Talking Story

Starting new conversations in the workplace!

  • Rosa’s Books
  • ManagingWithAloha.com
  • RosaSay.com

K.Todd Storch on Relevance

March 25, 2005 by Guest Author

Welcome to our week of Reinvention for Business—Day 5! The Ho‘ohana Online Community has graciously agreed to some hale-sitting in Talking Story this week for me, and they are sharing their thoughts with you on our March Ho‘ohana, a challenge for us all to reinvent ourselves in business.

Yes, the name of this post is a different R: how perceptive you are. Leave it to our Guest Author today to mix it up and challenge me … The one and only K.Todd Storch of Business Thoughts.

In my own reading on the web, I anxiously look to Todd’s Business Thoughts for his views on customer service and market innovation. He also has this wonderful way of coming right to the point of things, as you will soon read in his article. Strip away the business suit (wonder if he even wears one? I don’t think of radio guys that way, but he is a GSM”) and you’ll find that Todd’s true loves are his ‘ohana and stretching his limits as a triathlete. Todd’s a true connector; People You Need To Meet is but one example. Meet Todd for yourself: match the voice to the man here.

Reinvention…buzz word for laziness.

I know, I know. I’m taking the contrarian view to this topic, but let me explain. The definition of reinvent is "to make over completely".

There are many processes and things that we and companies do that need to be improved dramatically (ie. customer service for one ).

But when asked to write this post, I began thinking about "what needs to be reinvented" and how does this affect my life?

I could look at the radio industry, which is where I make my living; I could look at the world of blogging, which is where I contribute; I could look at any number of processes that I deal with each and every day. But as I really challenged myself with reinvention, I began to realize that the word that fit the best is relevant.

Relevant. Yes, that is it. The radio industry and television, cable, newspapers, etc. need to be relevant. Consumers are more informed than ever thanks to the Internet and being relevant is what is needed. Consumers are also demanding programming when ever they want it (thank you TiVo!). All of us want relevant content when ever and where ever we are.

If companies spent more time making their processes relevant to how the customer will actually use or interact with a product or the company itself, there is a much better opportunity for success. iTunes and the iPod are excellent example of this.

Many will say that iPod’s "reinvented" .mp3 players. I disagree. I’ve had a .mp3 player for years, but they were too difficult to use. Too difficult to really make listening fun. iPod’s made the experience relevant to consumers. Like the definition of the word, the iPod and iTunes made a connection with the matter with the matter at hand, which is/was "I want to listen to what I want, when I want and it needs to be easy and fun!"

iTunes didn’t reinvent downloads. It didn’t make over music downloads completely. iTunes made the music download experience relevant. It made it easy. It made it fun. It made it relevant to the lifestyle consumers want and demand.

What can each of us do to make our jobs, careers, lives more relevant?

—K.Todd Storch

Mahalo nui Todd!

Do you have questions for Todd? Would you like to add your voice to his? The comment lines are open, and ready for your thoughts.
— Rosa

Tag: Reinvention. Relevance. Customer Service.

Search Talking Story your way

RSS Current Articles at Managing with Aloha:

  • Do it—Experiment!
  • Hō‘imi to Curate Your Life’s Experience
  • Kaʻana i kāu aloha: Share your Aloha
  • Managing Basics: The Good Receiver
  • What do executives do, anyway? They do values.
  • Managing Basics: On Finishing Well
  • Wellness—the kind that actually works

Search Talking Story by Category

Talking Story Article Archives

  • July 2016 (1)
  • April 2012 (1)
  • March 2012 (6)
  • February 2012 (6)
  • January 2012 (10)
  • December 2011 (1)
  • November 2011 (4)
  • October 2011 (17)
  • September 2011 (8)
  • August 2011 (6)
  • July 2011 (2)
  • June 2011 (2)
  • May 2011 (4)
  • April 2011 (12)
  • March 2011 (16)
  • February 2011 (16)
  • January 2011 (23)
  • December 2010 (4)
  • November 2010 (1)
  • October 2010 (1)
  • September 2010 (4)
  • August 2010 (1)
  • July 2010 (4)
  • June 2010 (13)
  • May 2010 (17)
  • April 2010 (18)
  • March 2010 (13)
  • February 2010 (18)
  • January 2010 (16)
  • December 2009 (12)
  • November 2009 (15)
  • October 2009 (20)
  • September 2009 (20)
  • August 2009 (17)
  • July 2009 (16)
  • June 2009 (13)
  • May 2009 (3)
  • April 2009 (19)
  • March 2009 (18)
  • February 2009 (21)
  • January 2009 (26)
  • December 2008 (31)
  • November 2008 (19)
  • October 2008 (8)
  • September 2008 (11)
  • August 2008 (11)
  • July 2008 (10)
  • June 2008 (16)
  • May 2008 (1)
  • March 2008 (17)
  • February 2008 (24)
  • January 2008 (13)
  • December 2007 (10)
  • November 2007 (6)
  • July 2007 (27)
  • June 2007 (23)
  • May 2007 (13)
  • April 2007 (19)
  • March 2007 (17)
  • February 2007 (14)
  • January 2007 (15)
  • December 2006 (14)
  • November 2006 (16)
  • October 2006 (13)
  • September 2006 (29)
  • August 2006 (14)
  • July 2006 (19)
  • June 2006 (19)
  • May 2006 (12)
  • April 2006 (11)
  • March 2006 (14)
  • February 2006 (14)
  • January 2006 (7)
  • December 2005 (15)
  • November 2005 (27)
  • October 2005 (22)
  • September 2005 (38)
  • August 2005 (31)
  • July 2005 (34)
  • June 2005 (32)
  • May 2005 (27)
  • April 2005 (28)
  • March 2005 (36)
  • February 2005 (33)
  • January 2005 (35)
  • December 2004 (13)
  • November 2004 (24)
  • October 2004 (22)
  • September 2004 (28)
  • August 2004 (8)

Copyright © 2021 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in