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Archive for February, 2010
« Previous EntriesDon’t let problems escalate
Friday, February 26th, 2010Continuing my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, let’s discuss a mistake that even the biggest companies make: letting problems fester and grow until they do serious damage. For today’s example, we need look no further than Toyota Motor Co.
Toyota’s woes have been well-publicized, and investigations continue into what and when [...]
Mr. Toyoda, just tell us what went wrong
Thursday, February 25th, 2010Today’s Congressional hearings about Toyota’s safety problems were deeply disappointing to those of us who hoped that the company would put its ongoing troubles to rest. Toyota’s President, Akio Toyoda, appeared in person to apologize to American consumers for the quality control issues that have dogged his company. It was a defining moment [...]
Even Tiger Woods is only human
Monday, February 22nd, 2010It’s been an interesting few days, as I’ve found myself discussing Tiger Woods’ apology with interviewers from across the U.S., Canada and Europe. More than a few people have criticized the apology as being too “scripted” or dissed Woods’ delivery as too “wooden.” A handful of angry critics have refused to accept the apology [...]
Tiger gets an A- from me … but maybe not from the media
Saturday, February 20th, 2010Tiger Woods did a lot of things right when he finally delivered his much-anticipated apology. He said a straightforward “I’m sorry” to his family, his fans, the children who idolize him, his PGA peers and his sponsors. He took responsibility for his actions, expressed appreciation to everyone who has supported him in the [...]
Will Tiger Woods’ apology be effective?
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Tiger Woods has announced that he’ll make a public statement tomorrow apologizing for the actions that led to his spectacular fall from grace a few months ago. The event will be closely controlled, with only a few “friends, colleagues and close associates” attending in person and no questions from the media permitted. A [...]
What really tripped up Toyota?
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010Seems as though almost everyone who writes about business has a theory about what landed Toyota in its current fix. Some pundits blame a failure of leadership in Toyota’s management, others claim that Toyota failed to stay true to its brand, and still others tag Toyota with the arrogance that comes from being a [...]
To stay out of court, smove!
Saturday, February 13th, 2010Continuing my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, I want to introduce you to the concept of “smoving.” Its creators have a delightful website called GiveMore.com where they offer a variety of products designed to help folks in service jobs deliver better by smiling brightly and moving fast whenever an opportunity [...]
Toyota, what took you so long?
Friday, February 12th, 2010Toyota Motor Corporation, former superstar of the automotive industry, is struggling to recover from a major hit to its reputation. The company has been dogged in recent months with a series of quality control problems: allegedly faulty floor mats, reportedly sticky gas pedals, and allegations that the braking systems on recently-issued Prius hybrids were [...]
Wall Street missed its moment during the Superbowl
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010So, how about those Saints? Regardless of which team you favored, this year’s game was terrific. It also broke records in another respect. This Superbowl was among the most-watched televised sporting events ever, and ads broadcast during the game have been all over the Internet ever since.
In other words, [...]
The ethics of snow days
Monday, February 8th, 2010Washington, D.C. and its suburbs were buried over the weekend in more than two feet of snow. That may not be a lot by Midwestern standards, but the capitol region rarely sees much of the white stuff and our local governments aren’t equipped to deal with it. Schools were shut tight, the federal [...]
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