try the following:
Be on their turf, in a private room. Going to the interviewee can make them feel more comfortable. It is important that their workspace provides someplace where they can be sure no one can hear their responses to increase honesty.
Let them know the purpose of your interview on a macro-level without any subjectivity. Telling them "We are looking to discover information to help further shape our efficiency project" is much better than stating, "We want to know if you are doing too much or too little work and if someone else can do the work faster and for less money."
Start with a question you know they will ace. Asking a broad question that everyone in their field would have an answer to helps create a sense that this isn't a test, they can do this, and we will not make this painful or hard.
Ask extremely open-ended questions, without pre-cursor statements. An example of a good open-ended question is this, "Does work ever get slowed down for any ...
- Revisiting Community Health Needs Assessments
Posted by Scott Good
I have written about Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) in prior blogs, but a few things that have occurred lately compel me to once again write about this important activity.
Your predicament
I know, I know ... you're busy, so I'll keep this brief and to the point. You are a hospital Finance / Community Relations / Marketing leader and your CEO (or other colleague) recently asked you what your plans were to meet this new regulation that requires a community assessment. Maybe you feel that you have done similar projects or you (or your staff) can figure it out and get it done. That might be the case, but before you respond to the CEO (or other colleague) who made the CHNA request, consider a couple things ...
- You will get extra brownie points if you develop a plan that not just engages community leaders in the process but inspires them to help execute the hospital's outreach activities and other health initiatives.
- The CHNA requirements are actually pretty basic.
- You will get quick buy-in from senior executives if your plan to conduct the community assessment is revenue-neutral (or, at least, prudently budgeted).
The five big buckets of activities in a CHNA include (1) defining the "community" and collecting a metrics-based profile of it, (2) engaging a representative group of community leaders to provide insight regarding community strengths, challenges, and resources, (3) getting insight from consumers, (4) developing a prioritized list of needs based on qualitative and quantitative learning; and, (5) operationalizing the ...
- Social Media and Credit Unions - It's All about the People
Posted by Beth Austin
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of giving a talk at the Filene Research Institute Credit Union Digital Branding Colloquium along with several distinguished co-presenters. The colloquium's goal was to provide the credit union attendees with information that would help inform strategic decisions regarding their online/social media branding efforts. How can credit unions most effectively utilize online tools to communicate their brand? And how can members be engaged in building and sharing this brand? The perceptions and expertise of the six presenters varied, which provided rich content, yet many of the underlying messages were similar. From my perspective, here were the most important takeaways from the day.
The Revolution Will Be Virtual Among the presenters at the colloquium was Kristen Christian, the mastermind behind Bank Transfer Day. Her efforts, conducted primarily on Facebook, led to an estimated 210,000 Americans moving more than $4.5M from banks to credit unions. Her success underscores the magnitude of the power that can be harnessed through social media when you have a compelling story to tell and a clear call to action.
Tell Your Story Kristen Christian ditched her bank initially because of fees, but found more than just a friendlier pricing philosophy at credit unions. The fact that credit unions are local, community-focused institutions is important to people, particularly the coveted Gen-Y contingency. Credit Unions have a compelling story to tell and many people - including some of the presenters - still haven't really heard.
The Message Needs to Speak ...
- The End of Rugged Individualism
Posted by Jim Kupel
The idea that "the rugged individual" is the foundation of America's greatness is an outmoded idea. In the 21st century America's greatness is tied to vision and teams - teams that perform exceptionally well under a wide variety of circumstances.
This point was illustrated to me this month while we worked with a client that operates the largest proton treatment facility in the world. Developing and managing this facility is a team enterprise. And there are lots of similar examples over recent decades of how teams with a mission and vision excel - from Navy Seals to Google.
We need teamwork now more than ever, but we're caught in a political discussion from the last-century of "rugged individualism" versus government - an argument originally championed by Hoover.
Americans greatness is rooted in men and women with entrepreneurial vision and passion - but let's not mistake that truth with the idea that it is Government that destroys political equality and stifles initiative. It isn't bureaucracy alone that threatens us - it is a lack of vision, teamwork and the ability to implement complex solutions in an increasingly complex world that threatens our dreams.
- Happy Thanksgiving
Posted by Heidi Wurpel
With Thanksgiving approaching, we are truly very thankful at Crescendo Consulting. We set out this year with a vision to help 250,000 people live better lives with regard to their health and finances. While the year is not yet over, we can already reflect that through our work in wellness promotion, employee communications, strategic planning, program management, and research, we have been able to see our clients through both good and bad times, and to help their employees and customers live richer, fuller lives. We, as consultants, have also had our share of ups and downs but stand today in a place of gratitude and reflection on how truly blessed we are to work in fulfilling careers that allow us to bring our unique skills and abilities to others.
Please join us at this time of Thanksgiving to step away from the day-to-day fire drills and to do lists that sometimes consume our work lives and take a moment to pause and reflect on the Strengths and Opportunities of your organization. (We can worry about Weaknesses and Threats come New Year's Resolution time). If you find yourself struggling to think of a list, simply hold a lunch with your co-workers and have each write one or more strengths and opportunities of the company that they see on a sticky-note - it will not take long for your wall and the S&O of your SWOT analysis to become filled.
"Happy Thanksgiving" from all of us at Crescendo Consulting Group.
- ARTHUR!
Posted by Heidi Wurpel
I recently had a rather frustrating consumer experience as I was shopping for a new mattress. I thought it might be helpful to create a "case study" of my experience to explore ways in which the situation could be improved.
Industry: Retail, National Chain, Mattresses
Services (Needed): Research, marketing, employee communications
Situation: In pursuit of a good mattress, I drove around Portland, Scarborough, and South Portland to various stores carrying one of the "Big Three" mattress brands (Serta, Sealy, Simmons). I began the process of trying the mattresses I knew I might be interested in. Through my shopping experience thus far, I had a specific level of quality mattress in mind, I knew the materials and I wanted the bed to be made from. I also knew what price I could get online and the price for comparable mattresses at every competitor in town. I was in short, a very knowledgeable consumer ready to purchase if the price was right.
I was pleasantly surprised when on my last stop of the day when I walked into a large, national chain, mattress retailer (the subject of this case study) and discovered that they carried all of the major brands plus a great selection of lesser known ones. A first impression of "I should have just come here first; what a great selection of mattresses!" is a very positive customer reaction; however, this is where the positive reactions end.
I quickly noticed that the walls were in dire need of a paint job, the ...
- Turning Awareness Into Action
Posted by Beth Austin
As I'm sure you already know October is breast cancer awareness month. Given that breast cancer is a topic that's near and dear to my heart, I spent some time thinking about what this month means and how it can make a difference in people's lives.
For many years, breast cancer was a disease that nobody talked about. Thankfully, the efforts made by many innovative organizations and dedicated individuals have changed that. Social marketing campaigns, outreach, education, and survivors telling their stories have allowed for significant progress in raising awareness about the disease.
With the gains in awareness, you probably already know important statistics such as one in eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime and that between 85-90% of breast cancers can be detected by mammogram, leading to earlier diagnoses and better outcomes. You probably also know that mammogram screenings are recommended for women 40 or older (and even younger if the woman is at higher risk). So, what's the next step? The next step is taking the knowledge that we've gained turning this awareness into action. Here are some suggested actions to consider:
- Get a mammogram. I know there's been a lot of confusion about screening guidelines and who should get mammograms and how often, but the bottom line is if you're female and your 40, you should get a mammogram. You'll also want to talk with your doctor about a screening schedule that is appropriate for you.
- Spread the ...
- Community Health Needs Assessments
Posted by Scott Good
Section 9007(a) of the Affordable Care Act (March 2010) requires that all non-profit hospitals complete a CHNA every three years. The purpose of the CHNA is to identify and prioritize community needs and, in doing so, support financial reporting and the selection of the hospitals' community outreach activities.
I am generally not the biggest supporter of health reporting regulations. However, the community assessment noted above provides a better measuring stick by which hospitals can evaluate their outreach activities. More importantly, they will have a tool (mandated, as it is) that will compel them to clarify the needs of their communities and prioritize hospital activities to address them.
Some states already require some form of CHNA. New Hampshire, for example, does an outstanding job (kudos to Terry Knowles in the NH, DOJ, Charitable Organizations Office). Other states, too, do excellent work. But here's the rub ...
- Additional providers of CHNA services. The Feds are requiring that the CHNAs address only healthcare needs. Many hospitals combine their CHNA efforts with other nearby not-for-profit organizations to use the services of more general community support organizations such as the United Way (of which I am a strong supporter). These types of organizations identify broader community needs that impact the often diverse collection of organizations for whom they conduct the CHNA - some of which are health / healthcare based, many are not. The result is that hospitals, therefore, may need to supplement the work done with the help of general community support organizations (which is more expensive ...
- Dance, Hot Dog, Dance
Posted by Beth Austin
A couple of years ago a friend and I went to a roller derby event to try something new. Our viewing experience from the competition perspective was unremarkable, but we did find a source of entertainment from the team's mascots. For reasons that are still unclear to me, the local roller derby team has a pair of hot dogs as their mascot(s). The costumes consisted of full hot dog regalia - bun included - with a face cut out. For the entire event we watched these two very enthusiastic hot dogs jump and cheer and dance. They would bust a move at even the slightest provocation - and it didn't appear that the dancing thing came all that easily decked out in the hot dog suit. My friend and I became mildly obsessed with these dancing hot dogs, and for the weeks following, any conversation could be interrupted with random non sequiturs and casual musings such as "Do you think the hot dogs practice?"
Not long after the roller derby experience I had a bad day at work. This day resulted in my sending an e-mail to my friend that read something like this:
Subject: Is it too late to be a roller derbyist?
Dear [friend],
My experiences today at work have prompted me to make a career change. Thus, I've decided to join the roller derby. I briefly considered becoming a dancing hot dog, but then realized that I already am.
Love,
Beth
Last week I had another one of ...
- Lessons from the Great (Women)
Posted by: Heidi Wurpel
Paul Johnson recently wrote an article for Forbes magazine entitled, Lessons From the Great. I thoroughly enjoyed the piece and understand that in the history of human civilization "the great" has traditionally equated with being male but the fact that not a single woman was included* made me start wondering how the lessons may have differed if looking at some of the great females of American history.
Below are quotes from famous women and my notes on the lessons that I believe business men and women alike can learn from them. I will not say that I agree with everything that each of these women espoused to, nor am I trying to make a list of the "greatest" women, I merely selected some that I felt had something to say.
"A little of what you call frippery is very necessary towards looking like the rest of the world." Abigail Adams.
Abigail Adams understood that no movement of people can be all business all the time and that to engage the general populace's interest you must include some "frippery." This lesson has implications for both marketing and operations. People want to be involved with people and business that have a little fun. While professionalism is important, don't let it squelch your brand.
"Never do things others can do and will do if there are things others cannot do or will not do." Amelia Earhart.
This quote sums up perhaps the most important lesson for businesses; if you can't differentiate, fill ...
- Howard Beale Had it Right - Sort Of
Posted by Scott Good
Remember that famous line by Howard Beale from the movie, Network in which he told people to go to their open windows and shout out, "... I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore"? I'm not quite "there" yet, but was moved a bit closer to opening the window when I thought through the recent stock market volatility.
I am a staunch capitalist and believe that making money and capitalizing on opportunities is part of what makes America great and allows people of all economic strata the chance to prosper. I also believe just as strongly that people need to be treated fairly and with respect. Usually, both these tenets can live amiably side-by-side. However, the recent stock market volatility is frustrating in that it is, in large part, due to perfectly legal gamesmanship being played on Wall Street; resulting in tremendous gains for a small sector of traders and financial firms and massive losses (at least on paper) for about half of all US households.[1] The long and the short of it is that the financial regulations (e.g., margins and up-tick rules, decimalization, etc.) for the trading of stock, derivatives, and a host of other tools result in great market volatility which, in turn, offer savvy day-traders and brokers great opportunities from short sales and traders' transaction fees. "Savvy" is good and should be compensated, but "predatory" practices that hurt 100 for each one who benefits go beyond "okay".
My purpose for writing ...
- Choosing a Doctor and Other Death-defying Feats
Posted by Beth Austin
I’ve spent a lot of time in my professional life knee-deep in articles on healthcare quality and medical information, as well as working with local doctors, hospitals, and health-focused, not-for-profit agencies. As part of this work, I often share information and resources with others that might help them choose a doctor. I’ve also spent a lot of time wondering whether anything I knew or said ever made a difference to anyone, or whether people always end up picking the specialist their PCP recommends or just geolocating the practice closest to their house. Does anyone even pay attention to their health or healthcare unless there’s a problem?
Recently I received an unexpected medical diagnosis (although I suppose most of them are unexpected). It was of the frightening and potentially life-changing variety where you blow through your health plan deductible and out-of-pocket max faster than you can say “hospital johnny.” Suddenly I felt as if I were being put to the test – an almost surreal, multiple choice exam where the wrong answer could have significant consequences. I would soon be faced with important decisions – and would learn first-hand whether anything I knew actually mattered. I’ll share with you a few tips based on my experience, but first, a couple of caveats.
Big Caveat Number One: It’s personal. A big lesson learned for me is that there is no single “right answer.” Choices about treatment approaches or where one receives care can be affected significantly by one’s personal life ...
- Innovation, Government and Technology
Posted by Jim Kupel
John Seely Brown* has been quoted as saying "I think right now we are experiencing something we've never experienced in the history of civilization. All past infrastructures have unfolded slowly at first, until they reached a critical mass which then sparked explosive expansion and adoption. Finally things level off and stabilize for decades at the time often 70 to 100 years. What's interesting for me is that the infrastructure we're moving into is in exponentially increasing infrastructure because technology is exponentially increasing."
He also reminds us that "all infrastructure is social/ technical." The example he uses is the development of the nationwide electrical grid. That was a huge social and business innovation.
If John Seely Brown is correct and technology continues to increase exponentially, developing governmental processes that are able to respond to these changes is essential.
We have already seen that technology has the power to alter the fate of nations. This is demonstrated as recently as the events in Egypt and Lybia. Clearly the recent debt ceiling debate in Congress suggests that even in the most technologically advanced nation on earth our human social infrastructures are not keeping up.
By helping our governmental representatives solve real problems we help adjust to new technologies that stand to alter the face of the planet.
- My Red Herring Nightmare
Posted by Heidi Wurpel
Last night I had a nightmare in a common theme for me: I am rushing about trying to get a long list of things done but then I see something that needs to be “saved”. Last night, it was a little girl with a very scary man following her. The dream ends when I rush the at-risk character into the protection of my car and speed away from the trouble. I share this dream because I have learned to use it as a reminder in my life that has applications for business.
As managers, we often get so bogged down in our day-to-day to do list that we forget to stop and nurture the small, less-pressing, but often more important, visions or goals of our organization until they are on the brink of disaster. While these ‘at risk’ items turn into puppies, birds, and children in my nightmare, they almost always represent a burgeoning strategic objective or goal that has been sitting on the back-burner of my task list for too long in the real world.
In my dream, my car is there to whisk me away from the danger, but life isn’t always so convenient. Thus, it is important to have a group of people available to you that you can call on to help you move your goal out of harm’s way quickly so that you may keep your business growing, and perhaps get a better night’s sleep.
What are the red-herrings on your list keeping you ...