Readers Make More Money
By Dana
We've all heard the old adage "Time = Money", but here's a new and possibly even astounding equation:
Reading = Money
Even in tough economic times, according to several recent studies, business people who read at least seven business books a year earn over 2.3 times more than those who read only one book per year.
Why? One reason is they have a constant flow of new ideas and strategies they can use to help their careers, their teams and their companies. And given all the layoffs and other challenges during this recession, doing everything you can to help your company is not only smart, it's critical.
Maybe this is nothing new to you; in fact, there's another study out there that found that nearly 75% of all managers understand the correlation between reading and competitive advantage. So if you're saying to yourself, I get it -- but who has time to stick their nose in a book? ... let me suggest something that might help. It's a fast read (I promise) by Laura Vanderkam titled 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. Many business people would describe their lives as a frenzied treadmill of 24/7 connectivity and stress, and I'd even argue that small business owners have it worse than most. It's hard to give yourself permission to take downtime and actually enjoy it when you're feeling pressured from every corner. But wouldn't it be nice to play a round of golf or sit on the sidelines of a soccer game without thinking about payroll, or human resource issues, or redesigning your business cards, or your next product launch, or your social networking strategy? Vanderkam didn’t just envy the high-achievers who still manage to perform in community theater, engage in regular date nights, write poetry, and raise Yorkies. She set out to learn how they do it. Her compelling book is not just another future garage sale item on how to manage your day – you’ll be glad you took the time to learn what she has to say.
Providing practical ideas that drive success is the keystone of the Business Audio Plus philosophy, and that's why we feature a business book in every issue of our monthly newsletter, The Microphone. If you're not yet subscribing, please contact Lauren and have your name added to our distribution list. And if you've recently read a business book you'd like us to feature, please tell us about it.
* Sources: United States Department of Labor, Survey by Yahoo! Chief Solutions Officer Tim Sanders and Business Majors, Survey by Bersin & Associates, How Executives Stay Informed.
Your Brain At Work
By Dana
I admit that I first visited the Dana Alliance website because I thought the name was so cool. Maybe it was a virtual meeting place for people named Dana! Turns out, it's something that might be even more useful -- a practical collection of neuroscientific information addressing the way we learn.
When we're completely honest, we have to admit that lots of websites and emails fall into the category of what my wife calls "productive procrastination" -- things that look like work and sometimes even feel a bit like work, but are actually ways to avoid things you should probably be doing instead while you're in the office. Maybe that's even part of the reason that this blog isn't updated as often as I intend it to be ... but that's another issue. The fact remains that Your Brain At Work offers tips and tools designed to help people enhance their cognitive skills and work smarter on and off the job. Together with insights about how people receive and process information are suggestions for exercises and strategies to better retain information. There are interactive opportunities (quizzes, mostly) that will help improve learning and memory functions, and tips about leading a "brain-healthy" lifestyle.
Of course, we're delighted that the Dana Alliance suggests e-learning as a tool to help engage the brain at work, since that's one of our specialties at Business Audio Plus. From a marketer's standpoint there is plenty of material that's useful here; discussions of circadian rhythms and their effects on learning might have an impact on what time of day to schedule your next presentation, for example. And since there's essentially no such thing as One Size Fits All learning, we need to get our message across to our intended audience in a variety of memorable and compelling ways.
There's a marketing adage that has become an adage simply because it's so true: When a qualified prospect learns about your product or service, he will probably buy. Getting them to learn (or listen) is ultimately or biggest hurdle. Understanding more about how brains work has to help.
Had Any Big Ideas Lately?
By Dana
Best selling business author Seth Godin has organized a book called What Matters Now. It's a remarkable collection of essays from thinkers in virtually every walk of life, including technology, finance, psychology, and government. Even more remarkable, it's available absolutely free, just by clicking here. He doesn't even ask you for your email address to get it (although I highly recommend his daily blog to anyone interested in improving their marketing acumen).
What Matters Now is a quick read, with each of the essays at just about one page in length, on topics ranging from generosity to dignity to meaning to staying connected to the evolution of capitalism. You'll find essays you like (and probably some that you don't), fodder for your next cocktail party conversation, ideas you can use in presentations, and maybe -- more importantly -- concepts that relate to your own business.
There's probably never been a more critical time for us to challenge the status quo and think about ways to improve our companies, improve our relationships, improve the world. For me, What Matters Now has been like an espresso jolt, giving me something new to think about with every essay. Here's hoping it does the same for you.
