Here are some drive-by observations from a sort of Harvard Business Review (HBR) Jesus Business Review (JBR) perspetive:
How Companies Turn Buzz Into Sales
In recent years, firms have turned to nontraditional marketing campaigns to generate buzz about their products and services. Indeed, positive word-of-mouth is anecdotally cited as the secret behind such successes as Chrysler’s PT Cruiser and the revival of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Knowing that the average consumer often listens to what trendsetters say, marketers go after specific groups of influential consumers.
But they may be missing the mark. Recent research reveals that the most obvious targets for a marketing campaign Äî loyal customers and tastemakers Äî may not create the best buzz for the marketing buck. (Source: MIT Sloan Management Review )
Kaleo’s Experience: Our ‘loyal customers’ (those who’ve attended 6-months or more) typically lag behind newer converts or attenders to Kaleo in actively inviting others to participate in Kaleo’s community.
The Art of Making Change Initiatives Stick
Many organizations regress after major change efforts because they lack a foundation that enables initiatives to stick. Through a detailed study of a major clothing retailer, the authors demonstrate the importance of starting early, having the right processes and avoiding top-down directives. The four critical processes they describe rely on understanding emotions and behavior, not just numbers. Giving employees a visceral sense of the need for change motivates them to maintain their efforts long after management attention has turned elsewhere. (Source: MIT Sloan Management Review )
Kaleo’s Experience: To quote Rick McKinley, “Sometimes your feel like you are yelling at dirt waiting for the plant to grow.” Meaning, often the leadership of the church feels a distinct message and direction the church goes in and it can take months before this is translated into the live’s of the congregation. The important thing is A Long Obedience in the Same Direction (to quote a book by Eugene H. Peterson) where a vision is cast and consistently re-enforced in messages, communication and teaching.