By Clemens Rettich, on November 10th, 2011 
Information theory. Physics. Classical music & jazz. Monastic orders. The sciences of the brain and cognition. Statistics and probability.
Business Fundamentals.
Rules.
Each of these disciplines have rules at the heart of them.
So why do I find myself constantly going back there to think and act out of the box? Isn’t getting out of the box, out of the rut, all about breaking the old rules?
No. This is a complete failure of insight. We are not boxed by rules. We are boxed by habits, instincts, and unexamined emotions. One prejudice creates a prison of a box more . . . → Read More: Back to the Middle to Get Outside
By Clemens Rettich, on November 8th, 2011 
Ideas are easy. Consistency is hard.
I think that one of the reasons I return to that epigram so often is because of my music training. The business world has much to learn from the musical world.
In music we keep going back to the fundamentals over and over again. You keep practicing all the time. Inspiration and creativity matter, but if you are a professional, it is your chops that really matter. No one expects to get it right the first time. You make mistakes, but you keep practicing until you don’t make mistakes any more. Yes originality . . . → Read More: Play it Again. And Again. And Again.
By Clemens Rettich, on November 1st, 2011 
We all procrastinate. But most of us are not procrastinators.
When was the last time you put off eating that ice cream because it was too much bother? How about finding all kinds of excuses not to cash in that cheque for 10K.
No?
How many of us pack the car in a flurry to hit the road and get to that fishing or camping spot before everyone else? Gardeners getting lost for hours in their gardens? Those of us who love to cook, unwinding in our kitchens, cooking 4-course meals?
Where are the procrastinators?
Every time I work . . . → Read More: There are No Procrastinators
By Clemens Rettich, on February 13th, 2011 
Don’t give it away quietly.
Its not that I’m against freebies and discounts. Used right they can be powerful tools for building relationships with customers and employees.
What I’m against is businesses or employers that give good stuff away quietly.
When you don’t let customers know they are getting a deal you lose a huge part of the benefit that such a gesture can give you. Its all investment, no return. When you go out of your way to arrive at a special price or throw in more service than the customer is paying for make sure they know . . . → Read More: Your Weekly SMB Success Factor – February 14
By Clemens Rettich, on October 1st, 2010 
Image by Clarita
Its not going to get better. Get over it.
When I interview a potential client (I call it “seeing if we can stand to be in the same room together”) one of the things I listen for is conditionals. I listen for things like “When that new employee is fully trained…” or “I just need to get month-end behind me, and then I’ll get my my operations manual done” or “If I can get my line of credit paid down, then I’ll invest in …” When I hear those things, I know I am in . . . → Read More: As Good As it Gets?
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