January 27th, 2010
by Pamela Sherman
What is the opposite of Intelligence… Stupidity or Negligence?
Just like it’s sometimes said that the opposite of ‘love‘ is not ‘hate,’ but rather ‘apathy‘… Perhaps the same is true of ‘intelligence’ –with the opposite not being ’stupidity,’ but rather ‘negligence.’
Even the best business leaders will tell you tales of their “stupidity” and “foolish mistakes.” They accept them as trials from which they learned. The moral is that at least they were taking action and trying something. As my entrepreneurial mentor and friend Rick Citron says, “making mistakes comes with the process of success… You just try to make sure they aren’t the big ones!”
So, is your business growing with “Active Intelligence” or are you suffering (consciously or unconsciously) due to “negligence”?…
As a marketer with significant business development experience, it’s common to see business owners who fail to recognize how they are neglecting their business …and how it’s hurting them. I’m not referring to the obvious operational type of neglect (business owners usually know when that’s occurring –that’s important to address too!). But, what I am really talking about here is BIG PICTURE STRATEGIC NEGLIGENCE …the avoidance of important questions about their business –their marketing, leadership and growth. Perhaps this kind of negligence is harder to account for? –How do you fully calculate opportunity-loss anyway?
Some business owners and operators say they cannot afford to work on their strategy? But, the truth is, BUSINESS OWNERS CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO MAKE STRATEGIC PLANS. It’s one of the biggest reasons why so many businesses fail.
TO BUILD GREATER BUSINESS SUCCESS, REGULARLY EXERCISE YOUR INTELLIGENCE. Actively listen, learn, and apply your learning. Use your full range of intelligence, your IQ and EQ (Emotional Intelligence) to build your business strength and success.
According to Wikipedia, “intelligence is an umbrella term used to describe a property of the mind that encompasses many related abilities, such as the capacities to reason, to plan, to solve problems, to think abstractly, to comprehend ideas, to use language, and to learn.”
HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO BETTER BUILD YOUR “ACTIVE INTELLIGENCE”:
1) CUSTOMER RESEARCH. Gather valuable customer feedback and information regarding your business, products and services. Also learn more about your target markets. (See a blog post on Building Your Customer IQ)
2) BIG STRATEGIC QUESTIONS. Ask yourself big questions like: A) What ladder am I climbing… and, is it even leaning against the right wall? B) Is my business soundly constructed for today’s needs (with its financial model and marketability)? C) Am I using all the right tools to create greater opportunities for success? D) Am I actively exploring the marketplace, building valued-relationships along the way?
3) EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES AND TEST IDEAS. Identify needs that aren’t being met and figure out creative and effective ways to meet them. Explore ideas, testing your concepts or products even before they are developed (The Internet can help you gather early market feedback).
4) GREATER INTELLIGENCE TEAMWORK. Garner support where you need it. There are several ways to define intelligence. In some cases, intelligence may include traits such as creativity, personality, character, knowledge, or wisdom. Remember, teamwork helps build greater collective strategic mind-power.
5) LEADERSHIP INSPIRATION. Make a commitment to leadership at a time when innovation will be appreciated and needed most. Build and inspire leadership into your strategy and company culture. (For some inspiring Leadership Quotes see this WMT blog post.)
WHEN YOU PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR MARKETING… IT PAYS YOU BACK! 
Invest in your future –it’s here quicker than you think! As Lorrie Thomas, founder of WMT says, “People don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan.”
Web Marketing Therapy Related Links:
- Small Business: Active Listening & Learning for Greater Earning!
- Business Success: Questions for Boosting Your “CUSTOMER I.Q.”
- Business Success & Survival: Evolve with Future Vision, Purpose & Breakthroughs!
- Business/On-line Success: MASTER MARKETING STRATEGIES DESIGNED TO INCREASE YOUR SALES!
Bill @ SBCC
(January 27th, 2010 at 8:22 pm)
In terms of the five tips mentioned above, I wonder which company – Disney or Universal Studios – does a better job at customer service at their theme parks? Why?
Pamela Sherman
(January 28th, 2010 at 11:53 am)
HI Bill! –Thank you for your interest and your question generated from this “active intelligence” post.
You ask about the success of “customer service” at Disney and Universal theme parks… I can’t personally provide much feedback since I haven’t been to either one in over a decade, nor have I done any real investigation or research regarding their customer service on site.
As far as their strategic thinking, building a “company culture” and “brand” that connects with people — I think Disney overall has it down in spades! —They are the founding masters of creating brand-identity and brand-value from a consistent company culture to licensing products worldwide. You may or may not know this, but at one time, many years ago, Disney moved away from their animation development (virtually closing the department down), but thankfully they brought it back! –That’s applying “active intelligence,” realizing they lost their strength and came back to fill a huge desire/need in the marketplace …and they have been running with it ever since.
I understand that Universal is applying great strategic thinking by creating some alliances pertinent for today’s market. –They are now building at their theme park in Orlando a “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” ride! –I think that’s brilliant!
A theme park is a theme park… and they would be extremely remiss not having good customer service. The goal should be to create “customer enthusiasm” and “connective customer experiences” with their target markets. Designing a whole strategic vision and mission that translates creatively into a full experience of a company, it’s employees and activities is a monumental accomplishment! –Walt and Roy Disney happened to show us how it was done!
Lorrie Thomas
(January 28th, 2010 at 12:20 pm)
Pamela!
Awesome post and AMEN to Strategy! I agree that BUSINESS OWNERS CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO MAKE STRATEGIC PLANS.
It is hard to look critically at your business, especially when you work so hard IN it….don’t forget to make time to work ON it!
Hugs,
Lorrie
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Robert
(February 20th, 2010 at 3:45 am)
Small business
4) Small Business owners are largely forgotten. Thats why I only focus on them. I have experience several members of my family file bankruptcy due to small business failures. I also I suffered through 2 destroyed businesses due to failure however, in my failings I have learned some of the secrets to success. (Who can say they know it all?)
What I like about small business owners is that they are not afraid to take huge risks and lay it all on the line. But, I agree they do need a lot of help with their marketing. I think having them go the social media and email route is not only the least expensive but its also the most effective. Thanks for the stats!
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