Learn From the Demise of Borders Bookstores

Posted on July 27, 2011 by pdncoach

“But there is no doubt — as I have written many times in recent months – that the book business is in a period of change so dynamic that any outcome is possible, from an era of exciting expansion to a precipitous decline in sales at brick-and-mortar stores that undermines the revenue base of publishing. A year ago it would have seemed inconceivable that Broadway’s biggest bookstores would be shuttered.” ~Peter Osnos, The End of Borders and the Future of the Printed Word, The Atlantic, Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Jim Seybert posted a related question in a LinkedIn.com discussion: “What do the lines at Borders signify? People buying arm-loads of books. What does this signify?”

Perhaps consumers see a chance to get a deal on some good books before the once-beloved store’s doors are shuttered.

Perhaps consumers no longer confuse “a place to buy” with a “place to read” or a “place to come together in community”.

 “I can read anywhere, but I wanted to buy something at this place. I wanted to buy more time there.”

As a human being who reads, I long to return to the little coffee shop/book store that I stumbled upon while on vacation in northeast Arkansas with my family. It seemed to be located in the “middle of nowhere”; there were no lines and they certainly didn’t seem to be a dying business – in fact, this little place seemed quite popular. I had a wonderful coffee and scone, along with delightful conversations with the locals including the bookstore owner about wonderful words (the word “propinquity” to be specific). My wife and sons joked about how I was the only person who would have such a conversation about a word, “propinquity“, in a remote tiny village along a lazy creek.  I can read anywhere, but I wanted to buy something at this place. I wanted to buy more time there.

I meet friends every Thursday morning at our local Panera Bread Company to discuss whatever book we are currently reading. While there, I see many of the same people each week, happen upon old friends and acquaintances, and have introduced myself to some fascinating people who are becoming friends.

Panera doesn’t sell books. I often must wait in line to buy my coffee and scone. But what Panera offers is what Borders never figured out – community. A place to gather, read, speak and be heard, meet an old friend or someone new. Coffee and scones seem like mere accoutrements.

I am a bookaholic and admit buying some of the books in my collection not only because I wanted to read the books, but because I liked the look and feel of them. I have old beat-up copies of books that I’ve rescued from mildewy basements and I treasure a leather-bound collector edition of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” that I purchased from a “Great Books” club.

Most of my books these days come from Amazon.com, to which I pay an annual fee for “free” two-day shipping. I have no trouble finding the books I want, discovering books I didn’t know I wanted, and returning books I decided I didn’t want. So as a consumer, I am quite satisfied – even thrilled – with my ability to buy books without ever entering a book store.

I used to love spending time browsing, reading and buying books in places like Borders, but not so much any more.  I don’t miss “bricks and mortar” book stores in the least.  What I once liked about them I get from other kinds of places now.  I can easily buy a book to read with a couple of “clicks” of my finger, on this very same page you are reading right now, and I can read anywhere.  I don’t want Borders any more, and I certainly don’t need them.

You see, Borders forgot that people want to buy what they need from someone who understands what they want.  They completely forgot this basic human truth about buying and selling. As a result, they simply died.

Borders tried to transition from merely a bookseller to all I describe above and they failed. Others have already learned from this failure – they will learn or fail, too – and they will create something better, more satisfying, more appealing to consumers, humans and readers alike.

New sellers will understand the distinctions among “a place to buy”, a “place to read” and a “place to come together in community”. They won’t all have long lines, but they won’t be dying breeds, either. At least, not yet.

Join me at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.
Posted in Barnes and Noble, books, Borders, reading, sales | Leave a comment

Why Strategic Planning?

Posted on July 25, 2011 by pdncoach

“Strategic planning” is commonly used terminology to describe a myriad of methods used by organizations to determine their focus, direction and measures of success. Processes used and time invested in planning ranges from one day “retreats” to endless meetings that go on for months, regardless of the extent and success of previous planning efforts. Despite the widespread use of the terms and practice, unfortunately, few organizations get all that they are seeking from strategic planning.

Different organizations (and many strategic planning consultants) typically excel at one element of strategic thinking and business planning processes. For example:

  • People involved in the process may be particularly adept at creative thinking and envisioning a bold future, yet they fall short of capturing that future in a written plan that guides actions to fulfill their purpose and achieve their bold vision.
  • Others invest great effort in creating a written plan only to let it gather dust on a shelf. Some groups develop workable plans then fail to implement or fail to measure their results effectively.
  • Others focus clearly on financial results while neglecting the leadership, human development, resources and systems factors necessary to produce these results efficiently while leveraging the “collective genius” of the organization.
  • All too many who invest in long-term planning fail to cascade the plan effectively down to the daily work of “rank-and-file” of the organization. In effect, many businesses do strategic planning without any sustainable benefit other than to say “we did it” (or if you work closer to the front line, “they did it”).

Success is the continual achievement of your own predetermined goals, stabilized by balance and purified by belief.

There is a better way.
Strategic thinking and business planning processes should help you create a clear sense of purpose, direction and focus for all stakeholders that is measurable, sustainable, requires involvement and drives the actions of everyone – yes, everyone – in the organization to achieve predetermined results. The organization that effectively creates and executes a “strategic plan” will leverage its organizational genius and define:

  1. Who are we? 
    • Our reason for being; 
    • What do we believe and value; 
    • The needs that we exist to meet; 
    • The “business” that we are in.
  2. Where are we going?
    • How our organization, 
    • our customers, 
    • and/or society as a whole will be different as we progress along the road to accomplishing our reason for being (or when you actually accomplish it!).
  3. How we will get to where we are going.

Together, these three issues offer a plan for success that allows people to understand what success means to the organization and how to know when success is being achieved. Thinking and planning around these provide the roadmap for implementation:

     4.  Continuously doing what needs to be done, by whom, in order to get to where we are going.
Subscribe to a definition of success that works as well for your organization as it does each individual or business unit within the organization. Choose processes that provide a format for developing a Strategic Plan, taking that strategy through the business planning process and establishing measurable goals. These processes will involve not only determining where your company is going, but also how it is going to get there. 
Join me at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.
Posted in definition of success, strategic planning | Leave a comment

You’re a STAR! The Fool-Proof Method of Proving Your Skills

Posted on July 22, 2011 by pdncoach

Today we continue the series on using your Skills Language. So far, we have determined the critical importance of describing your skills and the Three Basic Types of Skills.  Today, we explain how to prove your Skills Language to others, which builds your confidence and their confidence in you.

What’s Your Story
What events in your past have you especially enjoyed, made you particularly proud, or gave you a unique sense of accomplishment? Take time to write about your life so far. How have you helped someone, earned recognition, made something or solved a problem?

We often are proud or pleased when we solve a problem, overcome a challenge or achieve a goal. These are our achievements – our accomplishments. An achievement is anything you have done that gave you a feeling of pride when you were done. Achievements can come from any part of your life (for example, childhood, school, home, work or a hobby).

You have achieved something when:

  • You think you did it well, and maybe other people think so, too;
  • You felt pride in having done it;
  • You may have enjoyed doing it.

You also may identify something as an achievement when:

  • You learned something from the process, and/or
  • You learned something from the result.

When you say you have a particular skill, your achievements are the situations and results that best prove you have that skill. In other words:

Skills + Achievements = PROOF by Example

Describing Your Achievements Using STAR
Some people have trouble describing their accomplishments (maybe that includes you). Using a method we call “STAR” makes it easier to describe your skills and achievements. Each part of STAR is important to help you explain and make clear the skills you possess.

Use STAR to describe an achievement:

Situation or Task + the Action you took + the Results you achieved.

STAR = Achievements = “Proof”

Describe at least three situations, the skills you used and the results you achieved.

Describe a Situation or Task from your experience:

  • Think of a time when you were successful in using your skill.
  • When did it happen?
  • Where did it happen?
  • Who was involved?
  • What task needed to be done?
  • What problem did you need to solve?

Describes your actions – how did you use your skill(s) to accomplish the task?

  • What happened?
  • What did you do?
  • How did you feel?
  • What “I AM” skills did you use?
  • What “I CAN” skills did you use?
  • What “I KNOW HOW TO” skills did you use?

What happened because of your actions; what were the Results?

  • What changed?
  • What difference did you make? How do you know?
  • How did you feel?
  • How did the people around you feel?
  • Can you measure the results?

Use this exercise to practice giving examples that prove what you say about yourself. The better you can prove your Skills Language by giving examples, the more likely employers will be interested in you. Practice by writing down your STAR examples. Practice by saying them to a friend. Practice them every time you speak with a potential employer or networking source.

Join me at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.
Posted in career advice, career planning, job search, skills, Skills Language, STAR Method | Leave a comment