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Showing posts from August, 2018

Protecting the Snorkeling and Diving Tourism of Cabo Through Charter Enforcement

I had the opportunity to travel recently to Cabo and engage in some of the outdoor activities. One of these activities that seem to attract people is snorkeling and diving. You will find boats lined up around famous underwater areas and people swimming back and forth. Reefs and underwater creatures dot the area. They do a pretty good job at coordinating. The charters have realized that if they damage these precious resources they won't be able to get them back. At the very onset they state that if you see garbage pick it up or tell them about it and they will pick it up. Likewise, there is some discussion on not touching the reefs as they are not only sharp but also full of life. Disturbing that life could mean the lose of habitat and the creatures that live there. Ecotourism is likely to grow in the future. As these resources dwindle the few remaining resources will need to be protected. That can't happen without funding and that will come from tourists. If adventure

Positive Communication Patterns Can Connect Employees Despite the "Stars"

Negative communication patterns can cause all types of havoc in the workplace and slow dissipate groups. I have seen it over and over. Functioning teams take in a real "go getter" that works like a bullet to get things done. In their goal achievement they begin to be condescending, judgmental, and rude. The team breaks apart but the "star" is not blamed because it isn't something that can be easily calculated or put on paper. I once read a study on game theory and how people who are rude are eventually punished. As they move from group to group trying to gain resources for themselves they leave a wake of resentful people. People who have the capacity to work together and they in turn refuse to work with that person or share information. In the end the "star" employee with a bad attitude and poor communication style gets locked out of opportunities and eventually is forced to move onto other organizations. It takes them a long time to get caught bec

Lands End-Pictures of the Last Place on the American Continent

Near Cabos San Lucas are plenty of tours and outdoor adventures. Lands End is the last destination on the West Coast before you reach out into the broad ocean. It is a just a tiny rock that sits out on the point near Lover's Beach.  The place has some history associated with it. Sailors from around the world, and pirates, have landed on that beach and used Lands End as a signal for safe harbor. They came back many times in order to find fun and protection.  Of course now it is a tourist destination. Galleons have switched to cruise ships and adult pirates are now replaced by little ones with plastic swords. The history is still alive as people make their way to that beach and hang around.  I love to travel and see new places. Learn a little of their history and come to understand the people better. It is one of those things that helps me feel connected to different cultures and people around me. Likewise, I feel the adventure of travel and excitement. 

How Mangers Can Damage Innovation Through Discouraging Curiosity

I'm reading through the October version of the Harvard Business Review and I came across two great articles on curiosity and innovation. According to these two articles managers often kill off innovation by discouraging employees from being creative by implicitly giving signals that asking questions is not acceptable. They further push employees to be silent and work toward what makes them look good to people higher up the food chain. That pushes employees to be quiet, not look for alternatives, review processes, or understand the bigger picture of what is going on within their organizations. Thus, the employee becomes the worker and the boss becomes the gatekeeper to benefits. Strong employees may leave and the weaker one's stay. The entire organization starts to die. The problem is that bright, intelligent, and capable employees don't rely on their bosses for much other than information. Their boss could easily be replaced as high quality employees work on their own w

Learning to Play Polo in San Diego-Easy Steps to Competitive Play!

The hooves are throwing dirt in every direction like mud bound ATVs as a herd of speeding horses canter down the field at break neck speed. Polo players battle it out swiping and smashing their mallets in an frenzied effort to provide a power hit that launches the little white ball through the goal! Polo is for those who love horses and action as adventurous personalities make their way onto the field. For interested students the speed and agility of players can seem overwhelming. You may even think, "I could never do that!" ....but that isn't true. Anyone can learn to play polo when they have knowledgeable coaches and a safe environment that can take you step by step into the process. Whether you don't know how to ride, or are a seasoned player, there are classes for you! Instructors have experience and offer private and group lessons. The good news is you don't even need a horse! They will have it groomed, saddled and ready to go by the time you get there!

Product Descriptions in Online Retail Marketing

In the online world of market-spaces and places your product description is going to have a huge impact on your success rate. Considering that people want to know and understand what they are purchasing they will inherently scour these descriptions for information. Without being able to inspect the products before purchase they will rely on whatever information is present and therefore writing a strong description is necessary. Clear and concise make sense here. Be specific in the beginning and let them scroll down for lengthy descriptions. Attention span is short in the online world and having the most common questions answered quickly will improve conversion rates. Provide diagrams, pictures, and other displays that might help them visualize the product. While market-spaces like Amazon only allow the first picture with a white background it is beneficial to include pictures of the product in action. These pictures make impressions and motivations. The word usage should be activ

Fencing as a Cardio and Quick Reaction Sport

Fencing is a fantastic sport if you want to improve your cardio and your pin-point reaction times. It is fast and quick and with all of that gear on you will sweat like crazy. If you are really going after your opponent I would suspect it is much like sprinting but with also wearing a snowmobile suit! However, if you are looking for a fun way to get in shape and enjoy romantic sports this one is for you. Maybe I should rephrase romantic here. Let us say stab your opponent with lots of different rules and right-a-ways. Lots of great style but sort of still stabbing in one way or form. The beauty of this sport is that it has a long long long history. It was once based on necessity to train combat soldiers and knights. Why is it important today? Beyond just the health aspects it is important to ensure that you are creating eye and hand coordination. The movements are bullet fast and the smallest movement can make a big difference in the outcome. When someone has mastered the foil,

Organic Wine by Shaw?

Wine snob alert! This Cabernet Sauvignon wine is pretty good but doesn't cost $50 a bottle. I know, I know...that will probably mean the wine snobs will reject it, because there is no way to produce a good wine without jacking up the price to the ceiling. Well turn your noses high and bust your bank account because economic shoppers got a great thing going!! You may want to read an article on the wine from Wine Economist This wine retails under $5 but has a $20 dollar taste. I must admit I'm a little picky about my wine. While I will drink what I buy I won't necessarily buy some products again. This wine is rich, bountiful, and you can taste the lush environment the grapes cultivated in. You can sort of get a hint of the soil. As organic grapes they must be a touch hardier than average and likely were picked at a slightly riper age making the wine a touch darker and more fruity than other wines. Not a lot of tannin aftertaste which suits me just fine. I would consider

Does Building a Successful Business Have Something to Do with Repetition?

Repetition is not seem highly in many business development patterns but it should be. We sometimes overlook the obvious in the attempt to create innovation. Yet...we should be honest and realize we can't improve unless we do something enough to actually improve it. Repetition allows us to delve deeper and deeper into a process and come to new conclusions that can push our business forward. Let me give you an example to ponder. Let us say you are desperate to make a profit so every time something doesn't immediately work you radically change what you are doing. This is exploratory behavior that can be effective at times but often simply bounces from bad idea to bad idea. There are times when it is necessary to make these radical changes but often it is only after you have understood your current process. Perhaps it isn't about radical change but about putting together the right "mix" of different aspects of the business processes. You may need a better supplier

Polo-Poser or Practice?

Polo is the game of kings and attracts all types of different people. Most will never touch a mallet or be on a horse. Ever since the movie Pretty Woman people have flocked to polo for opening day never to be heard from again! Now, it is completely acceptable to love polo and never play the game but I do want to bring up the idea of "poser" and the difference between loving the game and pretending to be a master at it! I once went to a polo game with a few friends. It was fun. We talked about how beautiful the horses were and most of us enjoyed our time. However, there was one gentleman that was bragging about how he loved the sport, engaged in it all the time, and dressed so perfectly to the game you would think he was a wealthy sponsor for it. That is all ok because people have the right to do what they want and wear what they want. Poor taste and false impressions are not yet illegal. The clothing was a touch too perfect and seemed to be put together all for impressi

How to Deal with Potentially Rude People-Engage, Reject or Confront

We live in a world where there are plenty of very good people dotted with a number of rude people that project their perceptions on others. They unfortunately have no problem with violating a sense of peace that is needed in society for social cohesion. You can use three strategies that can be used at work or in your personal life. They include engage, reject or confront. First understand that while rude behavior has been sensationalized in popular media as a sign of confidence it is actually a character flaw. It is the exact opposite of what it portrays. People who are rude are either deeply wounded or lack the ability to accept social rules and therefore are unable to fully comprehend their behavior. Engage: Engage with the person by saying "hi" or "how can I help you?" which often puts them on notice that you understand their behavior. It also shows that you do not shy from conflict and is often the best way to diffuse bad behavior. Reject: Of course there

The Skill of Sculling-Learn Quickly

Sculling, or the use of small thin boats, to row and race is a pretty cool skill to have. It takes a little practice. Its not easy to balance and there are all types of tips and tricks to getting onto them. Without the ores it is likely you will simple tip and fall into the water. So there are a few things you should do before you take off into deep water. For one you will need to learn how to get onto the boat without falling over as well as how to feather your blades for stability. Trust me I almost tipped the first time I got on. After this you can learn to stop, turn, and go back in the other direction. Having some level of mobility is important for staying away from obstacles. It is also beneficial to learn to get on the boat if you fall off. That can be tricky as you will need to sort of hop up and balance on the center of the boat as you swing your legs over. It doesn't work well if your ores are not in the right direction. There is also the need to learn how to ac

Price, Quality and Service as Fundamentals to Competing Online

Companies that sell online have a limited array of ways they can differentiate themselves and draw in customers. While relationships might work well in neighborhoods the customers sees price, quality and service as paradigms that are important to them. Each can be used as one method of competing online and creating a name for your brand. Price: The ability to stay in the lower quarter quadrant of prices. Online consumers often buy at the cheapest price no matter what. Being the lowest helps you to get the "buy box" and stand out compared to the competitors. This is not possible with all products so seek to stay in the bottom quarter of all prices. Quality: Quality is a consideration for some people who don't want things to break quickly or who plan on using materials multiple times. There is a subset of the population who wants to buy a product like a hammer to last a lifetime while others think of it as disposable. Service: Excellent services, information, returns