From the business card in your pocket to the digital billboard you see on the highway while going to work, signs are so much a part of your everyday life you take them for granted. Outside to inside, lobby to office, in the home, everywhere, signs are there to announce, inform, direct, warn and guide. Signs are a visual, non-verbal way to communicate and not just by the words alone. The type of sign, location, choice of font or letter style, sizing, layout and design all play a part in getting the message and your best image across.

The world is changing politically, socially and certainly economically at a rapidly increasing rate. Yet there are still businesses out there that believe they can operate as they always have and continue to be successful. More and more common are those businesses that recognize change is needed and even plan for it, but never act upon their plans.
Why would anyone go through the process of setting and planning goals and then not follow through?

Carotid artery disease is the most common cause of stroke in the United States. Over one-half of all stroke cases can be attributed to these blockages of the arteries,
which provide blood flow to the brain. Treatment of carotid artery disease, thus far, has been surgical with carotid endarterectomy performed in the vast majority of cases. Stent placement has typically been reserved only for those that are not candidates for surgical treatment. However, a recent study presented in February at the International Stroke Conference is causing reconsideration of our treatment strategies.

“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it.” ~ Peter Drucker Before you answer the question, ‘What does a customer really want?’ Consider a broader question, ‘What is your definition of a customer? Although organizations deal with many types of customers, the definition should include two important components:
• A customer is someone who wants or needs your help, your service or your product, and is willing to pay for it.
• A customer is someone with whom your organization is attempting to create a unique and emotionally positive experience for which they will repeatedly purchase your product or service.

No matter how brilliant your strategy, every once in a while you need to stop and look around” Winston Churchill. That applies to social media efforts as much as anything else. Measuring progress-to-goal is the only way to assess effort. Metrics are used to measure progress. And it is the last step in SocialPie’s Quick Start Social Media Plan.

Of the many issues with which we wrestle each day, one certain truth is: the future will not look like the present. Global competition, technology, and innovation will define the future. Yet many leaders continue to lead, manage, and operate as they have in the past.

It’s time for rubber to meet the road. Over the last issues, everything we’ve talked about social media has been planning and observation. It’s time to engage. In a social environment, people expect conversation. Those who don’t take part are wall flowers. Social platforms are no different, except no one can see you standing on the sidelines. Blogs, Twitter and Facebook are only social because people engage with each other. It is time to start doing just that.

It’s our 4th anniversary!!! Anyone needing an MRI should make note that 3T MRI is 100% sensitive for finding breast cancer and generally better for all other MRI studies. You might wonder why hasn’t your doctor mentioned this. Most doctors in this area have never called our center to ask about the benefits of 3T MRI versus other MRI scanners. A 3T MRI scanner shows details that no other scanner can see.

“Economists say that the great recession, the longest and deepest since World War II, ended 18 months ago and the US economy is growing again. Growth is relative. That doesn’t mean sit and wait for things to improve. Rather retool for the economy that exists today.” ~ Rosalind Resnick, Entrepreneur Magazine, December 2010
As you review your company’s strategic plan and forecast for 2011, what can you do to ensure that your company will meet those objectives? Ms. Resnick’s comment is absolutely on target, you can sit around and react to your environment, or you can retool your business objectives and take a proactive approach to succeed for 2011.